When you start up a small business, it’s natural to focus on numbers, figures, and what makes the most profit. But that isn’t always the wisest mentality to have. Focusing instead on the individual, often-overlooked components of what makes a business successful can bring long-term benefits.
Here are 5 more unconventional ways to make your business a little more successful.
#1. Focus on the Physical Office
Everything is online. And that’s not much of an exaggeration. If you’re not online, you probably don’t have much of a shot at success with your startup. But one trend that might become problematic is a tendency to focus too much on the online side of business and not enough on physical location.
If you have a business that still requires your employees to come into the office for meetings or desk work, realize that the quality of your business location will affect the success of your business. People will look at how professional your office building is, how well it’s kept up, and what part of town it’s in. Make sure your business is clean and presentable.
Your online presence is doubtless very well protected, with secure passwords, internet firewalls, and malware programs. Make sure your office has all the latest security too. Choose the appropriate security system for your company. Chain link fencing is also a cost-effective option that leaves fewer places for intruders to hide. You can also get partitions or privacy screens if you want more privacy
#2. Be a Quitter
There’s an important difference between someone who gives up and someone who quits. Don’t be afraid to say no. And don’t be afraid to stop a project that isn’t working out. Walk away from ventures that are bringing you no profit (and no foreseeable profit in the future).
Sometimes it pays to keep going, and sometimes being stubborn will put you in a hole you’ll have to pay through the teeth to climb out of.
Don’t be the boss who gives up . . . but be the boss who quits.
#3. Give Stuff Away
Sometimes the best way to make a profit is to give stuff away. Don’t be afraid to offer free first-time consultations or give away sample or test products. People are often leery of trying something they know nothing about, and giving away free products or services might bring them back for more.
You’re the only one that can determine how much you can afford to discount or give away, but don’t be afraid of the oxymoron that is profit-by-giveaway.
#4. Be a Real Person
Your customers and clients are real people, and you should treat them accordingly. Likewise, you should present yourself as a real person with goals beyond making a profit or adding them to your client list. If you see your customers as real people instead of just another dollar in the bank, they’ll start seeing you as someone with their best interests at heart, and you’ll all profit.
Treat people like gold. Work with them on pricing and be flexible with your time. Make them, not their money, your top priority. Not everyone will be fun to work with, but “the customer is always right” is true 99% of the time, and it’s up to you to give them what they need (even if it’s more than they deserve).
#5. Walk the Line Between Smart and Too-Smart
Tailor your vocabulary to your audience. Online audiences tend to skim articles and posts, and if they don’t understand the lingo or technical terms you’re using they’ll turn to Wikipedia or other more user-friendly sites to get the information they need. Being too smart will lose you customers.
On the other hand, dumbing your writing down too much will drive the people looking for more detail away too. If you need to use a word, phrase, or sentence longer than average, use it. Pretending you don’t know big words won’t do you any good either, and you might lose credibility if people think you don’t know what you’re talking about.
It’s a fine line to walk, but if you focus on your audience and what they’re going to need you shouldn’t have too much of a problem with the voice in your business’ content.
On another note, when you write, write for your audiences. Don’t keyword-stuff—that’s just bad
Making your business successful isn’t easy, but shying away from numbers and figures and focusing more on the individual components of success might make it a little easier.
Images: ”Provide financial solutions and support to Small Business / Shutterstock.com“
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