Taking complication out of the equation – tips for busy entrepreneurs
Let's face it. An entrepreneur's work is never done – especially since running a business requires a lot of hard work and dedication. As such, they seem to tackle multiple tasks and make important decisions all at once just to get the job done on time. So, how can these amazing people make their life a little easier without compromising their bottom line? If you are about to start your own business and would like to know the answer to this question, then you'll surely appreciate the valuable tips you are about to uncover.
Understand your customers' decision process. In the past, you needed to go through the marketing funnel before your customers took the desired action or bought your products. You need to create awareness, elicit your customers' interest and turn that interest into desire before you can hope to make a sale. Today, the scenario has entirely changed. Customers now base their buying decision on social media [3] recommendations, reviews and customer ratings. So, go where your prospective customers are and engage them in an interesting conversation. You'll surely make a sale this way.
Simplify the buying process. Customers appreciate businesses that simplify the buying process. Think Amazon Prime's free 2-day delivery and Zappos' return policies.
Know the best way to advertise your business. Attracting the media's attention can be one of the best ways to advertise your business so think of ways you can apply it to your business. It costs less than other forms of advertising but brings a considerable amount of business to the table.
Know how to track results. Consider using different 800 numbers for each form of advertising so you will know which one yields the most results. This will take the guesswork out of the equation and will allow you to spend your advertising budget on what really works. Don't worry about the cost – it's just about $10 per month.
Learn how to delegate. Delegate non-critical tasks or consider hiring a virtual assistant to do mundane tasks. You can significantly enhance your productivity level by letting others do the simpler and more time-consuming tasks.
Use the right productivity tools. Instead of emailing documents back and forth after editing them, consider using online tools such as Dropbox [4] or Google Drive. You should likewise use an online project management collaboration tool such as Basecamp to track individual project status and stay right on track.