New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses

Shortly after the holidays many businesses will see a dip in their sales. The reason is that many consumers have overspent during the holidays and are now on a tight budget especially if budgeting is on the top of their New Year’s resolutions list. Small business owners shouldn’t get discouraged because with the right marketing strategy and with continuous effort your business will thrive. Here are four resolutions for your small business that will help get your business out of the after holidays slump and create a continuous momentum all year long:

1. Promote your products/services

While humility is a virtue that should be practiced in your everyday life, being humble about your business is another story. Regardless of the size of your business, the amount of revenue it brings in, or how long you’ve been in business you should be your business’ biggest fan. Whether you sell ladies apparel, pet products, tech services, or consulting services, it is imperative to maintain your business image in a positive light always. You have to be excited about your products or services in order to get others excited about it too. Just remember the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” People will be more interested when you talk positively about your business. The more likeable your business sounds the more likely they will hire your services or make a purchase. Let everyone know about your business: friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers at the grocery store, social media, the internet – I mean everybody. If you have new products or a sale let the world know. You can promote your sale through Facebook Ads, Google AdWords, and word of mouth. The more people know about your business the more leads you will get resulting in more paying customers.

2. Start or increase your email list

The new year is the perfect time to begin an email marketing campaign. The first step is to build an email list of those who are actually interested in your products or services. You can easily build your email list by offering a discount to new customers if they join your email list. Email marketing is a great way to market your business without spending too much money. The key to an effective email marketing campaign is that your emails are interesting, straight to the point, and visually appealing. The thing with emails is that people will often read the subject line first so if your subject line is uninteresting or appears spammy, guess where your email will go? It will go straight to the spam folder. If your email seems pushy then there is a high chance the receiver of the email will unsubscribe, so while email marketing seems easy enough it has to be done with professionalism and tact, otherwise your efforts will be wasted.

3. New photos and web content

A new year calls for a new look, but not drastically unless you want to rebrand your business. Updating your web content and adding new photos won’t change your brand image, it will only polish it up. Adding a new landing page or adding a blog section to your business website will increase web traffic organically and internet traffic is what you want to aim for. You want to always maintain a sense of freshness regardless of how long you’ve been in business because consumers are attracted to businesses that are modern and keep up with the times.

4. Up your social media presence

Social media is the most effective platform to introduce your products and services. More and more consumers search for products and services on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Their purchasing decision is often based on what they’ve seen online and their online experiences. For example, if someone sends a direct message to a couple salons offering the same services and only one responds within an hour and the other two responds days later, guess which salon gains a new client? The one that treats potential clients and existing clients like they matter. Social media allows you to build customer trust and customer loyalty as long as you provide exceptional services and products. Days of searching the Yellow Pages is long gone in today’s Digital Age. If you want to up your leads and your customer base, then you need to start upping your social media presence in 2018.

Need help maintaining your business resolutions? Send your emails to: [email protected]