Six top tips to succeed in business.
1: Do your research
Don’t rush into your launch. Take an inventory of your skills and experience, look for gaps in the market where you could make an impact and think about what business would be a good match. We spent several months researching our options – whether that was starting from scratch, buying a business or taking on a franchise.
2: Network
Everyone can improve their business through networking – it is a great way to generate leads. It worked so well for us that for several years we led a well know networking group in London, Hertfordshire and Essex. Those contacts are still paying off today.
3: Target the right customers
Work out what type of customer would be the most profitable for you and only target them. If you waste time selling to people who can’t afford your service or don’t really need your products then you will not retain them. In our first year working with Infusionsoft, creators of automated sales and marketing software, we won an award for never losing a customer because we didn’t sell to everyone.
4: Get testimonials
Offer a great service so that your customers are happy to refer you to friends and clients and write a testimonial for your website. People trust referrals from friends – that’s how we get lots of our business.
5: Don’t get side tracked
We know business owners are full of ideas. But to be successful you need to be laser-focused on your key priorities. During our ten years we have run two other very successful businesses at the same time. We eventually realised we had to sell our shares as we needed to give all our energy to our main business.
6: Use a Customer Relationship Management system
A great CRM will take away the stress of remembering to follow up on leads, giving you prompts at just the right time. All your client information will be in one place and you won’t lose vital business information if an employee leaves.
