For many adults, the prospect of working in an office on a 9-5, Monday to Friday routine is not particularly inspiring. Office life typically involves managing your emails, responding to routine requests, and undertaking a mix of daily tasks and project work. In addition, there is often the need to attend regular meetings, some of which may seem to have little purpose or value in your role. If this sounds familiar, and you consider yourself to have a business brain, you may have already considered starting your own small business. Running your own small firm can be incredibly rewarding, especially if it becomes a success. Being able to dictate the future direction of the firm and play a key role in its growth is extremely satisfying for entrepreneurs young and old. In this article, some top tips for building a profitable small business will be discussed.
Know your target market
Any small business, regardless of its sector of operations, relies on satisfying the needs of its target market. Put simply, these are the consumers or other businesses that you expect to be able to sell your products to. It is important to recognize that not having a full understanding of the needs and wants of your target market can be a key reason for the failure of a small business. Every year, it is estimated that around 20% of all businesses fail in their first 12 months of trading. Commonly, a lack of understanding of target markets is a key factor in this failure. Before you launch your small business, you must build a comprehensive picture of who you aim to sell to. You must understand the demographics of your target market and their likes, dislikes, and purchasing habits. Only by doing this will you be able to create a product or service that is tailored to their needs and prompts them to purchase from you.
Ensure effective delivery channels
Today’s consumers demand and expect reliable delivery when they make purchases. Put simply, if your firm states a definite day or time for delivery, it must ensure that this deadline is adhered to. Research suggests that 69% of consumers will not make repeat purchases from a firm that does not deliver to them more than 2 days after the scheduled delivery date. Small businesses should seek out free courier quotes for their goods from reputable shipping firms. The firm that they choose to ship their products should have a proven record of delivering on time and keeping damage in transit to minimal levels. Take a range of quotes from shipping providers and pick a firm that can demonstrate its commitment to timeliness and provide competitive prices for its services.
Marketing your firm on a budget
Finally, your small business will likely have a small budget for its marketing activities, especially in the first few years of operation. However, effective budgeting can still take place with small funds. For example, social media marketing can be undertaken on a small budget and allows you to reach a large online audience. Pick a social media platform that your target market uses and create short but memorable ad campaigns. Aim to add a hyperlink in the product that you are promoting that will take the consumer to the product page of your website. This can be an effective way of transforming interest in your product into a sale.
