Growing my Business

[joseph_675]

Hello all,

This might seem too general or broad of a question, but the idea behind it is very simple. How do I help my business grow? I help run a specialty store, and of course I'd like to reach a wider customer base and explore new avenues to grow my business. Can anyone recommend a resource or web site that has helped them grow their company? Thanks in advance!

[Carlos]

Originally Posted by joseph_675

Hello all,

This might seem too general or broad of a question, but the idea behind it is very simple. How do I help my business grow? I help run a specialty store, and of course I'd like to reach a wider customer base and explore new avenues to grow my business. Can anyone recommend a resource or web site that has helped them grow their company? Thanks in advance!

My two cents:

1.Try to join local business associations and go to their meetings. Take biz cards and introduce yourself and hand out your card to every single person in attendance. I don't know where you are so can't recommend a specific one.

2. Stay away from phone book advertising in the beginning (and probably for good). Instead test with cheaper local classified ads and the Internet.

[andrew_poesaste]

hey Joseph,
your question is hard to answer without more specifics but first
Who are you trying to sell to?
And Locally, nationally, globally?

Define your target market
Who is your optimal customers? because you will have limited resources being the small guy, so you have to see who is your perfect customer and find out where will they be? Online forums, websites, blogs, do they search through google? All questions you need to answer.

I would stay away from offline promotion if your not trying to sell locally only because you have limited reach (the amount of people you getting to) to the time/ money your spending.

The money you spend on flyers, going to groups could be invested to online spots getting thousands of visitors seeing your promotion, and you will only covert so many but slowly word of mouth and return visitors will come.

Andrew =-)

[Brad I]

Joseph, what are you selling at your specialty store? Not to be mean, but by not giving any clue to what you are selling lets me know you aren't really focused on selling.

Again, no offense intended, you are probably focusing on other things besides marketing.

Marketing and selling is how you will grow your business. A few classes and books on marketing would be money well spent. If you have a larger budget, I'd hire a GOOD copywriter like Michel Fortin or someone he recommends. Then you'll be growing your business.