By Brooke Chaplan
Launching your own business is exciting but also challenging. Attracting interest and prospective customers is critical to get your company up and running. While you may have the passion, industry, and even the beginnings of a marketing plan, the legal issues, licenses, and startup funding may have you confused. It can be difficult to take that first leap when you just don’t know how to start. Once you are ready, however, it is important to know just where to make the needed connections and how to really get your business booming. When everything is ready to go, here are four important steps that can lead your enterprise to a successful start.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce
Get involved with local business and civic groups in your area. The chamber of commerce is a hub for companies that create a network for sharing information and promotional ideas. Attend special events to meet other entrepreneurs who can advise you how to get started. You can also look for experts who offer small business consulting in your area and possibly find a mentor who can answer questions and give advice based on years of experience about the ins and outs of marketing a startup.
Create a dynamic website
A compelling web presence can make a huge difference in your marketing efforts. Keep it up to date with current information. Include product facts and services provided for handy reference. Offer useful industry or product tips to viewers who may begin to consider your website as a valuable resource, even if they don’t initially buy anything. Consider posting a blog, which adds personality, style, and voice, to the otherwise-business nature of your site. Shoppers like to relate to people as much as, or more than, products and services. Invite reader input and questions to keep the site interactive. By establishing a dynamic web presence, you will be able to provide a sort of face and personality for your business that consumers can be attracted to.
Use social media
Take advantage of free global advertising through establishing an online base through media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Attract viewers day and night around the clock with minimal effort. Post interesting and entertaining blurbs about your business and related topics. Keep current with news events that may have a slight or significant bearing on your business. As you build connections, you may have the opportunity to guest-host another writer’s blog or share valuable insights with those who may develop interest in your company.
Get involved with the community
Become familiar with the community where your company is located. Find out about special activities and events where businesses sometimes band together to donate goods and services or sponsor youth athletic teams. Give a talk at the local Rotary or Lions Club to familiarize community leaders with your areas of expertise.
Reaching out in these ways to others in the business world around you, locally and globally, can extend your professional reach and influence. Build bridges that can lead to lucrative connections that will get your business swiftly noticed.
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Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
