Life and Business

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Nowadays, it’s much harder to market a business than it used to be. With the Internet and television always “on,” that means you must always be “on” as well. No more marketing just around the holidays. Marketing has to be something you think about and do every day of the year.

If that seems dramatic, think about the fact that four out of five businesses fail in their first five years of existence. That is not a good statistic for small businesses. That’s why, to keep your business alive, you need to constantly market your business and yourself. Everything you do is part of your marketing campaign – from your sale signs to your customer service. Your marketing plan and everything you do surrounding that plan needs to be tailored toward keeping your business afloat. Here are some tips on how to make sure your business keeps on floating in the sea of economic turbulence.

Clarify your mission and values. If you don’t know what you are in business for and you don’t know what values are important to your business, you’re bound to fail. Take a few minutes to write down your values. Then write down your mission, which usually stems from your values. Whenever you find yourself getting off track or losing momentum, look at your values and mission statement. This will help you stay motivated.

Create a marketing plan. Marketing will be so much easier to accomplish if you have a one-year plan written down that you can follow. You’ll know ahead of time what months you need to save for brochure printing expenses versus postcard printing. Keep your plan flexible so that you can change your tactics as the market changes during the year. Make sure to write down your long-term goal at the top of the plan so you remember what you’re working for.

Have patience. Too many business owners expect to see marketing results overnight and then stop marketing when they don’t get the results they expected. Don’t fall victim to this line of thinking! Realistically, expect your marketing campaign to take several months to a year to work. Make sure your marketing plan includes realistic marketing goals. If you don’t know what constitutes as realistic, talk to other small business owners.

Be persistent. You’re going to get frustrated. You’re going to get angry. You’re going to get tired. But remember that tomorrow is another chance to do something that will help your business in the future – whether that’s printing those brochures or warmly greeting a customer at the door. Be persistent in your business actions and marketing actions and keep going. You’ll get your rewards when it’s time. If running a business were easy, everyone would be doing it!

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - 4 Tips for Small Businesses in Today’s Economic Turbulence