Top Tips For A Successful Small Business

How To Be A Better Business

Small businesses face any number of challenges on the road to success. The best plan of attack is to cover all your bases – do your research, invest in security, and have quality customer service – and if all goes according to plan, your business will thrive.

On the next few pages we’ll cover some key areas to keep in mind as you navigate the world as a small business owner.

Choose The Right Employees

Small businesses often get into trouble by relying too heavily on hiring friends and family members that may not have the right skill set for the job. Once you’ve decided to hire employees outside of your circle, make sure you are putting in a little extra work so that you get it right the first time. Consider utilizing an applicant screening service. The service can help you narrow down what you are looking for and collect the applications of those right for the job.

Be Available 24/7 While no one expects you to live at the office, customers do expect someone to answer the phone every time they call. Depending on your business’s needs, there are many affordable outsourcing options – everything from taking orders to technical troubleshooting and answering services. An outsourced call center is a great way to compete with bigger businesses when it comes to customer service and availability.

Know Your Customers Knowing exactly who your customers are can save you a lot of money in terms of marketing strategy as well as make you a lot of money in terms of customer loyalty. Unfortunately, most small businesses don’t have the resources or the time to do extensive market research on their own. However, this is an area that should not be overlooked. Adjust your budget to include a market research initiative. There are many services available that can survey your customers in a professional, organized manner.

Overestimate Your Costs Overestimating your expenses allows you to plan for the worst and focus your energy on cutting frivolous costs. By the same token, you should consider underestimating your revenue – this will engage you in focusing on marketing tactics. Either way, you won’t just be holding on by the skin of your teeth; you will be planning and strategizing for a bigger and better environment for your business to grow in. Essentially, cover all your bases because with a small business, you provide your own safety net.

Protect Your Assets If you are a small business with a physical inventory, it is imperative that you invest in a quality security system. It may be a large initial cost, but keep in mind, one successful robbery could put you out of business for weeks, if not indefinitely. Along that same line of thought, businesses that provide services online are most definitely not immune to theft. Make sure you take all the proper security precautions to protect your data and that of your customers. Keep in mind, once you’ve lost their trust, you’ve lost their patronage.

Communication Is Key Your business takes up nearly all your time – planning, budgeting, ordering, etc. – who has time to tweet? If you want your business to thrive you may want to consider finding the time to get internet active with your customers. Now more than ever, customers are building relationships with businesses, thanks to social media. Plus, for a small business with a tight budget it would be very unwise to pass up on free marketing and promotion.

Don’t Be Forgotten

Just as bad as getting a business signal, for your customers, missing an appointment because they simply forget is a very frustrating experience. Anticipating the worst case scenarios for your customers can save them from a negative experience associated with your business. Have a system or service so your customers never get a business signal, and always send out appointment confirmations and reminders.

For over 30 years, Personalized Communications have proven to be a leader in call center solutions. Through the integration of innovative technologies and certified professional call center agents, Personalized Communications develops adaptive answering and call center solutions for businesses across a wide range of industries. For more information on all the services provided by Personalized Communications, please visit www.callcenteragency.com.

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