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Small business management is a delicate balance of planning, action and intrinsic perspective. With minimal resources, time and money must be spent wisely. Business fundamentals must be incorporated at all times. Below are 7 “best practice” seeds to plant. When watered (acted upon), they will help your business grow.

1. Be clear about what need your business fulfills – Just because you have business cards and your sign says “open,” doesn’t’ mean you have a sale. Be clear about how your product or service helps or benefits someone. We have so many choices these days and people are savvier than ever about how and where they spend their money. Make sure you have something of real value and use and be ready to explain why and how it makes life easier or better.
2. Know where to find your ideal clients and how to communicate with them. It doesn’t make much sense to have the perfect product or service for pilots who fly charter planes if you are spending your time connecting and marketing to them on Facebook or Myspace. You have to know where to find your ideal clients and how to communicate with them. Too many small business owners are still marketing to “everyone” or the “general public.” It can quickly kill a business.  Refine your target market and define your ideal client.
3. Have a clear, concise and consistent marketing message – Do potential clients know what you do based on the information on your business card, website, social network profile? What is your elevator pitch? Do you have one? Can you clearly define your business AND its benefit in 30 seconds? You never know when an opportunity will arise or when you will spontaneously be in the presence of your biggest client. Always be prepared to explain what you do, how you do it, why you do it and what’s the benefit.
4. Take inventory of your existing resources – Small business owners are in constant “I need” and “If only I had” mode. The truth is, often times what you need is already in your bag of resources. You had a life before you started your business and you have colleagues, friends and family. Always be sure you check your sphere of influence for your needs first before looking outside. The people that already know you are your greatest asset. If you need clients, tell them first. If you have a sale or promotion, tell them first. If you need help, tell them first.
5. Have a functional system in place – As a small business owner, you probably can’t afford to get sick or take long vacations. Which is why it is vital that you have functional systems in place that will minimize unexpected absences and the need for damage control. You should document your processes. When your business is streamlined and you have systems in place, it reduces chaos and stress on bad days, missed days and sick days. It also makes it easier for someone to come in and “follow along” when help is needed.
6. Communicate with your clients… often – Many small business owners spend an inappropriate amount of time generating new clients. This time and energy is better spent if you focus on cultivating relationships with your existing clients. How many of your existing clients are “repeat customers?” If your “new clients” outweigh your “repeat clients,” you have a problem. Repeat clients are the ones who are singing your praises to their friends and family. Word of mouth advertising is priceless. Repeat clients are the ones who will continue to patronize you out of loyalty through price changes, varied economic climates, and a bad day. Yes, you need to engage new clients, but your existing clients are your foundation.
7. Stay ahead of the curve – The best way to stay ahead of the curve is to continue to educate yourself in all areas of your business and industry. You also want to keep your finger on the pulse of your clients’ needs. Clients’ needs change with the wind and the quicker you can adapt to the changes (while maintaining the integrity and purpose of your business) the better your business will be for it. Anticipate change and adapt.

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A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, contributor for the San Francisco Examiner, the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurson BlogTalkRadio.com and author of the NEW e-book: “Get it Right and Move Along… a collection of practical tips, tools and techniques for small business owners.”

Simply powerful, well said.

If every business could implement all those points, then none would fail.

I would like, without watering down your excellent post, to expound on the issue of communicating with customers.

Most often than not, we tend to run after new prospects and totally ignore or forget those who have bought from us. As you have correctly said, repeat customers are our most important clients.

They are not simply important because they are repeat customers; they also bring in more business. In fact their contribution in building the business is more likely to be in geometric proportions. This is because they already love the product and service and will shout from roof tops if they must, to advertise it. The result is that as they bring in new clients, those will also bring others. Indeed a single client can single handedly bring enough clients to sustain the enterprise.

In any case, what is the cost? Selling to them anew is less difficult than to a new prospect. And they do all the donkey work for us. At least, we ought to be grateful.

This is a very good article, you offer some strong strategies and good advice

Great post Michelle!

In my opinion point #6 is the most important.  As a former practicing CPA, now as a SendOutCards Distributor I firmly believe that your personal and business growth will be determined on how you farm your current clients.  When I had my own CPA practice I constantly kept in touch with my clients. I made it a point to remember and celebrate their birthdays, their anniversarys and as I became aware of them their achievments, with a greeting card. I thanked them for a referral. I wished them happy birthdays for them and their offspring. I thanked them for being a client.  And they responded. It was not just a business relationship it was also a personal relationship. When someone needed an accountant, they were my greatest fan club.  It reached a point in my practice that I was able to reduce my networking to the Chamber of Commerce, (more a community thing than looking for clients), as I was getting two or three calls a week from people who had been referred to me from my current clients.  It was fantastic and it was because I cultivated my current clients. That's why I firmly believe your item 6 is the most important.

Mike Crosa

352-854-8943

Nice article Michelle. I love that you call yourself simplicity.  Simplicity is key.

The more clear on what you are offering, the better and more concise your pitch to clients/employess/investors etc.

It took me awhile to get a that myself - but when I did - everything fell into place. Everyone should just print this and tape it to their wall...

Thanks again.

Great article...I'm looking to finally make my company my primary income and this helps keep me on the right track. Very well written and simple.

The main advantage to take Atlanta presentation rental is that your company does not have to spend too much on equipments and their maintenance. The big expenses can be avoided by taking the Atlanta projector rental, using it for meetings and paying off the rents.

Michele, we are convinced you could've gone beyond 7..

Nice and very informative.

Thanks!

This guide post is very helpful especially to those who are planning to establish young businesses. Thanks for the post!

Some good generic points about how to succeed have been made above. I think time management, and planning are the vital keys to being successful though.

If your plan is aimless then you will waste lot of valuable man – hours going in the wrong direction.

Create your workplan, look to a mentor to give their opinion on it. Set out a manageable timeline for when you hope to have the goals completed so that your are efficiently using your time. Time after all equals money