There are a couple times I believe in competition, running a small business isn’t one of them. I do believe that an industry can be super swamped causing problems for growth when business owners first launch. However, after almost eight years of business, I have learned a thing or five tips that can help you stand out in a swamped industry.
Stay Consistent
Too many people give up on their dreams when they do not see magic happening overnight for them. By magic I mean customers lining up, thousands of sales or growth on social media channels. Some of my favorite million dollar companies yall have never heard of, and probably will never hear of. They stayed consistent in their market and kept pressing forward. Staying consistent is one of the biggest non-financial investment you would have to make. aWhen it comes to consistency don’t try to run the sprint of a race versus treating this as a long-term marathon. When you’re want to run a marathon you train for this event it takes time.
Leverage Your Uniqueness
What is unique regarding your business that is different than others in your industry and sub-niche. Every business has a unique proposition they should be leveraging within their audience. Here are a couple unique propositions regarding selling myself to my audience:
- Built a six-figure company from a small town that most people never heard of.
- I have pivoted from one industry to the next helping me have insight, to my client’s needs.
- Small social media audience that provides a large influence.
You should be utilizing what is unique regarding your business to connect with your audience. Are you sourcing all your product ingredients locally? Are you specializing in a new way to change your industry? Remember Uber, Telsa, SpaceX, Airbnb, and more are disrupting their industries with their UP.
Story That Resonates
This goes along with leveraging your uniqueness for your small business growth. I love telling Kendra Scotts story because it’s a story of grit and “I need to make shit happen.” She was several months pregnant and need her jewelry line to take off. Kendra went store to store on Congress street in Austin showcasing her pieces. She didn’t give up when no’s happen while doing this. Recently, her company has been in the news, and Kendra Scott might become Austin, Texas first female billionaire. When I hear her story it makes me not want to give up. What is your story? Why are you doing this? How are you putting in bold action daily when it comes to growing your small business?
Connect With Followers
Too many small business owners just want the money and never think to ever connect with their customers or followers. All four of my closest friends were shoppers of my online store. I knew nothing about them, but they had shopped my store. Every customer received a handwritten note regarding their purchase and then I followed up monthly. I wanted them to know they were more than a transaction to me. I remember when Brandi my now best friend was in law school, I sent her a graduation gift. You would think I am crazy but so many of my followers have a direct line to me. We connected and I see them more than a follower. I see them as friends that live all over the world.
Classic Branding That Defines You
Trendy never last, but classic branding will carry you years from now. One thing about my company my branding and what it looks like has always been the same. As I have grown in my knowledge of how my company image should be projected to the world I have made tweaks as I go. One thing I am constantly changing but remaining true to a beautiful brand is my company website. I love having a website that my audience loves and is easy to use. Think of brands such as; Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Ferragamo even though they are luxury their company branding has withstood decades of growth.
Stop Copying Others
This is a trap we all fall into once every blue moon when it comes to our small business. We think that the grass is greener on the other side so we decided to “take some elements” from another successful business owner and hope it works for us too. That’s not how this works at all. Even when I read articles regarding billionaires or people who are well off from their business, I know their roadmap is not mine. What is working for you might not work for others. This is why when it comes to consulting I truly focus on who my client is versus giving them the play by play of how I won. Something such as consistent, focus, hard work and listening are universal but other things not so much.
You can invent the industry or a new member to a niche, just know that you can do great things long as you focus on you and your relationship with your audience.
