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How many years have you spent in school? Did you attend secondary school for your business? Did you start your business with the hands on experience you may have had? Whatever way you began, you will find that it has been an endless learning curve. Each day we are learning something new or gaining a better understanding of our business, customers and where we want to take everything. This is a key component in creating and keeping your business successful. We always need to be open and finding ways to keep learning.

Not only should you as an owner look for different opportunities to strengthen your knowledge, you also need to ensure your employees are continuing in the learning process. There are so many great classes and events made available that the possibilities are endless. Here are some examples of continuing education that you can get involved in,

• Online courses in regards to the subject of your business
• Mentorship programs
• Public speakers
• In school classes
• Interpersonal classes
• Networking groups
• Your local Chamber of Commerce
• Seminars

You don’t have to spend large amounts of money in order to keep the learning going. If you are reaching out looking for opportunities of learning you are creating a line to success. You are putting the importance of learning at the head of your business. The more you learn, the more you can offer in your business. Not only in just the product/service you are offering but also how you are reaching out to your customers. It doesn’t just make your business look good having frames of completion, it also gives everyone more confidence in what they are doing.

It’s funny how our lives become almost calculated. Day by day, hour by hour we have a set schedule for what we are going to do. Regardless of the business we are in we have deadlines to make and certain things to be done each day. Running our business with a set agenda has so many benefits as it ensures things are running smoothly. I’m sure many of us not only use our phones for alarms, schedules, calendars but we also have our daytimers we can carry around with us and the ones that stay at the office. You get that sense of accomplishment when things run on time in the fast paced life we live in. There is nothing more satisfying when you complete your task in a time crunch and make the deadline. Unfortunately though, there is another side to an “agenda living” lifestyle that can cause problems.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and stayed quiet after a person’s initial response to a question or statement. If you have not done this, I am asking that you do so. What you are going to find is very interesting. In general people in conversation do not like pauses. It can be almost an “awkward silence.” But did you know that the silence is a prime opportunity to find out more information from your clients/customers and even staff. Giving pauses allows for effective communication. Instead of rushing conversations to find out what your customer is looking for, or a problem a staff member may be presenting to you, if you choose to not have an agenda you will be surprised at the detail that may arise.

For example a woodworking business; you are the owner and a customer approaches you. Of course you are going to ask what they would like. Instead of responding right away to their answer if you pause that customer might go further into detail therefore giving you a better idea of how to serve them and really create what they invision. You could potentially be changing an answer of “I need a picture frame made,” to why they need the frame made and who its for. This gives you the chance to really create something they will love because there is a story behind it.

All in all it can be so beneficial to have your agenda for efficiency and of course to ensure everything is getting done in a timely manner but there is also a benefit to not having an agenda. It not only allows for effective communication but it can help in building relationships. Taking a step back and listening to what your customers and staff have to say will give you a better understanding and allow them to be heard.

How does your business look to you? What makes you stand out? Have you considered having a logo created to represent your business? Having an image can not only make your business feel and look professional but it also can encourage and create more clients. When you have an image associated with your name, people are going to have a better memory of your business and what it entails as well as bring in curiosity for those who don’t yet know of your company. Having a logo not only gives ownership to your company by creating a “brand,” on your services but it can also show a little insight to what you are offering.

In order to create a logo that is going to work for you and your company there are a couple different options. You can either design a logo yourself that is not the same as any other logo out there. Or you can hire a professional to come up with a few designs to choose from. Once you have your image it is very important to get this trademarked right away. In order for that design to be yours and only used for your company it must be trademarked so no one else can use it without permission.

Your logo should speak to you and to what you’re offering.  Not only should the image give hint to what you are offering it also needs to draw attention. This can be done with shapes and color schemes. When you use colors that catch the eye you are going to draw more attention.

Deciding to add a logo to your business gives you a chance to be bold and different. Catch the eyes of the consumer and really stand out amongst the rest. It allows for you to be creative and express through an image what you are all about.

Last week we took a look at the promotional aspects of your business and how to get the word out about your business. But now we need to take a look at the words you are using to get your business noticed. Do you have a company saying or summary that goes along with your company description? Generally speaking when someone asks what your business is about, we tend to have a repetitive saying to this question. It is important though to address how you are describing your business; reason being we want to catch interest and not turn away potential customers/clients. There is a tendency to think that when asked the question “what is your business,” we should give a complete rundown of everything we offer but in doing so we can be creating a negative effect by not capturing attention. Here are some tips on how to describe your business through verbal interaction as well as in ads.

• When asked about your company, don’t rush to give the full description. Many times this is to lengthy and people will begin to tune out and not catch exactly what you are saying. Instead give a short description leaving the conversation open ended. This is going to encourage further questions. When you can encourage more questions, you are creating an engagement into the conversation meaning they are actively listening to what you have to say.  
• When having discussions ensure you are using words your audience is going to understand. “Dumb it down,” is a good saying for this. You are the expert often in these conversations so you need to speak in terms that others are going to comprehend. For example a scientist isn’t going to speak to an accountant using the language they would generally use to another scientist.
• The least amount of words you can use in a description the better. When you are creating an ad for your facebook page or newspaper etc, the longer the description, the more daunting it looks to others. We are in such a fast paced environment so much of what we read we skim right through. This is why we need a quick description that is going to give a good summary of what you are offering.
• The first couple sentences can make or break your ad description. You need to draw in your audience within the first few words, or you will be completely past by. Using words that catch attention are important. For example when you are reading the paper you will stop and read the ad that states “Free,” at the beginning. This is because we all love free things!

These are just a few suggestions in helping to create some eye catching ads and verbal descriptions. Depending on what you are selling is going to determine how you should advertise yourself. It is important to remember who your audience is and who you are trying to reach out to. That is going to be the main component when creating the perfect description.

Running your business isn’t just about opening your doors and hoping for the best. Customers will not flock to you without having the knowledge that you are there. Your doors may be open but there may also be competition in the same area; meaning you need to bring some of those customers to you. The question is how. How are you going to get your name out there. You need to hold an expectation that with hard work, you can make your business known. Here are some ways to get your business out there while also making connections.

• If your business has a storefront, make it open and inviting
• Always carry business cards with you incase the situation arises where you meet a potential customer/client
• Join your local Chamber of Commerce. Not only will this put your business in their directory, but you have access to so much more information, and potential customers
• Attend trade shows in your area
• Find networking events in your area
• Having ads promoting your business such as radio, tv, billboards, newspaper, and vehicle decals
• Social media marketing such as a website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter
• Clothing boasting your business name
• Sponsoring events

These are just a number of different ideas to promote your business. To this day the utmost important way of promoting your business is by word of mouth. Many customers come to a business because they have been recommended. Giving 100 percent is going to give you that opportunity. It is also important to note that business promoting is a job in itself. There is no harm in hiring out a market coordinator to help get your business moving in the right direction. It is also very important to remember that anyone who is carrying your brand can give positive or negative attention. For example if your vehicle has your business name on it, you best not drive erratic cutting people off. Initially promoting your business may seem like a daunting drawn out task but once you gain those first few clients the easier it becomes. Don’t feel defeated if it takes time. Hard work pays off.