Having a business is for many people a dream. Some reach for it and achieved their goals, while others are left behind wondering if it is still a possibility. The optimism many small business owners experience can be dampened by the state of the country’s economy. If consumers are not spending what it is projected, in all likelihood, small business owners will not expand their business, nor hire new employees, affecting the local economies and the country as a whole. Some of the questions small business owners ask is; how do I reach more customers? Is that even something I can do by myself? Is marketing the answer to my problems? You can read more about some of these questions and answers by following the links below.
3 Things You Need to Know About National Small Business Week
Running your own business can mean a lot of time on your own, in the trenches, building your company brick by brick, pushing the gears forward inch by inch. Next week, however, there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs to step back from the daily grind, connect with one another and be inspired.
That’s because the week of May 4 through May 8 is National Small Business Week (NSBW).
Organized by the Small Business Administration, this is the 52nd year in a row that the president of the United States has declared one week per year the official celebration of the Main Street entrepreneur.
“National Small Business Week is a chance to honor our nation’s 28 million small businesses and renew our commitment to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit that is central to the American experience,” says SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, in a statement.
How to reach your small business customers
You’ve got a killer idea for your small business. You’ve created a great new product or service, set up operations, raised sufficient money to get out of the gate. But where are the customers? It’s time to pay attention to marketing.
During Small Business Week, I’m devoted to helping you “Make This Your Year to Grow.” Whatever industry you’re in, whatever the price or quality of your offerings, you need well-conceived, and consistently executed, marketing to grow your business.
The marketing message
Before you begin marketing, first clarify your company’s core message. That’s what you want customers to remember about you. It might even express a bit of your company’s personality.
Marketing vehicles
Marketing guru Peter Shankman says effective advertising is all about knowing your specific customers and tailoring your activities to their desires.
Ohio AG warns of scams targeting small businesses
COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine warned small businesses to watch for signs of a scam, including callers who claim the business’s power will be shut off and invoices for products the business never ordered.
The warning comes during National Small Business Week.
In the past year, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has received more than 150 complaints about potential scams affecting businesses, with an average payment amount of about $2,000.
“Small businesses work incredibly hard to keep their operations running, and they can be hit hard by scams,” DeWine said. “We don’t want business owners to lose valuable time or money to con artists, so we are encouraging them to learn about common scams and to talk to their employees about the warning signs.”
