5 Things A Small Business Owner Should Never Skimp On

If you are just starting out as a small business owner, or are trying to move from part time to six figure level, chances are “shoestring budget” is something you live by. You might not have a regular paycheck coming in, low or no income stream, and are probably taking on debt to help you achieve your dreams. In short, you are cash poor.

So the most logical step to take is to try and do everything on a shoestring budget.

Marketing – what’s that?

Advertising – that’s why Facebook and Twitter is great, they are free.

Business cards – why buy them when you can print them on your home printer?

Part of living on a shoestring budget means doing everything at the lowest cost possible. But if you live your entire life like that, you may be putting your business at risk. There are some things that you just shouldn’t skimp on. It shows.

Your Image

When a prospective client meets you for the first time, what do they think? People form opinions within the first few seconds of meeting; make sure those seconds count. Even if you can’t afford an entire wardrobe from Bloomingdales, you should still invest in one great outfit to meet people in. Head to your local consignment store and talk with the staff. Ask them to make recommendations about looking your best. Make sure everything fits the correct way. And pay attention to your shoes; holes, scuff marks and worn down heels say a lot.

Try to look like your customers. If you are targeting business people who usually meet you in business suits, follow their example and show up in a suit. If you work with Internet companies and start up business owners who show up in jeans and a t-shirt, dress down a bit and show up in something suitable. Never look like you’ve spent the last 24 hours in front of the computer.

The Customer Experience

Meeting a potential customer for the first time puts you on display. At all other times, its your company that is on display. Everything you do that relates to the customer should create a “WOW” experience and make them feel like a million bucks. If you are not fully vested in making your business shine and stand out, a prospect may not feel like investing in what you have to offer.

Look at what you have to offer through the eyes of your customer. Would you buy something? Are the marketing materials top notch – or are they thrown together? Is the website custom designed – or put together by amateurs? Do you use top quality albums, frames, materials, etc – or do you use your local discount store? It all matters at this stage of the game. The more thought and time you put into creating a dynamic experience for your customers, the more it will show in top quality referrals, and life long clients.

Your Website

Having a great website no longer equates to spending a ton of money. If you are even just a bit tech savvy, you can do the design yourself with WordPress.

Dig Deeper: The 10 Advantages Of WordPress For Designing Your Photography Site

Move Your Photography Business To The Six Figure LevelThere are really only two things that will provide you with a website you can be proud of.

1. Having a site that looks professional.

2. Having a site that allows you to create content.

Websites today are meant to be a window to the online world. They connect you up with various social sites and allow you to connect with your customer base on many different levels. If you still think a 5 page website will cut it, think again. The more you put into it, the more you will receive. [Read more…]

Why Every Small Business Owner Must Now Be a Content Provider

This post is Day 14 of 30 Ways In 30 Days To Redesign Your Life With Photography. This series seeks to provide you with practical steps to get you from wherever you are today, to exactly where you want to be – this year! If your goal has always been to take your photography to a whole new level, hang on and start enjoying a new lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.

I’m a huge fan of learning from the biggest names in the business. From celebrities, to business owners, to politicians, I’ve always felt if they had what it takes to make it to the top, they must have a tidbit or two of insight on how to get there. Even if you only pick up one important fact from each person, together it can add up to incredible advice.

So you’ll find a lot of biographies on my nightstand. And I love watching interviews on television and online. But something amazing has happened over the past few years.

If you watch or read about anyone from the early baby boomer generation and older, they usually provide a comment along the lines of “if I had to start again today, I’d never be who I am today. The competition is just too intense these days.”

I’ve thought a lot about that, because I have read or heard that from more than one person. Is there really that much more competition? Or is it just that times have changed, and the way we do business has changed?

Its still possible to make it to the top, you just have to do it in a different way.

Let’s take a look at someone like Elvis Presley. When he first started out, he created a record, and him and his agent took it to every radio station around trying to get airtime. They networked on a personal basis, drove from place to place trying to connect, and eventually it all paid off.

Now let’s look at someone like Justin Bieber. Instead of cutting a record, he records a video and places it on YouTube. Then he networks in much the same manner. He makes connections online, and communicates with everyone from a preteen fan to a Hollywood agent.

[Read more…]