We have all been there. The moment when an idea consumes you and you just know that you want to make something of this new business idea that you have. Often the hardest part can be taking that leap of faith to make it happen. You get secure in a job, earning a monthly wage, that it can be hard to jump into the unknown. But once you do, you can feel this new found freedom and you can really excel, both personally and within your business when it comes to the lifestyle it could afford you.
But, at the same time, it can be hard to know what direction to go in. Often people will deem success and having a successful business purely on how big they become. Classing global domination as being the biggest milestone. However, I think many businesses are missing a huge trick when it comes to their business and how successful it can be. Your local community could be the holding the key to big success in the future. But how can you dominate this potential customer base and make it a possibility? I wanted to share with you some of the ways that your business can thrive locally and how you can go about it.
Get involved in local events
One of the first things you could consider doing is getting involved with local events. Many communities will hold event such as summer fairs, christmas events or fetes, and having your business involved in some way could be excellent exposure. You may want to consider using this as a n opportunity to have a pop up shop, or have a stall where you can speak to customers or sell items directly. You could also think about donating things such as a product, service or money off vouchers for events like the tombola or raffle. Again this can give you amazing exposure and get your business heard.
Make sure you are visible online
The next thing to think about would be to ensure that you have a decent digital presence. These days, people are less likely to look in shop windows or in a book of businesses to find out where they can go for the service they need or the product they want to purchase. They are more likely to jump online and search it out, or check out social media plages for local businesses. This is when Search engine optimization can work. Seo for roofers, electricians, plumbers, your shop, whatever your business can be, making it specific for your industry as well as your local area will help your business become visible when someone places a search online. Having a decent social media presence can also help and join local groups can help you to advertise in a less formal way.
Sponsor local events and charities
There will always be different events going on, and as we discussed earlier you could go as far as having a pop up shop and being present there, but why not take it one step further? Sponsorship can be a great way to enhance your recognition and presence locally. You are more likely to have your business name on all marketing and advertisement for the vent, which in turn helps your business to be seen by a wider audience. Another thing to consider would be local charities. Sponsorship is always something they will be looking for to help them with their cause, and in turn sponsoring a charity means that you could get some advertising from them and reaching out to their audience levels. Sometimes you just need to think outside of the box when it comes to the exposure you want for your business.
Run local competitions
You could consider running local competitions to help you reach more people. More people are loving the idea of entering competitions, and it has fast become a big hobby for some. But local competitions can often be the ones that are more lucrative to people, as well as to the provider. You could also do different types of competitions. It could be a simple share and tag competition on social media, which encourages people to follow and share your page, therefore increasing your exposure. Or it could be something a little more creative which requires entries that might be judged. For example, a picture competition where people take a picture and send it into you. Again this could provide great content to share as well as encouraging people to talk about your business.
Give great offers for local customers
Sometimes you just need to get to know your market, and so offering great deals for local customers could be one of the best ways that you encourage more people to use you and your business. It could be based on a certain area, so that you are focusing on the database you are wanting to create. This could then include a discount because they live close by, and in turn could then encourage them to share the deal with friends and family. The offers could also be based on continuous useage, or maybe referrals, and this can also be a great way to share your business and in turn gain more customers from the local vicinity.
Ensure you offer a great customer experience
Finally, the customer experience you provide should be a high priority to you. If a customer is happy about the service that they have received then you are likely for them to share their happy news. But the same can be said for if it it is a poor experience, so you do want to ensure that you are getting things right. The customer experience starts by the first time they speak or make contact with your business. This could be directly or through your website. It also takes into consideration delivery, customer service and follow up. Getting all of this right is likely for you to gain recommendations and decent testimonials that can be used to advertise your business and gain further customers.
I hope that these tips help you to be more of a success locally.
