Launching a Small Business on a Shoestring (2017 Ed.)

Being a small business it is understandable that when first starting out money could defiantly be tight. Especially if you are starting a small business as the only employee with no financial backing.

With the popularity of the internet it is important to be able to utilise the internet to help introduce and further your business opportunities.

Below you will find a few tips and tricks to help engage with possible customers:

Have a website:

It is imperative to have a ‘home’ on the internet, a place which can house all your information, contacts, testimonials etc. This is in may cases the first impression people will have of your business, so it is important that your website is well designed and flows.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website show  up in the search engine results. An SEO expert or your website design can assist with this. However it is also up to you, to create content based around key words that people may use to find you or businesses like yours. As this will increase your chances of your website being picked up in a search.

Social Media:

Have a presence on social media. It is notes that people spend crazy amounts of time on the internet and we all have at the very least one social media account. Wether it be Facebook, Instagram, pintrest etc. it is important to have a presence but also update these regularly in order to keep people interested and gain new interest.

Link Link Link

Link your social media to your websites and vice versa. Always make sure that there are at least two ways people can gain information on your business and contact you. People lead busy lives and if information is not plain, simple and easy to locate it is proven people are more likely to move on.

Hash tags

Are very important in social media posts. Not only Instagram but Facebook as well. People search hashtags when they are looking for a specific good or service. It is important to be relevant in your hashtags in order to attract the right customers. 

Marketing Plan

It is important to have a marketing plan. This is an opportunity to plan out posts, special offers or events, the release of new products, testimonials etc. There are always going to be unplanned things that you may want to share but it is always important to have some sort of plan to ensure consistency. Without a plan you risk times of over marketing and times where no marketing may take place at all. It is also important for budgeting purposes as well to make sure you are not overspending.

And last but not least…..

Be Creative

Keep posts, changes to your website and updates fresh and different, there are a range of different ways to get information across to the public. Through the use of posts, pictures, slideshows, blogs, memes and videos you could refresh and excite your pages, bringing them to life.

This article was contributed by Katie Clayton, a Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant and the founder of Happily Ever After Celebrant Services. Not only does Katie pride herself in specializing in Celebrant services but is also a blogger featured on many wedding supplier and business helper/entrepreneurial websites and blogospheres, but also a published author giving advice and turning dreams into reality.