Are you starting up a business?

Watch for these common mistakes made in the first few months of business.

• 1. Not marketing yourself adequately.

One key in having a successful business is to grow your relationships. A popular way of is networking with people in your area who can help you, and who you can help in return. Focus on building relationships first. - not selling your product or service.
If you are shy, scared of sales, or overwhelmed by marketing, not to worry, there are many easy ways to get yourself, your products and services known to the public.

The key is to find ways that work for you, and then stick to them. If you are a writer, get published - not just once, but on a regular basis to create a regular reader base and confirm your credibility. If you are a good organizer, volunteer yourself to your local trade association or networking group. Get out and about, spend the first few months getting known in your community, build a reputation for helping others. Have fun while doing it, be genuine in your efforts. If you aren’t having fun, it will show and all the networking in the world will backfire - you’ll get known as a grump.

• 2. Spending too much on advertising.

……..and expecting it to be your sole source of business
Advertising works when used to build upon an existing image. advertising should adds to your marketing campaign and doesn’t replace other marketing efforts that you must do. If you want to use print advertising, write an article that will be read alongside your ad to increase your credibility. Most of all, don’t spend your cash on an ad and then sit back for the phone to ring.

• 3. Poor customer service.

It is much less expensive and much more gratifying to please an unhappy customer than to blow them off and go get an new one. There are ramifications of an unhappy client.

What are your worst mistakes make when you started in business?