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10.14.08 How To Keep Growing During Tough Times  By Stacy Karacostas With the economy going down the tubes, many small businesses are suffering slowdowns right now. Yet my own, ongoing business success shows it doesn't have to be that way. So what do you need to do to make sure your business keeps growing when times are tough? It's simple. Make marketing your business a priority. If you're like most of the entrepreneurs I talk to, chances are marketing only happens when you have extra time, extra money, or business gets slow. This is a huge problem-especially with the current state of the economy! It's all too easy right now to sort of hunker down, pull back your reach, minimize your expenses, and hope to weather out the storm. But that isn't the best way to make sure your business not only survives, but thrives-whether times are good or bad. Because if you do that, by the time people are ready to start buying again they will have forgotten all about you and what you offer. That means you need to be doing some kind of marketing on a regular basis. Keep in mind; marketing doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. But it does have to be consistent. Think of it a bit like taking your vitamins every day to make sure you stay healthy. I recommend setting aside 15-30 minutes at the start of each day to do one thing to market your business. And by the start of each day, I mean before you start answering emails, putting out fires or helping clients.
Get in the office early if you have to, then pick up the phone and call one client or customer just to see how they're doing. Write a thank you card.Follow up with someone you met networking. Start work on an article or new promotion... Or post a comment on someone else's blog. The possibilities are endless. And it doesn't have to take long or cost a fortune. You just have to commit to doing it daily. By making marketing your first priority each day, even if you don't always manage to make it happen, I guarantee you'll be doing way more than most of your competition. And soon it will become a habit. The result? When people are ready to buy they'll think of buying from you first. Before you know it, you'll have a steady stream of customers flowing in the door! What are you doing to market your business that's simple, inexpensive and works like a charm? Please do share by leaving a comment below. Comments About the Author: Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas, founder of SuccessStream Sales & Marketing Solutions, specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. She's the author of the 2-page marketing plan workbook Putting Your Business on the Road to Success, and The Small Business Website Bible. Stacy also writes the fun and informative Marketing Junkie blog and Bright Ideas weekly newsletter. For more practical, business-building wisdom help yourself to a copy of her free report The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins... Are You Guilty? |
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