Stick Out From the Crowd
Startup companies are a thing of the new. They are bursting at the seams and its incredibly apparent as you walk through up and coming city neighborhoods. New coffee shops, boutiques and bakeries have busted into the retail and service world in hopes of making a new life. And even if you don’t have a storefront, the boom of farmers markets have allowed solo entrepreneurs to make a living doing what they love, or at least have a part time job with their craft or trade. This is great because now more than ever there are so many opportunities to be your own boss and run your own ship. With all the frills that running your own business brings, it is still imperative that you work to get your company noticed. The latest data from the Small Business Administration (SBA) states that nearly 66 percent of small businesses will survive their first two years. This is a drastic change compared to the statistics that use to say 9 out of 10 business will fail. So great news, your business has a shot among the thousands, but how are you going to draw customers to you?
Follow these guidelines below to make yourself visible in a sea of entrepreneurs.
Custom Labels and Stickers
I know I might be biased working at a label printing company, but I can’t tell you how many people come looking for custom labels, stickers, and banners for their products and promotions. This is the way to get your products on the shelf, hands down. Without labels your products have no name, personality, or feel to them. Think of labels as a story. What do you want it to tell your customers? Not only are labels for your products imperative, but having promotional logo stickers to hand out to your customers is a great way to get your name out there!
Social Presence
A great outlet to get your name out there is of course social media. We know that it is a great tool for personal use, but in the recent years it has become a key marketing tool for businesses. There are so many channels out there to tap into. My advice, pick the top three that you are the most comfortable and focus on them. Create content that your readers and future buyers, want to read. Be creative and offer things in your industry that no one else is. The real key to social media presence is consistency. Come up with an outline for what you want to accomplish and focus time each day to hammer out the content that you want to.
Attend Markets and Trade Shows
Networking is extremely important. You really have to get out there and meet people. Now that might not be so easy for everyone especially if you are an introvert, but that face to face presence will only help you get your name out there and get your products on the shelf. Cold calling is challenging these days because with caller ID, most people won’t pick up if they don’t recognize your number. Even worse, if you are calling a company, the person you want to speak with could “be in a meeting.” So how can you make your face time count? Try to get into the local farmers markets and trade shows. It’s a great way to market and network.
