For many people, the first few months of 2020 brought to light how truly vulnerable we are – from a physical, emotional, and financial perspective.
As is often the case during difficult or trying times, it becomes much easier somehow, to see where our weaknesses lie. That kind of heavy-duty introspection can be unnerving, but very necessary, especially as a catalyst to much-needed change. For myself, I realized how close my business was to financial disrepair.
For the past several years, I have been charting my own course professionally as a freelance copywriter and editor. This came as quite a relief after 20 years in a very stressful and demanding career in a corporate environment. Frankly, I needed a change, so a freelance career sounded great.
Then Covid-19 hit. Suddenly, I realized how quickly everything can change. With my husband suddenly out of work, my income simply wasn’t enough to cover the myriad of bills that made their way to my mailbox daily. My nice little freelance business needed a major overhaul, and I needed to set my sight a little bit bigger.
Most everyone with a small business knows that at times, you can get into a rut. You take things for granted, maybe you get lazy, or are simply comfortable right where you are. Meanwhile, we aren’t always aware that something, whether it is a Covid-19 or a competing business, is ready to hit us with a sucker punch. So, what can you do? After talking with some long term, successful business owners here is the best advice I was given.
While there are countless helpful tips that can assist small business owners, with everyone I spoke to, I kept hearing the same 3 things.
Get a Website!
Having a website gives potential customers 24 hours a day access to see and learn about your business. You will reach more people online than you ever could face to face. The first thing most customers do when they need work done, or want to buy something is go online. If they can’t find you, they will never call. Once you learn how to create a freelance website, potential customers are only a few clicks away!
Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Everyone uses social media, so capitalize on the social media apps you are already familiar with. You never know who might be reading your tweet or your post. If you create something funny, interesting, or worth sharing, it’s a great way to be remembered for future business. The more followers you can grab, the larger your potential customer base.
Diversify!
Sure it is great to have a niche, but it is even better to add value for your clients. In my case, as a writer/editor, I wanted to be able to do more than simply edit my client’s website. I wanted to help build them. By taking a few coding classes, I was able to add a whole new skill set to my product offerings and my customers love it. If there are specific services or skills that would complement your existing business, offer them! It may require you to learn a new skill, but any time you can add value to your product offerings, your customers will appreciate it!
These three things really helped me get my business to the next level and I have every confidence they will do the same for you!
