Is your small business in a slump? If so, you aren’t alone. Small business owners all over the nation are looking for ways to keep money coming in, but most tips seem to focus on the long term. The only way to get to long term success is to keep your doors open for the short term. In this spirit, we offer the following five ways to increase your workload today.
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Call old clients.
If you flip through your contacts, there are likely a lot of clients that you haven’t heard from for quite a while. The great thing about these clients is that you don’t have to market yourself as aggressively to them—they know your business, your brand, and the quality of your work. If you have taken care in the past to keep your customers happy, you can likely drum up quite a lot of work in this manner.
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Offer excellent service to your existing clients.
These people have already chosen to do business with you, so make sure they have good reason to continue to do so. They are keeping your business going right now and should never be taken for granted. You can be assured that your competition is doing everything in its power to woo them away from you. If possible, offer them special deals or loyalty discounts, but keep in mind that these aren’t necessary and certainly not worth compromising your own profit margins.
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Be flexible.
There was a time when business owners could turn away clients that were too small or otherwise seemed like a lot of trouble. Those days are over, and have been for about a year now. Don’t be afraid to consider clients that don’t fit within the traditional boundaries of your business—just make sure your price is fair and makes up for your trouble. Not only will they keep money coming in, these nontraditional clients just may lead you to interesting and lucrative markets that aren’t being tapped by your competition yet. If you are concerned about your ability to make a profit from these clients, take on one or two test subjects and see how they work out.
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Offer intangible benefits.
It may seem that your competitors are undercutting each other to the point that no one could possibly be making a profit—and it’s entirely possible that this supposition is in fact true. Instead of trying to undercut them, maintain your bottom line by offering a fair price and the best service they have ever received—or the best product, or whatever sets your business apart from the competition. Give your clients something to talk about—there is a good chance that they will, and you will get more than a few new clients this way.
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Market yourself aggressively.
Can marketing bring in people today? If you are talking about social networking sites, then the answer may be ‘yes’. Many businesses have been successful at bringing customers in their doors within minutes by offering highly targeted posts on Facebook or other networking websites. Just be ready for a potential flood of customers!
