When opening up your business, the most important aspect of ensuring your success is obtaining, building and sustaining a customer base. Planning your recruitment initiatives can be both exciting and daunting, but also pivotal to the immediate and long-term success of your brand. If you’re working with a limited budget, keep programs for building your customer base simple and add initiatives as your resources grow.
Two ways to keep your costs down while building your brand’s awareness are cultivating your current contacts and networking to make new ones.
As an entrepreneur, you probably have more contacts than you realize, don’t forget to use them. Avoid “pitching” them, but do make sure they know what your new venture is and are aware of what services you provide. They may not drink your smoothie, buy your franchise, want your consultation, or need your restoration services, BUT they may know someone who does.
“You’ve been looking into starting your own business, but worried about taking the leap? My brother-in-law consults entrepreneurs, let me get you in touch with him and see if he can help.”
They may not want to buy your product or service, but they do want to see you succeed. Contacts you don’t want to overlook:
- Former colleagues, associates, supervisors and employers
- Fellow university alumni
- Anyone you built a relationship with that would be interested in hearing how you’re doing and what you’re involved in
When you create your list and generate your first communication, make sure your message conveys a tone of announcement (i.e. “Dear Friends and Colleagues, I would like to share some exciting news with you! I’ve recently invested in/started XYZ entrepreneurial venture. I’m looking forward to owning my own business, helping others realize their business goals, and I wanted to share this with you.”) instead of “I started this service, here’s why you should buy it from me.” Your contacts will be happy to share in the news with you and may send along referrals.
Another way to garner referrals and increase exposure of your new business is through networking. You can grow your contacts and maintain a database of people you can update on news and information and can help spread the word about your offerings. Your local chamber of commerce, business groups, trade shows, charities and associations are all good outlets for networking. Online communities where you can share information and expertise are also helpful. Some events and organizations will come at a premium compared to others; weigh the cost to benefits and decide which will give you more bang for your buck.
You are your biggest promoter when you open your doors, by tapping into your current contacts and your community, you’ll build loyal supporters and followers that will help in your campaign to build your business.
How have you built your customer base?
