Yesterday we discussed how not to treat your home based business. You do not want to treat your home based (or Internet) business like your regular job, you want to take personal responsibility for your business and by doing so, will produce the results you desire.
Today we are going to cover three items that will make your home based business successful: Marketing, Products, and Relationships. We have talked about each of these items on other occasions in this blog, but it is good to bring them all together to show how they can make your business successful. First, you do need products for your business. These products can be physical inventory or services provided. Either way, you need to know what you are offering, and these products or services should be desired by others. Even if you think you have a product or service that does not appear desirable, there is a chance that either people don't know about the product (it may be the first time ever offered anywhere) or you have to find a reason for people to want your particular product or service.
Getting people to want what you have to sell has a lot to do with Marketing, the second of three items that will make your business successful. As discussed in the past, there are several types of marketing, and you should try to utilize several different marketing techniques so that you can hit a large and possibly diverse market. Marketing can be by word of mouth - one person purchases from you and then tells their friends about the great product that you are offering. This is usually the most reliable and consistent form of marketing, but it takes time to get momentum. You need to be out with people promoting and you need to keep your word so that when people talk about you, your business and your products, they give glowing reports for all areas. Another method of advertising is by going to different shows or marketplaces or flea markets that allow people to walk by your table and see what you have to offer. Then there is marketing using flyers and articles in newspapers, internet marketing, and the newest form of marketing - social marketing.
You should start marketing with the type that you are most comfortable with first, and as you develop your home based business, spread out into some of the other marketing venues so that you can get word of your business out faster and hit a broader audience. It is critical, based on the products you offer to be sure that you match the marketing technique with the products you are offering. For instance, you are probably not going to do well selling cooking utensils at a motorcycle rally. Be sure you understand your target market before you begin any marketing campaign. If you are not sure who your target market is, you may want to start by asking the person who got you started in your home based business. If they are successful, they should be more than able to assist you in that area.
The third most important item to the success of home based business is Relationships. We have discussed in many messages the importance of relationship building and maintaining relationships. If you do not build a rapport with your customers, they are not going to feel comfortable with you. By not feeling comfortable with you, they are not going to tell their friends about the wonderful experience they had working with you, and you will not get positive word-of-mouth advertising. Also, if your customers are not comfortable with you, when they need more of the products or services you have to offer, there is a good chance that they will look elsewhere to make the purchase instead of purchasing from you. If you have a good relationship with your customers, they will want to come back and do business with you and they will tell their friends about the wonderful experience of doing business with you. Building a strong relationship with your customers will give you customers for the length of your business.
Relationship building is not easy, and you may not reap immediate rewards, but the rewards that do pay out will pay many times over. We feel it is very important for your customers to trust and believe you. If there is no trust in what you have to offer, or in your business ethics, you will never have a consistent customer base and will always be on the search for customers. Each sale will be a fight to make, whereas if you had built a good relationship with the customers, then they almost sell themselves on your products or services.
Keep in mind if you are considering starting your own home based business or if you already have one, that you need to stay focused on these three items - Marketing, Products and Relationships - in order to continue to be successful. Without these three items you really don't have a business.
If you are considering starting a home based business, we may have something that is up your alley. Check out www.hawgwash.net for some of our business opportunities, there may be something that really tickles your fancy. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at hawgwash1@yahoo.com.
Until tomorrow...
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