When you start your own business at home you have a specific goal in mind: to grow and succeed! Yet many small business owners can become so overwhelmed with the multitude of day-to-day tasks that they can only think about “surviving” rather than “growing”. Perhaps you’re in bit of a rut these days, causing you to feel regret. Don’t give up yet! Sometimes all that’s missing is a little help or direction.
For this reason we wanted to provide for you seven steps to grow your home based business. These steps can easily be implemented and the results can help you achieve your goals!
- Focus- entrepreneurs are notorious for big ideas, vision and drive. What they are not known for is focus. If you have a great idea and you want it to grow, try to harness all that attention and energy on that one thing. See it out through its end (whatever that end may be) before embarking on a new endeavor.
- Create a website- a website is the 21st century storefront. Without it you lack legitimacy and credibility. It is important to invest wisely on your small business website. Hire a professional who will help not only make it look good, but create content that informs and engages.
- Partner with others who share your vision and audience- one of the best ways to expand your market quickly is to partner with complementary businesses that share your target market and vison. Do joint events, email campaigns and other promotional offers. Not only is this great for lead generation, it’s nice to have people to work with...Â
- Join a coworking community like laptop lounge- speaking of having people to work with. Joining a coworking community like Laptop Lounge in Walnut Creek is the perfect way to avoid the isolation and distractions of working from home. There are coworking communities in nearly every city in the country and it’s a great place work, meet other entrepreneurs, and attend networking and social events. Coworking costs much less than leasing an office and many offer dedicated workspaces, conference rooms, and private offices either hourly or monthly.
- Hire a professional virtual receptionist– nothing can stall a business’s growth faster than poor customer service or lack of availability. When a prospect is ready to buy, they want help immediately. Hiring a reception service like Reliable Receptionist will instantly provide you with the consistency and professionalism many home-businesses lack and set you apart from your competition.
- Get creative with your marketing- as a small home-based business you have the power of flexibility and you also probably don’t have an unlimited marketing budget. Now is the time to find creative inexpensive ways to marketing your business. If you haven’t read it, Guerrilla Marketing is still a great read for ideas.
- Get team of advisers or a mentor – just because you’re a home based business owner and entrepreneur, doesn’t mean you have to do it all alone. The most successful business owners recognize they don’t have all the answers. Surround yourself with people you respect who have experience and knowledge that can help you grow. Ask someone to mentor you or form a peer group of advisers. This team can also hold you accountable and help you stay focused.
If you’d like more tips on how to grow your home-based business and avoid the pit-falls of working from home, download our Free Report: 7 Ways Working From Home is Killing Your Business.