The following is a guest post. See the end of the article for details on the author.
Starting a new business is always difficult, especially if it's a lifestyle and a professional change. New networks, new people, new experience, new learning curves, new opportunities, new failures...new everything!
Getting caught up in the newness of everything, we can sometimes forget about the luxury of current and former contacts, and taking full advantage of who and what we know. Just because you're in a new industry, doesn't mean your current and past relationships can’t be an asset.
As you consider your contacts, decide how you can best leverage your relationships in the most respectable and honorable way possible. You want to ensure that your contacts will benefit as well. Don’t make it all about you and your business. Ask about them, their family and consider ways you could benefit their business. Do you know anyone you could refer to them? Help others succeed, and they will help you succeed.
Be sure you never misuse or abuse your relationships. You do not want to tarnish your relationships or leave your contacts with a bad taste about your business. Remember, you do not have to ask old pals for hand-outs; ask them for support. Offer free samples, free consultations, free education and so on. If applicable, offer yourself as a speaker, consultant or expert in your industry. There should not be a hard sale to sell anyone; instead, share a positive view with confidence, grace and respect.
Never underestimate your startup and your self-worth. Lose confidence and it'll show. Be ashamed to promote your new business startup and it'll also show. Remember, your home business reputation is your personal and professional reputation. Don’t be afraid to tell others about how excited you are about your business. Your confidence and enthusiasm are sure to win many new advocates for you.
Dominate your market by being yourself--a leader of your new business start-up. This way, no matter who you meet, whether they are colleagues of your past or present, you're still a leading professional with confidence, enthusiasm and a winning attitude that draws people to you and your business.
Lesley Spencer Pyle is founder & director of HBWM.com, Inc (Home-Based Working Moms™), a professional association and online community of parents who work from home and those who would like to. She is also the author of The Work-at-Home Workbook.
Starting ones business is venturing into the streams of the new unknowns and adventures. We must always remind ourselves when getting into the business of marketing that success is in the marketing journey and not in its destination. One of the most difficult and intricate things that could happen to a marketeer is when he enters into the universe of business as a neophyte. His mettle still untried he will encounter many challenges but it's worth the salt. As one economist would say: " If you want to have a success in marketing make this as your credo - that the only business of business is business." This means that aside from your home and family you must have the focus of your business at 100% concerns. Leveraging contacts is also very important but most especially you can advertise your new business in the Yellow Pages that will afford business contacts as well as possible customers for your marketing niche. Above all, even if you advertise take into account that the best advertisers are the satisfied customers. Satisfied customers are the best leveraging contacts and advertisers of your products the opposite would be a disaster for your business worse for insolvency. The best way to leverage your products now a days is through e-commerce where you post your products through the internet using you web site, so far this is the most updated way to leverage your contact. Mind you millions of marketeers became rich using this electronic mode for marketing success. Highly acceptable also aside from the tabloids and ads is simply to produce a contact cards and distribute it among friends for dissemination to the public at large. Remember success in marketing would only be doable if we can reach the grassroots as well as the elite group.
Posted by: Dr. Artfredo C. Abella Ph.D | March 25, 2008 at 09:40 PM