Flex Your Muscle
READY to learn something new? Or perhaps you’re here to review what you already know? In either case, there is a lot of ground to cover when one decides to become an entrepreneur. An exciting venture, to be certain, with new territory to explore. I want to make that journey a bit easier on you. For the next few weeks, we will discover the uniqueness of you and your business, so that you can evaluate how to proceed in promotions and marketing. This first installment will be based on the first letter in the acronym SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats). Evaluating your SWOT, especially your strengths, will help you to determine how to position yourself strategically amongst your competition and help to give you an edge.
STRENGTH
The American Heritage Dictionary defines ’strength’ as the ‘capacity or potential for effective action.’ Your business has something that separates it from all other companies that are currently in the marketplace – your capacity or potential to excel.
If launching a pet-related business, such as a dog grooming service, what makes you stand out? Do you offer something that other dog groomers would be envious to have? It could be the location of your business or simply that you offer great service at affordable prices. Offering savings is a tried and true favorite and can easily assist you in getting your business noticed.
OOMPH!
The most important thing is to ask yourself: What do I got that they don’t got? (yes, that’s how I meant to write it – got your attention, didn’t I?) But seriously, you need to discover what makes you a powerful force and then flex your muscle. Internet research is a valuable tool in looking at companies that are similar to yours and making a comparison of their attributes and advantages to identify your strengths. Another option is to ask a trusted family member, mentor or a marketing professional who can evaluate your business and give you good objective advice.
Feel free to flex your muscle here and let others know what makes your business strong. What do you provide your customers or clients that makes them come back for more? Get comfortable promoting yourself, you just might find your next customer here.
