Do you have a service-based business?

So I’ve realized something a couple of weeks ago. I have been sitting on this pile of knowledge and not sharing it with you. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me sooner but I think this could be really helpful for those of you that have a small local service-based business. I don’t know if you know this but marketing is my background. I’ve done it for years and it was also one of my favorite subjects in college. If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s marketing and biz development for a local business. It’s one of those things that I’m just naturally good at and it comes so easy to me.

I cringe when I see new or maybe not so new business struggling to get clients or customers.

Seriously, I feel like going up to them and giving them a crash course in marketing. So because I don’t want you to struggle with this if you are service based biz that depend on your local market for clients or customers. I’m going to share some of my knowledge with you here today. I’ve also been putting together a workshop at the request of some of my followers so I’ll tell you about that too.

First things first, you need to know who you are marketing to.

Who is your ideal client/customer? You need to know this so you know where to they hang out. I want you to dive deep and really know who you are trying to serve.

Once you’re clear on who you are serving, it’s time for a visibility plan.

Think of it as a roadmap that will help more people find your business. I think it’s important to use a comprehensive strategy that covers it all. Especially if your new, you’ll want to throw everything at it and test the market.

How do you become visible?

Well, depending on the service that you offer, that’s going to determine what the right course for you. I want to be clear on something. This isn’t free. Marketing your business costs money and you need to have a budget for it. I’ve seen a lot businesses really screw themselves because they don’t think that marketing is important. I believe marketing is one of the most important aspects of your business. It’s how you generate leads and get people to spend their money with you. So with that in mind… You might run ads in the community paper, HOA newsletter, on Yelp or even use Groupon as a marketing tool (you won’t make any money off of Groupon but it’s a great way to get eyes on your biz.) You could run Facebook and Instagram ads to highly targeted demographics.

Network!

Find meetups and networking groups that have other biz owners in them or have your target market in them.

Collaborate!

Find businesses that serve the same or similar markets and partner with them on something.

Maybe you’re a dog trainer. Partner up with a pet adoption charity. At the next adoption day, show up with a little dog bone gift and card for each new adoption. You can meet the family and give them one quick training tip. Then give them your info and offer a special promo just for that event. Anytime you can get in front of you ideal customer take advantage of that. This is time that you get to shine and show how you are different and perfect for them.

Promotions!

Say you’re a new hair salon for kids. Your salon is in a good shopping center and it has 3 daycares, a large private school, two churches and trampoline park in all within walking distance. If it were me, I would create a special promotional coupon that I would print in bulk and head to each of those locations. I would offer their students, congregations and customers a special discount and ask to leave the coupons at the front desk or even ask if they could be placed in the students backpacks. You never know they might just say yes. When you go in make sure that you are super friendly and go in as neighbor. You would like to get to know them. Don’t just go in and quickly drop off the coupons and run. That doesn’t work…ever!

Find opportunities like that.

The more you put yourself and biz out there, the more people will find you.

On this same note… Use social media to your advantage. It’s not just for family pictures or keeping in touch with friends. Having your biz setup on social is extremely important in this day and age. Encourage your clients or customers to tag you in posts or check in when they get to your location. Give them special swag or a small discount when they show you their posts.

Word of mouth of referrals are golden and they already have a trust factor built in. Use it.

I could go on and on. Like I said this is something that I’m innately good at. But I also don’t want your head to explode so I’m gonna wrap it up. If this episode is speaking to you, please shoot me an email. At the request of some you, I’m working on putting together a virtual workshop for local service based businesses and I want to know if you have any interest.

Accountability = Success

If you do have big goals and dreams for your online business and you want to set up a solid strategy to get you there don’t forget I have strategy calls and accountability packages. If you have been wanting to jump on a strategy call with me, schedule it soon! My prices are going up in September. You can check them out over at MommysHomeOffice.com. Have a great week and I’ll catch you in the next episode.

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