The Cobbler’s Children
Did you ever hear the old fable about the Cobbler (as in "one who make shoes" and not the "delicious dessert") and how his children never had any shoes, because he spent all of his time making shoes for everyone else? Well, we're getting some shoes.
Our company is going through a corporate identity and re-branding exercise right now. We started it about a month ago, and hope to have it completed by the first part of June (if not sooner). We're also re-doing the SEO work on our website, so we can share our experiences as a case. So between that, and the normal day-to-day activities of taking care of our customers and growing the business, things have been pretty hectic around here the last few months!
Why are we doing this? Good question…
In the last year and a half, we have learned a lot about ourselves, the markets in which we operate and the best way we can add value to our clients. Quite often, it extends beyond just "online marketing". We talk with business owners about operations, sales, developing strategic partnerships, developing Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) – there is almost no topic that is "off limits" for us. If it's bothering our clients – well, then it's our problem too.
Spring Time is just around the corner…I couldn't think of a better time for us to look at ourselves from a rebirth / renewal perspective.
Has your business gotten stale? Are you more concerned about "the economy" than "your business" or your customers' business? Maybe it's time for you to change that…
Grow Business During The “Slow” Times
One of our favorite tactics to encourage business growth is diversifying your product line. This can have particular significance if your business is subject to cycles. Many times business owners won't get creative until they "have to" – usually when their costs are exceeding their profits and they are staring at some tough times ahead. I'm never surprised by the number of business executives who fail to deal with problems head-on, hoping instead that they will somehow solve themselves. Truth is they never do. When you are accountable for the business line (or the entire business itself) – why wait? Do it now! For example:
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a midwest scuba store owner who diversified their business by taking on ski rental and equipment sales. Both are outdoor businesses, but they have two different business cycles; this helps him smooth out his revenue during the course of the year
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a photographer who specializes in wedding and graduation photos changed his market position to include other types of protratue (specifically, pets). While most of his business still comes in the Spring and Summer, he now has a position that allows him to specialize and reposition his services during the other parts of the year.
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most nurseries find that their slowest times were the winter months. In fact, many nurseries will "close down" until the growing season begins again. However, one east coast nursery expanded their product and service offerings, and purchased a stump grinder and advertises stump removal services during the winter months. And while that has helped to bring in some extra revenue during the slow months, who do you think is building a lead list for new trees and shrubbery for the Spring?
The point is, you can't always rely on "the economy to turn around" or for someone else to figure it out for you. You need to own it. And while you can benefit from getting outside help and perspective, you might just need to schedule some quiet time away from the business to stop and think about your business – what does it need? What can you do to start growing your business – today?