By Hal Alpiar, www.BusinessWorks.US
Now’s as good a time as any to clear out the cobwebs, mold and dead bugs. Get your powerwasher out, hook up the hose and start waving that magic wand! But, aaah, you’re a free-swinging
entrepreneur and all of a sudden the reality hits that to make a powerwasher work requires methodical and determined action–not exactly your modus operandi, eh?
But taking a methodical approach to cleaning is really the only way to make things clean, whether it’s a room, a carpet, the shower or your business enterprise. Start by taking a hard look at the messages your business is communicating. Are you saying what you truly want the rest of the world to associate with you and your products/ services/name/reputation?
I’ll address human resources, operations, finances and other entrepreneurial concerns in subsequent posts, but first and foremost, small business owners must always be reassessing their brand and theme line. These are the most important tools a business has, and neither can remain stagnant. Change is what today’s business world is all about.
The Horizon is Constantly Moving
Targets, objectives and goals used to be stationary, but no more. You need to be checking up on yourself at least once a month because what you were aiming for 20 or 30 days ago could be long gone by now. Don’t think you’re immune. It’s not just computers and smart phones running rampant . . . its people’s attitudes. TEST where you’re going.
Your customers and prospects THINK differently today (and faster!) than they did a year ago, a month ago, a week ago. The pace of life is more frantic. The business of building to business is more hectic. The messages your business is sending out can be obsolete before you even get them printed or onto Twitter. How will you know? Diligence and your powerwasher!
Force yourself to add quick-fix reviews of your branding efforts to your monthly lineup of checklist tasks. Put it right next to assessing your cash flow. If it’s time for a change, consider professional marketing writer input. Sometimes the fix is as quick and simple as changing just a word or two. Other times, a whole new strategy is needed. Professionals do both daily.
Struggle with revisions and updates yourself if you like, but you may want to ask yourself if you might be more productive focused on sales or operations or investor funding? Oh, and outsiders bring fresh perspectives to your table.
What’s Important is Your Vigilance!
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