Business owners are serious about looking towards a better business year than last and they are looking towards being in front of their customers so that their websites can be seen and their business in front of real targeted customers who want to buy their products or services.

Getting to first page of Google is becoming an option that more and more business owners are moving towards and incorporating SEO into their marketing plans alongside traditional offline marketing methods whether they are small or medium size business owners.

Here are 5 distinct benefits that can be gained from having your SEO outsourced and they are as follows:

1. It allows you to focus on what you do best and you can get on with running your business

2. A well optimised targeted campaign can put you in front of your potential customers increasing
the amount of customers that see your website

3. Being on the first page of google brings visibility to your business and can generate leads. It is well known that most people do not look beyond the first page when they are doing their searches

4. Your website needs traffic so that it can generate leads and bring you customers – remember no leads, no customers, no business

5. SEO can be more effective than traditional advertising methods that often bring no leads and leave you with a huge dent in your pocket.

Essentially having SEO in your marketing plan can give medium to long term benefits and so therefore it could increase your customer base, increase your income and your profits getting real results.

Find out how you can get your website or youtube video to the first page of google give your business a winning chance
www.firstpagegooglemysite.com/website-2

There are some principles that business owners or those thinking of going in to business need to be aware of to build a good successful business.

1. Positive attitude and right mindset

Develop a positive, proactive attitude and the right mindset to allow yourself to be motivated to reach your goals and fulfil your vision. Remember positive emotions empower you to take action and do something.

2. Build good customer relationships

It is imperative to build good customer relationships so that your customer is satisfied with the service that you give to them. This can help retain your customer base by keeping a happy customer; returning for more of your services or products, and helping to build your customer base by the customer referring other customers to buy your products or service – this is free word-of-mouth advertising for your company.

3. Give great customer service

This could be the deciding factor for the customer to choose your business or go to a competitor. I have often been into shops where the customer service warrants me never returning again, due to the unpleasant way I was dealt with or not dealt with at all, or even the abrupt nature of someone on the other end of the phone. Not only is this a loss of business but it gives you company a poor reputation and people will tell friends not to use your service due to poor customer service.

4. Be self-disciplined to guarantee success

To guarantee success of your goals and outcomes; self-discipline is key to enable you to get more things done in a timely manner.

Certain things in your working day warrant it to be done in within a time-frame. If you are meeting a client, then you would plan prior to the meeting and ensure you turn up in good time. If you are offering a product which says that you will receive it in 10 days ensure that this does happen and the same for a service being offered. Being self-disciplined about what you need to achieve is paramount.

5. Be tenacious and never give up

There will be challenges along the way, keeping focused on what you want to achieve and not giving in to obstacles along the way will help you to drive your business forward, persisting until you succeed. Many successful business owners failed before they became a success. Use it as a tool for learning when challenges come your way. Persist until you succeed to drive your business forward.

6. Do what other successful people do

Copy what other successful people do and replicate this in your business. If you are able to have a mentor in the same line of business you are in or have a chat with someone who is already successful with 5-1- years experience and ask their advice.

7. Be prepared to get up earlier and work longer

Put in the extra hours to get to where you want to be especially in the beginning you may find this necessary and as your business takes off you may be able to adjust this as time goes on

8. Take time out to generate ideas for business development

Schedule time out of your working day/week for business development enabling flexibility and visibility of your business and where it is going. It also allows you to develop better ideas, spend some time on what your customer likes and increase the service in that area and create new business.

9. Have the ability to sell their products and services persuasively

Ensure that you know your product or service, what is the process if a customer wants to buy your product or service, what other products do you have. Be knowledgeable, confident and passionate about what you are selling so that you you do not put your customer off.

10. Have a good supportive partner or friend

Undoubtedly there will be often times where you will need a supportive partner, to support you through good times and bad. Know who you can call on for support whether it be a business partner, friend in the business field or husband/wife.

11. Take a vested interest in yourself

Understand what your strengths and weaknesses are and take action – get trained and take a course if you need it, or if you are weak in a particular area, study materials, read books and articles until you get there and even employ someone so you can get on with what you are good at.

Taken from Excerpt of “Know Your Biz Practical business strategies to help you move forward and accelerate your business” Author Liz Springer-Bawuah  To find out more get the book go to www.knowyourbiz.co.uk/lsb_main_007.htm

Setting yourself up to fail before you have even started is not going to help you or your business.

So why is it that entrepreneurs and small business owners eagerly wait for business to come in and then start trying to piece the bits together after they have an enquiry or a potential customer who wants to use their service?

What does this mean?

Let’s say you receive a phone call and the customer asks ‘what are your prices?’ and you are not sure of your prices unless you look it up on your price list which is in a pile of paperwork that has not been filed or has been tucked away somewhere in a file that you just cannot put your hands on right now.

You are also unsure of what the steps are for a customer who wants to know the step by step approach of how your process works and what the specific details they need in order to take up your service or product or what your process is for returns.

Does this sound familiar?

1. Not having a System

Having a system will eliminate these problems and therefore you need to Systematise your business and understand how your business works. What is the process that leads to a sale, what is the process that happens after a sale and what is the process for refunds, returns or an unsatisfied customer?

Can you afford to lose a customer?

How much is a customer worth to you?

Not having your price information can lead to a lost sale as it only takes those famous words ‘give me your number and I will call you back’ and during that time the customer has gone on to the next contact on their list and is given a price and so makes a purchase and therefore you have lost a sale and a potential customer who may have continually bought from you, recommended you to others and bought other services or products.

Is having a system really worth it?

Learn it, Love it, and Implement it.

2. Not having a good Strategy

The second mistake is not being organised or having an effective way to get the most out of your day or what you need to accomplish.

Here are just some of the challenges I have found are faced by business owners and entrepreneurs today:

• • ‘I seem to be working on an impact basis all the time’

• ‘I can’t seem to spend more time on higher value tasks to move my business forward’

• ‘I would like to be more in control of my time and my day’

• ‘I know what I need to do but I don’t know where to start?’

• I’ need to spend more time on marketing my business’

• ‘I need help sorting out this problem’

What is needed is having a strategy to understand what you would like to get done so that you can achieve the goals that you set using tactics or techniques to move you closer to accomplishing goals and tasks.

Do you know what your strategies are and what the tactics are that will enable you to accomplish them?

Strategy + Tactics + Action + Implement

Know it, Implement it, Stick with it

3. Not having a Positive mindset

Just take a moment to think – are you standing on your own foot?

I think you know this one is coming and dare I say the word – ‘complacency’.

‘Complacency is the enemy of progress and fear is the greatest inhibitor to the progress of mankind’

Complacency breeds procrastination, fear and a whole host of other excuses that hinder your progress, your outcome and the results that you want to achieve or desire.

Missing your opportunity when it comes along because you were complacent upon activities that could lead you into having more customers, having a higher revenue or a new business opportunity that comes along.

Think of the very successful people you know do you think they were complacent to achieve their results and get where they are today?

If Richard Branson was complacent would he be where he is today?

If Warren Buffet was complacent would he be where he is today?

If J K Rowling was complacent would she be where she is today?

A positive mindset is imperative to your success or success of the outcome that you want to achieve.

Kick start your progress and move from complacency into positivity

Remember great effort springs naturally from a great attitude.

Identify it , Understand it, Take action on it.

Do you have SSP in your business?

1. A system to ensure that you know about your business processes and you do not lose customers
2. A strategy to keep you on track so you know how you are going to implement your plan or goal
3. A positive mindset to accomplish your goals and to progress forward and move from where you are now to where you want to be.

“I help clients to reach their goals using effective strategies on a personal and business level with a strategic approach”

I have created a programme  to help you achieve your business goals so if you want to move forward and do not know how, if you want to spend more time working on your business rather than in your business or need strategic guidance you are in the right place.

An established author, strategic mentor and trainer I have created a strategic mentoring programme, products and training that you can use to accelerate you, your employees and your business forward.

Please email me your questions and find out how I can help you achieve your business goals.

Liz Springer-Bawuah

• Strategic Planning in the workplace
• SME business workshops
• Strategic Leadership & Management Training
• Strategies to help you maximise you and your business
• Personal development