| Starting a new business is the easy part. Having it survive and then to thrive and grow is the biggest challenge every entrepreneur faces, especially the homebased and small business owner who usually has limited resources when launching a venture. Whether a business is based in one’s home or is a major corporation, certain basic principles of “getting the word out” and obtaining and keeping customers apply to every business and can be used effectively by all entrepreneurs to keep their ventures solvent and profitable. These basic principles are presented in Make Your Business Survive and Thrive! because they have been proven to help businesses succeed where others have often failed.
But growing a business is more than just marketing. It is managing, planning, positioning, financing, and finding the right resources, experts, paying customers, and clients, and much, much more. In this book, I provide not only important business marketing principles, but also realistic and useful suggestions that are targeted specifically for you, the small business owner and entrepreneur. I have included both proven and unique ways to grow and expand your business, as well as real-life examples from entrepreneurs for your information and encouragement.
Owners of small and home-based businesses face different challenges than larger corporations, because they have to juggle many tasks that larger companies have specialists to handle. Often new business owners start their businesses on the side while still working full-time as an employee, simultaneously balancing their finances, work, and family time. Fortunately, many successful entrepreneurs have kindly contributed marketing tips that have been effective in promoting their businesses. They have suffered growing pains firsthand in their entrepreneurial journeys and have graciously shared their experiences, both good and bad. Their advice is invaluable and they desire, as I do, to assist and encourage other business owners to succeed in their respective ventures.
Try to find other entrepreneurs to share marketing and business tips and with whom you can commiserate when business is tough and celebrate when business is good. If possible, share your business skills with others. Millions of business owners are mentors to other entrepreneurs and use their businesses in altruistic ways to help their communities and beyond. You never know how it will be returned. I was contacted by an entrepreneurial group from Ghana, Africa, and am presently gathering entrepreneurial business books they have requested to help start their own independent ventures. |