1) Business Cards
First, never leave the house without them. You never know when you might need them or who you might meet.
Second, actually give them to people. So many entrepreneurs are shy about giving out their business cards. If you’re at a networking event, don’t wait for an invitation to give your card to someone. If you’re already talking to them, just hand it to them. Don’t make a production of it. It can be in the middle of conversation. Don’t even mention the card. If you hand someone a business card, they will take it. Every time. It’s almost a reflex. I’ve never had anyone refuse my business card.
If you’re worried someone might not keep them, do it anyway. Even if they don’t keep them, they’ve seen it. They’ve seen your logo. You’ve made a visual connection, and if you’re just starting out, this may be the only exposure they have to your brand. Depending on the impact your card has visually, they may remember your logo better than they’ll remember you. I’ve had so many encounters with business people who either forgot me, or have never met me, but recognized my logo.
2) Stand Out
So many brands, logos, slogans feel the same. Many businesses have a brand that’s very polished and professional and pleasing to the eye, but they’re rarely memorable. It’s very common for business people to analyze what’s trendy or popular and try to emulate it somehow. The problem here is that if you build your brand in such a reactionary way, you’ll never come up with anything original. Instead of ‘What is everyone else doing?’, ask yourself, ‘What is everyone else NOT doing?’
3) Recognize Opportunity
I was on a video shoot with a fellow entrepreneur a few years back. We were approached by a stranger who was asking us what we were up to. This friend of mine clearly didn’t want to talk to the stranger. He wasn’t rude to him, but he definitely didn’t want to engage them.
This is not a good attitude for an entrepreneur to have. When opportunity comes around, it often does so when you’re not expecting it. This stranger may have just been curious about what we were doing, or he could have been interested in using our services.
So many business people get so caught up in their own routine that they can rarely see beyond it. You need to develop a sort of periscopic vision for your business. If someone takes you out of your routine or comfort zone, don’t dismiss it right away. You never know where a random conversation may lead.
4) Actually Engage People
There’s certainly a lot of emphasis these days on social media and SEO, but I’d say about 95% of my business has come about the old fashioned way: actually getting out and talking to people. Social media and SEO certainly have their place, but it simply can’t take the place of human interaction.
I’ve found that even phone calls can still be a more effective way to engage people. Not just blind cold-calls, mind you, but very targeted calls. Identify people that would benefit from your product or service and reach out to them.
So many entrepreneurs set up shop and then wait for the world to come to them. It doesn’t work that way, especially if you’re just starting out.
5) Dress Well
Like it or not, people will judge you by your appearance. At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with finding a style of dress that is appropriate, but still reflects your style and your personality. Yes, you need to look professional, but you also need to feel like yourself.
There’s also room to dress in a way that’s consistent with your brand. Wear your company colours, or even company branded clothing if the setting permits. I have a SoundWise name tag that I had custom made for networking events. This way if someone doesn’t recognize me, they might recognize my logo. This has the secondary function of avoiding having to write my name on one of those “Hello, my name is…” stickers. My handwriting is atrocious and not conducive to good impression making.
6) Slow but Constant Progression
When running a business, like most good things in life, success doesn’t happen overnight. It can take many months, or even years. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be able to think long-term and to forget about the quick payoff.
One of the advantages of slow and constant progression, is the ability to grow incrementally, to make mistakes, and to learn from your mistakes. Grow with your business. Build from the ground up.
7) Know When to Walk Away
If you’ve had an opportunity to say your piece and explained how you can help a prospective client, and they still don’t see the value in what you’re doing, find someone who does. You can’t get blood from a stone.
8) Talk to the Right People
If I’ve learned anything in the last five years, it’s that there are two types of business people – those who are engaged and want to make life better for themselves and those they serve, and those who are just trying to make it to five o’clock. There is a lot of value in being able to determine which of these people you’re talking to at a given moment.
9) Be Confident in Your Price
Yes, there are many cheap alternatives out there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should charge less for what you do. Don’t get into a race to the bottom. There are people who are willing to pay good money for quality products and services. You just have to find them.
I’m not saying you should charge people more than necessary. Give them a fair price, but also one that reflects the quality of what you’re offering. Give them a price that’s going to give them your best work. If you’re constantly lowering your price just because there are cheaper options, no one will ever take you seriously.
10) Fake it ‘Til You Make it
I see a lot of new entrepreneurs who seems to be looking for some sort of validation or perhaps some sort of rite of passage before they can see themselves as legit business people.
Don’t wait. Be that person now. Be that business now.
If you have a skill or product to offer, you have value. If your business is recognized by the government, and you have exchanged your product or services for money, you are in business.
Don’t downplay anything you do. Don’t apologize for being a new or small business. Be what you want to be today.
11) Entrepreneurship Changes the Way You See Work
I often tell people that I am always working and never working at the same time.
I say that I’m always working because I no longer work nine-to-five. I start first thing in the morning, and I finish when the work is done. And when the work is done, there’s something else to do or think about or plan. The days of leaving work at work are over.
I say that I’m never working because I like what I do. Even during days or weeks that are busy or stressful, I still enjoy the work, I always look forward to seeing what the day will bring, and I always take satisfaction in the fact that it’s what I choose to do.
12) Don’t Get Discouraged
It’s easier said than done, but absolutely necessary. There have been times when business has been really slow for me, and I thought about just packing it all up and looking for a “real” job. When I find myself in this mindset, there are a few thoughts that shake me out of it.
First, I try to picture myself in that so-called “real job”, and I see a lot of things I don’t like. I see myself not in control of my own destiny and surroundings. I see myself stuck in a routine and hating it. I see myself having ideas I will never be able to use. And most importantly, I see myself willing to give anything to be my own boss.
The second one is I think of all the progress I’ve made and what a shame it would be to throw it away, or worse, start all over.
Third and most important, I think of all the people that get up every day and go to a job they hate. Yes, they might make more and they might have security, but you spend a big chunk of your life at work. You might as well enjoy it. I like what I do, I enjoy it every day, and it keeps growing every year.