In our last post we went into where you are in comparison with where you want to be, the gap between, the various justifications given and some empowering questions.

Next we’re going to look at your answers to those questions and see how we can:

• Build them into great stories that will resonate with your potential customers
• Get those stories out to where your potential customers work, rest and/ or play!

But first we’re going have a quick look at where you fit into the business scene.

Small Business Statistics

The diagram above represents the the percentage breakdown of businesses in the UK as at Spring 2003 (figures from the DTI). The picture hasn’t altered hugely since then. Updated figures (November 2011) from the FSB show (among other things) that:

• There are 4.5 million small businesses in the UK
• SMEs account for 99 per cent of of all enterprise int he UK, 58.8 per cent of private sector employment and 48.8 per cent of private sector turnover
• SMEs employed an estimated 13.8 million people and had an estimated combined annual turnover of £1,500 billion
• Businesses with employees account for a quarter of all enterprises – a fall of 29,000 since 2010
• The number of sole proprietorships increased by 87,000 in 2010 and the number of companies, 6,000

As an aside, I can sort of understand why “Medium” sized businesses were lumped in with “Small” but I cannot for the life of me work out why “Micro” and “Sole Traders” – the biggest combined group by far (should they ever decide to band together and create their own union, watch out!) – should all be under the SME nomenclature, but I guess that’s just one of life’s little mysteries… I’m guessing that sole traders and micros are included in the figure of 4.5 million for small businesses above…

So, since businesses with employees account for only a quarter of all enterprises now in UK PLC 2011 (and, if you look at the pie chart, what’s the betting that 95% of them are micros with under 10 employees?) together with the remaining Sole Traders three quarters we see who must be contributing hugely to the effort of keeping the economy afloat! And I’m sure the same applies to all ‘free’ countries across the globe.

Looked at that way, it’s not just ourselves we owe to be successful, is it? So let’s get to it!

Do You Have a Marketable Niche?

As you’re reading this to yourself you’re either going to be thinking “nitch” (west of the Pond) or “neesh” (east); doesn’t matter which because, either way what we’re looking at here is the market sector that you’ve carved out as your very own!

And it’s important to realise and acknowledge that you’re probably not the first in it, won’t be the last, but you’re the only one to bring what you bring to it and your customers – and it’s something that’s valuable to them.

Another point to bear in mind is that the niche you choose/ have chosen may not be the one you end up in – again, it doesn’t matter – don’t let inertia and indecision sink you – (once you’ve answered your Empowering Questions to your satisfaction) just get on and take action! Because, answering your Empowering Questions should also have provided answers in the affirmative to the following three questions:

1. Can you justify and carve out your very own differential within this niche?
2. Is it lucrative?
3. Does it have potential to grow?

Then we can move on to ideas and examples of what action to be taking, always with the idea of gaining and increasing profitable business…

Win, Keep and Grow Profitable Business

Okay, if there’s you on your own or you plus a handful in your company, the odds of one of you being ace at sales and marketing are, realistically likely to be quite small, yet we want to build a fan-and-customer base as quickly as possible, don’t we? So let’s start with just three ideas – I’m sure you’ll come up with loads more.

Go networking – How?

• Face-to-face
• Phone
• Skype
• Online

Go networking – Where?

Where your target audience hangs out and while there are likely to be in the frame of mind where they’re open to business ideas and opportunities.

If you don’t know where and when that is, you need to do your research and find out…

Speaking, anyone?

I know, people’s fear of public speaking has been well documented, but think about it for a minute:

If you’ve been a member of any kind of business network you’ll have been through the, at times, excruciating spotlight being on you when you delivered your elevator pitch. I honestly believe that I defy any kind of public speaking to be worse than that!

Career advisors in my day were cr*p and I doubt they’re much better now. Why not think about speaking to groups of school youngsters for 5 or 10 minutes at a time about your business, who it helps, why you started it, how you’re growing it, how it’s evolving, the type of people you envision being involved in it… Sure, kids can ask some tough questions but they’re usually sincere, cut through the BS and can really make us think and recover our own enthusiasm

If you turn out to be any good at this, people will probably soon start finding you, which could lead to…

Leading Trusted Authority Interviews

I’d say: Take this activity seriously but not yourself! It’s useful to have at least a Top Line Agenda in advance purely to ensure that your slot ‘flows’ and you can get your main points in as well as those of the interviewer. Bearing in mind the only time interviewers are likely to be actively looking to trip you up is if you’re in a highly political limelight for your subject – I think we can cast that one aside… for now, anyway 😉

What else?

“How long’s a piece of string?” comes to mind. We haven’t touched on Blogging, Emailing, Telemarketing, Teleseminars and Webinars to name just a few… What have you used to good effect? What do you fancy learning more about?

PS: Coming soon: Pricing and charging
PPS: I’m not doing “sign up to be on my mailing list” for the moment – I’m doing “Call me” instead 😉