Business Archives - WordsINVerse

THINGS TO REMEMBER AS A BUSINESS OWNER

By Kimberly Fray / Oct 18, 2024 Oct 18, 2024

Let’s laugh first.
Now we can cry.

Now pause and take a breath.
We are all human and we will make mistakes.
As you read through this, let’s remember that our mistakes do not define us, and what defines us is how we bounce back and learn from our mistakes, even when running a business

HAVE A VISION

Having a vision for your business is very important. Write down what you want to see for your business and your employees.
Whether that is having a property, having more clients, or opening more branches, write everything down.
You need to have a clear vision and know which direction you want your company to go. You also need to have small goals that you will set out to achieve periodically to help you achieve those larger goals.

If you are unclear about where your business is heading, your employees, investors, sponsors, and supporters won’t know either and that will make it very difficult for them to get behind you.

CHECK YOURSELF

Be slow to anger and frustration. Don’t throw your toys when things don’t go your way. Things will more often not go your way than they will go your way. Adjust your sails and keep moving.
Sometimes we tend to react in the heat of the moment and we end up making decisions based on how we’re feeling at that moment.
Whether we’re angry at a business partner or we are irritated at an employee or frustrated with a client. It’s important to make decisions when you’re in a clear and sound mind.

THINK LONG TERM

If it won’t matter or make a difference to your company in the next 2 to five years, stop pondering over it. Learn from it and move on. The quicker you get over it, the faster you can grow and improve who you are as a person and in your business.

ASK FOR ADVICE

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help or advice. Some people have been running businesses longer than you have and they have more likely been through all the things you’re finding yourself in. There is no shame in admitting that you don’t know everything.
Every expert was once a beginner.

LISTEN

Listen to your employees, your clients, and your business partners. You are not an island. There are other people involved in your company. It may not be direct involvement, but you do have other people to account for.
Figure out what it is that they need or want from the company. Where it is that they see themselves in the future of the business. This will not only make things clearer for you both and the employee/investor or client but it will also give you a sense of understanding and clarity on the role you all play in moving the company forward.

MEETINGS

Meetings are important. Don’t be afraid to set up meetings and appointments, either with staff clients, or business partners. Meetings are important to establish where everyone’s head is at and luckily we live in an age now where we can do things online. Do try and set up in-person meetings as often as possible. It helps to sort out grievances and also give appraisals.

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EMPLOYEES ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS

Understand that your employees are not your friends and that they probably don’t even like you. It’s true. I’ve seen and been on both sides of the situation and can 100% guarantee that you are not your employees’ favourite person and that is okay.
You will knock heads with them but as long as the respect remains and things don’t get out of hand to an extreme extent.

LEARN FROM OTHERS

Learn from other business owners and entrepreneurs. This goes with the same point about asking for advice. You can learn a lot from people who have been doing what you’re doing for a longer period. Watch YouTube videos, do research, read books and articles, and follow different business accounts on social media or accounts that are associated with your industry. The internet is at your fingertips and you have no excuse not to do the research. Information is abundant and readily available.

LOVE YOUR BUSINESS

No one should love your business more than you do.
Remember why you started in the first place. Revisit your vision. Remind yourself what the motivation was behind all of it and that will push you to continue to nurture what you have.
That being said; you need to put in the time and effort to grow and strengthen what you have. No one else will do it for you.

TAKE THE LOSSES

It’s hard and sometimes extremely heartbreaking when your company takes a loss; whether financially or if it’s staff or clients. It’s never easy and no business owner wants that.
Pain however is a great motivator. Use that loss to accelerate to greater heights.
Also remember that not every idea you try out will work but don’t give up, something eventually will.
Take calculated risks and if it doesn’t work out, at least you can say, I tried.

ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING IN YOUR BUSINESS

Keep a record of everything, even if you don’t think it’s important. Make sure you have records or a paper trail of all your transactions including payments, purchases, employee details, asset lists, and more. You need to be able to account for everything in your business.
Learn everything you need to know about tax, policies you must comply with, contracts and legalities around your company, and everything in between. I’m not saying to become an expert on everything but I am saying, to be aware of what is going on in your company so that you can again, account for everything.

Lastly, remain humble and grateful always.
If you are in a position to create a job for someone else, that is a blessing.
Don’t take it for granted.
Have fun and always take every challenge as a learning experience.

a person holding a book while having coffee

BUILDING KINGDOM WEALTH

By Kimberly Fray / Oct 1, 2022 Oct 6, 2022

WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

This past weekend, I attended a women’s conference at our church. Pastor Gugu Dlamini was the keynote speaker and delivered some great advice and in many ways opened my eyes to many things which I either forgot or were never aware off. As a child of God and in my role as a wife, mother and just a woman, I often find myself in a mental state where I feel so lost. I feel hopeless, I feel utterly exhausted and attending this conference reminded me where I should find my strength. Funny thing is, I told myself I wouldn’t be able to attend the conference because I would be working but God had other plans.

The most important or rather one of the most important take-aways for me was the fact that as a woman, married or not or whether you have kids or not you have a big responsibility in the kingdom of God. You are more valuable than you know and you have so much more power than you realise and its time that we not only tap into it but also use it to change the world.

Pastor Gugu started off by explaining how we can live a life of truth. The truth is the Word of God. She explained that the truth about you, your husband, your family and your future are all already laid out and if you want to find it, you need to spend time in the Word of God. She not only said it, but she proved it by referencing several scriptures. The thing is however, the Word of God can only be your truth, if you believe it.

She said that faith is the currency of a Christian.

PSALM 112 VS 2-3 :

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

To be honest, I wish I had recorded her the entire time but I felt that it was important to be in the moment and take in the teaching hence I’m only sharing key points.

JOHN 10 VS 10:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

When you operate in the currency of faith, you know and trust that God will fulfill his promises to you and to you it doesn’t matter how long it will take. You know when God says He will, it is already done.

JEREMIAH 1 VS 10:

See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

Pastor Gugu unpacked the above scripture. She said that when she reads a scripture, she not only reads it, but she reads and tries to understand every word and I’d like to share with you here what she shared with us.

UPROOT:

Uproot all that is not of God and introduce a new standard.

TEAR DOWN / PULL DOWN:

Pull down and tear down any demonic force within your family and your household.

DESTROY:

Destroy everything that is not aligned with God.

OVERTHROW:

Overthrow the enemy.

BUILD AND PLANT:

Start building towards the kingdom of God. Direct your household and stay in the gospel.

green leafy plant starting to grow on beige racks — Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

JOSHUA 1 VS 5:

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

On day two of the conference, we discussed kingdom wealth and how to implement strategies to gain wealth. Pastor Gugu shared some of the following points:

Being a helper is not a subordinate position – she referenced the story of Adam and Eve and asked us why did God decide to make Adam a helper.
A helper can only help when there’s a vision – your husband needs to have a vision for your family so that you can help him bring that vision to life.
As a woman, you get your plan from the Word of God.
Read the Word of God with a strategy in mind. Don’t just read for the sake of reading, but read so that you can understand what is the plan that God has for your life and that of your family.
Recognise the gifting of your children -And pray that God will help you harness those gifts.
We are not led by money, we are led by the Spirit.
We get blessed because we are obedient.
Be a blessing everywhere you go.
We operate in the Supernatural.
Pray the Word of God so that the Word can go work on the things you prayed over.

IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES

Again, Pastor Gugu highlighted that as Christians, faith is our currency. This means that it doesn’t matter what your circumstances are or what’s happening around you, that you will find rest and peace in the presence of God. That was something that I especially needed to hear.

Ecclesiastes 2 vs 26:

To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

You please God by operating in faith.
Wealth comes when you start believing the Word of God and start implementing what it says.
Revelations 5 vs 12 confirms Ecclesiastes 2 vs 26
God can’t act if you don’t exercise your faith.

close up shot of a woman praying — Photo by TEP RO on Pexels.com

REVELATIONS 5 VS 12:

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

POWER: Meaning jurisdiction / rule over your circumstances.

WEALTH: Operate in three dimensions of wealth.

WISDOM: The knowledge of God.

STRENGTH: Inner strength – Spirit of God will rise in you.

HONOUR: Even if you are last, you will be first. God will qualify you as long as you apply in faith.

GLORY AND PRAISE: Arriving in in fullness – operating fully in your gifts.

FINAL NOTES

It’s obviously impossible for me to share the entirety of the wealth of knowledge that was shared during that conference but I think you get the idea of what we learned or at least, what I learned. The experience was different for every woman who attended. I hope by reading this, you also find some comfort and direction.

Here are some final points:

Whatever God has called you to do, do it.
God will open divine connections for y0ou once you start operating in the fullness of who He is.
You need to have an unbelievable reliance on God.
Understand where God is posting you.
Change the conversations in your home.
Always consult God.

I loved that the conference took place over two days; the last day of September and the first day of October. It sort of felt like the ending of something but also the beginning of a new season.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM RUNNING A BUSINESS- PART THREE

By Kimberly Fray / Aug 9, 2022 Aug 11, 2022

Have you ever heard or read the quote, “Lessons in life will be repeated until they are learned”, well that quote rings very true for me, especially since we started our business.
I’ve experienced it time and time again and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to give up. How many times I’ve told my husband I quit and how many times I wanted to cry because I messed up.
It’s been a very difficult journey and the funny part is, we’re less than two years old and I already feel as if I’ve experienced the most.
As always, I continue to learn lessons; I don’t always learn immediately and sometimes I can’t see the lesson and, those are the days I want to give up but I find that when I take a breath and forgive myself; I can see more clearly.
So here are a few more lessons I’ve learned since we started Fray Music Academy.

OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES

This is a difficult one; not just in business but in life. However, when it comes to business, your mistakes could cost you money or your business entirely. It’s vital for the life of your business and your reputation that you own up when you’ve made a mistake, that way you can still salvage relationships with clients and employees. They will appreciate the honesty.

Better to have a moment of awkwardness than to have a lifetime of regret.

DON’T COMPARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH THAT OF OTHERS

I’ve done this one a lot. I’ve compared where I am in life and in business with those who have been running their business for years and then I realise that its silly to do that. Social media, the internet and the age of the influencer have caused us to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves because of the unrealistic expectations we think we need to prescribe to. Take your time to build whatever it is you’re building and stop comparing your journey to that of others.

DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE YOU ARE CURRENTLY

Always strive to grow. There is nothing valuable for you in your comfort zone. The only thing about growing is that it’s not comfortable and most people don’t want to experience discomfort.

DON’T RUN AWAY FROM CHALLENGES

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to avoid a difficult conversation with a client or parent or just wanted to avoid anything which I knew would be difficult to handle or discuss but once you’ve dealt with the difficult situation, you’ll realise it wasn’t so bad after all.

LEARN FROM OTHERS AND IMPLEMENT WHAT YOU LEARN

It’s pointless just reading up on others and then not trying what worked for them. It might not always work for you but at least you can say you tried.

BE PREPARED TO FAIL AND PACK UP SHOP

But then be prepared and willing to start again. If that’s what you want.

THINK OF WAYS TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS AND DIVERSIFY ON YOUR BUSINESS OR COMPANY

We recently had a guest speaker join us in one of our meetings and he pointed out that as a business you need to diversify and expand your services. This will not only allow your business to grow but will also open up other avenues for your brand or business.

BE WILLING TO HAVE THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES

Your staff or employees are human, just like you but there will come a time when you will either have to let someone go or you will have to deal with a staff member who is not pulling their weight and this won’t always be easy but its important that these difficult conversations are had.

ALWAYS REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED

This will help you during those times when you feel like giving up and you feel as if you can’t go on. Always remember what your motivation was for when you started.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN

You will forget things. Have a designated notebook for your business, have reminders on your phone and calendar.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP

This falls in line with the last point in this post as well but you don’t always need to seek help from those within your company. Sometimes asking for help means asking for advice from other business owners or simply asking your staff to pick up more work if you feel overwhelmed. There is no shame in asking for help. Personally, this is one lesson that I had to learn the hard way.

MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL

This is especially important if you work two jobs like me. I work as a news producer and on my off days, I manage our music school. Besides the work aspects of my life; I am also a wife and mom of two so you can imagine what my days look like. It’s important to get a handle of everything and to designate a time to all your projects and errands.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU’RE BUSY WITH AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT

Mistakes can happen very easily when you try to do too much all at once. When you’re done with one thing, then you move on to the next. I know multi-tasking can sound amazing but sometimes its better to just focus on one thing at a time.

PLAN EVERYTHING

Don’t leave anything to chance and try to be prepared for any eventuality. This goes hand in hand with the point about managing your time.

MAKE SURE YOU HIRE STAFF WHO SHARE YOUR VISION

Don’t just hire people to get the job done but find people who see and share your vision and who are willing to build with you. An employee will either make or break your business.

ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR BUSINESS PARTNER

If you have a business partner, always make sure you run everything past that person or discuss it with your business partner. This is especially important if you and this person started this business from the very beginning. That is the beauty of having a partner, you never have to deal with anything alone.

BE PATIENT

Nothing happens overnight. Pace yourself and let things happen as and when it should.

I know as our business grows, I know that we will continue to add more lessons to this list. As an entrepreneur, you never really stop learning and you never stop growing.

crop anonymous woman working with documents sitting at table with computer

WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM RUNNING A BUSINESS – PART TWO

By Kimberly Fray / Jun 2, 2022 Jun 2, 2022

I previously wrote a blog on what I’ve learned from running a business but due to the fact that I continuously learn and things continue to change and grow, I thought I would write a part two.

If you would like to read the previous post, you can find it here.

VALUE YOUR EMPLOYEES

Your employees are the lifeblood of your business. When they feel valued and appreciated, they will give more than what you ask. It’s important to remember that people who work for you, also have lives, families, other responsibilities and its important to take these things into consideration when making decisions.

LEARN NEW SKILLS

It’s always important to learn new skills when you are a business owner and especially when you are just starting out. Skills that are important to learn are marketing, communication, human resources and financial management. There are a ton of books available on these exact topics.

DEAL WITH YOUR CLIENTS’ GRIEVANCES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND AS GRACEFUL AS POSSIBLE

Your clients are just as important as your employees. Your clients or customers will not always be happy with you and there will be times when grievances are brought to the fore. It’s important to take note of all the issues your clients / customers are unhappy with and deal with them as soon as they come up. Letting issues fester will only cause it to get worse.

YOU NEED TO PUT IN THE HOURS

Yes, you get tired. It’s easy to veg out in front of the television and tell yourself you’ll do that thing tomorrow or later but when later comes, something else will take priority. When you’re building a business, especially in the beginning stages, its vitally important to put in the time and work on and for your business, even when you are exhausted. I have a day job as a news producer and when I get home, I am a mom and a wife but once the kids are down, then for a couple of hours, I need to be a business owner and work on building my company alongside my husband. We do have our days when we procrastinate but we always regret it. It’s better to put in the hours today so that you can see the results tomorrow.

thoughtful man writing on paper at table — Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava on Pexels.com

STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND START DOING IT

As business owners, we all have things we want to do for our business to make it better, to grow and to make more money or gain more clients. It’s easy to speak about these things but much harder to put it into practice. It’s important to try new things and to attempt new strategies. Even if it fails, at least you know that you tried.

TAKE RISKS

We all know the saying, “No risk, no reward” I’ve found that to be very true since starting this entrepreneurship journey. You will never know what’s on the other side of this journey if you don’t take a few risks. It doesn’t just have to be financial risks but it can be putting your trust in someone and hoping against all hope that they won’t cost you your business.

SEARCH OUT OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS

For us as a music school it can be competitions, showcases, events and networking opportunities. It’s important to put your business out there so that people can be made aware that you exist. It also helps you to make connections and network with other people in your industry and we all know that your network equals your net worth.

group of people standing inside room — Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL BUT DON’T PLAN TO FAIL

As I said before, you will fail and you will make mistakes and it’s important not to be ignorant of that fact. Don’t plan to fail but be prepared in any event. Failure is simply part of the journey.

INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS

Invest time and money into your business. This is especially if you’re building something that you want to last for a lifetime.

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR COMPETITORS AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND THEN DO IT BETTER

I’m not saying stalk your competitors but visit their websites and check out what they are doing. What do they have that you don’t . What are they doing that you aren’t and see if its something you can implement or even do better.

INVEST IN YOUR EMPLOYEES

This is an important one. Your employees are your capital. Invest in them, train them and encourage them. Let them know they matter and give them room to grow. Make them a part of the business and involve them in the growth of the business.

LEARN TO LOVE THE ADMIN

This is especially important in the beginning stages of your company when you are still very hands on in the business. Eventually you will be able to hire people to do the admin but until that happens, learn to love the admin side of the business. It’s hard and tiring but it helps you to see where your business is going and how its growing.

woman sitting in front of macbook — Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.com

FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR YOUR MISTAKES

This is a hard one, especially for someone like me. I can be very hard on myself and I hate making mistakes in the business because I know I work with clients, I work with people’s children and their money and time and it’s important for me to do it right but I am flawed, just like everyone else and making mistakes will always be a part of the process. Once you see the lesson in the mistake, forgiveness will come.

STAY CALM WHEN DEALING WITH AN ANGRY OR UPSET CLIENT

Again, like I said in the previous point, I work with people, their children and their time and money and clients, especially parents don’t want to waste their time and money on something that will not be worth the investment. Sometimes you will upset your client and it won’t always be your fault but be gracious about it. Be understanding and always remain calm. Exploding on a customer or client will never help the situation.

POLISH UP ON YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Communication is key in everything. Again, this is important when you are hands on in your business and you deal with clients, customers and investors directly. It’s important to know how to speak to people, how to articulate yourself and how to relay messages. This is one of the reasons my husband and I decided to put me in charge of dealing with our students and parents because between the two of us, my communication skills are better. It also helps that I work in a communication orientated industry like Journalism. Communication skills are also important when you are trying to sell your product to a potential client or customer.

two woman in black sits on chair near table — Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM RUNNING A BUSINESS

By Kimberly Fray / Feb 6, 2022 Feb 6, 2022

STARTING A BUSINESS

Last year my husband and I registered our company Fray Music Academy. In April it will be a year that we celebrate the establishment of this school that has become our baby. It hasn’t been easy but it has been fulfilling.

I’ve always admired entrepreneurs and business owners but until I became one, I never knew what went into a successful business. Fray Music Academy has done well in this first year and I do believe we’ve been successful but we’ve definitely hit some bumps in the road and I imagine we will have many more going forward.

Running a business is not easy. You have to be on the ball and you have to be proactive. Especially if you are building something that you want to continuously improve on and something that you want to last. A legacy.

I co-own the school with my husband but, I am also the manager. I handle schedules, book new students, handle inquiries and our social media. I have found myself running and managing the school when I am on the bus or the train to my day job as a news producer. I think about FMA all the time when I’m making dinner, writing, or getting the kids ready for bed.

I dream of growth and I envision where we will be in the next 5-10 years. I constantly think about ways I believe we can improve, I always have ideas playing around in my head and I always try to find ways to keep our clients happy. I love it, even though at times I get frustrated, its always fulfilling when something we planned, comes to pass.

That’s how I know this business matters to me.

WORKING WITH FAMILY

My husband reminded me the other day that when we have a disagreement on something regarding FMA, we are not husband and wife. We are business partners. When we are discussing the school, we need to learn to keep our emotions out of it.

We don’t always agree on everything but its always important to listen to understand when the other person is raising a point. It’s not about who is right. It’s about what is ultimately good for the business.

Running and / or owning a business with a spouse or family member is never easy and you shouldn’t do it if you know that you cannot keep your feelings and bias out of it.

Here are some more things I’ve learned since we started Fray Music Academy. Just remember, I am not an expert, I merely write and share from personal experience.

YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Running a successful business takes time and every day is a learning curve.

YOU WILL LOSE CLIENTS AND YOU WILL LOSE MONEY

Don’t get discouraged. There will be financial highs and then there will be financial lows. Again, its all about understanding what works and what doesn’t.

YOU NEED TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY

You have to invest in your business. For us investing in our business means buying instruments and learning material for our students so that we can provide a good service.

money cash euro pay — Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

THINGS TEND TO CHANGE IN A GROWING BUSINESS

Every day is different for us. Schedules change on a weekly basis and that’s okay. We just learn to adapt as we go.

YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL ALSO NEED TO CONSTANTLY LEARN AND ADAPT

This goes hand in hand with the previous point. Don’t panic when things change. Grow with the change.

YOUR CLIENTS ARE YOUR CAPITAL

Without your clients, there is no business. Always remember that.

COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY ARE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

Always be open with your clients. They will appreciate your honesty and transparency and will most likely stick with you till the bitter end.

MARKETING IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

No one will know about your business if you don’t market. Learn what works for your business and implement it.

text on white paper — Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels.com

ALWAYS FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY

As your business grows, the way you do business must also grow.

GET RID OF PAPER AND GO DIGITAL

This was a painful point for me to write because I love my pen and paper but doing things digitally is more efficient and you don’t want your clients to waste time filling in paper.

DON’T DELAY WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

When you delay making decisions about your business, you delay its success.

LEARN FROM OTHERS AND LEARN TO TAKE ADVICE

There are many other business owners who have been where you are. Learn from them.

LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING

If you don’t love what you do, you won’t put in any effort in what you’re doing and it will filter through every part of your organisation.

THE BUSINESS OF MARKETING AND ADVERTISING

By Ndzavi Derrick / Nov 12, 2021 Nov 12, 2021

Advertising and marketing have been around for ages. What has changed throughout the ages is the methodology that is used to advertise and in its evolution, it tends to follow where the masses are.
Before anyone could afford a car, most advertising was based in the market area where business activities are taking place. Then there came an era where most people are on the road and billboards came to place.

No one would have imagined back then that one day an American could advertise a business to an African while miles away and there could be transactions taking place without having to meet face-to-face or verbally speak to each other.
Marketing requires a budget and it is unfortunate that most entrepreneurs spend less than 1% in marketing and 99% on products and act surprised when their products are not sold. You need to make a special announcement about your product before even selling and that will require a substantial budget. Through marketing, your products can move faster and marketing should be intentional.

Only a shrewd entrepreneur will look at innovative and creative ways that will help bring sales to the business.

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO SELL

Don’t get stuck on one way

Suppose when you started your business, you were distributing pamphlets on the street corner and you would print “Bring this pamphlet for 30% discount” what happens when the street gets closed by the municipality? Would you continue to wait there hoping that people will still drive by? No. As an entrepreneur, you need to look at different advertising means. If one way of advertising brings you 20% of the sales, then two ways will bring you 40%.

Use platforms such as online advertising and billboards if you can afford them.

Don’t be complacent

Many entrepreneurs get to a comfort zone; they have no passion to double sales but are happy with what they get to pay the bills. They get stuck in the same strategy of advertising, getting similar results always without thinking of taking the business to another level. Step up and read new trends that will advance your business.

Don’t focus on getting new clients only

Your advertising should not be one-sided where you promote or advertise only when you have to introduce new products.

You need to bring balance by also promoting existing products.

Remember: We advertise not to sell products always but to also make those who already own the products proud. They smile when they see the product and they spontaneously tell others that they own the advertised product. In your advertising, aimed at attracting new clients and also build customer confidence by advertising what old clients already have.

Don’t just rely on your website when advertising

Today there is a heavily congested road and that road is the internet, which is a platform you need to look at when advertising your business. Many business owners end up getting a website designed and think they have the market at the palm of their hands.

You can design a website and have 3 visitors a month on that website. You need to advertise your websites online via sites that have a high volume of traffic. When you advertise you just have to mention one product and direct them to your website for details on the product. Your website alone is not enough to create the sales you expect.

STRATEGY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

This question has become more prevalent in a business circle than the business card question. You need to optimize your social media presence by promoting your business and service also. You are the number one ambassador of your business and do not expect someone to talk about your business better than you can as the business owner.

I hope that this will help you make sales easier by advertising your business on all platforms and avenues available.

……

Derrick Ndzavi is an Entrepreneurologist, a founder of Mentors Without Borders. Ndzavi is also a Certified Business Advisor with the Institute of Business Advisors SA which is SAQA regulated.

You can find him on Twitter and LinkedIN

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