Hey guyz,
For us partial and you active football lovers ,i want to say congratulations on the progression to the last sixteen , hope we make it to the quarter finals :). In the spirit of the celebration , i am going to touch on an issue i have received all manner of question on.
People ask me – “how do i grow a start up business? ” , this question has come in different forms but yet mean one and the same thing. I then had to come up with the following ( tried and tested by me ) and i am pretty sure you can relate them to every other businesses aside makeup which could be fashion designing, cake making,event planning ,photography, bead making etc.
There are many challenges , trust me and i must confess it could be very frustrating running a business in Nigeria as you provide most of the basic facilities like electricity , security and so many other things depending on the business. However, despite all these cons some of us have been able to find a way to thrive and make business work.
1)Get more customers : How do i do this you may ask ?? because you need to have enough customers to keep you in business , lowering your prices won’t keep your customer it will lower your profit margin and immediately competition offers lower a lower price , they will move to where the action is instead sell your services based on your value proposition , this is what they will benefit from using your services rather than how much they are paying.
2)Increase frequency of business: It is important to get more people to spend more on your services and getting them to do repeat business over and over again, try to build a relationship with your clients and always check on them ,send them text messages, bbm broadcasts etc whatever keeps you constantly keep in touch.
3)Transactional value : Clients are willing to pay more once they sense it is worth the amount and that they are getting their money’s worth. Ensure that you provide the best service and always use quality products in order to offer more value. Always leave your clients with a memorable experience.
4)Perfect your skill : If you feel you need to upgrade your skill and technique, by all means do, no one wants to pay for a shoddy job and you can confidently stand before anyone because you know your stuff.
5)Develop a complimentary card for you business indicating your services and products with your contact details i.e phone numbers , email address etc , it helps to give your business an air of professionalism.
6)Develop a portfolio for your work preferably soft copy that can be shared online and hard copy that can be mailed to clients.Especially if what you do is visual. your clients need to see and be convinced on what you can do.
7)Network with fellow colleagues/friends, family and people in your neighborhood ask for referrals from satisfied clients, other people in related industry photographers , event planner etc
8)Maximize the use of social media such as twitter,Facebook, Instagram, website, pin interest,blogs even blackberry , learn how to use relevant keywords, hastags, create groups, channels etc.
9)Brand your business : Have a particular color theme and a distinctive logo to set you apart from the competition.
10)Keep your expenses on the low , how much you spend on fuel, phone calls,transportation etc should be minimized so as not to eat into your profit
If you have any other tips that you have tried and has worked for you , kindly share below .Thank you.
Till my next post,
Hugs and Kisses.
Misidreads
Well said… Got most of these when I officially started up
…God bless you sis
Hey Lilian< Bless God for you, hope to sit in your chair soon.
Thanks Yemisi for these tips.
You are welcome Tobi.
tnx Yemisi…..wow tips…
..#reminder#
Thanks Chi.
Thanks YemisI. Thank God for you. Insightful tips. God bless us more.
You are welcome.
Yemisi has always been a start. Up expert,she was the person I spoke with when I was starting Space Specifics,and whao d advise I got from her was timeless and pratical( u wnt get it from a business sch.lols) that. Ws few yrs back and she didn’t stop,I still remeber her giving me more tips and advice this january.well I want to say a big thank u. Again,for being Gods channel of motivation and encouragement.and even though. I knw ur ar always busy,keep it up,there is someone outhere with a great dream and all they need is just some words to birth it. Kisses and hugs.
Awwwh, Temilade thanks dearie.
Sooo thoughtful of you!
Thanks Naphsa.
Thanks for this tips dear. Will sure go by this rules
thanks katty.
Thank you yemisi for these tips. God bless you.
You are welcome.
Wonderful tips, thanks for sharing Yemisi. Another great tip I’ve come to learn is for you to take good care of yourself and look the part as the face of your brand. When you are healthy and happy, it will reflect in the way you run your business and interact with clients. Also, nobody (at least most people) wants to hire a tailor with hems undone, or a makeup artist with brows that look like they’ve never met let alone be sisters or twins.
Thanks Bee.
Great tips Yemisi,read Ur blog a lot but commenting for the 1st time. Thank U so much for these tips,U can’t get it free from any business school. I run a drinks’ outfit and I can relate very well with the tips. Thanks once again. Pls keep up d great job!
Glad i could help and thanks for always reading my blog.
Thank you vey much for these lovely tips. I can sure relate with them.
Thanks Omosewa .
I thank God for stumbling on your blog… I am a new makeup artist, would not mind if I can get your email address, as there are a lot of questions I would love to ask you. Do have a blessed night.
Hey Tope, my email address is misykona@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by.
Great tip,highly appreciated,thanks.