Being a small business owner entails more than one would think. It takes determination, patience, and an idea of how you’re going to make running your business more successful. You have to figure out what is best for your business and with that comes trial and error!

1. Get out of bed! 
2. Show up!
3. Do work!

JUST KIDDING! But man, does that sound so easy, right?! Here are the real keys to success for fearless business owners:

• Be customer-centric

 It’s a real thing- if you Google the phrase, you will find tons of infographics and supporting data. In a nutshell, being customer-centric means always looking for ways to provide a positive experience for your customers before and after the sale. This specific business ideology is designed to drive profit, enhance customer loyalty, and improve business growth. This is the formula for building long-term relationships with your customers. Most businesses are not doing this around the clock, which means you can have a competitive advantage, and let’s be honest… we all need more of that! 

With this workplace mentality, the customer is in the driver’s seat.  Companies that put the customer at the heart of their organization are experiencing an increase in customer lifetime value and a reduction in turnover. Becoming a truly customer-centric organization takes time, but you can start all small. So, how do I do that?

1.Everyone in the organization needs to honestly believe the customer comes first. They think that, without the customer, they cannot succeed in business (which is true) and want to see the world through the customer’s eyes.

2. Once you know what the customer wants and needs, you can develop products and services around that- it’s that simple!

3. Plan and implement these newfound customer marketing strategies that focus on creating and keeping profitable and loyal customers.

All systems are a go! 

• What I really mean is that most great business owners have the right systems in place to support their business objectives. 
• Every business needs a reliable CRM. What exactly is a CRM and how can it help your business? CRM stands for customer relationship management and is a program to manage your current, past, and potential customers or clients! You can use it to run reports and make as many notes as needed. There are different CRM options available, and you might have to try a couple of them before finding the one that works best for you and your business!
• Email marketing is a tool that is used to send a message to a group of people. You can use it to send advertisements, request business, and send information to current or past clients. It gives you the ability to import a list of contacts to send out your email. You can even set up different ways to personalize each message!
• Have a good and user-friendly website. You want your customers and clients to know more about you and your business. Let them know by giving them a website that is to the point and explains what you have to offer. A good business website has at least five pages- it is easier to fill them up than you think!
• Organizational tools. Keep your deadlines and information in one spot for the team to share. Whether you use something like Google Drive or Trello, you want to make sure that your team can use it well in order to stay on top of things. It is important to use something like this in order to see where a co-worker or an employee’s progress for a project or if a meeting time is available.
• Grammar tool. In a world with auto correct and Grammarly, there is no need to have small mistakes in your emails or blogs. Grammarly has a free version available to download to your browser. It is best to double-check something to make sure the grammar is correct than to send it out as quickly as possible. It looks more professional.

Be S.M.A.R.T. I am not talking about Einstein smart. I’m talking about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. 

• S- Specific. If you have a goal on how to improve a specific area in your business, you need specific goals.
• M- Measurable. Make sure you can measure the progress of your goals. That way, when you are ready to make new goals, you can see the standard.
• A- Achievable. Are your goals realistic? You want to be able to reach your goals without adding too much strain on your business or employees. If your goal is not something that can be accomplished- it’s okay. Rework the goal to make it attainable. 
• R- Relevant. Do your goals benefit your business or employees? Make sure it is needed or appropriate for your business.
• T- Time. Make your deadlines and stick to them. They’re deadlines for a reason. When you keep changing deadlines, other important things get put off, or they are not done.

WHEW! That was a total Go-Getter Dump I know. But I wouldn’t share these success strategies with you if I didn’t find true achievement in them. What is one thing you are going to implement into your daily life? I would love to hear about it. Let me know on FACEBOOK….or send me a quick email: kristina@1socialbuzz.com. I am invested in this journey with you! You are not alone!

Now get to work you slacker!!