3 Ways to Succeed as a Small Business Owner

Starting your own business is one of the most rewarding endeavors you can pursue in life. At times, it may seem like an impossible task because there's so much that has to get done to start, grow and sustain your own business. For those of you who have started your own business - congratulations! You're on the path towards potentially creating long-term wealth for yourself and your family. To keep your business health and competitive, it's vital you know what customers are looking for in a small business. With so many businesses to choose from, making it easier for your customers to find you, buy from you and feel appreciated by you will give you a competitive advantage over your competition.

The most relevant and interesting content you can create is content related to your experience as a business owner and your passion for why you do what you do. It's ok to talk about the science behind your product, to talk about how you came up with your business idea or how you're overcoming challenges related to growing your business. When it comes to marketing your business today, it's all about the story you're telling. The more insight you give to your business and your products, the more credibility and trust you'll earn from your audience. Trust and credibility are significant factors when it comes to converting online traffic into paying customers. Your transparency will inspire people to not only pay attention to you, it will inspire them to buy from you.

When it comes to marketing, being consistent is a challenge for big and small businesses alike. To avoid being overwhelmed with the task of creating and posting content every day, it's important to use tools that can help automate your efforts. Once you know what you want to say, consider using a tool to schedule your posts ahead of time. If you want to save time and automate your social media posts in advance, check out two of the most popular software solutions for small businesses: Hootsuite and Buffer. Both offer a free trial, giving you a chance to test drive their software before making a financial commitment.

Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your small business. The great thing about social media marketing is it's both cost-effective and user-friendly. If you have a Facebook account and have ever shared, liked or commented on a post, you're more than capable of doing social media marketing for your small business. Remember to keep it simple and focus on one social media channel at a time. If you're not doing social media marketing, start using it today. Some customers would buy from your business if they just knew you existed.

As a small business owner, how much you know about your products and services is a deciding factor for nearly 1/3 of all consumers. A large number of people like to buy from businesses that demonstrate clear expertise in whatever they're selling. It's important to invest time and money in ongoing learning. There are plenty of options you can take to increase your knowledge of the science, technology, and benefits related to your products, services and industry.

• Live webinars
• YouTube videos
• Seminars
• Podcasts
• Audiobooks
• Articles

Deciding time each week to ongoing education is a great way to ensure you're prepared to highlight the value behind your products and services. As you gain more in-depth knowledge and insight into your business, you'll become more capable of positioning your business to pivot and adjust with emerging trends. By staying in the loop, you give your business an edge over your competitors.

If you're ready to take your ongoing education to the next level, start by checking out some of the following sites that offer online webinars for small business owners:

• BizLaunch
• SCORE
• Small Business Expo

These are just three of many resources you can find by simply going to Google.com and doing a search using keywords such as "webinar", "article" or "seminar", and the name of your industry, product or service. Take time today to learn about what's going on in a business and in your industry. You'll only make your business stronger when you do.

Businesses may primarily exist online, but 38% of consumers say they prefer to purchase from businesses that offer a human element to the buying experience. With the help of social media, every business can reach the same customer, even if they're a smaller business. And if you're a small business, you can win over consumers by making it easier for them to connect with a real person. Take advantage of any number of tools available that connects your mobile phone to anywhere your business has an online presence. Some of these tools include web chat for your business website or enabling messenger for your Facebook Business page. Check with your current website host (i.e. GoDaddy.com or Wix.com) to find out if they offer web chat tools that you can add to your current website.

Once you've enabled a tool like web chat or messenger, make sure you enable notifications on your mobile phone. This will ensure you are immediately notified when someone visiting your website or Facebook Business page has a question. You can immediately respond from your phone, answering their questions, do a quick call from them if necessary and dramatically increase the chances of them buying at that moment.

For LifePharm Business Owners, we have plenty of tools in place to help implement the tips provided in this article:

• LifePharm Share App: Independent Business Owners can market their business on social media with a library of pre-made videos and posts available through our free LifePharm Share App. The mobile app is available for both Apple and Google mobile devices.
• Resource Library: When it comes to ongoing education related to our products and business opportunity, there's a resource library accessible to every business owner in their virtual office. The resource library has everything from articles, product brochures and quick reference sheets that highlight the science and benefits behind our products.
• Live Webinars: We also provide live training webinars each month as part of our effort to provide ongoing education. Make sure to check our weekly newsletters to stay up to date on upcoming webinars or simply like us on Facebook to be automatically notified.

If you're a LifePharm Business Owner or a small business owner in another industry, it's very clear that your business can succeed in any economy when you put your customer's first.