The following is an audio clip from the Dave Ramsey Show (www.daveramsey.com). An artist calls in and asks Dave how he could turn his hobby into a business.
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Dave's advice to the caller is invaluable, and should be on top of every entrepreneurs' mind:
How are you marketing yourself?
The first thing that he tells the caller is "Get a website!" (Wow, A man after my own heart!). Isn't it amazing how the web is the primary source for information these days? Think about it... when was the last time you picked up a phone book?
A website is your key to credibility when starting a business, and certainly your biggest liability if done poorly. Notice how Dave talks about finding an excellent photographer to photograph your work and make sure that website is gorgeous. No matter if you are an artist or an accountant, your website should reflect the highest quality of your work and be clear why your customers should hire you.
If you build it, they will come...
Nothing could be further from the truth on the web. There were 70,962 new domain names registered in the last 24 hours (www.domaintools.com/internet-statistics). What's going to make your new site stand out among the rest?
Many of you are thinking of one acronym: SEO. While SEO will increase organic traffic (and by any means should not be skipped!), it should not be your only resource when marketing your site. In fact, Dave doesn't even mention SEO at all! He says "Go where your customers are".
While many of us can find exactly what we need by spending 5 minutes on Google, we often underestimate the power of face-to-face marketing. To get the best results from your web marketing, you have got to actually go out and talk about your business, and give your prospects a reason to go check out your site (I will be covering more tips on that in a later blog). This could be done in tradeshows, networking groups, leads exchange, Chamber of Commerce meetings, etc.
Do you guru?
Dave mentioned another idea for the sculptor to find resources like architects, or decorators who work for rich people. This barely scratches the surface of what my good friend Anthony from Stepping Stone Solutions likes to call "Guru Partners". A Guru Partner is usually not a direct buyer of your product, but their customers are! This would be like a dentist referring their patient to an orthodontist, or a bookkeeper referring a CPA. Who would be a Guru Partner for you? Maybe you should go meet them!
The bottom line
If you are good at what you do (and can show it), your work doesn't disappear, but it does become less difficult. There is no one shot, "set it & forget it" magic potion to gain more customers in a services related industry. All methods are important, and should work together in harmony.
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