The Small Business Owner’s Advantage

Competition is getting more and more fierce.

If you are a retailer, especially a smaller chain or independent operator, the deck is stacked against you.

Malls are filled with international, cookie-cutter stores. They have multiple locations, marketing departments, technology budgets and “omni-channel strategies”.

And what do you have? Not enough hours in a day. Municipal construction in front of your doors, B mall landlords who don’t want to invest, and very little experience marketing or promoting your business.

Sound dire? We certainly hope not! Because challenges bring opportunities. And here’s what we see.

You have an intimate knowledge of your clients’ likes and wants, which is based partly on instinct, experience and an understanding that there are clients out there who need to have a say and who appreciate that you listen to them.
Given this, think about how you should grow sales. The simple answer is that you need to get more people to come in the door to experience your difference firsthand.

To drive them to your door, it’s important to have a basic understanding that, right now, there is a segment of the population who are searching online for what you are selling. People want what you sell, they want it soon, and they’re searching for you, whether you realize it or not! The question is: Can they find you?

Take these steps to ensure that they do:

  • Claim your business with as many search engines and review sites as you can. Once claimed, you can control how you are seen and how you are found by searchers.
  • Encourage existing customers to post online reviews if they have had a great experience
  • Monitor what people are saying online about you and respond with concern to any negative comments
  • Collect email addresses and market directly to your satisfied clients.

There are tools out there that cost very little in the grand scheme of things, but add a lot of bang for the buck when it comes to claiming listings and building positive reviews. Investing in these tools allows you to stay relevant. And it keeps you doing what you do best – running your business and getting to know your customers!

QuickBooks Connect Toronto, Here We Come!

The phone call came last Thursday, when @IntuitBry called with an invitation to speak  at the Intuit QuickBooks Connect conference in Toronto. The event is coming up in early December and we couldn’t be more excited to lend our expertise to the small business leaders and accountants in attendance. Intuit has asked us to share our expertise in local listing management and online review strategies.

QuickBooks Connect provides small business owners and accountants with an opportunity to learn, connect and be inspired to grow their businesses through breakout sessions and keynote presentations. Breakout sessions are led by industry experts and participants will have the chance to get real world advice and connect with peers.

10|20 Marketing’s Presentation Abstract

How to Improve the Odds of Attracting Small Business Clients Online
Where can an small business owner, be it an accounting practice, individual accountant or retailer, get the most value for their dollar online? What are some of the easy-to-use tools available to them that don’t require too much of their time? What should they know about these low-hanging fruit solutions that will help drive business to their doors, keep them relevant in a digitally changing world and help them build online relationships?

Also, we’ll examine which metrics they should look at to prove that their investment is bringing a return. This presentation will look at these challenges, provide solutions and outline which tools can be used to achieve these goals. We’ll look at Google My Business, relevant review sites, and platforms designed to drive phone calls, website visits and walk-ins to their locations, in addition to the metrics that make the effort worthwhile.

Let us know if you’re going to be there and we’ll be happy to set up some time while we’re in Toronto. QuickBooks Connect is taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre December 4 – 6, 2017. Hope to see you there!

Small businesses should heed big businessman Jack Ma’s advice

Search for “Jack Ma Advice” on Google and there are no shortage of search results to choose from. Jack Ma is the founder of Alibaba and one of the richest men in China. He’s often asked for tips on long-term business success and he isn’t shy to share his thoughts. If you’re a small business owner, though, pay attention to his pointers. Even though Ma leads a huge corporation, his lessons are very relevant to businesses of all sizes.

What are the tips we like best?

  1. People need to trust you
  2. Forget the competition, focus on your customers
  3. Take all competitors seriously
  4. Lead with vision, tenacity, and grit
  5. Don’t look back, just keep going

How Jack Ma’s Tips Relate To Your Business

Let’s look at how each tip relates to your small business, with a focus on location marketing and becoming the best option for people looking for what you provide.

1) People Need To Trust You

Having a strategy to monitor and respond to customer praise or criticism from online reviews is a critical element of doing business in today’s online world. People trust people like themselves and companies that stand behind what they do. Your clients do not expect perfection. They expect an honest and sincere effort to provide the best service and, when you fall short, they expect honest effort to apologize and repair the wrong. Have a strategy to encourage positive reviews and respond to the negative ones.

2) Focus On Your Customers

You have a choice. You can either spend time worrying about giant internet shopping sites that are certainly a factor. But while you’re worrying about them, your competitors will be happy to serve the customers near you that are looking for exactly what you sell. That’s why you need to optimize your ability to be found on search engines and maps. Control how you appear, don’t leave it up to an algorithm.

3) Take All Competitors Seriously

The likelihood that your customers are considering your competitor is real. And the closer they are to you, the more true that is. Any edge you can gain over your competition can be the difference between making a sale or being passed over. So make sure that you’re indexed and making it easy to found by local searchers. How you optimize your listing and solicit positive reviews matters when it comes to converting online searches to on-site traffic.

4) Lead With Vision, Tenacity, And Grit

Be the small business owner that is known for experimenting, trying new things and asking for customer feedback. Truly listen to what your customers have to say. Ask them for their feedback. Be available in person, by email, via text or online on review sites and let them know you’re there and truly listening. The effort you put into showing leadership to your clients and the example you set for your employees cannot be understated. But in the effort and you’ll be rewarded for it over the long term.

5) Don’t Look Back/Keep Moving

Marketing is all about learning, adjusting and evolving. Every step you take should be tied to a measureable objective, so you can gauge your performance along the path to your goal. Something not working? Make a change. Something working well? Build on it. Be flexible and allow yourself room to make adjustments. Move forward while learning from your past actions.

As a small business owner, what are some tips that you can share with others? What are some of the things you’ve done that have worked for you? Share your answers with us below in the comments!