5 things you're doing that is slowing down your business growth

📌Not doing a proper business research: Starting a business without a clear plan or goal can be daunting, starting with no research can even be worse, make calls, go to the market and do some surveys, check the buying and selling price, buy from your competitors, have a mental picture of where and how you want your business to be, write down strategies, think, don't just jump because others are doing it and they said it's paying. It might seem too much but trust me it's worth it especially if you don't want to keep beating around the bush as a Business owner.

📌 Depending on just your family members and friends to buy from you: there's only little your family and friends can do to make your buisness grow especially if you're concerned with your numbers. Run ads if you can as a newbie, meet new people, get your products to strangers( they make the best customers in the long run).

📌 Spending all of your profits without re-investing into the business: Your buisness is your baby and it only grows till the extent you let it, if possible, do not depend on your buisness for any income at the starting stage, re-invest into getting more customers, into better equipments, into materials to serve more customer base, your buisness is only but a baby and needs to be nurtured at this point.

📌Not balancing the line between acquiring new customers and old customers: it's important to note that while you're chasing new Customers or potential customers, once in a week, call or chat up that old customers, check up on them, build a relationship with them in a way that'll make you the first or only person that comes to their mind when they need a particular product(s).

One last and important bonus
📌Keep to your promises: don't make them feel cheated, deliver on your promise, be truthful and transparent in your dealings, don't be greedy to the point you deceive your customers ( it will totally kill your business in the long run).



#bmc
#thecreator'squest
#contentwriter
#day6

My name is Anita Nathan

I'm m 6.2 feet tall

I'm light skinned and also slim

I'm a Christian and I have an empathetic heart

I love the blue colour so much

And yes I love to write, design and Sing

This is my identity, they tell who I am and if I should use another term, I just described my brand peculiar to me as a human being.

So what does this short illustration tell us about branding and how it applies to you or your business.

Don't fret, let's learn.

Branding is setting up an identity, message, experience and positioning in a way that sets it apart from its competitors while boosting its perception.

Branding involves setting up a name, logos ,fonts, values, mission, unique experience and positioning that communicates their uniqueness.

Branding is like giving your business an identity to make your audience resonate with and to build a connection with your audience, And for you to have a brand that people can connect with, all this below must be checkmated;

✓ Brand identity: this involves your visual elements, for example; logos, Colour, fonts, patterns, packaging , style.

if you want to have an outstanding and lasting brand then intentionality is key, be intentional with the brand identity designer you hire, have an in-depth research and visualise on how you want your brand to be, search your competitors, see what they're doing, work closely with your brand designer to give out every information necessary.
(Branding is an identity and people will judge you based on the perception you give).

✓ Brand message: this involves the values, mission and story it communicates , which translates literally to the character of your brand, are you honest, is your brand youth friendly , what do you aim to achieve by setting up a particular brand, what's the story behind it. That is your brand message

✓ Brand Experience : the unique experience your brand offers when they come in contact with their audience, how do you want them to feel; happy, secured, fulfilled, relaxed etc what is the branding experience you want to curate?

✓ Brand positioning: how do you want your brand to be positioned in respect to your competitors. What's that unique that sets you apart, take opay as an example as opposed to Access bank, they are both financial institutions that help us save money, one is more traditional in approach and positioning while the other is more highly digitalised. So look through your brand; how do you want it to be positioned.

To brand well, intentionality is key, if you go fail to brand well, you brand to fail.


#bmc
#thecreator'squest
#contentwriter
#day5

"Tink tink" a message popped

"Confirmed" Bolaji reassured her customer audu after packing a few sets of groceries.

He was her 18th customer of the day and all she needed was a tink tink sound from her phone followed by an automated call out to know and confirm the amount worth of transfer.

In 6 months of Starting a new business, Bolaji had recorded quite a lot of loyal customers increasing her chances of getting even more sales every business day.

Bolaji had mastered the art of making sales, the psychology involved in the buying process, the right way to negotiate,how to handle objections and even closing higher deals properly.

These alone had helped her triple her profit margin as it also increased her rate of turnovers.

Bolaji couldn't be more proud of herself. At least in 5 years time, if she kept up the pace, she would grow her business into a multi million venture.

Do you see yourself as Bolaji or want to be like Bolaji but have no idea what sales are to begin with.
Let's dive.

As one of my tutors will commonly say "marketing is everything that gets the word out and sales is everything that brings the money in" and so we can say sales is the single act of getting money in exchange for your goods and services. It is the sole purpose of every business owner
But there must be a series of activities as sales is an end product
📍Lead generation: generating leads through targeting your audience and using a magnet to attract them to your funnel and space, after which you indoctrinate them to like and trust you which will get them willing to pay you for your goods and service. An example is using promos or freebies to bring them to you.

📍Sales pitch: here you pitch your business offer, handle their objections and close them(make them pay for your offer), it's important to understand it's necessary to communicate your offer in a way they understand, equally understand how to bargain and negotiate.

📍 Follow up: this is to ensure they have good post sale experience, and in case they have challenges with your product, you can walk them through to experience ease with it, these will not only make your customers happy but will help to build brand loyalty and a chance to be referred by your customers.

Sales do not need to be overly complicated, learn the principles and work with it.


#bmc
#thecreator'squest
#contentwriter
#day4

The importance of personal development cannot be overemphasized in an ever developing world.

A world where success is measured by growth and competition is increasingly getting high.
It's true that almost anybody can be famous for almost anything especially in a media influenced world but relevance can only be sustained by personal development.

So what then is Personal Development?
Personal development is an intentional investment in knowledge, skills and character improvement which in turn improves the quality of our mind and our existence as human beings.
Success can't be achieved overnight, it takes a considerable level of dedication, consistency and commitment to personal development, so in case you meet an Olympic champion, a great public speaker or even your celebrity fashion designer, take time to appreciate the hard work, consistency and commitment towards Personal development.
Personal development is not a sprint, it's a marathon, a decision coupled with discipline to achieve those personal development goals. and in case you might be asking, is it achievable, my answer is a big yes, all you need is a the right mindset, a hunger for growth and the discipline to walk the talk.

Here are measures you can take to start building yourself?

📌Develop a growth mindset : you need to develop the willingness to learn and unlearn, you need to cultivate the right mindset that'll set you apart and plunge you into fulfilling your goals, that's the foundation of Personal Development.

📌 Consume Quality Content: read good books, invest in good courses, watch movies that can improve the way you speak, spend time with high profile individuals, make out time to attend seminars and webinars. Remember you can't give what you don't have, it's purely garbage in and garbage out

📌Invest on your brain: there are certain levels of transformation you might not experience if you don't invest your money on your brain, don't just save to buy clothes, save to buy books, save to access some circle, save to go for that seminar, stretch yourself beyond looking for free things.

📌Get a mentor: a mentor is someone who guides you to achieve your goals and become the best version of yourself, and in getting a mentor, get someone who has same purpose and values as you.

📌Be Disciplined: Setting goals with no action is just a wish, ensure you stay disciplined to your goals, don't just say it, do it, that's when results come.

So here, you have it, don't just improve your looks, improve your brain, strive to be better, listen to people you aim to be like and be intentional in every thing you do.
Thank you.

#bmc
#thecreator'squest
#contentwriter
#day3

Marketing is crucial for any business just as Oxygen is to any human being. A well thought out marketing plan and strategy can lead to massive sales which is in fact the goal of almost every business owner but sadly a lot of businesses are crippled because of lack of good marketing.
According to statistics, about 1 in every 5 businesses close up in at least five years of launch, this could be attributed to mismanagement of capital,low return on investment, lack of customer research and no definite goal or business plan. If we should be very straight to the point, a leading cause is usually a lack of sales and that is in fact the reason why every business owner who's concerned about growth should learn about effective marketing.

So what is marketing?
Marketing is the process of creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging value to meet the needs and wants of customers. It involves understanding your target audience, developing strategies to engage them, and promoting products or services to drive sales and build brand loyalty. Key components of marketing include market research, branding, advertising, public relations, sales, and customer service. The goal is to attract and retain customers while achieving business objectives.
While trying to market, it's important to know and understand your target audience, your customer avartar, the system of demand and supply, possible risk and precautions and a very realistic financial goal or returns on investment.
So what does marketing look like, marketing can be sharing your product benefits on your Facebook page, posting an eye catchy design, running ads to generate leads, a video content showing the amazingness of your service, a one on one advert or even a jolly follow up broadcast. In every of this act, one goal should be clear, building the know, like and trust factor, growing your customer base and even retaining them for future patronage or referrals, so you see marketing is the lifeline of every buisness.

The quality of your product or service matters and so does your marketing too because no one knows a silent expert, you have to let your customers know and be strategic about it.



#bmc
#thecreator'squest
#contentwriter
#day2