Small businesses main problem? They need more customers.

By:W. Dave Free

In September of 2005 our company sponsored a survey of small businesses in the service areas. The purpose of the survey was to ask the business owners, many of them franchise owners, what their significant business hurdles were. The key areas of the survey were customers, growth, technology and research, and employees. You can see the complete results at http://seedsofgrowth.com/service-business-owner-survey-results-fall-2005.

There are many things to be learned by studying the results that you can see here, and I hope you'll find them interesting and helpful. It will probably come as no surprise that the common problems facing service businesses are:

1. Finding new customers does not occur fast enough

2. Growth of revenue is also not as fast as desired

3. Cutting through the advertising chaos to reach customers is difficult

4. The internet is providing little benefit to small businesses

5. Issues regarding costs and working capital are also significant.

No real surprises but it does highlight the need that small business owners have to gain new customers and get the ones they have to purchase more often. Doesn't that solve most, if not all, of the issues they identified?

The question is how to do it. Our suggestion?

The internet provides a powerful tool for communication and advertising that small business and franchise owners aren't using enough or effectively for marketing. It's called "internet marketing" or "online marketing" and it can include "email marketing". It's likely that small business owners don't know how to use internet marketing as the internet is seen as a big nebulus thing with no tie to location and most small businesses are tied to one location.

The business principles we espouse, regardless of the vehicle used to enact them, are:

1. Making our businesses remarkable by taking great care of customers

2. Listening to and acting on what they have to tell us

3. Giving them a megaphone to tell their friends and colleagues.

It's a simple formula for success and it works. The internet provides a very inexpensive and effective means of doing so when you use the right software tools that work automatically so that they don't require your valuable time. Check out PromoterZ at http://www.promoterz.com.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: small business, franchise, customer, grow business, customer relationship, internet marketing, email marketing

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Dave Free is president of Zeryn, makers of PromoterZ(tm) (promoterz.com), a customer care system for small business growth. Mr. Free received an MBA from BYU and has worked as an Intel executive domestically and internationally, at a Washington think tank, and entrepreneur.

Top Small Business Articles
1). Taking Business Phone for Granted By : Kingston Amadan Located in Manhattan, my company occupies a small space in the basement of a upper east side brownstone. Because the space is so limited, we store our servers and phone equipment in the boiler room. I know what you're thinking, and you're absolutely right. It's not a good idea to put your most expensive equipment in a tiny room that feels like the foyer to hell.
2). Categorizing Business Plans According To Types By : David Gass Lists the different types of business plans and stresses the importance of planning.
3). Small businesses main problem? They need more customers. By : W. Dave Free In September of 2005 our company sponsored a survey of small businesses in the service areas. The purpose of the survey was to ask the business owners, many of them franchise owners, what their significant business hurdles were. The key areas of the survey were customers, growth, technology and research, and employees. You can see the complete results at http://seedsofgrowth.
4). Preparing Your Business for a Bird Flu Pandemic By : Bird Flu How would your business operate if half your work force were out sick? Would your business continue to function if several of your top key employees died? How many employees are cross-trained in other positions? A recent study showed the threat that most preoccupies the world's business leaders is a global influenza pandemic. This is why you need to start asking these questions now so your business can be prepared for a possible bird flu pandemic.
5). Phone Sales not Ready to Yeild to the Internet By : Kingston Amadan There is no question that the internet has revolutionized business. Many people are not only paying their bills online, but also ordering products and services at an ever expanding rate as well. Businesses with a web presence have opened themselves up to new market where many consumers take advantage of the ease of shopping from pages visually no different from a catalog.
6). Small Business Computer Consulting: Additional Qualifications for the Sweet Spot By : Joshua Feinberg To find the ideal clientele for your small business computer consulting, you want to target small businesses by their number of PC's, (10 to 50) as well as their revenue. Generally, companies that have anywhere from 1 million to 10 million in revenue are the sweet spot of small business computer consulting. In this article, you'll learn why you should target this type of business.
7). Small Business Strategies - Four Critical Success Factors By : Leanne Hoagland-Smith With many companies being small businesses, understanding what takes your company to the next level is critical. These Four Success Factors will help you gain that advantage.
8). 4 times your account is in trouble!!!!! By : Jack Chevalier 4 times your account is in trouble!!!!!
9). New Vending Machines – Where And How To Buy Them By : Peter Crump When you purchase new vending machines, you are getting the latest models with all the bells and whistles that make them attractive to customers. However, you do have to look for the cheapest prices so that you can save as much money as possible in the investment of getting started in the vending machine business. This is one of the businesses that is easy to get started with and you can determine the type and number of vending machines you do want to start with.
10). Interview with a Vampire - The High Cost of Recruitment to the SBO By : Dana Wallert Many small business owners and entrepreneurs don’t anticipate how much the actual hiring process can cost them in both cash and time. It can really suck them dry of their resources!

New Small Business Articles
1). Make Your Extra Cash Walking Dogs By : james lowe Here is a creative income venture for you if you like dogs
2). How to Choose a Watch Wholesaler By : Dustin Cannon Choosing a watch wholesaler is not quite as easy as it may sound. Sure, you could just find a company that offers this service and get started. But do you really want to take the chance of getting mixed up with the wrong people?
3). Get the Most Out of Tradeshows By : Shannon Cherry Learn how to make your tradeshows the most successful.
4). Things You Should Know Before You Attempt to Work From Home By : Ray Mann The idea of working from home has often been on the minds of many people today find how
5). Reasons Why Home Businesses Fail By : Terence Young The decision to start a home business can often be one of excitement and promise. There are many reasons why people start a home based business but to fail is not one of them.5 Reasons Why Home Businesses Fail
6). How To Turn Competitors Into Allies By : David Gass Gives strategies for turning potential competitors into allies, who can help you grow your business
7). 4 Things to Avoid When Marketing Your Small Business By : John Edmond Opening a new business is fraught with difficulty, not the least of which is just keeping up with 1001 things that need to be done. This article explains why marketing your small business should be of the highest priority.
8). Buying Your First Company By : Dave Kauppi This article gives some helpful hints on how to approach your first business acquisition as an individual investor.
9). Understanding The Need For Small Publishing Companies By : David Gass Explains the need for small presses in order to fill special niches in the publishing market.
10). How To Get Your Website Indexed In MSN For Free In Just 24 Hours By : Karin Manning There are many inexpensive and even free methods to get indexed in search engines almost immediately. This is great news for small businesses looking for affordable seo techniques. Today I am going to focus on the search engine MSN.