Put A Face To The Name! Your Face, Your Name!

Do you want to grow your business? After answering "Yes," the next question to ask is "How?" Such a simple question should have a simple answer: Advertise more! Just do it! Add water! Yeah right. You and I know that business isn't like a Chia Pet that sprouts green with the slightest whiff of attention. Oh, if only! Can you imagine how easy that would be? We'd all spend half our time on vacation sipping mai tais and the other half planning where to go next. All you'd need to manage things while you're away is a trusty plant sitter.

Well, I doubt your life is like that. In reality, you might not remember the last time you took a vacation. If that sounds like you, I may not be able to get you to the Bahamas, but I can try to help your efforts pay off in a tangible, "Hey, I grew my business this year!" kind of way. And maybe you can at least find time to get to happy hour for a mai tai or two.

You already own your brand, so really own it!

I'm sure you've read plenty of articles and lists of "To Dos" that tell you how to grow your business. So I'm going to focus on just a few tips that I happen to like. If you're an entrepreneur and the proprietor of your own small business, you've got something going for you that big biz doesn't have: You! Unique, fabulous, creative you. So why not put yourself out there and use "You" to market your business? Be the face behind — or in front of — your company.

Very likely your customers already know who you are, even if it's just your name or your voice on the phone. So take it a step further and put a face and some personality to the name. You don't need to look like a model (even though I'm sure you do), you just need to look like you! This way your customers can develop a stronger connection to your business because they like and can relate to you. Even with your model good looks, you'll seem very relatable if they know you. When you own a small business, your brand is closely tied to you. So don't be shy! Go ahead and own it — you already own it! — and be part of the brand!

DON'T be shy! DO put yourself out there!

What other tips do I like when it comes to helping a small business grow? You should have a niche for yourself. Evaluate your product or service and see how it fits into the market. What sets you apart? Is your offering unique? Can you give more personalized, more attentive service? A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about finding your niche... take a look here if you want to see that. Also, it helps if you know your customers and what they're looking for. (Check out my blog from December for more on that!) Once you have a good understanding about your customers, what they want and how you can deliver it in a unique way, you can really take on the job of putting yourself out there in order to grow your business! Like I did with that orange wig. I look so relatable, don't I?

Not too long ago, I said that owning a business means the work never ends! Ain't that the truth? I bet your to-do list is a mile long! Make sure that the items at the top of your list are the things that relate to being more profitable. Everyone is so proud of being so "busy"...But Are You Making Any Money? Don't be too busy to focus! And don't be too proud to put yourself out there when you're marketing your business!

Be Oh So Quotable This Week!

This week, we've got a roundup of quotes from some of my favorite authors to help you focus on how to grow your business. Take a look at tips from #TheHiveLA host Sean Low and 57 Fascinating Business Facts That Will Blow Your Mind from BuzzFeed News. Also, check out Stats & Curiosities from Harvard Business Review. As I often am, I was online looking for inspirational business quotes when I stumbled upon (ha!) OneMinuteList.com via StumbleUpon.com. What I love so much about this site, also aptly named, is that it really takes one minute to read their posts... and you'll learn some great information for business strategy or cocktail conversation! Over the past few weeks I've been sharing quotes from their post, 18 Most Powerful Quotes, to hopefully inspire you to keep going in your business.

Check out the summary of last week's business tips and motivational quotes from my Instagram page which you hopefully got to see in real time! If not, let's make sure we're following each other on Instagram!! So...here is this week's roundup of Instagram images of My Top Business Tips and Motivational Quotes.

Grow Your Business – Tip #1:

Love this? Pin it to your Quotes Board.

"Get real with yourself, do what it takes or move on."

Grow Your Business – Tip #2:

Love this? Pin it to your Motivation Board.

"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." – Joshua J. Marine

Grow Your Business – Tip #3:

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"The 'Mayfair' filter in Instagram generates the most likes."

Grow Your Business – Tip #4:

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"When the rule is — Pay what you want — almost everyone pays... only .5% opted to not pay!"  That means that most people are basically honest and don't think they should get something for nothing.

Grow Your Business – Tip #5:

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"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it." – Mary Engelbreit

What have you done to grow your business? I want YOUR stories on how you used "you" to market your brand!

I'm sure you have stories to tell about the different things you've tried to grow your business. Which tips above did you find helpful? I would LOVE to hear from you!

Anyhoo...I publish these business tips and motivational quotes to get you fired up for your work week! And, if you want more business tips, get my book, But Are You Making Any Money? or contact me to really take your business to the next level!

xoxo M

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