Tips For Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Whether you've just started out in business or taken the first step toward marketing your small business, there's a lot to learn. Whether you've hired a full-time employee or selected a partner you trust to work with to achieve your goals, you need to ensure your investment is good. To get your money's worth, maintain a healthy professional relationship, keep up momentum, and ensure a smooth process, consider the following tips.



1. Communicate your expectations and share the ideas in your head about all aspects of the project. A good partner or employee charged with managing a project will want to know what you expect, will ask questions to draw that out, help you articulate it, and make sure they understand it. Sometimes, however, it helps to be proactive in identifying and communicating what you want-and what you don't. With some introspection and honesty, you can also identify any preconceived ideas you have, especially about budget, costs, and the relationship. Sharing those upfront will allow your marketing person to help you understand what's possible, design a project scope that meets your needs, and ensures a mutually beneficial path.

2. Understand and believe in the value of what the marketing project will accomplish. Without clear, future goals and marketing projects that are investments towards achieving them, you have no way of quantifying success and so every expense can seem like an unnecessary cost. You-and you alone-must be emotionally and financially ready to promote your business or the project is not worthwhile. If your goal is "a more professional image through marketing," you must attach a value to that today. Whatever your goal is, in a best-case scenario, you feel as though you are getting a good deal and your marketing person feels they are being well compensated.

3. Be open to new ideas. The idea that you had regarding your initial project may not be the solution-or the only solution. Sometimes you will have a project in mind-something you believe you need because someone said so, your competition has it, or you read about it somewhere. By looking closely at the aforementioned goals, however, this may or may not be a professional marketer's recommendation based on your target market, product or service offering, channel structure, or any number of variables that they are trained to consider. Start discussions with the problem and you'll have a wider range of potential solutions to choose from that match your budget, your style, and your true needs.

4. Decide how the project will be managed. Most often, a marketing partner or employee was brought on to manage the project. Most of us went into business for ourselves because we are experts in our field. We know how to do something and do it well. If you are hiring a professional marketing person, chances are they can manage the project at hand (and will provide a plan or statement of work to do so) while you focus on doing what you do best. If you need to manage the project directly, however, let your prospective partners know the level of involvement you would like. This will ensure a good fit and an amicable relationship based on clear lines of who's-doing-what-by-when. (In best cases, however, the "how" is best left to your marketer. After all, that is what you're paying for!)

5. Make your project a priority. Once you've started, remain mentally committed to the project and don't lose sight of the goal. Many projects stall and have an impact on the quality of results, not to mention the bottom line. If you get busy and/or do not have the commitment level, fortitude, time, or money to invest in your marketing and/or entrepreneurial efforts appropriately, try to continue on a smaller scale or add resources to the project. For the project to run smoothly, responsiveness from all parties involved and adherence to deadlines should be expected. That said, your marketing person should be making your project a priority as well.

Like most professionals, your marketing person will be best prepared, equipped, and excited to see your project through-and you'll be pleased with the results-if you're able to establish a rapport and follow through on the tips above. When I take on a marketing project, I am just as invested in that company's or individual's success as my own because I realize that they are one and the same. I hope these tips provide food for thought and insight for you when your next project arises.

source : Tracy Diziere - ezinearticles