Set Goals

I don’t know how many times I’ve read or heard the phrase “set goals for yourself”.  Most people shrug it off, but if you are going to run a business you can’t afford to.  One of the most important things you will do is set goals for your business.  Start simple, goal number one should be your start date.  Sounds easy and it may be, but keep setting goals and they will get harder and harder to reach, the satisfaction and profits will be well worth the effort.

 A System

One major thing small business owners forget to do or get so busy they forget they did it, is implement a system.  Many small business owners, even big business owners don’t have a business or accounting degree.  What they have is determination and that’s great, but if that determination doesn’t have a goal or a road to follow on the pursuit of that goal, then it’s wasted.  Get a system in place, stick to it and keep track of what you’ve accomplished.  If you’ve set the goals this is the map of how to reach them.

 Partner with a non-profit

Locate a local non profit in your area, for example find your local Breast Cancer awareness group and ask what kind of events they have going on in your area.  Depending on your business you could increase sales by offering up a pledge for certain items sold, this not only raises money for the cause it also gets more people through the door.  It’s never a bad thing to be socially conscious or donate to a cause.

 Press Releases

Send a press release to your local newspaper about special events, business news or anything exciting you have planned.  Starting with a grand opening or even a re-grand opening, don’t stop there, keep going with employees of the month, anniversaries, sales or new products.  Your community won’t know what you’re up to unless you tell them.

Website

The internet has put small businesses on the map, saved many from ruin and it can help you too.  Create a dynamic and informative website, put your products online, hit the free advertising sites and springboard into the world wide web.  Get on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and the dozens more networking sites out there.  With the potential to reach millions versus hundreds, creating a website is a no-brainer.

Gift Baskets

This is the most popular gift to give because you can give a basket for anything from traditional fruit and cheese collections to more unique items such as  an electronic lovers basket.  If you know what your client’s tastes are, you can easily create a themed basket that will impress!

Food

Another very popular item to give as a gift is food, especially around the holidays. From cookies to fruit to chocolate food one of those gifts that makes everyone happy. Keep in mind if you are sending food to a client and you are planning it to be a gift for the whole office you will need to make certain you order enough for the whole crew to enjoy.

Business Related Gifts

These types of gifts don’t have to be stuffy. There are many unique and useful gifts to give clients that they will use everyday, well past the holiday season. Findagift.com has many items such as the pop up business card box with a frame to handheld organizers and personal data orginzers.

Keep in mind there are a few gifts that you should avoid when sending business gifts. It’s a good idea to avoid religious type gifts, religion is a sensitive topic and you don’t want to offend your clients. Alcohol is another gift that should be avoided unless you have a personal relationship with the recipient and are certain of his or her tastes. Some people do not drink alcohol for a variety of reasons and you don’t want to offend.