It’s #MicroBizMattersDay! Start-ups are being encouraged to spend at least 9 minutes of their time to support and celebrate micro-businesses in the UK.
Micro-businesses are start-ups with fewer than 9 employees. According to #MicroBizMattersDay organisers, the Enterprise Rockers, 95% of all UK businesses are micro-enterprises.
We’ll be supporting micro-businesses throughout the day on Twitter. In the meantime, spend 9 minutes reading this blog post of advice for businesses of all sizes - and share it with a micro-business you know.
Tips for Micro-Businesses
- Become an expert. If you know your stuff, become an expert – it’s easier than you think: Guest post on other business’s blogs, speak at events, write an eBook. More ways to connect with customers.
- Keep score. Keep on top of your micro-business performance - your cashflow, your webstats. How well are you doing? And where is there room for improvement? If you are starting from scratch, get in touch with Johnny Martin - 'The Numbers Coach' who breaks it down and makes things simple! http://www.johnnymartin.co.uk/
- Invest in the right tech. Your micro-business can compete with businesses of any size with the right technology – and the ‘cloud’ makes it affordable, flexible and scalable. Read our blog on how to try before you buy or Take a free trial of Office 365 Premium here.
- Ask for testimonials. If you’ve done a good job, let others know about it! Ask your existing customers for feedback and whether they’d mind you using a quote on your website
- Get out there. Spend some time checking out events that are relevant to your work – whether that’s an industry that compliments yours, experts that can help you, or peers you can exchange notes and contacts with. Meet other micro-businesses at the next SMB Mini Summit.
- Collaborate with other micro-businesses. Nowadays, technology makes it possible to work together without having to meet up, but doing so adds context to your work and can be a good
compatibility check. - Tell us about yourself. The ‘About us’ page is one of the most important pages on your website. If you don’t have one, spend a few minutes today writing one! People like to know they’re dealing with a micro-business. Intro yourself to our
community of SMBs and we will give you feedback on your ‘About us’ if you ask for it. - Get into ‘engagement marketing’. Engagement Marketing means connecting with your customers to keep them coming back to you, and spreading the word about your work. Learn more about ‘engagement marketing’.
- Take a break. Running a micro-business is hard work! Sometimes the best advice is to take a step back and re-ignite your passion for your business. A mentor could be useful for your business too.
Happy #MicroBizMattersDay! Find out how you can win a £10,000 tech makeover for your small business here.