James Doan - Just Minding My Own Business

You are ready to grow your own business. But have you given any thought to what the future holds for small businesses? Taking a step into the unknown can be a daunting challenge. If you are ready to seize the opportunity, the possibilities are wide open. There are some entrepreneurs who worry about the cost of setting up their business. I see the cost of starting and running a small business declining. Smaller, lighter and smarter systems, components, and manufacturing methods are being developed.  Should we fear that intelligent machines will replace people to do much of the work? On the positive side of the equation, people in partnership with those machines will be able to do more work. What will happen to workers who become redundant? What happens to the companies that depend on the purchasing power of those workers?

I came across a promotional page of a new company recently. The six-line, bold-text heading featured all words capitalized (including the word “and”), followed by a video of a woman asking forceful questions in a hard-edged voice using large gestures. Her behaviour sounded aggressive, manipulative, and insincere. These characteristics were not related to her content, only to her manner. I recently came across some still images of a middle-aged woman in meditative poses outdoors in a garden. The content was presented under subdued headings, accompanied by a muted colour scheme and plenty of white space. An air of calm, harmony, and peace prevailed.

Nobody wants to get scammed. When people visit you online for the first time, reassure them. Remove their worries about the unknown. Provide as many of the following confidence-building signals as you can. Correct English. Studies show that typos and grammatical errors inspire suspicion.  Spellcheck and proofread everything. Functionality. All your bells and whistles need to work. Company background. People want to know who you are, how long you've been at it, your credentials or track record. Photos help, too.

Nearly everyone likes to get the inside story, the backstage tour, a peek behind the curtain—coming face to face with the unvarnished real deal in some sphere of life that deeply engages them.  So get thinking about how you can offer something along those lines t =o your best customers. This works best not as something that can be bought, nor as something that's free for all, but rather as a privilege for your highest-spending clients. It might consist of lunch with you at your industry's annual trade show.  Or a conference call in which you answer detailed questions about how you became successful.  Or stuff you share from your private archives.  When you choose well, your perk has a value beyond money.