Preparing your Small Business for Growth

Your business is busy trying to deliver a solution while standing out in a crowded marketplace and keeping up with developments in your industry -- it can be exhausting. Things like your brand can sometimes get lost in the happy-to-have but crazy commotion that is growth. 

Here are a few tips for staying on track while your business is making moves: 

Set distinct goals. To improve and maintain traction in the marketplace you must set goals. An easy starting point: write down your business objective and then break down how this objective will be met. Make your business goals clear and definitive and most importantly, relevant. Establish who is responsible for meeting each aspect of the objective as well as a timeline, so that everyone is held accountable as your business evolves. As time and circumstances allow, employ analytical tools to evaluate what’s working and what needs tweaking. 

Understand your market. In order for a business to grow, doing your due diligence with market research is a must. It helps you understand your industry, competition and target customers. To start, conduct an internet search using trustworthy and credible sources. For more tailored results, connect with your customers through surveys, q&a's and focus groups. Once you have a stronger understanding of the customers who make up your demographic, reach out to them regularly via a blog or email newsletter. Interact with them on social media and most importantly, listen. Encourage your customers to give you feedback and embrace it as a way to celebrate and/or improve your business endeavors. 

Be the brand. Ensure your employees are educated -- and receive continued education -- on the business’s key points and purpose. You and your team are the best branding tools imaginable. Take advantage of this and empower your colleagues to bring the brand to life. They can communicate about your brand confidently and accurately while your business evolves. Developing an elevator pitch is a great way to give an employee a springboard for how they present themselves and represent your business in the community. 

Anticipate change. Change will happen. Be thoughtful of your core principles while you do your best to roll with the punches. You’ve made an investment and it’s important not to allow it to be lost in a changing marketplace. Staying true to your point of view will allow you to further strengthen relationships with your existing community while at the same time earning the trust of prospective clients. 

Are you a rising new business less than a year old? Apply to become a New Business Sponsor. The program will arm you with the tools you need to keep up with your business’s growth. Is your business more established? Get Accredited with BBB as part of your formula for success.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

4th of July: What's Happening in Your Town

It's one of the most anticipated holidays on the calendar -- one that for many signifies the official start of Summer -- the 4th of July! 

Check out the festivities taking place in and around your community over the weekend.

4th of July Events

• Cape and the Islands
• Massachusetts by town and date
• Maine by town
• Rhode Island by town
• Vermont by date

Much of New England will continue to celebrate all month long. 

Our Marketing and Communications team curated a patriotic playlist. Just press play for your soundtrack! 

4th of July 2015 from sbenz-92968 on 8tracks Radio.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

-- Amy, Cate, Jaime, Lisa, Paula, Rachel, Steph and Taylor

Networking for your New Business

Starting and growing a new business can be daunting. It's important to have a strong network you can rely on for help. Building a network can lead to more success down the road, so it is essential that you understand why it's important and how to accomplish this.

Networking brings your business to the forefront of the competition and helps secure potential clients. The more people you meet, the more chances you have to educate them about your business. New customers can learn what you do and what makes your business unique. Existing customers can learn about new products and services, and why they should stick with you and ultimately recommend you to friends. People will be more likely to select your business, if they feel they know you, or have received a recommendation from someone they trust.

Now that you understand why it is important to grow your network, here are a few ways to accomplish this goal:

Be Present Online – Have a strong social media presence on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Google+. Writing blogs can also be a great way to get your mission across. You can get to know other companies in your field by following their posts. The more you know about your community and competition, the better you will be at anticipating needs.

Attend Events - Plan to regularly attend networking events both in and out of your field. You never know where or when you may meet a potential investor, colleague, or future client. Meet-ups like happy hours, workshops and conferences are great ways to speak casually about your business and make connections with interested parties.

Be Organized – People don’t have a lot of time on their hands, so make sure you know exactly what you want your message to be and how you will stand out from the competition. What makes you different and why should a client pick you over someone else? It is also important to know your audience. Someone may be more interested in one aspect of your business over another. Figure these answers out ahead of time so you are ready to network when the opportunity comes.

When in Doubt, Don't Be the Shark - No one likes being on the other end of an aggressive interaction. Whether networking in person or online, there's etiquette worth considering. Most often, networking translates to making a first impression and bad ones can turn into deal breakers down the road. Make an effort to approach people how you'd like to be approached. When face-to-face, try to actively and considerately listen, rather than simply waiting for an opportunity to pitch your message. In an online environment, like LinkedIn, be confident and passionate about your business but genuine. People can sense inauthenticity even from behind a computer. Definitely be creative and most importantly, have patience. Remember, you're in the majority -- the individuals you connect with are most likely in the same boat for their endeavor. If you don't put them on the defense or leave them feeling uncomfortable, you've avoided that shark mentality.

Are you a new business on the rise and less than a year old? The New Business Sponsor Program introduces you to a community of trustworthy businesses.

For more information you can trust, visit us a bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Written by: Adam Koncius, Koncius Digital Marketing