Subscribe to NewsSmall Business Development Centers through the SBA
Centers are supported through the SBA and locations are throughout the United States including 6 lead offices in California. They offer free or low cost training and consulting services for your small business. Go to their website here.
Hello Betsy and Rene,
This is a great service. I have to admit that I have a low attention span–I am always flipping from one website to the next and don’t have the patience to read a fluffy article or listen to a long podcast only to realize that the writer only has one point to get across. I want the “takeaway” right away. Thanks for offering truly useful advice in such a short time.
As someone who is in the beginning stages of starting her own business, I am particularly thankful for tidbits like this one…sometimes I am so focused on developing the service I plan on providing that I forget that it is useless without the clients who need that service.
Thanks from Berlin, Germany,
Susan B.
Dear Susan,
So good to hear from you and we are glad that our short bursts are providing you with worthwhile information. You are absolutely right that keeping the customer in mind is very important. One of the techniques we use is creating one or two personaes. These are prototypes of who you see your customer as. They are descriptions of their mindset, the lifestyle, their needs so you can keep their perspective in mind as you develop your service. It is usually better to have more than one because you typically have different kinds of segments that you attract to your company. One may be more price conscious, the other one may be more interested in quality, timing or aesthetics - but it is always a good idea to have these people visualized as part of your life so you can keep their needs in your head. Good luck with the business. Keep us apprised.
- Renee