My 5 top tips for today’s small business owners
I’ve been part of a BNI networking group in London for a couple of years now. It’s a great way to meet new people, expand my professional contacts and learn new things about running a small business.
Each week, a different member takes a turn at presenting their work and services, giving others the opportunity to ask questions and potentially refer on new clients and contacts.
Last week it was my turn, and in my presentation, I shared 5 tips that have helped my small business not only survive but thrive during what has been a challenging 18 months or so for us all.
In these times of great change, I think it’s so important to learn from each other’s experience and share what works: these 5 tips are easy to apply, highly practical and suitable for any industry – I hope you find them useful!
1 - Personalise and localise
Being authentically interested in our client stories and journeys means we can offer a more informed and personalised service. Taking time to connect with clients on a human level means they’re more likely to feel seen and heard, so they’ll be much more likely to recommend you to others. For me, this means offering free Zoom meetings or phone calls both before and after a survey to go through the report and answer any questions clients may have: not many surveyors do this, so it has become my USP.
I’ve also recently started publishing free guides to the areas I work in: it’s been a fun way to start conversations and deepen existing relationships in the local community, and I have even included quotes from local business owners. I not only use these guides on my website and in social media, but send them to local estate agents and mortgage brokers who give them out to potential buyers, which has also helped increase my visibility locally.
2 - Create media opportunities
This year, I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to participate in a range of media opportunities, including a feature in Property Week magazine, speaking on an episode of The Surveyor Hub podcast, and co-producing a case study for Property Elite. These opportunities have enabled me to gain industry credibility, access new opportunities, and increase my visibility, reach and networks. Whatever your industry, there are always media opportunities to be found – it may take a bit of research, networking and relationship building, but my experience is that the effort and energy you put in tends to come back to you with wide-ranging benefits for your business.
3 - Get ongoing mentoring and supervision
Having an industry mentor can be an invaluable resource to help guide your business strategy – especially if you’re a one-person band like me. In recent years, I’ve been lucky to mentor with both Brian Robinson, a RICS assessor and retired building surveyor, and Marion Ellis, an experienced surveyor and founder of The Surveyor Hub podcast. Mentoring has enabled me to ask important questions and have them answered by industry leaders, refine and develop my business direction and strategy, and get outside my comfort zone and grow. So if you’ve got a respected colleague or industry leader in mind, why not reach out and ask if they’d be interested in mentoring you? Having a critical ally and industry mentor is an often underrated, but highly effective way to help your small business evolve and thrive.
