Is your business like a hamster?

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

An insane business. Do you have one? Do you find yourself doing the same things over and over again to get more clients and customers? Our business is sometimes similar to that silly, little hamster on the spinning wheel of death. Spinning, spinning and getting nowhere. If our business is a smart hamster, we'd get off that wheel and build those crazy neon tubes instead. Those tubes carry us hamsters to all kinds of places. Places of new opportunity, expanding beyond our cage and leaving that wheel behind. It's time to make a resolution. Be a smart hamster, get off the wheel and start building those business tubes that lead to greater opportunities. Here are five steps to get started:

1) Niche markets. Understand your niche market. What do they like? What do they read? Buy? Where do they eat? Research the businesses who aren't only attracting your niche market but are doing great with retaining that market. Emulate some of the practices these businesses have put in place.

2) Event Marketing. Building on rule number one, market in person to your niche group. Get out there in the community and network. Allow the event to give you a platform for recognition and relationship building. Associate your company with an event that best represents the culture and face of your business.

3)Blogs. There has never been an easier way to find out what the marketplace is thinking about you, your company and your products! There are three different ways to use blogs: monitoring what people say, participating in those conversations by commenting on those blogs and shaping those conversations by creating and writing your own blog. We will touch more on blogs in the next post.

4)Network. Your netWORTH is your network. We all know the saying, "It's all about who you know." This is true to a point. Yes, it is great to meet people, but nothing will move forward without taking the initiative and following-up. It doesn't become a netWORTH until a relationship is formed. Begin forming the relationship with the follow-up.

5)Service. Never except bad service. Poor service to a customer is a reflection of you, your company and your credibility. Deliver what you said you were going to, when you said you were going to, how you said you were going to. Your customers are your best advertisers. Keep them happy and they will bring their friends.


From one smart hamster to another, get going on these five tips for your business's resolution. Leave your hamster wheel back with 2009. Break out those neon red tubes and start building new opportunities for your business.