5 Most Frightening Sins of a Small Business Entrepreneur

Posted by Hersh Bhardwaj in Start-Ups | 3 comments

Image courtesy tim Ellis from Flickr

If you have a brand new business sprouting as we speak, you need to pay attention here. Or may be you already own a small business in its nascent nervy stage. In either scenario you require a solid plan to reach your target customer. And you need it fast. Well, this article is not about giving you a marketing plan. This is to tell you what 5 mistakes to avoid that’ll make you look tiny. Not just with your business size but with your output capability.

As a small business you can’t afford to loose a million dollar in market research or focus groups to find out what might work for you. But I can tell you right away what will not work. Let’s find out what to avoid in your initial marketing and advertising.

1. Acting Small- ‘One Man Band Show’

A cardinal sin that you can commit while promoting your business brand is to act small. You dn’t want to be perceived as a hapless one-man-show business. Trust me. Of course, you really might be a humble start-up but the Internet provides you a level playing field with the big guys. So, why not go out, get a neat website, find some multiple-id corporate email ids, get a toll-free no.(if you really can’t afford an epabx, get an online switchboard service), and open the shutter to public with a bang. Don’t make it blatantly obvious that you are a one-man/woman band. Find ways of being bigger- not small.

2. Underselling- ‘Pay Us Whatever You Want’

Yes, you are just starting out. Every penny matters and you might have rising bills. Granted. Undercutting a competitor by reducing prices can be a smart business strategy, but simply trying to survive by taking whatever you get- is a disaster signal. Remember, price is an important element of your marketing-mix, please do not abuse it. ‘Better-value’ can be a unique proposition, but ‘cheap-product’ is a self-defamation of your brand..

3. Boasting- ‘We are The Best’

Do you have honest references and genuine testimonials to prove your credibility? Do you make it visible straightaway on your home page or company leaflet? If not, then whatever you will say in support of your product and services will sound like an over-hyped sales pitch. So please be careful. Your sales page might be boasting beyond your customer’s logic. Give them a chance to use your services/products and come to their own conclusions. Boldly stating in superlatives about any aspect of your business is a wrong move, unless you can actually prove it with facts.

4. Blabbering Online- ‘Bill Gates Sucks’

If you have a business to run, you have a reputation to guard. Yours as a responsible brand owner, and, that of your business. Blabbering on online forums, passing sleazy chain-emails, or, commenting rudely on blogs will find its way to your Google resume. Sooner or later. Watch what you do online. Big brother is indeed watching you.

5. Freeby-Mania- ‘Free Web Design By’

It’s commonplace for new small business owners to be on the lookout for free stuff. Not bad. As long as, it reduces the costs and provides added productivity. Beware of too many free links in your website, or, email newsletters. Maybe that presentation you prepared with that free software (which left a ’sample’ watermark) can find its way to your clients.

I hope these tips will help you guard against small pitfalls you can make in a bid to quickly promote your business. These are all common-sense issues. Make a habit of avoiding them once will help you throughout your entrepreneurial career.

Please feel free to add to these tips. If you are an entrepreneur, it would be helpful to hear what things you regret having done in the early stages of your business.