Though we live in a modern, fast paced society, spend a lot of time communicating via text message, email and social media, and are extremely pressed for time, there is NO substitute for grace and expressing your appreciation in business. This is especially true when it comes to thanking those individuals who support your business efforts. To honor the relationship and encourage ongoing referrals it's important that you make the time to stay in touch with them and offer a heartfelt thank you.

One of the reasons it can be challenging to do this, despite the best of intentions, is because service professionals are usually not nearly as organized as they should be with their marketing efforts. So, if thanking someone who has referred business to you or otherwise extended a helping hand in growing your business is not on your radar, it's not likely that you'll follow-up as you need to.

In order to develop and maintain these potentially lucrative relationships, it's important that you have systems in place to stay in touch. Here are a few tips on how you can do just that: Read more about 5 Simple Steps to Growing Your Business with Gratitude

Service professionals have to be proactive about finding and acquiring new clients. The marketplace continues to enable normal people like you and me to earn a living AND gives others the opportunity to get the services that they need. Why is that? It is because we can easily access the people who need the solutions that we offer to solve their problems.

I have found various forms of networking to be highly successful strategies to help grow a business [i.e. enroll new clients]. If you want to see the best results with your service business, leverage the following opportunities:     MORE

Small business marketing is not only necessary to your success as an entrepreneur, it's easier than you think. Statistics say your small business has a 1 in 6 chance of survival, but without effective, ongoing marketing, your odds are far less than that. Utilize proven small business marketing strategies that will let you spread the word about your business quickly and get in front of the right people.

Small business marketing can seem like a big task. After all, big corporations have entire departments devoted to nothing other than marketing, so what can you do with a one-woman (or one-man) show? The good news is ...plenty! You can market your small business in a number of ways that will have your phone ringing, inbox filling up and your bank balance growing. One of the keys to success is to build a compelling brand and consistently create awareness for that brand. Read more about Small Business Marketing is Easier Than You Think

If you want to pump up your profits, you have to get clear about exactly what you are offering your customers and offer it to them in a way that is compelling and interesting. The best way to do this is to position yourself as a problem solver for your ideal prospects. If you can solve problems for your clients, you’re going to increase your visibility and keep your pipeline full.

A lot of service professionals focus on the service that they are offering. They label themselves an acupuncturist, a coach, a virtual assistant, a graphic designer, etc. While these may be accurate descriptions of what you do, it’s not what your ideal clients are looking for. Read more about Speak Your Client's Language and Keep Your Pipeline Full

Do you ever wonder why some service providers in your industry seem to have a wildly successful business while you are struggling along just trying to make ends meet? It's not likely that the star players in your industry are any smarter, better educated or better connected than you are. Their success is absolutely tied to their marketing efforts. More specifically their sucess is a direct result of consistent, effective marketing on their part. The same results can be enjoyed in your business, IF you start marketing your solutions consistently. Learn more in today's podcast!

How to Never Run Out of Clients (SSMS Episode 45) [ 7:08 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (112)

To market your business and to do it effectively, you need a marketing plan. Trying to just jump in and implement strategies as they come might seem like a carefree way to handle your marketing, but doing so will never create highly profitable results in your business.

For a marketing plan to create results, the plan must be developed with your specific business goals in mind. You cannot market a graphic design business the same way you market a retail product. For your marketing plan to work for you, it needs to be customized for what you do, who you serve and what you want to accomplish. You also need to avoid the number one biggest mistake you can make in your marketing plan. Read more about The Biggest Mistake in Your Marketing Plan

Feeling overwhelmed with marketing your business?  We've all been there at one time or another.  But you don't have to stay there! Being in a constant state of overwhelm is a choice.  It's a choice one makes partially as a result of a limiting belief that being successful in business is hard and can't be done with grace and ease.  It's also partially a result of poor time management and disorganization.  Whatever may be contributing to your overwhelm, let's get you out of there!

You can’t possibly tackle every aspect of your marketing plan at once. But doing nothing to create awareness about your business is not an option, either. MORE

Do you feel stuck in your business because you don’t have enough money to devote to marketing? While there are great marketing programs out there that are worth an investment, you don’t have to have a huge budget in order to get more clients and generate more revenue. In this week’s podcast, I share five specific ways that you can market your business using the smallest of marketing budgets.

No Cost Marketing Strategies That Work (SSMS Episode 43) [ 6:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (310)

Think you don’t have enough time to market your business? Think again! Learning simple strategies for how to use your time more effectively will help you be more productive and reach your goals more quickly. Don’t put off marketing your business any longer! You do have the time – and I’ll show you how to find it and use it profitably in this week’s podcast.

A Step By Step Plan to Boost Your Productivity (SSMS Episode 42) [ 6:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (149)