At the time of writing we're heading into the middle of February, the month that we celebrate love in all its forms! But what about love as a business strategy?
In a world of lots of business jargon and marketing strategy, it's easy to be overwhelmed and inundated with new ideas, new digital developments and AI ways of gaining new business. Google is exhausting!
Although we can all learn much about upgrading our business strategies & elevating our comms, perhaps it is much much simpler than that.
If we distil down all the ideas, all the AI, the business models, the mission or customer segmentation, it all comes down to love doesn't it? With love at the heart of a micro business, perhaps that's all the strategy we need?
Here are some ideas to place (or rekindle!) the love at the heart of your business:
Love for your why - knowing the purpose, or why you're a micro business owner is an essential in business and really needs to have love at the heart of it. Perhaps this is easy at the start of a business but keeping the love alive, even when things are tough is even better. How are you reminding yourself of your purpose & why? Are you working from the heart of that purpose always to make a meaningful difference or experience?
Love your customer - clearly it's important to know your ideal customer inside out, building avatars or personas to help target your marketing. But what about love? Over time, it's possible to experience difficult customers, boredom or a sense of the mundane in day to day business. Like any relationship, we can refresh, add more effort or listen harder to understand. We can seek out new love and really focus our attention on those customers we really love and who love us back to create more success.
Love learning - ever felt in a rut or left behind in your micro business world? Worried about the latest social media trends or feeling out of your depth with AI? While we don't need to be expert practitioners in all areas of our business, we do need to seek out learning all the time. Understanding the subtle ways our market is changing, how people are receiving communications, ways they are using tech and trends all play a vital role, so loving to learn is a strategic essential.
Love ourselves - as micro business owners we're probably either working alone or as head of a small team with all the decisions on our shoulders. With such responsibility, it's easy to succumb to negative self talk or berate ourselves for what goes wrong. Worse still, we can drive ourselves so hard that basic self care goes out of the window. We need to learn to back ourselves always so that we become our own best supporter. It's ok to pause and pat yourself on the back for how far you've come. It's vital to know your magic and what special qualities you bring uniquely to your business.
Love each other - I've long been an advocate of collaboration over competition. With 5.2 millions micros in the UK, you're unlikely to be the only one in your field. Building relationships with other business owners not only provides connection and comradeship, but also helps us find mentors, supporters and collaborators. Lifting each other up shining a light on others is the best micro business strategy I know.
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