Although building a
successful business involves knowing a great deal about a particular industry,
the good news is that there are many ways in which to learn that don’t require
expensive or time-consuming resources, such as a business degree. The
following is a list of suggestions to help you learn about your industry and
expand your network quickly with the goal of growing your business.
·
Volunteer your time. There are always people in need of extra help, especially
the kind that comes free. Find outlets within your community to volunteer
in some capacity that is related to your business. For example, if you
want to start a home-based daycare business, consider volunteering your
services to relatives, neighbors, and places of worship. This allows you
to gain more experience in the industry, demonstrate your exceptional service,
get your name locally recognized, seek referrals, and make contacts for potential
customers. Think of this donation of time as a worthy investment in your
business.
·
Become a temp. Many employment agencies specialize in placing workers in
temporary positions and can even meet requests. Temp work not only allows
flexibility to work with a variety of businesses, but it is also a very
effective way to improve areas of weakness. For instance, if your business is
lacking in customer service, consider taking a temporary customer service
position. Most retail businesses have a corporate headquarters where
customer service reps are trained and take calls from clients. Such a
position would allow you to work on your interactions with customers and apply
what you’ve learned to your own business.
·
Work as a consultant. If you have a specialized talent (web design, marketing,
computer troubleshooting, financial projections, etc.), taking on a consulting
position will help you make new contacts to bring to your business. You
can start by contacting local business owners to offer your services for a
reasonable hourly rate. Once they see what a great job you’ve done, they
will be able to refer you to other business owners. Furthermore, you will
have formed a professional relationship and expanded your business network.
·
Give back to your community. Local business schools and community colleges
are chock full of motivated young people about to enter the workforce.
Think about contributing your expertise and experience to their cause.
For example, an owner of a business that provides classes in mixed martial arts
can approach future graduates of local theatre and film programs. Lots of
these students are about to move to a big city for the first time, so the owner
decided to offer them a free self-defense class. Most of these students wouldn’t
be able to afford the tuition for a normal class, but would eagerly take
advantage of such an offer. Additionally, they would recommend the
business to friends and family.
Taking on side jobs to
build your business is a great way to stay motivated, improve areas of
weakness, and build a network of potential customers and colleagues. How
have you used side jobs to build your business?
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