Running a business efficiently is no easy task. It takes time, a plan, an understanding of the product or service, testing, clients, partners, and a community that has your back at all times. That community is your squad.
There are two types of business squads:
- The Business Backbone
They are the ones you turn to when you need a product tested, your marketing plan evaluated, or when you simply need to bounce ideas off someone. Your squad becomes your business wing-woman. They not only offer advice but could also form your first customer base. Since they understand the ins and outs of the business, they are the perfect group to steer you towards growth. They also offer much-needed psychosocial support.
2. The Business Boosters
These are the key members of your business audience. They are the people most likely to benefit from your products and services. Having a community you can keep engaged in your business, its benefits, and progress is of great benefit, particularly recently during the pandemic. Most of our clients will not visit our stores and offices but they do live online. Constantly engaging your business boosters will increase your customer base and ensure loyalty. They are a must-have for any business.
Now that we know the two types of squads a business needs, we need to learn how to build these two squads.
When looking for your business backbone, look for a nice mix of people in business both those who have had a good business track record and those who are just beginning. You would need business people with enough experience to guide you through the difficult parts of building a business and be mentors to you. Those who are building new businesses give fresh perspectives of the business environment as well as innovations that could elevate your business.
At the same time, you get to mentor the new business people just as the more experienced ones mentor you, passing forward the information you have with the next generation. Trusted financial partners are also essential to your business backbone squad. They point you to financial services and business best practices that could benefit your businesses in the long run. Another important role your business backbone plays is keeping you in touch with your competitors’ performance, their shortcomings, and their wins. These, you can leverage when communicating the uniqueness of your business offering to your business booster squad.
While it may be difficult to build your business backbone squad, there are already existing communities that you can plug into like DADA. Here, you meet like-minded women in business for networking, learning, and growth all backed by a financial institution.
When you have the people guiding your business around you, you then start to build your business booster squad. As you interact with clients, you can invite them to join your community either on the digital social platforms, on email, or one that meets physically or virtually on a regular basis. You need to identify a core audience in your clients, find out their interests, their likes and dislikes as well as their spending habits in relation to your business.
This will give you a base for your communication with them. It is advisable to keep them engaged at all times. Sharing videos and images of your products is not nearly enough, you need to spark and maintain conversations with them. Be part of their everyday lives. Only then can they connect with your business more intimately. Once you’ve made a connection with your business booster squad, they will be open to recommending your business to others and that’s how you keep this group and ultimately, your sales growing.
We’d like to know how business squads have helped you build and grow your business. Share your story with us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Go forth and succeed!