First steps

Hi everyone!

How are you, guys?
We came back from San Francisco and work literally killed all of our time. But I was happy about it. Today I actually want to talk about our business again 🙂
As I already mentioned I recently started up our family business and as I promised will share my experience.
So today I will describe very-very first practical marketing steps for everyone who want to start your own business.
Let me make a little note: this is for people who already know what they want to do, but don’t know how to start.
1. Name it. There is no product without a name. You should realize that your business is your baby, and you will now call your kid just the kid.
2. Create your logo. Yes, it is necessary from the beginning, it is your face. Your stuff should be recognizable and be different from everything else.
I bake French macarons. They are very unique. Lot’s of bakeries and stores provide them now, but they taste awful, seriously. I will talk about it a little later. So for me it was very important to create labels by myself. You could also order it, just make sure the designer will understand your desires. I used www.vistaprint.com. This company has an option that you could create your own design or pick theirs. Quality and prices are sweet. Don’t order too many, who knows – maybe in a bit you will not like it and will want to make changes. But they are necessary to start sales.
Here is mine.

3. Find someone who will help you, part-time for the beginning. Yes, you need this person. You can’t do everything by yourself. It can be friend or relative, or next-door housewife, who have time and willing to help. You will give this person little tasks, like adding content to social network accounts, and even create them, involve people, reply to their questions, find new customers, give you ideas and side opinion (you don’t have to use it, just know it).
4. Create separate FB, Instagram accounts for your business page. Don’t make your friends mad posting promotion stuff only on your private page. Invite everyone and ask your friends nicely to invite their friends. Don’t be annoying!!!!!!!
5. Take pictures of your product everyday or make some announcement in your group. Also post something interesting that can fit in nicely.
6. Follow pages with the same interest, comment on their posts and pictures, let the audience know about yourself and your business, try to start dialogue and look for new customers and connections.
7. Make a little contest. Check on your audience and how they will react.
Mine first was absolutely fucked up, or so what I thought first. But now I changed my mind. Because the girl, who won (the only person who took part), is giving me nice recommendations around her and her boyfriend’s circles.
8. If you will have your first customers, be extremely nice to them. They may ask stupid questions, but you have to understand you are the business owner, because you know about what you are doing better than they are. Maybe they just heard about it for the first time. Make them feel pleasant.
9. Try to promote your page on FB. It is $10 per day. I will recommend to do it on Monday and Wednesday. Do it once and stop for a little bit to check on changes.
Don’t do it first, you need to get some followers from your friends.
10. Don’t hurry up!!!!!! Take a deep breath and read it again: DON’T HURRY UP!
Everything is perfect.
11. Order some flyers. Again, not too many. Drop them in your building or around neighborhood. Why I’m asking to do everything little by little. Because I’m thinking about your money. You don’t know which marketing way will work better for you. Me neither. Nobody knows.

12. Research where you could sell your product. Make a list of companies and email them.
Be prepared: some of them will not reply, some of them will be already booked till next season, etc.
Don’t get upset, it is ok.
Don’t just show up in places. First of all it is not serious, you need to set up meeting; second, you will just waste your time. Call or email with a description of what you are doing and set up an appointment.
13. Create a little folder with your portfolio. There should be basic information, prices, contacts, pictures. It will help you and your future customer understand the subject better.
14. Research your FB friends, who can be useful to promote your business. If you don’t find anyone, research your friends’ friends. Make a list and leave it alone for couple days. Think what you want exactly from these people, what they can get working with you. Contact them directly or ask your friend to regard you (only if you are sure that it can help).
15. Don’t think too much, act! There is no exact recipe for success. Every story is different. And don’t get upset if something is going wrong. If you are to become a successful businessman/woman you need be prepared for mistakes and be strong to solve them easily!
I will continue to share my experience with you.
Have a great day, everyone.