1. Not Investing in Your Online Presence

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Small Business

The first thing anyone does nowadays when trying to find a business to work with is to Google them. And if you’re not there, it's a steep climb to gain their trust.

From my own experience, investing in a professional website for my contracting business was a priority. It established trustworthiness and made a significant difference in attracting clients.

2. Not Being Where Your Customers Are

You have to be where your customers are. Whether it's specialized platforms like Bark for professional service or local listings like Yelp, your business needs to be there.

In my case, being on Yelp and Thumbtack were key, because it connected me with a large audience of potential clients searching for speaker installers and contracting, leveraging free search traffic to my advantage.

3. Not Having Good Reviews

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Small Business

Once customers find you online, you need to make sure your reviews are helping you too. They bring more customers and build trust.

I always encouraged satisfied clients to leave reviews, which consistently helped in attracting new business. Good reviews often make the difference in a customer's decision to choose your service.

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Small Business

4. Not Providing Great Customer Service

Exceptional customer service is crucial once customers reach out. It’s about answering their questions promptly and securing bookings when they're ready.

Failing in this area means losing potential business and increasing customer acquisition costs. Customers are calling because they want to work with you: if you can’t answer that’s business gone.

5. Not Getting Help When You Need It

As your business grows, doing everything by yourself isn't sustainable. It's important to recognize when to hire help.

When I had multiple jobs or larger jobs, I enlisted friends to help, which became the game-changer that allowed us to maintain quality service as we grew.

Don’t make the same mistakes that most new small business owners do. If you have any questions or want any advice, shoot me an email at anand@usetwine.com, and I’d love to help.

Until next time,

Anand

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