Market Your Home Business Using Your Existing Contacts
Starting a new business is always difficult, especially if it's a lifestyle and a professional change. New networks, new people, new experience, new learning curves, new opportunities, new failures...new everything!
Getting caught up in the newness of everything, we can sometimes forget about the luxury of current and former contacts, and taking full advantage of who and what we know. Just because you're in a new industry, doesn't mean your current and past relationships can’t be an asset.
As you consider your contacts, decide how you can leverage your relationships in the most respectable and honorable way possible. You want to ensure that your contacts will benefit as well. Don’t make it all about you and your business. Ask about them, their family and consider ways you could benefit their business. Do you know anyone you could refer to them? Help others succeed, and they will help you succeed.
Be sure you never misuse or abuse your relationships. You do not want to tarnish your relationships or leave your contacts with a bad taste about your business. Remember, you do not have to ask old pals for hand-outs; ask them for support. Offer free samples, free consultations, free education and so on. If applicable, offer yourself as a speaker, consultant or expert in your industry. There should not be a hard sale to sell anyone; instead, share a positive view with confidence, grace and respect.
Never underestimate your self-worth. Lose confidence and it'll show. Be ashamed to promote your new business startup and it'll also show. Remember, your home business reputation is your personal and professional reputation. Don’t be afraid to tell others about how excited you are about your business. Your confidence and enthusiasm are sure to win many new advocates for you.
Dominate your market by being yourself--a leader of your new business start-up. This way, no matter who you meet, whether they are colleagues of your past or present, you're still a leading professional with confidence, enthusiasm and a winning attitude that draws people to you and your business.
Lesley Spencer Pyle is the founder and president of the HBWM.com, Inc. Network which includes: Home-Based Working Moms (www.HBWM.com), Hire My Mom (www.HireMyMom.com), HBWM Canada (www.HBWMCanada.com), Mom’s Work-at-Home Kit (www.WorkAtHomeKit.com), eDirectory of Home Based Careers (www.eDirectoryofHomeBasedCareers.com) and Mom's Work-at-Home Site (www.MomsWorkAtHomeSite.com). Pyle has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Home Office Computing, Parenting, Business Start-Ups, Dr. Laura’s Perspectives, Family PC and many others.
