10 Ways to be Consistent to Succeed in Small Business
Most small business startups begin with just one person who has a vision, talent, and the willpower to succeed. Here are some fast facts about startups and small businesses:
Most people who start their own business do so because they want to be their own boss, or to pursue their passion.
Only 2 out of 5 startups are profitable.
78% of all startups begin by the owner using personal funds.
Since most small businesses begin with limited funds, the owners operate by running all operations themselves. They do their own
Marketing and advertising
Accounting
Product and service research and development
Daily operations, including purchases for the business, technology, travel, insurance, licensing, rules and regulations
Characteristics of Successful Small Businesses, Particularly Startups
It can be quite overwhelming for a solo business owner to not only do it all himself or herself, but do it all successfully! What are some qualities and characteristics of small business owners that help them survive and thrive? Here is a small list:
Willing to learn and change after receiving feedback
Communication
Organizational skills
Self-motivation
Solution-driven
Consistency
The Importance of Being Consistent in Small Business
Consistency is important in small business. It allows for measurement of what is working and what is not working. It allows for better and even messaging. Customers like consistency and build more trust with your organization. You can use your resources more efficiently. Consistency also helps with accountability, more productivity, and higher rates of success.
10 Ways to be Consistent to Succeed in Small Business
When I started my first business in October of 2003, it took me a few months to put some consistent practices in place to try to succeed and grow my business. I was determined to make my business survive and succeed. Even though my business was in the insurance and financial sector (it still exists and is still profitable), I learned over the years that the practices are still valid and transferable to other sectors! No matter what field or sector you are involved in, you can learn from some of these practices to survive and thrive.
Here are 10 things I did that helped me. I hope these strategies will help you in your entrepreneurial journey!
1. Having a specific day and time of the week for accounting-related tasks
Set aside specific time for this so you do not take time away each day for other things that matter, like calling customers back, advertising, marketing, etc.
2. Becoming task-oriented by using a planner and calendar
If you are not using a planner and calendar already, start right away. Write down exactly when you are going to do what task. Write down things you need to do in terms of tasks, then cross them off as you go! You can use an electronic planner/calendar or a paper version.
3. Staying in touch with contacts and customers on regular basis
Write in your planner a set time every few weeks to stay in touch with contacts and customers. Your current and previous contacts, whether they are old friends, family members, or clients, already know you and have trust built with you. Stay in touch to stay relevant and at the forefront of their thoughts should they need help again.
4. Sticking to a marketing idea or plan for at least a few months
Let’s say you decide to do cold calling for your business. Are you going to do it once and give up or are you going to stick with it for a while to see if it works? The answer should be the latter. With marketing, doing something just one time is not going to help you to determine whether or not it worked. If you are going to have a marketing strategy, you must stick to it for a while. If after a few months or a year it is fruitless, you can decide to give up on that strategy and go with another.
5. Staying within budget
Establish a budget each month for what money is going to be spent on and stick to it. Otherwise, you will go into unnecessary debt that may be too difficult to come out from and ultimately cause the business to fail. Financial hurdles are one of the most common reasons why most businesses do not survive past five years.
6. Having set work hours
In order to avoid burnout, do not spend 16 hours per day working on your business. Yes, in the beginning few months, the owner invests quite a bit of time in all aspects of operating the business. However, burnout is real. In order to persist for the long run, it is imperative to give oneself time to rest.
7. Building brand by consistency
Most people do not like change; they like to have systems and common practices that they can trust in their everyday lives. Therefore, it is imperative for you to stay consistent with your everyday branding practices. Use the same logo, same font, same colors, and such will help people to identify your business and connect with it.
8. Keeping promises to clients, business partners, and other stakeholders
Part of being consistent in business involves keeping promises. If you tell someone you are going to get back to them within a few hours, you must get back to them within a few hours. If you say you are going to fix an issue with a product, you must fix an issue with a product. If you set up an appointment, you must keep it. Consistency helps build trust, and trust helps a business succeed in the long run.
9. Having specific business goals and analyzing those goals on the first day of each quarter
Having goals that are specific and attainable is not only important, but necessary in business. For example, if your goal is to make $4,000 this month, is it attainable and realistic or is it far-fetched? If your goal is to cut spending by $500 per month, is that doable or impossible? As long as you can set realistic and achievable goals, write them down so you can revisit on the first day of each quarter to see if you are meeting that goal or not. Make adjustments, if necessary, at that time.
10. Having strong organizational skills and practices in place to save time, money, and energy
Is your work area neat and organized? Are your supplies well-stocked and placed in neat piles to be retrieved easily? When you reach for tools and other products, can you access them easily or does it take you a while to figure out where you put them? In business, time management is incredibly important. If it takes you 15 minutes to look for a tool, you wasted that time that you could have used for something more worthwhile. If you ran out of toner and did not know you did not have enough to start with, you are going to waste time and energy to have to go and get more if you need it immediately. Manage stress by developing and maintaining strong organizing skills and practices in your business.
Conclusion
Consistency is just one of the key attributes to success of a business. Consistencies help a business owner have systems in place to grow and succeed, while still maintaining a work-life balance.
When my first small business was new, I was by myself. I could not afford to hire anyone so I had to run all aspects of my business on my own. If it wasn’t from my early lessons with building systems, processes, and consistencies, I would not have been able to maintain and grow my business over the last 19 years. Seeing that my business did survive and grow helped me to open Efficiency and Organization in 2021.
If you are a small business owner in your first few years of operating, I hope you find some of these suggestions and ideas useful and practical. Remember: Learning, evolving, changing are all part of the business and startup process. As long as there is demand for your product or service, you can make changes to your everyday systems to succeed!
About the Author
Ruzanna Hernandez, Ed.D. is an educator, public school administrator, small business owner, and author. She has owned and operated a small business since 2003. She started Efficiency and Organization in 2021 to educate and provide tools to readers and followers on being more efficient, organized, productive, and well-managed with time to succeed in every aspect of life.
She is a lifelong learner who is constantly pursuing helping others see through their journey in life. Her book, Efficiency and Organization, is available for purchase!
