Marketing for the Very Small Business

Beginning at the End

I had the opportunity recently to consider how marketing really works for very small businesses. And by very small businesses, I mean really, really small businesses. I'm talking about a business:

• with one employee (the owner),
• working from a tiny location (an office at home, a garage, or a small rental space),
• located within a limited geographic area,
• offering a limited service or product,
• to a special kind of customer,
• all while operating with little to no advertising budget.

Question: How do they do it? How does the very small business start, build, and really grow? Because the truth is some very small businesses thrive and have more to do than they can do. Others don't do so well.

In his bestseller Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World author Michael Hyatt argues there are two "critical parts of the success equation" and one of those is to offer customers a compelling product.*

The Answer to the Question: The very small business that's doing well is usually bringing something to market - a product or service - that is above the competition and everyone knows it. Word of mouth spreads quickly and the product (or service) that was once a little-known secret is now the talk of the town.

But how did it happen? How did the word get out?

To me, that's the most interesting question of all. How did the "word" get out? What did the business owner/service provider do to let customers know he was there and ready to serve?

I chose the article title "Begin at the End" for two reasons. The first is that the end-product is ultimately what makes or breaks a business, big or small. In order to "Begin at the End," the business owner must take stock of what he makes or provides, and he must know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it's well-made or well-done. The second reason I chose the title is any business owner considering a marketing strategy to get the word out about his or her fabulous product or service must first ask of himself or herself,

"What exactly do I really want my customer to do?"

Sometimes the business owner fails to identify and then ask for the specific response desired from the customer.

• If I'm selling a product, do I want the customer to "buy"? Sure! But how much and at what price?
• If I'm selling a service, do I want the customer to make an appointment and maybe schedule a service date? Sure! But when? Within what given range of dates? What time of day?

Beginning at the End means the business owner knows exactly what he or offers. It also means the business owner knows what response is desired from the customer. These become the KPI's (key performance indicators) that decide what marketing strategy to pursue and whether that strategy is successful.


*See Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (Hyatt), page 3.