Starting a new business? Meet the Nifty 50
You’re starting a new business.
You’re filled with hopes, dreams and plans for the future.
But you’ve precious little money to do any marketing. To get your message ‘out there’
Sound familiar?
It’s times like this you need your friends.
But not just any old friends.
You need proactive friends who are looking out for you. Friends who fully understand your business and what you offer. Friends who know what your unique selling point is.
This doesn’t happen by accident. But it can happen. It just needs careful planing and management.
It needs you to tell them. Tell them twice. Then tell them again.
Here’s what I’d suggest.
Write down a few simple key messages.
Mine where –
“He’s quite cheap – for a chartered accountant”
“He specialises in creative businesses”
“He’ll meet anyone for a chat to see if he can help”
Keep it dead simple.
Next, write a list of everyone you know who might be in a position to help promote your business.
There might be a few obvious contenders but think hard and think wide.
Aim to get about 50 on the list. Parents, friends, the lady in the library, the vicar, your mate who runs a car showroom, the landlord of your local, your mates at the running club. You get the idea?
Write all their names down. Got less than 30? Keep going.
Now you’ve got the messages and the list of names you have to put the two together.
Speak to each and everyone on the list in person.
Tell them you need their help. Tell them they’re on a list called the Nifty 50! Tell them what your business is and the messages they need to remember. Check they’ve understood! And finally make sure there’s an easy way to find you – and just you! “Google accountants Rainhill” used to work for me.
Keep a record of what each member of the list brings in. What you’ll find is that some of your friends will be prolific. They’ll find you loads of possibilities. From others you’ll get nothing – maybe just through lack of opportunity but maybe because they just forget.
My best friend didn’t pass on a family member to me because he thought I was “too busy” and “probably too dear”. Neither could have been further from the truth. At the time I was desperate.
After a couple of months go back to the list and go back to the people who’ve passed nothing on. And meet up to remind them. I’ll bet a few will slap their heads and say they were only talking to someone the other day and forgot about you.
When the plan works you should have about 30 people actively looking for opportunities for you – and knowing the right thing to say when they find one.
But none of this will happen by accident. Like any area of your business it needs planning, action, measuring and reviewing.
Good luck with your Nifty 50.
And feel free to put me on your list.
