Thriving in 2014 Ten Practical Steps to Grow Your Business

© 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Plant a Seed and Watch it

Grow!

Be a thought leader! Do

speaking engagements,

write articles and post on

popular blogs.

© 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Your Creativity is

Showing

Get creative about how to offer your

services and products, whether it’s

packaging, delivery or an innovative

solution to a customer’s problem. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Collaborate!

Find like-minded people who

offer complementary services

and products and team up on

marketing efforts and new

offerings. Create strategic

alliances. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Get Known Overcome your fear of

speaking and share your

wisdom and expertise to the

right audiences for your

business. Learn to network

effectively in the right

places.

© 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Build Community

It’s called the WEB for a reason.

Start your own social network and

offer your clients and colleagues

great content and resources. Build

loyalty and community! © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Brand

Messages

Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Instagram, Google and Blogs

can be strategically used to build your brand messages with

minimal cost. Integrate these into your marketing. What do

you want to be known for? Answer that and consistently build

in that message in everything you do.

© 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Provide Extreme

Customer Service © 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Give Back

Generosity should be part

of your business plan. Do

pro bono work and give

back to your community.

© 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Reward

Evangelists Create an affiliation or

referral program that

rewards others for providing

leads and referrals

© 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Notice

Ask

Listen

Provide Notice what is happening

with your customers. Ask

them about their challenges

and problems. Listen.

Provide the right solution at

the right time.

© 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

The

Questions that

matter WHO are we?

WHY do we exist?

WHO do we serve?

WHAT is our emerging

Future?

HOW will we create it?

Why does it matter?

© 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc. © 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Ten Questions You Should Never

Stop Asking

• What is our purpose for

existing?

• Who is our target customer?

• Why does anyone need what

we’re selling?

• If there is a need, is it enough

to support a profitable

business?

• What are our competitors up

to?

• Can we reduce expenses without

harming the product or service?

• Do we have the right leadership?

• Do we have the right

employees?

• How will we continue to drive

revenue?

• How are our employees holding

up?

Source: Mark Kramer, Kramer Communications in Forbes Magazine

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/20/ten-key-questions-entrepreneurs-management-kramer.html

© 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Thriving in

2014

Sophia Associates, Inc.

www.sophia-associates.com

em: info@sophia-associates.com

+1 410.544.5262

Wisdom Notes Blog

www.sophia-associates.com/blog

© 2009 Sophia Associates, Inc.

Leadership Development

Personal Development

Team and Cohort Coaching

Organizational Learning

Retreats

Coach Mentoring

© 2013 Sophia Associates, Inc.