perfect advice, MX and well said. I would like to take the time to embellish on how to accomplish those three steps.

To help you do Step One: When you tell everyone, be consistent in what you say.

Write up a twenty five word description of your business that is concise, catchy, and memorable. Practice saying it until it rolls off your tongue. Then write a ten word description of your business that is concise, catchy and memorable. Practice saying it until it rolls off your tongue. Add it as a signature at the bottom of all your emails, and be sure to include it when you are typing up something about your business. Then, write a three-to-five word tagline that describes your business (example: Kiyonna. Sophisticated Style, Size 12+ OR Hot Topic, alternative music related apparel and accessories OR Target. Expect More, Pay Less) and is concise, catchy and memorable. Put it on all your business cards, website, flyers, postcards.


To help you do Step Two: Learn how to add the programmed link to everything

Writing the link is not always enough. In all your electronic communications, you want to make sure that the link is automated... For example, in most online submissions, if you type www.mywebsite.com it will just show that address, but if you type http: // www.mywebsite.com it will actually only show the address, but create a link when it posts your content. MS Word has similar, your email program has similar conventions, etc. Make sure you know how to create automatic links, not just show the address.


To help you do Step Three: Look at comparable businesses

As someone who helps startups, most clients come to me with lofty plans and examples of business models that have nothing to do with their particular retail genre, business sector, or sales channel. If you sell direct to consumers, you need different tactics than if you sell business-to-business. If you sell a service, you need different business advice than if you sell physical product. And if you do a combination of any of the above, you have very specific needs that will require a lot of specific business advice. So, be sure to help yourself out by finding at least three other businesses that have similar models to your own, and research how they do what they do. Now, that doesn't mean you can't break the rules, or do something outside of convention for that industry... but I advise that you know what the conventions are before you try something too different. In most cases, the reason that something "different" isn't being done is because someone already wasted money and time trying that and failed.

yes, really that was incredibly helpful.