As a small or large business the most important question is “What would I like to know about my customer?” Knowing your customers well is essential to long-term success. It puts any business in a great position to get attention. Understanding your customer demographics allows your business to establish relationships, creating an environment of trust which translates into sales. Outsourcing a business consultant is a great solution for businesses to help create value for your small business.

For any business follow-through is the key to building trust and is what gets things done. Follow-through is based on action and involves meeting deadlines and honoring guarantees. According to famous entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn:

“One customer well taken care of could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.”

Many entrepreneurs struggle with how to best use social media as a means to engage their audience and promote their business. According to statistics, 46 percent of online users count on social media when making purchase decisions. Social media advertising is forecast to grow to $11 billion in 2017. Savvy entrepreneurs are aware that it’s all about engaging the right audience through offering valuable content, seven out of 10 consumers are more likely to use a local business if it has information available on a social media site (comScore Networks/TMP Directional Marketing).

Success comes through first-hand observation. The most successful entrepreneurs have worked in the industry in which they start their business or have personal experience and/or understand it firsthand. The top four things a small business/start-up must have in order to succeed are:

Did you know that 54 percent of all sales in the U.S. happen due to small business? According to a study by Constant Contact, 84 percent of small business owners would start up a business all over again if given the opportunity. The motivating factor is the ability to both pursue a passion and gain freedom.