Owning a small business can be a major hit to the ego at times.  Trying to please everyone all of the time is impossible.  It’s better to know, understand, and accept that early on.  It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are about your product, how nice you are to your clients, or how accommodating you are to their needs and desires…people innately will find a reason to be unhappy with you and/or your business at times.  How you react to this will make the most impact on the future of your customer relationships. 

Louisville has thousands of up and coming small businesses and is only growing in the amount of new ventures each year. It can seem daunting trying to get your name and work out there and noticed, no matter what your business entails.  Here are five tips we have to help you stand out above the rest and get your small business noticed on the web.  

When the story of the “ugly duckling” comes to mind; what do you think of? My mind immediately goes to the fact that he was unique, he was different… he was totally unlike all of the others. I urge all business owners to consider your business the “ugly duckling”, if you will, and force yourselves to stand out.

Congratulations you’ve made it through the worst of winter! Now it’s time to spring forward into warm weather and fun promotions for your small business! There are many fun holidays to look forward to during May and June. Here are a few to get you brainstorming for your business!

In today’s society we are driven by the idea of being number one.  We celebrate Championship teams like our beloved Louisville Cardinals.  Moms on the playground brag to one another about how their nine month old is achieving milestones faster than other babies the same age.  In your small business, you want to be the best at increasing profit, the best at customer service, and the best place to work.  We want to be the best to all people at all times.  If Russ Smith isn’t the best player of the game, every single game, is he still a superb player?  If our baby begins walking at 15 months vs. 9 months are we any less of a mother?  If my business doesn’t have the name recognition as McDonald’s, do we still have a place in the marketplace? 

How are you capitalizing on the 750,000 people attending Thunder?  Thunder Over Louisville is a week away which kicks off over seventy events for the Kentucky Derby. If you are one of the numerous businesses that are not along the river, there are still ways to gain benefits from April 20^th. Look at the numbers and your industry and decide what you have to offer.

It seems that in the past few months, every media company has added new web products whether it is Google ad words, outreach network advertising, retargeting, and the list goes on and on. There are so many new digital products out there that media companies are trying to sell, that it has become increasingly difficult to know what is worth your time pursuing and what isn’t. So, how do you know whether it is worth your time or not?

Imagine this… you are a fly on the wall. One of your employees steps into an elevator with a stranger. And, in that brief first 20 seconds when the door closes, they strike up a conversation. Now, here’s where I need you to take a step back and imagine for a moment, that the stranger asks your employee what he or she does for a living. Do you have total confidence that your employee can concisely and effectively portray their role and your company in that brief window?

Man buys toy poodles, discovers they’re actually ferrets on steroids. That is the headline. It is such a strong sentence that one hardly needs to read the story. But the story is true - a man in Argentina was sold poodles last week, took them to the vet, and promptly learned that he probably should have Googled some more poodle photos before handing over his cash.

It’s all anyone can talk about this time of year…  “How’s your bracket look?  Who do you have in the sweet 16?” For a Louisville small business owner those are actually really good questions, but not as it pertains to basketball. BTW- GO CARDS!