The beauty of running your own business is the freedom to be your own boss.  The responsibility lies in trying to grow that business while maintaining your everyday business tasks.  You may find yourself asking the question, “What did I get myself into” or “There’s not enough hours in the day to keep up.”  Be in good cheer.  There is hope to juggle the never-ending business tasks and still maintain to successfully manage and market your company.  Here are 5 tips to help tackle growing your business without losing time.

1. Rethink your marketing strategy.
Step one is to re-think the way that you do marketing now. Rather than try to tackle everything yourself, take a step back and see what can be delegated, shared or hired out.  Prioritize your message and what lines up with the vision and direction of your company. ONLY do the things that help you take a step in that direction.  Try and send the most important and urgent pieces to be handled by a professional.  The “not as important” or next in priority can be handled by an employee, intern or yourself if you find the time.  The goal is to oversee the process rather than try and stick your hand in every piece of it.

2. Learn to network.
Never underestimate the power of word of mouth.  Learning to network with other business owners and customers at industry or local events increases the awareness of your company and generates interest.  Learning to talk about your company or services with others is a powerful and cost-effective marketing tool.

3. Hit the Target.
When marketing on a limited budget or limited time, focusing your marketing is a must. Its better to have 5 strong marketing pieces than 20 poorly communicated or designed materials.  Learn who you REALLY want to target as your customer or client and go after them with a clear goal, vision and plan.  Put together a couple of good pieces and spend your time focusing on hitting your target rather than hoping to catch their attention.  This will help save valuable time during your workday and help eliminate running in circles.

4. Learn how to use social networking… the right way.
Increase your online exposure for free by utilizing popular social networking sites.  I’m sure we have all attempted this or even been successful at attracting new customers, but learning to utilize social networking the right way can pay off huge.  Make your posts relevant and easy to understand as well as offering specials that customers can only get from posting or responding.  Make it interesting and fun for your audience as they will begin talking about your company for you.

5. Keep it simple or get an intern.
One of the most important things to remember is to stay focused so you can run toward your vision or the reason you started your company in the first place.  If things begin to get out of hand and you simply can’t find enough time to do everything… get an intern.  You can find amazing and qualified students that are eager to get real world experience with little to no pay.  We had an intern that we found to be a huge help from week 1.  As that intern finished, she was hired and continued the role that she had within our company.  It is a great opportunity for both the student as well as the business owner.