AMG's Blog

As Americans, we hold dear the American Dream. Part of our dream is business ownership – the right and opportunity to own a business of our very own. The fancy term for that is “entrepreneurial spirit.” Small businesses have been part of the financial backbone of our country and are still very much needed.  

An example of a successful American small business is Lowe’s. Lowe’s Hardware store was founded in 1921 by L.S. Lowe in North Wilkesboro, a small foothills town in western North Carolina and a neighboring town from where I grew up. From this single store, Mr. Lowe was dedicated to serving his community and neighbors with the best prices possible on much needed, every-day items.  Through the daily hard work of the Lowe family and 20 years of small successes, Lowe’s went public in 1961 and grew to be the company they are today – the second largest home improvement store in the world. That’s the power of and the motivation for the American small businesses.

This classic example of success lived out the meaning of owning and operating a small business versus simply owning a small business.  Do you know the difference? I can own a sail boat but not know how to sail it. I can own a classic 5-speed Ferrari but not know how to drive it. I’m not sure about you, but I want to sail and drive; it’s part of my DNA. Successful small (or large) businesses are sailed/driven – not docked or garaged. They operate under the careful direction of a skilled operator who may or may not have any ownership. Let’s face it, owning and operating a small business is not for the weak. It takes an unbelievable amount of time, sweat, energy, passion, resources and even tears. 

Playing to Win the Game

As a marketing firm, business strategist and advertising agency, we love small businesses. If we are retained early, we can help set the dreams, visions and goals as well action-plans for your business. The single most important advice we can give any business is these few words:  “Out of sight, out of mind, out of business.” Employing an advertising agency to handle the bulk of your marketing and advertising needs can be vital to your success.

I’ve personally been a small business owner and operator. I recall the time when my business coach and mentor convinced me to delegate. I admit I was a bit scared. After all, I birthed the business – it was my idea, my vision, my passion, it was my baby – and how, oh how, could I trust someone, anyone, with my business? As I began to find trustworthy associates to fill key roles in my business, the business started to grow and become healthy. It was not easy, but it worked. When I partnered with a marketing firm and shared with them my dream, vision, difficulties and frustrations, I felt relieved and encouraged – finally I didn’t have to do it alone. It’s like being part of a baseball team: no one person can beat a team of nine. It requires a skilled player in each position with one collective focus: playing to win the game.

If your business does not concentrate on business growth through deliberate, skillful marketing and advertising, your business will not succeed. We find that serving as the marketing partner for small businesses can be fun, encouraging, exciting and even exasperating. Before you hire a marketing/advertising agency to be your partner, do your homework and research.  Speak with their past and current clients. Know intimately the desires and objectives you have for your business. Create a budget and hold those funds aside for this purpose only. If you stop your marketing and advertising efforts you can fall victim to “out of sight, out of mind, out of business.” Realize that your marketing and advertising partner knows and understands your target customer audience. They are marketing to them – their likes, their desires and their needs – not yours. You are not the customer or target; you are the business.  Trust your marketing/advertising partner. After all, you hired them. Be involved but not controlling. Embrace their ideas by knowing they understand who you are, who your customer is and where you want to go. Give your partner a defined budget and let them go to work. They succeed when they help you succeed.

You’re a small business owner/operator with the desire of serving and helping people. If all goes very well, your small business may become a big business with substantial rewards. Seek out a marketing/advertising partner and start a powerful, successful relationship.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 10:24 pm and is filed under Author, Recent. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.