Small Businesses Need Leaders

There is a lot of talk today about the importance of leadership in business, but is it important for you to be a leader for your small business? You bet it is! In fact, the success of many small firms can be attributed to the effective leadership skills of the owner. The owner must provide the leadership for the entire firm and set an example for their employees to follow.

A definition of business leadership is the use of influence to direct and coordinate the activities of employees of a company in an effort to achieve or exceed the objectives of the business. Contrary to some notions, leadership and management are interrelated: one must be a good manager before one becomes a great leader.

Just because you are the company owner, it doesn’t mean you are a good leader. Some people are natural born leaders while others need to acquire leadership skills. There are lots of theories on leadership qualities and leadership courses you can take. Below are listed some key leadership activities and qualities you should include when developing your leadership strategy:

Creating a Vision – A business without a vision is like driving across the country without a roadmap; you can drive forever without reaching your destination. As a leader, you need to articulate a vision for your company, so employees know where they are heading. By focusing on a vision, you and your staff can take appropriate action to make the vision a reality.

Developing an Employee Following - Owners need to communicate their vision to employees and seek their commitment. A leader will be persuasive and get workers to share the company’s vision and goals. An effective leader will be focused as well as sensitive when communicating to employees.

Implementing the Vision – Once the vision is articulated, the owner must take the lead in implementing the plan. When you take the initiative in implementing the plans, your employees will follow your lead and help with implementing the program. However, you must take the lead and be a good example for your staff to follow.

Follow Through: The big difference between a leader and a dreamer is that the dreamer has lots of ideas, but lacks follow through. A business leader has dreams too, but they also follow through on their ideas. An effective leader will take the time and expend the energy to ensure that action takes place and plans are implemented.

Achieving Results – Leaders like positive results and are dedicated to achieving goals. Business leaders will inspire and motivate their employees to achieve company objectives too. Owners will provide leadership and support to assist their employees in surpassing business objectives.

Team Playing –Being a business owner is a lot like being the captain of a sports team. You must provide the leadership required for the team to win. Your employees will look to you for guidance and help in order to turn in a winning performance. As the team leader, you need to ensure that your employees are working as a team and focused on winning the game.

Seven Secrets to Build Business Buzz

Seven Secrets to Build Business Buzz

Stretching a limited marketing budget and being innovative is critical to keeping your small business in operation. Forget costly advertising, because small businesses don’t have million dollar marketing budgets. Smart business owners are implementing grass roots and creative promotional strategies to boost their company without straining their budget. One way to get the buzz about your business flowing is to sell yourself.

Partner With Another Business - Form strategic marketing alliances with noncompeting businesses to attract customers and bolster resources. A car wash owner, for example, can offer discounts to customers who patronize a nearby restaurant.

Leverage the Power of the Internet - Establishing a Web presence puts you one step closer to the bigger competitors and lets you reach a broader market. You can get a professionally designed e-business website for less than $1,500. Even if you don’t sell products online, your site can be a valuable marketing tool by providing three ways to contact you--E-mail, phone and snail mail address.

Join a Trade Association - It's a great way to find potential partners and customers. You can join a nonspecific industry group such as African-American Women in Business or your local chamber of commerce. As a member, you can network with other entrepreneurs and keep abreast of industry trends and competition. These organizations can be a great source of potential customers and suppliers.

Become a Sponsor –You can help your community and establish a base of regular customers by sponsoring local sports teams or a community organization, or by hosting fund-raisers. In exchange for your community support, your company can received valuable visibility with new prospects.

Make the News – You don’t have to hire an expensive public relations firm to get your name in the press. You can be proactive and contact local newspapers and media stations with interesting stories about your company. Be creative and come up with an interesting angle about your product, service or company programs. The media outlets are always in search of unique articles. Join a speakers' bureau, and look for opportunities to promote your enterprise at press events.

You’re the Expert – If you have expertise about a specific industry, market or your own products and services, you can deliver your knowledge by teaching evening courses at local colleges and city workshops. By becoming a known expert, you can deliver a credible message to future customers and continue to promote your company name in the process.

Free Advertising – The Internet is providing free advertising opportunities for businesses like never before. You can post company announcements on blogs or free sites such as MySpace.com and Craigslist.org. These websites attract millions of visitors and they don’t charge for visitors to post information.