{"id":22107,"date":"2021-07-20T08:57:50","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T13:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/?p=22107"},"modified":"2022-01-23T11:21:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-23T17:21:36","slug":"own-a-small-business-prioritize-these-8-factors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/business\/own-a-small-business-prioritize-these-8-factors","title":{"rendered":"Own a Small Business? Prioritize These 8 Factors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you run a small business, you put your heart and soul (and a lot of your time) into it. You take the leap because you\u2019ve got something you believe in, and you\u2019re willing to put in a lot of work. You wear many hats throughout the startup and maybe throughout the day, but you need to know where to focus your energy to make the most significant impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What should you prioritize when you <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/business\/how-to-build-traction-for-your-small-business-in-2021\">own a small business<\/a>? Keep reading for some ideas on where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take Advantage of Your Position<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The new kid on the block is only new for so long, so make sure to capitalize on your newness while it lasts. If you\u2019re running a physical storefront, be sure to generate word of mouth around your opening in a variety of ways: physical signage, social media posts, and placement on any lists you can garner, including press releases in local newspapers and magazines and inviting local influencers for a sneak peak<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get people in your door and be sure to offer a good selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/mug-styles\">branded merchandise<\/a> like quality caps, hats, and custom mugs for a coffee shop \u2013 things that make sense so people can walk out the door and spread the word right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04-08-BOM-Bakery-on-Main.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21463\" width=\"584\" height=\"320\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Find Your Strength As an Entrepreneur&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Be the best at what <em>you <\/em>do. Brew the beer or coffee, or bake the pastries. Remember why you decided to open a business in the first place. Focus on what will make you unique; what sets you apart from the competition. It can be intimidating as the little guy to watch bigger competitors do more, expand, and offer more products and services than you do. Remember your strength lies in specialization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Build Your Team and Manage Your Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you start out, you might feel like you have to do everything, but you\u2019ll need to learn to trust others to do a good job as you get going. The key to trusting other people with your brand is to work with good people who see things the way you do. Building the team that will launch your business, take it to the next level, and even run it day in and day out with you is essential. Don\u2019t be afraid to look for the right people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll need to recognize which tasks need to be delegated as well. Creating your physical <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/mug-styles\">branding and logo<\/a> is likely a job best left to a professional \u2013 someone you feel comfortable collaborating with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Focus on Your Goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what kind of business you\u2019re running, never forget to prioritize the goal of developing an amazing customer experience. Always focus on this and make your decisions to that end. What kind of environment do you want your brewpub to be? What type of custom merchandise do you want to sell? Invite customers to feel like they\u2019re part of your community when they take part in your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/03-30-Green-Tech.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21464\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Your Brand in Mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve spent time, effort, and capital building your small business brand. Your brand is your logo and assets; it\u2019s the mood and tone of your interactions and your content on social media or in customer communications; it is your custom merchandise and your physical environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whenever you\u2019re making a decision, run it through the filter of your brand story to make sure it lines up with your values and the brand you\u2019ve worked so hard to build. You know who you are; don\u2019t try to be everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stay in Touch With Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s vital to maintain constant communication with your customers. Always respond to comments and reviews \u2013 good or bad. Work to make something right and make changes when changes are necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Forget Your Competition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, you can\u2019t afford to operate entirely without a thought to your competition. Still, you should always focus on being the best at what you do instead of constantly reacting to what your competitors are doing. Build on what\u2019s working for them and align your vision with a campaign that makes your brand stand out among the crowd. Partner with other local businesses that complement your brand to strengthen your exposure to your community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spread the Word<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you include branded merchandise for sale or as a part of special events at your small business, it\u2019s worth considering whether the merchandise will help or hurt your brand. Quality merchandise will reflect well on your company. Put your brand on merchandise that makes sense for your customers, don\u2019t waste your money placing your logo where it doesn\u2019t belong. Your merch is a multifaceted marketing tool that should blend beauty with functionality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/\">Grey Fox Pottery<\/a> to see how our artisans use a scrimshaw technique to put your logo on custom <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/mug-styles\/coffee-mugs\">stoneware mugs<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/mug-styles\/beer-steins\">steins<\/a> in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Choose the color or combination of colors that reflect your brand, and we\u2019ll take it from there.&nbsp;<br>Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/customer-gallery\">customer gallery<\/a> to see how other Grey Fox Pottery customers have made our custom stoneware mugs a part of their small business branding and custom merchandise assortments. <a href=\"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/about-us\/contact-us\">Contact us<\/a> today to learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you run a small business, you put your heart and soul (and a lot of your time) into it. You take the leap because you\u2019ve got something you believe in, and you\u2019re willing to put in a lot of work. You wear many hats throughout the startup and maybe throughout the day, but you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":22108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[232],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greyfoxpottery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}