Lead the Way to New Customers

Running a small business, to some, is considered a never-ending job.

There's always something that needs to be done - whether that's fine-tuning a product, adding additional products or services, managing employees, hiring new employees, balancing the account, keeping current customers coming back, trying to gain new customers and more.

While an established small business may be able to survive without adding any new customers, most small businesses do want to continue growing throughout the business' lifetime.

In order to do this, one must find new and innovative ways to continually attract new customers.

Take a look at an informative article on 10 ways your company can generate new leads right now, among which include:

1. Develop social media pages - If you haven't already jumped on the social media bandwagon, now is the time. Create a website, Facebook page, Twitter account and Google Plus page, at the very least. Social media reaches billions of people - so make sure your small business isn't missing out on this vast social market.

1. Meet new people face-to-face - Don't be so focused on your business that you never branch out. Get out from behind your desk and step outside, chat to locals in the coffee shop, join a networking group and continue making friends and getting to know new people. The more people you know, the more potential customers you have.
2. Have a clear, accurate website - Build a website that is easy to read and easy to navigate. The contact page, in particular, should be especially helpful. Don't scare the customer away by asking them too many questions just for them to reach you. Also, a 'frequently asked questions' page is very helpful to avoid repeat questions.
3. Find referrals - Ask satisfied existing customers for referral business. Referrals are the easiest types of customers to get since whoever referred them is clearly already a fan of you and your business.
4. Establish a 'host-beneficiary' arrangement - A 'host-beneficiary' is where the new, small business uses a larger business that attracts similar customers to gain business. If you own a jewelry cleaning business, for example, you could offer free or heavily discounted services to a large, established jewelry store's existing customers.
5. Form a strategic alliance with another company - Make an agreement with another company in your industry to give each other referral business. Real estate agents, for example, may recommend a general contractor to their clients. In return, the general contractor will recommend the real estate agent.
6. Do something different - Do you normally spend most of your advertising budget on online marketing? Try mailing flyers via traditional mail or posting flyers in local coffee shops instead. If "local" is your main strategy, jump into the online world of advertising. Be willing to continually change up your routine.
7. Come up with a new product or service - Challenge yourself to take your business one step further by improving your already-existing product or coming up with something completely different. You may reach a whole new network of individuals by adding to your product or service line.
8. Exceed your own expectations - In other words, always over-deliver. By giving customers slightly more than they expect, you'll easily keep them coming back, get rave reviews online and get referral business without even having to ask.

10. Open another location or franchise your business - The more locations you have, the more customers you'll attract. If you can afford it, consider opening another location in a new area. You may also want to look into offering your business as a franchise option for up-and-coming business owners.