The New "Face" of Social Media (See What I Did There?)

I’m betting you’ve all heard at least one person that your business HAS to participate in “social media”. Know what? They’re right! And here at GGM, we’ve hand-crafted five unique steps to help your business harness the power of social media. Read on!

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Welcome back to GGM’s weekly Wednesday article: Scotch and Cigars! Scotch and Cigars is a weekly segment answering reader questions about everything business-related. Look for it every Wednesday afternoon here at GGM.

If you have questions that you’d like answered by our panel of experts, simply submit it to the comments section below.

Your questions answered after the break!

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For many of you out there, this article might be a bit too basic. But for those of you out there considering starting your own business, this information could prove invaluable, so read on!

1.) Before you spend a dime, talk to everyone you know about your ideas. Just like reading your highschool essays out loud to your parents to make sure you didn’t write any awkward sentences, your friends and family can remind you of things you may have missed or help you find new ideas or efficiencies.

2.) Speak to a business banking consultant. Unless you’re a finance or accounting major (and really even if you are), this is vital. He or she can help you better understand the unique needs and requirements of your business, like start-up loans, working capital loans to buy equipment, and lines of credit to help even out your cash flow.

3.) Take advantage of local, state, and federal agencies like the Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) that offer free advice and consulting. If you’ve never started your own business before, don’t lull yourself into thinking that they can’t teach you anything valuable.

4.) Find someone to make your company a website. Unless your an “eCommerce” type business that sells products primarily online, you can have a start-up website made for between $1500-2500. Yes, it might be a bit pricey from the perspecive of a start-up, but nowadays a website is simply vital. ALSO: Note that this isn’t the time or place to hire Aunt Betsy’s highschooler or the kid around the corner – take your new business seriously and hire a professional.

5.) Network, network, network. The best kind of advertising is like your favorite kind of beer – free! Take your business cards and some well written fliers and give them to every family member, friend, acquaintance, ex-boss, and stray dog you pass on the street and tell them to pass the word. If necessary, offer an incentive to them like a $20 gift card or a six-pack for every customer they bring you. You’ll be surprised how well this works!

Hopefully this helped you… And if you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

And, as always…

…Go out there and get it done!