The importance of knowing your customers is not a new concept. For years, small businesses have been trying to understand their market and customer base to help them segment the population and give them a better chance at reaching their target customers. This in turn helps them have a passion and provision company. The tools used to grow your business by understanding your customers have evolved over the years. The “old school” tactics are still important, but the elements needed to truly understand your customers have become more sophisticated. What are the elements needed to better reach your customer base?

If you want to have a successful small business event, but only have a small budget to work with, then you have to promote it correctly to get people interested and through the doors. Your end goal is to not let them get distracted by your competitors and everything else going on around them. Good promoting leads to more ticket sales, which helps your business be successful, and continue to be able to provide a place of both passion and provision.

How many times have you been invited to one of those home parties? You know the kind: kitchenware, make-up, jewelry, clothing, essential oils, purses, candles, and even weight loss coffee these days! How many times have you dreaded going, but felt bad saying no because you promised your friend you’d be there? You enjoy going to socialize, have a drink and some appetizers, with no intention whatsoever to purchase, but you end up making a guilt purchase anyway. You leave with buyer's remorse wondering, “Are they really a model for a successful small business?” Well, they probably provide passion and provision for some people, but they are a good example of how NOT to make people feel when they are a potential customer for any business. Let’s think of it in marketing terms.

Frequency is key for lasting relationships. Think of a relationship that you value in your life. When did you meet this person? How long have you known them? How did they become an important figure in your life? In general, you’ll meet someone and the relationship grows based on how much time you spend with them.

Learning how to manage a business is a big crazy concept that can feel stressful and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. There’s a really easy way to take this concept and boil it down to one simple system that you can learn quickly and start acting on now.

Making all the green lights and getting to work early. An uncluttered inbox. Noticing a coupon in your email for a free cup of coffee because you have an uncluttered inbox. An unexpected positive review from a customer. These are all delightful things. Hitting all the red lights on your way to work. Wasting an hour sifting through spam in your inbox. Realizing your free cup of coffee coupon expired. A customer complaint on social media. These are un-delightful things. If you’re a small business owner who strives to have a company full of passion and provision, you need to start using inbound marketing to delight your customers. In fact, you can quickly and easily start planning how to do that today on your lunch break.

Every day people start companies. Every day people go to work at these companies. Every day people are solving problems at these companies. In Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace study, 70 percent of those who participated described themselves as “disengaged” from their work. This costs companies money and the ability to succeed. It also causes everyone in the company – from the CEO down to the janitor – to be robbed of their joy at work and in their life. Are you looking for a way to turn disorganization into order and chaos into a positive company culture?

You know that it’s important to educate your current and potential customers about what your business has to offer in order to increase your market share, but how do you do this online? Small business marketing is about creating passion and provision in your company and staying a step ahead of your competition by providing direct avenues to educational information people actually want.

How is your small business in Northern California attracting customers? Maybe you’re still leveraging old traditional marketing like television, radio, billboards and direct mail. While these certainly still have their place, an inbound marketing strategy can lead you down the path of becoming a successful small business in Northern California and help you create a Passion and Provision company. It’s proving to be the most effective way to come full circle and turn the perfect type of strangers into customers and promoters of your small business. These strangers don’t know you yet, but they are looking for exactly what you have to offer.

When thinking about time management the theme song to “RENT” comes to mind: Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure a year? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee? In inches? In miles? In laughter? In strife? How do you measure a year in the life?

How do you measure a year in the life of your small business? Maybe you’re just trying to keep up with the day to day tasks and feel like it’s a vicious cycle. You live a busy life.