Value and Marketing are the Keys to the Digital Entrepreneur

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Adding value to your small business or as a digital entrepreneur

As I refine my missions and personal goals as an online home based business owner and digital entrepreneur, I find that more and more my success and fulfillment depends on my ability to help others. By that I mean that all of my efforts to develop myself personally and professionally are all coming together as a way of sharing me, my knowledge, my skill set and ultimately my value with other business people.

And by sharing, by bringing value to others, I enrich my life in a number of ways. It allows me a sense of personal satisfaction and achievement. And it allows me to prosper and grow as a small business owner and digital entrepreneur.

The key to success for me and other small businesses is to provide value. We are small business people and digital entrepreneurs, so we are driven to profit from in our transactions. We couldn’t survive if we didn’t profit. But again the key to success in business is very simple, to exchange value for money.

And the greater the perception of value is relative to the price of the product or service, the happier the customer is and ultimately the more successful you are as a business person. And often what adds value to a product or service is the personal attention, concern and knowledge you share with the customer. By sharing yourself, by sharing your experience and knowledge, you add something that removes the focus from price to value.

Value will trump price for the small business and digital entrepreneur

If a customer’s primary focus is on price, it is very hard to keep that customer. They will ultimately jump to the first competitor that can offer a lower price, given that the product or service is comparable. But if the customer is focused on the value that you provide, and you consistently strive to improve the value you bring to your product or service, you will have a customer for life.

Adding value to a static product or service is often achieved through the personal interaction. This can be the sharing of experience or information. It is going the extra step. It can be an incentive or bonus. It can be a discount or loyalty program. It can also be a free webinar or newsletter providing relevant information that has value to your customers.

It can also be a personal touch in a world that is increasingly dehumanized and automated. It can be a hand written thank you note or a personal follow up phone call. Ask yourself, what can you do in your business that will distinguish yourself from your competition and add value to your customer.

Marketing promotes your value as a small business or digital entrepreneur

The business world is by no means easy. Owning a small business or being a digital entrepreneur presents challenges every day. Success is not guaranteed. It always comes from dedication, hard work and the never give up attitude. You can’t depend on client’s or customers flocking to your business on their own. You need to have a product or service that has value, and you need to market that product or service effectively.

No one is going to buy something they don’t see or know about. And whatever product or service you are selling, it is unlikely you are the only one offering it. With the growth of online business the world is essentially shrinking for the business person. The barriers for a business on the other side of the globe to sell to a customer in your hometown are virtually eliminated. The business world is global and increasingly digital.

Marketing becomes more important under these conditions. And the perception of value is often the factor that determines who a customer buys from in a competitive global market. So the ability to effectively market your product or service so that the value is effectively emphasized is critical to the success of any business.

If you don’t have that specialized marketing knowledge then you either dedicate yourself or someone in your business to learning it, or you hire someone who does to assist you. Being a solo small business owner, a home based business or a digital entrepreneur often requires you to wear many different hats each day. But marketing is an ongoing process that requires consistency. Neglect it and your business will suffer.

So if you are inexperienced in marketing, and more and more internet marketing, you need to either commit to learning it or get help doing it. No matter how much value your business can provide to a potential customer, if that potential customer is not aware of your business, well you get it. So commit to providing as much value as possible in your business, it will differentiate you from your competitors. But if you are a small business, a startup business, or a digital entrepreneur, do not neglect to focus on your marketing.