Building Your Business Into An Empire

I recently sent a tweet out into the universe that was meant to be a little tongue in cheek comment on how busy I am and how many new business ideas are barraging into my brain from who knows where. But the more I thought about the tweet and received messages about it, the more I realized how much strength that message had.

The tweet was, "Busy today building an empire. It's exhausting work but what's a girl to do?!"

It's an interesting thought... are you just plugging along, taking your business day by day? Or are you making a conscious decision everyday to make steps towards a larger picture? I find myself busy with the daily duties of having my own business but then in spurts I find myself making huge strides to further this burgeoning business.

What are some ideas that you've had in the back of your head that might further or expand your business? What BIG ideas have you been putting off because of fear or intimidation that it might be too much for you to handle?

Here's a few suggestions that might get your creativity rolling... a few ideas to expand and grow your empire!

* Could you turn your art into greeting cards, gift wrap, collage sheets, buttons, pocket mirrors?
* Do you have great information to offer business owners that could be transformed into a booklet or e-book?
* Could you turn your love of knitting or crochet into wall art instead of just wearables?
* Could you make smaller versions of your handbags to be used as change purses, wallets?
* How could you expand your product line to cover a larger span of price points? Maybe add some more expensive pieces and more affordable ones as well?
* Does your product line have a cohesive look or would your customers be drawn to a more eclectic collection of work?
* Do you use all social media outlets to reach potential customers?
* How could you better package or present your goods for shops and/or shows?
* What is your customer's experience when receiving an order from you? How could you use that moment to make a more meaningful connection with them?
* Are your product descriptions memorable and creative?
* Why would someone want to buy from you? What makes you different from every other vendor out there?
* What questions might your customers have when reading your online item descriptions and how can you answer those questions to "seal the deal?"
* Where do you want your business to go? How big can you get before you need to hire help? Is that a feasible option for you right now?

The list could go on and on! There are endless ways to expand and grow your small business into an empire. From grounding and firming up your creative vision, solidifying the face of your business, expanding your product lines and flooding the online social outlets in a non-offensive or pushy way... these are all wonderful ways to excite the public about your business, and ultimately, you.

Do you have any great ideas about marketing, production, growth, advertising etc that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear all the ways that you are taking steps toward building your empire!

Photo credit - AntKriz via flickr Creative Commons