If you ask any small business owner, one of the major factors affecting business trajectory -- along with other major challenges including cash flow, health care, tax compliance, employee hiring -- is sales. Revenue is a key driver to any business as it is directly related to one's bottom line growth and ability to scale. So then, what are the key factors to increasing sales if you're currently struggling? With only 50% of small businesses surviving past the five-year mark, this is a necessary problem that many of us prioritize. Here are some quick marketing tips directed toward my fellow entrepreneurs that can help fuel growth for your small business.
How To Boost Sales For Your Small Business
1. Live in your niche/engage with your customer
One CBInsights analysis study concluded that 42% of small businesses fail because there is no market need for the product offered. In order to make sure your product is solving a customer challenge, you'll need to live in your niche and constantly engage with your current and potential customer base. Understand how your product can help solve a problem in their lives. Market research via tools, such as customer service surveys or focus groups, can help garner insights to inform better product-related decisions. Building relationships with your customers is always beneficial.
Another way to live in your niche is to attend industry trade events that target your customer or market specifically. This allows you to further understand their buying behavior and what's driving their purchase decisions. You'll also be able to network with other leaders in your industry and share experiences that can yield ideas for how you can better serve your customer.
2. Spend money to make money
As the saying goes, "Scared money don't make no money." In business, investing in advertisements can be a targeted way to drive sales. Depending on your business, social media is a low cost way to start spending ad dollars. First, you'll need to make sure your visual media, sales copy, and call to action is extremely clear. Then, use the social media platform's ad tools to target your ad as specifically as possible. You may need to make different versions of the ad depending upon your market segment.
One size does not fit all. Working with a social media ads expert for training or implementation is a smart investment if you're not comfortable running an ad campaign alone. A solid expert should be able to tailor your visuals, sales copy and call to action to align with your sales goals. Other types of worthwhile paid promotion include buying advertising space on other platforms (websites, podcasts, radio, TV), working with influencers to push your product or service, or even offering affiliate codes to others to help direct traffic to your business.
Depending upon your business, investing in a content marketing strategy can also be valuable. What kind of content can you create or push out into the world that drives brand awareness and inspires customers to take action? If you're a service provider, investing in video content that teaches lessons related to your service might be a way to drive future sales. Or, hiring a publicist that can help you land press opportunities and increase your brand awareness is another smart way to spend marketing dollars. Whatever you choose, you'll want to make sure you're consistently reviewing all reports monthly (or weekly) to make sure there is a positive ROI (return on investment.) Then, adjust if needed.
3. Nurture your email list
Email marketing is an often underlooked tool that can drive business growth. If you aren't investing in building a quality, well-engaged email list now is the time to start. Email marketing is a great way to stay top of mind and build a personal relationship with your audience. However your emails shouldn't always be about driving customers to buy something from you. Use emails as a way to build a sense of genuine community. Share behind the scenes about your company or tips that your customer can use in their own lives. Show that you care.
Making sure you choose the right email service provider based on your business and email needs is also crucial. A good email service provider should allow you to segment your audience so that you can send emails that cater to their past behaviors and experience with your business.
4. Conduct a website audit
If you're an online-based business, you'll want to ensure that it is easy for customers to buy from you. Is your website designed to convert interested customers into paying customers? Take some time to analyze your site for key indicators of future sales performance. Does the site take a long time to load? Are your product and/or service descriptions clear? For example, if you're an online fashion boutique, are your product photos well-taken and edited? Do you have all appropriate sizing information readily available to someone who is looking? Making sure your cart checkout process is easy is also key. Many customers will abandon cart, especially if they can't figure out how to checkout and pay.
Take time to act as a customer and walk through your website experience. Make sure your content is search-engine optimized -- and includes keywords that your customer is searching for. If you notice kinks or detractors, it's more than likely that your customer will as well. Your website doesn't have to be fancy or cost the most to design, but it should be aesthetically appealing, effective, easy to use, and drive action towards your sales goal.
At the end of the day, you'll need to find the right marketing mix that works for your business. The best way to see results and grow your sales is to experiment constantly, review your insights and analytics, and make sure you're intune with customer feedback and needs. Make smart investments in people, systems, and tools that can aid along your business sales journey.
If you need a refresher on marketing tips that convert, check out a favorite of mine -- Guerilla Marketing Remix by Jay Conrad Levinson.
Want more business reads like this? Check out these related reads:
The Power Of The Pivot: How CurlMix Plans To Reach $10M In Sales - Read More
What's Really Keeping You From Your Six-Figure Goals - Read More
The Most Common Mistakes That Keep Us From Reaching Our Business Goals - Read More
I Made $15,000 In Three Months As An Airbnb Host - Read More
Featured image by Getty Images
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Rana Campbell is a Princeton University graduate, storyteller, content marketing strategist, and the founder and host of Dreams In Drive - a weekly podcast that teaches you how to take your dreams from PARK to DRIVE. She loves teaching others how to use their life stories to inspire action within oneself and others. Connect with her on Instagram @rainshineluv or @dreamsindrive.
Reset Your Relationship: How To Start 2025 Strong With Your Partner
As the calendar turns and a new year unfolds, many of us are laser-focused on our career goals, fitness resolutions, and vision boards that outline the journey to our best selves. But amidst all the planning and self-improvement, have you made room for another important part of your life? Your relationship.
It's easy for couples to fall into a routine, going through the motions and letting their connection sit on autopilot. While comfort is natural in a long-term relationship, it’s important to remember: that what you don’t nurture, eventually fades. So, why not make 2025 the year you reset your relationship? Here’s how to start the year with a renewed bond, reigniting the spark that brought you together.
Step 1: Schedule Your Reset Meeting
The first step to hitting the reset button is a State of the Union meeting with your partner. This is your chance to take a pulse on the relationship, discuss what's working, and identify areas that need attention. It’s all about creating space to reflect, without distractions.
Grab a pen and paper (or open a shared note on your phone) and come prepared to share your top 2-3 desires for your relationship.
What do you both want to feel more of in 2025? Maybe it’s feeling more appreciated, or perhaps you want to reignite the passion you had when you first started dating. Whatever it is, get clear about it, and make sure both of you are on the same page.
This isn’t just about listing your own wants, it’s also about discussing ways to nurture each other’s needs. Relationship goals should be focused on fostering deeper intimacy, trust, and mutual respect. Use this time to check in, not only with each other but with your individual feelings and expectations. Set the foundation for a fulfilling year ahead.
Step 2: Set A Date (Or Multiple!)
Having the meeting is only the first step. Now, it’s time to take action. One of the simplest ways to breathe new life into a relationship is by reintroducing consistent, intentional time spent together. For many couples, life gets busy, and date nights fall by the wayside. But dating doesn’t stop when you say "I do"—in fact, it’s even more essential.
During your reset meeting, lock in a regular date night that works for both of your schedules. This could be a weekly dinner date or an every-other-week adventure—whatever keeps things fresh. The goal is consistency. It’s easy to push date nights aside when life gets hectic, but if you set a specific date each week or month, you’re making your relationship a priority.
If you’re unsure what to do for your date nights, don’t worry! The key is creating new experiences together. This is what sparks excitement and brings you closer as a couple. Whether it’s cooking a new recipe together, trying a dance class, or exploring a nearby town, it’s about creating shared memories that build your connection.
Step 3: Find an Accountability Partner
Just like you might have a personal trainer to help you crush your fitness goals, an accountability partner for your relationship can do wonders for keeping both of you on track. Consider hiring a marriage coach or therapist—someone who can meet you where you are and guide you in strengthening your relationship.
When selecting a professional, it’s important to choose someone who truly wants the best for your marriage and can provide actionable advice.
Don’t be afraid to set high standards for your relationship, and seek guidance on how to keep it thriving for the long haul. In your reset meeting, discuss your commitment to growth, and be honest about areas where you may need support.
Marriage isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it endeavor—it’s an ongoing process. Regular check-ins with a professional can help keep your relationship in tip-top shape and “divorce-proof” by addressing issues before they become insurmountable.
Step 4: Try Something New Together
Stale routines can easily make a relationship feel monotonous. Spice things up by trying something new! Couples that explore new activities and create new memories together have stronger, more fulfilling bonds.
My husband and I host one of the top luxury marriage retreats, A Weekend For Love, designed to help couples experience new things together. From couples' workshops to outdoor adventures, the retreat provides a platform to rediscover each other and reconnect on a deeper level.
The element of surprise can reignite your connection. It’s exciting, fresh, and shows your partner that you’re committed to growing together. This doesn’t have to be a huge commitment—it could be as simple as trying a new hobby or planning an impromptu weekend getaway.
Your Relationship Should Be A Priority
As you start the year with personal goals in mind, don’t forget the importance of nurturing your relationship. It’s easy to get caught up in work, fitness, and family obligations, but your bond with your partner deserves to be at the top of your list. Resetting your relationship offers an opportunity to reignite that spark and remind each other why you fell in love in the first place.
In 2025, make a commitment to prioritize your partnership, to nurture it daily, and to invest in its growth. Take time to celebrate each other’s victories, support one another’s dreams, and build a foundation of love and respect. When you start the year with a clear focus on your relationship, you’re setting it up for success.
So, before you start mapping out your new workout plan or work goals, do yourself a favor: put your relationship at the top of that list. Your love story deserves a fresh start, too.
Happy New Year, and here’s to a love-filled 2025!
Couples, if you are ready to do the work and invest in your relationship register for A Weekend For Love: Heart Retreat Feb 21-23, 2025.
Featured image by zamrznutitonovi/Getty Images
Celebrity Hairstylist Cliff Vmir On Social Media Success & How To Pivot Following Looming TikTok Ban
It’s the year 2025, newspaper ads, radio ads, billboards, posters - OUT. And you know what’s in? Social media. I mean, this clearly isn’t just a 2025 thing, but have you ever sat back and thought about the unprecedented rise of the “social media influencer?” Gone are the days when the marketing we relied on came from traditional sources. Everyday people have become some of the best marketers in today’s world.
You could even say, personality is the best marketing tool of today. xoNecole caught up with celebrity hairstylist and CEO of haircare line FEMMÉ, Cliff Vmir, who was ahead of the game as one of the first entrepreneurs to successfully use social media to promote his business.
Cliff started his hairstyling journey at 13, and by 15, he was already using Instagram to show off his skills. His talent, unique style, and effervescent personality earned him a strong social media presence. Taking Instagram by the reins while most of us were posting cringe-worthy selfies or blurry shots of a night out, his foresight has earned him some big celebrity clients, from Cardi B to Jazmine Sullivan, and a booming business.
While speaking to xoNecole, the “King of Hair” reflected on his rise to social media stardom.
“I would say I’m one of the world's first hairstylists to ever really take social media by storm and use it as a marketing tool at such a young age,” he tells us.
“No one was really utilizing Instagram for their business...But I wanted to use that as a showcase to show my work. I used my age as a good marketing tool, with me being 15 at the time and me really knowing how to do hair very well. My hashtag was #cliffvmirthe15yearoldstylist.”
The last few years have seen Instagram face new competition with the emergence of TikTok because of the variety of content available and how easy it is for creators to go viral and find fame. Cliff told us why TikTok is the app he’s loving right now.
“I just feel like TikTok has that algo of what Instagram used to have when Instagram first hit the scene. Like it is so easy to go viral or to get discovered...It's like, as long as you're staying consistent, you'll eventually fall in the algo,” he explains.
“People are making full-blown careers just off of TikTok. And it's just something about that TikTok Shop. It's its own kind of Amazon situation.” And it seems the feeling is mutual. Cliff recently teamed up with TikTok and spilled the tea on their partnership.
I just feel like TikTok has that algo of what Instagram used to have when Instagram first hit the scene. Like it is so easy to go viral or to get discovered...It's like, as long as you're staying consistent, you'll eventually fall in the algo
“I've been doing some partnership live streams with them…I've been up to the TikTok headquarters doing live streams and connecting with my fans and doing a whole live buying/shopping experience…they do things for the creators to keep the creators engaged,” he says.
The mega stylist recently went viral on TikTok with sales from his haircare line FEMMÉ skyrocketing.
“Right now, our store has sold over 23,000 units…I've never even sold this amount of units within a year. So like I said, TikTok is definitely one of those things that pushes you to the forefront,” he shares.
“And I'm just thankful...I'm thankful for the people over at TikTok who stand behind me, for the supporters on TikTok that are actually buying my product, and all my return customers as well.”
Time is running out for the clock app with the looming TikTok ban that’s set for January 19. What will this mean for creators, influencers, and everyday users?
Personally, I’m not looking forward to losing all my saved hair and makeup tutorials. And how will I plan my trip itineraries without checking “black girls + (city)” or “(city) + nightlife + black people”? #freetiktok
@iamcliffvmir Lol this my ish tho😭
Cliff shares his thoughts. “I just feel like we’re going to have to go back to the basics, which is Instagram. And I'm just going to really have to create a very strategic…But you'll just see me being more active everywhere,” he says.
“Of course, TikTok is where it is…I'm going to be active everywhere else - X, Facebook, and Instagram. I really hope they don't ban it, that would really hurt my feelings.”
#shadowbanthetiktokban, am I right? The “Hair OG” also gave us some tips and tricks for aspiring creators and entrepreneurs.
“If they're going to social media as a business, then just stay consistent, keep posting business things, and just make sure that you're keeping up with just certain trends and you're following people who you aspire to be…That's first,” he says.
“Number two is you should never be scared to get in front of the camera and make the content…It’s like a marketing tool for yourself. And then using the hashtags like #FYP and #viral, and hashtags that really can drive consumers to watch your videos.”
As a longtime celebrity hairstylist, Cliff knows all things hair-related. So what can we look forward to in 2025? A new look, perhaps? Here’s the hair trends predicted for this year.
“We're definitely going to see less wigs. We're going to see more leave-outs. We're going to see a lot more natural hair flourishing,” he reveals.
“I feel like that is really important. Yes, you can wear a wig, weave all day long, but what about the natural hair underneath? I kind of see some things remaining, though as far as things like closure installs. But hair is going to start being more natural again…It's going to revert to how it was in 2015 and 2016.”
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