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My husband and I are co-owners in a construction company but my favorite small business is my makeup artistry service. I?ve been in business for almost ten years now but still find it challenging to get customers to come to my home. I don?t mind going to the customer at times, but when I have a large bridal party or a several appointments in a day, the logistics are challenging. Also, fuel costs were beginning to put a damper on my profits. I had to make changes.
I wanted to focus on drawing customers to my home based business instead of traveling across the county for a client?s pre-photo shoot makeup sessions. I?d still make traveling appointments when necessary, but I decided to move the bulk of my work to the studio. Here?s what I did and what results I have seen.
I assessed my curb appeal . I know from my own personal experience that I don?t want to stop at a business that looks unkempt or unsafe. I took a drive up to my own place and noticed my sign was difficult to see and the entrance appeared hidden by tall bushes. I hired a landscaper to remove the scraggly azaleas by the road and replaced them with low-growing bushes that don?t hinder the drive up.
I moved my house numbers . I repositioned them to other side of the porch where the majority of my drive up traffic arrives from. I also swapped out the old scripted numbers for plain block numbers, making it easier for everyone to see.
I placed a storage box outside for customer drop off and pick up . I keep regular hours but sometimes I have to step away, especially if my husband?s crew needs a tool or material. To accommodate customers returning products or needing to pick something up, I positioned a decorative mailbox near the door with a secure, safety latch. It also makes the entrance look whimsical.
I replaced my sign. I had a small sign out front for years but I figured it was time for an upgrade. I asked a friend to make a sign for me that looked like a lipstick tube. It was funky and neat. The bright pink color really stands out but it isn?t so large that it disturbs the neighbors.
I hung a sign on the door that lists my hours of operation . There?s also a handy ?out to lunch? sign that I can use when I need to.
I?ve seen some good things happen because of my little improvements. As a home business owner, I feel confident asking my customers to come to my home. Also, some of my neighbors who?d overlooked my old sign previously now ask about my business. I have gotten some good publicity just from changing it out.
Tags: home based business
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