Starting your own business can be not only challenging but also downright scary. It won’t all be smooth sailing, especially in the early days. I don’t want to scare you off, trust me, it’s worth it to do something that excites you. It definitely helps to be doing something that you love because that passion will help get you through the hard times.

I do have good news for you though, this is the best time in history to get started! The barriers have been lowered and if you have an idea or particular interest it has never been easier to share it with the world. The advent of the telephone, changed not just how business was done but became big business in itself. Now with the rise of the internet we can easily connect with millions of like-minded people, so let’s harness that power!

Today we’ll take a brief look at 3 things that any serious start up would be crazy to overlook in this digital age.

Your Website

Remember when you had to pay some strange, pasty guy thousands of dollars to create a website for you? It was either that or literally learning a new language.

I think it’s safe to say that most people have better things to do than learn HTML, like starting their own business! Those dark days are behind us, let’s never look back. Can you navigate your way around a computer and send an email? Guess what? You can build a website! Not some horrible old Geocities style one with dancing baby gifs but a legitimate, professional page.

Want to sell products from an online store? It’s just as easy and YOU can do it. I’m not joking, it’s as easy as drag and drop, it’s EASY to do and fool proof! A bonus and under appreciated feature of having your own website is that you can have a professional email address to go with it. Let’s be honest, I’m probably not going to buy what you’re selling if your best contact is a Hotmail account. Like everything listed here you have many options but my personal favourites are seen here Squarespace

If you’re looking at starting a business, a website is a real must.

Social Media

Social media rules our lives, there’s no denying it. You’ve already checked your Facebook while reading this haven’t you? That’s OK, admitting that you have a problem is the first step.

Ever lost an hour when you just wanted to quickly check Facebook? I have. It’s nice to be connected to everything at all times but wow can social media be draining! As engrossing as social media is from an individual standing point it’s equally as important from a business sense.

Your business NEEDS to have a social media presence to be relevant, even if you you’re not a fan yourself. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and google+ are no brainers for most companies and believe me, there are plenty more you can work with if you want to engage every customer possible.

Now, imagine having to upload content to engage your (potential) customers across all of those platforms! It’s enough to make a budding entrepreneur pick up their ball and go home.

We have found the solution …

Here at Smart On Hold we have been able to juggle all of our Social Media from one place. Yeah that’s a thing! You’re welcome for the hours, days and weeks I just saved you. Head over to Hootsuite, this is a great time saving device that can help you to

Final Thoughts

Alright, you’ve got an awesome website to show the world what you do and you’ve conquered social media. People are flocking to buy what you sell. Your email is getting hammered and the phone is ringing off the hook with people wanting what you have. That’s the ideal, a great problem to have no doubt. You may not get mobbed like this immediately but as long as you have a product that excites people they will want to call and speak to you.

When it comes to spending money people feel more comfortable having some sort of human contact. They’ll find any excuse to call and that’s great when you’re not busy, after all who can promote your business better than you?

What happens when you need to look something up or quickly check stock for a customer? What if another call comes in? Do you just leave them sitting on the line, do you pop them on hold to listen to silence or even worse, ads on the radio?

It’s a fact: “An AT&T study once reported that 94% of advertising budgets were spent trying to encourage incoming call volume … BUT only 6% of the budget was devoted to handling the call once it came in,” Kathy Powell, marketing director at Tie National in a phone interview with Small Business Trends.

Did you know that “30% of people that hang up will never call you back”? As long as you’re prepared, putting someone on hold is actually a great opportunity! With targeted on hold messages you can let customers know about your business, special offers and even services they may not be aware of. Once you resume the call they’ll automatically be in a buying mindset!

It’s doesn’t matter how small your business is, it’s all about the professional image your company projects and that’s what on hold messages will do for you, our pricing starts from $1.45 per day and we can even custom make you a package if you need something else. Got more than one site? We have extreme discounts that can save you a fortune and make your brand/business look and sound professional.

Contact us today – Smart on Hold or call 1300 467 646 and our team can help with your on hold marketing solution instantly.