Who do you know?

Still talking business tips, hints and ideas - today's topic: Your Sphere of Influence. This group's definition is everyone you know and past customers. It takes a village to build your customer base to sell to. First and foremost: Tell everyone you know about your business, what you do and how much fun you're having doing it. You have to toot your own horn, no one else will.

With the world wide web influence, it's become simpler and easy to toot that horn. Facebook, Twitter, blog spots, texting, emails are all great tools to use in promote your business along with snail mail. Also:

1. You already know how much and how often --- you've gotten those big business emails and post cards in the mail. How often do they contact you? Does it feel like too much and you delete that email without opening it? Or does it come every once in a while and you actually read the information. Be consistent and do it again, again, again.
2. Let your Sphere know when something new is happening within your business -- if you're excited they'll be excited, too.
3. Diversify - don't just rely on one or two avenues to get the word out. Try different contact methods.
4. Ask your Sphere "who do they know?" that would benefit from your business or product.
5. And remember: "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done." So tell them.