Many small business owners are so busy and overwhelmed with tasks and responsibilities that they neglect important steps to grow and in some cases—save their company. “I’m too busy to do that.” Ring a bell? Researchers have found that we actually procrastinate tasks that give us anxiety or trigger our own insecurities. Additionally, procrastinating often occurs when there isn’t a clear set of actions for a given task, unlike our daily routine, which is second nature and often somewhat mindless.

Have you ever heard the expression “without trust, there is no sale”? Trust is fundamental to establishing new relationships and must be present prior to potential customers taking the plunge to work together, especially when there is a degree of risk in making a choice to give you a try. Research shows it is very possible to enable high trust before meeting someone. This is particularly true for businesses that sell online and rely on a large flow of new customers, as well as companies that have yet to develop a well-known brand reputation. First impression cues lay the groundwork for this initial trusting process, so here are a few tips to help you cover your bases.

A stereotype that consultants only serve to "take over and tell you what to do" mean that some business owners miss out on the value of a quality advisor - one who embodies trust, inspiration, and accountability in his or her value set. An advisor with the right cooperative models and empathetic approach can enhance a business in a variety of areas. Here's how to get an idea of a person's or firm's value set to find the right fit.

While we all know communication is important, taking time to communicate workplace culture, expectations, or feedback can easily be missed when there are seemingly higher priorities. Even the smallest of teams, teams of three or four, must have a work atmosphere that’s productive and aligns with the business’ values. For a realistic yet effective approach, start out by establishing a communication model with three, achievable components.

The itch for renewed growth signals the need to regain focus. So, what’s the best way forward? It’s common for entrepreneurs to spend a lot of time on expansion efforts that simply don’t work, proving fruitless and all the more frustrating. I find that people with this experience tend to suffer from a lack of focus, not only on how to go about revenue expansion, but also around their brand’s value.

Many might believe word-of-mouth advertising to be a process left to chance, but in reality it takes careful construction from the top down. Coaching on the part of small business owners regarding the specifics of worth-of-mouth marketing is paramount to a flourishing campaign. Brand awareness propagates not just through the act of brand ambassadors talking about it, but more specifically, how they talk about it. Anyone in a position to voice your brand can be thought of as brand ambassadors. You’d be amazed at what a customer retains when given a clear pain point, solution and story.