MONEY & BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Know your ideal customer How well do you understand your ideal customer’s buying decisions?
Do your research to understand buying behaviours: Conducting research is paramount in order to uncover consumer insights that lead to a deeper understanding of their motivations. In my case, I went through numerous customer reviews of what my potential clients were doing right and wrong, the Q&A section on their websites, and social media channels. I conducted competitor analysis and interviewed international students to find out their biggest needs and Tell your story well: The most challenges and if the institutions/ successful brands are the ones able to agents were addressing them effectively. tell stories that people can relate to. re you looking to become a consumption so they know: All that research equipped me I shared blog posts and articles small business owner? How 1. The cues that people respond well do you understand the to in deducing what products that my potential customers could with the information to execute forward to their students since they strategies that raised awareness rationale behind the buying decisions are better than others; 2. How situational factors affect addressed the issues they faced, and about my services and why they are of your potential customers? I made sure my website and social the optimal solution for my clients. Small business owners in Canada their purchase decisions; and David Mendoza is an educator are a force to be reckoned with — 3. How they influence others media had testimonials from both over 98 per cent of all businesses based on their own experience clients and students illustrating the and entrepreneur, director at Orbit in the country have less than 100 acquiring the products they buy. value that my work with them had 5, and professor at George Brown College. added to their lives. employees. If you have immigrated My own business model is B2B to Canada or are planning on coming here with the idea of developing (Business-to-Business) and although an entrepreneurial initiative, the end users of my services are these numbers speak to great international students, my clients are Fashion Interior educational institutions and agents opportunities. Design Design The key to successful entre- giving their students a competitive preneurship is finding gaps within edge and tools to make the most of your target market and how your their Canadian journey. Below are tips from my personal offering can fill those gaps, and providing an experience that will experience as an entrepreneur: Architecture Visual Effects Design and Art and Design entice your consumer to develop VCAD offers exceptional Technology Identify and address specific a relationship with your brand’s career-focused design education across a identity. This, in turn, will result pain points: You must have clarity variety of disciplines: in repeat business and new client on the problems that your potential customer is experiencing. referrals. For example, once I identified that As small business owners, you 3D Modeling Graphic Animation Design must focus your marketing efforts on the isolation and the difficulty to find Art and Design engaging with potential customers. meaningful work that international This includes connecting your brand students experience are due to a with them at a deeply human level, lack of preparation to manage their understanding patterns within their transition into life in Canada, I Game buying behaviours to refine the story created content that illustrated how Development and Design your company tells, and the social my program could prepare them for impact your brand makes when that and keep their mental health addressing specific pain points, i.e. on point. The latter was an aspect the problems customers experience. I strategically built upon, so my Your products and services must be potential client could see why my aligned with your clients’ values and option was better than others. vision. Be willing to go the extra mile: Brands aiming to convey messages that leave a robust impact When you are new to the market and career.vcad.ca 1.800.290.2179 on consumers have to pay close no one knows you, you must put in attention to the ongoing process of extra work to get noticed without selling anything directly. Reach out to potential leads, build a relationship, and engage with them so they can experience your services firsthand. When I started my business, I offered demo workshops so potential customers could experience my initiative from the comfort of their venues. I did this in order to ensure that their buying decision was not impacted by situational factors like being rushed or an unfamiliar location.
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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 2 | 2020
