Home
>
Small Business
>
Small Business Failure? Nuts!

Small Business Failure? Nuts!

Pardon my enthusiasm, but a large part of your small business' success is somewhere else. Namely, out among the company's important external audiences.

How they perceive you, and what they believe about you and your business, directly affect your chances of success. And that's because those perceptions usually lead to predictable behaviors, good or bad. So they're pretty important!

Now, here comes the public relations professional who tests the opinion waters, then decides whether, on your behalf, s/he needs to create, change or reinforce that opinion about you and your company. This is important because it will affect the message content you prepare aimed at those perceptions.

Next, s/he'll attempt to reach, persuade and move-to-actions- YOU-desire those very people whose behaviors affect your operation the most. And we're talking about actions like neutralizing a rumor, clarifying incorrect perceptions of your service quality, or reinforcing awareness of your organization's contributions to the local and regional community.

Now, of course, you and your PR counsel agreed up front, at the beginning of the program, on the behavioral changes you would like to see occur. So, it's a simple task to review together just how successfully the public relations effort on behalf of your small business is, or is not going.

As you may suspect, I do not give up easily when it comes to how public relations can help a small business succeed.

So, who does what to get us to this point?

First, you list those two or three groups of people, i.e., key external audiences, like your prime prospects, or certain segments of area residents, or influential community leaders, and others if appropriate to your product and service offerings.

You need a basis from which to evaluate opinions about you and your small business. So you need to take the time to interact with members of these key audiences to find out how they perceive you, especially any areas of potential trouble. This is the information gathering phase of the program.

Only then can you and your PR person decide just what opinions need to be recreated, or changed, or simply reinforced. This becomes the PR objective to be achieved in a realistic, mutually agreed upon time frame.

Now, we prepare messages most likely to persuade both those harboring misconceptions, or no perceptions at all about you, and bring them around to your way of thinking.

Remember that bad perceptions can lead to bad behaviors and, fortunately, vice versa!

At this point, you need to select the communications tactics - "beasts of burden," I call them - that will carry your carefully crafted messages to the eyes and ears of each target audience. In other words, how will you reach these important people?

You and your PR counsel have a wide choice of tactics. Everything from personal meetings with members of each target audience, your periodic speeches, emails, newspaper and radio interviews to promotional events, awards ceremonies, news releases, and many others.

As time passes, you must continue to speak with members of your target audiences watching and listening carefully for signs of awareness of your business and its role in the marketplace and in the community. Stay alert as well for a growing receptiveness to your messages by prospective customers.

These are indications that reflect local feelings about your organization. As your public relations counsel will tell you, progress in this regard will be directly proportionate to how much effort and attention you personally give to the outreach program.

The good news is that when public relations modifies behaviors among groups of people important to your organization, the effort may be pronounced successful when those altered behaviors help you reach your managerial objectives.

Which is why the title of this article remains, "Small Business Failure? Nuts!"

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@tni.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: bobkelly@tni.net; bobkelly@tni.net

maide service in Mundelein ...

In The News:

Lyft rolled out safety upgrades with a new Safety Hub, driver blocking capability and a favorite driver option to give riders more control over their experience.

New research shows Americans increasingly trust AI for wellness guidance over social media, with 63% finding artificial intelligence reliable for health.

Luxury fashion brand Dior experienced a January 2025 data breach affecting customer personal information, and notifications were sent months after the discovery.

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.