How to let friends know about your new business

Are you getting ready to start a new business? Friends and family can help provide those vital early purchases and an excited buzz as you start out.

Find out more about how to let friends know about your new business in this article. We’ll cover the main aspects of how you can spread the word easily, including:

• How to let friends know via word of mouth and social media
• Key things to consider as you market your business
• Announcement ideas to build interest and keep friends engaged
• How to save time for marketing with Countingup

Whether you’re a sole trader or limited company director, Countingup wants to help new entrepreneurs make a success of their business venture. Read on to find out how to let your nearest and dearest know about your exciting journey into the world of business below.

Letting friends know about your new business by word of mouth can be as simple as dropping it into the conversation as you catch up and see them. 

Depending on how close you are with various people, your news will feel more welcome with some than others. Close and long-standing friendships may be easier to mention your business news to than colleagues and acquaintances. However, what people do for a living is an incredibly common conversation topic and becoming self-employed is no different. Think about how you would mention getting a new job – the principle is the same. Generally speaking, people are interested in each other and so using a naturally occurring ‘in’ to mention your new business can help you get the word out easily.

Unfortunately, this method can be limited as it’s not always the most efficient. Conversations are rarely done in big groups, so you may find yourself speaking to 2-5 people maximum, only mentioning your business when it’s appropriate to do so. Therefore, while this method can be very powerful, it should be used alongside others to maximise your chances of success in business.

Social media is by far the easiest method of letting friends know about your new business as you can reach anywhere from dozens to thousands of people. It depends on how well connected you are, but the possibilities are almost limitless.  

Social media is especially useful because it can be used to showcase elements of your business and evidence just how good you are. This can be done in a variety of ways depending on your business. Some key examples include sharing pictures of delicious food and drinks or completed projects that highlight your competence at what you do.

In turn, social media also makes it easier for friends to share your news with their friends, using your content as something newsworthy. 

Regardless of which method you choose to let friends know about your business, be very mindful of the fine line between ‘eager’ and ‘pushy’. It’s understandable that you want to talk about your new ‘it’ product or industry-leading service, chiefly because you stand to make money. However, you don’t want to risk spoiling relationships with friends if you deliver an aggressive sales pitch. 

This is notably more relevant for any distant social connections you have as they aren’t quite as obligated to maintain contact with you. Therefore, be tactful and graceful when building awareness about your business in order for it to be impactful and sustainable.

Building referrals into your business can be a great way to have interested customers find you. This method works like a snowball effect as a referral from one friend to another becomes three or four. Ideally, each builds up until you have a large selection of people who know and like your business.

One of the best ways to cultivate this interest for your business is to reward loyalty from customers and referrals to new potential customers. Depending on your business, this can be done by providing discounts, freebies or early access to new products or services.

Use the examples below to begin letting friends know about your new business.

Countdowns can be a great way to build awareness of your business because your launch date works as a target. Specifically, you can share your own passion with friends and family as it gets closer to build an excited atmosphere. 

This method is often paired with the countdown method mentioned above and is popular with shops, bars, restaurants or any other business that’s publicly accessible. You can build interest for your first day with special deals or entertainment to make your opening a grand occasion.

Even if you’ve been trading for a while, regular giveaways and collaborations with charities can be an effective way to capture interest in your business. Remember, everyone loves a freebie and a good cause. 

The success of these methods can be related to the size of the prizes or charitable effort. Therefore, it might be worth setting aside some of your budget to do something good in your local community and capture the attention of friends who might like to help or win something nice.

Effective marketing to friends needs consideration and time to be conducted. Unfortunately, many business owners often lose time to other tasks. Countingup can’t market your business for you, but it can take care of your financial admin. 

Countingup is the business current account with free, built-in accounting software. You can use it to automate your financial admin and save time for spreading the word to friends and family. 

Countingup comes with automated invoicing and receipt capture tools, so you can be confident that your financial records are accurate. And with real-time profit and loss data and tax estimates from your trading, you’ll be able to understand your business finances at a glance.

Gain complete confidence in your books and save time with the Countingup app. Find out more here and sign up for free today.