here are several ways to promote your business; however, many of these ways will cost you a lot of money. You may not have thousands of dollars to spend on marketing in the early stages of your business, but there are still several cost-effective ways to build your brand.

Before the internet, small businesses had limited options to market their products effectively, including handing out fliers or sponsoring local events. Fast forward to the present; there are countless marketing opportunities. You simply need to know where to look.

Writing a book may not be the first thing that crosses your mind when you’re trying to find ways to grow your business. However, several CEOs have proven that writing a book is an option that is worth exploring.

Writing a book has not always been an easy task. Authors would have to find a low-cost printer and would often have to print hundreds of copies that they would then have to store all of those cases of books in their garage, basement, spare room… you get the picture. It was an onerous chore. However, small business owners can now skip this process entirely. Publishing is easier than ever. 

What separates a good founder from a great one? Every entrepreneur wants to create a company that is successful and beloved by consumers in the long term, but the vast majority of startups get stuck and, in my experience, lose their way before the three to five year mark.

I’ve had the privilege of working with many great leaders including Steve Jobs—I was at his side for more than a decade at Apple—and Brian Chesky, cofounder and CEO of Airbnb. My firm, FNDR, has helped Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, Sara Menker of Gro Intelligence, and a dozen other founders of unicorns, including Farfetch, Oatly, Roblox, and GoodRx, build companies that matter.

The founders who’ve made the transition from seed to greatness approach their business with intention (more on that in a minute) and they won’t compromise on lofty aspirations, even if it means taking a short-term hit. They’ve shown the necessity of being fearless in vision, and ruthless in execution. Here, in no particular order, are five lessons I’ve learned from founders on how to build a lasting enterprise—and to be a great founder in the process.

The landscape of customer loyalty has new contours: Customers get terrific service in pockets of their life and use those experiences to judge every other sales exchange. Customers also have more choices than ever before and therefore rely on their service experience as a key gauge of product and service excellence. Today’s customers are much smarter buyers. Social media has made every person a Consumers Report adjunct.

 
Figuring out how to retain customers today is no simple task. Not only are customers different, the same person can be different at different times. The business traveler may enjoy the convenience of Motel 6 on a weekday but find the same property ill suited for a weekend getaway with a spouse. Nonetheless, below are four key loyalty drivers that fit most customers most of the time when it comes to most services. 

1. Understand me: I change all the time. 

Knowing about the customer takes more than simply sending out a survey. It means positioning every customer-contact person as a vital listening post, a scout able to gather valuable intelligence about shoppers' ever-changing requirements.