4 Basic LinkedIn Business Tips for all Entrepreneurs

Whether as Caribbean or Caribbean-inspired people, we may not all know how to swim, but we can certainly know how to F-I-S-H. Fish for opportunities, breakthroughs and otherwise elevate ourselves and others. In today’s blog, you’ll realise that you don’t even need a rod or bait; all you need is a retentive mind and a passionate heart. So, here’s how we FISH.

Focus: It is very important to remain as laser-focused on achieving your goals despite your business’ present environmental circumstances. You can set a specific, regular time for you to work on your goals- whether you are more adept at being a night owl or an early bird, is up to you. Ditto for whether you prefer weekdays or weekends, fortnights or every month. With pen and paper handy (or a reliable computer), identify your core values, what new service/s or product/s you desire to share with the world, and also, pinpoint your likely SWOT: Strengths and Weaknesses (internal), Opportunities and Threats (external).

Innovate: In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic (and even when it ends), you need to be able to ‘ride with the tide’. Being innovative therefore means that you are still able to prioritise your present clientele while attracting a wider customer base, and still staying true to your core business values- without sacrificing who you are as an individual. Innovation doesn’t have to be expensive or grand. It can be as simple as offering a ‘buy one get one’ deal. It can mean highlighting seasonal sales on select items, offering alternative methods of payment and collection, or creating a loyal customer club. The key is to always be fresh, creative and appealing.

Strengthen: Even for Caribbean people, no man (or woman) is an island. In other words, they cannot stand alone. People need to know about you and also feel sufficiently comfortable and inspired by you to invest in you and your enterprise. In the context of the Caribbean, the word-of-mouth reference remains classic. It is not who you know, but who knows you. After all, we (should) all know about Prime Ministers Andrew Holness, Mia Mottley and Dr. Keith Rowley, but, do they (personally) know us to vouch for our character? Therefore, the same is true for our business. We need to showcase all our strong and endearing business virtues so that our good works precede us, strengthen our network base and generate return business.

Highlight: While the conventional main goal of any business is to make a profit, it should not be the sole priority. The consuming public of modern times is paying closer attention to corporate entities that engage their respective communities and tangibly give back. How will you re-invest some of your earnings into your community and country? Will you focus on literacy, poverty reduction, domestic violence awareness, assisting persons with disability, the environment or animal welfare? Mention this intention as clearly as possible in your outreach to potential clients and investors.

Now, let’s fish!

Keywords: focus, innovate, strengthen, highlight, LinkedIn Caribbean