4 Ways to boost your Business with summer interns

On my recent visit to SVG, I challenged the business community to consider bringing on interns during this school vacation. It’s a wonderful way to expose a young person to the habits and requirements of what it takes to build a career and/or business. It is also a low-cost way to identify young people who can help you grow your business now and after they graduate.{{more}} Small businesses with one or two people should especially look at interns as your size can make the interns’ learning experience even richer, as they will be exposed to all aspects of the business.

My company makes it a point to have at least 2-3 interns throughout the year. Because technology makes connecting easy, we have even engaged interns internationally, having never met many face-to-face but working through email, Skype and phone calls. We also have used interns who assist us at events and, in many cases, become the face of our operations for special events. The possibilities to groom a young person are endless. Here are four ways you can use interns to boost your business:

Database Upkeep

How many times have you attended an event and can’t find the business cards you collected, or they are in a pile and you have done nothing with them? Get an intern to do this for you and even launch a newsletter to help you stay in touch with your new connections. You might even have old contacts you have not reached out to in quite a while. Coach the intern on what to say and have them make a courtesy call to that old contact. This simple step may result in new business.

Social Media Campaigns

Many small business owners do not have the time, money or expertise to maximize the use of the social media world. However, a tech-savvy intern can bridge the gap, and with a little guidance they can significantly increase your presence and build your brand, using social media.

Conduct Research

Finding clients so you can offer your valuable service or product is the name of the game, but many times that may involve some research. Instead of spending hours stumbling, trying to find the information, why not delegate the search to an intern who enjoys research and gets a thrill from hunting down the information.

Customer Care

Carnival time is fast approaching, and all businesses need to put an extra effort into giving the customers a truly warm experience. Have your interns greet customers as they enter your establishment. Something as simple as a smile and a warm welcome can encourage a customer to stay, look around and even buy when it’s done right. The Vincentian public is starved for exceptional customer service, as businesses are taking them for granted. Give your interns the task of coming up with a customer service campaign that will truly WOW your customers.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com
Visit online at www.workplacesuccess.com