Running a small business doesn't guarantee that you'll be successful. If you look at small businesses that have proven to be successful over time, you begin to notice a trend. Successful small businesses follow a process and adopt a mindset that seem to hold the keys to success for business owners that pay attention.

In this post, we'll outline what we consider to be the 8 keys to small business success and provide some actionable tips for implementing all 8 keys into your own small business.
<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="" width="96" height="54" />1) Start small.</h3>
Don't spend everything you've got on your small business. Play it safe by starting small and taking one step at a time. Moving too fast could mean losing it all!

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<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="key" width="96" height="54" />2) Know your market.</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 120px;">Be aware of who you need to target, what they want, and how to most effectively interact with them. If you know your market, your content will be on point, your conversions will come easily, and your business will succeed.</p>
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<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="key" width="96" height="54" />3) Maintain quality.</h3>
Even successful businesses can lose customers and profits by reducing quality. Customers get used to your level of quality--don't deviate from it unless it's to increase it.

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<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="key" width="96" height="54" />4) Set company goals.</h3>
How can you know how well you're doing or if you're on track without setting goals?

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<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="key" width="96" height="54" />5) Plan your inventory.</h3>
Don't let running out of something important or being unable to stock a popular product be a stumbling block for your business.

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<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="key" width="96" height="54" />6) Market your business.</h3>
Tell everyone about your business online and in person. <a href="https://www.conversational.com/how-to-use-facebook-ads-to-support-your-content-marketing-plan/" target="_blank">Facebook ads are an excellent way to reach more people online</a>.

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<h3><img class="wp-image-10158 alignleft" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/key.jpg" alt="key" width="96" height="54" />7) Stay focused.</h3>
Don't lose your passion and stay focused on your business and reaching those goals.
<p style="padding-left: 120px;">It's normal for passion to wax and wane over the course of your business ownership, but it's important to make some changes to help bring your passion back if you notice you feel indifferent toward your business.</p>