Debbie LaChusa

I haven't yet read the book, "The Tipping Point" by Malcom Gladwell. It's definitely on my must read list, I just haven't gotten around to it, yet. But, I certainly know the concept Gladwell speaks about in this book. I've also experienced it first-hand. All the more reason to read the book so I can better understand this phenomenon!

What is a Tipping Point? It's when a sudden change occurs. Like the straw that broke the camel's back. Things are going along just fine, and then suddenly, something happens ... something changes. And all at once everything is different.

The book claims to help us understand why this change often happens so quickly and unexpectedly. Why all of a sudden, the dam seems to break.

So what does this have to do with small business marketing?

To the dismay of most small business owners, success takes time. Overnight sensations are few and far between. And most of us have to toil long and hard before our business really takes off.

Same holds true for marketing. It takes a consistent marketing effort over a period of time before your marketing reaches that critical mass and suddenly the dam breaks. Clients start pouring in. The sales floodgates spring wide open. And your business hits that magical tipping point.

Problem is, most people don't have the patience or the good old fashioned stick-to-it-iveness to hang on until the tipping point. When it comes to marketing, they try something once or twice, don't get instant results, and give up. When what they really need to be doing is marketing over and over and over again. And testing and fine-tuning and working their marketing plan consistently.

Until one day, when you least expect it, you hit that tipping point. The point you know your business has "made it" and you can truly enjoy the fruits of all your labor.

It took me a year and a half of hard work and long hours to hit the tipping point with 10stepmarketing. But now that it's here, I can definitely say it was worth all the time and hard work. In fact it brings a big smile to my face as I look how far I've come. Now I've just got to find time to read that book!

How about you? Has your business hit the tipping point yet? And if not, are you willing to do whatever it takes until it does?

(length 4:39 minutes)