Not all of us home business owners are outgoing extroverts. Shyness and social insecurities can be a bit of an albatross when it comes to networking and marketing. BUT, there are plenty of successful business people who don’t necessarily consider themselves social butterflies or even strong leaders. There are ways to accommodate and cope and still stay focused on marketing and promotions—even if you consider yourself to be quite shy.
In this day and age, a great deal of marketing and promotions can be done without ever having to meet with people face to face. You can create a strong presence for your business using the internet, direct mail, and other forms of promotional marketing. A good, perpetually-updated, interactive web site can do wonders for just about any business. I’ve talked to some people who confess to being naturally shy, but also shared that having a web site has made them feel much bolder in their business marketing. After all, there is a bit of a wall between the public face of the business and their own. If you are a shy person, you may not want to do a lot of public speaking, but perhaps writing articles and letters to the editor would be fine—this way you’re involved and working towards public relations, without having to put yourself on the line in person.
Of course, some businesses lend themselves to more behind-the-scenes marketing than others. Businesses like real estate, insurance sales, and direct sales really need people to be out there shaking hands and meeting prospects. But if you’ve got a mail order business or do major project management, or even freelance writing or designing, you can probably relax more and spend less time doing the networking meet and greets in person. It really comes down to finding a home business that is a good match for your temperament and taking advantage of all the creative ways to promote and market there are for a “shy” business owner.
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