Small Business Recession Tips
January 22, 2010
During the recession, it seems instinctual to reel in your marketing campaigns. However, many business owners who are seeing growth right now have actually ramped up their marketing efforts. Marc Joseph, President and Founder of “Dollar Days” recommends hiring professional copywriters to create keyword-rich articles that will make your website more visible in search engines. His editorial team was able to get his website in the top 5 search results for competitive keyword phrases like “wholesale souvenirs.” Content is king — and, for a small price, you can get the word out across multiple internet channels and reach even more consumers than you would have through snail-mail campaigns. Continue reading for more valuable recession tips from MarketingSherpa’s 2009 B2B Marketing Summit.
At the 2009 MarketingSherpa B2B Marketing Summit, there were several recession tips and recommendations to help small business entrepreneurs weather the storm. The first tip was to “re-engage old leads.” According to Brian Carroll, CEO of InTouch, research reveals that 80% of all leads marketers generate are discarded, lost or ignored. Sending your sales team out to find new leads all the time can be a grueling, tiresome practice — and an expensive one! Instead, you can use marketing newsletters and social networking sites to re-engage and reinvigorate potential contacts. Caroll adds that emailing relevant industry articles to old leads and following up by phone generated a 375% increase in conversions. One marketer said his team achieved a 44% increase in subscribers by offering a news announcement and prize. “If you want to make a difference in the fourth quarter this year, go back to what you did in the first quarter of this year or the fourth quarter of last year, and there’s a lot of opportunity there,” Carroll said.
One of the more unconventional recession tips is to change your company over to a home based business. With a computer, a telephone and a quiet room, many businesses can move to the home. The good news about this bold move is that you’ll cut out on commuting costs and rent — not to mention, you’ll be able to write off a portion of your heating/cooling/electric/mortgage bills on your taxes as an expense. If you can’t run your company alone and rely on many other workers to get the job done, then you may want to consider how they can work from home as well.
Rene Lacape is a seasoned insurance agent. He has been dealing with both corporate and individual accounts for several years up to the present. If you need him, you can check his website and give him a call. Act now.
Business Signage: Why Digital Signs Are Important
September 21, 2009
Often in this space, I explore a small slice of digital signage development, such as the role of digital signage in meeting the evolving media appetites of people; the ability of digital signs to blend the functions of traditional signs with the interactive aspects of digital kiosks; or the potential of digital signage to command an increasingly larger slice of the media budget of marketers. Go to Sign Manufacturing for more information.
While those are important topics, this month I want to get back to the basics of digital signage -specifically why should professional communicators turn to digital signage to convey their important messages? Actually, there are several reasons, including:
-To increase a company’s visibility. One of the biggest problems retailers have when it comes to self-promotion is cutting through all of the marketing noise generated by every other business -be it on radio or TV, in newspapers and magazines or from competing store front signs. Digital signage can cut through those distractions by attracting and directing the attention of the most important potential buyers of all -those in a store who are ready to spend money on a purchase.
-To help solidify relationships with customers and vendors. Consider an auto dealership waiting room with customers seated waiting for their cars to be fixed. With well-positioned digital signage messaging -as opposed to an ordinary TV displaying a cable news channel- the dealership can promote special offers aimed at its captive digital signage audience as a reward for choosing to do business with the dealership. Or, in a corporate setting, a digital sign in the lobby can be used to welcome scheduled vendors, guests and other visitors as they arrive -a simple move that builds goodwill. Refer to Sign Installation for more information.
-To deliver critical information more efficiently. In times of emergency, an existing digital signage network can be a lifesaver, providing critically important messages alerting employees, customers and other patrons of exit locations, storm shelters and other vital information.
-To save time. Preparing a static, printed sign is labor-intensive, expensive and time-consuming. The same message can be created and displayed far more quickly with a digital sign. Add to that the recurring expense of printing new signs as needs change versus simply updating a digital sign with a few keystrokes and it doesn’t take long to begin earning a tidy ROI from a digital sign.
-To attract greater attention than is possible with static, printed signs. The other drawback of print is that it is static. Human brains are programmed for motion. Our eyes are automatically drawn to moving objects. Digital signs displaying full of motion video are dynamic not static. They tap into something that is innately human to demand attention and hold it.
-To increase the efficiency of employees. Imagine a small industrial plant where management wants to communicate vital information to hundreds of workers. Perhaps it’s production quotas vs. actual performance; perhaps it’s mean time between accidental employee injuries; perhaps it’s delivery information regarding vital components that are en route. In all of these instances -and others too numerous to recount here- digital signage has the ability to convey important information to a workforce that is vital to employees maintaining a safe, efficient environment.
There you have it -several reasons why digital signage is an important, effective communications alternative that professional communicators cannot ignore. Sometimes it’s good to get back to basics.
Digital Signage…
1) Can increase your company’s visibility,
2) Can help solidify your customer and vendor relationships,
3) Can deliver critical information more efficiently,
4) Saves time,
5) Attracts attention better than static signs,
6) Can increase the efficiency of your employees.
And, digital signage can be less expensive than what you are already using.
What do you think? Visit business signs for further information.
How A Home Exchange Works
September 20, 2009
The home exchange as a way to make your vacation most cost effective and interesting is something that has been done for decades, starting in the 50s and reaching its first peak in the 70s. A new peak has been reached with a recent movie “The Holiday,” which used home swapping as a plot device. Part of its popularity growth over the years has to do with different factors involving the tourism industry and the state of the real estate market, as well as the general economy.
A home exchange can be done instead of buying and selling property, and the two parties permanently exchange their homes. However, the most common are temporary, vacation house exchange ventures. Staying somewhere for a couple of weeks in a hotel can be quite expensive, but if you are able to do an exchange, then you get to stay in someone else’s house while they stay in yours, and no one pays any fees.
The easiest way to organize a vacation home exchange is by going online and searching for websites that cater to people interested in this venture. There are a few popular ones out there, notably www.homeexchange.com. These websites allow you to find estate listings in locations that you are interested in visiting and putting your own home up as a potential swap. They also offer a bit more security than trying to do a home swap on your own with people that you don’t know.
Once you’ve found a location and a person that you want to do a vacation home swap with, you enter into an agreement with them regarding when and for how long you wish to vacation. The homes are typically swapped at the same time, so that one party stays in the other person’s home and vice versa, though other arrangements could be made. Issues like use of cars, pet care, cleaning, and other details are also ironed out before the actual swap so that everyone is clear about what will happen.
A home exchange might be the best answer for many people who want to enjoy their vacation time, but don’t have a lot of money to spend. Hotels are one of the most expensive parts of a trip, aside from any air travel, and by home swapping you can eliminate that expense. A significant percentage of travelers are trying out exchanges and most of them are happy with the results, meaning that this way of vacationing should only increase and become more accessible, and agreeable, to the general public.
Thomas Bronson is a foremost expert in generating a ton of traffic and leads to any websites, and one of the course which he recommends is John Reese traffic secrets review. He is also a foremost expert in starting an online business from home and you can check out his free course from his site today.
Landing A Business Award Can Be A Key To Higher Sales and Profitability
September 18, 2009
When a company is given a business award, everyone automatically assumes that the company must be very well-known to have won such a distinction among many others.
The truth is that many successful companies do not even participate in these awards under the apprehension of not being able to win. Hence, the contest between companies for these business awards is not as difficult as one might think, and that is the reason why it is always a smart idea to participate in them even if your company has not yet made a big name for itself. If you think about the benefits your business will enjoy if you participate and end up winning the award, you will realize how important business awards can be for your company - be sure to look at business awards for examples and more.
Firstly, entering business awards is an easy and almost free public relations exercise. These awards confer great honour and prestige and they help in building an identity for you and your company in the field of your expertise - be sure to look at corporate identity london for specific info on corporate brand creation. Companies with smart management at the helm make it a point to take part in business awards, as they are conscious of the great marketing prospects that these awards offer to them.
Business awards also help a company in enhancing the quality of its work by concentrating on vital areas that are given importance in the awards competition, and at the same time they provide motivation to be the best in the industry. There will always be motivation to maintain high-quality work after winning an award and this will keep the employees on their toes to live up to their reputation.
Lastly, business awards help in projecting the organization as a reliable one and thus they help in attracting new customers. They give you an inexpensive and effective way to clinch new deals and boost your sales, especially if you end up winning the award and are able to promote the win successfully.
Internet Marketing - Cost Effective Solutions
September 18, 2009
Internet - it’s a word that has made its mark around the world in an incredibly short period of time. It has become a truly effective marketing tool for all kinds of businesses that don’t have the resources to go all out on advertising through television, radio, print media, etc. The internet isn’t just a great marketing tool; it has become an effective business model for businesses everywhere.
So, are you still in a dilemma on whether to utilise the internet to market your products and services? Here are a few really good reasons why you pursue Internet Marketing:
1. Lower Costs - In most instances, the actual cost of marketing a product or service on the Internet is far lower when compared with other traditional forms of advertising, and it also has the potential to reach a much wider group of possible customers.
2. Convenient for Users - It’s much easier for customers to search for products and information on the Internet. Customers don’t even have to walk out their front doors - everything is always just a couple of mouse clicks away.
3. Availability 24/7 - One of the biggest advantages of Internet Marketing is its constant availability - 24 hours a day. Potential customers can access your products and services at any time, and always at a time which is convenient for them.
4. Interactive - Another important aspect of Internet Marketing is that it’s interactive by nature. Customers can clarify their doubts by asking questions and give feedback regarding products and services.
5. Hybrid Advertising - Internet advertising is a hybrid of audio, video and print advertising. It includes all of the elements and advantages of television and print media.
6. Look and Feel - With the internet you can market your products more effectively by providing an impressive catchy appearance through the use of animations and graphics. Also, with the use of bold colours and designs, you can even more thoroughly captivate the attention of your customers.
7. Market Research - As anyone involved in management training knows, businesses spend a great deal of money in conducting research into their product and services. With the internet you can utilise online polls and surveys to figure out exactly what your customers want, how they feel about your products and services, and most importantly - how you can improve. Through website statistics you can easily learn how much traffic is received on your website, where these visitors came from, how many individuals are returning or first time visitors, etc.
The majority of business coaching experts agree that the internet is an extremely effective business model with an array of options for marketing your business. So, it’s your choice which way to go, either stay with the traditional forms of marketing, or enter into the new business arena with Internet Marketing.
Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in providing Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses across the Globe. Want to learn more about these business success strategies? Get Alan’s popular FREE Business Pack today!
How to Become an Expert Negotiator
September 17, 2009
Do you consider regular negotiations to be tough jobs to handle? Do you spend sleepless nights where you have to get out of bed at the crack of dawn to negotiate with clients, dealers or leads? Do most of your negotiations create misunderstandings rather than improving your business relationships? Has there ever been a point when you’ve wished that you could calmly sail through a deal without being seen as unfriendly or authoritative? If your reply to the majority of these questions is a resounding YES, then you could really use some assistance, and if you make an effort to keep in mind the following helpful tips, you’ll soon realise that negotiating isn’t tough after all.
In many cases, it’s the variety of expectations, emotions and strategies involved which applies the psychological pressure to the negotiator, which easily can - and often does, drive the endeavour in the wrong direction. Here are some do’s and don’ts from management training for successful friendly negotiations.
Do’s:
a.) Always approach negotiations with a calm and mature mindset. Never approach negotiations with an air of overconfidence or seem desperate to close a deal.
b.) Adopt a calm, confident and honest approach. Approach your opponent with a friendly gesture and start the process by exchanging greetings and small talk. This will give time for both of you to settle down into your groove.
c.) Take care that the negotiation remains a reasonable process. You have the right to put across your point of view, and so does the other person, so don’t try to push him into a corner.
d.) Always give ample time to the other person so he can finish what he has to say, and avoid interrupting or trying to take over the conversation.
e.) Try to follow and understand the negotiating style of the person across the table. If he is polite, be polite. If he is tough, be polite again. The idea is not to have heated debates, but to come to a mutually amicable solution.
f.) Ask questions, but at the same time don’t deny the other person the same liberty. Remember to listen carefully; as this will give you time to think so you can make a productive counter move.
Don’ts:
1.) Do not be bogged down by the image or market standing of the other party. Trust your abilities, and remember that the reputation of an individual is rarely accurate.
2.) Do not let emotions rule the scene - keep them under control. An overplay or underplay of emotions can cause irrational behavior, frustrations and conflict.
3.) Do not forget that you are at the negotiating table to reach the best deal possible for you and your company. Be straight forward, well researched, set goals and have a clear vision in sight.
4.) Do not approach negotiations unprepared. Always prepare a strategy well in advance - but don’t cling to it, just remember to follow the general theme. Circumstances may be different in each instance, and you may need to adopt a flexible plan based on the flow of your current negotiations.
Most business coaching experts agree that the above tips can come in handy when negotiating just about any deal. Negotiations should be thought of as healthy discussions and not as argumentative conversations. Business works on the basis of relationship. In other words, negotiations should help a business earn friends - not enemies. The idea is to not only win the negotiation, but to win the person sitting across the table as well.
Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in supplying Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses around the World. Want to find out more about these comprehensive business building success strategies? Get Alan’s phenomenal FREE Business Pack right now!
Hat Wholesaler Sites
September 16, 2009
If you’re looking for a hat wholesaler, you may want to look for a trade show in your industry and area. These specialized business events offer special opportunities for networking, as long as you have a tax ID, business card, permit or resale certificate. Finding that first wholesale apparel clothing company is usually the biggest hurdle because established businesses often have wholesale suppliers coming to them. Customers can also be a great source for opinions on what products should be offered in your catalog or store.
There is good news and bad news about opening an apparel fashion store. The bad news is that you’ll need to have a bankroll of around $250,000, says Nancy Stanforth, a merchandising professor at Oklahoma State University. The good news is that you can do it for a lot less if you’re resourceful. Margie, a successful store owner in Redmond, Washington, says that she got a loan for $30,000 and hit the ground running. She adds, “You may not have $250,000, but my advice is to not even think about opening a store until you’ve got the right financing.” Once that is secured, you’ll be ready to find your wholesaler.
At one wholesaler site, www.buckwholesale.com, you will find baseball hats for as low as $1. The suggested retail on these items is between $2.99 and $12.99. There are novelty hats that say “Got Beer,” “I am the Boss,” “Shut Up and Fish” or “West Coast Choppers.” There are rebel hats, patriot hats, winter hats, trucker hats, military hats, local city/state hats, hats for kids hats and animal caps. These BK brand hats are made of 80% acrylic and 20% wool in China and shipped to America. You can buy these hats via Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and Paypal. Orders will usually be shipped from their warehouse 1-3 days after you make your purchase.
You may decide to look for a hat wholesaler only and keep your business targeted on the head-wear niche. After all, baseball hats, cowboy hats and winter hats tend to be reliable sellers. Guys often wear through their hats at a rapid pace, so you can count on a reliable client base. Hats are quickly returning to vogue in women’s apparel fashion too, with brimmed hats, cloches, berets, fedoras and military caps coming back into style again. Visit www.entrepreneur.com for more information on starting your own retail clothing business.
Thomas Bronson owns a multitude of different successful websites and attribute the success of those to the traffic secrets 2.0 review which is responsible for generating massive amount of traffic to his websites. He is also the creator of a free course that guides you on a step-by-step process of starting an internet business from scratch.
How to Keep Your Business Expanding, Fast!
September 16, 2009
The day and age when organisations would endeavour to make customers purchase their products and services is long gone. These days, the actual sale is just the beginning of a potential life-time relationship with every new customer. The transformation from selling being seen as an “end” to a “beginning” has been difficult for organisations around the world - but overall, this way of thinking has resulted in a far better experience for customers everywhere.
Once organisations began to discover new ways to keep their businesses growing, they also realised that follow-up and after sales service can be incredibly influential methods for ensuring customer loyalty. Keeping track of customers and performing simple courtesies, like sending a “thank you” or a “birthday card” have become a common exercise. These gestures generally strike a chord with customers and give them a feeling of belongingness. Therefore, it’s no wonder that this particular tactic has become so incredibly successful. So, that’s why the actual sale itself is now seen as the beginning of a potential long term relationship. This is vitally important, because the cost of retaining a customer is considerably less than the expense paid out to acquire a new one.
Most management training experts agree that only organisations which see selling as a beginning are actually capable of monopolising their markets, and those which continue along traditional paths - will be inevitably overcome. Beginning with the sale, organisations rain down benefits on their customers. In addition to the obvious advantages which the customers receive, the organisations also receive detailed feedback on the products or services they’re providing. This can be further applied by incorporating this information into future projects. The “after sales service” is much appreciated by customers, as they tend to see this effort as an act of gratitude. Because of this, customers don’t have to do much homework before buying an item, as they know that their grievances will be addressed properly if the product is faulty. Organisations also benefit from not having to spend money on vague advertising activities in order to attract customers, and now, these companies can be far more definitive with their advertising approach.
Technology and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) have crept into this aspect of advertising. With these systems there are various software applications that help with the maintenance of the huge databases which are updated in “real time” with the developments occurring in the purchase patterns of every customer.
Most business coaching experts agree that the crux of the matter is that selling has to be viewed as a “beginning” and never an “end”, and if intelligently applied, this idea will take any company a very long way toward acquiring a larger piece of the market share.
Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in providing Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses across the Globe. Want to learn more about these business success strategies? Get Alan’s popular FREE Business Pack today!
Wholesale Dropship Business- How To Find Out The Best Online Dropshipping Directories
September 15, 2009
There are many people who think that there offline business is not giving them good income so they turn to the online business of wholesale dropshipping.
There are many things which make influence on your success. There is a need of making sure that the wholesale dropship business supplier you are dealing with is giving you maximum discounts. There are many ways in which wholesale dropship business supplier can help you out. First of all make sure that the wholesale dropship business supplier is giving you maximum discounts in case you are buying out items in bulk. There are many useful ways of finding out the best wholesale business supplier and one of the most used ways is looking for the supplier at different websites. There are many different websites where you can find out the information of the dropship wholesale suppliers from the reviews and forums. There are many other people who visit different forums and write out about the things they are demanding and it can help you out in finding the items which can do well in the market.
The other and one of the most successful way in which you can find out the wholesale dropship business supplier is by making an account at any of the wholesale dropship directories. There are many free as well as paid directories. Then secondly for being successful with your online wholesale dropship business, you need to make sure that the items you are selling are highly demanded by people. There are many people who think that they can sell out any thing while the most important thing to realize is that the interest of your customers matters the most. You are selling for profit and customers buy out things for their use or for getting satisfaction so you need to deal in the selling of items which are more demanded by people so that there is no way that you are making money. You need to talk to your wholesale drop shipper to give you with good description and pictures while there is a need to make sure that the supplier is giving you more discount once you are buying out items in bulk. This can benefit you in a way that once you will pay less for the items you will be able t set up a good margin on the items you deal.
For any one who wants to run his wholesale dropship business, there is a need to make sure that the supplier is giving you maximum discounts and offerings so that there is no as such difficulty in running wholesale dropship business.
How to Establish Effective Communication in the Workplace
September 14, 2009
How would you go about putting together a massive puzzle if you were only given the puzzle pieces without the actual picture which indicates what it’s supposed to look like when it’s complete? This is what happens when communication breaks down. Even though you may have all the information you need, you still can’t seem to reach a productive end result.
In this era when everyone is pushing the outer limits with their personal time, precise and short communication is the key to unlocking the benefits of anonymity.
Imagine the feeling you would experience if you were no longer required to recite the same statements over and over again! Imagine if all of your employees got what you said at the drop of a hat! It’s really possible, and the power of management training make effective communication commonplace in your working environment. The words themselves - when selected with skill, can turn your company around more quickly than you can possibly imagine. Listening and giving attention to non-verbal cues constitutes a significant part of interpersonal communication, but why not also strive to speak with precision - mixed with charisma and a bit of magic, so that everyone who is listening can only follow your words to the letter, and do exactly as you suggest.
Be as clear in what you say as possible, and don’t leave any guess work for the listener. Any unclear aspects of your conversation stand equal chances of being understood or misunderstood entirely, so even if it’s a supplier you’ve been dealing with for ages, don’t rely on what you think should be “obvious”. The least of what can be done in these situations is to prepare a document that states all of the “understood” parts, which you can then get the other party to agree to - and if possible, sign it as well. Any new clause that you intend to introduce into the existing agreement should be taken to your partner as soon as possible for their own personal consideration, and if there is mutual agreement, include a written statement of the place and time when the new clause comes into effect.
Dealing with internal and external customers also follows a similar plan. Most business coaching experts agree that the employees (internal customers) should be given an exact position which they’re to strive to reach. This should be stated in both qualitative and quantitative terms. Besides this, a career plan for each of them should be clearly charted out and broken down into an unmistakable time-line. Supplement this process with technological solutions to save time when transferring information. Motivate and train your employees to communicate effectively while preparing the reporting hierarchy (i.e. who is to report to whom). This will help them to acquire a broader picture of the organisation and pave the way for long term benefits for your company.
Last - but never the least, always “Keep Your Word”.
Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in providing Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses across the Globe. Want to learn more about these business success strategies? Get Alan’s popular FREE Business Pack today!
