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Without this book, you will be hurled into the world of trial and error, which can be costly.

Consider the small price of this guide as a way to invest in your marketing, advertising and social media education. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration in the process.

This guide will teach you the in’s and outs of gaining expert status in your niche or brand.

You’ll learn how to create a powerful campaign that people will not only be receptive to, but will remember and respect. You will have people beating down your door to buy your products and services.

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For those of you who remember our Gaining Your Customer’s Trust article, you will remember that one of the most important things businesses need to realize (something that hasn’t changed in millenia) is that you must show your prospects that you/your product will meet the right balance of Needs versus Wants based on what will benefit their life/business.

Recently we came across a thorough analysis and breakdown of six habits of effective marketers on the DesignDamage Blog, and we urge you to read it too!

While, as Eric Tsai puts it, “most business owners, experts and professionals understand the importance of providing non-promotional, educational content during the beginning of the relationship with a customer,” that doesn’t necessarily mean those same folks (you or your agency) have mastered the best habits around.

CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH THE FULL ARTICLE

Over the past couple of days I’ve been noticing that certain types of companies have not only survived the economic downturn but are actually increasing their successes. How have they done this?

Well, the main trend between the companies is that they are utilizing cutting edge technology making the lives of their customers and their employees much easier, as well as using this technology to market their products more effectively.

I like to call it the “lazy technology trend.” And I think we can all learn from it.

Lazy Technology in business

What do I mean by lazy technology?

I’m not talking about technology for people too lazy to get out of bed. What I’m talking about is technology that feeds the basic human instinct, driving us to make things faster and easier.

Man made fire so it would be easier to eat and stay warm. Man invented the wheel to transport people and goods with less effort and so on.
If you follow this “lazy instinct” through the ages to modern day life, you reach a world where technology is king and fast information is his sword. You can be either knighted or beheaded by it.

Google, one of the most successful companies of our time, has always made it priority to feed this “lazy instinct”.

Their products allow people to make simple searches of the internet, email and video chat, store information, share information, use of word processors, all available on the home page. The list of lazy products they offer is growing daily.

Another example of lazy technology would be Netflix. Originally started as a website where you pay a monthly fee to rent DVD’s by mail.

Now with the use of new technology they have made renting movies and T.V. shows instantly from your computer or TV (with the use of an inexpensive adapter, X-box, PS3 and coming this spring for the Wii) an included part of the monthly service: making Netflix so much more competitive that they’re even taking clients away from cable companies.

An interesting lazy tool for businesses using twitter is Twuffer. Twuffer allows the Twitter user to compose announcements or posts and schedule their release days, weeks, even months in advance.

Companies can use this technology to schedule tweets for upcoming campaigns, promotions, specials, contests etc.: letting twuffer do all the work for them at the appointed time.

Staying on top of technology

All modern day businesses should utilize new technologies to make their products easier to use and more accessible to customers.

Microsoft had to learn this lesson the hard way. They’re just now becoming more competitive online but for years they focused only on building software that you buy at the store. The problem is that the internet and web let people get what they need instantly.

This made it hard for Microsoft to sell their products and gave companies like Google an opening into the market.

A great way to stay on top of available technology is to watch companies similar to yours (especially direct competitors) and find out what they are using to make customers lives easier. Take those ideas and improve on them.

The funny thing is, because of our lazy instinct, technology just keeps building on itself getting infinitely faster and better. To some this is a scary thought because of the competition and uncertainty technology creates.

But I feel it gives us a chance to actually make money and reach more people.

What an exciting time to be alive and in business.

Have a good plan for your business -Part 4

Planning for a good business location

Avoid the fatal mistake of a bad location

Some years back, when I was opening my first business, I made the near lethal error of leasing a business location without a plan. All I planed for was how much I felt I wanted to pay in rent and who would be my realtor.

Once I got in the location I had to do three times the amount of marketing necessary just to contend with the competition. I spent more on marketing than I would have spent on the extra rent of a better spot on the street I was on.

But you live and you learn so here are some things I learned that I hope you can make use of.

Understanding and matching your needs with a business location.

When planning for a new location keep in mind your business specifications.
• Will you need a warehouse, store front, office…?
• Do the clients come to your location?
• Are your clients upscale or bargain bin (rich or poor)?
• How much space will you need?
• Based on projections, how much income do you expect this location to make?
• Will you need to renovate?
• How much are you prepared to spend for renovation?

Targeting cities for your business

If the clients never come in to see your location, I think it’s ok to get a location that’s as inexpensive as possible. Cut out all extravagant expenditures to save on overhead and start up/renovation costs.

Just don’t skimp on safety, or peace of mind. Make sure you and your staff can be comfortable working there.

If you are a store front selling to the local market, the locals must make the type of income necessary to purchase your products. You’ll sell more authentic Luis Vuitton items in Beverly Hills than you might in Compton.

Some cities have areas specifically for certain types of businesses which can help cut at very least marketing costs.

Take for instance a city with a farmers market or two. A produce company will get exposure to hundreds, if not thousands, of people and for much less in rent than opening a small market near a residential area.

However you should always keep your business mission in mind. In the example of the produce company imagine they want to sell upscale food without the haggling customers associated with farmers markets. Well they’d have to get their own store, in a very specific city or part of town, to target a particular market and income level.

Note that it is always a good idea to visit any prospective locations and spend some time there. Find out if the businesses nearby are beneficial to your company. It’s also a good idea to talk to the neighbors and see what they are like. What they have to say about their experience in the area can save you time on research.

If you want to be even more sure the location gets the type of traffic you’re looking for go there at different times of the day for one week and count traffic.

Once you have decided on the area, size, and amenities of a location find out the going lease rates or property values (and interest rates) if you plan to purchase.

Try and understand what will be included or excluded in your lease agreement. Will the lease include triple net payments? If not what services (like trash or maintenance) will be covered by the Landlord and what is the tenant expected to cover.

Once you get the numbers mapped out, make your cost projections. Include projected utility and finance costs along with regular expected maintenance costs.

Now you’re ready to write out a strong plan that will land you the location your business needs. You now know the “who, what and how much” of the location. The next step is to call a good realtor or agent.

If you need help finding a good business real estate agent don’t hesitate to email us for guidance. We have some excellent resources that may help you get your dream location.

As for the rest of my lovely readers out there in blog-land, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us with any questions or concerns regarding today’s topic.

Best of luck on your business endeavors.

Planning for your products, services, and Intellectual property

In our last entry we started the Organizational Plan section of your business plan. Your assignment was to develop your Business Summary.

Hopefully you now have a good grasp on what your company is, what it does well, and a basic strategy on how you are going to reach your goals.

Today we will begin discussing specific sections of your business to help you develop a strong in-depth organizational plan.

Describing your products and services for a business plan

There are three main categories your business can fall under:
• Distributor (wholesaler) / manufacturer
• Retailer / e-tailor
• Service provider

Manufacturing

As a manufacturer you will need to describe the process of creating the product and explain whether you will need to employ the work of humans, machines, or a combination. Explain the parts that will play in manufacturing your product.

Elaborate on the process including materials you will use, how many steps are involved, how long it takes to manufacture the product, and the amounts you wish to produce.

Don’t forget to describe how you will be getting the materials and machines needed for manufacturing. Find out how available those materials are to you and if the material needs to be shipped to you; figure out the costs and turnaround time.

Retailing/e-tailing

As a retailer you will most likely sell a variety of products so it is important to get organized. Make a list of the products you plan to sell. Describe their usefulness and the specific target markets they are sold to.

Decide on and list any vendors and distributors you plan to use. Once you have chosen the right vendors explain how the products will be shipped to you.

Does the company deliver the product ala drop shipping? Do you have to or want to handle picking up the product? How much will it cost to get the product to you?

Make an analysis describing the way you will handle your inventory. Decide when you plan to refill stock, and the amount of specific products you will need for your inventory.

Find out your wholesale costs for each product then decide on your mark up.

Lastly, if it is your job to ship the products, explain how the customer will buy the product. Will they buy in-store or online?

What will you charge for shipping? How long will it take to ship to the customer? Will you make overnight delivery available?

Providing services

If you provide a service or an entire selection of services, this section is extremely important because as a service provider you will use much of the information you write here in your procedures. Try to be as detailed as you can.

First, list the services you will provide to the customer. Describe how clients receive the service as well as how long these services will take to be distributed.

Second, explain the process that you and your staff must undertake to issue the service to your clients. Describe the amount of staff needed to perform these services.

Third, describe the payment process; for instance, do you offer continuous service with recurring fees? Or perhaps the client pays before or after the job has been started, half now half later, etc…

Developing intellectual property

Mo matter what type of business you are in you must develop and protect any ideas specific to your company using copyrights, patents, fictitious business names, logos, trademarks and procedures.

Unfortunately, the world will live in isn’t perfect and there are some people out there who would like to take advantage of companies through frivolous lawsuits.

Make sure you protect yourself by registering any intellectual property to the right government agencies. Another option, if you are not sure where to register your intellectual property would be to get legal advice from an attorney.

Make sure you get and keep all supporting documents in an easy to locate reference file cabinet. You never know when you might need them.

Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have on this section or contact Assurance Advertising for a consultation.

Join us next time when we talk about location, location, location.
]]> http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/2010/01/07/make-sure-you-have-a-good-plan-for-your-business-part-3/feed/ 0 http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/2010/01/04/five-reasons-why-businesses-fail-free-e-book-courtesy-of-assurance-advertising/ http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/2010/01/04/five-reasons-why-businesses-fail-free-e-book-courtesy-of-assurance-advertising/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:26:09 +0000 admin http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/?p=293 This presentation accompanied our free 2009 classes.

You can now download the entire high-quality presentation as an ebook by SAVING THE EBOOK FROM THIS LINK (right click on PCs):
Five Reasons Why Businesses Fail – CLICK HERE AND CHOOSE “SAVE AS” TO GET THIS FREE EBOOK!

Great Advertising Ideas to Make Your Own Ads Better: Create Promotions to Create Better Ads

Companies want to create good advertising but they tend to forget it is necessary to have something good to advertise to get peoples attention. I’ve seen many ads that are just the name or logo of some company and a slogan. Graphic design and copy alone can’t move products or sell services. Give your customer an excuse to buy from you with a unique promotion.

Recently a lot of advertisers have become more innovative as the slumping economy has created a need to be more aggressive with their promotions and they have come up with some great ideas.

If you buy a Hyundai Sonata you can get $1000 to trade in your car, some sort of $2000 dollar rebate and, last but not least, gas at the price of $1.49 for a whole year. Now if you haven’t ever worked for a car dealership, know this: these offers are no different than the normal rebates which have always been available (as far as out of pocket expense for the car company). It has just now been set up in a way that gets you thinking differently and attracts you to it because of your current needs. Everyone wants to get cheaper gas especially if you have a family and need to get a roomy car like a Sonata.

Chili’s new “Two for Twenty” deal is another great advertising idea. It’s a meal for two people for only 20 bucks. You could have always had two meals for twenty bucks at Chili’s if you try hard enough or walk in with a Sunday paper coupon, but Chili’s has taken the work out and given themselves a great excuse to run an ad campaign.

Make sure your company is doing this type of advertising. Just putting your name in the paper with a great ad concept will not entice your buyers to…well; buy anything from you right now.

One notable way to get ideas is through research. Look back at your old records to see which promotions worked. This gives you a starting point to be creative. A lot of times you can combine two old ideas to come up with one amazing promotion. So go ahead take some time and get creative.

Another way to come up with new innovative promotions is to test them. If you don’t have big money tied up in your business for rigorously testing your promotions, go ahead and talk to some of your clients. Ask them what types of promotions they would love to see offered, and out of those which promotions would be too hard to pass up.

Give your clients a reason to pick up the phone and call or to come in and buy. Create the need with a strong call to action!
Your customers will act.

Should I Advertise in a Recession?

(A time to gain market share!)

*PART TWO*

Last time we went over two of the basic things that focus your marketing efforts to gain the clients your competitors are no longer fighting for.
This time we will cover putting together all of the information you gathered and making good use of it.

Become more competitive

In a down economy many companies will start to spend less on advertising, creating a void for someone (you) to fill. This could be a totally new market you haven’t gone for yet, or just more of the same type of people you’ve always had. Either way these are the people with needs that you can fill.
Just remember you may not get the type of sales increase you would get in a good economy but you will replace your competitor as the trust worthy name in your field thus gaining market share for the future of your organization.
Now combine the increased market share with advertising that speaks directly to the client. Something along the lines of a “great deal” they can’t pass up and a higher level of service than they’re used to. You will start to notice a steady increase in momentum and profits which will be exactly what you need to thrive in these hard economic times. Not to mention putting you in the lead for profits when the economy turns around.

Take advantage of things your competitors have stopped doing for clients

Things to watch for are things like if your competitor has stopped doing direct mail all together (a growing trend to cut costs). That’s a good time to swoop in with an informative newsletter that has promotions for your company built in. Or even a simple business letter that tells them they are appreciated paired with some sort of promotion.

For example: “As a valued customer we are putting $$.$$ towards your next purchase.”

Many companies have retreated to the Internet because of increasing printing costs. Now I think the internet is great for marketing and needs to be utilized by all companies but these companies are forgetting the cardinal rule- Make it easy for customers to remember you, give them more ways to reach you and they will (most likely) come to you instead of going to someone else.

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Should I Advertise in a Recession?

(A time to gain market share!)

*PART ONE*

Did you know that you could set your business up to gain market share when the economy is bad?

All you have to do is focus your marketing efforts to gain the clients your competitors are no longer fighting for. The key here is to get really good at understanding your competitors and your target markets.

First, let’s talk about understanding your competitors. You need to know their names, locations, websites (not just how to get to it but actually what it looks like and what sort of content is on it). Find out what their current sales promotions are so you can make sure you are playing in the same ball park. But most importantly, how are they (or aren’t they) reaching their target audience.

Second, look at your own target market. Think of this more like looking at one or two specific people that would be the perfect customer (or the new type of customer you’re trying to gain). What makes them view one company as a superior choice to another? What types of media do they have exposure to? For example, if they regularly ride the bus to work or drive certain freeways the understanding of these facts can let you know how to take advantage of all sorts of media that will get your message to a very specific group of people that aren’t being reached currently. Is there a promotion that those customers will feel the benefits of more than another? What level of service do they expect? How do they actually get your product or service? Study these things, and write them down. Analyze the information and then your campaigns will be more effective in making you more money, even in a so-called recession!

Digest that information and start employing some of those practices into your daily routine and tune in next time to read about more you can do to gain that competitive edge!

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