Recta-schmangles

These are recta-schmangles. I invented this ingenius way of cutting a pb&j sandwich when my daughter was apprehensive about going to preschool and eating lunch.

What does this have to do with marketing? Everything!

I took my target market (in this case my 3-1/2 yr old), saw a need (need to feel secure) and filled it (sent a little piece of home to school with her - trust me, she's the only one in school with recta-schmangles).

Tip of the day: Always be one step ahead. Identify the need in your target market (even if it is the most basic of needs) and fill it. Think of something that they may use every day and put your own little twist on it :)

Publicity 101 - It's Free!

Publicity is one of the toughest things to get, but can be one of the most beneficial to your company. I've always heard that "any publicity is good publicity." BUT, we've all seen in the recent weeks and months how bad publicity can hurt your image and lead to bad word-of-mouth advertising (think Britney Spears).

For you to get some GOOD publicity, you need to work. It may be free, but it will still take some sweat equity on your part to get noticed and stay noticed by the media. Here are some bullet points for you to consider when developing your marketing plan toward publicity:

• Create a good list of media contacts - Start local. Every city and suburb has local newspaper publications. Get to know the editors and you will begin to see some coverage on your business. You can take that coverage and expand to your larger city newspaper and radio media to gain more exposure for your business. The key is to make relationships and keep in touch with these people offering them stories that their readers want to read.
• Know who your target market is and really zero in on what they're interested in (in relation to the media)
• Write GOOD press releases - Make sure this isn't a advertisement, but instead an informational piece about your company. Are you launching a new product? Did you just make a large donation to your favority charity? Have you hired a new CEO? Tell a story that the media and your target market wants to hear.
• Give speeches to groups - Volunteer to speak to groups about a topic of your expertise. This is a great way to build credibility in your local area.
• Become a teacher in your field of expertise - Contact your local community college or university and teach students about your selected field.
• PSAs - Volunteer to deliver Public Service Announcements for your local media. This can include great TV and radio coverage that you would not normally get.

This type of advertising will take some time and work on your part, but it will pay off greatly in the long run!

5 Steps to Starting Your Business

Before you can begin to market your brand new business, you need to make sure that you take care of some things first:

1. Choose the Right Name for Your Business - If you're in the landscaping business, don't choose JOE'S PICNIC TABLES for your business name. That may be a little far fetched, but you get the idea. Our business is called Atlantic LogoWear. We are physically located on the East Coast and we imprint wearables and promotional products with your company logo. Have your business name reflect who you are and what you do.
2. Choose an Effective Tagline - Again, consider who you are and what your business is all about when developing a tagline. With Atlantic LogoWear, our tagline is "We help businesses do more business." This lets people know that we can help them increase their bottom line using an effective marketing program. Once you find the perfect one, stick with it and print it on all of your promotional materials: business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, promotional products...virtually EVERYTHING that leaves your office. This will help you form an image or corporate identity.
3. Determine Your Target (or Niche) Market - Think about who you are really trying to reach with your product or service. Be very specific. Sure, you would like everyone to purchase your product, but that is not very realistic. If you are a pizza joint, you may say your target is everyone in a 2-mile radius of your store. BUT, your real target is someone who owns or rents a house, condo or apartment in the 2-mile radius who earns money and is hungry :) Once you determine this niche market, only then can you really sit down to complete the next step.
4. Develop a Marketing Plan - First, decide your BUDGET for the first year, first quarter, first month. Once you make that decision, then lay out a plan of how you want to market the business. Ask yourself these questions: What forms of advertising will I use?; What's the best way to reach my target market? (if your target is moms with newborns, advertising in the AARP magazine wouldn't be the most efficient way to spend your money); Should I consider spending more during certain seasons of the year? All of these questions are very important for you to consider when designing a marketing plan.
5. Compose a List of Benefits - Your customers will always have in the back of their mind, "What can their product or service do to HELP ME?" Beat them to the punch with a list of benefits regarding your product or service. Keep a bullet list handy so you and your employees can refer to it often. Memorize the list so you can rattle it off the top of your head. Publish it on your brochures that you hand out. Do everything possible to let people know that you care about them and how you can help them solve their problems.

Tip of the day: Research, research and more research. Before you take this gigantic step, make sure you do your homework. Google your intended business name to see if it is, in fact, an original. It would be a shame to do all of the work to only have to redo it based on a name change.

Hiring an Intern? 10 Things to Look For...

Searching for an intern is more difficult than one might imagine. Finding the right one for your business is just as important as carefully selecting your employees. And if you're hiring your intern for a short-term project, it's especially important to find someone who can jump in and get the job done.

Following are some qualities to look for in your interns:

1. Enthusiasm - Interns who are enthusiastic about working with your company are more likely to produce good results than those who are just trying to fulfill their college requirements or gain experience any way they can. Including questions in your interview that pertain to why the candidate wants an internship with your company is a good way to reveal his level of enthusiasm.
2. Willingness to Learn - An intern who already thinks he knows it all probably won't be much of an asset to your business. Although he should have some training that relates to the position, he must be willing to learn the skills he needs to complete his project successfully.
3. Commitment - This one is important for obvious reasons. Hiring an intern, only to have him leave with the job half done, can put a major strain on your business. You need someone who is committed to seeing his internship through.
4. Good Communication Skills - Interns need to be able to communicate well with others in order to facilitate teamwork. They also should be able to effectively let you know when they run into problems. You can get a good feel for a candidate's communication skills through open-ended interview questions.
5. Receptiveness to Constructive Criticism - An intern will not get everything right on the first try, nor should you expect him to. But he should be able to take constructive criticism, and use it to improve his performance.
6. Trustworthiness - This is a very important one, especially if the intern will be dealing with sensitive information or company assets. For these types of positions, it might be worthwhile to utilize personality tests that can reveal potential problems.
7. Ability to Prioritize - Whether your intern is working on a specific project or just helping out around the office, prioritizing tasks is important. You can provide some structure, but it's ultimately up to the intern himself to use his time wisely.
8. Problem Solving Skills - While it's important to be there when your interns need you, there's just not enough time in the day to solve every little problem for them. They should be able to handle minor problems on their own with little guidance once they've been taught the proper procedures.
9. Adaptability - Your intern may or may not be doing exactly what he had hoped to do in an internship, but he should be able to adapt to a variety of tasks. The idea is to gain work experience and skills, not to set himself in one certain position for life. Having an intern who is open to doing various things in your business will make the internship more pleasant and successful for all involved.
10. An Appropriate Energy Level - High-energy candidates are often the most attractive for business owners seeking interns, but they're not always the best choice. High energy works for intense positions, but if your internship opportunity consists of answering phones or making copies all day, high-energy types may become bored quickly. So it's very important to find a candidate that has the right type of energy for the job you need done.

7 Uses for Promotional Products

There are many ways to use promotional products in your business - here are 7 uses for you to consider:

1. Establish Your Company Identity/Brand - Wanting to get your name out there in a certain way? Use promotional products to brand yourself. Always be sure to pick products that fall into your color scheme, theme or target market (don't get hardhat stress balls if you are a daycare provider - use coloring books and crayons instead!).
2. Stimulate Traffic at Trade Shows - Everybody who has attended or exhibited at a trade show knows how fun it is to get freebies. You can be the most popular booth with the coolest giveaway. A couple of tips: 1) Purchase a large amount of an inexpensive item - many people just walk by and grab the freebie; 2) Have a smaller quantity of higher end giveaways available behind the table for that "qualified" person that you are looking for.
3. Inspire Customer Retention & Loyalty - With today's economic situation, it is tough to go out there and snag that new customer. Use your promotional products to make sure you KEEP the customers that you already have.
4. Cultivate Goodwill in the Community - Co-sponsor a walk for a local charity. They normally will print up tee shirts that will allow your logo as a sponsor on the back. Your company will begin to be associated with giving back to the community.
5. Celebrate an Anniversary - Commemorate those special years by giving back to your employees and customers.
6. Increase Repeat Business - They'll keep coming back to you with small incentives like a keytag or maybe a magnet with a discount for their next visit...get creative!
7. Promote Safety Within the Workplace - "1000 Hours Accident Free" - this is a special event! Award those involved with a special logoed shirt or jacket. They will appreciate it and strive for even higher goals.

Finding Your "Niche"

When you are trying to establish your business identity and brand yourself, you will need to determine what your "niche" or "target" market is going to be. This might sound easy, but in actuality, it takes some time and effort on your part to be successful.

Let's begin with a definition:
What is a niche market? A niche - or target - market is composed of individuals and businesses that have similar interests and needs.

How do I find my niche market?

• This should be the FIRST step when creating your business and marketing plan.
• Start with something you are passionate and knowledgeable about.
• Determine the demand and need for the product/service you are offering...is it broad or targeted?
• Find something that makes you stand apart - what is it that makes you the best of the best in your business? This is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
• Accent the positive characteristics of whatever your product or service is - what makes it the best and position yourself to be the expert in that field.
• RESEARCH! Talk to people, ask them targeted questions like: Are you interested in my product/service? If so, why? What are the best points about it? What would make you keep coming back? Make sure you talk to outside sources, neutral sources and other people in your same field.
  

5 SMART Ways to Attract Visitors to Your Website

1. Start a blog - You can start a free blog on Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. It is very user-friendly and you can get started with 5-10 minutes.
2. Make a point to add your website information to your email signature - You would be surprised how many people actually look at your email signature and click on the links you provide. It's an easy way to get a lot of exposure.
3. Article Marketing - This is the best way to position yourself as an expert in your field. You write the articles, submit them to directories and then publishers of other websites, newsletters and emagazines can reprint them for free. Many article directories will allow a bio at the end of your article with a couple of links. Be sure to highlight your website and any pertinent info about you. A few of the more popular article directories are Article Dashboard, Go Articles, Article Alley and Lady Pens.
4. Remember to add your website and blog url's to major directories and search engines like Google and Yahoo
5. Take part in forums in your niche market - Just Google keywords in your niche market with "forum" after. That should get you started...

Start Small - Gain Exposure in Your Own Neighborhood

Creating a marketing strategy for a business certainly involves a generous level of both online and "grassroots" marketing. Many businesses find that they prosper with a marketing strategy that includes local exposure.

Local exposure is easier to obtain and often blooms into larger scale publicity. For example, a local news program might feature your product or service on an “about town” segment which is then picked up by the larger networks, blogs, and mainstream press. Additionally, it is always good to be able to say, “As seen on…” on your home page and in your marketing materials.

Local exposure is also good for business. People like to do business with folks they can relate to. Who better to relate to than a business owner who lives down the street?

So you know that local exposure is good for business but how does a company or business owner go about gaining that exposure?

Here are 5 ideas on how to tap into your local market.

1. Host a seminar or workshop for free through your local small business association, chamber of commerce, or community education program. This seminar or workshop will inevitably draw a number of attendees but more importantly it will be a reason to generate local press releases which may be picked up by the networks or local radio stations thus bringing bigger awareness to your company.
2. Partner with a local brick and mortar to cross promote or establish a joint venture. For example a local fitness shoe store could post advertisements, coupons, or business cards for your business as an online nutritionist or fitness coach and likewise you could promote the local fitness store. Giveaways and cross promotion can be publicized with a press release.
3. Post flyers locally. Flyers are a great and economical way to communicate with your neighborhood prospects who may or may not have seen your business online.
4. Sponsor a local team. Sponsorship is fun, it gives back to the community and it is an excellent way to gain local recognition. There’s nothing more fun than seeing a team wearing your company’s name on their team shirts.
5. Donate time, education, or funds to a local charity. Again, not only are you giving back to your community you’re gaining recognition. The charitable acts can also generate a press release for double exposure and awareness.

There are any number of ways to connect with your neighborhood prospects, gain awareness and grow your business. The important thing is to plan for it as part of a larger marketing strategy. Integrate local marketing into your complete plan for maximum results and growth.

Start Ups - 7 Things You Need to Know

Starting a small business can be a hectic process, with a lot of work involved. Pulling everything together in order to make your small business successful takes dedication and planning. Some things that you need or want for your business can be put off, but there are other things that should be in place from day one. Here are a few things that are important to have in place before opening the doors of your small business.

1. Business Plan – A business plan can be like a map, to help you find the right direction to make your business a success. Business plans are also important when seeking funding for your business. Seek the assistance of a professional if you are not sure how to develop a plan properly.
2. Capital – There are very few cases where starting a business is free. Make sure you have enough funding, whether through savings, loans, or investors, to put your business plan into action. Generally, it takes some time for a business to begin to show a profit, so be certain that your fund will cover your expenses for an extended period.
3. Credit Line – Even if you feel you have plenty of money to get started and to sustain your business until it becomes profitable, having a line of credit in place is important. When unplanned expenses come up, you will always have a safety net. Additionally, maintaining a good credit record for your business can help in the future, should you need to obtain loans.
4. Location – Every business needs a physical presence somewhere. Your location might be a brick-and-mortar store or an Internet website. Be sure that there is some physical address that is associated with your business, for licensing purposes.
5. Licensing – Before advertising your business or opening the doors, make sure that you have obtained any licensing and permits that are necessary. You can be subject to fines and penalties if you are caught operating without proper permissions.
6. Insurance – Depending on the type of business you are starting, you may need a variety of insurance services. The most important thing is to be sure that you are protected in cases of loss, damage, or lawsuit. If your business will employ others, consider a health insurance plan for yourself and your employees.
7. Accounting System – Setting up a detailed accounting system is very important for a small business. This can help you to ensure that all bills are kept current and funds are distributed properly. It will also keep the necessary records for tax purposes. Tracking the income and expenses of your business is vital for your success.

Do You Have Your Elevator Speech Ready?

Elevator speech? What's an elevator speech?

It's the idea that you have 20-30 seconds to make an impression on somebody that you meet (possibly on an elevator ride) to tell them who you are and what you do. The opportunity will not always be in an elevator, but at coffee shops, Chamber of Commerce meetings and other networking functions that you will attend as you're trying to get your name and your business recognized. Here are some tips to make YOUR elevator speech the best that it can be:

1. Be clear and succinct - Don't tell someone that you sell imprinted pencils for a living. Instead say, "Hi, my name is Tracy Ebert and I help business do MORE business by developing a clear marketing plan and infusing promotional products and corporate apparel into their current media mix."
2. Smile :)
3. Always have a business card handy - As you are giving your speech, pull out a business card so they can take it with them to remember your name.
4. Develop a tag line - Something will set you apart from everybody who does exactly what you do. Find what it is and advertise it in your elevator speech. You need to make yourself memorable!
5. Practice, Practice, Practice! - in front of a mirror, in front of your spouse, in front of your kids. Get it so you know it by heart and can recite it without sounding rehearsed.

This will take some work, but once you get your elevator speech ready, you can use it everywhere you go. You will meet prospective customers in the craziest of places!

Tip of the day: Make sure you always have fresh breath and nothing in between your teeth. You DON'T want them to remember you for that!