Free daily tips, info, advice, ideas with examples from real business
and my lifetime of personal experience starting, operating and growing businesses.
Need more clients/customers? Throw a party.
Parties and events attract attention. Promoting your small business has never been easier. They're fun, and people are attracted to fun happenings.
Parties don't have to be wild events. Parties come in many flavors.
Example: Susan is a nutritionist. She loves to tell people about the benefits of raw veggies, whole foods, the health values of eating right. But how does she attract paying customers to attend her private consultations? Well, she had a plan. She found several local networking groups at MeetUp.com. At these meetings she homed in on other owners who had compatible small businesses--massage therapists, Reiki and yoga practitioners, chiropractors, hypnotists who help people quit smoking and lose weight. Susan convinced several to come together and hold an event designed around healthy living. They put the word out on Facebook and other social media. At the event, each of them talked about what they did, gave short demonstrations, invited and answered every question and passed out literature. They tapped into the public's thirst for knowledge in an informal setting. The events are continuing, and they bring a continuing supply of new clients and referrals.
Partner with other businesses to attract even more attention than you might when you act alone. If getting several businesses to come together seems too much for you, try just one.
Example: Victoria operates a small specialty bakery. She met Susan the nutritionist at one of the MeetUp networking events. Victoria's bakery attracts people with health concerns. In addition to regular bakery items, she offers gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free, nut-free, lactose-free, etc. Victoria and Susan put together an event at the bakery, where Victoria set out a big table of samples and Susan talked about nutrition. Both answered questions and passed out information. The event attracted new customers/clients for each of them.
Events bring people to you. All have questions, and these attendees bring you referrals.
Example: Jack had a bigger idea. His upscale clothing store attracted regular customers, but like every other store in town, Jack wanted more. He trudged up and down the street, engaging every shop owner, and talking them into holding a town-wide event. Business owners bought into Jack's idea--every store agreed to participate by holding demonstrations, having drawings for products, giving away gift certificates, passing out free samples, providing activities for children, etc. Jack arranged for free musicians to perform, and artists came to work their crafts on the sidewalks. The big day came and the event attracted widespread attention, bringing new people to town where they discovered the shops and stores. The event helped turn the town into a destination, and these days Jack does it twice each year.
Small or big, events bring new people to your operation. The excitement created will pay off long after the actual event takes place.
You can get your business in front of new eyeballs by throwing a party--or an event. And what small business can't use new eyeballs? Do it, promote it, and they will come. And refer others.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Selling on eBay
Free daily tips, info, advice, ideas and examples from real businesses
drawing on my lifetime of experience starting, operating and growing operations.
When eBay exploded on the Internet, it revolutionized all sorts of markets. Buyers and sellers suddenly had another place to meet and do business.
On the eBay.com site, you can find thousands of items in many categories--electronics, clothing, collectibles and antiques, home and garden, and much, much more. Just click on your interest and begin.
Example: For many years I collected early American glass made between 1800 and 1900. The day came when it got out of hand--I was running out of room. About the same time, I found eBay. I would take a picture of, say, a Diamond Thumbprint decanter made in the 1850s, post the picture to the eBay site, and watch as people bid on the item--or purchased it outright. I have bought and sold historic American glass pieces on eBay, and the experience has been a good one. The eBay phenomenon greatly expanded the market geographically--far beyond the circles of collectors I had developed over the years. Suddenly, I could reach people all over the country and beyond. I discovered that collectors in different parts of the country had different interests and would pay different prices for historic glass items. Over time, there was an evening out of market interest and prices--the eBay phenomenon was working its magic in the marketplace.
Not everything posted on eBay sells. But, overwhelmingly, the company has been very successful in bringing together buyers and sellers.
Like everything else, you must jump into the water if you want to swim. You might find it will work for you--or it might not. Then, you might find someone to handle all the eBay details for you.
Example: Fran opened a consignment shop and invited others to bring items to her store. She offers the items for sale at the shop, and she places them on eBay as well. Hers is a sort of eBay store, where her customers are primarily sellers, not buyers. She handles putting the items up on the eBay site, relieving her customers of this. Since Fran is very active on eBay as a seller, she has become expert in what will sell and what will not. She is also up-to-date on pricing. In an ever changing marketplace, prices can fluctuate--up or down. An item that was hotly bid up to hundreds of dollars last year might languish on the shelves this year with no interest at all--locally or on eBay. Fran has found the antiques market to be a good example of this. High end and rare antiques usually command high prices, but second tier antiques not so much. A small, hand-carved salon table that sold for $500 some twenty years ago, today struggles to fetch half that amount. Collectibles, on the other hand, might soar in interest and price--an early computer game can draw lots of interest, and bidding can be fierce. Fran offers free appraisals at her bricks-and-mortar operation, and this brings in lots of inventory.
Businesses other than consignment shops can take advantage of the huge market that eBay provides. Artists and artisans can be found on eBay, as can gift shops, furniture designers, clothing and electronics stores, and, of course, antiques and collectibles in addition to others.
You have many opportunities and possibilities in small business. And you never know what works until you try. Find your niche, and never look back.
drawing on my lifetime of experience starting, operating and growing operations.
When eBay exploded on the Internet, it revolutionized all sorts of markets. Buyers and sellers suddenly had another place to meet and do business.
On the eBay.com site, you can find thousands of items in many categories--electronics, clothing, collectibles and antiques, home and garden, and much, much more. Just click on your interest and begin.
Example: For many years I collected early American glass made between 1800 and 1900. The day came when it got out of hand--I was running out of room. About the same time, I found eBay. I would take a picture of, say, a Diamond Thumbprint decanter made in the 1850s, post the picture to the eBay site, and watch as people bid on the item--or purchased it outright. I have bought and sold historic American glass pieces on eBay, and the experience has been a good one. The eBay phenomenon greatly expanded the market geographically--far beyond the circles of collectors I had developed over the years. Suddenly, I could reach people all over the country and beyond. I discovered that collectors in different parts of the country had different interests and would pay different prices for historic glass items. Over time, there was an evening out of market interest and prices--the eBay phenomenon was working its magic in the marketplace.
Not everything posted on eBay sells. But, overwhelmingly, the company has been very successful in bringing together buyers and sellers.
Like everything else, you must jump into the water if you want to swim. You might find it will work for you--or it might not. Then, you might find someone to handle all the eBay details for you.
Example: Fran opened a consignment shop and invited others to bring items to her store. She offers the items for sale at the shop, and she places them on eBay as well. Hers is a sort of eBay store, where her customers are primarily sellers, not buyers. She handles putting the items up on the eBay site, relieving her customers of this. Since Fran is very active on eBay as a seller, she has become expert in what will sell and what will not. She is also up-to-date on pricing. In an ever changing marketplace, prices can fluctuate--up or down. An item that was hotly bid up to hundreds of dollars last year might languish on the shelves this year with no interest at all--locally or on eBay. Fran has found the antiques market to be a good example of this. High end and rare antiques usually command high prices, but second tier antiques not so much. A small, hand-carved salon table that sold for $500 some twenty years ago, today struggles to fetch half that amount. Collectibles, on the other hand, might soar in interest and price--an early computer game can draw lots of interest, and bidding can be fierce. Fran offers free appraisals at her bricks-and-mortar operation, and this brings in lots of inventory.
Businesses other than consignment shops can take advantage of the huge market that eBay provides. Artists and artisans can be found on eBay, as can gift shops, furniture designers, clothing and electronics stores, and, of course, antiques and collectibles in addition to others.
You have many opportunities and possibilities in small business. And you never know what works until you try. Find your niche, and never look back.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Regulation nation
Free daily tips, info, advice, ideas with examples from real businesses
from my lifetime of experience starting, operating and growing small businesses.
I am old enough to remember a coffee roasting operation in Manhattan. This business perfumed the neighborhood with the intoxicating aromas of roasting coffee beans.
Likewise, there was a large bakery where the aromas of baking bread reached out, grabbed you by the nose, and brought you into the retail shop.
No more. What made a positive contribution to that neighborhood long ago succumbed to regulations. Faceless bureaucrats decided for the rest of us that the aromas of baking bread and roasting coffee beans were an affront to the planet's well-being. I hope that those lost souls are now employed in more useful pursuits--like cleaning toilets.
Example: When the economy went sour, Lucille was laid off from her job. She decided to open a consignment shop. She leased a small storefront on a side street in her town and called everyone she knew to collect consignments for the store. While the store was being filled, she went to city hall asking about a sign permit. A clerk handed her three pages of signage regulations. Not only did the rules specify the type, size and placement of outside signs, the fine print also included detailed instructions for indoor signage placed on windows to be seen from the outside. These could not exceed a specified size, with "no garish lettering." When Lucille asked what that meant, the clerk shrugged and turned away.
Most owners of bricks-and-mortar businesses have struggled with signage regulations. Communities can be sensitive to the appearance of streets lined with stores and shops.
Other businesses face different types of regulations--no less intrusive, expensive, and in many cases counterproductive.
Example: A small civil engineering/construction company I know struggles every day to stay alive. The technical and regulatory issues faced by the owner are legion. His people must perform services according to approved plans, of course. In addition, he must contend with a virulent anti-development mind set prevalent in the communities he serves. These municipalities add to the state and federal regulatory burden with more regulations of their own, and then they hire high-powered firms to oversee and audit projects--at excessive review fees. This adds considerably to overall costs of the project, forcing the civil engineering company to add to the costs of doing business, to stretch out project schedules, and to maintain capabilities in addition to engineering. Keep in mind that it's the small firms that lease local space, provide good paying jobs, and provide personalized services to clients. Even the reworking of a septic tank or removal of a leaky oil tank for residential clients can stretch into months, a job that once took a week at most.
More and more regulations are piling up daily. Local, state and federal agencies today are in the business of growing themselves, writing so many regulations that they themselves cannot keep on top of the mess. Who could?
We live in a regulation nation, and it's getting worse. The central planners have insinuated themselves into positions of great power. And it's not just Washington. There are busy bodies at every level, and they are the ones who write all this stuff--with good intentions, of course. But good intentions don't build small businesses. It takes much, much more.
You cannot escape regulations unless you do business under the table, risking certain legal consequences. You must play by all the rules these days, and that requires that you to take your business far beyond ethical business practices. Also, you must satisfy all the whims of central planners--local, state and federal.
from my lifetime of experience starting, operating and growing small businesses.
I am old enough to remember a coffee roasting operation in Manhattan. This business perfumed the neighborhood with the intoxicating aromas of roasting coffee beans.
Likewise, there was a large bakery where the aromas of baking bread reached out, grabbed you by the nose, and brought you into the retail shop.
No more. What made a positive contribution to that neighborhood long ago succumbed to regulations. Faceless bureaucrats decided for the rest of us that the aromas of baking bread and roasting coffee beans were an affront to the planet's well-being. I hope that those lost souls are now employed in more useful pursuits--like cleaning toilets.
Example: When the economy went sour, Lucille was laid off from her job. She decided to open a consignment shop. She leased a small storefront on a side street in her town and called everyone she knew to collect consignments for the store. While the store was being filled, she went to city hall asking about a sign permit. A clerk handed her three pages of signage regulations. Not only did the rules specify the type, size and placement of outside signs, the fine print also included detailed instructions for indoor signage placed on windows to be seen from the outside. These could not exceed a specified size, with "no garish lettering." When Lucille asked what that meant, the clerk shrugged and turned away.
Most owners of bricks-and-mortar businesses have struggled with signage regulations. Communities can be sensitive to the appearance of streets lined with stores and shops.
Other businesses face different types of regulations--no less intrusive, expensive, and in many cases counterproductive.
Example: A small civil engineering/construction company I know struggles every day to stay alive. The technical and regulatory issues faced by the owner are legion. His people must perform services according to approved plans, of course. In addition, he must contend with a virulent anti-development mind set prevalent in the communities he serves. These municipalities add to the state and federal regulatory burden with more regulations of their own, and then they hire high-powered firms to oversee and audit projects--at excessive review fees. This adds considerably to overall costs of the project, forcing the civil engineering company to add to the costs of doing business, to stretch out project schedules, and to maintain capabilities in addition to engineering. Keep in mind that it's the small firms that lease local space, provide good paying jobs, and provide personalized services to clients. Even the reworking of a septic tank or removal of a leaky oil tank for residential clients can stretch into months, a job that once took a week at most.
More and more regulations are piling up daily. Local, state and federal agencies today are in the business of growing themselves, writing so many regulations that they themselves cannot keep on top of the mess. Who could?
We live in a regulation nation, and it's getting worse. The central planners have insinuated themselves into positions of great power. And it's not just Washington. There are busy bodies at every level, and they are the ones who write all this stuff--with good intentions, of course. But good intentions don't build small businesses. It takes much, much more.
You cannot escape regulations unless you do business under the table, risking certain legal consequences. You must play by all the rules these days, and that requires that you to take your business far beyond ethical business practices. Also, you must satisfy all the whims of central planners--local, state and federal.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Market trends
Free daily write-ups, tips, information, advice and ideas for small business
from a lifetime of experience starting, operating and growing businesses of my own.
Running a business is risky. It's you against the world in which you operate.
The market and the economy, regulations and competitors, galloping technology--you're sailing on an ocean full of sharks. The biggest and badest shark, however, is the market.
All things equal, it's the market that will spell success or failure for your business. The market is made up of customers, a restless bunch, always on the move.
Example: Nicole runs a gift shop. When she took over the place from an elderly aunt, the shelves were lined with knickknacks and nondescript glassware, a case of costume jewelry, displays of baskets, lamps, plaques, a wall lined with mugs and kitchenware--and greeting cards. Nicole's idea was to bring the shop in line with a more forward looking market and to transform the place into a destination that would appeal to shoppers who were more upscale. She began contacting local artists and artisans who created original pieces in silver and enamel jewelry, fiber arts, pottery, wooden ware, iron ware, artwork made from recycled materials, and original miniatures. Nicole had recognized that a new and different type of customer was walking the streets. Those who had passed by the old gift shop without a second glance now were attracted by the window displays Nicole created. Not only was she following a market trend, she was helping to create it.
You can research market trends for your industry on the Internet. But a better way is to get in tune with life going on around you. Pay attention to what people are talking about, how they react to situations, what choices they make when they spend their money.
Example: Doris saw a business opportunity long before others did. Years ago, she noticed that people, especially women, were increasingly concerned with the foods people were eating. She investigated the beginnings of a market for healthy foods, and she decided to take the plunge and establish her own small store. She avoided the big food manufacturers and distributors, opting instead to ferret out organic producers of products. Gradually, she added gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free and other specialties. She added foods imported from Europe where they seemed to be ahead of this market curve. Her customer stream was thin in the beginning, but the customers spread the word in their communities. When Doris added non-GMO foods, she held an open house with a nutritionist to explain and answer questions. She promotes her operation continuously. Since establishing that initial store, Doris has opened two additional stores in neighboring communities, and she is considering franchising the operation.
Many business owners are content to serve a fairly stable market. They relax into a routine, while the market keeps moving. This can be dangerous to the future of your business.
Staying on top of ever-changing markets is not easy. Customers follow fads and fashions in everything they do--food, clothing, phones, even the vehicles and houses they buy. You either follow the curve or you are ahead of the curve. What business you're in is up to you.
You're the closest person to your market. What did your last customer/client buy? What's the trend over the last year? When you step back and take a hard look, this can indicate where you are. Now, are you in line with the market?
from a lifetime of experience starting, operating and growing businesses of my own.
Running a business is risky. It's you against the world in which you operate.
The market and the economy, regulations and competitors, galloping technology--you're sailing on an ocean full of sharks. The biggest and badest shark, however, is the market.
All things equal, it's the market that will spell success or failure for your business. The market is made up of customers, a restless bunch, always on the move.
Example: Nicole runs a gift shop. When she took over the place from an elderly aunt, the shelves were lined with knickknacks and nondescript glassware, a case of costume jewelry, displays of baskets, lamps, plaques, a wall lined with mugs and kitchenware--and greeting cards. Nicole's idea was to bring the shop in line with a more forward looking market and to transform the place into a destination that would appeal to shoppers who were more upscale. She began contacting local artists and artisans who created original pieces in silver and enamel jewelry, fiber arts, pottery, wooden ware, iron ware, artwork made from recycled materials, and original miniatures. Nicole had recognized that a new and different type of customer was walking the streets. Those who had passed by the old gift shop without a second glance now were attracted by the window displays Nicole created. Not only was she following a market trend, she was helping to create it.
You can research market trends for your industry on the Internet. But a better way is to get in tune with life going on around you. Pay attention to what people are talking about, how they react to situations, what choices they make when they spend their money.
Example: Doris saw a business opportunity long before others did. Years ago, she noticed that people, especially women, were increasingly concerned with the foods people were eating. She investigated the beginnings of a market for healthy foods, and she decided to take the plunge and establish her own small store. She avoided the big food manufacturers and distributors, opting instead to ferret out organic producers of products. Gradually, she added gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free and other specialties. She added foods imported from Europe where they seemed to be ahead of this market curve. Her customer stream was thin in the beginning, but the customers spread the word in their communities. When Doris added non-GMO foods, she held an open house with a nutritionist to explain and answer questions. She promotes her operation continuously. Since establishing that initial store, Doris has opened two additional stores in neighboring communities, and she is considering franchising the operation.
Many business owners are content to serve a fairly stable market. They relax into a routine, while the market keeps moving. This can be dangerous to the future of your business.
Staying on top of ever-changing markets is not easy. Customers follow fads and fashions in everything they do--food, clothing, phones, even the vehicles and houses they buy. You either follow the curve or you are ahead of the curve. What business you're in is up to you.
You're the closest person to your market. What did your last customer/client buy? What's the trend over the last year? When you step back and take a hard look, this can indicate where you are. Now, are you in line with the market?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Leaving corporate America
Free daily tips, information, advice, ideas and examples taken from real life
and my personal experience starting, operating and growing small businesses.
Corporate America and small business America occupy different planets. They speak different languages. The culture is completely different.
People who run small businesses are "can do" people. But you know that. You're one of them.
Example: Mary had a long and successful career at a major international corporation. The time came when the company offered several employees early retirement packages. Mary decided to take the substantial payout and set up a small business of her own. She took some time off. Then she bought a fast food franchise, joined the local chamber of commerce, and proudly held a grand opening. Then the hard lessons came. She quickly got an education in the differences between small business America and the corporate position she had left behind. She found herself mopping the floor when the cleaning people didn't show. She calmed down upset customers, calling the police when a drunk would not leave. She jumped in when the cook fell ill. Exhausted, she subsequently sold the business. Today, Mary makes pottery in her garage studio and is building a business she loves.
In corporate America, there is a department for everything. When there's a problem, you call someone. Or you hold a meeting.
In small business America, you are it. You handle whatever comes up. Yours are the hands you depend on.
Example: John also took an early retirement package from a major company. He had decades of experience, part of a corporate team selling the company's products to a long list of clients. John invested his payout, tucking it all away in municipal bonds. Then he started a one-man business as an independent manufacturer's representative--being careful not to compete with his former employer. But the clients he already knew needed other products, and they received him warmly when he called. John also used these relationships to network his way to additional possibilities. He quickly built his own small business based on what he already knew. The last time we talked, he wondered aloud why he didn't leave corporate America sooner.
Everyone I ever met in corporate America has thought about leaving. That prospect of a nice little business of your own, where you're the boss, is always appealing--especially when you're sitting in those endless meetings.
When you do decide to leave, however, to start a business, make sure it's doing something you love. That way, you won't mind all those dirty details that pop up.
Leaving corporate America is a big step. I know. I did it myself when I was 35. Now, at 78, I wonder why it took me so long.
and my personal experience starting, operating and growing small businesses.
Corporate America and small business America occupy different planets. They speak different languages. The culture is completely different.
People who run small businesses are "can do" people. But you know that. You're one of them.
Example: Mary had a long and successful career at a major international corporation. The time came when the company offered several employees early retirement packages. Mary decided to take the substantial payout and set up a small business of her own. She took some time off. Then she bought a fast food franchise, joined the local chamber of commerce, and proudly held a grand opening. Then the hard lessons came. She quickly got an education in the differences between small business America and the corporate position she had left behind. She found herself mopping the floor when the cleaning people didn't show. She calmed down upset customers, calling the police when a drunk would not leave. She jumped in when the cook fell ill. Exhausted, she subsequently sold the business. Today, Mary makes pottery in her garage studio and is building a business she loves.
In corporate America, there is a department for everything. When there's a problem, you call someone. Or you hold a meeting.
In small business America, you are it. You handle whatever comes up. Yours are the hands you depend on.
Example: John also took an early retirement package from a major company. He had decades of experience, part of a corporate team selling the company's products to a long list of clients. John invested his payout, tucking it all away in municipal bonds. Then he started a one-man business as an independent manufacturer's representative--being careful not to compete with his former employer. But the clients he already knew needed other products, and they received him warmly when he called. John also used these relationships to network his way to additional possibilities. He quickly built his own small business based on what he already knew. The last time we talked, he wondered aloud why he didn't leave corporate America sooner.
Everyone I ever met in corporate America has thought about leaving. That prospect of a nice little business of your own, where you're the boss, is always appealing--especially when you're sitting in those endless meetings.
When you do decide to leave, however, to start a business, make sure it's doing something you love. That way, you won't mind all those dirty details that pop up.
Leaving corporate America is a big step. I know. I did it myself when I was 35. Now, at 78, I wonder why it took me so long.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Your customer is king
Free daily tips, info, advice and ideas for small business
from my personal experience--been there, done that.
Much has been said about customers--how to get them, how to make them happy, how to keep them coming back.
It bears repeating. Your customer is king.
Example: Early in my first business (graphic arts/printing), I received a call from a customer on Easter Sunday morning. (Yes, I gave out my personal phone number to customers.) He had a problem--a board meeting had been called suddenly for the next morning. He needed a booklet--designed, printed and delivered overnight. I did not hesitate--yes, we could do the job. A very hectic 24 hours followed, but the booklets were delivered to his boardroom before 7 a.m. the next morning to a happy customer. Later that week, I hand-delivered the invoice and he approved it immediately. Further, he had the payment check cut while we sat discussing another job he had in mind. Our relationship continued for many years.
Customers have problems of their own. Your business is best served when you solve their problems, on their terms, in their time frame.
Example: An attorney was engaged by a lady to draw up her will. She had some unusual requests, and the attorney listened patiently. But instead of leading the client through the problems, the attorney saw an opportunity to draw out the situation and increase the fees. He suggested a series of meetings to sort through all the details. This might have helped his cash flow, but the client saw it as annoying. She also suspected his true intentions. He lost a client that day--not only for the will, but for some large property transfers she subsequently made.
Customers are not dummies. They come to you with a problem which they expect you to solve--whether it's to buy a dozen cookies or make that neck pain go away. They don't come to you to be manipulated.
Successful business people keep focused on the customer--not your own problems. Give them what they want and that will solve your problems.
You'll find many examples throughout these write-ups showing how to find and keep your clients/customers. It ain't rocket science, even with today's galloping technology. It's common sense and person to person relationships. Keep the focus.
from my personal experience--been there, done that.
Much has been said about customers--how to get them, how to make them happy, how to keep them coming back.
It bears repeating. Your customer is king.
Example: Early in my first business (graphic arts/printing), I received a call from a customer on Easter Sunday morning. (Yes, I gave out my personal phone number to customers.) He had a problem--a board meeting had been called suddenly for the next morning. He needed a booklet--designed, printed and delivered overnight. I did not hesitate--yes, we could do the job. A very hectic 24 hours followed, but the booklets were delivered to his boardroom before 7 a.m. the next morning to a happy customer. Later that week, I hand-delivered the invoice and he approved it immediately. Further, he had the payment check cut while we sat discussing another job he had in mind. Our relationship continued for many years.
Customers have problems of their own. Your business is best served when you solve their problems, on their terms, in their time frame.
Example: An attorney was engaged by a lady to draw up her will. She had some unusual requests, and the attorney listened patiently. But instead of leading the client through the problems, the attorney saw an opportunity to draw out the situation and increase the fees. He suggested a series of meetings to sort through all the details. This might have helped his cash flow, but the client saw it as annoying. She also suspected his true intentions. He lost a client that day--not only for the will, but for some large property transfers she subsequently made.
Customers are not dummies. They come to you with a problem which they expect you to solve--whether it's to buy a dozen cookies or make that neck pain go away. They don't come to you to be manipulated.
Successful business people keep focused on the customer--not your own problems. Give them what they want and that will solve your problems.
You'll find many examples throughout these write-ups showing how to find and keep your clients/customers. It ain't rocket science, even with today's galloping technology. It's common sense and person to person relationships. Keep the focus.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
5 ways to promote
Free daily write-ups to help people in small business grow--
from my lifetime of experience starting, operating and expanding businesses.
All publicity is good. Whether it's positive or negative, publicity gets eyeballs on you and your business. Publicity of any kind gets the word out, keeps people talking about you.
Of course, if it's negative, you'll want to do some things to correct it. See other write-ups in this series on how to combat negative publicity.
I learned many years ago that publicity is a lot more than issuing a press release now and then. Here are five promotional techniques that have proven track records.
Events attract attention. Hold an anniversary party, offer free demonstrations of what you do, set up a free sample table, set up a tent and invite the whole town, schedule an open house, celebrate spring, get a band to come in and perform--or at least a guitar player, launch hot air balloon rides from the parking lot. The list is as long as your imagination. Events attract attention, bring people to you and get them talking about you and your operation.
Partner with another business. I know a chiropractor who partners with a fitness operation. They refer people back and forth and sometimes they come together to hold an event open to the public. It's an informal relationship that works with non-competing operations but who target many of the same customers. How about a restaurant and a garden center? A jewelry maker and a gift shop? A pet store with a veterinarian? Who is your target customer/client?
Network your way through the community. Join a networking group or the chamber of commerce, form a networking group of your own. Don't just pass out business cards--meet new people, engage them in conversation, get to know them in the 15 minutes you spend talking. Do this with no more than half a dozen at any meeting. Then follow up. Check out the MeetUp.com website for networking groups operating in your area--or form one of your own.
Facebook is an excellent way to promote your business. Snap a quick photo of what you do, your place of business, even a selfie and post it to your Facebook page. This is not an advertisement--rather, it goes to the heart of what an ad does. You are reminding people who you are. The 3 or 4 seconds a viewer sees you on Facebook can be more valuable than a $500 ad placed in a publication. Keep fresh photos going up on the Facebook page. You are building relationships with your public. Even publications use Facebook.
Volunteer for community activities or hold them yourself. Support local sports teams (bowling, billiards, baseball, soccer, etc.), support food banks and kids activities, blood drives, fund raisers, walks and races where part of the proceeds goes to disease research--or buy equipment for the local clinic or hospital. In other words, do good works. Your participation will return to you many times over.
Many opportunities are available to you to promote your business. Notice that there is not a single costly advertisement mentioned in these five promotional methods. You can promote with little or no money out of pocket--or you can spend the dollars you might have spent on an ad by holding an event.
Yeah. And send out a press release to your local paper. Just make sure you send it two or more weeks in advance of the event you're doing. They have deadlines, too.
You'll find many examples of promotional activities in the write-ups I've done. One is called "Spreading the Word" and another is "Partners in Business" and they cover all sorts of businesses--from lawyers to landscapers, bakeries to bookstores, teachers to therapists, salons to spas. Find yourself!
from my lifetime of experience starting, operating and expanding businesses.
All publicity is good. Whether it's positive or negative, publicity gets eyeballs on you and your business. Publicity of any kind gets the word out, keeps people talking about you.
Of course, if it's negative, you'll want to do some things to correct it. See other write-ups in this series on how to combat negative publicity.
I learned many years ago that publicity is a lot more than issuing a press release now and then. Here are five promotional techniques that have proven track records.
Events attract attention. Hold an anniversary party, offer free demonstrations of what you do, set up a free sample table, set up a tent and invite the whole town, schedule an open house, celebrate spring, get a band to come in and perform--or at least a guitar player, launch hot air balloon rides from the parking lot. The list is as long as your imagination. Events attract attention, bring people to you and get them talking about you and your operation.
Partner with another business. I know a chiropractor who partners with a fitness operation. They refer people back and forth and sometimes they come together to hold an event open to the public. It's an informal relationship that works with non-competing operations but who target many of the same customers. How about a restaurant and a garden center? A jewelry maker and a gift shop? A pet store with a veterinarian? Who is your target customer/client?
Network your way through the community. Join a networking group or the chamber of commerce, form a networking group of your own. Don't just pass out business cards--meet new people, engage them in conversation, get to know them in the 15 minutes you spend talking. Do this with no more than half a dozen at any meeting. Then follow up. Check out the MeetUp.com website for networking groups operating in your area--or form one of your own.
Facebook is an excellent way to promote your business. Snap a quick photo of what you do, your place of business, even a selfie and post it to your Facebook page. This is not an advertisement--rather, it goes to the heart of what an ad does. You are reminding people who you are. The 3 or 4 seconds a viewer sees you on Facebook can be more valuable than a $500 ad placed in a publication. Keep fresh photos going up on the Facebook page. You are building relationships with your public. Even publications use Facebook.
Volunteer for community activities or hold them yourself. Support local sports teams (bowling, billiards, baseball, soccer, etc.), support food banks and kids activities, blood drives, fund raisers, walks and races where part of the proceeds goes to disease research--or buy equipment for the local clinic or hospital. In other words, do good works. Your participation will return to you many times over.
Many opportunities are available to you to promote your business. Notice that there is not a single costly advertisement mentioned in these five promotional methods. You can promote with little or no money out of pocket--or you can spend the dollars you might have spent on an ad by holding an event.
Yeah. And send out a press release to your local paper. Just make sure you send it two or more weeks in advance of the event you're doing. They have deadlines, too.
You'll find many examples of promotional activities in the write-ups I've done. One is called "Spreading the Word" and another is "Partners in Business" and they cover all sorts of businesses--from lawyers to landscapers, bakeries to bookstores, teachers to therapists, salons to spas. Find yourself!
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