Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Small shops and stores have opportunities not available to online operations. It's the window they have on the street.
Dressed up windows get attention. Drivers slow down when a decorated window catches their attention. Strollers on the sidewalk stop, look and come inside.
Window dressing is becoming more important than ever. We are seeing more and more millennials opting for apartments and homes in small towns and cities. They are foregoing the flight to the suburbs. And they are supporting the small shops and stores within walking distance.
Example: Bill runs a small cafe on a town street busy with foot traffic. He deliberately set up his kitchen in the front window. People walking down the sidewalk are suddenly confronted with Bill and his helper busily preparing meals--just beyond the big plate glass window. People stop, watch, and are suddenly hungry. Bill has successfully turned his cafe into entertainment--a marketing strategy that can work in many businesses.
Example: Greta runs an upscale consignment shop specializing in "gently worn" women's fashions. Consignments come from professionals, executives, and women in the entertainment field. Dresses, gowns, outfits, coats, boots, handbags, jewelry and other accessories fill her shop. Greta changes her shop's window at least twice each week. She takes pictures of the window, including close-ups, showing detail and labels, and she posts them on Facebook daily. Greta does no traditional advertising. She uses only her window and Facebook to enjoy success.
Example: Lisa runs a high-end gift shop. She offers handmade items from artists and artisans. She changes her shop's windows once each week, highlighting new items. The streets of this small town are full of window shoppers--they work and live here, they come from nearby towns and cities. In Lisa's shop, they browse through pottery and glass items, small furniture and turned wood sculptures, jewelry and fiber art, and hundreds of other items. Frequently, Lisa clears out one window and invites an artist to set up an easel and create a painting--this always draws a crowd. Pictures go up on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media. This is the extent of her advertising.
Turn your store's window into the focus of your business. This is where you connect with the community, the passing parade. Extend the window's reach by using social media.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Growing with Facebook
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
If you are not using Facebook to grow your small business, you are missing a big opportunity. Facebook is easy to use and you don't have to pay for it.
Promotions on Facebook begin with putting your small business up on the Facebook site. They lead you through it--and it is simple. Then, start uploading pictures--you're snapping pictures all the time, aren't you?
Pictures attract attention. They don't have to be professionally done. But they should be interesting--a close-up of a slice of cake if you are a baker, a street scene if you're a cafe, a new product you're offering. Even attorneys can announce free sessions on writing wills. You get the idea.
You post a picture on Facebook with a few words and you're done with your promotion for the day. Posting once a month won't get much return. But if you post two or three times a week, the response can be significant. It all depends on your picture--it needs to grab eyeballs.
Example: An upscale consignment shop specializes in fashionable women's clothing. A manikin is dressed in every outfit or dress or coat that comes in. A picture goes up on the shop's Facebook page. Handbags are shown with a close-up of the label. Boots and scarves and sweaters and more show up on the Facebook pages every week. The shop attracts widespread attention. Women call and reserve items to be picked up later, or they rush by after their workday. Facebook has helped turn this consignment shop into a destination. People "like" the page and pass it on to their friends and acquaintances. Referrals come in.
Example: A massage therapist posts pictures of hands working on clients--never showing a face. Pictures of hands massaging shoulders, necks, arms and legs trigger all sorts of responses from people seeing the pictures on Facebook. The response is more calls for more appointments from more people.
Example: Retail operations can show pictures of new products, new items being used, along with announcements of sales, discounts, gift certificates, and events set for weekends. Close-ups of jewelry, potted plants, baked goods, clothing, a deck under construction, and just about any other item can get a response on Facebook. When you run out of things to photograph, take pictures of pets. No matter your business, puppies and kittens always attract attention--and get passed around.
People in small business need all the publicity they can get--especially when it is free. Take advantage of what Facebook offers. No matter the business you're in, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well Facebook can promote what you do.
Facebook is one of the best promotional tools for small business. And, just to make it clear, I have nothing to gain by recommending Facebook.
to help you better manage your small business
If you are not using Facebook to grow your small business, you are missing a big opportunity. Facebook is easy to use and you don't have to pay for it.
Promotions on Facebook begin with putting your small business up on the Facebook site. They lead you through it--and it is simple. Then, start uploading pictures--you're snapping pictures all the time, aren't you?
Pictures attract attention. They don't have to be professionally done. But they should be interesting--a close-up of a slice of cake if you are a baker, a street scene if you're a cafe, a new product you're offering. Even attorneys can announce free sessions on writing wills. You get the idea.
You post a picture on Facebook with a few words and you're done with your promotion for the day. Posting once a month won't get much return. But if you post two or three times a week, the response can be significant. It all depends on your picture--it needs to grab eyeballs.
Example: An upscale consignment shop specializes in fashionable women's clothing. A manikin is dressed in every outfit or dress or coat that comes in. A picture goes up on the shop's Facebook page. Handbags are shown with a close-up of the label. Boots and scarves and sweaters and more show up on the Facebook pages every week. The shop attracts widespread attention. Women call and reserve items to be picked up later, or they rush by after their workday. Facebook has helped turn this consignment shop into a destination. People "like" the page and pass it on to their friends and acquaintances. Referrals come in.
Example: A massage therapist posts pictures of hands working on clients--never showing a face. Pictures of hands massaging shoulders, necks, arms and legs trigger all sorts of responses from people seeing the pictures on Facebook. The response is more calls for more appointments from more people.
Example: Retail operations can show pictures of new products, new items being used, along with announcements of sales, discounts, gift certificates, and events set for weekends. Close-ups of jewelry, potted plants, baked goods, clothing, a deck under construction, and just about any other item can get a response on Facebook. When you run out of things to photograph, take pictures of pets. No matter your business, puppies and kittens always attract attention--and get passed around.
People in small business need all the publicity they can get--especially when it is free. Take advantage of what Facebook offers. No matter the business you're in, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well Facebook can promote what you do.
Facebook is one of the best promotional tools for small business. And, just to make it clear, I have nothing to gain by recommending Facebook.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Managing your small business
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Managing a small business is difficult. The basic problem stems from your being too close to the actual work. In fact, you might be the only employee, so everything falls in your lap.
You handle sales, production, customer service, ordering materials and supplies, scheduling and everything else that comes up. Then, you turn off the lights and take out the trash.
The head of a big company has other people to handle all these pieces of the operation. To use an analogy, the head of a corporation is like the conductor of a symphony orchestra. The strings and woodwinds and percussion players play their individual parts, and the conductor puts it all together to the delight of an audience--or customers.
That might be you one day. Meantime, your small business is you. You play all the parts and put it all together.
To manage your small business so that it grows in an orderly fashion, you must pay attention to planning ahead. Planning turns growth into an orderly process. Planning sets milestones to help you know you're on the right track.
First, set your long term goal. This can take some soul-searching on your part. A massage therapist, for example, can set a long term goal of growing into a wellness center--offering lots of different therapies.
Second, set some milestones that, over time, will head your small business toward that long term goal. This is a matter of working backward from the long term goal to where you are now. Tie your milestones to target dates in the future A plumber, for example, might set a milestone in the future to add another service van and another employee.
Third, each milestone will require that you answer certain questions. Will the consumer market you serve support each of your milestones? What effect will technology play? Will you need outside funding or can you grow using only internally-generated funds? Can you use a business partner? Will you need additional space, equipment, employees, or other inputs? Can your business growth pay for all this?
Fourth, turn all this into hard numbers for each milestone with a projected date. Make certain that projected income from your projected sales efforts more than covers projected expenses. This can be difficult. But numbers have a way of turning idle dreams into hard realities.
There you have it. You have just created your business plan, your road map to your future. It is the way you manage your business.
Planning ahead helps you sleep at night--after you take out the trash and turn off the lights.
to help you better manage your small business
Managing a small business is difficult. The basic problem stems from your being too close to the actual work. In fact, you might be the only employee, so everything falls in your lap.
You handle sales, production, customer service, ordering materials and supplies, scheduling and everything else that comes up. Then, you turn off the lights and take out the trash.
The head of a big company has other people to handle all these pieces of the operation. To use an analogy, the head of a corporation is like the conductor of a symphony orchestra. The strings and woodwinds and percussion players play their individual parts, and the conductor puts it all together to the delight of an audience--or customers.
That might be you one day. Meantime, your small business is you. You play all the parts and put it all together.
To manage your small business so that it grows in an orderly fashion, you must pay attention to planning ahead. Planning turns growth into an orderly process. Planning sets milestones to help you know you're on the right track.
First, set your long term goal. This can take some soul-searching on your part. A massage therapist, for example, can set a long term goal of growing into a wellness center--offering lots of different therapies.
Second, set some milestones that, over time, will head your small business toward that long term goal. This is a matter of working backward from the long term goal to where you are now. Tie your milestones to target dates in the future A plumber, for example, might set a milestone in the future to add another service van and another employee.
Third, each milestone will require that you answer certain questions. Will the consumer market you serve support each of your milestones? What effect will technology play? Will you need outside funding or can you grow using only internally-generated funds? Can you use a business partner? Will you need additional space, equipment, employees, or other inputs? Can your business growth pay for all this?
Fourth, turn all this into hard numbers for each milestone with a projected date. Make certain that projected income from your projected sales efforts more than covers projected expenses. This can be difficult. But numbers have a way of turning idle dreams into hard realities.
There you have it. You have just created your business plan, your road map to your future. It is the way you manage your business.
Planning ahead helps you sleep at night--after you take out the trash and turn off the lights.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Fast casual food take out
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Restaurants and cafes are difficult to operate. Many start-ups do not survive. It is a tough business.
Today's owners of restaurants and cafes are noting a new trend. It's not just a quick sandwich you pick up at the health food store. It's more like fast casual, like a whole meal to go. It's take out carried to the next level.
You can attract new customers if you offer fast food take out. You create dinners designed around popular menu items, and you offer these as fast casual, or take out. You relieve customers of the chore of going home and preparing a meal.
Example: Gustav noticed that take out was becoming more than take out. People called to order a meal that would be ready when they arrived. They would pick it up and head home to feed the family waiting on dinner. Gustav expanded his take out menu and he posted pictures of mouth-watering meals on Facebook with a simple caption: "Everything here is home made." Interest exploded. Gustav had tapped into the growing trend of people demanding fast casual meals--to eat at home.
Example: Miranda runs a small cafe, serving only breakfast and lunch. Responding to several customer requests, Miranda began offering home cooked dinners for them to pick up and enjoy at home. She began by offering one entree, prepared and ready to pick up between 4 and 6 p.m. each day. This expanded her restaurant into the dinner meal preparation, but she does not serve dinners at the restaurant. This held costs down, but expanded her business. When she began tailoring meals to customer's desires, she expanded even more--these included gluten-free meals, sugar-free preparations and vegetarian dishes. "It's like having your own personal chef," reads the caption on her Facebook picture postings.
The take out food concept has of course been popular for a very long time. It is a perfectly designed concept, however, when you use it to help people avoid home preparation of meals--especially when you emphasize the home cooked idea.
And I didn't mention pizza once.
Tap into the fast casual "home made" food market. You are using yesterday's take out idea--updated to today's interests and needs.
to help you better manage your small business
Restaurants and cafes are difficult to operate. Many start-ups do not survive. It is a tough business.
Today's owners of restaurants and cafes are noting a new trend. It's not just a quick sandwich you pick up at the health food store. It's more like fast casual, like a whole meal to go. It's take out carried to the next level.
You can attract new customers if you offer fast food take out. You create dinners designed around popular menu items, and you offer these as fast casual, or take out. You relieve customers of the chore of going home and preparing a meal.
Example: Gustav noticed that take out was becoming more than take out. People called to order a meal that would be ready when they arrived. They would pick it up and head home to feed the family waiting on dinner. Gustav expanded his take out menu and he posted pictures of mouth-watering meals on Facebook with a simple caption: "Everything here is home made." Interest exploded. Gustav had tapped into the growing trend of people demanding fast casual meals--to eat at home.
Example: Miranda runs a small cafe, serving only breakfast and lunch. Responding to several customer requests, Miranda began offering home cooked dinners for them to pick up and enjoy at home. She began by offering one entree, prepared and ready to pick up between 4 and 6 p.m. each day. This expanded her restaurant into the dinner meal preparation, but she does not serve dinners at the restaurant. This held costs down, but expanded her business. When she began tailoring meals to customer's desires, she expanded even more--these included gluten-free meals, sugar-free preparations and vegetarian dishes. "It's like having your own personal chef," reads the caption on her Facebook picture postings.
The take out food concept has of course been popular for a very long time. It is a perfectly designed concept, however, when you use it to help people avoid home preparation of meals--especially when you emphasize the home cooked idea.
And I didn't mention pizza once.
Tap into the fast casual "home made" food market. You are using yesterday's take out idea--updated to today's interests and needs.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Increasing your sales
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
The days of the hard sell are long gone. Yesterday's used car salesman is dead and on the way to being forgotten.
Social media has turned people loose. Today, it's all about the buyer, not the thing being sold. Services and products have become almost an afterthought. It's all about "How can you help me?"
People today search out ways to meet their interests--just like they always have. But the ways and means differ. Older conversations across the picket fence have been replaced by likes and tweets and selfies.
Brands are still important. Those enjoying success, however, have now taken on a new dimension. It's not about what's being sold. It's about who's buying.
Pushing a product or service today has more to do with the pushee, not the pusher. Big business has been a big pusher in the past. Today, the siren song they sing is more likely to reflect the target's tune.
People in small business have always done this. It's because they are closer to their clients and customers. Today, the space between them has been reduced even more. Small business is truly a community player.
Owners of small businesses answer the concerns of their clients and customers. After all, they are usually standing face to face.
Social media has brought buyer and seller even closer together. Social media gets them up close and personal. The distance between pusher and pushee has been revolutionized by social media.
Small businesses have been quick to understand the promotional power of social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and all the others bring large numbers of people together, becoming better informed and educated and more anxious to participate.
Get the information out there, and the product or service will follow. Clients and customers already know the brands. They are now drilling down to match their interests with your products and services. Social media fills the gap between your website and the sale.
Branding is still important, but your small business is its own brand. Selling is all about who's buying. It ain't the product or service.
to help you better manage your small business
The days of the hard sell are long gone. Yesterday's used car salesman is dead and on the way to being forgotten.
Social media has turned people loose. Today, it's all about the buyer, not the thing being sold. Services and products have become almost an afterthought. It's all about "How can you help me?"
People today search out ways to meet their interests--just like they always have. But the ways and means differ. Older conversations across the picket fence have been replaced by likes and tweets and selfies.
Brands are still important. Those enjoying success, however, have now taken on a new dimension. It's not about what's being sold. It's about who's buying.
Pushing a product or service today has more to do with the pushee, not the pusher. Big business has been a big pusher in the past. Today, the siren song they sing is more likely to reflect the target's tune.
People in small business have always done this. It's because they are closer to their clients and customers. Today, the space between them has been reduced even more. Small business is truly a community player.
Owners of small businesses answer the concerns of their clients and customers. After all, they are usually standing face to face.
Social media has brought buyer and seller even closer together. Social media gets them up close and personal. The distance between pusher and pushee has been revolutionized by social media.
Small businesses have been quick to understand the promotional power of social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and all the others bring large numbers of people together, becoming better informed and educated and more anxious to participate.
Get the information out there, and the product or service will follow. Clients and customers already know the brands. They are now drilling down to match their interests with your products and services. Social media fills the gap between your website and the sale.
Branding is still important, but your small business is its own brand. Selling is all about who's buying. It ain't the product or service.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Leave corporate, start your own
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Many people dream of leaving the corporate world to start a small business of their own. It's a big move, and it takes careful planning.
Before you jump, do your homework. Jane simply resigned her position at a big corporation, rented a store and began selling chocolates. It was a hard lesson learned--she failed. In her second business, Jane did lots of careful planning before she began selling chocolates using her website and social media--without a shop. She had better luck.
Home in on your interest. A small business can be built around any interest you might have--collectibles, food, clothing, artworks, consulting, design, wellness, the list is endless. Any interest represents a market.
Study the market. No business survives without clients/customers. Who are they? How many can you attract? Why will they spend with you? What is your competition--and how can you beat it? How can you use social media to promote and build your business?
Get a part time job. Target the industry where you'll be starting your business. Get some experience in the trenches. Study eBay and Amazon before opening a store. Help out at a greenhouse before you begin growing plants for sale.
Write up a plan. You can plan in your head, but writing it down forces you to create a step-by-step process. A written plan gets your priorities sorted out. Then, reduce everything to bottom line numbers. Numbers force reality. Total sales less expenses tells you if you are healthy.
Get a handle on funding. No matter what you do, you will need money--to get started, to get the business off the ground, and to survive for a year or two. Do you self-fund? Borrow from Aunt Sallie? Get a loan from a bank? Go for crowd funding? Will the business generate enough bottom line cash to pay your salary AND support future growth?
Longer term planning. Look ahead to future retirement and fit your business into this thinking. Can you eventually sell the business? Can you keep the business running in your golden years? Are you planning to establish the first of many franchised operations?
Leaving corporate and starting your own business is a big move. Corporate America and Small Business America occupy different planets, speak different languages, require different attitudes. Do your homework upfront and you can avoid some pitfalls later.
In small business, you are the juggler of...everything. And the most important thing you juggle is planning ahead. Neglect planning and you are flying blind.
to help you better manage your small business
Many people dream of leaving the corporate world to start a small business of their own. It's a big move, and it takes careful planning.
Before you jump, do your homework. Jane simply resigned her position at a big corporation, rented a store and began selling chocolates. It was a hard lesson learned--she failed. In her second business, Jane did lots of careful planning before she began selling chocolates using her website and social media--without a shop. She had better luck.
Home in on your interest. A small business can be built around any interest you might have--collectibles, food, clothing, artworks, consulting, design, wellness, the list is endless. Any interest represents a market.
Study the market. No business survives without clients/customers. Who are they? How many can you attract? Why will they spend with you? What is your competition--and how can you beat it? How can you use social media to promote and build your business?
Get a part time job. Target the industry where you'll be starting your business. Get some experience in the trenches. Study eBay and Amazon before opening a store. Help out at a greenhouse before you begin growing plants for sale.
Write up a plan. You can plan in your head, but writing it down forces you to create a step-by-step process. A written plan gets your priorities sorted out. Then, reduce everything to bottom line numbers. Numbers force reality. Total sales less expenses tells you if you are healthy.
Get a handle on funding. No matter what you do, you will need money--to get started, to get the business off the ground, and to survive for a year or two. Do you self-fund? Borrow from Aunt Sallie? Get a loan from a bank? Go for crowd funding? Will the business generate enough bottom line cash to pay your salary AND support future growth?
Longer term planning. Look ahead to future retirement and fit your business into this thinking. Can you eventually sell the business? Can you keep the business running in your golden years? Are you planning to establish the first of many franchised operations?
Leaving corporate and starting your own business is a big move. Corporate America and Small Business America occupy different planets, speak different languages, require different attitudes. Do your homework upfront and you can avoid some pitfalls later.
In small business, you are the juggler of...everything. And the most important thing you juggle is planning ahead. Neglect planning and you are flying blind.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Finding buyers for artworks
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Artists and artisans have a difficult time connecting with buyers. Their creations can languish in their studios. But it need not be.
Painters, photographers, sculptors, illustrators, weavers, fiber artists and others produce works that sell in the right venue. Different venues, however, attract different people. There's the rub.
High end galleries still show high end works. Particular galleries have homed in on a particular market segment. They select works they think will appeal to the buyers they attract.
Some galleries have morphed into high-end gift shops. They serve more of a second tier market. Customers who frequent these shops are likely to be well-heeled with disposable incomes. But they are not necessarily knowledgeable buyers of art works. Frequently they are looking for handmade gifts.
Many artists and artisans use the Internet. They establish a website or use sites like Etsy or even eBay to attract buyers. They also use social media to show their works--Facebook is one example.
Example: Ella paints realistic pictures in oils and acrylics. She has exhibited in galleries, attended up-scale shows, and has taken some private commissions. She supplements her income by teaching. Her classes are popular--with beginners as well as with advanced students. She has found that she gets real enjoyment teaching young people. Her studio is in a converted garage, and she convenes classes there. She runs several multi-class sessions during the year. All this activity has spread her reputation, resulting in sales.
Example: Travis is a sculptor. He works in bronze, and it is a tough market to conquer. To bring in income, he made arrangements with other sculptors to produce their bronze castings. He works also with museums and galleries to produce fine reproductions. Recently, he has begun selling fine reproductions to gift shops and decorators. He uses Facebook to drive interest to his website.
Example: Mary is a weaver and designer. She turns out small rugs and wall hangings. She has a website and is on social media. All this activity keeps her busy with projects that come from decorators, collectors, high income individuals, and galleries. She does a show twice each year where regulars seek her out and she meets new people. With her artist's eye, her knowledge of fibers, and her weaving skills, she has tapped into a new market segment. She produces woven pictures of people and animals, working from photographs. Private commissions are coming in.
Artists and artisans today have more opportunities than ever before. Social media drives people to you. There is a real market out there for whatever you do. And there is a real market in teaching others.
With today's marketing opportunities, artists and artisans no long need starve in the garret. Reach out to the buying public.
to help you better manage your small business
Artists and artisans have a difficult time connecting with buyers. Their creations can languish in their studios. But it need not be.
Painters, photographers, sculptors, illustrators, weavers, fiber artists and others produce works that sell in the right venue. Different venues, however, attract different people. There's the rub.
High end galleries still show high end works. Particular galleries have homed in on a particular market segment. They select works they think will appeal to the buyers they attract.
Some galleries have morphed into high-end gift shops. They serve more of a second tier market. Customers who frequent these shops are likely to be well-heeled with disposable incomes. But they are not necessarily knowledgeable buyers of art works. Frequently they are looking for handmade gifts.
Many artists and artisans use the Internet. They establish a website or use sites like Etsy or even eBay to attract buyers. They also use social media to show their works--Facebook is one example.
Example: Ella paints realistic pictures in oils and acrylics. She has exhibited in galleries, attended up-scale shows, and has taken some private commissions. She supplements her income by teaching. Her classes are popular--with beginners as well as with advanced students. She has found that she gets real enjoyment teaching young people. Her studio is in a converted garage, and she convenes classes there. She runs several multi-class sessions during the year. All this activity has spread her reputation, resulting in sales.
Example: Travis is a sculptor. He works in bronze, and it is a tough market to conquer. To bring in income, he made arrangements with other sculptors to produce their bronze castings. He works also with museums and galleries to produce fine reproductions. Recently, he has begun selling fine reproductions to gift shops and decorators. He uses Facebook to drive interest to his website.
Example: Mary is a weaver and designer. She turns out small rugs and wall hangings. She has a website and is on social media. All this activity keeps her busy with projects that come from decorators, collectors, high income individuals, and galleries. She does a show twice each year where regulars seek her out and she meets new people. With her artist's eye, her knowledge of fibers, and her weaving skills, she has tapped into a new market segment. She produces woven pictures of people and animals, working from photographs. Private commissions are coming in.
Artists and artisans today have more opportunities than ever before. Social media drives people to you. There is a real market out there for whatever you do. And there is a real market in teaching others.
With today's marketing opportunities, artists and artisans no long need starve in the garret. Reach out to the buying public.
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