Search Results for ‘small business tips’
Surfing the WEB for tips to make your company stand out on Black Friday
Think of Black Friday as an opportunity to bring in new customers by offering a few good Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Not only will this kick off your holiday season on a positive note (and hopefully add to a healthier bottom line) you can take advantage of the fact that people will be shopping online and therefor traffic will be stronger on these two days.
Since Black Friday is all about promoting your business and selling more, here are several ideas to help you plan a killer selling day (or days).
Be sure to grab your share of sales
The average Black Friday corresponds to around-the-store lines before the sun rises. Now, of course, we seem to be in a recession, but that may make November 28th an even more profitable time for every business that has something to sell.
Insane deals tend to get people moving on Black Friday, and folks who would prefer to get some sleep may join the mobs due to their financial situation. Like major retailers, you can try to draw them in by offering big discounts on a few items, and then see what else they spend while they’re in the store.
Read the rest of the Black Friday Boom Forecast here: http://www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnews/2008/11/17/black-friday-boom-forecast
Small Business Can Make Big Plays on Black Friday
Black Friday is like the Super Bowl. It’s a huge event that draws millions of people. But only the big boys get to play on the field. People like you and me only get to watch.
At first glance, Rafi Mohammed seems to reinforce that with his advice for retailers to woo customers with steep discounts on Black Friday. He encourages retailers to use loss leaders to welcome people back from discounters.
For anyone tempted to compete with the big boys on price, this is a pretty good reason to abandon that strategy. It also looks like a pretty good reason to stay in bed Friday and let the big retailers deal with all those people.
To read more visit http://mainebusiness.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=16424
Black Friday Bargains for Small Business
Black Friday — and the following Cyber Monday — can also be a great time to go shopping for your small business. Just ask Rhonda Abrams of USA Today. She suggests the following:
Strategies for successful small business Black Friday shopping:
1. Make a list of stuff you really need. Don’t buy just because something’s cheap. It’s tempting, I know.
2. Check to see which version of Windows 7 you need. If you have a server you’ll need at least the Pro or Ultimate edition. Upgrades are very expensive so buy the right one.
Read the rest of the article “Black Friday Bargains for Small Business” at USA Today ~
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2009-11-20-black-friday-bargains-for-small-business_N.htm
Over at online betting zone Bookmaker, they’ve put out their oddsmaking team’s predictions. The majority of the team says between 161 million and 180 million of us will hit the stores and websites on Black Friday, and we’ll spend between $300-$400 per shopper. Second-best odds were for 131 million to 161 million shoppers spending $250-$300 apiece.
To read what else they have to say read Black Friday and Cyber Monday…Will They Rock? on the Entrepreneur.com blog here http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/11/black-friday-and-cyber-mondaywill-they-rock.php
And if you happen to be out shopping on Black Friday, here’s a few tips for you:
Make list: In any shopping maneuver, a list can help you plan ahead and shop more efficiently. Look through sales fliers and check out www.black-friday.net for information on which stores are offering what deals. Then you can prioritize the items on your list, and plan out a route according to what is most important to you. Also list any coupons you have that can be used to further reduce the prices of desired items.
Visit the store the day before Thanksgiving: After you know what you are looking for, visit the stores ahead of time. Familiarize yourself where the desired items are located in the store. Make friends with a sales associate to find out if there will be additional discounts, or if you can reserve something ahead of time (for most doorbusters, though, associates aren’t allowed to do this).
Read the rest of Holiday Shopping: Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday here: http://www.moolanomy.com/2135/holiday-shopping-tips-for-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-mmarquit01/
While you are at it, read 10 Fascinating Facts about Black Friday http://www.pcworld.com/article/182224/10_fascinating_facts_about_black_friday.html
November 23rd, 2009
Set your sales on fire without extravagant spending by following these red-hot marketing tips
“In all things, success depends upon previous preparation. And without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
Confucius could have had a flourishing business by following his own advice. Not only can preparation lead to success, but it also can help you do so without spending a lot of money. After all, with careful planning, you can achieve sizzling sales without the need for expensive advertising or marketing promotions.
Be smarter than the competition
In today’s ever-changing business climate, just keeping up with the competition isn’t enough. You have to outthink, outsmart and outdo them. How? By getting to know what they do and how they do it.
Find out your competition’s strengths and weaknesses and what products and services they offer. If the shop down the road sells gift baskets, offer more choices than they do—or better products. If the competition opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., consider opening earlier or closing later.
Look for ways to make it easier for customers to do business with you. The slightest increase in customer convenience will yield larger and even more frequent purchases. Plus, providing the products and services they want will keep them coming back.
Reward repeat customers
Design a customer-appreciation program to recognize customers who repeatedly purchase from you or who refer others to your business. Send them thank-you notes or small bouquets. Thank them in your company newsletter. Pick up the phone to thank them, then offer a special discount for their loyalty during your conversation.
One day a long-time customer came into my shop, Eden Florist & Gift Baskets, to purchase flowers. When I thanked him for doing business with us, he said, “I buy so many flowers here, I should get frequent-flower miles.” He was right! In fact, soon after his visit, we began creating a computer-generated Frequent flower petals card for that very purpose. The card rewarded customers with a free bouquet after they purchased 12 $25-minimum-price floral arrangements.
To more easily track customer purchases, our computer records each transaction. Thus, if a customer orders by phone, we still can track the number of purchases. When that person reaches 12, the employee taking the order asks the customer to whom they’d like to send their “free” bouquet. It’s not unusual for customers to send the arrangement to themselves.
If they choose this option, don’t forget to enclose a card thanking them for their business. Customers who appreciate your gesture are likely to recommend your business to family, friends and business associates.
Practice ‘rainmaking’
Rainmakers are people who connect other people through referrals, whether it is friend-to-friend or business-to-business. Referrals are the easiest and least expensive way to make your business grow. Start by instilling a referral mindset into your friends and customers. People don’t necessarily know you want more business unless you tell them. And even though your friends may buy from you, they may not think to tell their friends and family.
Though one of my greatest sources of referrals today is my friends, that wasn’t always the case. In the past, I had one or two friends who constantly sent business my way. However, the majority of my close acquaintances did not. One day, I mentioned this to a friend. Her reply, “I didn’t know you wanted more business.” She is now one of my best references.
Some people are hesitant to ask friends for referrals. Why? If you believe in your product and have a passion for your business, it’s a simple request. After all, friends want friends to succeed. And, if they know they have contributed to your success, it makes them feel good about themselves.
If you feel uncomfortable about tooting your own horn, consider the idea from the perspective of finding a great restaurant. After having a wonderful meal, most people are eager to share the experience by telling their family and friends about it. Flowers and food are both emotional purchases—purchases generally made with the heart, not the brain. When you want to eat out, you go to one of your favorite spots, or you try a new place that offers your favorite dish. The same applies to flowers. People go where they know they can find the products they want or people who understand their needs.
Based on emotion alone, referring your business will be easy for your friends and family. And, when the referrals come in, don’t forget to thank the friends and family who made the suggestions. Send them notes and a product sample. Make sure your thank-yous reflect your appreciation for the extra business. An added bonus to this technique is that you’ll surprise people when you thank them, putting you at the top of their minds when the opportunity to make a referral happens again.
Follow-up and follow-through
One of the surest ways to keep customers is to follow up after a purchase. Follow-up accomplishes two important things: It helps you find out whether the customer was satisfied, and it gives you the opportunity to build a positive relationship with that person.
Happy customers may tell as many as three people about their positive experience at your business. This may not seem like it can have much of an impact. But when you compare it to the number of people who will hear about a customer’s unhappy experience—typically estimated as eight to 10—then the number of those passing on their positive experience becomes that much more important.
Besides, if you don’t follow up with a customer, you may never even know he or she had a negative experience. Those people will simply take their business elsewhere. Taking the time to inquire about a purchase after the fact shows your customers you care about their business. It also helps build a lasting relationship with your customers. Not only that, but when you resolve a complaint favorably, you’re likely to increase the chance that the customer will refer you to others.
If your shop is too busy to follow up with every customer after the sale—then at least do some random sampling of your customers. Although a random sample may be less accurate, it will nevertheless provide you with an idea of how a portion of your customers views your business.
To make the task easier, call two or three customers/recipients each day. You’ll impress the recipients, who will want to do business with you, and both the sender and the recipient will know you care. In fact, on more than one occasion when an employee at Eden Florist has called a sender or recipient, that person has ordered an arrangement during the thank-you phone call. So your efforts can certainly pay off.
And don’t forget to follow through on anything you promise you’ll do for a customer. Make it a habit to deliver. When you do, your customers will trust and respect you. And your sales will sizzle!
For more tips like these check out Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget: How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards Mooney
July 25th, 2009
Did you know that March is Small Press Month?
Create a tips booklet for your company. People are more likely to keep a tips booklet than a brochure so they become an ongoing sales tool for your company. I have one that is all about “Getting Organized“ that I’ve had for years. Wedding planners could write the 49 tips to plan a worry-free wedding. A Chiropractor could write 57 Natural Remedies to Better Health. A women’s boutique owner could write – How to Create 27 Outfits out of 4 when You Mix and Match Your Wardrobe. One of the five tips booklets I wrote is “Networking is More than Just Passing Out Business Cards.” When you attend the Info Products Summit March 19 & 20 – you get this FREE (in digital format).
Tips booklets have staying power. People are less likely to toss them out than they are brochures and other advertising media. Make sure yours is filled with great information your target audience wants and needs and you will see what I mean. I have one from a professional organizer that was given to me at least 10 years ago and I have referred to it on a number of ocassions as well as quoted from it and shared the ideas (and author) with my own circles.
BTW, if you need help creating your tips booklet, check out my friend Paulette Ensign’s site at www.TipsBooklet.com. Paulette has sold well over a million copies of her own tips booklet, in 4 languages and various formats (so far!), without spending a penny on advertising!
March 14th, 2009
So you want to start a direct mail campaign for 2009, but you aren’t sure where to begin or what type of campaign to run? Before you do, you should know your options.
Here are Eleven time-tested direct mail options for you to consider:
Package inserts ~ a package insert can be anything from an informational brochure to a postcard to a little business card size document. The purpose of the insert is to get the recipient to take an action such as go to a website, call the company for more information, send in a warranty card, redeem an incentive such as a coupon and gift certificate.
Co-op Mailings ~ A form of trade sales promotion where a marketer offers non-competing companies the opportunity to share the cost of mailing to a particular database or group of customers and prospects.
Postcards ~ an economical way to promote a business or particular product or service less expensively than mailing a letter. Postcards can be very effective because there is no envelope to open and the prospect can see the offer at a glance .
Flyers ~An offer detailed on a single sheet of paper.
Card Decks ~ a package of individual cards wrapped together and mailed to prospects. These decks vary in quantity, and can contain 60 cards or more, each competing for the prospect’s attention.
Sampling Programs ~ A method of encouraging trying products free-of-charge or very inexpensively.
Statement Stuffers ~ Marketing brochure in a customer’s billing or account statement containing an offer or brief sales message along with a call to action mechanism such as a short-form, postcard or toll-free telephone number. Statement stuffers are an inexpensive way to market additional products and special offers to current customers.
Catalogues ~ A publication, such as a book or pamphlet, containing a list or display of products, services and offerings to a specific group of prospects and customers.
Door Hangers ~ door hanger marketing is where you create a small flier (often in mixed in with a few other direct mail pieces that are included in a plastic bag to be hung on the door knobs of prospects. This form of direct mail is often seen in residential areas however has also been effective in large office buildings (provided leaving them is allowed).
Webserts ~ A websert is a text or graphic link that appears after an online purchase is made. Webserts are more cost-efficient, offer more accurate source tracking, and can be dynamically served more easily.
Classifieds ~ Print advertising that is limited to certain classes of goods and services, and usually limited in size and content. Classified ads can appear in print media such as newspapers, magazines and catalogs as well as in digital media such as ezines, online magazines and websites.
In my next post I will be sharing 8 tips to run a successful direct mail campaign.
For a complete list of marketing definitions, visit: Speaking With Spirit and download your FREE copy of the Self-Marketing Dictionary TODAY!
January 8th, 2009
Today is my birthday and so I wanted to GIVE my readers some resurces you could use in your businesses as my gift to you. Here are a few of things I came across:
*Design*Sponge has a collection of business tip sheets (PDF) on publicizing your work, dealing with the legal stuff, setting prices, selling wholesale, selling online, manufacturing, packaging, and more geared to small business owners who are independent designers. And best of all ~ they’re free – You simply click and download.
BTW, these tips sheets can be used for any type small business. If you own a small business, I recommend you Check them out now.
In addition, if you don’t currently have a good follow-up process or if yours could use improvement, you are invited to check out SendOutCards. I have been using these for about 2 months now and they are FANTASTIC! They have helped me to create stronger bonds with current customers as well as enlist new clients and customers. Go to www.SendOutCards.com/Heidi. The first card is FREE, on me. And if you’d like a PRIVATE tour of the “back end,” drop me a note to heidi (at) redheadmarketingblog.com or call me at 954-625-6606. I will be happy to show you around.
December 2nd, 2008
There’s still time to get ready for a successful holiday season.
Here are a ten tips to make for a more successful holiday season.
1. Review last year’s sales records. Compare them to prior years. This will help you “forecast” what you could do this season. Has your business seen a steady increase each year. Have you had poor sales one year and brisk the next? If so, what was happening in the world? Was the economy strong or weak? Did a natural disaster affect your business? You must consider all things possible when making your forecast.
2. Check inventory. Do you have items from last year that you need to sell? Can you sell them at full-price (such as traditional items)? These do not include the trendy seasonal items that reflected the times and would be considered outdated by your customers.
3. Review the items you have pre-ordered – it is amazing how quickly we forget all those wonderful things we purchased during gift and trade shows in anticipation of a good holiday.
4. Review your notes from last year – the things you did right, those ideas for improvement for the next year and be sure to include them in your holiday marketing plans.
5. Check out your marketing and advertising from the last three years paying particular attention to the immediate past. Was it effective? Did it meet or succeed your ROI goals? Make a list of the media you want to continue and any new media you would like to try (conservatively). Start contacting the media now to get the best prices an dplacement.
6. Check web stats for best sales days, highest traffic days, conversion rates, best and least selling items.
7. If you offer more than one type of service/product, review each individually. For instance a florist might also sell plants, gift baskets, balloons, books, plush animals and other giftware. Which items did best, and which did not do well at all. This will help you buy accordingly for the upcoming holidays.
8. Brainstorm with your staff/marketing team/ management to come up with themes around specific holidays. Do you want to use eskimos in your christmas displays? Do you need candles and dreidels for your Hannukah vignettes? Are pumpkins a popular choice for Thanksgiving or fall leaves or does something else strike your fancy? Do your customers shop your store for Halloween.
9. Review your staffing from the previous year. Did you have too much or not enough staff?
10. Create a rewards program for the upcoming holidays. Rewards can range from commissioned sales, to trips, to dinners out, to movie tickets, to days off, to shopping sprees, to recognition programs. Be sure to include time for celebration where everyone can join in the fun as a group.
BONUS: Send your customers/clients a holilday card early. Don’t wait until December 10th to send a card. Send it today. I use
SendOutCards to promote my business and stay in touch with clients and customers. It is the best automated system I have found. Real cards to real people in the mail! Check it out at:
www.SendOutCards.com/Heidi Use all the things in your RETAIL REVIEW to create your holiday marketing calendar. The calendar will help you meet deadlines, update your websites, plan your open houses, place ads and create marketing materials necessary to promote the holidays to your prospects and customers. If you have the staff, give each a different area of responsibility such as window design, inside displays, overseeing of your website, etc. Be sure to look at your market and see if it has changed from previous years.
November 20th, 2008
Excerpt from Promoting Your Business on the WEB Special Report.
Cross Promote – Share costs and prospect lists with a complementary, non-competing business. For instance, if you are a realtor, you could share the cost of a direct-mail postcard with a mortgage or title company. Or put links to a complementary business site on your Web site, and ask the other business to do the same. For example, if you send out brochures, both partners could include a brochure and/or business card of the other’s business. Nothing is more powerful that a recommendation from a trusted source and if your cross-promotion partner has customers or clients, chances are they trust her or him and will listen when a suggestion to use another company is presented. When you cross-promote with another business you have the opportunity to reach a whole new circle of potential customers. Some of the companies you could consider include to collaborate with a well-known company, competitors (not in your area, but in the same industry that serve a different market) and nonprofits you support.
Cross promoting or partnering reduces a small business marketing and promotion costs and also opens the door to implement techniques you could not previously consider because of the expense of doing so. Read It Takes Two – How to Cultivate Profitable, Strategic Alliances To Increase Your Market Share for more tips on how to find Cross-promotion partners to serve your target niche.
Want more ideas to promote your business on the WEB? Get a FREE copy of the 8-page Special Report Promoting Your Business on the WEB TODAY!
November 13th, 2008
Florists Review Interviews the Chief Goddess!
Several weeks ago Glynnis Wright a journalist with Florists Review Magazine called me for a brief interview about how we market our gift baskets.
Funny, I had not thought about what we would be doing this year until she called. Talk about perfect timing! So I told her what we have done in the past and what we planned to do this year.
We use email marketing a lot. We send an email special to our customers at least once a month. To market the gift baskets we will take a few photos, put them into an html email message with links to the product sales page and a teaser message about ordering gift baskets for the holidays.
In the past we have also created a brochure on CD to mail and pass out at networking events. The CD has a variety of our gift baskets along with tips and articles we feel our prospects and customers would be interested in. These might include the Meaning of Flowers, Top Ten Gifts to Give for the Holidays, 101 ways to Say Thank you and more. The reason we do our brochure on CD is that we think people are more likely to KEEP IT. A CD has a higher perceived value than a simple brochure and even if they hold onto it and don’t look at it for awhile, eventually they will. I know. I have received marketing CD’s from vendors and have a hard time throwing them away without first looking at them. And if I find information on the CD that I can refer to over and over I will keep it. We plan to do the same thing this year and add a few things to the CD.
Another way we promote our gift baskets is by giving companies a taste of our product. For instance, when a new company opens or joins the local chamber of commerce we might put together a small fruit basket (we call it our nibbler basket) with a note that says – we wanted to welcome you to the chamber and give you a “taste” of our products. It has worked extremely well to open more corporate accounts and close more sales. We do this year round and plan to ramp it up during the holiday season by also sending these to our best clients with a note reminding them we carry fruit and gourmet gift baskets for their gift-giving needs.
What do you plan to promote for the holiday season? How do you plan to promote your products? Leave a comment and let me know what you do in your business and I will send you a link to what we include in our Holiday CD!
November 11th, 2008
Six of a dozen marketing ideas professional speakers shared to gain visibility with our target audience.
To continue the discussion about how I gathered information to create a marketing plan for the Florida Speakers Association, I asked members how they would spread the word about FSA, who they suggest we connect with and contact (sharing their resources) and how they suggested we increase our membership base and meeting attendance. Here’s an exercise to use to spark marketing ideas for your small business: where ever the word member or membership is used, replace it with customer or customers.
Here are six more ideas the members shared with me (will post the final six tomorrow):
1. Web marketing, radio, and other technology related media. Web marketing, even though the web is convoluted with millions of sites, still provides an organization a vehicle for establishing name recognition. This is achieved by placing the right keywords at the right places, as well as paying minimal fees for dominant search placements.
2. Another way to spread the word about FSA would be to advertise in any magazine or publication that has to do with public speaking or presentation skills. Advertising at college campuses is another way especially for Communication Majors. Send a Press Release so that a story can be done about the organization and its benefits. Advertise in “self improvement/health” magazines. These magazines have everything from psychics to regression therapy.
3. We should utilize other “partners” such as all area Toastmaster clubs, MPI, ASTD, Marketing Association, etc. as well as communication departments in local companies and public speaking programs at local colleges and their graduate programs as well. FSA members should have a web link to FSA site on their individual web sites to get moor info on “becoming a world class speaker, trainer, etc.”
4. Also, if the local chapter were to create content segments (audio, visual, and type) and made them available free-of-charge from its website, and then submitted the site to various search engines, this would drum up “awareness”. Awareness of a site that provides good, free content, that is backed by a respectable organization, creates a tipping point via word of mouth advertising, the strongest marketing know to humankind.
5. Radio spots, even though not as effective as they were 50 years ago, still reach thousands of listeners daily (especially during driving times of working professionals that may need a speaker). The right genre station provides many opportunities. If the FSA is a nonprofit or not-for-profit affiliated with any philanthropic initiatives, PSA announcements may be available. A knowledgeable member from FSA could be a guest on a radio program
6. Finally, affiliations with universities and public events, again, drives awareness of a brand, in this case, the FSA. Awareness and being distinctly identifiable from other organizations are two of the key ingredients in any successful marketing initiative.
Stay tuned for the final six tomorrow….
October 17th, 2008
1. Use ceramic instead of paper. Have a kitchen or eating area at work? Use coffee cups instead of Styrofoam or plastic (the cost savings and environmental impact are significant – add up what you currently spend on these items and see for yourself) In my retail business, we buy our utensils and dishes at a local dollar store. When they occasionally break, we don’t fret, we simply buy more.
2. Recycle the used paper in your business. Use the unused side to write memos, lists and even doodle (doodling is a creative process that expands the mind and often the business capacity.
3. Plan your road time – going shopping for business or for home? Combine your errands into one and save time and gas.
4. Why buy new if used will do? If you can get a better desk from a used office furniture company than you can from buying a new one (and it costs less), the savings will add up not just in expenditures, it will lower your replacement costs by purchasing better quality.
September 17th, 2008
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