Five Great Small Business Marketing Ideas

by Benjamin Pipkin

Every entrepreneur wants to use time-proven, effective selling strategies that build powerful brand awareness and increase its clientele. Home business owners today may not necessarily have the tools to spend an insane amount on television advertising, radio spots, or other costly advertising avenues such as billboards emblazoned with state-of-the-art graphics. Other advertising methods exist that are cheap and have the ability to get the organization’s branding message across. We have looked at some of the most efficient and least expensive advertising measures from websites such as Business information Source for small business owners that we think will fit in with your budget while helping to make a lucrative business. These include :

1. Postcard promoting

2. E-mail blasts

3. Social networking sites ( i.e. Twitter or Facebook )

4. Podcasting

5. Creating an internet site

It is no surprise that 163.3 million Americans use the web whether or not it is to discover new info, shop on the internet, or study a business. For that reason, it is vital for start-up and home businesses to leverage the power of the web rather than focusing on traditional advertising maneuvers such as print media and television advertising.

Postcard promoting may appear slightly outdated, but it is important to focus on the massive effect of postcards. Postcards printed on 4′ by 6′ index cards are highly noticeable in the post because they are able to be flipped over and read in a matter of seconds. Immediately, the message is sent across to the end-user without them having to peruse through a leaflet or packet that often instills a lack of interest or disappointment.

email blasts are fantastic for home entrepreneurs to send out to their network of contacts. Even better, they’re fantastic for building a database on a site. Email blasts should be kept easy, to-the-point, and underscore promotional offers to gain the reader’s attention. Likewise, they can be sent out to multiple parties from the recipient, increasing recommendation by friends buzz.

Social networking sites have become a promoting phenomenon that is helpful for companies in spreading their brand, mission, and services and/or products in the shape of a user-profile. Also, sites such as Twitter.com and Facebook.com have changed the face of net marketing by building the online sphere as a note of mouth metropolis. Now is the time to take merit of social networking sites.

Another beneficial marketing recommendation is to make an easy podcast. Not sure how or where to start? Make sure your PC has a web cam. If it doesn’t, these gizmos can be bought at inexpensive price at large computer and electronic shops. Introduce your business concept through the podcast that is less than half a minute. Podcasts are a superb marketing tool because they will be able to be posted on an internet site, sent through e-mail, and posted on sites such as YouTube. According to Quantcast, YouTube averages 72.5 million users every month.

With the execution of these media, companies are likely to see an increase in interest. The subsequent step would be to make a very simple, user-friendly internet site that summarizes the postulate of the business without too many graphics or distractions. For example Ethos coach ( www.EthosMentor.com ) offers cheap branding solutions for entrepreneurs. Following these steps can help an entrepreneur bolster their brand and reach their selected demographic.
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For more help with local business marketing please stop by http://www.everykeyword.com and pick up new tips every day

Originally published on SearchWarp.com for Benjamin Pipkin Sunday, August 23, 2009
Article Source: Five Great Small Business Marketing Ideas

Shift to online advertising continues

Google has just announced better than expected results for the first quarter of 2009 with net profits of  over$1,4 billion.

Google Chief executive Eric Schmidt says,

“The shift to online advertising gives us a big advantage and outpaces any losses from falling economic activity”

These views are shared by UK Small Business Directory managing director Terry Simmonds after confirming that in the 1st quarter of 2009 the number of new businesses requesting a business listing was in excess of 10,000 for the first time.

Not only are more small businesses looking for free online advertising opportunities, an increasing number are also realising that the low cost upgrade packages are proving to be very cost efective and the Return On Investment (ROI) far outweighs the old traditional forms of advertising.

Further information about the UK small Business online advertising options can be found in the Cheap Advertising section of the site and examples of upgraded listings can be found via the links on these pages;

Upgrade options – Bronze Listings :: Silver Listings :: Gold Listings

As more and more business owners look towards online advertising, online directories and search engines are constantly changing to meet the needs of these business owners.

Tradesmen Directory Offering Free Tradesmen Advertising

I had a good look through one of my business directory sites last week and noticed an increasing number of tradesmen registering their details.

With this in mind I created a new section grouping them all together in to more rellevant categories and set up a new Tradesmen Directory

Most of the directory provides free tradesmen advertising but this time I have also created a section for special featured listings which will allow whoever takes up the offer the opportunity to have their own special section.

It’s all work in progress, has no design to it yet, but hopefully I will find a bit of time to set it all up properly over the coming weeks.

Surviving Tough Economic Times

Surviving Tough Economic Times:
“Increase Your Profitability By Boosting Your Investment in Continuous Improvement Initiatives!”
By: Greg Jerralds, Chief Operating Officer (www.ProfitInnerCircle.com)

It’s official.  We’re in a recession!

It never fails. As soon as the economy takes a downward turn and annual revenue projections are lowered, the first place, after lowering headcount projections, companies search to reduce operating cost is employee development initiatives. I can’t tell you how often during my 20 plus years in corporate leadership I have been challenged by executive leaders to reduce the employee training and development dollars for my department or division. And, each time I am tasked with such an outlandish request, I prepare for battle.

Need to Reduce Your Operating Costs?  Increase Your Employee Development Spending!

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t enjoy confrontation!  As a matter of fact, on most issues, I’d rather search for compromising alternatives.  But I am a firm believer in the value of continuous employee education and development. So when it comes to cutting costs needed for development initiatives, my strong convictions usually have me reaching for the latest advancements in corporate battle gear.  Let the jousting begin!

In a desperate quest to lower operating cost, senior executives search for ways to reduce headcount expense.  If it is not reduced headcount, then it is to significantly slow its current rate of growth.  Of course, senior executives target other budget categories, but headcount generally has the greatest influence on a company’s operating expenses, particularly in large production-oriented businesses.

But, here’s where the friction occurs most often. In contrast with senior executives, middle managers are constantly lobbying for additional resources. They never seem to have enough employees to meet the demands of the business.  So, their motivation is to retain current headcount levels, while justifying the need for additional resources.  As a result, requests for headcount reductions are generally met with resistance from middle managers.  Therefore, to avoid cutting headcount, managers often sacrifice their budgeted dollars allocated in other areas, particularly employee development. When that happens, the entire business suffers!

An $80,000 Investment Delivered a $200,000 Return!

Lauren, a contact center director for a growing manufacturing company, was asked by the department vice president to reduce her expense forecast for the upcoming budget year.  Her VP explained, “Although we continue to realize significant growth, our average sales are slightly down for the third straight quarter. This is primarily due to fluctuating trends in consumer buying.  So, to insure we meet our profit projections for the upcoming year, our combined operating budget must be lowered by one million dollars.  I am looking for $100 thousand of that to come from your contact center budget.”  Without hesitation, Lauren’s VP stated, “I see you forecasted $80 thousand in employee development initiatives.  Cut that, and you’ll only need to cut your headcount projection by one Full-Time Employee (FTE) to meet the target!”

Seems so simple, right?  Wrong!  And here’s why!

Like most department leaders, Lauren was asked to trim her budget forecast — what she already considered to be aggressively tight — even more.  Understanding she was on the hook for $100K in reductions and her employee development dollars were at risk, Lauren had to get creative!

Lauren realized the value of providing ongoing development to her employees.  She had seen favorable results in the past, particularly with her leadership team members. But now, she faced a tough dilemma. Either reduce her headcount forecast by three FTE (equivalent to $120K), or postpone her employee development initiatives for full a year.  With the exception of headcount, which contributed the lion’s share of her annual operating expenses, the $80K allotted for employee development stood out like a tall, ugly weed begging to be chopped by her VP’s financial sling blade. And, it was no doubt her VP was prepared to swing!

After intense thought and planning, Lauren submitted her revised budget.  Lauren’s VP called after reviewing the revisions and said, “I noticed you reduced your headcount growth projection by five FTE, but retained your employee development allocation of $80,000.  How do you propose to handle next year’s growth in business?”  Lauren replied, “My $80,000 allocation will be used to create and implement two employee development programs: one designed to improve process efficiencies, and the other to improve quality.  The efficiencies my department will gain after completing our new process improvement training programs will enable us to increase productivity by 10% – equivalent to the production of two employees.”  Lauren went on to say, “In addition, our new quality assurance program will enable us to reduce data entry errors and rework by 15% – equivalent to three more employee.”

It’s all about synergy…where the whole of a system is greater than the sum of its parts; being powerful in effect with little waste of effort results in more being done by fewer people. The objective is to leverage your resources to effectively capitalize on the full potential of the entire unit; a common goal, a common message, and a common direction! 

The Economics of Continuous Improvement!

Lauren’s $80,000 investment in employee development programs resulted in total efficiency gains equivalent to five FTEs.  With an average annual salary of $40,000 per employee, Lauren’s programs realized $200,000 in cost avoidance (5 FTEs x $40,000).  This not only delivered a $120,000 ($200K benefit – $80K expense) Return On Investment (ROI) to the bottom-line, but also slowed Lauren’s annual employee growth rate by five FTEs. In other words, she absorbed new business growth without adding additional employees. Most importantly, the new programs had an extremely positive impact on customer satisfaction and quality assurance ratios.

So often, knee-jerk decisions to lower operating expenses by delaying or eliminating employee development and incentive programs, are met with substantial increases in customer dissatisfaction, decreases in product and service quality, as well as downward trends in employee satisfaction and productivity. All of which, result in higher operating costs and less profit.  

Employee cost is often the largest cost of doing business and if through constant and on-going small improvements, such as new efficiencies, employee cost can be reduced by just by 2% without any lose of production, an additional 5% to 10% in profit will result.  And, an additional 5 to 10% in profit may well mean a two-fold improvement in the bottom line.

Unfortunately, many businesses do a poor job of anticipating these added costs, and an even worst job measuring them.  Often, the true risk of their financial impact is overlooked during the budget planning and approval stages.  But, one thing’s for sure; the negative impact eventually shows on the bottom-line.

For businesses to truly realize their full profit potential, they must stop looking at their employees as negotiable financial control devices and begin viewing them as the valuable resources they are!  When properly trained, led and inspired, employees have the potential to save companies far more than they actually cost them.  Combine an effective strategic plan with modest investments in employee development and technology, and you will find healthy companies that realize sustainable gains in customer delight and retention as well as profitability.

Businesses must focus on continuous improvement to survive in today’s competitive marketplace.  If companies control the costs associated with the successful delivery of products and services by seeking constant improvement, they can be both competitive and profitable. As stated by Abe WalkingBear Sanchez, Co-Founder of Profit InnerCircle, LLC, “A business manager not focused on improvement becomes an administrator at best and a bureaucrat at worst.”

“What Top Business Executives Don’t Know and How It Can Hurt Your Business!”

At a time when the economy is slow and sluggish, many companies find that they have to cover the same fixed expenses out of fewer sales. However, by reducing the cost of production (the people part) through constant and on-going small improvements, profitability can be sustained or even enhanced.

So, as the current economic climate continues to resonate in the minds of consumers, businesses will need to become even more efficient, financially savvy, and customer-oriented to effectively:

- Increase new sales
- Grow repeat sales
- Improve cash flow
- Raise customer delight and customer retention levels
- Drive down the cost of doing business (for themselves and their customers)

Let’s face it…there are many creative ways that companies can make a profit. They can rip off employees for their retirement plan or fail to fully fund the plan…sound familiar? They can also make a profit by cheating customers and suppliers…any companies come to mind?

If you’re a business executive or business owner (or aspire to be one) who is serious about increasing your profitability, I encourage you to read our FREE Special Report at www.profitinnercircle.com titled, “What Top Business Executives Don’t Know and How It Can Hurt Your Business.” This report will help you to significantly improve key areas of your business which leads to increased profitability.

About the Author:

Greg Jerralds is the Chief Operating Officer with Profit InnerCircle™, LLC. Greg has more than 20 years of customer service/contact center leadership experience.

Greg began his career as a mortgage banker in 1984. Since, Greg has held various positions in management with such organizations as BancPLUS Mortgage Corp., Citibank, Caremark Pharmaceuticals, Coventry Health Care, Checks in the Mail, and Kinetic Concepts Inc. (KCI). His background includes workforce management, project management, performance management, process improvement, organizational development, quality assurance, and technology integration.

Greg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/International Management. Greg also completed Executive Leadership courses at the University of Michigan – Ross School of Business. Greg is the former President-elect of the Professional Teleservice Management Association (PTMA), and a Continuing Education Workforce Instructor with Northwest Vista College, San Antonio, TX.

Yours in profitability,

Greg Jerralds
Chief Operating Officer
Profit InnerCircle, LLC
PO Box 591296
San Antonio, TX 78259
US

© 2008 Profit InnerCircle™, LLC ‐ All World Rights Reserved ProfitInnerCircle.com

UK Tradesmen Directory

It’s been about 6 months coming, but I finally started putting together a Tradsemen Directory today.

At the moment it only has;

Carpenters Directory :: Decorators Directory :: Electricians Directory

but over the next couple of days I will be adding more categories.

It will be an additional way of providing free advertising or cheap advertising for tradesmen and will also be useful for testing out new ideas.

As with my main site, it is built in .ASP and is using a MySQL database.

Cheap Advertising

When times are hard it’s easy to save costs my cutting back on all but the bare essentials and often the first to suffer is the advertising budget.

What some small businesses are doing to combat this is cutting back on the more expensive traditional forms of advertising and taking advantage of the wide number of cheap advertising opportunities which are now available online.

One such form of cheap, but effective, online advertising is provided by the UK Small Business Directory it allows UK based small businesses to list their full contact details, provide a brief description of the products/services they provide, and also provides a direct hyperlink to the businesses website.

Tradesmen Advertising

In recent years most good tradesmen have had no need to advertise, work has been easy to find and word of mouth has always been the best way of getting the next job.

Now the building industry is in decline, work is drying up, and the trades are suddenly finding the jobs are not as easy to find as they once were. Word of mouth is still great, but only if the person who normaly recommends you has a customer in the first place!

This is where the cheap Tradesmen Advertising provided by the UK Small Business Directory is a godsend. Having spent 24 years on site myself I know what it’s like working out in all weathers on building sites and with this in mind have put together some special cheap advertising options for bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, plasterers, decorators, tilers etc.

Free Advertising

There are many ways to take advantage of Free Advertising if you know what you are doing and what to look for. Many places that provide free advertising options only provide them as sweeteners with the intention that you then upgrade to a paid option.

This gives you 2 choices, you trial the free option and if it actually works, you may find it is worth the upgrade. The other option is that ignore all the pressure put on you, don’t upgrade, and just make the most of your free option.

Advertising Secrets.
How to find cheap ways to advertise.
It’s not what it costs, it’s what it returns.
Online advertising v Traditional advertising.