Small Business Marketing Tips

Small Business Quotes To Publish

2005-09-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

The following small business quote may be freely published with the authors name and website address left in tact.

Small Business Quote: Employee Mindset

“Most formal schooling prepares us to work for others. If we are good at following school rules and what the teacher says, then we will probably do okay in the job world too.”

Noel Peebles, Author “Sell Your Business The Easy Way”
http://www.instantsellbusiness.com

This small business quote may be freely published with the authors name and website address left in tact. If published on a website the hyperlink to the website must be active.

Small Business Quotes To Publish

2005-09-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

The following small business quote may be freely published with the authors name and website address left in tact.

Small Business Quote: Experience Quote

“I believe we can learn more from the experience of others than we have time on this earth to discover for ourselves. The trick is to learn from those who have already been there. Trust their experience above those who haven't done what you want to do.”

Noel Peebles, Author “Sell Your Business The Easy Way”
http://www.instantsellbusiness.com

This small business quote may be freely published with the authors name and website address left in tact. If published on a website the hyperlink to the website must be active.

Selling A Business A Long Drawn-Out Process?

2005-09-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

When selling your business you may want to cut your ties as quickly as possible after take-over day. Afterall, selling the business could represent the end of a long drawn-out sales process. That's why you may just want to cut your ties and move on.

However, it doesn't always work out like that. The new owner may want your help. The new owner may want your experience and full support during the changeover period. The buyer may even want you to stick-around for a while until they come to grips with their new venture. You would be like an 'on-call' business consultant. That's why the level of support you offer will need to be negotiated as part of the sale contract.

So, before selling your business, you’ll need to think about the likely needs of the buyer and mentally prepare yourself for the different scenarios that could follow.

And remember, your level of on-going support may be another bargaining chip for you to play when selling your business.

I wrote the "Sell Your Business The Easy Way" ebook, because I want small business owners to have more chance of coming out on top, both financially and personally. To do this, before starting down the business selling path, I suggest that you think carefully - should you sell your own small business or should you employ the services of a business broker? My ebook can help you to make the best decision.

'Sell Your Business The Easy Way' can be downloaded almost instantly at http://www.instantsellbusiness.com

What The Bank Manager Said When Buying A Business

2005-09-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

I sold one of my small businesses to a senior banking executive. I remember the comment he made just before signing the contract. It was something like this:

"I have seen so many people buy a successful business, rush in and change everything and then lose everything."

He went on to add "You are running an extremely profitable business, so you must be doing something right. I am not going to change anything, probably for at least a year, or until I find better way to do things."

He kept his word and the business continued to perform exceptionally well. Eventually he did make changes, but he did it from a position of knowledge... and with understanding of the market requirements. A smart cookie!

The truth is; most people don’t like change and the Bank Manager understood this from experience. When selling a business, the transition from existing owner to new owner is critical. It is always important to make sure that customers and clients remain with the new owners. No customers...no business!

I wrote the "Sell Your Business The Easy Way" ebook, because I want small business owners to have more chance of coming out on top, both financially and personally. To do this, before starting down the business selling path, I suggest that you think carefully - should you sell your own small business or should you employ the services of a business broker? My ebook can help you to make the best decision.

'Sell Your Business The Easy Way' can be downloaded almost instantly
at http://www.instantsellbusiness.com

A Top Dollar Selling A Business

2005-09-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

Will You Get Top Dollar When You Sell Your Small Business?

Selling your business will probably be your biggest sale ever. But, to get the best price you'll need to satisfy your buyer on two points. Firstly, your small business should be showing good returns. Secondly, there needs to be a strong likelihood that this trend will continue.

This is why you (as current owner), have an important part to play in the transition period during and after the sale.

Your customers and clients may be watching the changeover very closely. If you have a successful small business, then it is fair to assume that your customers have grown to like you and the way you run your small business.

Remember, most people don’t like change, so the transition is critical to make sure that your customers and clients remain with the new owners. No customers...no business!

I wrote the "Sell Your Business The Easy Way" ebook, because I want small business owners to have more chance of coming out on top, both financially and personally. To do this, before starting down the business selling path, I suggest that you think carefully - should you sell your own small business or should you employ the services of a business broker? My ebook can help you to make the best decision.

'Sell Your Business The Easy Way' can be downloaded almost instantly
at http://www.instantsellbusiness.com

Why Some Small Businesses Struggle

2005-09-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

A small business can struggle to get ahead for any number of reason including:

1. The small business entrepreneur may not be taking enough risks.

2. The small business entrepreneur may be trying to do too many things themselves without delegating appropriately.

3. The small business entrepreneur may not be hiring people who are smarter than they are in certain areas. This could mean that they are not surrounding themselves with a good team of people with the required skills.

4. The small business entrepreneur may not be fully ultilizing the resources available to them.

Many small business entrepreneur's have the skills to get started and to grow a business to a certain point. But, that's where the progress often stops. The small business entrepreneur often lacks the required resources and/or skills to take the business to the next level. Every small business entrepreneur should periodically take a step back and have a good hard look at where his or her business is at and where the business is headed.

Click here for more information on marketing a small business.

Small Business Awards

2005-09-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Recognize that outstanding small business entrepreneur or the person who tirelessly gives to small businesses by nominating him or her for the U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Awards. The SBA Pittsburgh District Office, in conjunction with the Western Pennsylvania Small Business Network, will honor the winners at a luncheon on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh. This annual event attracts in excess of 500 attendees. The link www.sba.gov/nominationsguideline.html will take you directly to all the information you need to complete a nomination.

Click here for more information on marketing a small business.

1936 Book Still Good Read For Small Business Entrepreneurs

2005-09-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Although written in 1936 the Dale Carnegie book "How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment" is still a good read for any small business entrepreneur. It includes some suggestions for changing people's attitudes and behavior like:

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

A Small Business Plan For Action

2005-09-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Preparing a business plan can pay dividends for a small business entrepreneur for a number of reasons including:

1. A small business plan can help the small business entrepreneur evaluate the feasibility of the business enterprise.

2. A small business plan can help the small business entrepreneur develop a "roadmap" document and strategy to acquire needed resources.

3.A small business plan can help the small business entrepreneur adopt sound business planning that will become part of a management style.

The time and effort invested in developing a complete and detailed small business plan and clear marketing strategy will usually benefit any small business many times over.

Mixed Emotions Selling A Business

2005-09-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

For most small business owners, the decision to sellout is usually a combination of personal and financial reasons. The chances are, the business owner will have a personal attachment to the small business. It’s been part of his or her life for some time now. The business owner, (maybe with some input from friends and family), is the only person capable of making the ultimate decision to sell.

The same applies to the buyer. It won’t just be a financial decision, it will also be about life-style, personal independence, freedom to express themselves, maybe an escape from the corporate "rat race", or the satisfaction of being in charge of his or her own little empire.

The price the buyer ultimately pays is important, as it will need to stack-up financially, if they are to convince someone to lend them money. But, financial considerations alone, will not drive their decision to purchase the business.

7 Suggestions What to Sell On Ebay

2005-09-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

Fact: Sixteen million items are up for sale every day on ebay!

Fact: eBay currently has over 86,000,000 registered users!

(Yes, 86 MILLION.) Ebay online auctions has over 27,000 categories for items. The ebay marketplace is allowing THOUSANDS of people to make their living from home by selling items on eBay's online auctions web site. For the beginner to Ebay, the big question is usually what to sell? Here are 7 suggestions to get your Ebay business started:

1. Sell what you know first and get to understand how the system works and what people want to buy. If you're into fashion, sell fashion; if you're into golf, sell golf equipment, and so on.

2. Be observant and look for opportunities. Look to buy products (in quantity if possible) at a low price for resale. Bargains can be right under your nose. For example; a local retailer might have unwanted inventory that needs to be liquidated. Make an offer to clear out the retailer's old or damaged stock.

3. Surf eBay browsing outside your normal categories. Research what's hot at www.ebay.com/sellercentral

4. Sell other people's products for a commission by becoming a Trading Assistant. As an Ebay Trading Assistant, you won't have the expense of building inventory and it can reduce the risk when getting started. Many Ebay Trading Assistants build their businesses at a fast pace without having to invest a much money in capital. Take a good look at the ideas on http://www.online-auctions-make-money.com/

5. Do your research on Ebay and then take action. Don't gamble but do take some calculated risks. Being too cautious can work against you. Trust your gut when you find potentially salable items.

6. Consider more than one product or product line. Sometimes it pays to cross promote and drive customers from one product line to the another product line.

7. Write a good product description. Describe the product correctly and enthusiastically. It is important that you understand about what you're selling. Credibility is important for ongoing success on Ebay.

Strength And Weakness Going Into Business

2005-09-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

When going into business for yourself, you as a small business entrepreneur, will be your most important employee. It is more important that you rate yourself objectively than how you rate any prospective employee. Analyize your strengths and your weaknesses.

To be successful as a small business entrepreneur, you especially need to know your limitations. As a prospective operator of your own small business, acknowledge that you are weak in certain areas and cover those deficiency by either retraining yourself or hiring someone with the necessary skill.

Content Is King For Small Business Website

2005-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Content, Content, Content!

The first rule of any web presence for any small business, blog or otherwise, is content. Lots of high quality content. Content is king, because not only is it a way of providing your customers (and potention customers) with useful information, it also adds to credibility. The content, does however, need to be of good quality, rather than just a mass of endless ads.

The other advantage of putting good content on a small business website, is that the search engines prefer sites that offer good content. Content good could help get your small business website ranked by the search engines.

If you have a small business and would like to use content from this small business marketing tips blog in your marketing there are some basic conditions. You are free to publish indiviual postings from this blog provided you give credit for the posting and provided you publish a link back to this small business marketing tips blog. If you publish a posting on a website then the link to this blog must be an active link. Also the content cannot be changed in any way.

Another option is to use our small business marketing tips blog RSS feed. See details top right.

PR Important To Small Business Marketing Mix

2005-09-03T02:58:00.000-07:00

A good, low-cost way to increase your business is through a public relations campaign. This can be very expensive and time-consuming for a small business. Therefore, if your company is too small to hire a PR firm, you need to create your own personalized PR program. PR can be an important and effective ingredient in any marketing mix, especially for a small business on a tight budget.

Marketing Trends - Ready To Cook Meal Take Outs

2005-09-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

One of the emerging trends in take out food is the ready to cook service kitchen. Busy people can make an appointment at the kitchen and, in two hours, assemble 12 entrees that are ready for the freezer.

The kitchen's 12 stations are set up for a different recipe. Ingredients are laid out, ready to be put together. Any prep work, such as chopping vegetables, is done by staff ahead of time. Now there's an interesting idea for business.

Use Publicity To Launch A Small Business

2005-09-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

When starting a business, a limited operating budget can be a big drawback for marketing and introducing the new business into a competitive market. With no or limited funds available for various forms of marketing activities like advertising and promotional activities, the new small business entrepreneur must make use of publicity tools which can give the business the much needed exposure at relatively low cost.

One of the most effective tool for the least amount of money in marketing a small business is to use the press to talk positively about the small business. It also gives the small business a touch of credibility and can project a highly professional image.

Marketing Essential For Any Small Business

2005-09-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

For most small businesses, highly effective marketing is essential for not only business success, but also for survial, in todays competitive marketplace. It's really impossible for a small business to be successful without good marketing and sales techniques. Every small business needs to let people know about all the wonderful things the small business can provide for them. To do this a small business must first provide those wonderful things that people are willing to pay for. And that, in turn, means knowing who the potential customers are and getting so close to them that the small business can virtually anticipate their needs and desires.

Retail Sales In Question

2005-09-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Rising fuel costs had already curbed consumer spending during the summer, but with Hurricane Katrina pushing gasoline prices past $3 in some parts of the country, retail experts worry that even fewer people will show up in stores and spend their dollars.

Louisiana and Mississippi Business May Be Slow To Recover

2005-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Fast jobs and business bouncebacks are common after U.S. natural disasters but things may be different for the Gulf States directed affected by the impact of Hurricane Katrina. A shadow may hang for years over the economies of Louisiana and Mississippi.

Population growth in Louisiana and Mississippi has been slow with the populations having relatively low levels of income and education. Both poor states on the Gulf of Mexico are reliant on energy, leisure, ports, agriculture and manufacturing for jobs and tax revenues.

US Unemployment Rate Down

2005-09-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

The unemployment rate fell unexpectedly to its lowest level in four years with U.S. employers creating a solid 169,000 jobs in August 2005.

The August employement increase fell short of the 190,000 gain expected by Wall Street.

Word-Of-Mouth Marketing For Small Business

2005-09-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Word-of mouth can be a powerful marketing tool for any small business, but it should be only one of many tools in the small business marketing mix. Marketing is also about doing a great job, offering excellent service, and having a great product that people want to buy. When those and other ingredients in the marketing mix come together, then word-of-mouth marketing can become particularly effective. Word-of-mouth referrals and personal endorsement from satisfied customers can prove to be more powerful (and less expensive) than any form of paid advertising.

17 Common Mistakes To avoid When Starting A Business

2005-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

A small business can start out as a lemon from day one, or it can quickly develop into one. Let me explain.

Most people dream of being their own boss and one day working for themselves in their own small business. But, for most people it remains just a dream. Let's face it - if you are not motivated enough, you will probably never start a business. Sometimes people are motivated into action because of negative circumstances. They may be tired of the corporate "rat race", or they may have a boring job.

Given those possibilities, starting a business might be the perfect escape to "perceived" freedom. What is it that motivates you to want to start a business and work for yourself? I ask this question because it is important to go into business for the right reasons.

Let's then assume you know why you are going into business and you know what you want to achieve. Now consider these 17 common mistakes and what you will do differently:

17 Common Mistakes To avoid When Starting A Business

1. Rushing things (do it right the first time!)

2. Lack of focus (specialize, specialize, specialize!)

3. Inadequate market research (test market first!)

4. Lack of on-the-job experience (upskill!)

5. A poorly thought-out business plan (think things through and write things down!)

6. Opening too soon without first without knowing what could happen (learn from your small mistakes!)

7. Unprofessional brand name, decor, theme, logo, dress-code, stationery, packaging, advertising etc (marketing is everything in business!)

8. Poor branding and signage (signs should be big, clear and readable and in an identifiable color theme!)

9. Untrained employees (train your staff and set non-negotiable standards!)

10. Poor relationship with customers (they can make or break your business!)

11. Poor relationship with vendors (they can make it easy or difficult for you!)

12. Unfocused marketing plan (have a roadmap and be diciplined!)

13. Not using the advertising media that works best for your specific business (ineffective advertising is money down the toilet!)

14. Lack of working capital (do your math carefully and remember cash flow is king!)

15. Poor accounting (spend wisely and keep good records!)

16. Ignoring possible problems (solve problems before that get out of hand!)

17. Not recognizing your limitations (play to your strengths and seek help to minimize your weaknesses!)

Business Cards A Powerful Small Business Marketing Tool

2005-09-02T02:35:00.000-07:00

Distributing well designed business cards can be an effective and low-cost form of marketing for any small business. A business card is sometimes the first impression somebody has of a small business. That is why it is important to design business cards carefully. They should, not only communicate clearly, but also fit with the overall marketing strategy of the small business.

Business cards are relatively inexpensive. Low-cost, full color, digital printing can make any business card look very professional, especially when photographs are used. Having a clearly branded color scheme with a great logo is important in any professional business card design. When designed and used effectively, business cards can be an pwerful marketing tool for any small business.

Product Renting - The Biggest Scam To Hit Small Business

2005-09-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

What is product renting? It is when a customer buys a product from a retail business on a Friday, uses the product on Saturday, and returns the product on Sunday for a cash refund. Product renting is when the purchaser (renter) never intended to keep the product in the first place. They simply "use" the product.

The problem for retailers, is that it's not always clear if a customer is doing that intentionally. Trouble is; a retailer doesn't know when someone is making returns 20 times in one day at 15 different stores.

Fashion retailers continue to be a prime target for "renters." However, recent trends show an increase in the "renting" of consumer electronics. It is not unheard of for someone to "rent" a digital video camera for a special occasion such as a graduation, birthday, anniversery or wedding. The "renter" pays for the camera on a Friday, uses it to record the special occasion, and then returns to the store a day or so later requesting a full refund.

Small Business Hit By Gas Hike

2005-09-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Crude oil prices, which have tripled in the past three years, climbed 4 percent this week to $69.03 a barrel. They hit an all-time high of $70.85 on Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Rising gasoline prices have a flow-on impact on businesses be they large or small. Gasoline prices soared to well over $3 a gallon in many parts of the United States after Hurricane Katrina slammed the New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The hurricane shut down most of the region's oil production and refineries. Gasoline had sold for about $2.60 a gallon before the hurricane hit.

For all the outrage from U.S. drivers are still paying much less than drivers in Europe. Smaller cars and shorter commutes are the norm in Europe with petrol prices roughly $6 a gallon in Britain.