Small Business Solutions

Small business marketing is all about determining the needs of your target market and then providing solutions to meet those needs.

These 7 steps are aimed at entrepreneurs starting a small business and those who want to create a successful small business marketing plan for an existing business.

Most small business promotions focus on how great their products and services are. Instead, you should educate your target market consistently and start building a relationship that will establish your credibility and trust. It is important to develop a marketing mindset. “Think Marketing” your products and services all of the time. It is very important to consistently market your products and services. Don’t fall into the trap of stop and go marketing. Some small business owners only market when sales are down.

You can’t have a successful small business without having a successful small business marketing plan. Effective small business marketing is the way to growth and profits.

If you’re a small business owner or you want to know how to start a small business in the future, this simple 7-step plan will help you understand your business and your target market.

How to Start a Small Business Marketing Plan: 7 Steps

Begin the process by answering these questions:

1) Who — Who specifically is your target market? Who is your ideal client? What research can you do to find out more about your target market?

2) What — What products and services do your ideal clients want and need? What does your product and service do for your ideal client? What problems does your product solve for your customer? What are the solutions that your ideal client is looking for? What is your area of specialty that will differentiate you in the marketplace? What are the industry trends? What type of message will your ideal client likely respond to? What are you ultimately selling? For example: Are you selling eye glasses or are you selling vision? What is your unique mix of products and services? What is your pricing strategy?

3) Where — Where is your ideal client? Where is your customer located geographically? Where will you position yourself so they can easily find you? Where are the best places to get your marketing message to them? Will you speak to groups, hold seminars, or write a blog, newsletters or articles?

4) When — How frequently does your target market need to hear your marketing message? When are they most likely to buy your products and services?

5) Why — Why are you in business? Why do customers or clients buy from you? Why should they choose your product or service over your competition?

6) How — How does your customer buy your product or service? How are you going to reach potential buyers for your services and products? How will you communicate your marketing message? How will you provide customers or clients with the information they need to make their buying decision?

7) Marketing Mindset – Practice mastering a Marketing Mindset and you will be on the path to a profitable small business.

With these 7 steps, you can take action towards starting a small business marketing plan that targets new customers. “Marketing is about testing and evaluating your return on investment. But it’s primarily about helping people get what they want.” Master these small business marketing steps and you will be on the path to more profit and success as a business owner.



By: Robert L Moment

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So you’re starting a small business. You figured out what you wanted to sell or do and went out and got it all set up, had your DBA framed and on the wall and now all you need is for someone to buy your product or use your service. Right?

How are you going to go about getting your public to know you even exist?

Promote! Promote! Promote!

Well that all sounds simple, but say you’re a financial specialist, a boat builder or llama farmer. They probably didn’t teach the basic principles of starting small business promotional campaigns in boat-builders’ school. So what do you need to know, and how do you go about it?

Let’s start with the “Basic Principles” of promotion:

What is Promotion?

Promotion n. Anything, as advertising, public appearances, etc., done to publicize (get the attention or interest of the public) a person, product, event, etc. The New Webster’s Concise Dictionary2003 Encyclopedic Edition

Why do you promote?

The purpose of promotion is to make sure people know you are in business. You promote because if you don’t, you won’t make it in business. You promote because it is communication that you need to engage in in order to survive. You promote in order to expand and get the attention or interest of the public for your products or services. You promote because if you don’t, no one will know you exist and no one will buy from you and…well, you get the point.

How do you promote?

There are more ways than you would ever think. Have you ever heard someone say, “I never promote and I am always busy” OR “I don’t have to promote, all my business comes from word-of-mouth”? They may not be aware of how they’re doing it, but I promise you they are promoting somewhere. Maybe they just go around telling everyone they talk to, that they don’t promote. (Sound funny? It’s still promoting.) Maybe their larger-than-life running water faucet in front of their store attracts so much attention that they don’t need to do anything else. Well here are some ideas you can do “knowingly” to drive in the business.

· Greeting your customers with a smile is a great place to start.

· Calling your customers after they have had a chance to use your product is a good way to promote that you care about their experience with your organization. It can also create an opportunity to make more sales.

· A neatly packaged product, the shipping label on straight, promotes that you take pride in what you do.

· Always keep up-to-date brochures or catalogs about your business in your reception area for people to see and take with them.

· If you have customers coming into your business, make sure they are greeted pleasantly, professionally, and immediately.

Anything that gets the attention or interest of the public for the company, its employees, its products or services (in a positive way) is promotion.

But how do you go about promoting to the masses?

Here is a story that could save you thousands of marketing and promotional dollars, as well as months or years of experience.

“I was working as the Communications & Promotional Director in a medium size business. We were fortunate enough to have our own commercial printing press, that put out lots of very fancy letters, catalogs, brochures and other promotional items, and oh yes, envelopes to put them in. My full time pressman and his helpers, spent several days each week getting everything printed, cut, folded and sent over to the mailing house.”

“There, they had machines that automated all the stuffing, sorting, addressing and stamping. All in all everything was going very well. We were sending out about 40,000 pieces per week at a cost of about $10,800.00, and getting around 120 to 140 good leads per week. This generated an average of 2 new sales per week for a product that cost around $12,000, and re-sign income of around $45,000 more. We weren’t growing very fast, but we were making money. “

“THEN…911 hit.”

“Suddenly, nobody wanted to open envelopes. Our leads were dropping to nothing. We were heading toward our own disaster like so many other companies did. I knew I needed to promote, but what good did it do if nobody read it! “

“I was talking to the owner of the mailing house and he suggested the use of POSTCARDS instead of letters. So we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I had much less money to allocate towards promotion, so I started by sending about 20,000 postcards weekly. The total cost-per-piece, needing only one day on the presses, half the labor at the mail house and a substantial decrease in postage, was reduced by about 60%.”

What was the result? Try 120 to 140 leads per week!

Why?

· You don’t have to open a post card!

· You see it right away, the bright picture is not hidden from view by an envelope.

· The message leaps right out and you can’t ignore it or throw it in the trash unopened (the fate of many bulk mail pieces).

Postcards are the best medium to reach new customers when starting a small business promotional campaign.



By: Joy Gendusa

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When you are able to build and create a small business does not stop there. You have to think of ways on how you can promote your business to be able to gain more clients and that means more profits as well. Below are some ways to be able to promote your business.

Good SEO – Search Engine Optimization is one of the most used ways in promoting a business. By doing on page and off page SEO for your website, you site can increase rankings in major search engines and if a potential client type your keyword at search engines and your site is visible in search engines then there is a chance for them to visit your site. Link building can really boost traffic to your website plus the fact that a strong link building can give potential visitors to your site.

Pay Per Click – Good management of adwords account or YSM account can give you good sales. This depends on what search engine you want to manage your PPC. The concept of PPC is really good but it depends on how you manage it for your small business.

Blogging – The power of blog can not anymore be denied. Not just the power but the influence to people as well. Thus, with this your can market your small business online.

Forum promotions – When you start posting on forums this will not only help you in promoting your site but also this is one way to link build going to your site and yes you are doing seo already. Forum positing is one part of search engine optimization. Not only that, aside from promotions you can also learn new things by reading in forums. It is not just a double purpose, but a triple purpose indeed.

And a lot more promotions that you can do for your small business. Most of the time it is best to explore and discover new ways on your own. Things mentioned here are just few of what you can do online.

For more information about small business promotions online you can visit http://www.mysbciclub.org site.



By: Donna Dayrit

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Similar to the way television had revolutionized advertising, outdoor LED signs is changing the way small businesses promote their business. Outdoor signs speak to your most important customers directly and accurately. And because it appears at the store front, interested audiences can instantly take you up on your offer. As the saying goes, the three most important factors in business are location, location, and location. The outdoor LED signs let you take advantage of that.

Outdoor LED signs are especially advantageous for businesses located in good areas because it enhances the competitive edge of the establishment. More than just reaching out to existing customers, putting up LED signs can increase your traffic count as well. This is because the number of impulse buyers you generate can be quite significant. All the factors stated above will add up to an improved bottom line and more profits for the company.

Why Outdoor LED Signs are better than Traditional Advertising Mediums?

Traditional advertisement including television, radio, and print may reach a wider audience, but how many percentage of them will actually get off their couch to visit your store? Aside from this, traditional advertising tend to be very expensive and is an unpractical method for small and medium scale business owners. But outdoor LED signs are right on target.

LED is increasingly becoming popular because it is customizable and inexpensive.

It is a highly targeted way to increase brand awareness to local audiences. Take note that for retail businesses, mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, bars, and billiard halls, the majority of their customers are local residents who patronize the establishment on a regular basis. This is where majority of the profits come from. Small businesses can maximize their potential by using outdoor LED signs to inform loyal customers about any special sales, discounts, or events in the establishment.

Why Are Outdoor LED Signs Better Than Billboards?

However, if you have the budget, would it be a good idea to look into billboards and other forms of signage? Just a few years ago, billboards were touted as the next big thing, and it was. But that time has now passed and outdoor LED signs are taking center stage. It is highly beneficial tool because it is cost-effective and customizable. Unlike outdoor billboard signs that need to be taken out whenever a certain promotion is finished, LED signs can be programmed. Installation and removal costs will be eliminated.

The kind of flexibility outdoor LED signs provides is also very environment-friendly. In an era where problems about global warming, pollution, and climate change abound, this is an important consideration. Small businesses can do their part in preserving the environment. Instead of using wasteful, static materials for billboards, they can take advantage of a more attractive and environment-friendly advertising medium.

It is not surprising that various local businesses are now using outdoor LED signs. The benefits it provides are unsurpassed by any other outdoor sign materials. Its longevity, quality, and value for money make it the best choice in today’s tough economic times, when almost every business is running on a tight budget.

Shop through our huge selection of outdoor business led signs at http://www.BrightLEDSigns.com today…



By: Jake Morgan

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Like all other big time companies, your small business can also benefit largely from promotion. Promotion creates awareness for your business, markets your products or services, and increases customer traffic. Promotion does not have to be expensive to be effective, because a successful campaign depends on the right execution.

A poster print is the ideal promotional tool for your small business. Posters can be reproduced fast and affordably with poster printing services offered by online printing companies.  Many businesses have enjoyed the benefits of poster advertising, and so can you. You just have to design your prints effectively and maximize their use to achieve favorable results.

Draw attention to your posters. The first thing that your posters have to do is to attract your customer’s attention. When your posters are able to do this, customers will eventually read the content of your posters. Captivating your customer’s attention can be done by designing your prints in the most creative and innovative ways possible. Communicate with your audience. Create your posters with your customers in mind in order to come up with a promotional campaign that is targeted at them. Talk to your audience in a friendly and conversational way to spark their interest. Do not bore them with long paragraphs full of technical jargons. Instead, communicate with them using a straight-forward approach. Doing so will save you from misleading your audience. Include a call to action: Elicit a positive response from your customers by including a call to action. Don’t make customers guess the things that you want them to do. Go straight to the point and tell them to give you a call, buy your products, and take advantage of your special offer. Use words that convey excitement to get customers to act now. Highlight your product’s benefits. Customers need to know the benefits that you can offer before making a buying decision. Convince customers that you are the right choice by highlighting your product’s benefits. Use your product’s unique selling point to stand out from the competition.

Following these tips, you will be able to gain more opportunities for your business and increase your profit.



By: Girlie Nuqui

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