Recently a consultant approached me at a business event and complained that he was having a hard time finding new clients. This is one of the most common complaints I hear from business owners in just about every industry. While you can put the marketing wheels in motion, they don’t...
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Having sold a business in the past (a bookstore), I've been through the process and it’s not easy. There are contracts and details and a heck of a lot of paperwork. The reality is that when I started the business I had no intentions of ever selling it; I assumed...
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It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since Project Rev first launched. In June 2010, nine small business owners were selected to participate in a year-long marketing lab where they also received $5000 in products and services from Deluxe Corporation. I was invited on board as a spokesperson and...
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In part one of this blog series we discussed how to get started with speaking as a marketing tactic for your business. In order to be an effective speaker, you need to develop a great presentation. Following are some simple guidelines to make the process easier....
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It was by accident when I first discovered the power of speaking as a marketing tactic for my business. I was invited to speak to a group of women business owners and share how I had built my business. The energy of a captive audience was intoxicating, and afterward many...
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Several years ago one of the services my marketing company offered was copywriting for businesses. Though we started out offering general copywriting services, we received a lot of requests for writing website copy. Soon we caught the attention of website designers. It turned out that designers were often waiting on...
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When it comes to the marketing collateral for your small business, it’s important to highlight the benefits of your products and services, but you also need to ask your prospects and customers to do something. When prospects receive your promotional postcard, visit your website, or open your electronic newsletter, what...
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When I opened my bookstore in 2003, I knew that local media coverage was going to be essential to spreading the word about the business. Though I invested in plenty of advertising, it was difficult to reach a broad audience. After much persistence, I convinced the local newspaper to write...
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Early in my career I worked for a software company where we were taught that customers were priority number one. I have always been grateful for the lessons I learned there because I still value customer service. As a consumer I expect it, and as a business owner I strive...
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One of the most overlooked opportunities for small business is the repeat sale. Once a customer has made a purchase with you, it is much easier to acquire additional business because you have established quality and achieved customer satisfaction. Instead of placing all of your focus on marketing to bring...
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