2009 March | Small Biz Bee

Mar

18 Ways Your Business Can Get Ready for a Rebound!

Tough times aren’t lasting forever, and anyone who’s been reading this site for a while knows that the astute business owner is using the downturn as a way position their business for the eventual upturn.

Here are five areas you can focus on to ensure you emerge from the recession depression stronger than ever:

Connect With Your Customer

Refresh Your Product and/or Service

Network Your Tail Off

Market Wisely

Invest in Yourself

What’s going to make you stronger when the economy turns around?

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Mar

To Twitter or not to Twitter, that is the Question!

The following guest post is submitted by Corey Perlman, the author of the #1 Amazon.com bestseller eBoot Camp: Proven Internet Marketing Techniques to Grow Your Business.

Here Corey answers the age old question, to twitter or not to twitter as part of your marketing mix.

If you haven’t heard the buzz going around about the micro-blogging site Twitter.com, you soon will. It’s by far the hottest social networking application in the ever-evolving world of Internet marketing. But, should you join the cyber-party? Well, I will humbly offer you my answer to that question in this article.

What is all the Tweet About?

I always like to begin by providing a layman’s term definition of exactly what we’re talking about. Twitter is a Web site where you can follow what people are saying and they can follow what you are saying. The unique thing about Twitter is that they only allow you to write your “tweet” (or written message) in 140 characters or less. Yep, in the ‘more is less’ world of Internet communication, they have the audacity to make us be short and to the point with everything we write. The nerve!

When you follow someone, each of their tweets shows up on your personal Web page. And when you tweet, each of your messages shows up on their Twitter page. One of the distinct differences between Twitter and other social communities such as Facebook or Linkedin is the more liberal screening process people seem to have on Twitter when deciding who to connect with. It’s not uncommon to follow complete strangers based on knowing very little about them except maybe that they are following someone you are following. You can blink and have hundreds of people following you or vice versa. For an even clearer definition of Twitter, go to www.twitter.com and watch the video in the top right-hand corner of the page.

To Twitter or Not to Twitter

So, on to the question of if you should add Twitter as part of your Internet marketing repertoire. My answer is Yes and No. ? Let me explain. My answer is no if you’re simply looking for a tool to sell more of your products or services. In my opinion, it’s just not being used that way and people frown upon heavy promoting and selling. However, if you are looking to create more online relationships, expand your brand, or stay on the bleeding edge of information in your industry, then I wholeheartedly recommend that you jump on Twitter right away.

A colleague of mine, Perry Belcher, had a great analogy of how to view Twitter. It’s like hosting a huge party. You wouldn’t invite someone to your party and immediately try and sell them the second you opened the door. Instead, you’d greet them, invite them in, have a conversation and potentially engage in business if the opportunity presents itself. This is exactly how Twitter seems to work as well.

Getting Started With Twitter

So, are you still interested in trying out Twitter or did I scare you away? I hope I didn’t because I think Twitter can be a great opportunity for you to engage people with similar interests in an incredibly fast and effective way. So here are the steps to create your Twitter account:

Go to Twitter.com and register for an account. It’s free!
Take some time and fill out your profile. The more thought out your profile is, the more likely people will follow you.
Write your first tweet. Let everyone know you are new to the site and find a fun way to introduce yourself.
Look for some of your friends on Twitter. You have a friend in me! Just go to www.twitter.com/coreyperlman and www.twitter.com/ebootcamp and click “follow” and you will then be following me. You’ll be able to see all the people that I follow and can follow them as well if you choose.
For the next few weeks, tweet at least once a day. It takes all of about 2-3 minutes, so don’t worry about finding the time. You can also write your tweets via your cell phone. See Twitter.com for instructions on how to do that.

Helpful Twitter Marketing Notes

Try not to just tweet about what you are doing. Although that is the theme of Twitter.com, most people like to offer some value in some of their tweets. For example, did you see a really good article (maybe like the one you’re reading ?) and want to share it with your followers? Simply highlight the article link and add it as a tweet.
You don’t have to be too picky on who you follow. It’s easy to un-follow someone if they are tweeting too much or for any other reason.
On occasion, it is ok to promote your products or services. Just remember the party analogy – don’t overdue it and annoy people. Communicate on a personal level with people and build trust. There will be plenty of opportunity down the road to conduct business if the opportunity presents itself naturally.

Ok my friends, enough with the analysis paralysis, get out there and start TWEETING!

See you in Twitterville!

Author Bio:

Corey Perlman is the author of the #1 Amazon.com bestseller eBoot Camp: Proven Internet Marketing Techniques to Grow Your Business. The book provides easy-to-do strategies and techniques to help you market your business on the Web. To learn more about eBoot Camp or to purchase a copy, go to www.ebootcampbook.com.

What do you think about using Twitter as part of your marketing strategy? Is it working for you?

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Photo Credit: mfilej

Mar

Top Ten Ways To Grow A Business In A Recession

The following guest post is from Neil Belenkie, who lends his expertise on steps businesses can take to not only survive the recession, but thrive in it. Here’s his top 10 ways to grow your business during tough economic times.

1. Budget Responsibly

This is not the time for frivolous spending. 60 inch plasma tvs are not a priority, no matter how cool they would look in your foyer. Make absolutely certain that every dollar you spend is directly related to generating revenue for your business.

2. Make Knowledge-Based Decisions

Don’t use intuition when it is possible to use facts. It will take extra work, but when you have data to base your decisions on, not only can you measure the success of your decisions but you can remove the risk of uncertainty.

3. Be Strategic

Success is not luck. Think hard about why your customer would want your products or services. The marketplace has evolved, make sure that your message is relevant and that your communications resonate with your target audience.

4. Be Unique

Do not try to be all things to all people, be all things to a few people and they will all buy.

5. Innovate

You need to find new ways to make money. Create new applications for your existing products, find new customers who would benefit from your services, find new products that your existing customers will also need… Do not accept that what you’re currently doing is all that can be done.

6. Partnerships

Figure out exactly who your customers are and then think about where else they are purchasing their products or services. Approach the providers of these other products and services and create partnerships where you can refer customers back and forth between your businesses. Their company is not competitive to yours so it is in both of your best interests’ to make this work.

7. Plan Well

The marketplace has changed, is your business plan still relevant? Spend time analyzing how your customer’s need have changed and ask yourself if you have changed with them. If not, you need to make sure that you have a plan to bring your business up to date. If you are doing well, then make sure you have a plan for the next phase of this evolving marketplace. Stay ahead of the wave and the water will always be ripple free.

8. Invest in Low Risk ROI Opportunities.

Money is tight but that doesn’t mean that you can afford not to spend. Keep seeking out new business opportunities. With each opportunity, assess the investment versus the forecasted revenue and don’t be afraid to go after an opportunity when the numbers work.

9. Create Multiple Revenue Channels.

If you are only doing business through your store, you need to find new ways to access your customers. Start an online business where customers can purchase your products remotely. Hire sales representatives who can take your products to the customers instead of waiting for your customers to come to you. Find other companies to sell your products for you. More access to customers equals more sales.

10. Do it Now

Your business will not turn around on its own and every day passed is another day of lost revenue. Commit to making changes now.

Author Bio:

Neil has spent more than 15 years as a sales, marketing, and business development executive in multiple industries. He has served as a consultant with Ray & Berndtson Executive Search in Vancouver, and also co-hosted a radio show in Vancouver called “Grow Your Business”. Neil is active in the non-profit sector serving as a Board Member of the Vancouver Biennale.

Keep up with all that Neil is doing on his blog, This Spade is a Spade.

What do you think? Anything you would add/subtract from Neil’s list?

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Photo Credit: Darwin Bell

Mar

Featured Entrepreneur: Anyluckyday.com

In today’s economy who wouldn’t want something for free? Our latest “Featured Entrepreneur” is taking advantage of that fact, and giving it all away at anyluckyday.com

Proving that free can be a perfectly suitable business model, owner Giancarlo Massaro jokes that there is such a thing as a free lunch:

“At AnyLuckDay.com, your free lunch is not too good to be true. The prizes are absolutely free (or else they wouldn’t be prizes). We even cover the shipping.”

To get an idea of what’s going on at Anyluckyday.com take a look at the interview below, but first don’t overlook the fact that you can win free stuff too!

SPECIAL OFFER:To see what this site is all about, head on over to Anyluckyday.com and enter for your chance to win a brand new Flip Mino . The contest starts today, and it’s absolutely free!!

What is Anyluckyday.com?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

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At AnyLuckDay.com, your free lunch is not too good to be true. The prizes are absolutely free (or else they wouldn’t be prizes). We even cover the shipping.

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How can we do this? In this economy, companies are trying to save advertising dollars but still need to successfully promote their businesses. By donating their products to us, companies get the exposure they need and YOU have the chance to win great prizes, absolutely free. All you have to do is go to the specific contest that is running, read the blog post, and make a comment. So, ANY DAY can be your LUCKY DAY. A free lunch never tasted so good.

When did you start the business?

I started the business in January 09. We are about 1 ½ months post launch and the site is growing quickly. We’ve received an amazing amount of donations from sponsors, and with some upcoming interviews we have, we expect the donations to continue to grow.

How did you get the idea?

I used to think of website ideas and then have them built, but ever since I started college two years ago, I was unable to properly manage my time and therefore sold off all my sites. This year I finally managed to setup a good schedule, and I wanted to get back into making websites. I pondered for weeks on what type of website I could make that would not be targeted towards a specific niche, and would allow me to include almost anyone. I was actually lying on the couch at my girlfriend’s house one night and thought up the idea for AnyLuckyDay at around 3:30 in the morning after watching an infomercial on TV. They were selling the Snuggie and I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if they gave those out for free. A light bulb then went off in my head and I instantly grabbed my laptop, open notepad, and starting building off my idea.

What sources did you use to fund your biz?

My long time friend, Jason Tessitore and I have funded the site completely. We have not searched for outside funding.

What was the biggest start-up challenges?

The biggest challenge was getting people to come to the site. You know you have something great to offer, but no one knows about it. It was hard to accept the fact that the site would not explode overnight, even though I feel like it should have because of the idea behind it. I have learned that patience and persistency is key.

How did you overcome those challenges?

Social media. I talked to people via twitter, facebook, myspace, and linkedin and let them know about my idea. I then began talking to many bloggers and was able to get some links back and reviews of my site. I was then able to get some interviews done. I also talked to members of a few forums that I frequent. Once you begin to get your name out there, people will recognize you and tell others and it grows from there.

What has been the response/reaction to your business from your clients?

To be completely honest, not a single person that we have talked to has responded with negativity towards our business model. People seem to love what we do and have only given us constructive criticism to help improve the site for everyone who visits. No negative feedback? Hm..I might be onto something here.

Best advice you can give to a new start-up?

You must love, care, and be passionate about what you are doing. If the love and passion for your startup isn’t there, then you should not be doing it. If your users see that you care and are passionate about them and what you are doing, they will begin to care as well.

Biggest lesson you’ve learned from starting your own business?

Analyze every single feature that you want on your website, and ask yourself if you REALLY need it. This was a major mistake on my part and I ended up having so many features put into the site at the beginning that it actually drove people away from the site rather than bring them in.

What’s the future look like for Anyluckyday.com?

I see a very, very bright future for the site. I’ve had my ups and downs and have been unmotivated at times, but recently there has been an increase in interest in the site and we have received an overwhelming amount of sponsors. The more attention and press the site gets, the bigger it will get, and the more sponsors it will get. I see endless opportunities for Any Lucky Day because literally anyone who knows how to use a computer can simply come to our site and win something.

What inspires you to do what you do?

As a little kid I always loved buying presents for my family and friends and would enjoy seeing their reaction when they opened it. Now that I am older I’ve tried to apply this same notion to Any Lucky Day and help companies get more exposure while at the same time giving gifts to people.

In one word, what’s the key to success?

Passion.

Short personal bio:

Giancarlo Massaro is a 19 years old college student at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. He is a Division I soccer player, and founder/owner of AnyLuckyDay.com. Previously he founded WootAgent.com which was featured on TechCrunch, LifeHacker and many other large blogs, and the site has since been sold. Also he founded friendfleet.com, a popular myspace friend adding tool, also sold.

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Mar

Top 10 Must Have For a Start-up Success

What are the ten things start-ups need to be successful? According to Frank Levinson, it’s the following.

And Frank may know a thing or two about start-ups, considering he founded Finisar in 1988 with $60,000 and 12 years later hit the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.

10 Must Have for Start-Up Success

Spending everything on a good team and equipment

Letting people know the company is in business

Raising limited capital

Taking stock of a company and determining its needs

Being open to opportunities

Having a supportive family

Targeting mass markets, not just niche markets

Having confidence in new ideas

Acquiring and selling to real customers

Choosing a great partner

Did Frank cover the essentials for start-up success? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Photo Credit: Today is a good day

Mar

8 Ways to Connect and Get off the Entrepreneurial Island

Running your own business can be a lonely affair at times, almost like being on your own island.

Sure you’re surrounded by employees, vendors, and hopefully lots and lots of customers but often it can feel like you are really the only one who understands the struggles and the triumphs.

It’s as if everyone you come in contact with is on just a slightly different level than you are, and the weight of realizing you are the one that cares the most about your business can leave you feeling isolated.

Reaching Out

If you’ve ever owned a business I think you can relate. We’ve all been there, and to be honest I’m kind of there right now.

Sometimes you just need someone to talk to who understands what running your own shop is all about, and can empathize as well as give advice.

Help is Closer You May Think

According to a survey of 300 business owners, conducted by SurePayroll approximately 91% of respondents would be open to potentially advising new entrepreneurs who are starting a business.

Why are they so willing to help?

Business owners know what it’s like, and they want to help you not make the mistakes they did, that’s part of it. The other part of it is the human connection between somebody with a shared experience – help getting you off that isolated island.

8 Ways to Get off the Entrepreneurial Island?

So 91% of business owners are willing to connect, and help you if need be, so where do you find them? Actually, that’s the easy part.

Here are 8 ways you can get yourself off that island, and connecting with like minded business people in your area.

Networking Groups

There are loads of great networking groups and ways to get out there and meet other business owners

Just doing a simple Google search for “Small Business Networking Groups” in your town will bring up numerous organizations with the sole purpose of helping small business owners connect.

Here’s a sample of what I got for my area “Small Business Networking Groups”

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Don’t forget your local Chamber of Commerce. Most Chambers have monthly groups or meetings designed to bring business owners from the community together. This is a great way to meet people in the same situation you are in.

Meetups

Meetups are great! They effectively bridge the gap between our online and offline social network. A meetup takes your online social network offline, for a face to face meeting .

To find a meetup in your area check out MeetUp.com to search for a meetup in your area.

SBA Support Groups

The small business administration is specifically designed to help business owners. Use their services! Contact your local SBA chapter and inquire about support groups or networking events they may have to offer.

Online

If you’re not connecting yet online, you are missing out on a valuable sounding board and resource group at your finger tips. Here are some of my favorite ways to connect with other business owners online.

Twitter – Instant feedback, and easy way to connect with people with similar interest by using the search function to follow other business owners.

Blog Comments – comments on your blog (you are blogging right?) can be a great way to meet like minded people and other business owners. Get to know your frequent comments. Make it a point to keep in touch.

Forums – Establishing a presence on forums isn’t just a sound practice to give your business visibility and demonstrate your authority, they are a great way to bounce ideas around and get feedback.You’ll get instant feedback in the forum replies, as well as make more contacts with others in the same boat as you. Try the Small Business Community Forums to get started.

Informal

Call me “old school” but making it a point to informally connect with the business owners in your community is a great way to get off the island when you’re feeling lonesome.

When I go to someones place of business, and have the opportunity, I make it a point to talk to the owner.

Introduce yourself, tell them what you do, ask them how business is. Talk more about them than you – really connect as business people. Doesn’t matter if they are in your niche or not, you’re both on the same team and will benefit from having a relationship with another business owner you can turn to.

In Summary

So while the saying “It’s lonely at the top” can certainly be true when you own your own business, you don’t need to spend your time isolated on that island.

Business people are out there, and statistics show they are willing to help you out – and sometimes more importantly empathize with you because they are living it too. Use some of the resources above to connect with them.

Now, help me off the island. Share some thoughts in the comments section – I’m getting lonely here!

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Photo Credit: Iujaz [Away from Flickr]

Mar

How to Write an Op-Ed Article

In this guest post, author John McLain offers an often overlooked way for businesses to gain credibility and visibility through writing and submitting opinion articles to major news sources.

A good way to gain credible visibility for your small or home-based business is to submit an opinion piece to your local newspaper and have it published.

What is Op-Ed?

By crafting a fiery opinion on a hot topic, which must be supported by facts to make your case, you establish your presence in the community, and can gain publicity for your business. That said, it’s important to pick a sizzling subject but not one likely to be so controversial that it alienates you. There are plenty of good causes to get behind; pick one of those.

An op-ed is not an essay, something that slowly unrolls like a carpet, building momentum to some point or conclusion. It’s quite the opposite.

In an op-ed, you essentially state your conclusion first. You make your strongest point up front, then spend the rest of the op-ed making your case, or back-filling with the facts. Done right, it’s persuasive writing at its best. You can help your business win converts, gain high-quality publicity, and you will be reaching an elite audience of opinion-makers (potential customers) who regularly read the op-ed pages.

Checklist to Keep Your Op-Ed on Track

Focus tightly on one issue or idea — in your first paragraph. Be brief.

Express your opinion, then base it on factual, researched or first-hand information.

Be timely, controversial, but not outrageous. Be the voice of reason.

Be personal and conversational; it can help you make your point. No one likes a stuffed shirt.

Be humorous, provided that your topic lends itself to humor.

Have a clear editorial viewpoint – come down hard on one side of the issue. Don’t equivocate.

Provide insight, understanding: educate your reader without being preachy.

Near the end, clearly re-state your position and issue a call to action. Don’t philosophize.

Have verve, and “fire in the gut” indignation to accompany your logical analysis.

Don’t ramble or let your op-ed unfold slowly, as in an essay.

Use clear, powerful, direct language.

Emphasize active verbs, forget the adjectives and adverbs, which only weaken writing.

Avoid cliches and jargon.

Appeal to the average reader. Clarity is paramount.

Write 750 double-spaced words or less (fewer is always better).

Include a brief bio, along with your phone number, email address, and mailing address at the bottom.

Many major newspapers today accept timely op-eds by email. Check your paper’s website first to be sure what its policy is. While it’s tempting to fire off your op-ed to The New York Times, remember that there are many other major newspapers to consider.

The New York Times receives more op-eds daily than any other paper in the US, so competition there is fierce. It’s better to be published in another excellent paper than to be not published in The New York Times.

BIO:

John McLain is author of the newly published book, HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR HOME BUSINESS, available on Amazon.com or through his New York publisher at: Strategic Book Publishing

For the past 18 years he’s been a national media consultant, pitching stories to major media for a New Hampshire PR firm serving 55 colleges in 28 states, and pitching stories with a Kansas City PR firm for large corporate clients. He has been a newspaper reporter on major dailies, an ad copywriter, a magazine editor, author of a novel titled The Reckoning, and author of a screenplay, which was a finalist in the Writer’s Digest International Writing Competition.

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Photo Credit: fxgeek

Mar

5 Quick Reminders for Running a Successful Business

Recently I attended a conference on special event management, and the keynote speaker focused on the 5 elements to a successful event.

While this information was geared towards event management, I couldn’t help but see similarities between what it takes to run a successful event and run a successful company.

None of these things could be considered “hard” to do, but they are easy to forget…so here’s your reminder:

Have Passion For What We Do.

We’ve talked about passion many times in the past, but it always keeps coming back to this doesn’t it? Passion is paramount to success for two reasons

1) If you have passion for what you do you’ll more likely stick it out through the lean times – and there will be lean times – and give yourself a chance to see your venture through to success.

2) People you do business with will feel your passion, and be attracted to doing business with you.

Why do you think Gary V is so successful talking about wine? 1000’s of people out there talk about wine for a living, but people are drawn to Gary because he truly loves what he is doing and his passion is contagious.

Understand the Importance of Customer Service

Whether you are giving your customers pickles, or going out of your way to make each person feel special, there is no substitute for quality customer service. Remember the goal in customer service is not to treat the customer how you’d like be treated, but to treat the customer how they’d like to be treated.

Have a “Whatever it Takes” Attitude

You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to move your business forward. If making that speech or driving across town is what you need to do make a sale – do it.

Delight and Dazzle Customers

The truth is many businesses are so bad people have low expectations to begin with. It doesn’t take a whole lot to stand out from the crowd and really “WOW” somebody. Just do what you do 5% better than your competitors and you’ll get 50% more business – exceed customers expectations, and they’ll be buzzing about your business.

Recognize the Importance in Everyone

In the event world this is your staff, volunteers, vendors, guests, etc. But in business you have to understand that everyone your business touches is important and plays a role in your eventual success or failure. Treat people like partners, not tools or stepping stones on your way to the top.

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Photo Credit: Chaval Brasil

Mar

Featured Entrepreneur: Tomato Graphics

In my first conversation with our latest “Featured Entrepreneur“, Tomato Graphics owner, Rock Langston, shared with me the following:

“I began this business in a remote community where there were few work opportunities, but I had access to two libraries and a lot of time to self-educate. Eight years later I have clients around the States and overseas. “

This is exactly the kind of attitude, and stick to it kind of mindset we love to feature. Rock‘s passion for what she does, and desire to succeed, permeated through every conversation we had.

Rock will tell us more about what Tomato Graphics is and what she does below, but if you are looking for a graphic design artist to help you with advertisements, mailings, logos, or any other design work for your business check out what Rock is doing…from the looks of things her customers love her and we can see why.

SPECIAL OFFER:

For Small Biz Bee readers Tomato Graphics is offering 15% services until March 31, 2009. If you’ve been waiting to get some work done – take advantage of this offer!