Keys to Small Business Marketing

KEYS TO SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING Kimberly Smith, University of Houston Small Business Development CenterEach year, about 400,000 new small businesses open their doors to the economic landscape in their communities. But according to www.bloomberg.com, a whopping 80 percent of these new ventures will fail within the first 18 months. What’s the difference between one energetic, inspired entrepreneur with an idea that succeeds and a similar one who just can’t seem to get his or her business off the ground? To answer that question, I spoke with Kimberly Smith, director of marketing and publicity at the University of Houston Small Business Development Center. She shared her insights about strategic marketing tactics and how they help small businesses across all industries build their brand. â€Å"If you’re an entrepreneur with a great idea, and you’ve had big sales at opening that later tapered off, you might be experiencing a combination of problems,† said Smith. â€Å"When business owners come to me for advice, I tell them in order to be successful, they have to have a well-planned, well-researched marketing strategy.† According to Smith, if you’re a new or aspiring small business owner, there are five fundamental elements of a marketing strategy that will move you closer to achieving your business goals in the first year and beyond. Marketing Strategy Do’s: 1. DO identify your ideal target market for your product or service. It might be that everyone is your â€Å"target market,† but not everyone is ideal. Find out exactly who needs your service or product, who wants it, and who can afford it. Do lots of research, and find out exactly who fills those three categories. â€Å"For example, when Apple started marketing their computers, they knew they wouldn’t be appealing to the cheapest consumers, so they used a different approach to marketing,† Smith said. â€Å"They advertised (their product) as a ‘work of art’ that would appeal specifically to people who would appreciate art — like graphic designers, illustrators, innovators, musicians. That made the market much smaller and easier to target.† 2. DO figure out How to reach your ideal target market. Where are the people who need, want, and can afford what you’re selling? How can you get the word out to them? â€Å"The best way to answer these questions is to do a lot of research,† Smith said. â€Å"So, if your ideal target market is professional women between the ages of 30-40, the next step is to figure out where they purchase. Online? In brick and mortar stores? Do they listen to certain TV or radio shows?† Smith said that pinpointing the specific buying behaviors of your target market will lead you to the most effective places to spend your advertising dollars. Follow up with social media. â€Å"Figure out which social media platform is the best fit for your product, and start posting there,† Smith said. â€Å"It takes time and effort, but it pays off.† Helpful Hint: Call a TV or radio station, or a community newspaper — any publication that posts a website with banner ads. Tell them you’re looking at their ads, and explain which market you’re trying to reach with your product or service. They can tell you exactly who their ads will connect with, so you’ll know if your advertising money will be well spent there or if you need to keep looking. Free Advice: â€Å"The librarian here at the Small Business Development Center at the University of Houston will run a competitive marketing analysis free of charge for any small business owner,† Smith said. â€Å"She’ll help you figure out the trends so you can market more effectively in your particular industry.† 3. DO use surveys. If you’re in business, you have access to people. It’s always a good idea to ask them questions about your products and services. â€Å"Even if you’re still at pre-venture stage and you don’t have actual customers yet, survey your friends and family,† Smith said. â€Å"Ask them if they think the price points you’ve set are acceptable. Get as much feedback as you can about that.† Ask how often they might need or want the product or service you’re selling, and how they tend to receive information about new products — online, social media, flyers in the mailbox? â€Å"That’s extremely useful information for your new business,† Smith said. For new businesses that have already opened, Smith suggested a by-invitation-only special party consisting of a specific focus group of guests. â€Å"If you’ve opened, you can use your own place to bring customers in after hours, let them know how much you appreciate them, and ask them to answer a few survey questions,† she said. â€Å"The feedback you’ll get from this is invaluable.† 4. DO claim and maintain your online presence. Too often, business owners believe their online profile ends at their website. â€Å"If you want to succeed, you need to get beyond your website and set up profiles on Yelp, Google, the Yellow Pages, and Google Plus,† Smith said. â€Å"Claim them. Take control of your online profile. Make sure all of them convey a consistent message about your business, and all the details are correct across all of them — your selling proposition, your business hours, your contact information.† That also will positively affect your search engine optimization (SEO), which is essential for targeting your customers and driving traffic to your website. â€Å"It helps to be at the top of the page when someone is searching for a business that has your products or services,† Smith said. â€Å"All the information should match. It’s surprising how many inconsistencies there are from site to site with basic information like store hours. That’s confusing to the customers. Your pages should be constantly monitored and maintained.† 5. DO create a marketing plan using these elements. Smith said small business owners don’t always understand what she means when she tells them how important it is to create a marketing plan, but it just means pulling together the four previous points. â€Å"It’s just a way to make sure you’re finding your target audience, you’ve identified your unique selling points, and you’ve set goals with a plan to achieve them,† she said. â€Å"You’re not just selling. You’ve got an efficient, clear plan in place, and you’re progressing toward your goal.† Marketing Strategy Don’ts: Not only should new business owners take an active role in planning and implementing their marketing strategy, they also should be wary of traps that can undermine their efforts. When entrepreneurs run out of money, it’s often because they’re overconfident, their marketing message doesn’t connect with consumers, or they underestimate the need to keep up digitally. Smith said the following poor practices are a recipe for new business failure. 1. DON’T make assumptions. If a business owner assumes his product or service is so great that everyone will buy it, he’s in for a big disappointment, Smith said. â€Å"This shows a real lack of focus and research into the ideal target market. Let people try your product or service for free and get feedback. That tactic usually works very well and teaches the owner a lot about how people are receiving his product or service.† 2. DON’T design your own logo or own website. Brand image is everything, and if it’s not on par with your competitors’, your target customer base will not take you seriously. â€Å"Unless you’re a trained graphic designer, hire a professional to do your logo and your website,† Smith said. â€Å"People often think cheapest is best, but the smart thing is to set aside the money you need to get a good website and logo, and hire a very reputable person to do them.† 3. DON’T create too many social media profiles. It’s better to have one or two well-maintained social media profiles that fit your business than to have a lot of profiles that don’t get any traffic. â€Å"Your ideal target market can’t necessarily be reached on all social media platforms,† Smith said. â€Å"It’s impossible to keep posting on multiple social media pages, so choose one or two that match your products and services and post regularly. Don’t get on Pinterest if you’ve got a business or service that doesn’t apply.† Hint: When the last post on a social media page is from a year ago, it could imply that you’re no longer in business, which causes customers to look elsewhere. 4. DON’T ignore bad reviews. When customers leave a bad review on Yelp or Google, don’t think it won’t affect you. â€Å"When people search for your business, those reviews will come up,† Smith said. â€Å"Negative reviews deter people from your business, whether they’re true or not.† She said it’s best to reply to each bad review and apologize for failing to meet expectations. Then offer something to make it right with the customer. 5. DON’T rely on referrals or word of mouth. You work hard to earn a good reputation and have your clients tell their friends about you, but relying on them to do that is another trap that can lead to failure. â€Å"It’s the ‘if I build it, they will come’ theory,† Smith said. â€Å"If you create a marketing plan and remain consistent, you do a good job with your customers, and you get lots of referrals and good word of mouth, imagine how well you’d do with advertising,† she said. â€Å"Advertising expands your customer base. If you’re already doing well, advertising will help you go beyond referrals and word of mouth. You can make enough money to hire more employees and go sit on the beach!† BIO Kimberly Smith has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and public relations. With the direction of the executive director, she is principally responsible for the marketing of the Texas Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center Network, the largest economic development program of the University of Houston System. Smiths vast experience in strategic marketing has helped businesses, large and small; build brands across a variety of industries. She has produced award-winning campaigns on national and international accounts such as JC Penney, Basset Furniture Industries, Harland Clarke and CHRISTUS Health. Smith is an avid photographer, foodie, and Texas Aggie football fan.

The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks

The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks Last week I wrote an article about quotation marks, and I did not cover the topic of their overuse. Quotation marks are often used to emphasize a word when they are grammatically unnecessary or incorrect. Thankfully, another blogger has taken on the gallant task of locating errant quotation marks so that I can take a rest on this one. I just had to share!   the blog of unnecessary quotation marks Also note: Using single quotation marks is also not grammatically correct, unless you are quoting something within a quote. For instance: Grandma always used to say, I live every day by the words, A stitch in time saves nine.' Single quotation marks simply dont belong anywhere else. And thus concludes Part 2 of the Quotation Mark Quandary.

A Critique of Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy

A Critique of Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy Essay A Critique of Gone to Soldiers by Marge PiercyA Critique of Gone to Soldiers by Marge PiercyThe novel Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy intricately weaves the livesof many different people into a connected series of individual plots that givethe reader an exciting view of life during World War II. Piercy connects thelives of women and men, Jews and gentiles by using family ties and steamy loveaffairs. The people have dramatically different profiles, some are rich someare poor, some are Americans, some are French, some are with power while othersare persecuted, but everyone is connected by the war. War freed women byallowing them to work in factories and defy their husbands by hiding resistingFrench Jews. Piercy makes history exciting by making each character reallyexperience love and hate and the mundane daily struggles of the individual. I completely enjoyed Gone to Soldiers, because several main charactersprevented me from getting bored and kept me reading to find out what was goingto happen to each person next. I really enjoyed the profile of Louise Kahan afemale Jewish American writer, because she is independent and strong willed. Anexample of her strength and belief in herself Louise did not instantly return toher ex-husband Oscar even though they both still loved each other, because shewas strong enough to resist him and his womanizing ways. Piercy gave me a muchbetter understanding of the cultural and social issues of the World War two era. I learned about the little struggles of working American women, such as theunavailability of stockings and societys negative attitude towards womenwearing pants. These issues were ones that I had never thought about before. It amazes me that only fifty years ago a woman could not wear pants to work. Ruthies friend was sent home to change for wearing loose fitting red pantsbecause they were considered racy. It is equally surprising to me that womenstill have to wear hose with our skirts or be deemed inappropriate. I do notunderstand how society has completely changed from a white male society into amuch more diverse culture and still expect women to wear uncomfortable hose. Piercy made complete sense throughout the entire book and most importantly shekept my attention. Piercys point of view was biased favorably towards AmericanJews. I enjoyed the book because it kept my attention on the individual livesof people in the midst of war instead of the battles fought during the war. Ialso liked the complicated weave of lives into one story like a patchwork quilt. In conclusion, I enjoyed Marge Piercys novel Gone to Soldiers, becauseit kept my attention with realistic descriptions of people with whom I began toreally understand their feelings and thoughts. Other students should read thisbook if they like historical fiction, because it is so captivating. Piercy usesthe individual as a piece of the whole picture, important but not the entiretyof the work which makes this book so intriguing.

Final Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final Project - Assignment Example With the success of their product in the local US markets, they are thinking of catering to a wider region by penetration in the bigger markets of US and global markets too. In order to do so a major study has to be undertaken while deciding about the expansion of the market. A faulty expansion step can, not only account for a dip in profits but also be a threat for the whole existence of the business. Thus, a market plan is a serious necessity for market expansion. With the question of market expansion, the most widely used method used to analyze the decision aptly is that of SWOT analysis. It is majorly done to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the particular business proposal. In this case, SWOT analysis is required to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the organization with respect to the idea of global expansion and also the opportunities and threats it may face from the external resources while expanding their business in the global forum. Another study which would be quite handful in this project would be the Porter’s Five Force Model. The Porter’s Five Force Model mainly takes into the account the major forces which affect the functioning of the firm namely the suppliers, competitors, substitutes, barriers to entry and buyers’ powers. A thorough study is to be made regarding all these heads so that it could be well understood that whether the decision taken of expanding their business in the global markets is really viable or not (Kotler, 2009). With the progression of the case all such topics would be covered under different heads. Each and every essential detail for entering into a global market with relation to the case will be analyzed in details and probable solutions will be provided. The nature of the product is a determining factor while decision regarding market expansion is taken that too globally. In this case, the major product is that of

Managing the employment relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Managing the employment relationship - Essay Example mmunicated down to the employees and workers is affected by line managers who lack effective communication skills and the information is ultimately relayed in an untimely way. Small and medium scale enterprises depend on relations between owners and employees. This level of informality fosters positive social relations of production and helps develop close team working, and facilitate rapid and direct communication channels. On the other hand, this same informality situation also presents the problem for subjective, highly-discretionary, ill-informed and unjust managerial approaches. The negative outcome of this set-up can lead to a poor firm performance and consequently, presents a poor safeguard for the protection of employee rights. Smaller companies tend to ignore important labour rights of workers. Hence, there are calls for improving employee participation and employee grievance procedures in small firms such as SMEs. Generally, smaller organisations like the SMEs adopt varying degrees of informality in their labour management practices, hence the adoption and incorporation of any formal employment regulation to these firms can be challenging in the area of compliance. A distinct possibility is to encourage these firms by way of specific government regulations to set up alternative systems for addressing employee rights and grievances. basic right for workers to extend a degree of control over managerial decision making in a Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SME). Economic efficiency emphasizes that it makes sense for employers to encourage closer employee participation in the business as it creates more understanding and commitment. These practices actually mean a lot to the participants and these schemes fosters organisational effectiveness and employee well-being. (Dundon et al. 2004) Direct employee participation takes on renewed forms. Direct participation involves individual techniques such as written and electronic communications, face-to-face

The Hurt Locker Essay -- Film Analysis

â€Å"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.† This quote is the first thing that flashes across the screen as viewers begin their journey into The Hurt Locker, a critically acclaimed war movie written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt). The quote was written by former New York Times war correspondent, Chris Hedges and it perfectly sets the stage for a story that depicts just how potent and addicting war can be (Corliss). The 2008 movie won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role (â€Å"Nominees & Winners†). The Hurt Locker is an exceptional movie that contains everything one would expect from an award-winning film: an intriguing plot, heart-wrenching tragedy, breathtaking visuals, top-notch acting, believability, and even a bit of controversy. An intriguing plot is the first thing people look for in a movie. War is a complicated subject so in a film about war, while it is important for the plot to be interesting, it is even more important that it is sensible and flows smoothly. This allows the audience to be entertained and keeps them from getting lost in too many complicated details. The Hurt Locker is the story of three men who are part of a United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (E.O.D.) team stationed in Baghdad in 2004. Sergeant First Class William James is a daring specialist who knows everything there is to know about bombs, inside and out. He begins his rotation with Bravo Company after the former team leader is killed while attempting to disarm a roadside bomb. Bravo Company has just 38 days left on rotation and since James has arrived, those days are fraught with tension. James d... ...es." Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. . Ryzik, Melena. â€Å"A Lawsuit for ‘Hurt Locker,’ in Time for Oscars.† The New York Times. 04 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. Schmidt, Michael. â€Å"Fatal Bombs in Iraq Seemed Aimed at Militia.† The New York Times. 09 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print. Zoroya, Gregg. "In 'The Hurt Locker,' war is like a drug." USA Today n.d.: Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.

Art and book making Essay

Books are integral part of everyone’s life. There are different kinds of books and each has its own purpose and meaning. Most books are intended for learning while others are for entertainment purposes and for self-expression on the part of the author. Every book is like a treasure box that is full of valuable things. Most of the time, books are used for academic purposes. Without books, it would be really hard for students to learn and for teachers to prepare their lessons. Books serve as a guide and basis for learning. It would be impossible for present generations to learn about histories of different civilization and time and other knowledge without books. Others also find entertainment by reading books such as story and poetry books. Books also expresses the thoughts, emotions and view of the writer. It can also be said that the machines, equipments and technologies that we are experiencing in the present time is because of the existence of books that recorded many discoveries and studies done in the past. Through these studies, we had been able to make life easier and better in meeting the needs of the people and in doing things. Yet, today it can be said that the importance that we give to books are declining also because of the advancement of technology. However, it is undeniable that books still plays an integral part for learning and development not only in terms of technology but in personal growth as well. Due to the great importance and the role that books play in our society, it is also important to pay attention to the book making process. Making a book is not an easy task and requires a lot of work, time and as well as good ideas. It is also important to consider book making as a form of art, a work of art. Aesthetic is also a consideration in order to be able to create a high quality book that is able to serve its purpose whether it is for educational or entertainment purpose. The very cover of the books requires artistic ideas. It is important to make a good impression to the reader. Definitely a reader will choose a book with an attractive cover. It is an important factor for the readers to get interested in the book from the beginning. There is no way a book will be effective if it is not read and readers will think twice before reading a book with a dull cover. For this reason, most story books have a very colorful cover in order to attract readers especially kids who are funned of reading stories and seeing beautiful pictures. According to James A. Cox, editor-in-chief of Midwest Book Review, the cover is the part of the book that will attract distributors, booksellers, costumers, librarians and reviewers to pick up the book, allotting time opening it and casting eye tracks on the interior of the book. Not only colorful and attractive covers are needed in coming up with a high quality book but the message of the cover as well. This is not an easy task and requires good artistic ability. Although aesthetic is an important part, the main text and body of the book is still the main important part that readers are searching. A cover must give a hint on what the book is all about that is why titles are commonly a part of the cover. The title itself requires creativity. A book needs a catchy title for it to gain the interest of the reader. The title can also tell the reader whether the book is worthy to be read and worthy of their time, money and effort. The main body of the book also requires creativity and art. You don’t just write anything you want in making a book. It must be organized and put in a creative manner in order to maximize its effectiveness. Illustrations and others must be included because it is easier to remember and understand. Making an illustration regarding the important things and information that you want to impart is also a hard task that requires creativity and artistic ability. Any information given and emphasize by the writer will be greatly appreciated if the reader will be able to grasp the idea. Making the body of a book does not only require a good writing skills but the writer must also think of better ways on how to improve the body for the readers. For this reason, most scholarly books include tables, graphs and other representations for better understanding. Thus, book writing must also be considered as a form of art that requires creativity and artistic design. Artistic ability is really needed in book making especially in making story or book of poems. Making poem is not as easy as it looks. The purpose is not simply to entertain but as well as for the writer to express himself/herself in a creative manner. Every part of a book requires good artistic ability in order to be effective and to serve its purpose. The cover needs to be attractive for the readers to take time looking at what the book is all about. The body must also be a work of art for the readers to be satisfied with what they have read. Book making is a form of art and art cannot be separated from book making. Without art, it would be impossible to come up with a high quality, effective and informative book. Creativity and artistic design is a great factor to gain and satisfy the readers. To satisfy the readers is not just beneficial on the part of the reader but for the writer as well. By doing so, the writer will gain the trust of the readers and will be able to build a good reputation. Thus, the possibility of having readers of his or her future works increases because of the reputation that he or she was able to build by meeting the expectations of costumers or readers. The greatest challenge in book making is not the information that is to be included in the book but rather how you can come up with a book that can be considered as a work of art from the cover and to the whole text. A book is not just read, it must be appreciated and the only way to do so is to consider book making as an art that must be appreciated for the contents and as well as for the aesthetics and artistry of the book in general. An effective and successful writer is definitely a creative artist. References Cox, J. ,A. (No date). The importance of book covers. Retreived January 10, 2008 from http://www. midwestbookreview. com/bookbiz/advice/coverart. htm Hunter, L. (2002). The importance of making a good impression. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. berkeley. edu/news/berkeleyan/2002/11/13_bookm. html Sowin, J. (15, April, 2007). The importance of books. Retreived January 10, 2008 from http://www. fireandknowledge. org/archives/2007/04/15/the-importance-of-books-l amott/.