Want to leap to the front of the pack ?
Get your voice heard above the online din as you get your business started.
Lolita Carrico, founder of Modern Mom, turned her online momcentric guide , which includes articles, product reviews and advice .... into a must-visit destination on the web. Since founding the company in 2002, Carrico has seen it grow 200 percent each year. Today, modernmom.com has about 115,000 newsletter subscribers and attracts about 500,000 unique visitors every month.
Carrico, a former PR executive, used her expertise to get the word out about her company. She cross-promotes with companies like Liz Lange Maternity and Stroller Strides that share her target audience of hip, urban, sophisticated women to help grow her community. "What has been extremely successful for us is partnering with not only other online companies but also brands that are off-line to reach that audience."
Knowing your target audience is the first step to linking with like-minded sites. Then choose how you want to market it . You can use blogs, e-mail blasts, newsletters or podcasts. It's about consistency. For you to stand out, it takes seven to nine times for them to see you and then it has to be something that really speaks to them. Use your online presence to be conversational and interactive. Update your blog two to three times per week, and position your company as an expert in your industry.
Carrico has certainly positioned Modern Mom as the expert in its field. Moms seek out the company's site for information on beauty, parenting, fashion, fitness, health and more. She has also earned a ton of press coverage and estimates 2007 sales to reach $2.4 million.
The key of success is simple. In order to create a website that resonates and attracts repeat traffic, you really have to have a connection with your audience.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
MARKETING BUDGET
Marketing isn't just an expense, it's an investment. Often , businesses spending an incredible amount of money on marketing but yet generating with very little return.
How to overcome this ?
The key is to market smarter and fully utilize your marketing budget.
Throwing money at high-dollar advertising venues doesn't provide an automatic customer base. Consistency is the key to any marketing program and to do that, businesses need to know how to stretch their limited amount of funds.
Here are ways to stretch your marketing dollars and increase your bottom-line profits :
Use free publicity.
It costs you nothing and builds credibility and awareness. So look for opportunities to be involved with community activities.
Giving Speech.
Every organization is looking for speakers for their monthly meetings, so offer to share your knowledge with them. You'll get exposure to groups as an expert and meet lots of new people who might be potential clients.
Writing.
Write articles for newsletters, newspapers, industry journals and your own website. Sharing information builds name recognition, which helps bring in clients.
Website.
Create a website. Websites are a must. You're missing a great opportunity if your business doesn't have a presence on the web. It's a very cost-effective way of letting people know about you and your products and services.
Partner with others.
Look for businesses with complementary services to create cooperative advertising campaigns so that you have a pool of dollars.
Get involved with organizations.
Look at ways that you can get more involved in the organizations you already work with. This helps build your name recognition by being involved on committees.
Networking.
Networking is the most effective way to meet people. People like to do business with others they know. Networking takes very few dollars, but it does take a time commitment because you must be consistent in your networking efforts.
Marketing is an important part of any business operation. The challenge is finding cost-effective ways to get your name out without going over your allotted budget. Strategic planning is important so that you have a purpose with each marketing dollar you spend. Some people will just randomly select marketing activities, which is a huge waste of dollars. Creating a marketing plan that incorporates the above seven tips will help you have a focus and a variety of venues to reach existing and potential clients and keep your financial picture on track.
How to overcome this ?
The key is to market smarter and fully utilize your marketing budget.
Throwing money at high-dollar advertising venues doesn't provide an automatic customer base. Consistency is the key to any marketing program and to do that, businesses need to know how to stretch their limited amount of funds.
Here are ways to stretch your marketing dollars and increase your bottom-line profits :
Use free publicity.
It costs you nothing and builds credibility and awareness. So look for opportunities to be involved with community activities.
Giving Speech.
Every organization is looking for speakers for their monthly meetings, so offer to share your knowledge with them. You'll get exposure to groups as an expert and meet lots of new people who might be potential clients.
Writing.
Write articles for newsletters, newspapers, industry journals and your own website. Sharing information builds name recognition, which helps bring in clients.
Website.
Create a website. Websites are a must. You're missing a great opportunity if your business doesn't have a presence on the web. It's a very cost-effective way of letting people know about you and your products and services.
Partner with others.
Look for businesses with complementary services to create cooperative advertising campaigns so that you have a pool of dollars.
Get involved with organizations.
Look at ways that you can get more involved in the organizations you already work with. This helps build your name recognition by being involved on committees.
Networking.
Networking is the most effective way to meet people. People like to do business with others they know. Networking takes very few dollars, but it does take a time commitment because you must be consistent in your networking efforts.
Marketing is an important part of any business operation. The challenge is finding cost-effective ways to get your name out without going over your allotted budget. Strategic planning is important so that you have a purpose with each marketing dollar you spend. Some people will just randomly select marketing activities, which is a huge waste of dollars. Creating a marketing plan that incorporates the above seven tips will help you have a focus and a variety of venues to reach existing and potential clients and keep your financial picture on track.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
FRANCHISING
While many people who have become franchisees are more than pleased with the results, others have been disenchanted by the dynamics and realities of franchising.
Below are common mistakes made by entrepreneurs who have elected to become franchisees.
Not being suited for franchising.
Self-evaluation is one step that too many franchisees neglect to consider. Unlike opening a business of your own, buying a franchise means becoming part of a larger organization and adhering to guidelines and structure. If this is not a concept with which you are comfortable, then do not consider franchising.
Not knowing enough about the product.
What's to know? Those three very dangerous words have gotten franchisees into situations that they were not prepared for. Whether it is fast food or any other type of product, you need to know all about what you are selling and feel comfortable selling it. Due diligence is a key step before actually buying a franchise.
Not talking to other franchise owners.
Many people have opened a franchise because they knew someone who did it and made it work. You need more than that to give you an idea of what franchising is all about. You need to talk with several franchisees and get their opinions before investing heavily in a business that may not be right for you.
Underestimating the costs.
Too many franchise owners prepare only for the initial outlay of money but do not adequately plan for the ongoing financial needs. Do the math beforehand. Make sure you have a detailed budget not only of startup costs but also of operational costs for at least the first three years.
Failure to read the franchise agreement carefully.
This should be obvious, but in the excitement of the moment, many people skim over important documents. This is huge mistake. Do some research ahead of time so you know the standard elements of the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC).
Failure to have adequate legal counsel on hand.
Franchise agreements are long and include a significant amount of detailed information. You should find an attorney who is familiar with such franchise agreements. Too often, franchisees sign documents they do not fully understand.
Not getting everything in writing.
Company sales reps tell potential franchisees all sorts of wonderful things about the workings of the company. While hyping the company is part of the job, remember to get any promises in writing.
Not assessing the competition carefully.
Many franchisees assume that the franchising company would open a location in a certain area only because they know it will be a success. This is not the case. It is up to you to evaluate your competition and plan your competitive strategy.
Underestimating the time commitment.
Just because a franchise is part of a larger company does not mean that you will have less work to do. Yes, it is advantageous to start with a recognizable name, but you still have a ton of work ahead of you to start up and run the business. Make sure you and your family are behind such a commitment.
Lack of marketing.
Franchise products do not sell themselves. Product recognition is a plus, but your customers also recognize the products of competing franchises. While the franchise company will help market the product, you need to do your share of local marketing and promotion as well.
Below are common mistakes made by entrepreneurs who have elected to become franchisees.
Not being suited for franchising.
Self-evaluation is one step that too many franchisees neglect to consider. Unlike opening a business of your own, buying a franchise means becoming part of a larger organization and adhering to guidelines and structure. If this is not a concept with which you are comfortable, then do not consider franchising.
Not knowing enough about the product.
What's to know? Those three very dangerous words have gotten franchisees into situations that they were not prepared for. Whether it is fast food or any other type of product, you need to know all about what you are selling and feel comfortable selling it. Due diligence is a key step before actually buying a franchise.
Not talking to other franchise owners.
Many people have opened a franchise because they knew someone who did it and made it work. You need more than that to give you an idea of what franchising is all about. You need to talk with several franchisees and get their opinions before investing heavily in a business that may not be right for you.
Underestimating the costs.
Too many franchise owners prepare only for the initial outlay of money but do not adequately plan for the ongoing financial needs. Do the math beforehand. Make sure you have a detailed budget not only of startup costs but also of operational costs for at least the first three years.
Failure to read the franchise agreement carefully.
This should be obvious, but in the excitement of the moment, many people skim over important documents. This is huge mistake. Do some research ahead of time so you know the standard elements of the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC).
Failure to have adequate legal counsel on hand.
Franchise agreements are long and include a significant amount of detailed information. You should find an attorney who is familiar with such franchise agreements. Too often, franchisees sign documents they do not fully understand.
Not getting everything in writing.
Company sales reps tell potential franchisees all sorts of wonderful things about the workings of the company. While hyping the company is part of the job, remember to get any promises in writing.
Not assessing the competition carefully.
Many franchisees assume that the franchising company would open a location in a certain area only because they know it will be a success. This is not the case. It is up to you to evaluate your competition and plan your competitive strategy.
Underestimating the time commitment.
Just because a franchise is part of a larger company does not mean that you will have less work to do. Yes, it is advantageous to start with a recognizable name, but you still have a ton of work ahead of you to start up and run the business. Make sure you and your family are behind such a commitment.
Lack of marketing.
Franchise products do not sell themselves. Product recognition is a plus, but your customers also recognize the products of competing franchises. While the franchise company will help market the product, you need to do your share of local marketing and promotion as well.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
BRANDING
Many small businesses are good at pursuing a relationship with customers, but they aren't as good at nurturing it.
Nurturing a relationship allows you to reinforce your brand and increase brand loyalty. This also helps you weather the storms of increasing competition. For example, your competitor may drop its price, but your customers will remain loyal to you. Furthermore, small businesses have a "leg up" over large competitors because they're more flexible and personalized to the individual customer. Many entrepreneurs assume branding is expensive. But reinforcing your brand doesn't need to cost a lot.
Here are the easy and inexpensive ways you can boost your brand :
Create an affiliate program.
A good affiliate network allows you to grow your e-business efficiently and affordably, channeling additional traffic to your site without the expense of pay-per-click advertising. Provide your affiliates with links and ads that carry your branding message.
Start or contribute to a blog.
Look for a highly trafficked and searched blog in your industry, then write and post relevant articles about your business. Let your personality shine through in the tone of your writing.
Print your logo on labels/stickers and place them on all communication with customers.
Stickers appeal to our tactile nature and add interest to just about anything. They don't need to be fancy, but they should feature your logo and colors.
Attach your tagline to your e-mail signature.
If you don't already have a tagline or motto that communicates a key difference between you and your competition, create one and consider trademarking it.
Print your logo on an inexpensive premium like a hat or golf ball.
The more memorable the item, the better. Distribute your premium on every sales call, to customers, prospects and even suppliers. Buy in bulk to reduce costs.
Start an e-mail newsletter for your customers and prospects.
Include your own articles and link to other pieces related to your industry. This is a great way to keep your brand in front of customers and prospects regularly.
Offer your expertise to media publications that are read by your target customers.
Make yourself available as a source for upcoming stories related to your business. Or, write an article and pitch it to target publications.
Visit your clients.
Visit your clients around holidays , leaving them a holiday-themed surprise with your logo on it. Use the stickers you print to customize the treats you choose. This one takes some creativity, but a little candy can go a surprisingly long way.
Follow up.
Follow up with customers to thank them for their business and get feedback on your product or service. Call, e-mail or visit current customers as often as time permits.
Ensure that all your promotional materials match one another graphically.
At the very least, your business cards, stationery, signage, packaging, brochures and website should all feature your name, logo and tagline consistently.
At its core, branding is about building trust with your target audience. This takes time and consistency, but not a huge advertising budget.
Nurturing a relationship allows you to reinforce your brand and increase brand loyalty. This also helps you weather the storms of increasing competition. For example, your competitor may drop its price, but your customers will remain loyal to you. Furthermore, small businesses have a "leg up" over large competitors because they're more flexible and personalized to the individual customer. Many entrepreneurs assume branding is expensive. But reinforcing your brand doesn't need to cost a lot.
Here are the easy and inexpensive ways you can boost your brand :
Create an affiliate program.
A good affiliate network allows you to grow your e-business efficiently and affordably, channeling additional traffic to your site without the expense of pay-per-click advertising. Provide your affiliates with links and ads that carry your branding message.
Start or contribute to a blog.
Look for a highly trafficked and searched blog in your industry, then write and post relevant articles about your business. Let your personality shine through in the tone of your writing.
Print your logo on labels/stickers and place them on all communication with customers.
Stickers appeal to our tactile nature and add interest to just about anything. They don't need to be fancy, but they should feature your logo and colors.
Attach your tagline to your e-mail signature.
If you don't already have a tagline or motto that communicates a key difference between you and your competition, create one and consider trademarking it.
Print your logo on an inexpensive premium like a hat or golf ball.
The more memorable the item, the better. Distribute your premium on every sales call, to customers, prospects and even suppliers. Buy in bulk to reduce costs.
Start an e-mail newsletter for your customers and prospects.
Include your own articles and link to other pieces related to your industry. This is a great way to keep your brand in front of customers and prospects regularly.
Offer your expertise to media publications that are read by your target customers.
Make yourself available as a source for upcoming stories related to your business. Or, write an article and pitch it to target publications.
Visit your clients.
Visit your clients around holidays , leaving them a holiday-themed surprise with your logo on it. Use the stickers you print to customize the treats you choose. This one takes some creativity, but a little candy can go a surprisingly long way.
Follow up.
Follow up with customers to thank them for their business and get feedback on your product or service. Call, e-mail or visit current customers as often as time permits.
Ensure that all your promotional materials match one another graphically.
At the very least, your business cards, stationery, signage, packaging, brochures and website should all feature your name, logo and tagline consistently.
At its core, branding is about building trust with your target audience. This takes time and consistency, but not a huge advertising budget.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
HOME BASED BUSINESS
They roll out of bed in the morning and head off for work--still in their pajamas. They work from their dining room tables, stock inventory in their cupboards and arrange meetings in the lobbies of their local hotels. They set their own schedules, jog on the beach during their lunch breaks and give out their house keys to employees across the city.
This is what life is like for Andrew Aussie, co-founder of Honest Foods, a natural foods company; Stacey Roney, founder of Beauty on Call, a staffing agency for the beauty industry; and Meg McAllister and Darcie Rowan, co-founders of McAllister Communications, a PR firm. Using their homes as their headquarters, these entrepreneurs, along with a growing number of others, are running successful businesses without even stepping foot outside their front doors.
A February 2004 study by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers indicates that approximately one in 10 U.S. households operate some type of full or part-time home based business. And these businesses are more than holding their own. A May 2006 study released by the SBA's Office of Advocacy reveals that America's home based sole proprietors generate $102 billion in annual revenue.
As it grows in popularity and profits, home based business is being perceived in a much more favorable light. According to Beverley Williams, a home business advocate for the past two decades, running a business from home was once frowned upon or dismissed as a hobby for moms seeking extra money. Now, home based business is widely accepted and is attracting both men and women.
Aussie, Roney, McAllister and Rowan learned from experience and mastered the discipline. Here, these successful entrepreneurs open up about the ins and outs of running a business from home, including how to ward off loneliness, set up shop, deal with zoning laws and insurance issues, bring employees into the home and project a professional image.
Making the Transition
Deciding that the quality and taste of their brand was more important than the luxury of their workspace, Aussie, 39, and Mark Oliver, 58, decided to launch Honest Foods in April 2006 from Aussie's Del Mar, California, home. This gave them the freedom to invest the majority of their startup capital into two years of research and development, but it also meant a major adjustment for Aussie, who had been used to a very social office environment.
For 11 years, Aussie had worked in sales and marketing for Kashi Co., where he led a team of 12 people and was surrounded by 60 to 70 coworkers. During the transition, Aussie had to figure out how to recreate that social stimulation from his home office. He relies more than ever on phone and e-mail to stay connected with others, regularly arranges in-person meetings with vendors and suppliers at his home or a local restaurant or coffeehouse, and has even thrown parties for his ex-coworkers. "I thrive on camaraderie and social interaction, so it has been key to realize that it's now my responsibility to set that up," says Aussie. "I set up a lot of lunches and gatherings that maybe I wouldn't have set up before as a way to bring some more social interaction to my daily experience."
Combating loneliness is one of the top challenges facing homebased entrepreneurs, according to Williams and Paul Edwards, author of numerous books on the topic, and co-author of The Entrepreneurial Parent: How to Earn Your Living and Still Enjoy Your Family, Your Work and Your Life. Williams recommends seeking out the services of the local chamber of commerce or other small-business groups. These can offer good support networks as well as serve as invaluable resources of information.
Aussie also has learned that when not in the same office, over-communication is key in keeping everyone on the same page. Information, which is so effortlessly transmitted in an office setting through impromptu meetings or nonverbal communication, isn't always transmitted as accurately among Honest Foods' independent contractors who work virtually from their homes. "It means following up in writing, following up with voice mail, sending another e-mail, sending out reminders, doing all those weekly meetings," says Aussie. "These may have seemed superfluous in the office setting but are absolutely critical in a home office."
Another transition you'll have to make is equipping your home office, rather than relying on your IT guy to make all the decisions. Scrimping and saving is good, but even a home office needs a minimum investment in terms of equipment. As tempting as it may be, Edwards advises resisting the urge to go all-cellular or depending just on Skype and instead recommends equipping the home with at least one landline.
Aussie recycled his father's office equipment, furnished his office with hand-me-down furniture but made sure his copier is high speed, his phone has a speaker on it and his computer is top quality. Says Aussie, "People may underestimate the need to make that kind of investment in your home office."
Setting Up
Honest Foods is flourishing with year-end sales projected to reach $1 million and product already on the shelves of major natural food retailers, including Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets. This success might be partially due to the physical setup of Aussie's office. He runs the business from a separate room in the house dedicated as his office space to keep his work life separate from his family life. It may seem trivial, but separating family life both spatially and time-wise is crucial, according to Edwards, who recommends using a screen or a divider if a separate room can't be spared.
Other key questions you should consider before choosing where to set up office: Does it interfere with the family foot traffic, and does it offer the solitude needed to work? A little planning beforehand could greatly affect the productivity of the business.
Aussie has learned he works best by shutting everything down and closing the door to his office at a set time each day. Work schedules will differ according to the preferences of the entrepreneur, but no matter how you operate best, Edwards strongly recommends setting goals for each day, so the business continues to move forward despite the hundreds of distractions that can occur daily.
Heeding the advice of experts regarding the physical separation of work life from home life may be an ideal to work toward, but sometimes a company's growth can make this a physically impossible task. Roney, 38--along with her husband, her Beauty on Call business, seven employees and three interns--just moved into a single family home, where one whole floor and two spare bedrooms will be devoted to work space. This is quite an upgrade from their three-bedroom condo, where the work flowed out onto the kitchen table. From her Chicago home, she works with almost every cosmetics company and has more than 500 freelancers nationwide.
Roney expects 2007 sales to approach $1 million and plans to hire four more employees this year, which means her business might even outgrow her new single family home by next year. Roney plans on holding out from moving into an office as long as possible. "By eliminating that overhead, we're able to be more profitable, so I can hire more staff," says Roney. "Anytime we bring on more business, I'd rather use that money to hire an additional employee or pay my existing employees more money and also offer competitive pricing to my clients."
Roney loves working from home and has passed on the advantages to her employees. There's no dress code, and they all wear slippers; her employees complete 40 hours of work per week but have no set schedule. At least once every week, Roney prepares lunch for everyone. "Our home is their home, and they all have a great relationship with my husband. They feel very comfortable here," says Roney. "It's like family."
Entrepreneurs Who Need People
Roney's relationship with her employees is based on trust, but how does she go about finding people who merit that trust? Roney admits she hasn't always chosen correctly, but she has learned to look for certain qualities in potential employees, such as an entrepreneurial spirit and self-motivation. She also has started working with people initially on a freelance basis, so she can get to know them before hiring them full time.
Bringing employees into the house is a big step that needs to be considered carefully. It's a decision Aussie is currently struggling with, as he isn't entirely certain how comfortable he would be sharing his house with an employee. Ultimately, though, the decision might not even be one for the individual entrepreneur to make. Edwards warns that it could present conflict from a zoning standpoint. "This is where you really have to check your zoning, because if you live in a common interest development, [having employees] can create parking problems and get you into hassles with your neighbors," he says.
You can't be too careful when it comes to zoning restrictions in general, warns Williams, who recalls several instances where individuals lost their businesses due to zoning violations. "You cannot assume you can do whatever you want in your own house," she says.
To find out what's permissible, you should start by determining if a homeowner's association governs your residence. If so, you should carefully examine the covenants and restrictions. If not, inquire at City Hall or the county's Department of Economic Development or Department of Licenses and Permits.
Williams also warns entrepreneurs to purchase appropriate insurance for their businesses, as homeowner's insurance rarely covers home businesses. "Talk to an insurance agent, preferably an independent agent who can take a look at all different kinds of programs from different companies and find the best one," she advises.
Staying Professional
While the perception of home based entrepreneurship has improved significantly, it may still be wise to keep the fact that you're working from home under the radar. "Despite the percentage of people approving of this now, you'll run into some people who will have a problem with it," says Edwards. "The best policy is to not make a point of it--not lie about it, certainly--but for all purposes, to create a business that doesn't have a geographical identity."
Being in the PR industry, where perception is important, McAllister, 43, and Rowan, 39, tried having an office when they first launched the company in 2001. Located in Toronto, the office was on the same street as the "big boys," but when the rent and the taxes went through the roof, they realized perception shouldn't have to come at such a high price. So they moved the business out of the office and into their respective homes--McAllister's two-bedroom home in Toronto and Rowan's New York City apartment--and thereby cut their expenses in half.
To compensate, they found alternative ways to maintain the level of professionalism their clients require. They work with a web hosting company so they and the approximately 10 independent contractors they work with all have a similar e-mail address; they partnered with a local The UPS Store franchise to handle all their bulk shipping needs, which relieves the impact their business has on their homes; and they use a conferencing service so they can both speak with clients via the phone. In addition, they researched all their local hotels and coffeehouses to find the best locations for meeting with clients.
"An increasing number of hotels are offering coffee service and free internet connections in the lobby," says McAllister. "So it behooves you to do a little research and find the places closest to you that keep with the image you're creating, the service you're providing and the industry you're working in, so you're never left scrambling."
McAllister and Rowan are projecting their annual billings to hit $500,000, but they have reaped more than just profits by keeping their business in-house. By setting up a virtual office and inherently trusting one another as well as their independent contractors to remain focused on the overall goal of the business, they have replaced office politics and rigidity with a commitment to be disciplined and work as a team. McAllister says, "Being outside of the four walls has helped us to create a company that is more solid in terms of the way people work together and feel about each other and the work they do than being within four walls ever could."
This is what life is like for Andrew Aussie, co-founder of Honest Foods, a natural foods company; Stacey Roney, founder of Beauty on Call, a staffing agency for the beauty industry; and Meg McAllister and Darcie Rowan, co-founders of McAllister Communications, a PR firm. Using their homes as their headquarters, these entrepreneurs, along with a growing number of others, are running successful businesses without even stepping foot outside their front doors.
A February 2004 study by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers indicates that approximately one in 10 U.S. households operate some type of full or part-time home based business. And these businesses are more than holding their own. A May 2006 study released by the SBA's Office of Advocacy reveals that America's home based sole proprietors generate $102 billion in annual revenue.
As it grows in popularity and profits, home based business is being perceived in a much more favorable light. According to Beverley Williams, a home business advocate for the past two decades, running a business from home was once frowned upon or dismissed as a hobby for moms seeking extra money. Now, home based business is widely accepted and is attracting both men and women.
Aussie, Roney, McAllister and Rowan learned from experience and mastered the discipline. Here, these successful entrepreneurs open up about the ins and outs of running a business from home, including how to ward off loneliness, set up shop, deal with zoning laws and insurance issues, bring employees into the home and project a professional image.
Making the Transition
Deciding that the quality and taste of their brand was more important than the luxury of their workspace, Aussie, 39, and Mark Oliver, 58, decided to launch Honest Foods in April 2006 from Aussie's Del Mar, California, home. This gave them the freedom to invest the majority of their startup capital into two years of research and development, but it also meant a major adjustment for Aussie, who had been used to a very social office environment.
For 11 years, Aussie had worked in sales and marketing for Kashi Co., where he led a team of 12 people and was surrounded by 60 to 70 coworkers. During the transition, Aussie had to figure out how to recreate that social stimulation from his home office. He relies more than ever on phone and e-mail to stay connected with others, regularly arranges in-person meetings with vendors and suppliers at his home or a local restaurant or coffeehouse, and has even thrown parties for his ex-coworkers. "I thrive on camaraderie and social interaction, so it has been key to realize that it's now my responsibility to set that up," says Aussie. "I set up a lot of lunches and gatherings that maybe I wouldn't have set up before as a way to bring some more social interaction to my daily experience."
Combating loneliness is one of the top challenges facing homebased entrepreneurs, according to Williams and Paul Edwards, author of numerous books on the topic, and co-author of The Entrepreneurial Parent: How to Earn Your Living and Still Enjoy Your Family, Your Work and Your Life. Williams recommends seeking out the services of the local chamber of commerce or other small-business groups. These can offer good support networks as well as serve as invaluable resources of information.
Aussie also has learned that when not in the same office, over-communication is key in keeping everyone on the same page. Information, which is so effortlessly transmitted in an office setting through impromptu meetings or nonverbal communication, isn't always transmitted as accurately among Honest Foods' independent contractors who work virtually from their homes. "It means following up in writing, following up with voice mail, sending another e-mail, sending out reminders, doing all those weekly meetings," says Aussie. "These may have seemed superfluous in the office setting but are absolutely critical in a home office."
Another transition you'll have to make is equipping your home office, rather than relying on your IT guy to make all the decisions. Scrimping and saving is good, but even a home office needs a minimum investment in terms of equipment. As tempting as it may be, Edwards advises resisting the urge to go all-cellular or depending just on Skype and instead recommends equipping the home with at least one landline.
Aussie recycled his father's office equipment, furnished his office with hand-me-down furniture but made sure his copier is high speed, his phone has a speaker on it and his computer is top quality. Says Aussie, "People may underestimate the need to make that kind of investment in your home office."
Setting Up
Honest Foods is flourishing with year-end sales projected to reach $1 million and product already on the shelves of major natural food retailers, including Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets. This success might be partially due to the physical setup of Aussie's office. He runs the business from a separate room in the house dedicated as his office space to keep his work life separate from his family life. It may seem trivial, but separating family life both spatially and time-wise is crucial, according to Edwards, who recommends using a screen or a divider if a separate room can't be spared.
Other key questions you should consider before choosing where to set up office: Does it interfere with the family foot traffic, and does it offer the solitude needed to work? A little planning beforehand could greatly affect the productivity of the business.
Aussie has learned he works best by shutting everything down and closing the door to his office at a set time each day. Work schedules will differ according to the preferences of the entrepreneur, but no matter how you operate best, Edwards strongly recommends setting goals for each day, so the business continues to move forward despite the hundreds of distractions that can occur daily.
Heeding the advice of experts regarding the physical separation of work life from home life may be an ideal to work toward, but sometimes a company's growth can make this a physically impossible task. Roney, 38--along with her husband, her Beauty on Call business, seven employees and three interns--just moved into a single family home, where one whole floor and two spare bedrooms will be devoted to work space. This is quite an upgrade from their three-bedroom condo, where the work flowed out onto the kitchen table. From her Chicago home, she works with almost every cosmetics company and has more than 500 freelancers nationwide.
Roney expects 2007 sales to approach $1 million and plans to hire four more employees this year, which means her business might even outgrow her new single family home by next year. Roney plans on holding out from moving into an office as long as possible. "By eliminating that overhead, we're able to be more profitable, so I can hire more staff," says Roney. "Anytime we bring on more business, I'd rather use that money to hire an additional employee or pay my existing employees more money and also offer competitive pricing to my clients."
Roney loves working from home and has passed on the advantages to her employees. There's no dress code, and they all wear slippers; her employees complete 40 hours of work per week but have no set schedule. At least once every week, Roney prepares lunch for everyone. "Our home is their home, and they all have a great relationship with my husband. They feel very comfortable here," says Roney. "It's like family."
Entrepreneurs Who Need People
Roney's relationship with her employees is based on trust, but how does she go about finding people who merit that trust? Roney admits she hasn't always chosen correctly, but she has learned to look for certain qualities in potential employees, such as an entrepreneurial spirit and self-motivation. She also has started working with people initially on a freelance basis, so she can get to know them before hiring them full time.
Bringing employees into the house is a big step that needs to be considered carefully. It's a decision Aussie is currently struggling with, as he isn't entirely certain how comfortable he would be sharing his house with an employee. Ultimately, though, the decision might not even be one for the individual entrepreneur to make. Edwards warns that it could present conflict from a zoning standpoint. "This is where you really have to check your zoning, because if you live in a common interest development, [having employees] can create parking problems and get you into hassles with your neighbors," he says.
You can't be too careful when it comes to zoning restrictions in general, warns Williams, who recalls several instances where individuals lost their businesses due to zoning violations. "You cannot assume you can do whatever you want in your own house," she says.
To find out what's permissible, you should start by determining if a homeowner's association governs your residence. If so, you should carefully examine the covenants and restrictions. If not, inquire at City Hall or the county's Department of Economic Development or Department of Licenses and Permits.
Williams also warns entrepreneurs to purchase appropriate insurance for their businesses, as homeowner's insurance rarely covers home businesses. "Talk to an insurance agent, preferably an independent agent who can take a look at all different kinds of programs from different companies and find the best one," she advises.
Staying Professional
While the perception of home based entrepreneurship has improved significantly, it may still be wise to keep the fact that you're working from home under the radar. "Despite the percentage of people approving of this now, you'll run into some people who will have a problem with it," says Edwards. "The best policy is to not make a point of it--not lie about it, certainly--but for all purposes, to create a business that doesn't have a geographical identity."
Being in the PR industry, where perception is important, McAllister, 43, and Rowan, 39, tried having an office when they first launched the company in 2001. Located in Toronto, the office was on the same street as the "big boys," but when the rent and the taxes went through the roof, they realized perception shouldn't have to come at such a high price. So they moved the business out of the office and into their respective homes--McAllister's two-bedroom home in Toronto and Rowan's New York City apartment--and thereby cut their expenses in half.
To compensate, they found alternative ways to maintain the level of professionalism their clients require. They work with a web hosting company so they and the approximately 10 independent contractors they work with all have a similar e-mail address; they partnered with a local The UPS Store franchise to handle all their bulk shipping needs, which relieves the impact their business has on their homes; and they use a conferencing service so they can both speak with clients via the phone. In addition, they researched all their local hotels and coffeehouses to find the best locations for meeting with clients.
"An increasing number of hotels are offering coffee service and free internet connections in the lobby," says McAllister. "So it behooves you to do a little research and find the places closest to you that keep with the image you're creating, the service you're providing and the industry you're working in, so you're never left scrambling."
McAllister and Rowan are projecting their annual billings to hit $500,000, but they have reaped more than just profits by keeping their business in-house. By setting up a virtual office and inherently trusting one another as well as their independent contractors to remain focused on the overall goal of the business, they have replaced office politics and rigidity with a commitment to be disciplined and work as a team. McAllister says, "Being outside of the four walls has helped us to create a company that is more solid in terms of the way people work together and feel about each other and the work they do than being within four walls ever could."
Friday, November 16, 2007
INTERNET OPPORTUNITIES
The entrepreneurial edge. We've seen it in action and we know what it represents. The ability to respond quickly to opportunity. To see trends before they leap into front page fodder. To seize and run with new technology before large and lumbering competitors wake up and smell the skim decaf latte.
It's an instinct and behavior that's true most of the time. But puzzlingly, I don't see it happening in the hot and buzzy area of Internet marketing --specifically, as it relates to two distinct areas: search marketing and rich media.
Search marketing, of course, is the practice of using keywords and other terms to drive Web surfers and Web seekers to your site. It's the phenomenon behind Google's monumental market cap and the holy grail of one-to-one communication: Someone raises their hand and says, "I am interested in learning more about this subject, or this product category, or this service area." No more qualified, valuable prospect exists on the face of this ozone-depleted, fossil-fuel dependent earth.
So why aren't enough small and mid-size businesses getting into the game? Of course, there are cost factors involved; it's often a bidding situation, and the price of the paid search listing has to make ROI-sense. But I don't think cost is the issue, but rather a lack of familiarity. A quick scan of the current Inc. 500 reveals very different levels of search marketing sophistication. The number one and number two companies, American Biophysics and Under Armour Performance apparel, rank in the top five listings on Google. Proflowers also does well.
But they appear to be the exception. Aegis - number three -- an assisted living provider, doesn't appear when you enter "assisted living" as a keyword on the search engine. Cross Match, number five -- a company involved in the hot security area of biometrics, is invisible when both biometrics and fingerprints - is not entered into Google. Floorgraphics, number eleven, also doesn't pop up under the logical search term "floor advertising," and, finally, Tesoro, a metal detector business listed at number twenty-four, is undetected when "metal detector" is Googled. I could go on.
All businesses need to register words related to their names on Google, especially small businesses, as Google offers a trusted environment to cut through the clutter. And with the emergence of geo-targeting, companies who compete on a local or regional basis can still use search engine marketing effectively.
Securing a pre-eminent search position isn't all that complicated. We do it at our company (shameless plug department), but we're not alone. Jason Heller at Mass Transit interactive is one company that handles search engine marketing for clients.
The second online marketing opportunity that entrepreneurs need to grab is rich media. While traditional banners are declining in use as an advertising vehicle -- they're boring and uninspiring -- rich media is booming. "Rich media" describes a range of more sophisticated and involved online advertising formats - messages enhanced by sound and motion, by interactivity, by pull-down menus, or other multimedia options. Sometimes, rich media units float or "take over" a page, as with the industry-leading, innovative messages made available from PointRoll.
These kinds of advertising units are the future of the medium. All the research I've seen says that they capture attention, are persuasive, and can be potent brand-building tools -- as well as capable of generating clicks and conversion. In a world of multi-tasking and fragmented attention spans, rich media is what it takes to glue consumers to your message.
Rich media is growing by a factor or more than 20 percent per year, and it's the big boys who are driving it: HP, Pfizer, Ford, Pepsi. As with search marketing, entrepreneurial, growing companies seem to be lagging. Time is a-wasting for them to get really smart, really fast about building their brands and generating leads online.
I'm not sure why the traditionally slow-to-react big companies have grabbed the lead here. Perhaps smaller companies are still allergic to online marketing as a delayed reaction to the Internet bubble. Perhaps they don't recognize that there is no more efficient and effective to target customers in niche markets. Used strategically, it's a way to wield the same old entrepreneurial edge, in a whole new medium.
It's an instinct and behavior that's true most of the time. But puzzlingly, I don't see it happening in the hot and buzzy area of Internet marketing --specifically, as it relates to two distinct areas: search marketing and rich media.
Search marketing, of course, is the practice of using keywords and other terms to drive Web surfers and Web seekers to your site. It's the phenomenon behind Google's monumental market cap and the holy grail of one-to-one communication: Someone raises their hand and says, "I am interested in learning more about this subject, or this product category, or this service area." No more qualified, valuable prospect exists on the face of this ozone-depleted, fossil-fuel dependent earth.
So why aren't enough small and mid-size businesses getting into the game? Of course, there are cost factors involved; it's often a bidding situation, and the price of the paid search listing has to make ROI-sense. But I don't think cost is the issue, but rather a lack of familiarity. A quick scan of the current Inc. 500 reveals very different levels of search marketing sophistication. The number one and number two companies, American Biophysics and Under Armour Performance apparel, rank in the top five listings on Google. Proflowers also does well.
But they appear to be the exception. Aegis - number three -- an assisted living provider, doesn't appear when you enter "assisted living" as a keyword on the search engine. Cross Match, number five -- a company involved in the hot security area of biometrics, is invisible when both biometrics and fingerprints - is not entered into Google. Floorgraphics, number eleven, also doesn't pop up under the logical search term "floor advertising," and, finally, Tesoro, a metal detector business listed at number twenty-four, is undetected when "metal detector" is Googled. I could go on.
All businesses need to register words related to their names on Google, especially small businesses, as Google offers a trusted environment to cut through the clutter. And with the emergence of geo-targeting, companies who compete on a local or regional basis can still use search engine marketing effectively.
Securing a pre-eminent search position isn't all that complicated. We do it at our company (shameless plug department), but we're not alone. Jason Heller at Mass Transit interactive is one company that handles search engine marketing for clients.
The second online marketing opportunity that entrepreneurs need to grab is rich media. While traditional banners are declining in use as an advertising vehicle -- they're boring and uninspiring -- rich media is booming. "Rich media" describes a range of more sophisticated and involved online advertising formats - messages enhanced by sound and motion, by interactivity, by pull-down menus, or other multimedia options. Sometimes, rich media units float or "take over" a page, as with the industry-leading, innovative messages made available from PointRoll.
These kinds of advertising units are the future of the medium. All the research I've seen says that they capture attention, are persuasive, and can be potent brand-building tools -- as well as capable of generating clicks and conversion. In a world of multi-tasking and fragmented attention spans, rich media is what it takes to glue consumers to your message.
Rich media is growing by a factor or more than 20 percent per year, and it's the big boys who are driving it: HP, Pfizer, Ford, Pepsi. As with search marketing, entrepreneurial, growing companies seem to be lagging. Time is a-wasting for them to get really smart, really fast about building their brands and generating leads online.
I'm not sure why the traditionally slow-to-react big companies have grabbed the lead here. Perhaps smaller companies are still allergic to online marketing as a delayed reaction to the Internet bubble. Perhaps they don't recognize that there is no more efficient and effective to target customers in niche markets. Used strategically, it's a way to wield the same old entrepreneurial edge, in a whole new medium.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
BRINGING USERS TO YOUR SITE
Everyone who runs a Web site wants to climb his or her way up the results of a Google search, but that can cost no less than thousands and up to millions of dollars.
So what do you do if you have little-to-no online advertising budget and can't fly banners all over the Internet to let the "right" people know you're out there?
Rest assured, the Internet remains a friendly place for small businesses even so, with many options available to boost traffic and, naturally, sales.
But first, beware: There are plenty of tricks on offer that will help get your brand out to the public cheaply, but that doesn't make them good ideas. Just as making the front page of the newspaper because you were arrested will indeed make you well-known (though for the wrong reasons), the same can be said about some types of online marketing.
We've all been spammed to know that, sure, you may reach a lot of people. And yes, they may get to know your site's name - but they probably won't like it. Instead, align your brand with a thoughtful strategy and you'll win over customers.
To guide you through the available choices for saving money without blowing your reputation, here are some don'ts and do's from experts in the field. In some cases, the don'ts-and-dos of online marketing are slight variations of each other, underscoring the fact that achieving success comes with patience and hard work, not a catch-all-cure-all.
Don'ts
Because the Internet is such an expansive place (Google searches more than 4 billion Web pages), it seems like plastering your name everywhere would be a good way to catch all users wherever they might be. Wrong, say our experts. You want to attract people who want to be at your site and who might actually buy something. Don't trick people into coming to your site. Deception might get people to land on your home page, but it can just as easily land you on a search engine's blacklist. "Don't cheapen yourself," said David U. Simon, founder of the consulting group Revenue Engines (link) and former head of promotions for Yahoo! Here are a few ways to avoid that trap:
Don't be a Spammer
That's Rule No. 1, according to Rick Bruner, an Internet marketing consultant and researcher for Executive Summary . "You need to have people's permission before you email them, because they make a clear distinction between what they sign up for and what's simply sent to them," he said. Being overaggressive can damage your brand when you're trying to build it.
Don't "link swap" for the sake of sending out more links
Search engines like Google favor Web sites that have lots of direct links to them, so it's tempting to make "I'll list you, if you list me" deals. Associating yourself with relevant sites is great, says Bruner. But you should contact them directly and politely, not through a form letter e-mail.
Don't run contests
Contests and giveaways might draw a lot of traffic through search engines, but it's probably not the kind you want: freeloaders. Offering these enticements to an existing client base is one thing, but as Bruner puts it, "It's not 1999 and you aren't going to grow your traffic that fast."
Dos
Focus your efforts on reaching the places where the people you want to reach go. This will require some legwork, but it will save costs and, in many cases, will be a one-time effort.
Do get listed on directories
This is paramount, says Bruner. Yahoo! and DMOZ.org are good places to start. Getting listed on Yahoo! can be cumbersome, because of its time-consuming review process. This process can be expedited by paying a roughly $200 fee, which, if you are serious about doing business online, is worth it, according to Bruner. DMOZ is free and updated by volunteers. Browse the categories on both sites first to see where your business fits best.
Do keep SEO in mind, but don't obsess over it
SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization" and refers to how well your site is picked up by search engines. "Everything you write on your Web site, you should be thinking about how it will be picked up by the search engines," said Bruner. That said, don't obsess over your meta tags, or the keywords in the title page that the engines pick up. "If you try to get into the Top 10 of the search in your market every time, you'll never sleep," Bruner quipped. Your Web designer should be able to help you with the tagging that works best and also check out searchenginewatch.com and webmasterworld.com.
Do consider text advertising
Text advertisements are simple text links, as opposed to graphic banners. Text links are cost effective because sites don't charge as much for them, and they also allow you to cut out any design fees. Based on Simon's research, text links do very well. Plus, their straightforward nature will help you avoid doing anything underhanded to gain viewers.
Do get involved in the online community
If you have a product or service that is going to appeal to a certain group, get on discussion boards where those people hang out, says Bruner. Don't just peddle your wares, but make sure you're adding some value to discussion. Make yourself a trusted source and expert.
Do get your visitors to submit their e-mail addresses
"You want to convert the relationship with the visitor into one you own and that you don't need to buy," said Simon. He recommends an engaging series of questions, starting with some real "softballs" to make visitors more comfortable. Also, make it clear how you are going to communicate with them, whether it's going to be weekly, monthly or whenever you have special promotions. Bruner says the "double opt-in" technique, in which you send an email confirming the visitor's enrollment, is preferred by customers.
Do analyze your traffic
"You can't improve what you don't measure," said Bruner. There are places like sitemeter.com that offer packages for as little as $20 a month.
Do your research
If you don't have the money to get linked up with the hottest sites, find out what other sites appeal to people in your market, says Simon. "These are places that need you as much as you need them," noted Simon. "In turn, you can customize your campaign to their site." Along the same lines, you need to know what's hot in general. There are lots of free sources out there that can help you get the pulse of what's going on and where it's happening, such as the Yahoo! Buzz Index .
Do put your Web address in your signature
Putting your Web site's address in all of your e-mails and online posts is simple yet effective. Don't underestimate it, says Bruner.
Do educate yourself
"Invest in educating yourself about online marketing," said Bruner. "Make it a continuing education." He recommends buying books, subscribing to newsletters, getting involved in online discussions and attending conferences.
These tips will help save money and build your business, but keep in mind that it all starts with a good Web site that is updated frequently and offers a safe and secure environment for your visitors to do business. "The Internet is a meritocracy," said Bruner. "The cream does rise to the top."
So what do you do if you have little-to-no online advertising budget and can't fly banners all over the Internet to let the "right" people know you're out there?
Rest assured, the Internet remains a friendly place for small businesses even so, with many options available to boost traffic and, naturally, sales.
But first, beware: There are plenty of tricks on offer that will help get your brand out to the public cheaply, but that doesn't make them good ideas. Just as making the front page of the newspaper because you were arrested will indeed make you well-known (though for the wrong reasons), the same can be said about some types of online marketing.
We've all been spammed to know that, sure, you may reach a lot of people. And yes, they may get to know your site's name - but they probably won't like it. Instead, align your brand with a thoughtful strategy and you'll win over customers.
To guide you through the available choices for saving money without blowing your reputation, here are some don'ts and do's from experts in the field. In some cases, the don'ts-and-dos of online marketing are slight variations of each other, underscoring the fact that achieving success comes with patience and hard work, not a catch-all-cure-all.
Don'ts
Because the Internet is such an expansive place (Google searches more than 4 billion Web pages), it seems like plastering your name everywhere would be a good way to catch all users wherever they might be. Wrong, say our experts. You want to attract people who want to be at your site and who might actually buy something. Don't trick people into coming to your site. Deception might get people to land on your home page, but it can just as easily land you on a search engine's blacklist. "Don't cheapen yourself," said David U. Simon, founder of the consulting group Revenue Engines (link) and former head of promotions for Yahoo! Here are a few ways to avoid that trap:
Don't be a Spammer
That's Rule No. 1, according to Rick Bruner, an Internet marketing consultant and researcher for Executive Summary . "You need to have people's permission before you email them, because they make a clear distinction between what they sign up for and what's simply sent to them," he said. Being overaggressive can damage your brand when you're trying to build it.
Don't "link swap" for the sake of sending out more links
Search engines like Google favor Web sites that have lots of direct links to them, so it's tempting to make "I'll list you, if you list me" deals. Associating yourself with relevant sites is great, says Bruner. But you should contact them directly and politely, not through a form letter e-mail.
Don't run contests
Contests and giveaways might draw a lot of traffic through search engines, but it's probably not the kind you want: freeloaders. Offering these enticements to an existing client base is one thing, but as Bruner puts it, "It's not 1999 and you aren't going to grow your traffic that fast."
Dos
Focus your efforts on reaching the places where the people you want to reach go. This will require some legwork, but it will save costs and, in many cases, will be a one-time effort.
Do get listed on directories
This is paramount, says Bruner. Yahoo! and DMOZ.org are good places to start. Getting listed on Yahoo! can be cumbersome, because of its time-consuming review process. This process can be expedited by paying a roughly $200 fee, which, if you are serious about doing business online, is worth it, according to Bruner. DMOZ is free and updated by volunteers. Browse the categories on both sites first to see where your business fits best.
Do keep SEO in mind, but don't obsess over it
SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization" and refers to how well your site is picked up by search engines. "Everything you write on your Web site, you should be thinking about how it will be picked up by the search engines," said Bruner. That said, don't obsess over your meta tags, or the keywords in the title page that the engines pick up. "If you try to get into the Top 10 of the search in your market every time, you'll never sleep," Bruner quipped. Your Web designer should be able to help you with the tagging that works best and also check out searchenginewatch.com and webmasterworld.com.
Do consider text advertising
Text advertisements are simple text links, as opposed to graphic banners. Text links are cost effective because sites don't charge as much for them, and they also allow you to cut out any design fees. Based on Simon's research, text links do very well. Plus, their straightforward nature will help you avoid doing anything underhanded to gain viewers.
Do get involved in the online community
If you have a product or service that is going to appeal to a certain group, get on discussion boards where those people hang out, says Bruner. Don't just peddle your wares, but make sure you're adding some value to discussion. Make yourself a trusted source and expert.
Do get your visitors to submit their e-mail addresses
"You want to convert the relationship with the visitor into one you own and that you don't need to buy," said Simon. He recommends an engaging series of questions, starting with some real "softballs" to make visitors more comfortable. Also, make it clear how you are going to communicate with them, whether it's going to be weekly, monthly or whenever you have special promotions. Bruner says the "double opt-in" technique, in which you send an email confirming the visitor's enrollment, is preferred by customers.
Do analyze your traffic
"You can't improve what you don't measure," said Bruner. There are places like sitemeter.com that offer packages for as little as $20 a month.
Do your research
If you don't have the money to get linked up with the hottest sites, find out what other sites appeal to people in your market, says Simon. "These are places that need you as much as you need them," noted Simon. "In turn, you can customize your campaign to their site." Along the same lines, you need to know what's hot in general. There are lots of free sources out there that can help you get the pulse of what's going on and where it's happening, such as the Yahoo! Buzz Index .
Do put your Web address in your signature
Putting your Web site's address in all of your e-mails and online posts is simple yet effective. Don't underestimate it, says Bruner.
Do educate yourself
"Invest in educating yourself about online marketing," said Bruner. "Make it a continuing education." He recommends buying books, subscribing to newsletters, getting involved in online discussions and attending conferences.
These tips will help save money and build your business, but keep in mind that it all starts with a good Web site that is updated frequently and offers a safe and secure environment for your visitors to do business. "The Internet is a meritocracy," said Bruner. "The cream does rise to the top."
Sunday, November 11, 2007
SEARCH ENGINES
Do you know that there are search options beyond Google and it is not only Yahoo and MSN.
Vertical search is on the rise, and whether you're looking for business products, services or information, or a new place to advertise, vertical search sites can benefit your company.
When we speak about an alternative search engine, we're speaking about something that's extremely industry-specific and very niche. It's pin-pointing, accurate and only going to be for that topic you're searching for, rather than having to scour through the billions of search results you'll get on a mainstream.
The same logic applies when determining where to spend your search engine marketing dollars. If you sell a general consumer product, Google may be your best bet. But if you're looking for highly targeted business purchasers, it may be wise to go vertical. You will get a much more relevant user, a much higher conversion and a much better return on your investment. User traffic might be a little less, but the visitor is highly more qualified.
Here are some vertical search engines that are useful to any business owner. Be sure to research your own industry, however, for more specific verticals that can hone your searches or boost your advertising ROI for business customers :
TopTenWholesale.com
One of the biggest hurdles for new retailers is finding wholesale merchandise to sell. TopTen place all those product sellers in one place so that when you search for shoes, you receive wholesale results, not Zappos.com. The site also offers news, a blog, directory listings, forums and classifieds, that create not just a wholesale search site, but a wholesale portal.
ThomasNet.com
ThomasRegister has been a leader in the business information field for more than 100 years, and ThomasNet.com is the place to go if you're in the market for industrial and manufacturing goods and services. This robust site allows you to search by product/service, company name, brand name, industrial websites or CAD models. You can narrow your search by U.S. state or Canadian province. Browse by category, download 2D and 3D CAD models of mechanical parts, and even download a search plug-in for your Firefox browser.
FindLaw.com
Both FindLaw.com and Lawyers.com serve the same primary functions: They allow users to search for attorneys by location and specialty. But FindLaw has an easier-to-use interface, making its extra information quicker to find, such as the free form examples, free full-text books and legal dictionary. Both have general search functionality, message boards and blogs, but again FindLaw.com wins us over with its small business section.
USA.gov
The government has a labyrinthine web of sites, and if you're looking for information, it's easy to get lost. This all-things-U.S.-government portal/search engine has a tab specifically for businesses and nonprofits, and you can browse by topic. By far, the most helpful area in the business tab is Get It Done Online, an area with links to business necessities that, yes, you can take care of online.
IT.com
Rather than offering a plain vanilla directory or just one basic search bar, IT.com provides several tech-oriented search options. This includes product and service categories (enterprise networking, open source, product development) or industry solutions (government, SMB, financial markets). The interface takes non-tech folks into consideration as well; each search choice has a roll-over with an explanation of the terminology. In the main search bar, you can choose to search for news, companies, white papers or webcasts.
Zibb.com
Reed Business is one of the leading vertical publishers with more than 200 business titles. Zibb.com is the company's new online venture, a vertical search service for business that offers not only websites and blogs in the results, but also Reed Business content. This site has a strong UK bent to its information, but it's one to keep an eye on because of its strong news element along with the typical search results and directory listings.
VerticalSearch.com
VerticalSearch gets super meta as a vertical search engine for vertical sites. The homepage offers pre-determined categories, but you also can choose your own keywords. Results pages offer feeds of headlines and research papers, and you can choose to pull an RSS feed from any search that you choose.
SearchFinance.com
This site bills itself as the "search engine for financial executives," making it quite the portal for corporate finance. While search is front-and-center, there are a ton of browsing options: blogs, podcasts, events, webcasts, magazines and alerts. Search results are particularly impressive. Directory matches pop up first, but you can also scroll over the results sources for more information on a particular company and choose to remove any "commercial" sources from your results.
Yahoo! Local
This site is the most consumer-oriented of the bunch, but a recent redesign with a focus on vertical categories makes it worth a look. Yahoo! Local has broken out of the restaurants-and-nightclubs city guide mold to offer a number of business categories like health and beauty, automotive, and real estate--useful information whether you're looking for professional service vendors in your neighborhood, a new bistro to take a client to, or a local advertising solution for your business.
Melissa Data
This is a slight fudge on our part as this site is more of a new customer enticement for data service provider Melissa Data than true vertical search, but there are so many free search options, it may become a favorite on your bookmarks. You can search for basic demographic and market data, maps and mailing information, statistics or specific data like SIC codes. There's a daily limit to your number of "lookups," so unless you subscribe, you'll have to curb your information appetite.
Vertical search is on the rise, and whether you're looking for business products, services or information, or a new place to advertise, vertical search sites can benefit your company.
When we speak about an alternative search engine, we're speaking about something that's extremely industry-specific and very niche. It's pin-pointing, accurate and only going to be for that topic you're searching for, rather than having to scour through the billions of search results you'll get on a mainstream.
The same logic applies when determining where to spend your search engine marketing dollars. If you sell a general consumer product, Google may be your best bet. But if you're looking for highly targeted business purchasers, it may be wise to go vertical. You will get a much more relevant user, a much higher conversion and a much better return on your investment. User traffic might be a little less, but the visitor is highly more qualified.
Here are some vertical search engines that are useful to any business owner. Be sure to research your own industry, however, for more specific verticals that can hone your searches or boost your advertising ROI for business customers :
TopTenWholesale.com
One of the biggest hurdles for new retailers is finding wholesale merchandise to sell. TopTen place all those product sellers in one place so that when you search for shoes, you receive wholesale results, not Zappos.com. The site also offers news, a blog, directory listings, forums and classifieds, that create not just a wholesale search site, but a wholesale portal.
ThomasNet.com
ThomasRegister has been a leader in the business information field for more than 100 years, and ThomasNet.com is the place to go if you're in the market for industrial and manufacturing goods and services. This robust site allows you to search by product/service, company name, brand name, industrial websites or CAD models. You can narrow your search by U.S. state or Canadian province. Browse by category, download 2D and 3D CAD models of mechanical parts, and even download a search plug-in for your Firefox browser.
FindLaw.com
Both FindLaw.com and Lawyers.com serve the same primary functions: They allow users to search for attorneys by location and specialty. But FindLaw has an easier-to-use interface, making its extra information quicker to find, such as the free form examples, free full-text books and legal dictionary. Both have general search functionality, message boards and blogs, but again FindLaw.com wins us over with its small business section.
USA.gov
The government has a labyrinthine web of sites, and if you're looking for information, it's easy to get lost. This all-things-U.S.-government portal/search engine has a tab specifically for businesses and nonprofits, and you can browse by topic. By far, the most helpful area in the business tab is Get It Done Online, an area with links to business necessities that, yes, you can take care of online.
IT.com
Rather than offering a plain vanilla directory or just one basic search bar, IT.com provides several tech-oriented search options. This includes product and service categories (enterprise networking, open source, product development) or industry solutions (government, SMB, financial markets). The interface takes non-tech folks into consideration as well; each search choice has a roll-over with an explanation of the terminology. In the main search bar, you can choose to search for news, companies, white papers or webcasts.
Zibb.com
Reed Business is one of the leading vertical publishers with more than 200 business titles. Zibb.com is the company's new online venture, a vertical search service for business that offers not only websites and blogs in the results, but also Reed Business content. This site has a strong UK bent to its information, but it's one to keep an eye on because of its strong news element along with the typical search results and directory listings.
VerticalSearch.com
VerticalSearch gets super meta as a vertical search engine for vertical sites. The homepage offers pre-determined categories, but you also can choose your own keywords. Results pages offer feeds of headlines and research papers, and you can choose to pull an RSS feed from any search that you choose.
SearchFinance.com
This site bills itself as the "search engine for financial executives," making it quite the portal for corporate finance. While search is front-and-center, there are a ton of browsing options: blogs, podcasts, events, webcasts, magazines and alerts. Search results are particularly impressive. Directory matches pop up first, but you can also scroll over the results sources for more information on a particular company and choose to remove any "commercial" sources from your results.
Yahoo! Local
This site is the most consumer-oriented of the bunch, but a recent redesign with a focus on vertical categories makes it worth a look. Yahoo! Local has broken out of the restaurants-and-nightclubs city guide mold to offer a number of business categories like health and beauty, automotive, and real estate--useful information whether you're looking for professional service vendors in your neighborhood, a new bistro to take a client to, or a local advertising solution for your business.
Melissa Data
This is a slight fudge on our part as this site is more of a new customer enticement for data service provider Melissa Data than true vertical search, but there are so many free search options, it may become a favorite on your bookmarks. You can search for basic demographic and market data, maps and mailing information, statistics or specific data like SIC codes. There's a daily limit to your number of "lookups," so unless you subscribe, you'll have to curb your information appetite.
Friday, November 9, 2007
BLOG
Many entrepreneurs are looking for cost effective and free ways to spread the word about their business. One of the most effective ways to do this is through blogging.
What is a blog?
Even though blogs are becoming extremely popular, the concept is still developing. So why use a blog? For one, it can drive traffic to your site. If you have good content on your blog, people can learn from it and then find out about your company. Get clients to post testimonials or share their experiences with your product or service. A good blog can make your company more approachable and more real to your potential clients. And it can increase your website's search engine rankings.
If you're trying to reach out customers especially womens, a blog may be the perfect tool. A 2006 study by Johnson & Johnson found that 83 percent of moms spend their free time on the internet and one-third get support from other moms online. Advertising Age says that blogs are becoming a valued word-of-mouth network for mothers. Emarketer.com says that if a mom isn't writing a blog, she's reading one. Every day more than 1.6 million blogs get updated and 175,000 new ones get started.
If you looking forward to start your own blog, there are a lot of platforms that you can consider. You may consider some of the blogging provider below to get you started :
WordPress.com
Blogger.com
Blog.com
Vox.com
MovableType.com
Starting a blog is actually quite easy.
Just follow these steps :
Find a blogging provider like those mentioned above.
Personalize it using their templates and your images.
Decide what you want to post or write about.
Publish the blog by putting the URL on your site.
Be consistent. Keep people coming back by regularly posting new information.
Even if you don't have a blog, there are big benefits to visiting other blogs. A blog can help you learn about other products or services that may help your business. Some blogs will give you the opportunity to reach out and speak with other blogger in your same position.
Whenever you have the opportunity, post on other blogs. Every time you get your company link online, you can increase your potential for search engine rankings. Of course, make posts only where appropriate. You can find plenty of personal and business blogs where it would be relevant to share information about your company.
There's a lot of great information out there about starting and marketing your blog.
So, don’t just visiting and reading other people blog. Create and start you own blog now.
What is a blog?
Even though blogs are becoming extremely popular, the concept is still developing. So why use a blog? For one, it can drive traffic to your site. If you have good content on your blog, people can learn from it and then find out about your company. Get clients to post testimonials or share their experiences with your product or service. A good blog can make your company more approachable and more real to your potential clients. And it can increase your website's search engine rankings.
If you're trying to reach out customers especially womens, a blog may be the perfect tool. A 2006 study by Johnson & Johnson found that 83 percent of moms spend their free time on the internet and one-third get support from other moms online. Advertising Age says that blogs are becoming a valued word-of-mouth network for mothers. Emarketer.com says that if a mom isn't writing a blog, she's reading one. Every day more than 1.6 million blogs get updated and 175,000 new ones get started.
If you looking forward to start your own blog, there are a lot of platforms that you can consider. You may consider some of the blogging provider below to get you started :
WordPress.com
Blogger.com
Blog.com
Vox.com
MovableType.com
Starting a blog is actually quite easy.
Just follow these steps :
Find a blogging provider like those mentioned above.
Personalize it using their templates and your images.
Decide what you want to post or write about.
Publish the blog by putting the URL on your site.
Be consistent. Keep people coming back by regularly posting new information.
Even if you don't have a blog, there are big benefits to visiting other blogs. A blog can help you learn about other products or services that may help your business. Some blogs will give you the opportunity to reach out and speak with other blogger in your same position.
Whenever you have the opportunity, post on other blogs. Every time you get your company link online, you can increase your potential for search engine rankings. Of course, make posts only where appropriate. You can find plenty of personal and business blogs where it would be relevant to share information about your company.
There's a lot of great information out there about starting and marketing your blog.
So, don’t just visiting and reading other people blog. Create and start you own blog now.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
THE BASICS OF OFFSHORE INVESTING
While there is nothing inherently illegal or hazardous about investing outside your home country, offshore investing should be approached with caution. The benefits can be tricky for a small investor to realize, the risks hard to calculate, and the potential for fraud high.
The main reason people used to invest offshore was to avoid high taxes in their home countries. For residents and citizens of the United States, there's no longer the tax advantage there once was. Since 2004, the U.S Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been collecting taxes from U.S. corporations that are based in other countries and from U.S citizens and residents who make money from offshore investments.
And in July 2005, the European Union Savings Tax Directive took effect. Under it, banks in EU nations are required to give information about investments and their earnings to the tax agency in the investor's home country. If you want to keep your investment details secret under the directive, you can agree to a withholding tax. But the tax is nothing to sneeze at: 15 percent for the first three years, 20 percent for the next three, and 35 percent starting in 2011.
Many notorious "tax havens" that are not members of the EU have also agreed to abide by the directive, including the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino.
But there are still some situations for which offshore investment may be a good strategy. One is confidentiality. Some countries' banking and financial laws make it a crime to disclose customers' identities or the names of shareholders. If you need to conceal your ownership of some assets, placing them offshore is one way to do so. Major corporations sometimes use offshore entities to make acquisitions when knowing the identity of the purchaser might drive the price up.
Just remember that if you are found to be using an offshore corporation to avoid paying U.S. taxes, you can be prosecuted for tax evasion, and the confidentiality laws in most countries can be waived to investigate suspected illegal activity.
The other advantages to offshore investing typically result from forming a shell corporation in a foreign locale. Some countries don't tax foreign-owned corporations; or your shell corporation may avoid local taxes because it doesn't conduct operations there. In addition, some foreign corporations aren't taxed when investing in the U.S.
Setting up an offshore corporation can be expensive, however. There are legal fees, registration fees, and sometimes a requirement that you own property in the country. Some offshore accounts require minimum investments of $100,000 or more.
Offshore investing is a strategy where it's especially important to work with known, trustworthy entities and get professional advice tailored to your specific needs and goals. This is a situation where you need an investment advisor, an attorney, and an accountant who are all well-versed in offshore banking.
Otherwise, you're at serious risk. The freedom from U.S. regulations that may make offshore attractive also means those regulations aren't there to protect you from scams, questionable claims, and outright theft. That makes offshore investing attractive to con artists, too.
Investigate all claims and offers, and have them reviewed by professionals, before you sign anything or commit any funds. It can be much harder to recover your money if it has left the U.S., and those confidentiality laws may make it impossible to track down once it's been stolen.
Make sure an offshore strategy is really the best way to meet your investment goals. If you're more interested in diversification or taking advantage of the growth in emerging markets, consider a U.S.-based mutual fund that invests overseas.
The main reason people used to invest offshore was to avoid high taxes in their home countries. For residents and citizens of the United States, there's no longer the tax advantage there once was. Since 2004, the U.S Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been collecting taxes from U.S. corporations that are based in other countries and from U.S citizens and residents who make money from offshore investments.
And in July 2005, the European Union Savings Tax Directive took effect. Under it, banks in EU nations are required to give information about investments and their earnings to the tax agency in the investor's home country. If you want to keep your investment details secret under the directive, you can agree to a withholding tax. But the tax is nothing to sneeze at: 15 percent for the first three years, 20 percent for the next three, and 35 percent starting in 2011.
Many notorious "tax havens" that are not members of the EU have also agreed to abide by the directive, including the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino.
But there are still some situations for which offshore investment may be a good strategy. One is confidentiality. Some countries' banking and financial laws make it a crime to disclose customers' identities or the names of shareholders. If you need to conceal your ownership of some assets, placing them offshore is one way to do so. Major corporations sometimes use offshore entities to make acquisitions when knowing the identity of the purchaser might drive the price up.
Just remember that if you are found to be using an offshore corporation to avoid paying U.S. taxes, you can be prosecuted for tax evasion, and the confidentiality laws in most countries can be waived to investigate suspected illegal activity.
The other advantages to offshore investing typically result from forming a shell corporation in a foreign locale. Some countries don't tax foreign-owned corporations; or your shell corporation may avoid local taxes because it doesn't conduct operations there. In addition, some foreign corporations aren't taxed when investing in the U.S.
Setting up an offshore corporation can be expensive, however. There are legal fees, registration fees, and sometimes a requirement that you own property in the country. Some offshore accounts require minimum investments of $100,000 or more.
Offshore investing is a strategy where it's especially important to work with known, trustworthy entities and get professional advice tailored to your specific needs and goals. This is a situation where you need an investment advisor, an attorney, and an accountant who are all well-versed in offshore banking.
Otherwise, you're at serious risk. The freedom from U.S. regulations that may make offshore attractive also means those regulations aren't there to protect you from scams, questionable claims, and outright theft. That makes offshore investing attractive to con artists, too.
Investigate all claims and offers, and have them reviewed by professionals, before you sign anything or commit any funds. It can be much harder to recover your money if it has left the U.S., and those confidentiality laws may make it impossible to track down once it's been stolen.
Make sure an offshore strategy is really the best way to meet your investment goals. If you're more interested in diversification or taking advantage of the growth in emerging markets, consider a U.S.-based mutual fund that invests overseas.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
NICHE MARKETING
Most successful marketing tales begin and end with a well-plumbed niche. In other words, the marketer has found the most-qualified group of prospects and motivated them to action. You'll rarely see a company that's risen to the top using a shotgun approach--targeting a mass audience indiscriminately--yet this is where many entrepreneurs trip up.
Failure to isolate the most-qualified niche can waste marketing funds, time and energy. I get e-mails and phone calls from entrepreneurs who tell me "everybody" can use their product or service. The trouble is, even the most well-financed business can't afford to reach everybody at once. And even if they somehow could, their message would have to be so generic that many different types of prospects wouldn't feel motivated to take action.
Just look at the way big businesses individually target their niche. Wireless companies, for example, have marketing campaigns that pitch small businesses, families and young adults. Each of these audiences constitutes a different niche that warrants its own set of campaign tactics and messaging.
Ready to expand into a new niche market?
Here are three important steps to get you started:
SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS
Take a long, careful look at your current customer base and divide it into groups with similar characteristics. Figure out what your best prospects have in common. This will define a niche market of individuals who are more likely to become customers or to make repeat purchases. Fine-tune your media buys and target your marketing messages to have the greatest appeal to the core group.
Suppose in the past you marketed randomly by generally targeting all women 25 to 49. You'd examine your customer base and divide it into groups that manifest important qualifying criteria--whatever would classify them as being your best or ideal customers--such as women in that age group who work outside the home, book travel online, or dine out six times or more per month.
Next, as you segment your customer base into groups with similar characteristics you may find that some of the groups that presently account for a small percentage of your sales show potential. These can become separate niche markets that will warrant unique marketing campaigns with different messages or offers.
FILL A NEED
Sometimes you have no past customer history to go on when choosing a new market niche. In that case, you must make some preliminary assumptions about your prospect base. Focus on the customer you want to reach. Who has an identified need for what you market? Who is buying something similar now? It's easier to fill a need than to create one, so smart marketers look for potential buyers who know what they want and are buying it elsewhere.
Once you've identified prospects that have a need for what you market, evaluate the offers made by your potential competitors. The only way to beat them is to know them well and provide a product or service enhancements that are presently unavailable to their customers in that potential market niche. The key is to enter the new niche with a product or service that is widely accepted, yet add an original value proposition that prospects can't refuse.
KEEP ENTRY COSTS DOWN
There is another significant advantage to entering niche markets comprised of customers who are already buying something similar to what you provide. The fact is, it's virtually always easier for small businesses to be second (or third, fourth or even later) to enter a market, rather than to be the first. Being first is expensive--there's an entire educational curve to fund, particularly with new products--and it can take quite a bit of time to break through.
For example, suppose you wanted to offer a product to engineering firms and law offices, but the engineering firms had never bought anything like it, while the law firms were using something similar with limited results. Your smartest bet would be to tackle the legal office niche first by providing a product with significant enhancements or more attractive offers than what the lawyers were presently buying. You wouldn't need to educate the legal prospects on the way your product would fill their needs and go through the long startup period that would be required to get results from marketing to the engineering firms.
Niche by niche, growth comes from taking measured risks that start with an assessment of your best potential customers and their needs. And you'll succeed by making valuable offers to carefully targeted, qualified prospects who are prepared to buy.
Failure to isolate the most-qualified niche can waste marketing funds, time and energy. I get e-mails and phone calls from entrepreneurs who tell me "everybody" can use their product or service. The trouble is, even the most well-financed business can't afford to reach everybody at once. And even if they somehow could, their message would have to be so generic that many different types of prospects wouldn't feel motivated to take action.
Just look at the way big businesses individually target their niche. Wireless companies, for example, have marketing campaigns that pitch small businesses, families and young adults. Each of these audiences constitutes a different niche that warrants its own set of campaign tactics and messaging.
Ready to expand into a new niche market?
Here are three important steps to get you started:
SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS
Take a long, careful look at your current customer base and divide it into groups with similar characteristics. Figure out what your best prospects have in common. This will define a niche market of individuals who are more likely to become customers or to make repeat purchases. Fine-tune your media buys and target your marketing messages to have the greatest appeal to the core group.
Suppose in the past you marketed randomly by generally targeting all women 25 to 49. You'd examine your customer base and divide it into groups that manifest important qualifying criteria--whatever would classify them as being your best or ideal customers--such as women in that age group who work outside the home, book travel online, or dine out six times or more per month.
Next, as you segment your customer base into groups with similar characteristics you may find that some of the groups that presently account for a small percentage of your sales show potential. These can become separate niche markets that will warrant unique marketing campaigns with different messages or offers.
FILL A NEED
Sometimes you have no past customer history to go on when choosing a new market niche. In that case, you must make some preliminary assumptions about your prospect base. Focus on the customer you want to reach. Who has an identified need for what you market? Who is buying something similar now? It's easier to fill a need than to create one, so smart marketers look for potential buyers who know what they want and are buying it elsewhere.
Once you've identified prospects that have a need for what you market, evaluate the offers made by your potential competitors. The only way to beat them is to know them well and provide a product or service enhancements that are presently unavailable to their customers in that potential market niche. The key is to enter the new niche with a product or service that is widely accepted, yet add an original value proposition that prospects can't refuse.
KEEP ENTRY COSTS DOWN
There is another significant advantage to entering niche markets comprised of customers who are already buying something similar to what you provide. The fact is, it's virtually always easier for small businesses to be second (or third, fourth or even later) to enter a market, rather than to be the first. Being first is expensive--there's an entire educational curve to fund, particularly with new products--and it can take quite a bit of time to break through.
For example, suppose you wanted to offer a product to engineering firms and law offices, but the engineering firms had never bought anything like it, while the law firms were using something similar with limited results. Your smartest bet would be to tackle the legal office niche first by providing a product with significant enhancements or more attractive offers than what the lawyers were presently buying. You wouldn't need to educate the legal prospects on the way your product would fill their needs and go through the long startup period that would be required to get results from marketing to the engineering firms.
Niche by niche, growth comes from taking measured risks that start with an assessment of your best potential customers and their needs. And you'll succeed by making valuable offers to carefully targeted, qualified prospects who are prepared to buy.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
BUSINESS CARD
Nothing is more important to making a good first branding impression than your business card.
In addition to the information included, a card's look and feel also sends a strong message about your business.
The cardinal rule to creating a good business card is to ensure that it reflects your company's image. From a branding perspective, this means it should match the look and feel of your logo. Yes, you want your card to be unique. Yes, you want people to remember you by it. But if you break the cardinal rule in pursuit of uniqueness, all people will remember seeing is an unusual business card. They won't remember your brand or its attributes.
So in the interest of sparing you a potential branding misstep, here are the blunders of new companies make when creating their business cards:
Choosing low-quality paper stock.
Inexpensive paper stock may save you money, but it often leaves you with a card that feels cheap. Touch is an important sense and plays a role in memory recall. How you appeal to this sense depends on your company's image. For example, B2B companies wanting to convey reliability should use a substantial, mid-weight stock.
Using a design template that does not match the logo.
Assuming you want a business card to be taken seriously and help brand your company, you need a design that works with your logo. In other words, be extremely careful with template-based designs. If the templates weren't developed specifically to match your logo--and most aren't--they probably won't. Many entrepreneurs fall in love with an over-designed template that distracts from their logo, or one that features an unrelated photograph. Photographs work well in marketing brochures, but if they appear on a business card, they will distract from your logo.
Adding too much color to the card.
When you want to get someone's attention, do you scream? Probably not, if you want to avoid scaring them. So why scare potential customers with a super-bright, rainbow-colored card? Color is your biggest asset in branding your company. Research indicates that color is the most important factor in memory recall. Tie your business to one or two specific colors; this color should also appear in your logo.
Making the card too unique.
You want your card to stand out, certainly, but not so much that its difference makes people uncomfortable. Complex dye-cuts, extremely oversized cards, and odd card stocks (like metal) should be used only by companies engaged in highly customized or creative endeavors. Custom embossing, rounded corners, or varnishes are better touches for most companies. While it's tempting to create an oversized card, keep in mind that many people still use Rolodexes or tuck cards into their wallets--both difficult to do with unusually sized cards. Function overrides form.
Making the logo gigantic.
In general, the bigger the company, the smaller its logo appears on business cards. If you want to look like a Fortune 500, size your logo appropriately. Instead of enlarging your logo for emphasis, employ white space to bring attention to it.
If you're looking to make a lasting impression, don't cheapen your first impression. Build a better business card and you'll build a better business.
In addition to the information included, a card's look and feel also sends a strong message about your business.
The cardinal rule to creating a good business card is to ensure that it reflects your company's image. From a branding perspective, this means it should match the look and feel of your logo. Yes, you want your card to be unique. Yes, you want people to remember you by it. But if you break the cardinal rule in pursuit of uniqueness, all people will remember seeing is an unusual business card. They won't remember your brand or its attributes.
So in the interest of sparing you a potential branding misstep, here are the blunders of new companies make when creating their business cards:
Choosing low-quality paper stock.
Inexpensive paper stock may save you money, but it often leaves you with a card that feels cheap. Touch is an important sense and plays a role in memory recall. How you appeal to this sense depends on your company's image. For example, B2B companies wanting to convey reliability should use a substantial, mid-weight stock.
Using a design template that does not match the logo.
Assuming you want a business card to be taken seriously and help brand your company, you need a design that works with your logo. In other words, be extremely careful with template-based designs. If the templates weren't developed specifically to match your logo--and most aren't--they probably won't. Many entrepreneurs fall in love with an over-designed template that distracts from their logo, or one that features an unrelated photograph. Photographs work well in marketing brochures, but if they appear on a business card, they will distract from your logo.
Adding too much color to the card.
When you want to get someone's attention, do you scream? Probably not, if you want to avoid scaring them. So why scare potential customers with a super-bright, rainbow-colored card? Color is your biggest asset in branding your company. Research indicates that color is the most important factor in memory recall. Tie your business to one or two specific colors; this color should also appear in your logo.
Making the card too unique.
You want your card to stand out, certainly, but not so much that its difference makes people uncomfortable. Complex dye-cuts, extremely oversized cards, and odd card stocks (like metal) should be used only by companies engaged in highly customized or creative endeavors. Custom embossing, rounded corners, or varnishes are better touches for most companies. While it's tempting to create an oversized card, keep in mind that many people still use Rolodexes or tuck cards into their wallets--both difficult to do with unusually sized cards. Function overrides form.
Making the logo gigantic.
In general, the bigger the company, the smaller its logo appears on business cards. If you want to look like a Fortune 500, size your logo appropriately. Instead of enlarging your logo for emphasis, employ white space to bring attention to it.
If you're looking to make a lasting impression, don't cheapen your first impression. Build a better business card and you'll build a better business.
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