Marketing for Small Business

Have you noticed how fast the summer seems to be going? Hard to believe but, I have starting booking my first fall networking events. WOW. Things seem to move forward faster everyday.

If you are a sales professional, business manager or entrepreneur who attends trade show or a monthly association meeting events as a business development investment you are investing of your resources of both time and money.

You invest your time;

• researching various trade shows and evaluating whether the event will attract the right target market for your business
• your time attending

You invest your money;

• trade show registration/booth fees & staff time
• travelling costs

Attending events helps to raise the visibility of your business in the marketplace and generates prospect leads for your business. These leads come in 2 forms,

1. attendees you met and with whom you started a conversation and
2. the attendance list which includes attendees you did not met and with whom you could start a conversation.

Back at the office, the questions are;

• how do you maximize your attendance investment by following up with the highest number of prospects and driving that traffic into your follow up sales funnel?
• what are the next steps to follow up and
  • continue the conversation with attendees you met?
  • start the conversation with the list of attendees you did not met?

In the past, for trade show follow up marketing, we would mail out sales literature and then try to get prospect on the phone, but follow up methods are changing.

Today, I help my clients utilize the technology they currently have, to build their next follow up steps.

• First, database set up to centralize all of the prospect leads, a CRM Customer Relationship Manager such as ACT, Maximizer or Goldmine.
• Second, set up an email blaster such as Swiftpage with ACT to send out emails.
  (Swiftpage can also work without ACT)

The great thing about this newer methods is that we can collect statistics, for example, about delivery. Depending on your follow up next steps, you may also be able to track the additional traffic your follow up drives to your website.

If you are interested in learning more about how to follow up and maximize your trade show or networking event attendance, I offer several options.

2 hour sessions Follow up – Discover Your Next Step and a session about taking action and implementing the follow up steps in your business Follow Up – Take Action. This session is about database set up, database maintenance and outbound cold calling.

Follow Up Training - Set The Stage For Follow Up and Automate Your Follow Up Process. Attend yourself and bring this business training for your office. You will learn how to build a Follow Up System that maximizes your business development investment and help get you past that 1st contact to the 2nd and beyond to the 5th contact where 80% of sales are made. You will save time, stayed organized and drive more traffic to your business!

Questions? No problem. Contact Cheryl Scoffield, Follow Up Specialist.

I came across a rather interesting article in the June 30, 2010 edition of Marketing magazine that I wanted to share with you. The article talks about one of the more challenging tasks many established businesses face – whether or not to rebrand themselves, and if so, for what purpose (i.e. to go after existing clients in a different way or to target an entirely different client segment).

 Oftentimes businesses rebrand for the latter reason in order to go out after a more lucrative or attractive target market. In the case of East Side Mario’s (ESM), this was indeed the case. Having developed a strong brand as a “family friendly” restaurant with a gregarious New York City theme, it symbolized an affordable, convenient and comfortable place for families to eat out.

 However, ESM was eager to move its business model up-market by appealing to a more upscale client. As a result, it removed its Statue of Liberty logo and replaced it with a more traditional Italian symbol – the tomato. It also got rid of its infamous marketing jingle, “Badda Boom Badda Bing” due to its association with NYC.

 What happened next is an age-old problem that occurs when rebranding involves an attempt to enter a new market. By changing its target market through changes to its marketing messages, restaurant appearance and menu, ESM alienated its existing clientele while failing to make significant inroads with the upscale segment it was attempting to go after.

 So what can be learnt from this experience? First of all, rebranding should never be entered into by any business without considerable deliberation and analysis. And while going after a new and perhaps more lucrative client segment is always tempting, it may not necessarily be the best option, particularly when the new market you’re entering is as competitive as the restaurant industry.

 Indeed the competitive landscape should always be a primary consideration in any rebranding exercise. Always ask yourself this question – does the image I’m trying to portray or the market I’m trying to appeal to create any competitive challenges for my business (i.e. are there existing businesses with similar ‘brands’ going after similar or identical customers, and if so how successful are they?).

 The key to rebranding – and the key to developing a sound marketing strategy– is finding a niche in the market you can profitably compete in and exploit, one where your products and services effectively align with the needs and expectations of that particular target market. When you find that niche and are successful in exploiting it, you’ve latched onto the proverbial golden egg. And that’s why going after a new segment may not be the most sound business decision, and in fact can be highly risky. At the least, make sure your rebranding strategy is based on sound business fundamentals, and that these support the objectives of the firm.

Cheryl Scoffield, Follow Up Specialist at Executive Sales Support

Are you attending trade shows, monthly association meetings & networking events to get new prospects? Business Development  costs money.
Do you have a plan in place and implemented, for staying in touch with the new prospects you meet?

If you are interested in learning more about how to follow up and maximize your investment, I offer several options.

2 hour sessions Follow up – Discover Your Next Step  and a session about taking action and implementing the follow up steps in your business Follow Up – Take Action. This session is about database set up, database maintenance and outbound cold calling.

Follow Up Training - Set The Stage For Follow Up and Automate Your Follow Up Process. Attend yourself and bring this business training for your office. You will learn how to build a Follow Up System that maximizes your business development investment and help get you past that 1st contact to the 2nd and beyond to the 5th contact where 80% of sales are made. You will save time, stayed organized and drive more traffic to your business!

Questions? No problem. Contact  Cheryl Scoffield, Follow Up Specialist.

As if you needed any more reasons to attend one of my highly acclaimed business training seminars, I am adding another one: attend any Contacts2Clients business seminar in April, May or June, and you will be entered into a draw for a chance to win an Apple iPod Nano with video, a value of $190 (with tax included).

My 3-hour seminar will give you tools and knowledge to use the internet to generate leads, build relationships and close more deals using simple online marketing strategies: business blogging, social media networking and opt-in email marketing.

Click here to learn more about the seminar, see testimonials and to register

Contest rules are simple: attend one of my paid training seminars and each time you attend you will be entered to win the grand prize. The grand prize is one Apple iPod Nano in orange. Only one grand prize will be awarded at the final seminar in June when all attendees’ names will be entered into the draw. Your chances of winning the grand prize will depend on: how many times you attend a Contacts2Clients seminar, and on the total number of attendees. The prize will be drawn by computer at Random.org

Boris Mahovac R.G.D.

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Do you have a closet full of clothes but feel like you have nothing to wear?

Most of us only wear about 10% of the clothes in our wardrobe.  The other 90% fall into one of the following four categories: 

1. It doesn’t fit
2. It looks outdated or tired looking from wear
3. It’s not comfortable
4. It doesn’t match anything

The clothing that falls into these four categories should be purged as soon as possible.  These clothes are no longer serving you.  They are taking up valuable space and mislead you into thinking that you have more clothes than you really have.  If you do wear these items they will make you feel unhappy about how you look and reflect poorly on your personal image.  

Taking control of your wardrobe starts with closet control. This may sound painful to some, but it will alleviate the angst of opening your closet door in the morning and feeling overwhelmed. Plus, once it’s done, you’ll feel better and know what clothes you have to build your (new and improved) wardrobe around.

And you can make it fun! If you have a friend with a sense of style you admire, invite them over. Have food and drinks on hand. You’ll be surprised by how enjoyable it can be.

Going through and clearing out your closet is probably not something you are looking forward to; however it will be a job that you will be happy to have done.

How to Decide What to Keep

Step #1: Purge Then Splurge

Your first step is to pull everything out and separate it into two categories: what you wear and what you don’t by asking yourself the following questions:

• Does it fit well or is it too big or small?  Be honest about whether or not it will fit you within the next 12 months.  If you’ve been holding onto something for years in case you lose that extra weight, chances are it won’t look right when you do, as our bodies change and styles change. If it doesn’t fit and isn’t worth altering, give it away!
• Is it just too big or needs to be altered?  If it’s worth keeping, get it done.
• Is it your best style and colour?  If not, give it away.
• Is it comfortable?  If not, you’ll never wear it, so it’s just taking up space. Give it away.
• Is it outdated? You can try to pair the piece with something more current, but if it still feels unstylish, give it away.
• Am I waiting for it to come back into style?  The simple answer is it won’t so give it away.
• Have I worn it in the last year?  If the item is your style, fits, is the right color but have not worn in the last year, again give it away.
• Take a hard look at your accessories, scarves, jewelry, belts etc. and remove all that are broken or out of style.

If it doesn’t match anything you have in your closet, set it aside for now.

How to Effectively Organize Your Clothes Closet

Step #2: Group likes with likes

Once you eliminated these items, you will have a better idea of what you’re working with each morning.

Now hang the items that have passed the test in the following order:

• Hang like colours together going from light to dark
• Hang jackets together with the matching pant and/or skirt directly behind
• Hang miscellaneous skirts together and then miscellaneous pants
• Dresses should go together and have room to hang.

How to Build a Wardrobe That Reflects Your Personal Style and Brand

Step #3

Now that you have taken out all the items that are not needed, make a list of the items you will need to complete an outfit.

• Make a list of accessories you will need to complement the items you have left in your closet.
• Create two lists as now it is time to decide if which items on your list are number one in importance and those that are number two.
  • Your first list should include items that you are will to pay full price for such as jackets, skirts and pants. These are items that are classic and you will wear for a long time. Consider if you buy a jacket that costs $400 and you wear it 5 times a month it will cost (12 months x 5 = 60 divided into 400) $6.60 in the first year. If you pay the same amount for an evening dress that you wear twice it is $200 per wear. Don’t be afraid to spend on a suit because good quality will last a long time.
  • Your second list will include items that are of less importance such as trendy items, T-shirts, shorts, etc.

How much should you spend? A rule of thumb is 5% of your income.

Additional Tips

• Get the help of a trained Wardrobe Consultant like “Images That Suit” (it’s free) to help you wisely choose items that successfully integrate current style; best suit your personal image needs; body type; age and budget as mistakes are costly.
• Buy padded hangers for delicate items.
• Put belts over hangers.
• Invest in shoe trees to keep your shoes organized.

Hello

It was a long time ago, since I have logged in, times are busy, and nobody probably expect  some carpet cleaner from Oakville to do some blogging, right?

But times are changing, and we are shifting into the digital age, with all online media, presence, and social Networking.

Yellow pages are good just as a paper weight…

I have some news to share with you, I have started collecting my clients testimonials, but not only written, but also video..

I have entered world of You Tube, check my videos,  feel free to comment, or rate it…

Here is my own first video, bit about Oliva Service:

it took me 5 minutes, right from iPhone …

and here is my REAL client testimonial, after the job in Burlington, 2 days ago…

Next video will include my whole cleaning process, what we do, and how we do it…

Yours

Olin Vanek

OLIVA SERVICE

In this video Cheryl Scoffield of Executive Sales Support, shares a testimonial:

I’m here today at Boris Mahovac’s Contacts 2 Clients, how to use social networking and blogging — awesome! Every time I come to Boris’s event I always learn something I can apply right away in my business to help me drive traffic to my web site. So, it’s awesome, and I’d recommend that you come.

Learn more about what you can learn about generating leads and closing more sales! And remember, as a member of my networking circle you can save 20% off tuition — ask me how.

Boris Mahovac R.G.D.

Sign up for my next Contacts2Clients Business Seminar

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Hi fellow Oakville Networking members

In a survey conducted about 10 months ago, results show that the top three problems facing entrepreneurs in Halton  were:

1. isolation,

2. lack of meeting space and

3. difficulty getting good referrals to get the best help for themselves and their businesses.

I personally know this to be true as a home-based entrepreneurial coach for the last 5 years.

Sitting in my home office certainly has its perks but boy, there were some unbearable days where I had to pack my files and laptop and GET OUT as I could not stand the loneliness of being at home anymore.  I also know that I frequented too many Starbucks stores to name (hence my slight, ok, major addiction to soy chai lattes) because I had no place to meet my clients.  On top of it all, I have had my share of feeling lost and making poor choices when it came to outsourcing for help because I didn’t know where to go for a good referral.

Any of these feel familiar?

Well, that’s why I created the e-Spotâ„¢…. a much-needed community for entrepreneurs.  I just knew that if I was surrounded by energetic, creative, entrepreneurial minds, had a flexible, fun yet professional space to work and have meetings in and could get the help I needed, all in one spot, I would grow as a person and by extension, so would my business.

As many of you have heard me talk about over the last few months, the e-Spotâ„¢ is a membership-based community for entrepreneurs for the Halton and Mississauga area, located at 353 Iroquois Shore Road in Oakville (just off Trafalgar, north of the QEW) on the 2nd floor.  We are in the midst of designing this unique space that is unlike anything in the vicinity complete with gorgeous interior brick, an exposed, loft-style ceiling, an energy bar, and the most dynamic staff you’ll meet – this 3000 square feet space calls out “creative, cool and competent” and will WOW you and your clients.

Opening in December 2009, we are already gaining lots of interest from a HUGE entrepreneurial community.  I am writing you today to invite you to come and find out all about this new community.

We are hosting a short information afternoon on Friday, November 13th from 1 – 2pm.  I’d love to meet you and give you an overview of the opportunity so you can see for yourself whether this would be a good match for you and your business.

The meeting will be held at the location of one of our neighbours, The Little Gym (for whom we are very grateful for offering us space while our space in under construction!). It is located at 355 Iroquois Shore Road, Unit 2B, in Oakville.  Please RSVP to our e-Spot™ Manager, Elaine Geroche at elaine@e-spot.ca or by calling 289-291-5304 by Wednesday, November 11th to secure a spot at this information event.

And please feel free to forward this to anyone you know who you think might be interested in coming.  In the meantime, you can check out our blogsite at www.e-spot.ca

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Warmly,
Grace Yvonne Attard, Creator of the e-Spotâ„¢

If you enjoy business networking then the annual Summer Networking Bash in Toronto is the place to be. It is hosted by Unleash PR for the 7th year in a row.

This year’s event is poised to be the largest ever, with 500+ confirmed guests — business owners, solopreneurs, sales professionals and entrepreneurs, just like you. The main purpose of this event is to facilitate connections between business owners.

Several sponsors have contributed to making this the networking event of the summer, and among them will be your webmaster, Boris Mahovac, representing Better Business Networking, a new type of networking idea.

As a member of this networking group you can attend for free! I have a limited number of tickets to hand out, call me at 905-844-4247 (first-come first-served). Tickets are available online for $22 ($40 at the door).

If you’re interested in helping me out you can join me at my table to share your experience with being a member of this group. I have a few T-shirts and baseball caps to give to those who help me out.

When: Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Time: 5pm – 9 pm
Where: All Canadian Self Storage, 1 Laird Dr, Toronto

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Boris Mahovac R.G.D.

Sign up for my next Contacts2Clients Business Seminar

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If you haven’t yet added email marketing to your marketing mix please consider it soon. Email marketing – when done effectively and legally – is still the best thing you can do for your business as it enjoys the highest rate of return on investment.

One of the first things to consider is a suitable Email Service Provider (ESP) to provide you with the online system to manage your email marketing campaigns, to send personalized emails to your list, manage subscriptions, bounces, unsubscribes, etc.

When choosing an ESP, ask yourself these two questions:

1. Do I need to handle multiple opt-in lists?
2. Do I need a sequential auto-responder?

This will narrow down your choices significantly. If you’d like to have people sign up on your website/blog/facebook to different lists and offer them different automated sequential messages (also know as auto-responders) then my choice would be iContact.

For the ultimate in ease of use, try MadMimi.com, I recommend them to those who would like to create and send their email newsletters by themselves.

MadMimi has the most easy-to-use interface of all the ESPs I’ve tried over the years. They even offer a fully-featured free account for those just starting out. Read this article MadMimi Brings the Fun Back to Sending Email “Blasts” to learn more.

Boris Mahovac R.G.D.
Web Developer and eMarketing Mentor

P.S.
To see how one of our members, Jason Stevens, uses MadMimi, arrange a visit to his Oakville studio, and while he’s explaining to you how easy it is to use MadMimi to stay in touch with clients and prospects, get a professional business portrait done to complement your business card on this blog.