BizCoachDeb's BizBuzz -

Posts Tagged ‘small business’

How many ways can you say “Thank You” to someone in your business? With customers or other people you do business with, it could be a lost art form for you, but potentially a great way to reconnect or even solidify your relationships. I remember early in my sales career, my manager said I should keep notes all day in order that I be able to recall and then write a note of thanks to each of the people I encountered. It seemed like homework initially, as some days this list would be exceed 30 notecards, so my stationery and postage budget did get quite large at one point. Some how though, this simple gesture began to pay off: people would remember me when I’ve arrive at their office weeks later, or I’d make friends with people just because of a short, funny note I sent them. Over time, though, email got the better of me, and I have relied maybe too heavily on dropping an email note instead of the handwritten variety. Thanks doesn’t stop with notecards and can take on all kinds of forms, large and small. Here are some ideas that you can use online, to supplement your scribed-to-paper ones:   The rest of the story...

Reading Seth Godin’s post entitled, “Pay for Stuff”, triggered a peeve of mine I’ve put off writing about: people trying to get something for nothing. Don’t get me wrong, being frugal and seeking a good deal for your business is smart and I’m a proud supporter of the open-source school of thought and whole-heartedly believe in testing before I purchase. There are some, though, that think purely of what they can grab for free, with little if any thought on the cost, time and effort put into the making of such things.

So, here’s a thought: If you want people to continue to make the sweet apps you enjoy downloading for free, make a donation once in awhile. If you really love the way a free version of a web app is helping you invoice clients more easily, consider upgrading to the paid-version that suits your means. Two things happen when you do this: you encourage the developers to continue bringing these fun, useful tools into the game, and (2)you make a financial commitment in your business that says, “Yes, I’m worth it and I’m giving back.”   The rest of the story...

Being in business means maintaining a contact list and that list really is the fuel that keeps things running. I advise each of my clients to have their contacts in some kind of database to keep them organized and ready for quick access. In reorganizing my own today (I’m switching to a new communication client), I realized how many people have moved from the “acquaintance” category to the “client” category. It also dawned on me how many of those people started out as a parent of a kid I coached in hockey or a referral from a trusted colleague or some other way totally unrelated to my normal marketing activities. What also set a light bulb off was the fact that many of these people are also now good friends, so many are split into two or even more categories.   The rest of the story...

Baby Boomers are all over the Internet and even if you don’t really believe it, the fact is the number is only growing exponentially. They download music, post and read blogs, and yes, use Twitter and Facebook.

“45-54 year olds are 36 percent more likely than average to visit Twitter … another reason why ad agency CEOs should be on Twitter from twitter traffic explosion being led by 45-54 year olds by Michael Gass “Barbie turned 50 this year. Growing up, Barbie was my nickname. My cousins and my aunt still call me that.”

Recent data by AARP and the Pew Report show the numbers increasing daily in the most popular social media platforms, with no sign of waning.

So what does this mean for your small business? More opportunities to connect, more opportunities to create open dialogue with your customer base, and more opportunities to make your business the “go to” place.

Read more about their findings here and when you want to talk about how your business could benefit from a thoughtful, carefully crafted social media plan, get in touch with me.

Every company under the sun wants to promote themselves. They can spend truckloads of money on advertising and pricey giveaways, but do you know the one thing that could get your name out en masse without breaking the bank? Stickers. What does a sticker give you? Exposure, an audience, and people walking around promoting you, whether they know it or not.  Quick! Name me three companies you’ve seen stickers for, and here are mine: In and Out Burger, Sex Wax, and Sector Nine. All use very cool stickers, all enjoy success and an army of people promoting them for the cost of a sticker.   The rest of the story...

Here are a couple ways to use stickers to promote your business, based on the way others are already doing it:

• Clothing Tags: Right there on the shirt, pants, shoes, socks, whatever. Easton Hockey does it.  Their clothing tags are actually built with a sticker on one side, ready to peel and use. Instead of the tag going into the trash, it goes on car, bike, board, stick, locker, wall, wherever the rabid hockey fan wants to share their love of the game.