Small Business Blog

Custom Labels

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:22:40 +0000

Hello,my readers.I am really very busy these days.That is why I do not have much time for my blog.However,I am back now!As is known to us that a label is very important for businessman.Generally,we can not make it ourself because we may not be skillful in it.Ok,I am going to recommend an agent to you.The name of the agent is Data Graphicsinc.You can also consult it by the domain of datagraphicsinc.com.

Data Graphics, Inc. is a supplier of Custom Labels,such as industrial labels, commercial labels and military specification labels.They do not make any clothing or garment lables.The labels and overlays produced by Data Graphics, Inc. are used as industrial safety lables, equipment instruction labels, hazard/warning labels or just about any label that would be used in an industrial, commercial or military specificiation.Any article on their site will give a good indication of the types of labels produced by Data Graphics, Inc.

The picture on the right corner is an example offered by Data Graphics, Inc.In my point of view,it is perfect.There are still many Custom Labels on it,you had better try them yourself.I am sure that it will satisfy you.I hope that this article can help you in your business life.

Getting noticed on the Internet - Digital Marketing for Small Business

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:28:19 +0000

The Internet has grown from a small network of academics needing a way to trade research into a world-spanning, ubiquitous marketplace and repository for nearly every possible kind of information and knowledge. How does a small business avoid being washed away in the constant tide of buying, selling and marketers hawking every conceivable item (and some difficult to conceive…)? The Internet provides advantages for both customer and proprietor in that one can search for exactly what is desired, without the bother of endless phone calls, driving to malls, or poring over mail-order catalogs. A quick keyword or 3, and hundreds of results vie for attention on the screen. Making sure your company is one of those results near the top is a combination of factors: specificity in product offerings, Search Engine Optimization of web content and linking to and from related topics and sites. The only way to get noticed on the Internet is to have a listing or presence, whether a dedicated website, ads on relevant sites, or by word-of-mouth. Oftentimes ads on online journals, informative sites, or e-zines (online magazines) are cheaper than space in a print publication, as well as being available to a wider audience than a dedicated website may be. Rates are often available for daily, weekly, or monthly terms, increasing flexibility and allowing a tight budget more leeway. Word-of-mouth advertising can be very cheap, but the returns may be difficult to quantify. Sponsoring web shows such as podcasts or webcasts can be a great and cheap way to gain word-of-mouth exposure. Many times, a podcaster will be so thrilled to gain sponsorship that rates can be negotiated for very little, but make sure to approach a podcaster that has a show related somehow to your business. Don’t overlook resources like Google’s Adwords either, as they can be slightly pricier than similar options like banner ads, but they are shown to be far more effective than pop-ups, banners, or pay-per-click ads due to their specific targeting.When a potential customer decides to look up a product that you sell, is he or she going to find your site or listing? Being specific in the terms used on your site or listing is key, as keywords are what drive the search engines like Google and Yahoo. If your company sells shoes, it’s not enough to put the word “shoes” on your site–it has to be anticipatory to the searches that potential customers are doing. Most customers have an idea of what they are looking for when doing a search, so instead of “shoes,” a customer will search for “imported Italian leather shoes.” Specific focusing of terminology and product listings are involved in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as SEO is driven by specific keywords and their repetition or location on a page. If the term “Italian Leather Shoes” is used 15 times on a website, it will pop up higher on the rating listings than one with the same words, but only as a page heading or title. It would be easy to go overboard on this if it were the only criteria, but it is only one of many different methods search engines use to list websites by relevance. Our article on Search Engine Optimization, located here, is a great reference to optimizing your site for maximum Search Engine Performance.With a clear idea of where you want to go with Internet marketing, it can be a valuable tool to expand your business into the digital realm, but be careful not to go overboard, as all marketing eventually crosses into the zone of limited return. Customers are looking for what they want–it’s up to you to make sure they run into you, and the only way they will is for you to make sure your business is at the places they are going to go.About the Author:William King is the director of All Wholesale UK, Wholesale Pages, Wholesale-Canada and Dropshipping Directory. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

The Importance of Implementing an Integrated Marketing Plan for your Small Business

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:26:19 +0000

The progression of marketing — moving beyond traditional to include interactive, consumer driven, social marketing has spread like Ebola. It’s often referred to as Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). IMC is ushering in a new era in which marketers blend communication messages across all available media channels into a continuous brand experience. As part of a successful integrated marketing strategy, IMC integrates public relations, advertising, online, social media, etc; and other communications elements into one cohesive entity all sharing the same message.Many organizations today are now embracing this concept of IMC. Instead of dividing marketing communications into separate groups that rarely communicate; organizations are now integrating all marketing disciplines under one umbrella; thus, making every communication consistent with one message, sharing the same strategy. This also allows marketers to execute marketing campaigns more efficiently without having to jump through hoops to get approvals for creative, content, messaging, etc.The key to effective integration is the cohesiveness between various marketing messages, and the understanding that marketing is fundamentally a conversation between a company and its prospective customer. It is not one specific marketing campaign or press release; rather, how the blending and execution of such disciplines convey a message synergistically, and at every possible customer touch point.IMC includes the various tools such as advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, direct & database marketing, sponsorship, event marketing, social media marketing, and online marketing (search, banner advertising, affiliate, etc.). Since the purpose of marketing is to generate revenue, increase market share, drive preference to purchase, and/or build brand awareness, marketers need to find ways to do this effectively; and embracing an integrated marketing strategy is the first step. Integrated Marketing At WorkNike is a great example of a company that has fully embraced the concept of integrated marketing. Their integrated approach includes traditional advertising (billboard, magazine, and television); sponsoring sporting events and players such as the Superbowl and Tiger Woods; and engaging in online marketing initiatives by allowing consumers to customize their Nike shoes. They also spend a great deal of money in search marketing. Nike’s approach allows them to communicate their message consistently across all media outlets; and at the same time share that message at every customer touch point; that is, use Nike products and you will increase your performance regardless of what sport you are involved in.Another example is HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again” campaign. They utilized many forms of media with great consistency, and capitalized on each of the media’s individual strengths. Television shared real-life stories, print detailed many of the same stories and online extended each into a positive experience with which the customer could interact with HP. The campaign also used paid search to capture queries about HP products and services. ConclusionThe adoption of integrated marketing is essential in today’s market place. As consumers, we are bombarded with thousands of messages from thousands of different advertisers each day. It has become natural for us to filter out these messages that don’t appeal to a particular need or interest. On the other hand, as marketers, we need ensure that we are doing everything we possible can to reach these consumers at a time when they are interested in our value proposition. This means that our message has to be where the consumers are looking all the time.To learn more tips about integrated marketing strategies, please visit our internet marketing blog. Britopian Marketing specializes in web strategy, SEO and offers online marketing services for small businesses.

Small Business Marketing Strategy - Scout Other Shops

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:25:19 +0000

When we say “business intelligence” most small business owners immediately think of the kind of high-priced information that research companies sell to big corporations. But some of the best business intelligence is just a short drive away from where you are at now. And it’s free.OK, it will require some of your time. But just think of how often you find yourself with a few moments to spare in between kids’ ball games or running errands. A quick bit of scouting work in another store can take as little as ten minutes but offer up a goldmine of fresh ideas to bring back.Sound crazy? Maybe. But there’s a real value in finding what’s working for other businesses. Go to other stores your best customers frequent and see what’s working. For goodness sake don’t try and clone these other businesses. Your small business must stay true to itself. However, if you look around enough you’ll find a few nuggets you can bring back and turn into gold for your company.Look for two or three elements in each shop’s Package that is different from your company’s. Start out by looking at the top third of the physical space in the store. Let your eyes rove above the area where the people are mulling about and see what’s overhead. Begin with the ceiling and look down, but only for a few feet. Start out by examining what’s physically hanging from the ceiling.Signage? Moving or stationary? If moving, is it powered by batteries with a regular, cyclic spinning motion? Or is it simply moving with the currents of the air circulating about the store.Is the signage easy to read? Copy-heavy or graphic-heavy? Is it there to produce an immediate sale? Does it scream out “Low Prices–grab as much as you can as fast as you can and dash to checkout”? Or is it understated, with an ethereal, graphic-heavy treatment that puts the customers in a mood to browse a bit more, making themselves feel good just to be there in the store, enjoying the shopping experience? Or is the signage pure utilitarian, as mood-setting as a green, cross-T street corner signpost telling you you’re at the intersection of Third and Chestnut? Is this a no-nonsense store, where the customers simply need to be steered where to go efficiently and quickly? Are there ceiling fans? Cabana-style, with large wooden blades for effect? Or basic white, simply circulating air about the store?How about the color of the ceiling? Are windows set just below the ceiling, letting light in? How about sound? Is there music pulsating down from the ceiling? What kind? Muzak? Top 40?First, just notice that top third of the store. The section nobody can physically reach. This slice of the store is as unobtrusive to our conscious but just as important as a shade tree on a blistering hot summer day.Just look and learn. Imagine yourself a first-timer to the store, and you’ve entered with emotions shifted into neutral. Write down your initial impressions of the store’s signage in that top third of the store. Wander about the store a bit, if you want. Is the signage consistent up in the top layer? Is the store a bit inconsistent here? Or is it in agreement throughout?No need to spend too much time on the top layer. But we want you to be cognizant of it. The fact is, you probably were already aware of it before you knew you were. As consumers and as humans, we respond to uncounted little inputs into our minds. Some of them matter a great deal and hit us instantly–ike a traffic light. Others are more subtle but matter most at certain times. If the street corner sign at Third and Chestnut is out it doesn’t really matter much to the overall environment–until you’re cruising down Third looking for Chestnut! Then the usually innocuous fact that it’s missing suddenly becomes paramount.Next, find a few other areas of the store and ask yourself three broad questions in each:“What’s the mood of the area I’m in?” Purely functional? If it’s a merchandise area, is the appearance of the display designed to subtly persuade me to buy this merchandise? Or is it simply to pack in as much merchandise as possible in a specific area? Remember, there isn’t a right or wrong answer for the business. A discount gas station can make just as much profit as a high-end art gallery; maybe more.“Does the mood of the area I’m in mesh with the rest of the store?” Is there a lack of harmony between, for example, a brightly lit and open-spaced entryway and then a dozen aisles of cluttered merchandise?“Is there one outstanding thing I like about any certain area?” Is there something I see that I can bring back to my store? If you want, create a little “cheat sheet” of questions you can use when you go out on a scouting trip to another store. The cheat sheet is a quick reminder of what to look for. Make it the size of a recipe card, and if you copy it on heavy cardstock and then cut it to size you can easily carry it about in purse or pocket and jot notes on it while you are in the store.Remember, a lot of smart marketing is borrowing the best of what works from others. These little scouting time-outs during your errands can add precious new idea-gems you can apply to your business.Remember: People (customers and employees) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + Brand (who you are) = Marketing Success.© 2006 Marketing Hawks |||People Package Brand BlogCraig Lutz-Priefert’s marketing blog

Affordable Telemarketing Solutions for Small Business

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:23:19 +0000

Imagine a flood of new, quality leads flowing into your business as the result of a bank of telephone sales professionals. Your virtual sales team pursues individuals and companies who would be genuinely interested in your business offerings, if they only knew that your company existed. Imagine this service as being affordable for everyone, including small business owners and professionals like you. Telemarketing, Inbound and Outbound Call Center Services are no longer reserved only for the large companies who can afford to hire expensive telemarketing services. Any business or professional office can hire a professional telemarketing firm who will be able to market their product or professional service at an easily affordable price. Many entrepreneurs start their companies in the hopes that just hanging their sign will bring in big sales. Although displaying your shingle plays a role in marketing a new business, actively making personal contact with potential clients and customers is the only sure way of generating sales. Small and medium sized businesses have traditionally relied on the frustrating and sometimes intimidating method of cold calling to make the essential first contacts with their market. Solo business owners often wake up early in the morning, make their first pot of coffee and flip through the local Business-to-Business Directory in hopes of generating new business leads before key decision makers get caught up in the routine of a busy day.Many new business owners, and even seasoned sales pros, hate this process. Some newcomers also find the cold calling process intimidating, while others thrive at it and discover sales skills that they didn’t know they had. Even the best cold-calling expert finds that taking a couple of hours out of the day to create new business can be an obstacle to actually starting the rest of the day’s projects. In slightly larger business organizations, dedicated sales staffers take the initiative on all sales activity. Sales departments sometimes have the benefit of being able to track down potential business customers through purchased lists and lead generation programs. When hot lead sources experience temporary dry spells, sales staff resorts to thumbing through the B2B Directory to generate new sales. Regardless of the size of your business, the law of averages rules the cold calling process: the more individuals called, the greater the likelihood of getting the successful sale. Common wisdom among cold callers states that you will get ten receptive listeners for every hundred calls, and perhaps one sale. Often, smaller businesses need dedicated sales representatives to focus on key customers, and do not have the resources to use their professionals for lead generation. At other times, a company wants to remain small, and wants to outsource their lead generation needs to another company who can accomplish these tasks more effectively and cost efficiently than hiring a dedicated sales force.While there are many mammoth-sized telemarketing firms targeting behemoth corporations who need their services, many smaller telemarketing companies specialize in offering their range of services to smaller businesses. Smaller telemarketing companies have honed their processes to make their services easily available at an affordable price that makes sense to small businesses who are working within a limited marketing budget, but who demand verifiable results for their investment. If one small business owner, working alone, can generate 100 calls during one business day, what would happen if she could affordably double, triple or quadruple her efforts? What if she could contract with a telemarketing firm who could assign her cold calls to five operators, or ten, or twenty? The small business owner increases her marketing reach for a very minimal cost.Call centers that specialize in inbound and outbound telemarketing verify their results to their customers in several different ways. Business to Consumer (B2C) Sales numbers speak for themselves: clients can review sales reports, call response rates, hang up data and all information about the call in a series of reports. These reports are often instantaneously generated through internet web-based applications that you can easily access through your own internet connection. Telemarketing services are also able to qualify leads: they are able to conduct research to determine the principle decision maker for a company or department, follow up with your sales pitch and set up appointments between you and receptive leads. Telemarketing service companies will generate detailed reports so that you are familiar with the results of every single step of the lead generation process. Other telemarketing services have the capability of creating complete market research solutions for their clients at a very affordable price. This range of marketing services used to be the domain of the larger marketing firms who set prices far above the reach of the typical small business owner. Smaller telemarketing companies are small and medium sized businesses who know their clients’ needs and concerns, and price their services within the budgets of businesses just like themselves. Choosing a smaller telemarketing services firm creates a personal link with another small business owner who is eager to help his or her clients succeed.Telemarketing Services are an increasingly affordable solution to generating new sales leads for your company when you need to extend your business reach. Easy, customizable solutions within your budget are available from smaller telemarketing companies who can help you generate hot leads and solid sales with minimal effort, leaving you free to focus on your key projects.Ira Spere is a writer for EFLS.com where you will discover a wealth of resources on Telemarketing and other related information.

Small Business Marketing Solution - Surprise Upgrades and Customer Respites

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:22:19 +0000

OK, your small business wants to outshine the competition. Start by surprising your customers with some inexpensive but delightful surprises.Customer Respite means creating either a physical space for the customer to relax, or at a minimum making the environment inside your store less rushed so they can mentally relax. Surprise Upgrade is creating a pleasant and unexpected reward for your customer. Classic rewards-driven marketing tells us that the primary way to upgrade or reward customers is to tie the upgrade to a purchase. The simple but effective punch-card at the corner donut shop or coffee house is the most common means for small business to achieve this. This is an effective and cheap way to build some customer loyalty.But you can also upgrade customers randomly. If done consistently, a high percentage of your good customers will experience these upgrades. The overall impression of your business as a company that cares will increase both among the current customer base and the new customers who visit your shop.The first thing to do is brainstorm a mix of both Customer Respite Areas and Surprise Upgrades. Here are five examples from various businesses:Type of Business: Home-based Daycare. Surprise Upgrade Idea: Serve a cup of hot chocolate in a to-go cup once a week during the winter when parents pick up their kids. Inexpensive, plus it’s a very much welcome treat on a cold day.Type of Business: Retail Maternity Store in a mall.Surprise Upgrade Idea: Once a week order cookies in the afternoon and hand out a couple to all moms-to-be that browse the store.Type of Business: Convenience Store.Surprise Upgrade Idea: Once a year, in the middle of winter, throw a “spring breeze” day where all gas purchases (not just the fill-ups, but all purchases) receive a free hanging car deodorizer.Type of Business: Shoe Repair Store with sidewalk frontage.Customer Respite Idea: Place one small wooden bench in front of store, close by the door–in the most shaded spot, if possible.Type of Business: Dry Cleaners.Surprise Upgrade Idea: Once a month just as a surprise pass out a coupon for one free dry-cleaning of a blouse or shirt. Nothing fancy–and the customers don’t have to do anything to “earn” the coupon.Another idea for any business is to add some easy listening music playing in the background so that your customers relax while waiting in line.OK, we came up with five ideas in about than twenty minutes. Obviously, you know your business better than we ever will. You should easily be able to come up with a half-dozen ideas of your own that will surprise and delight your customers.Here’s a great exercise:Create a Surprise Upgrade and Customer Respite “Idea Matrix”.Goal: Take 30 minutes and think up 7 ideas!!!Take a piece of paper, or use your computer to make a simple table. You’ll have four columns, labeled (from left to right):

Idea
Best Guess: Dollar Cost
Best Guess: Time Required
Target Implementation Date

Then underneath, draw seven lines…and create those seven ideas. After you’re done you’ll want to–you guessed it–discuss with your Bloom Team and then implement the best.Remember: People (customers and employees) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + Brand (who you are) = Marketing Success.© 2006 Marketing Hawks |||People Package Brand BlogCraig Lutz-Priefert’s marketing blog

Why a small business plan is important for successful small business marketing

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:20:19 +0000

When most business owners think of a small business plan, they think of a way to secure start-up capital. While it’s true that a good small business plan is a must-have for businesses looking for start-up investments and loans, a small business plan is an important document even if you’re not looking for start-up capital.In fact, a good small business plan is a crucial precursor to a good small business marketing plan. Why? Because the act of creating a small business plan forces you to think about your business in an objective, systematic way. It forces you, in short, to cover all your bases. And that will allow you to move forward with all of the information you need to create a dynamic, successful small business marketing plan.You can buy a software package designed to help you prepare a small business plan, though there are also a number of good free templates online. First and foremost, your small business plan should be well-organized. The essential components include:I)Executive summaryII)General company description1)Mission statement2)Company goals and objectives3)Business philosophy4)Market5)Industry6)Company strengths and core competencies7)Legal form of ownershipIII)Products and services1)An in-depth description of your products and/or services2)You competitive advantages or disadvantages3)How much your products and/or services will costIV)Marketing plan1)Market research: know your industry2)Market research: know your customers3)Market research: know your product or service4)Market research: know your competitors5)Find your niche6)Develop your sales strategyV)Operational plan1)Production2)Location3)Legal environment4)Personnel5)Inventory6)Suppliers7)Credit policiesVI)Management and organization1)Key employees2)Professional and advisory supportVII)Startup expenses and capitalization1)Forecast expenditures (add a 20% “contingency” item)2)Forecast startup contributionsVIII)Financial plan1)12-month profit and loss projection2)Four-year profit projection3)Projected cash flow4)Opening day balance sheet5)Projected balance sheet6)Break-even analysisThe part of your small business plan that will be most relevant in your small business marketing is the fourth section, where you’ll create your marketing plan. Understanding your industry, your customers, your product and/or service, and your competitors will set you up to optimize your small business marketing strategy. And finding your niche is a precursor to developing your brand.As you write your small business plan, avoid writing what sounds good but isn’t true. By making promises in your small business plan that you couldn’t possibly keep, you’re setting yourself up to fail. At the same time, don’t sell yourself short. Whether you’re using your small business plan to attract potential investors or as a guide for growing your business, you want to challenge yourself to reach new heights! I wish you the best of success with your small business.

Small Business Marketing Solution - Find the Brand Dissonance

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:18:19 +0000

OK, we want to be consistent in our small business marketing message. How? First, we must seek out the dissonance in our advertising message. Nails screeching across a chalkboard in a quiet classroom or the squeal of brakes in the middle of a residential neighborhood are obvious and startling types of dissonance. It’s easy to see obvious violations of your company’s brand. Many big corporations rightly focus on the company logo as the ultimate visual representation of the brand. Any errors or distortions of the company logo are quickly spotted and corrected. So critical is the logo to many large corporations that they have legal counsel quickly and firmly contact any parties that are misusing the logo in any way. For a small business, the signage displayed on the storefront and within the store is typically the equivalent of a corporate logo. Very few small businesses have really recognizable logos that are their own. They commonly have a piece of clip art placed next to a distinctive font that bears the company name, and that is about as close to a corporate logo that any of them get. And you know what? It is usually enough. Because for most small business, it is not the logo or the signage that is the brand. At its best, a logo merely calls to mind the brand. It is not the brand itself. A logo, like any other symbol, is completely neutral in meaning without being placed in the proper context. So, if the signage in your store in straight and properly fixed and doesn’t need painted and there are no bulbs burned out in any of your flashing signs, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and look for instances where you are really whispering to your customer something that is in direct conflict with what your brand stands for. Here we aren’t looking for that nails-on-chalkboard obvious violation, but the small, discreet nail in the tire of your car that. You know that nail; when you pull out of the driveway you don’t even notice it and then, ten miles down the road, you are sitting there stranded with a flat. When hunting for the dissonance in your brand, it’s best to start small. Begin with the little things your customers–and staff–see every day. Let’s start with your receipt. Most business gives out some type of receipt. Does yours thank the customer? Does it have your phone number or store location? How about your logo? Your website address? Is it something you are proud of, utilitarian as it is? Pack as much useful information on your receipt as is prudent, because it is a little whisper to the customer that you care enough about them to make your relevant info available and at their fingertips should they need it. For most customers, that receipt turns into a scrap of paper very quickly; but for those few that need the information, even if it’s just your phone number, that receipt can be a life saver. Start with the little, mundane items like receipts, and just look for anyplace where you aren’t reinforcing the brand message you want your customer to hear. Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success.© 2006 Marketing Hawks |||People Package Brand BlogCraig Lutz-Priefert’s marketing blog

Using your small business marketing tools to differentiate your business

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:17:19 +0000

Perhaps the most important quality for your small business marketing materials is that they are different. If you do nothing else right in your small business marketing, at least be different.Why is differentiation so important? Because, in most industries, there are hundreds – if not thousands or millions – of other businesses that claim to provide the same service or sell the same product as you do. If you don’t differentiate your business from all those others, the chances that you’ll get many customers are pretty slim.Some common ways to differentiate your business are:•Superior service•Greater product availability•Higher quality•Better performance•Greater durability•Prestige•Technology leadership•Satisfaction guarantee•Lower cost•Faster delivery•More customer supportBut even if you are very different than your competitors – you offer superior service, greater durability, or a satisfaction guarantee that beats all others – it won’t matter unless your prospective customers know about it.That’s where your small business marketing strategy comes in. Businesses have been using their small business marketing strategies to announce how they’re different from their competitors as long as they have been using small business marketing strategies. Think Maxwell House’s “Good to the last drop,” Campbell’s Soup’s “Mmm, mmm good,” or WalMart’s “Always low prices.” Those highly successful taglines not only get prospective customers to remember the company name, but also convey a message about the difference between that company and others.To make differentiation a part of your small business marketing strategy, you first need to understand your competitors – you can only explain how you’re different from them once you know what they’re like. Learn what your competitors offer, how they differentiate themselves, and – most importantly – what your prospective customers think about them (if you know what qualities your prospective customers see as shortcomings in the other companies in the market, you’ll have a good idea of the market gap you can fill).Once you’ve decided how you are different from your competitors, you need to tell your prospective customers about it. Building that differentiation into your tagline can be a very effective start. Then include that tagline, along with your logo, on every piece of small business marketing collateral you have. Another small business marketing way to publicize your differences is to write a press release. Explain how you’re filling a need in the market that no other company has filled.Once you’ve differentiated your company and used your small business marketing tools to publicize your differences, you have to follow through on your promises. If you say that you’re the cheapest – or the highest quality, or the friendliest, or whatever – then you better be just that (nothing turns away a customer like a failed promise).Brandt Stohr, The Small Business Marketing Genius has brought startup one man operations to billion dollar corporations by using creative marketing techniques rather then investors and capital. Brandt Stohr has been helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to get their small businesses exploding with sales without the use of expensive traditional marketing techniques. For more information and a free report on the ten deadly mistakes most small businesses are still making visit Brandt Stohr’s site at http://www.smallbusinessmktng.com

How To Hire Like The Fortune 500’s: A Guide For Small Businesses

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:16:19 +0000

A recent iLogos Research study revealed 94% of Fortune 500 companies now hire employees online, a stark contrast from 1998, when only 29% of them were doing the same. If you own or manage a small business, that means the vast majority of your fiercest competitors are now spending less time and less effort on recruitment. And that leaves them with more time to, simply put, get a leg up on you.Sure, it sounds like a threat. But isn’t lack of technology an inevitable drawback for most small businesses? Absolutely not. Maybe 10, even 5 years ago. But not today.Every time we do market research with small businesses, we hear three top reasons why the business has not yet implemented an online hiring solution, in which job candidates apply online:1. The cost is too high2. They lack the technological know-how3. They believe setting up a recruitment software would take longer than just doing it the old-fashioned wayThose are all valid concerns, considering most small businesses operate on a tight budget and without an in-house IT department.The good news is small businesses are fundamental to the North-American economy. In fact, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses drive the U.S. economy, representing 99.7 percent of all employer firms. In Canada, according to Statistics Canada, businesses with less that 100 employees account for 98% of all employer businesses.Business software developers are now recognizing the importance of SMBs and designing employee recruitment software that caters to the specific budgetary and technological needs of small business.It’s important to do your research and find the technology that’s the best fit for your company. When shopping around for a recruitment manager program, make sure to ask yourself the following questions:1. Cost: Is the advertised price of this product the actual price my company is going to pay?Beware of offers that are full of limitations. For example, will you have to pay more if a lot of people apply for your job? Is there a hosting charge for filing all the applicants’ resumes? Is there a time-limit for your job posting, after which you have to pay extra charges?2. Ease of technology: Is the technology really easy-to-use, even if I’m a computer novice? The best way to find this out is by trying the product yourself. Most companies offer free trials of their products, which are a great idea, as long they are risk free. Keeping in mind question 1, make sure the trial has no hidden charges. Also try out the front-end application process to make sure it’s really going to be easy when your job candidates apply online.3. Setup: How long will it take to get up and running?You don’t want to get stuck with a product that takes so long to setup, that by the time you’re done, you could have done everything the old-fashioned way. It’s a good idea to talk to a sales representative and ask him/her to explain to you the exact steps you’ll need to take to setup for a job.4. The product: What’s included?What does this product do? What doesn’t it do? Some programs offer only the online job posting functionality. Others focus on the back-end, like collecting resumes, organizing, filtering and searching employees, scheduling interviews, etc. When looking for a program that takes care of the back-end, make sure the company will also be able to help you with the posting functionality, whether you’re putting up a poster on your store window, running an ad in the local paper or posting on job websites.5. Service: Will I get a helping hand?Since most small businesses do not have an IT department, one of the most important questions to ask here is what kind of service will you get. Will you get email support? Phone support? Online Live Help? Will you be speaking to a real business person who knows about the specific challenges you’re facing, or to someone who only knows the tech aspects of the program?Remember it’s your company’s efficiency that’s at stake here, so don’t be afraid to ask questions or request a free trial. Hiring online may sound like something only fit for the big guys, but remember this is the 21st century, which means technology and small business are the most important aspects of our economy.Robert Burko is founder and president of Eliteweb.cc, a web portal and suite of efficiency-improving tools for small businesses. Eliteweb’s Recruitment Manager is budget-friendly and includes unlimited applicants, expert live support, unlimited file hosting and your own personalized web address, where candidates log in to apply online for jobs. Click on the link to hire employees online absolutely Free for 30 days.