Archive for the ‘Business Building Tips’ Category:
Written on September 2nd, 2010 by mmitchellone shout
New Marketing Plan Class Starting October 6th, 2010 – Final chance to enroll in 2010
Wonder how the new social media marketing fits in with your business? Not sure how to reach your key audience and grow your business? Need some effective ways to keep track of your leads? Then, it is time to develop, tweak or improve your marketing plan. Increase your chances of success by signing up for the field-tested and proven marketing and sales business process – Marketing for Smarties Challenge.
Marketing for Smarties™ is a unique business course that empowers entrepreneurs to become marketing thinkers and doers. Offered by the Small Business Development Center of Fort Lewis College, the program starts October 6th at the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce Boardroom and runs from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. The second and third classes will be held on October 27 and November 10th. This will be the last chance to attend the class in Pagosa Springs in 2010.
Straightforward, down-to-earth, and brief, the Marketing for Smarties Challenge helps business owners adopt a new, proven marketing and sales process. Marketing for Smarties guides you––step by step––through a simple, straightforward development program that includes 3 evening workshops, workbook, tasking, personal coaching, and peer exchange. Incredibly user friendly, it provides you with all the hands-on tools you’ll need.
This latest Smarties program has sponsorship from the San Juan College Enterprise Center, Region9, and the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce.
The fee for the course, including book and all materials, is $149. Step up to the challenge. Space is limited so call Marcy Mitchell, your coach for the course, today at 970-731-6325.
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Written on June 29th, 2010 by mmitchellone shout
Living in a small town in Southwest Colorado, I primarily work with small to mid-size companies. It is a pleasure working with owners, however, most small business owners do not have very many resources and therefore have to “do it all”. To that end, when I do a web site project for a company, I also become an integral part of their marketing department. Many times I assume the role of IT department, marketing department, copywriter and graphic designer. Through this process, I also try to help owners understand the importance of branding.
When creating a web site or an Internet marketing campaign, one of the most important questions I ask the client is “Who are you trying to reach and what emotional connection are you trying to make?” This starts a larger discussion on branding and positioning.
A lot of small business owners just put an ad together or a web site hoping that the mere presence of advertising will drive business their direction. However, if they have never thought about who they are trying to attract or their overall strategy, they may use the wrong message, photos, and copy that is not attracting their key market. In addition, their web site, brochure, and advertising may be sending different, conflicting messages. For example, they may create a beautiful professional ad but when the potential customer goes to the web site, they have old graphics, miles of copy and confusing navigation. This will cause the customer to jump off the site and not call or Email.
When asking if a company has ever tried marketing in a specific channel, many owners will say “we tried it and it doesn’t work”. However, was the marketing channel the problem (i.e. magazine, PPC ad, online advertiser) or was it the ad itself?
Before starting a web project or any other marketing project, it is extremely important that your marketing team truly understands who you are targeting and what colors, fonts, words and copy will attract that type of person. People buy because of emotions to solve a need, save them money or save them time. If your key audience is not quickly understanding how your product or service will help them, then they will move on. You are not trying to sell the entire world…you are simply trying to connect with potential customers who “match” the value you are offering.
Futhermore, it takes at least 7 “touches” for a person to even recognize that they saw your ad or article. Therefore, marketing should be a comprehensive strategy, not one that just throws mud on the wall to see what sticks.
Finally, all marketing should have a specific lead channel. My next article will talk about the evolution of online brochure web sites to lead generation web sites.
Marcy Mitchell, owner of MTECH Internet Marketing, has been helping small to medium sized business owners develop comprehensive marketing strategies and effective web sites for the past 14 years. For a complimentary marketing review, contact her or call 970-731-6325.
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Written on April 13th, 2010 by mmitchellno shouts
As an instructor for Marketing for Smarties, I spend a lot of time helping owners develop a unique positioning statement. It is important to communicate the distinctive benefits your product or service provides for customers compared to your competition. This unique positioning, along with your overall vision, helps define your brand.
Many companies or organizations spend thousands with consultants coming up with their brand, but they don’t know how to effectively communicate that brand throughout their entire organization. Here is a great article from Cobizmag.org that talks about how to penetrate your brand:
The secret behind living your brand
Hire for role fit, culture fit and brand fit
By Kathleen Quinn VotawThe statistics on why companies lose customers haven’t changed for years. Is anyone listening? A full 68 percent of customers who leave are turned away, not by dissatisfaction with the product, but by the indifferent attitude of a single employee. All the money you spend on perfecting your product and advertising its quality is wasted if your employees aren’t delivering what your customers expect. In other words, your entire brand comes down to the individual impression left by a single employee.
There’s a competitive opportunity here for companies that make sure every employee is living their brand. But can you trust your brand to anyone? That answer is no. The secret behind successful brand strategy, whether internal or external, is talent recruitment. The 68 percent of lost customers says loudly: “It’s all about the people.”
Jack Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of McDonald’s, gets it: “We succeed or fail, every day, in every restaurant, because of our people.” What’s true for McDonald’s is true for every business, in any industry.
What is “living the brand?”
If honesty is a core value in your organization, and you ask the receptionist to tell people that you’re out when you’re actually in, then you’re not living your brand. If the plaque on your wall says, “We value our customers” and your menu says, “No changes or substitutions please,” you’re not living your brand.
Your brand is your promise, your commitment to customers. It’s your commitment to employees too. It represents everything your company makes or says – and what it feels like to do business with you. In a sense, your brand has a personality, and it’s reflected in the actions-and attitudes-of your employees, both in interacting with one another and with your customers. The best brands deliver on their promise no matter what the circumstances: a bad economy, a blip in production timing, or a bout of flu that leaves you shorthanded. Core values don’t change, and neither do successful brands. Employees of companies with successful brands find a way to do it.
Your brand is built on your core values, and when employees live it, it means that your brand permeates your organization’s culture. When your employees live your brand, they have passion around your product or service and pride in your company. Who wouldn’t want to do business with you?
Recruit for ‘brand talent”
Just as you look for certain skills and competencies to fill specific roles in your business, and assess each candidate for cultural fit, you need to consider how well a candidate “fits” your brand. People may qualify in every other way, but if they are not capable of enhancing your brand at appropriate customer touchpoints, they are not the “brand talent” you need. Every person you hire should have brand talent that will allow them to “live” your particular brand. If part of your brand promise is “fun,” for example, you wouldn’t want to hire an introvert to interface with customers.
If it’s truly all about the people, brand success comes only when your brand is an integral part of your culture and in an environment where employees bring out the best in one another. This means that brand talent applies to both internal and external customers. There can’t be one brand of behavior inside an organization and another brand for customers. Employees must be engaged with one another in understanding and interpreting your brand and in helping each other execute it at every touchpoint with customers.
Hire for role fit, culture fit and brand fit.
How to deliver your brand promise
Your brand shouldn’t live in your marketing department. It should live in the heart and soul of every employee. Here are steps you can take to ensure that it does:
• Define your core values. This should not be a wish list: What are your real values? How do they align with your brand?
• Understand the competencies that make your brand a success. List competencies in marketing, sales and service areas, and also in product development, quality, administration and every other area of the company as they specifically relate to delivering your brand.
• Hire the right people, with the characteristics and capabilities to live your brand.
• Train every employee on your brand and what your organization’s expectations are of every employee in delivering on the brand promise.
• Develop an integrated communication plan for both inside and outside the company and check for understanding of your values and brand. Employees can’t live the brand if they don’t understand it. Communicate in both word and deed.
• Establish a program for defining and sharing best practices and continuous improvement as they relate to delivering on your brand.
Whether your focus is acquiring new customers, or retaining customers; and whether you are starting your company, growing it or selling it, a strong brand is a key element in achieving your goal. The secret is recruiting the right talent to deliver on your brand. (Shhhhhh! Let someone else hire the indifferent employees.)
Kathleen Quinn Votaw is founder and CEO of Golden-based TalenTrust, a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) firm that helps companies accelerate their growth by hiring exceptional talent. Kathleen is president of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Denver. Reach Kathleen at kvotaw@talentrust.com or 303-838-3334 303-838-3334 x5.
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Written on March 11th, 2010 by mmitchellno shouts
This article was published in the Cobizmag.com recent edition.
Short-sighted measures make the state far less attractive
By Diane Schwenke
Businesses across the state have recently been taken by surprise and alarmed by a package of bills proposed by the Governor and passed by the Legislature in record time, which took effect March 1. The bills were aimed at helping to fill the state’s current budget gap by eliminating or reducing state tax credits and exemptions for businesses in Colorado.
These measures have been used across our state for decades to help companies keep and grow jobs. The increase in taxes paid by the private sector as a result of this package will make it more difficult to keep jobs in Colorado and lure new ones to our State in the future.
We know that Colorado is facing unprecedented economic challenges. Unemployment statewide is 7.5 percent and locally it is 9 percent. We continue to hope that the state and local economy is positioned to return to stability and growth this year. However, the decisions we make now, in both the private and public sector, are critical to achieving that goal.
Colorado has very little ammunition to lure business. While other states are rapidly adding incentive packages to attract companies, we are removing several of the key provisions in our limited arsenal. As the country rebounds from the current economic woes, businesses are looking for opportunities to take advantage of an educated workforce and reasonable property costs.
They will be looking for additional incentives to relocate or expand their operations. Colorado will now have less to offer them based on the recent work of the Colorado General Assembly. In fact, we may have just put out the “Closed” sign in terms of the overall message we have sent business, particularly when compared with other states that are seeking jobs for their citizens.
We know the state’s budget problems are severe. We understand the challenges our elected officials face; the private sector has been experiencing and managing the very same issues. Nonetheless, it is short-sighted to balance the budget with one-time funding sources and the removal of economic policies that drive job growth and ultimately tax revenue.
Colorado’s business community contributed, in the past two years, more than $330 million in cash funds and forgone revenue with the repeal of the vendor fee ( a program where the state paid business to collect state sales tax, which business now does at its own expense) to shore up the state’s budget shortfall. This year, we will continue to do what we can to get our state finances back on track.
In the coming year, the $800 million dollar deficit in the Unemployment Insurance Fund will have to be replenished as well-state government does not cover that cost, business does. Finally, we expect we will also be paying an increased property tax rate due to plummeting home values and the constitutional requirement that business make up the difference in those property tax rates. All that, while trying to cope with the loss of revenue in their own businesses at the same time. The total cost of the actions taken previously by policy makes along with this anticipated deficit in the Unemployment Insurance fund will be well beyond $1 billion over a few short years. That was BEFORE this most recent action.
Business is already contributing to help the state close the budget gap. With this latest legislative action the primary job and tax generators of this State are being required to do even more. There will be unintended consequences. Dollars that could have gone into job growth will be going to pay sales tax on energy used to manufacture a ceramic component part at CoorsTek which must compete internationally for sales, or to pay sales tax on the takeout boxes that a Nick and Willy’s pizza comes in. Make no mistake this will affect the bottom line costs of many small businesses as well as large ones…at a time when they can least afford it.
If this recession has shown nothing else, it has shown the direct correlation between the fate of free enterprise and the fate of government budgets. One cannot help but wonder then, why lawmakers in this State choose to make it tougher for free enterprise to return to the profitability that will be required to in order to have more sustainable state tax revenues.
In 2010, as the Chamber and as the local business community, we will continue doing what we can to get our economy back on track. But we cannot do that alone. We, along with other business associations across the State urge our elected officials within the Colorado General Assembly to join us in this goal, to see business as the ally we are in moving this state forward and to partner to promote activities that lead to jobs for Coloradans.
Diane Schwenke is the president and chief executive officer of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce.
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Written on February 12th, 2010 by mmitchellno shouts
The following article is from Brian Tracy
The worst beliefs you can have are “self-limiting beliefs.” These exist whenever you believe yourself to be limited in some way. For example, you may think yourself to be less talented or capable than others. You may think that others are superior to you in some way. You may have fallen into the common trap of selling yourself short and settling for far less than you are truly capable of.
These self-limiting beliefs act like brakes on your potential. They hold you back. They generate the two greatest enemies of personal success—doubt and fear. They paralyze you and cause you to hesitate to take the intelligent risks that are necessary for you to fulfill your true potential.
For you to progress, to move onward and upward in your life and your business, you must continually challenge your self-limiting beliefs. You must reject any thought or suggestion that you are limited in any way. You must accept as a basic principle that you are a “no-limit” person, and that what others have done, you can do as well.
When I was a young man, coming from a difficult upbringing, I fell into the mental trap of concluding that because other people were doing better than I was, they must be better or smarter than I was. I accidentally concluded that they were worth more than I was. I must therefore be worth less. This false belief held me back for years.
The fact is that no one is better than you are and no one is smarter than you are. If they are doing better, it is largely because they have developed their natural talents and abilities more than you have. They have learned the laws of cause and effect that apply to their lives and work before you have. And anything anyone else has done, within reason, you can probably do as well. You just need to learn how.
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Written on February 4th, 2010 by mmitchellno shouts
The following article is by Lee J. Colan and The L Group, Inc.
“Lauren,” Hank scolded, “you really have got to stop worrying so much. You’ve made it a full-time job! You worried about James failing high school. You worried that the girls would marry deadbeat husbands who wouldn’t provide for them. You worried about our flights getting canceled before our vacation. Last month, when you had that cold, you even worried about getting the whooping cough, of all things. You worried about all these things, and none of them happened!”
“See!” Lauren exclaimed. “It worked!”
How many of us are like Lauren? Sure, she was making a joke, she knew worrying didn’t do any good, but in some situations it seemed to be all she could do. She had long ago fallen into the habit of worrying, and she didn’t know how to fall out of it.
Research studies have revealed that we typically worry five times as much about things that will never happen as about things that actually do occur. That’s a lot of wasted worry! If you’re this distracted, you cannot effectively live up to your potential. Worry will drain your energy and stifle your commitment. Every minute you spend worrying is a minute that you’re not committing. Worry is the opposite of faith, so stop worrying, and deepen your faith.
One good way to combat worry is to commit to memory Reinhold Niebuhr’s “Serenity Prayer”: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Once you’ve accepted the things you cannot change, how do you change the things you can? Simply take a rational approach. Let’s say you have a new job and are worried about making a mistake. The worrying mind quickly jumps to a worst-case—and highly unlikely—scenario: If you make a mistake, you’ll get fired. Rationally, you know this is improbable, but how do you prove it to yourself? It’s simple. First, you break down the chain of events that would lead to your firing. Then you assign a probability to each event; a rough estimate will do.
So what are the real odds of your being fired? Even though each individual probability is just a rough estimate, the total probability, which is the product of all these individual probabilities, is a good ballpark estimate:
Probability of being fired because of a mistake = 0.25 x 0.1 x 0.7 x 0.1 x 0.05 = .0000875, or .00875% (less than one chance in ten thousand).
Now, doesn’t that put things in perspective? This kind of rational approach can help you get a handle on your worries. If the chances of your being fired because of a mistake are less than one in ten thousand, there’s really no reason to worry about it.
I remember the words of the wise baboon, Rafiki (is that an oxymoron?) for the Lion King fans, “Hakuna Matata!” Meaning “There are no worries!” Well, that works great if you are living in the jungle …in a movie.
However, for today’s real world, I say, “No worries, take action!” Life’s rewards go to those whose actions rise above their excuses… and their worries.
So take positive action today and wash away your worries!
Winning with you,
Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.
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Written on December 16th, 2009 by mmitchellno shouts
Business today can be a tricky balancing act. Trying to keep up without falling can be exhausing. During these times, the human tendency is to pull back, conserve and start thinking smaller. The problem is that thinking may not only prevent a business from pulling out of the downturn, it will also position it weaker to take advantage of the recovery period.
Most small business owners forget the most basic truth – your business is more reliant on internal factors (an owner’s attitude, perspective and willingness to learn) than external factors, such as the marketplace. Your mind is like a parachute…it only works when it is OPEN.
The recession has given entrepreneurs a great opportunity to evaluate their strengths, learn new skills, and let go of practices that are not conducive to growth. All businesses experience peaks and valleys in their business because you cannot control external factors. However, you can definitely influence the time spent in a valley and how long it will take to get your company up to peak performance. Here are a few things to evaluate:
- 1. Sense of optimism – Rate yourself on your current expectation for growth. If you don’t expect the best from yourself, you won’t expect the best from clients and it will reflect on your sales.
- Positive Approach to Challenges – People are like tea bags – you see what they are like when you put them in hot water. Every problem has a lesson inside. You will only grow when you figure out the lesson and SOLVE it.
- Law of Association – Our circumstances are primarily a result of our thinking. Our thinking is directly affected by those we hang around and the books, websites, newspapers and Emails we read and classes we attend. Check your circle of influence. Is it surrounded by people who look for solutions or spend most of their energy blaming others or whining about the problem?
- Law of Attraction – This is closely related to the law of association. You attract what you are. So, if you want high integrity, hard working clients that value timely payments, quick response times and positive spirits, make sure you project those same values. If you are focused on growth, you will attract mentors and clients who will work with you to solve problems and grow. If you focus on lost revenues and blame, you will attract those people who are constantly struggling and won’t have as many resources to provide.
- Self Discipline – It is the deliberate choice for delayed gratification. Your ability to set goals, search for knowledge, and work consistently to keep those goals directly affects your self-image and results. Success is more the result of daily deliberate actions than any one big splash or sale.
MTECH is committed to helping owners learn new marketing skills and expand their thinking. Contact us today to discuss your Internet marketing challenges or needs.
Marcy Mitchell orginally posted this article on the AEDAED.org blog in September, 2009.
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