If you are shy around new people, networking events can be an intimidating experience. How should you introduce yourself? What should you talk about?

Striking conversation with a random person isn’t easy for some, but with a little practice, you can become a master networker.

First, set a personal goal to not only talk to, say, 25 new people, but also to ask each one a few key questions. Set another goal to bring back 10 business cards. Call (your new contacts) that same day (or the next morning if it’s an evening event).

Great salespeople learn to become lead magnets, and they learn how by getting out there on the dance floor.

Source
BizJournals.com

Bookmark to:

“DARE to be bold if you want your business to stand out from the crowd.” That was the message marketing expert Carolyn Stafford delivered at a Women in Business workshop last week.

By putting your best foot forward, your company can thrive and grow. With more and more competition joining the game, now is the time to establish your company as something different from the rest.

“People buy your personality, they buy you,”

With the dawn of the Information Age it’s important, now more than ever, to put a name and face with your company. Doing this is the first step to “humanizing” a company so that people will feel more comfortable doing business with you.

Source:
The Daily Telegraph - Australia

Bookmark to:

This article is written from an employee point of view, however, I feel that these tips could apply to any business owner who is out networking themselves.

Of course not remembering the name of someone you meet is a social faux pas. Especially if you’re attempting to gain their business. This shows lack of respect and lack of professionalism. Here are some tips to help you remember names:

Concentrate. Be sure you hear it when they say it. Say it right back to them when they tell you. Then use it again quickly.

“If people give you their business cards, read the card back to them. Ask for the correct pronunciations of their names and voice it back to them. Then at some point, turn the card over and jot down information about them, such as their hair color and what they were wearing.”

Source:
California Job Journal

Bookmark to:

Think you can’t afford to implement any effective marketing tactics? Here are five ways to make a splash on a shoestring budget.

1. Talk to your clients.
2. Creatively package your marketing campaigns.
3. Get the word out with publicity.
4. Leverage existing relationships.
5. Commit to e-mail marketing.

While these methods make take some time and work, the potential returns far outweigh the costs.

Source:
Entrepreneur.com

Bookmark to:

Branding is an integral part of the business building process. Large corporations spend hundreds of millions of dollars building their brands, and there’s a reason:

• Brands enable customers to remember your product-service.
• Brands build customer loyalty and lead to repeat purchases.
• Brands make it easier for current clients or customers to refer you to others.
• Brands send a message as to what your customers can expect.
• Brands convey an emotion.
• Brands add value.

We use brands as shorthand to make our trips to the grocery store easier; we use brands to reassure us about our purchasing decisions; we even use brands to define ourselves in society.

Remember: a brand is a promise. With a brand, you set customer expectations. When someone buys your product or service, they count on those expectations to be fulfilled.

Source:
The News-Press

Bookmark to:

Persuasion is often used to describe a derogatory action. Persuasion is not pushing someone to do something. Pushing creates resistance and resentment. Persuasion feels more like pulling them to a positive point.

Follow these steps to further entice your customers:

1) Understand your product by understanding what it can do for others.
2) Ask well-thought-out questions.
3) Persuade others to act by appealing to emotions.

Source:
BizJournals.com

Bookmark to:

As a continuation from last Tuesday’s post, Benefits of Market Research, here are three common barriers to small business marketing success.

1) No clear definition of success
At what point can you call your marketing campaign a success? Will your success be based on profits, sales, or customer satisfaction?

2) Not clarifying who your ideal clients are
Before you even start your campaign, find out who your clients are and what they want. What are the demographics and characteristics of your ideal clients?

3) Not spelling out your unique value
Can you offer your clients something that the competition cannot? What makes your product or service better than the others available? Why should people choose you to do business with?

Answering these questions will give you a strong foundation of knowledge for a successful marketing campaign. Your campaign will be leaner, meaner and more efficient. Not only will you save money but will likely increase profits.

Source:
WebProNews.com

Bookmark to:

1) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
2) Measure your results in order to determine what works best.
3) Marketing isn’t just about the numbers.
4) If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
5) It’s always OK to try something new; just make sure not to discontinue the marketing you’ve been doing that gets results.
6) Wait 3 days to decide.

Including new ideas in your marketing plan is a healthy practice, just make sure you fully understand the implications and the chance for success in each plan. In other words, have a plan for the plan.

Source:
WebProNews.com

Bookmark to:

Researching your market prior to entering is a sound decision for any business owner. Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked and ignored. The results can be loss of revenue and a slow start.

What are the benefits of market research?

1) Will help you better communicate.
Learn about your potential clients — who they are and what they want the most. Nothing improves communication skills better than a little person to person contact.

2) Will help identify opportunities.
Check the competition. Are they missing something you can capitalize on? What can you do better than they can? Are you clients in need of something nobody else is offering?

3) Will minimize risk.
Just like any situation, if you come prepared you will be less likely to loose and more likely to win.

4) Will create benchmarks to help you measure progress.
How well are you doing? By setting the standard high from the start, you will be in a better position for sustained growth.

Source:
WebProNews.com

Bookmark to:

Face it — in today’s vicious corporate jungle, making a good first impression is crucial. There are no second chances. Instant assumptions are made and you’ve sealed the deal one way or another.

The reception of business cards are just one of the many areas where many people take the inconsiderate route:

Act as though you have received a gift. Upon accepting a card, you have the opportunity to repeat the name and be corrected on pronunciation. You should also ask any questions that the card itself may bring to mind and comment on the design if practical.

The idea is to show interest in any contact’s card, which will make them more likely to be interested in yours. Then respectively tuck it away in a safe place like a $100 bill. Your actions won’t be forgotten.

Source:
Toronto Sun

Bookmark to:

“There is a belief in this country that ‘I don’t need to deal with money management because I hardly have any money’. Many young people engage in “short-term thinking,” like expecting to save money only after they graduate from college or professional school.”

Unfortunately the topic of saving and investing money is not taught in our schools unless you specialize in the subject. It doesn’t matter how much money you make. Take the time to find a good financial planner that will guide you in the right direction.

I recently took the step and I can personally tell you it was an extremely good feeling.

Source:
The New York Times

Bookmark to:

Earnout - An arrangement in which sellers of a business receive additional future payment, usually based on future earnings.

“As many as half of all small business acquisitions involve earnouts, which generally last from two to four years and range from 15% to 30% of the purchase price (though 50% is not unheard of). Earnouts are particularly common in acquisitions of high-growth companies and those with unproven products. Takeovers of service businesses, in which the entrepreneur’s relationships with clients are crucial, are also likely candidates for earnouts.”

Earnouts can be a very risky transaction. It takes all of the power (and accomplishments) you hold in your company and hands it over to the corporation who purchases the rights. Don’t get starry-eyed by the initial payoff. Negotiate for all you and your company are worth.

Here’s how to protect yourself:

1) Get a lawyer.
2) Get the largest up-front payment you can.
3) Negotiate the targets for the earnout.
4) Fight for sliding-scale rather than all-or-nothing payments.

Source:
BusinessWeek.com

Bookmark to:

In yesterday’s post, Avoid Legal Trouble I wrote about switching from sole-proprietor to LLC in order to protect personal assets. Taking things a step further, you can create a C or S corporation.

Both types of corporations have advantages and disadvantages. Have a knowledgeable tax professional at your side to ensure compliance.

The IRS plans to examine 5,000 randomly selected S corporation returns from the 2003 and 2004 tax years. The audits will start later this year, and should all be completed within two to three years

S corporations are attractive to shareholders because they offer the same liability as traditional C corporations without double taxation.

The IRS is looking to see whether employee shareholders are forgoing a salary or reporting artificially low pay in favor of a big dividend. Some shareholders have done so to reduce or even eliminate self-employment taxes; that’s against the law.

Why not just simplify the tax system and eliminate the IRS altogether?

Source:
Associated Press

Bookmark to:

Being a new small business owner, I was recently forced to re-evaluate my company’s legal position. As a sole-proprietor, I learned that ALL of my personal assets were at risk of being taken if there were ever a legal dispute against my company.

Immediately, I visited a lawyer and formed a Limited Liability Company. Taxes are figured exactly the same, but now the assets I’ve worked so hard for are better protected.

“Operating a business as the sole proprietorship puts the owner in a vulnerable position. A better choice would be to start your company as a limited liability corporation. This means your company is a separate entity that must deal with its own legal issues and you are not personally held liable.”

Source:
WebProNews.com

Bookmark to: