Unusual January Holidays

Here are some real but little known January holidays that you can use for your business for fun and profit.

 1 Get a Life Day!
 2 National Science Fiction Day
 4 National Trivia Day
 5 National Bean Day
 7 Not Going to Take It Anymore Day
 8 National Bubble Bath Day
 10 Volunteer Fireman Day
 13 Blame Someone Else Day
 15 National Hat Day
 18 Winnie the Pooh Day
 19 National Popcorn Day
 20 Basketball Day
 21 National Hug Day
 23 National Pie Day
 25 Opposite Day
 27 National Toilet Day
 28 National Kazoo Day
 29 National Puzzle Day
 30 National Croissant Day

Increase International Sales?

Quick Tips:

• Identify which countries import products similar to your own.
• Try targeting foreign markets with Google AdWords.
• If you'll be selling through foreign distributors or retailers, go to meet them.
• Keep in mind that exporting can reduce your margins.

When the value of the dollar dropped in 2008, Mr. Siegel noticed a boom in calls and Web visits from abroad. He began marketing with Internet ads and country-specific Web pages aimed at consumers in Britain, Australia, Finland and Canada.
In the last 18 months, international sales at Orb Audio, which brings in more than $5 million annually, have risen to 35 percent of total sales from 10 percent, offsetting a 10 percent domestic slump in 2009. Total sales in February were up about 75 percent over last year, almost exclusively on foreign orders from as far away as Zimbabwe, Nigeria and — three times in the last six months — Easter Island.
“Somehow, 10 percent of our business is in Finland because a couple years ago someone got our speakers and wrote a nice review in an Internet forum,” said Mr. Siegel, 39.
For many small companies, and President Obama, Mr. Siegel’s experience is one to be emulated. During his State of the Union address, the president announced the National Export Initiative, a program aimed at doubling American exports in five years. As part of the initiative, the Obama administration increased the budget of the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration by 20 percent to $540 million to help advocate for American businesses abroad and called on the Export-Import Bank of the United States— which provides export financing when private banks cannot or will not — to increase financing for small- and medium-size businesses to $6 billion from $4 billion over the next year.
Today, although the United States exported $1.55 trillion in goods and services last year, it is still isolated. Fewer than 1 percent of America’s 30 million companies export, a significantly smaller percentage than those of other developed countries. Of the companies that do export, those with fewer than 20 employees, like Mr. Siegel’s, represent 72 percent of the exporters and 14.2 percent of the value of goods exported.
Here are some ways to take advantage of the opportunity.
CHOOSE A MARKET “You can’t do a thing until you find customers,” said Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade, an export consultancy based in Chicago.
But most small businesses do not know how to do that abroad, so exporting often comes from serendipity: an entrepreneur makes a chance friendship with an overseas importer or someone calls from abroad with an order. “It sometimes works out,” said Cliff Paredes, director of the International Trade Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “But the first contact may not be from the right market or from the right partner. If you’re reactive, there’s a risk.”
To be proactive, direct-to-consumer sellers can follow the model of Mr. Siegel, who used Google AdWords, the Internet advertising platform, to direct keyword ads to people in specific countries. For products that go through a foreign distributor, Mr. Paredes advises exporters to classify their products under the internationally standardized Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, then look at trade data to determine which countries are importing those products.
Once that has been done, industry trade shows are often a good place to find foreign importers eager to carry products in the exporter’s country of choice. The Commerce Department’s U.S. Commercial Service and the Small Business Administration’s network of Small Business Development Centers also help small businesses find markets and customers.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS While Americans are used to getting straight to business — often over the phone — most foreign countries require serious relationship-building.
“Relationships are the holy grail of cross-border businesses,” said Duncan J. McCampbell, president of McCampbell Global, a Minneapolis small-business export consultancy. “As Western business people, we’re the product of a stable legal system. Someone cheats you, you sue them, you get your money. It’s not like that in other countries. If you don’t spend time with people, you will fail.”
About five years ago, Glenn Williams, president of Bell Performance, a 17-employee fuel additive company in Longwood, Fla., began a big push into overseas markets. Attracted by opportunities in China that he had discovered through Alibaba.com and the Commerce Department, he went to Asia to meet potential customers in 2000 — but not before enlisting a friend who was familiar with Asian markets.
“He said, ‘Whatever’s put in front of you, eat it with a smile.’ I ate eel, fish eyes, pickled heart of monkey, or something like that. We learned to use chopsticks before we left, though I probably lost a few pounds from food jumping out of my chopsticks,” said Mr. Williams, 34. “And we learned that in Japan you’re supposed to introduce yourself to the top person first and then move down the line.”
Today the company is in almost 30 countries, and last year 40 percent of its revenue came from exports.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR PRODUCTS Not every product has a market outside the United States. Those that do meet certain criteria.
“They’re targeted to a narrow segment of the market that no one’s serving and that pays a premium and isn’t subject to local low-wage competition,” Mr. McCampbell said. “The first thing you got to ask yourself is, ‘Can someone make it cheaper in China, India or Vietnam?’ ”
Even then, exporters need to do thorough market research to modify products to fit local norms. When Peter Cole took over Gamblin Artists Colors, an art-supply company in Portland, Ore., in early 2007, international sales accounted for less than 5 percent of revenue. So, flying about 80,000 miles in 2009, Mr. Cole built relationships with stores and distributors in Israel, Australia, Mexico, Britain and Spain. And he found he had to tailor his products. “In Australia they want larger sizes of paints — sizes we haven’t contemplated for the U.S. market — particularly for printmaking inks,” Mr. Cole, 37, said. “People tend to paint bigger, and thicker.” International sales at the company, which brings in almost $5 million annually, rose to 10 percent of revenues last year.
For Kyle Schroeder, president of the Cremo Cream Company, a Los Angeles shaving cream start-up, customization occurred for legal reasons: To sell in Canada, he needed to put his tubes in a box so that he could include the required French documentation.
REMEMBER TO MAKE A PROFIT Because of shipping costs, import duties, compliance requirements and added middlemen, profit margins are usually lower in exporting. In Mr. Schroeder’s case, adding a box increased his cost by more than 20 percent.
New exporters often make the mistake of signing a contract before they understand market regulations or nail down how and when they will be paid. For protection, it can be helpful to demand advance payment for small transactions or, for larger ones, to draw up a letter of credit — a contract that requires payment before the delivery of goods — between the buyer’s bank and the seller’s. And it is essential to bone up on Incoterms, the internationally standardized system that defines when a product passes from the exporter’s possession to the importer’s and who has to pay for what part of shipping.
The lag time between export orders and payment can tax a small business. To handle this, the Export-Import Bank offers financing that allows small businesses to borrow against their receivables as well as receivables insurance that lets them offer payment terms to foreign clients.
Source: New York Times

It's That Time Again

While anytime is a good time to make changes in your life and business, it seems the new year gives us an excuse to take those chances. Maybe next year will be the big year when your business grows beyond your goals. It happens all the time for many companies every year, so why not yours? All you need to do is make up your mind that changes will be made with the committment that they will work to your advantage. Otherwise you could be on the same road to slow sales, old products and tougher competition.

Now is the chance to crawl out of your comfort zone and go after those opportunities that you have been pushing to the side for the last several months. Outside of your comfort zone there is a chance for failure but also a chance for Big Success. If you pursue the goals that will make you successful and make any needed changes along the way, the odds will be in your favor. Doing nothing will yield nothing and you already know that. Let's all make next year the year of the entrepreneur!

Barry is a speaker, international author and business coach/trainer.  www.idealetter.com

PR Benefits for Your Company

As a young company, how do you know when to put your PR plan into motion? And what will the ROI be from the time you dedicate to getting your name in print (or on television)? Here are the top five benefits of having a professional PR campaign:
1. New, impressed investors

Possessing a persuasive business plan is key to impressing potential investors. However, a great feature in a premier publication is sure way to a demonstrate your company's credibility. Whether written up in an industry trade journal or a major national outlet, knowing that an unbiased outsider found your company compelling enough to write about may make your company very attractive to invest in.

2. New clients and increased business
In times of both economic boom and bust, client retention ebbs and flows. Sometimes the well runs dry just when you need the business, or you need that extra push to meet your quarter quota. Even in industry-related trade journals, readers tend to tune out advertising and tune in to content. Seeing your company's name on the editorial pages as opposed to the paid advertising section can be the difference between a client flipping past you and choosing to do business with you.

3. High-end talent
Having too much business is one of the best problems a company can have. This may be a sign that you may need to expand your company's operations to handle incoming clientele. Potential candidates may read publications geared toward your industry, and a strong write-up about your company is likely to capture their attention. Talented people may designate you as a desirable landing spot.

4. Increased credibility
Whether you're looking to get noticed by larger companies for a potential buyout, or perhaps to make some acquisitions yourself, increased credibility is a must. Being featured in the press - especially in this day and age, where social media outlets can distribute your articles across the entire spectrum of Internet users -- allows you to leverage this attention as support for your cause. Create a press page on your company's website so you can display your success in the press to viewers.

5. Improved SEO
When people search for your company, it may get hidden behind dozens of unrelated pages that happen to share a few choice key words - lest your new enterprise technology firm appear below someone's recipe for cranberry sauce and an old Xanga page. Having a greater online presence via multiple write-ups on different, oft-visited sites will improve your company's search engine optimization, helping you jump to the top of the search results page, making your company appear more professional.

Overall, a great PR campaign can do wonders for your business. Whether you're just looking for new customers or finding that your company lacks the credibility of your rivals, seeing your name in the paper or hearing it from the mouths of respected television anchors is a great solution. Let's not forget that it feels undeniably good to see your company's name in print. Take my word for it.
By Zach Cutler

Email Marketing Success

Should you ever bring up the topic of email marketing, you will certainly hear people complain about the hundreds of emails they receive on a daily basis. They will tell you sob stories about the endless "junk" they receive and how they try to opt-out from all of that "spam" …all to no avail!
They might even give you a strange look (after all, you did bring up email marketing at a party) and start asking you if you are "one of those people" who sends huge volumes of email.
With increased postage rates and the desire to reach your prospects when they are attentive, email has increasingly been the solution. The most recent challenge has become: With so many businesses sending messages, how should you stand out in the crowd? How can you ensure that your message actually gets noticed?
Now more than ever, it is essential to have an edge with email marketing when you want to reach new prospects for your business. To cut through the spam filters and be sure that your message is one that someone truly wants to read, consider the following:
The Success You Will Enjoy with Email Starts with Your Offer
When business owners want to improve their success with email marketing, they immediately look at what they are sending. Whether your database holds 200 emails or it holds a million emails, look at how people have come to find out about your company or product before looking at the content of your emails.　
Did recipients originally sign up for a newsletter? Did your prospects sign up for information on a specific product line? Did they sign up for a white paper to learn more about a particular offering or service? Far too often the same email messages are sent to every prospect in a database. The person who signed up for the newsletter is looking for something entirely different than the person who signed up for a white paper.
Look carefully at what prospects sign up for and you will start to uncover the issues with your response rates. Look even deeper into your offerings to ensure that they provide enough value that you are actually providing prospects with "real" email. The better you make your offers, the more responsive your prospects will be through email.
An Interest-Piquing Subject Line Can Save the Day
Most business owners take the time to carefully review their marketing pieces before they go out. They might work with a designer on color details for their website or change the layout of a brochure multiple times before it lands in the hands of a potential customer… but what about the time they spend looking at the subject line of an email?
Open your email right now and take a look at the volume of messages. How quickly do you scan the list to determine if you should delete the message, save it for later, or actually read it? Five seconds? Ten seconds? You have just a few seconds to grab a prospect’s attention, which means taking the time to craft a powerful subject line is worth the investment.
Try challenging your original thought as you look to craft engaging email subject lines by asking yourself these questions:
• Interest Piquing: Is there an element of curiosity to the subject line that would make want to find out more?
• Pain: Does the email subject alleviate pain or pound on a bruise that is bothering prospects?
• Benefit: Will your prospects experience a benefit of time, money, or wellbeing if they read on?
Take time to craft your email subjects and watch as your response rates increase.　
Not Just Any Email Will Do, Each Touch Must Add Value
While the goal of email is certainly to bring more customers into your store, encourage more prospects to call for assistance, and push potential customers to purchase more of your products online, that can’t be what your emails are all about. Sending emails that are only about sales, new products, or services is a sure-fire way to ensure that your messages are quickly deleted. Look at the content of your emails and ask yourself a very simple question: If I were opening this email as a total stranger, does it add any value to my day?
For most emails received, the answer is that the message adds no value at all. It’s merely an advertisement delivered digitally. Regardless of your industry, it is crucial to create emails that add real value. For example, if you sell clothing, you could share fashion tips. If you sell exercise equipment, you could share fitness tips. Don’t try to disguise helpful tips as sales letters; add real value and your emails will be eagerly anticipated by your prospects… and that’s a win for everybody.
How Many Emails are You Sending?
Even with a database that has a few million records, sending a big "blast" email is not likely to help you achieve your goals. Instead of periodically blasting your database of prospects with offers, consider developing an email follow-up sequence that will keep prospects engaged until the moment they are ready to take action.
By Todd Bates

One or More Trade Shows

 

Everyone in business should attend at least one event in their industry or association every year. More if possible, but one is mandatory to stay current and learn new innovations and changes that are alreday here or coming.  You will not only find out what's new but meet your current suppliers and yes, your competitors who are just trying to be successful just like you are. There may be something happening in your industry a thousand mile away that you bring to your business area. 

 

Smart show management will not only present industry information but also educational sessions on general business and marketing. What good is it if your know everything about your industry but don't know how to market it. Attend as many general sessions, workshops or keynotes as you can and meet the presenters afterward. Find ways to use what you learn in your business and stay on the cutting edge of your industry. Your customers and prospects will respect you as an expert and it will create more loyalty. People want to do business with someone who has the latest answers. Find the funds somewhere to attend trade shows, expos and conventions. Plan way ahead, make the commitment and you will see that it will be money well spent.

 

Barry is a convention and trade show speaker on marketing and business growth.

Online Business Ideas for Women

While getting a job that will jump start your career is a good option, it should also be considered that putting up a business can also help you achieve financial freedom faster since you own the business yourself and you are even your own boss. However, starting a local business can be very taxing so you need to look for other avenues that can make you start a new business even without a high capital and this is where online businesses come into play. Online businesses fit everyone; they are more beneficial for women.

Statistics show that women are more inclined to online businesses than men, simply because of the fact that women tend to prefer staying at the comfort of their home while doing their other roles as a mother and as a wife. So if you are a home stay mom and would want to start your career as well, doing an online business is an excellent way to spend your time at home. To help you get started, here are the top three best online business ideas for you:

1. Affiliate marketing
Probably the most successful online business on the internet today is affiliate marketing. In here, you just need to promote the products of various sites and earn commission from sales through your promotion. The earnings in affiliate marketing are endless because the number of sales would dictate how much you will earn.
You can start affiliate marketing by looking for products that are you are willing to market or promote. You can do the promotion through various means such as social networking sites, blogs and even developing your own blog or affiliate marketing website. The more people who buy the product through your marketing, the more commission you will get. Visit some affiliate marketing sites to further understand affiliate marketing.

2. Copy writing or content writing
The internet has its own way of directing traffic to one site by increasing the number of visitors in a particular site. One of which is through the content of the site. More website owners require contents for their specific sites and here comes the role of content writers. Thousands of contents are needed each day because websites also need to increase or revise their contents more often to meet the demands of search engine sites. If you are good at writing, you can make content writing your business. Get clients that you can write for to earn a steady flow of cash. If you have more clients, you can also get freelance writers to work for you to create more content. The more content written each day means more income for your content writing business.

3. Blogging
While this is not actually a business in its sense, it can also give you passive income online. Blogging was first introduced as a means of people to share their ideas, feelings and the like, but now, blogging can also be a source of income. If you are looking for passive income, you can create your own blog and link it to ads that fit the content of your blog. In this way, you can earn through pay per clicks when people open the ad in your blog. The more blogs you write, the more ads that come to your site and the more earnings you will get. This type of online business will actually give you a long-term income because as long as your blogs are there, people can just visit it and earn you dollars with their clicks to ads.

The World Wide Web has really provided people a means of entertainment, education as well as earning money. So take advantage of the millions of people who use the internet globally by opening one of these online businesses.
Peter Cruz is a successful online entrepreneur. He has his own website for selling men’s apparel and gears, but at the same time, tries affiliate marketing and blogging. He states that no other job he had, have been able to give him what he is earning now. If you are looking for a new job, but would rather stick to being an employee, you can look for jobs in jordan online.
Source: awomaninbusiness.com

Time to Move Out?

If your New Year’s resolution is finally to move your business out of the spare bedroom, but you’re leery about committing to a long-term commercial lease, here are some options to explore, beyond the local Starbucks (SBUX):
• Libraries and hotel lobbies. Aaron Hodari and Lincoln Cavalieri, co-founders of Glocal, a news video platform launched last month, started out of a midtown Manhattan apartment two years ago and held meetings and work sessions outside it. “One [location] in particular would be the Ace Hotel on West 29th Street,” Hodari writes in an e-mail. “The large, library-style lobby was a perfect area to work … over a great cup of coffee.”
Most public libraries offer tables, Wi-Fi, and computers—and scads of entrepreneurs around the country take advantage of them.
• Shared space. Recession-era downsizing left many companies with a great deal of empty square feet on their long-term leases. Recouping some of that wasted expense can be attractive to existing tenants, even if you pay below-market rent and can’t commit to a formal sublease. Ask friends, investors, and colleagues if they know of available space, or barter with clients for a desk in their office. Be prepared to follow house rules and be displaced when their business picks up.
Online companies such as PivotDesk in Boulder, Colo., and Desktime in Chicago can help you find available space or find “guests” if your company has unused space.
Lilli Cloud ran branding consultancy Bluefeet out of her Los Angeles home office for its first eight years. In 2009, two graphic designers she worked with occasionally mentioned they might move to a home office due to the recession. Cloud was looking for a change, so she took an office in their suite, enabling them to stay put but paying less than she would for a standalone office. The financial and creative benefits exceeded her expectations: Her income doubled from 2010 to 2011 and again from 2011 to 2012.
She attributes some of the increase to an improving economy but pins part of the uptick on her new suitemates. “I went from working with them once in a while to working with them 50 percent of the time. They have introduced me to their biggest clients, and I’ve brought them a ton of work, too. We feel like a team, because we are in the same office every day, and if one of us has an idea, we can walk down the hall and say, ‘What do you think?’” Cloud says.
• Co-working facilities. Vic Ahmed, a Denver serial entrepreneur, says he’s been a founder, investor, or board member of more than a dozen companies that started at Starbucks. “I’m not even a coffee drinker,” he confesses. Today Ahmed is chief executive of Innovation Pavilion, an 80,000-square-foot shared work center outside of Denver that houses 80 companies that pay $200 per person per month. He has plans to open 10 similar locations around the country over the next two years, he says.
Some of these for-profit operations offer entrepreneurship support, such as mentoring programs or networking events. Some are open to any kind of business; others are geared toward specific industries, such as biotechnology companies. “The advantage is that everybody here wants to do a high-growth startup. You meet valuable people and hang out. Sitting at home, you’re not going to meet people at random,” Ahmed says.
By Karen E Klein

Business Trends For 2013

Check out these leading trends set to amplify in 2013, providing businesses with key ways to keep profits and customer satisfaction up:
Trend 1: Look to the clouds
Everyone is talking about cloud technology these days, which basically means remote computing, leveraging the Internet. This is great news for small and medium-sized businesses because cloud-based systems provide a plethora of tools, save costs and minimize maintenance. For example, cloud programs can help manage payroll, invoicing, phone systems, documents, customer management, business analytics and backup systems. Online cloud services commonly used by small businesses include Skype, Dropbox and Google Docs.
Trend 2: The era of social media
Social media’s growth continues to boom, and businesses no longer have the option of ignoring this outreach potential. It’s cost effective and connects you to customers in ways never before possible. Use Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and blogs as part of your business’ social media program. The relationships you can build with key customers and the feedback they provide is invaluable.
Trend 3: Your workplace is everywhere
Technology enables people to stay connected and work from virtually anywhere, meaning the terms “off the clock” or “away from the office” are going extinct. Whether you’re working from home, at the office, or in a coffee shop, it is vital to be accessible at all times, especially if you run a small or medium-size business. Whether your preferred device is a laptop, tablet or smartphone, staying connected is a must.
Trend 4: Video conferencing instead of business travel
Traveling is costly and time-consuming. Video conferencing is a low-cost way to meet with customers, prospects and suppliers from virtually anywhere with computer and Internet access. Common video conferencing resources include Skype, ooVoo and Cisco WebEx, making it easy to communicate with individuals or groups.
Trend 5: Applications keep things moving
Apps are not just fun and games – many are made specifically for the mobile office, making on-the-go work easy. Plantronics Instant Meeting app, for example, allows one-click access to conference calls from a smartphone – no need to remember long conference codes and leader PINs when you’re out and about. Other useful mobile office apps include Documents to Go and QuickOffice, providing efficient access to documents, agendas and analytics.
Trend 6: Talk just got cheaper
Long distance phone calls to employees, customers and prospects can quickly increase a phone bill. Internet-hosted phone systems are becoming more popular because they are low cost, flexible and low maintenance. Skype is a good example of a voice-over-Internet service that allows individuals to communicate through video, voice and instant messaging using a headset.
Trend 7: Devices talk amongst themselves
Think how much more effective your communications would be if all your devices worked together. Fortunately, that now is happening and the technology trend is aptly called Unified Communications (UC). It delivers voice, email, SMS, video conferencing and document sharing into a single interface so that you easily can relay any or all of your data to others.
Source:esbjournal.com

Do You Need Virtual Staff?

Here are a few of the advantages of hiring virtual staff:

1. Cost. Because they are location-independent contractors, you can hire them without paying for payroll taxes, benefits, office space or equipment overhead costs.
2. Flexibility. You can hire them for as little or as long as you need, without commitment. And, through the magic of free and low-cost productivity and communication applications, you can oversee them from anywhere in the world.
3. Global. Because virtual help can be found all over the world, entrepreneurs seeking to expand the market for their products and services can engage assistance from the country, culture and time zone of their target market.
4. Experience. The global talent pool of virtual workers is rich and varied. Of course, you will need to screen and test their expertise, but it is possible to find experienced professionals willing to take on a project as small as editing a single document to as large as running an entire marketing campaign. As your needs change, you can continually return to the talent pool to find the right skillset.

Smart Hiring is Smart Business

The symbiosis of the business community is dependent on the strength of the individual parts. When one business prospers, it positively impacts businesses in its tangential community. Hiring is an essential part of this process. As the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money, but it needs to be smart spending. Through implementing smart hiring practices and hiring smart people, the initial investment in taking on a new employee, can reap exponential profits.

Taking on a new employee is a big commitment, particularly for small businesses. A $50,000 per year employee is the equivalent of a $300,000 loan from a bank in terms of the economic cost to the company. But the initial risk of making a new hire can be hedged with strategic planning. Before making the decision to create a new position, small businesses must assess their own individual needs. This means considering any challenges their business is facing and contemplating how a new hire can serve as a remedy. Positions should be created and filled only when absolutely vital to a business' sustainability and growth. Our own business serves as an example of this strategy. By not only hiring smart people, but strategically filling positions, we were able to expand and continue to grow, despite the economic downturn.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned as a business owner is that you simply can't know or do everything. Every person develops a particular skillset, which they hone throughout their professional careers. It is these skills that drive them towards success, and carve out a specific role within the business community. As a business owner, you are faced with choosing between focusing your time on business development, or the actual day-to-day of the business you run. This is where smart hiring comes into play.

The reality is, there will always be someone smarter than you or someone who can do something better than you can. Understanding- and utilizing the implications of- this is a critical decipher between business owners and smart business owners. Smart business owners hire these people, knowing full well that these people aren't competition, they are assets. In my own entrepreneurial experience, my partner and I found we could only take our business so far. When we started to surround ourselves with smart people with different skill sets and expertise, we were able to transform our idea into the successful business it is today.

As a small business owner, I salute Inc. for honoring those who have laid the pavement for the road to recovery by putting people to work. Every business can make a contribution, by identifying weaknesses in their business and taking on employees who can provide the remedy. Every job counts -- every new person hired is one less person on unemployment, one more person who is making an income that they can then spend and re-invest in the economy. As U.S. based business owners, we owe it to ourselves and to our communities to take the first step towards economic recovery. We can hire more by hiring strategically, hiring smarter.
Source: Huff Post

Why You May Lower Prices

Here are some reasons why you might consider lowering your prices:

*Supplier cost is now less
*You're getting larger quantity discounts
*You're offering larger quantity discounts
*You have found a lower cost supplier
*Manufacturing costs reduced
*Getting prompt-pay discounts
*To meet competitors prices
*Gain more market share
*Products becoming a commodity
*Using products as a loss leader
*To move excess inventory
*You've downsized your staff
* you've reduced operating expenses
*Technology has forced prices lower
*Increase sales to sell your business
*Clear out obsolete products
*For an advertising campaign
*You are outsourcing at a lower cost
*you just want to be nice (not really)

More on pricing strategy in chapter 9 of Barry's book "90 Days to Success as a Small Business Owner" available in bookstores and amazon.com

Watch For These Holiday Scams

As more consumers pick up their smartphones and tablets to go holiday shopping, cyber crooks are trying just about everything to dupe them out of their hard-earned money.

Forty percent of identity theft victims were targeted while making online purchases in 2011, according to an identity fraud report by Javelin Strategy & Research. Meanwhile identity fraud increased by 13 percent, with more than 11.6 Americans falling prey to the scams.

To keep you protected, we asked Robert Siciliano, online security expert for the software company McAfee, to list off the season's hottest scams and how to avoid them.

Phony E-tailers

The saying "if it looks too good be true, then it probably is" applies here. To set up their phony shops, scammers grab HTML code from a well-known site, then "sell" similar merchandise at a larger discount, explains Siciliano. But buyer beware: "Once you pay, they have the customer's information and you'll never receive the product," he says. Then before you can blink an eye, they'll start racking up charges on your dime. Clearly you shouldn't bother with these sites in the first place, but if you're concerned you've come across a Best Buy or Target imposter, check for misspellings, weird urls and "an overall dysfunctional site," says Siciliano.

Mobile Malware

With 33 percent of apps asking for more info than they might ever need, you can never be too careful, Siciliano says. If you've purchased the app from iTunes or Google, chances are it's been vetted for any suspicious activity. But if you bought it from a third party site, there's a good chance you'll download some malware. "These apps haven't been properly vetted for having a malicious component, so they might be used to spy on your device, see what text messages you send, what apps you click, and most importantly your username and passwords," he says. And they're definitely after your Social Security and credit card numbers, he adds. "They'll do anything to get paid."

Social Media Traps

"Criminals are setting up fake profiles on Facebook and Twitter, and those pages often have a number of dangerous things, one being that they're infected and once you start clicking those links, they'll infect your device," says Siciliano. Even worse, these links are often designed to get you to spill your personal info. Don't fall for it.

Phishing

Much like the social media trap, these text or email messages offering discounts are nothing more than a big fat hoax. They'll lure you to click a link and before you know it you'll wind up on a shady site or have downloaded spyware onto your device.

Bogus Gift Cards

Say what you will about gift cards, but those pieces of plastic are still a popular gift. With so many people snapping them up, scammers are rigging third party sites to sell fakes or manipulating the cards at stores and voiding them, says Siciliano. To dodge the scam, only buy the cards kept behind the counter in stores, or buy them at a mall kiosk so you know that you're getting the real thing.

E-Cards

Even hilarious e-cards are prone to criminal mischief sometimes. "Some of these are being used to infect your device and often have links to get you to download something or disclose your personal info," Siciliano says. "You'll want to really delete these and just tell people you prefer to receive paper cards."

If the card was sent in a zip file, be especially wary, he adds.

By Jill Krasny

List of Lists for 2013

 

New Year’s is a time for me to make my list of lists that I post on my white board in my office.
My 2012 lists are for a variety of purposes; business and personal growth, thoughts, ideas, resolutions, and random To-Do items.
Books to read
People to call
People to meet
People to connect/reconnect with
Charities to support
Trips to take
Articles to write
Random acts of kindness to accomplish
Groups to speak to
Friends to spend time with
Projects to start
Projects to finish
Meals to try
Benefits to attend
People to appreciate
I am ALWAYS looking to expand this list! If you have another list category or a suggestion or an idea, please make a comment on this blog, or email me at Mary@ProductiveLeaders.com.
Happy New Year!
By Mary Kelly  mary@productiveleaders.com

Email Marketing Tips

Why you should market your business through email

Email marketing is still the most powerful way of connecting with potential and existing clients and customers and making sales.

In fact, recent research by iContact revealed that:

• there are 3 times as many email accounts as all accounts of Facebook and Twitter combined

• consumers who receive email marketing spend 83% more when shopping

Here are some tips for using email effectively to market your business:

• ensure people opt in to your email list – for a higher level of engagement and a higher level of interest in what you offer, accurate email addresses, and a higher conversion to sales rate

• ensure your emails offer valuable information, resources and genuine, high value, offers to your subscribers

• target specific messages to those who are interested – use a professional email system so you get information on opens, click and opt in rates, and can segment your list to send to only selected groups

• include images in your email messages to avoid overwhelming people with written information. Hubspot‘s recent research found that 65% of people prefer emails which are “mainly visual”.

• personalise your messages – again, Hubspot’s research found that including your subscriber’s first name in your messages led to an increase in click rate by over 2%, and that including your name or your company name prominently led to an increase in click rate by over 8%

• 88 % of people now read their emails on a mobile device - so check that your email is compatible with different devices (another good reason to use a professional email service)

• take time to craft an accurate and compelling email subject line – people are great at filtering out unwanted information – so, tell them what they will get by opening your email

Finally

Your email messages are a powerful way to connect with your potential and current clients and customers and is a way of developing a relationship of trust.

If you build your reputation for delivering value through your email messages and make your messages specific and relevant to your subscribers – more people will read your emails, take action and you will make more sales.

By Sonia Thomas

Trust: Key to Business Success

As a striving entrepreneur, building trust with clients would have to be your best ally. With ready clients to patronize your products and services, even when the prices go higher, you will be able to run your business for a very long time. The business relationship that you have with them will prove to be unbreakable especially if you prove that your products and services are all they ever need. Your business strategies should always have your clients as your top priority. Catering to their changing needs and wants should be your ultimate mission. After all, you make these products and provide these services purely because of what they think you should provide them. Their feedback counts. Their impressions count. Good business strategies will show through how much clients value you as their product or service provider.
Key Methods on How to Build Trust with Your Clients
The following are some of the ways by which you could establish genuine trust with your clients:
1. Respect their time.
Everyone has a schedule. Every person—client or business owner—deserves to be given respect in this premise. Your clients want to be served with the best possible products or services with the amount of money and effort that they put in transacting with you. You should observe the following:
✓ Call them back
✓ Immediately reply to their e-mails
✓ Address their issues
✓ If a topic is lengthy, as the client if they are available to discuss it further
✓ If the client is scheduled to call, be available ahead of time
2. Adapt to their style of work
Make sure that you know about their work and when they are available to talk with you and if the means to communicate with them is convenient. If you really want to connect with your client, you will make an effort to see to it that they aren’t bothered if you have to discuss something with them.
3. Be committed
Keeping your commitments with your client is a perfect way to let them know that you respect their time. Make sure to:
✓ Keep your appointments with them
✓ Keep in touch constantly
4. Listen to them
There’s nothing like making sure that your clients’ issues are addressed properly. Being a good listener will enable you to narrow down any dilemma that they may be struggling with. With the feedback they give you, your products and services will be improved a lot more.
5. Communicate openly and clearly
Know your clients well because there are some of them that demand your full attention while there are others who just let you do your job. However they may be towards you, you should maintain that clear communication pathway to avoid any misunderstanding.
Building trust with clients will make your business more friendly and credible. Your clients are the life force that keeps your business going. Don’t you ever take them for granted. Even the smallest transactions could mean the life or death of your business.
Source: Head Exposed

inShare0

Credit Union Bill Would Help Small Business

A look at the numbers makes it clear that America's economy relies on small business. After all, they create a majority of new jobs and employ four out of six American workers. And it's not often political leaders miss an opportunity to tout the importance of this critical constituency.

Like all businesses, small businesses need credit to innovate, expand and prosper. That's why the two of us -- whose organizations often come down on opposite sides when it comes to political issues -- both believe Congress must act to free up more small business credit. In particular, we think lawmakers should approve a regulatory relief effort that would allow credit unions to lend more money to small business. Doing so is simply common sense.

First, some background: Small businesses today face a dire credit situation. As a result of the financial crisis, not a single new commercial bank has received a federal charter in the last two years. During the 1990s and early 2000s, more than 100 banks received charters in a typical year. Since small businesses tend to rely heavily on start-up banks, this presents a problem. A survey from Small Business Majority found that more than 60 percent of small business owners find accessing credit to be a major challenge. Furthermore, a Pepperdine University study found less than one out of five business owners seeking a loan of $5 million or less got what they wanted. Even as the economy has recovered, some indexes of small business lending have actually dropped. Congress has made an effort to change this situation, such as creating a "small business lending fund," but the numbers demonstrate it's just not enough.

A pragmatic solution to this problem is to change outdated regulations that limit credit unions -- democratically governed, nonprofit financial cooperatives -- from meeting consumer needs. Right now, federal regulations bar credit unions from lending more than 12.25 percent of their assets to businesses. As a result, businesses that belong to credit unions have $13 billion less in capital available to them. Legislation in Congress would change this and allow credit unions to lend up to 27.5 percent of their assets. This change would have no additional risk for taxpayers and create thousands of new jobs at small businesses.

The proposals to change the regulations have significant bipartisan support. In the House of Representatives, 141 representatives with significant numbers from each party have signed on. In the Senate, 21 members, many more of them Democrats than Republicans, also support the bill. The real opposition to the proposal comes from banks that believe they'll lose business. While these banks certainly deserve a place at the table, the banks' own interests should not come ahead of those of small businesses or the economy as a whole.

The bottom line is simple: The slow recovery has not been good for the small business community. Getting more credit to small business owners can get them, and the national economy, on track to a full and sustained recovery. There's no reason for Congress to delay action. Credit unions must be allowed to make more loans to small businesses.
Source: Small Business America

Employees Shape Up

A growing number of small business owners are taking a page from their bigger corporate counterparts and implementing wellness programs for their employees to curtail ever-escalating health care costs. Employers can’t just force everyone to eat tofu and do yoga, however.
That’s why Climax Portable Machine Tools based in Newberg, Ore., is taking its time rolling out a wellness program and using a carrot instead of a stick with its 160 employees. The program implemented in the last year is voluntary. Workers are offered incentives, including getting up to $40 back in their paychecks a month, for getting on the health bandwagon. Among the steps being offered are on-site medical screenings, health and nutritional seminars, daily walks and even a company basketball team.
Climax has seen its health insurance premiums rise as much as 30 percent annually, so a wellness program made sense, said Karen Kinslow, the company’s wellness coordinator. “We really wanted to look after our employees and it really helps the bottom line when you do these things,” she explained.
More small business owners are realizing the same thing. A recent MetLife survey found 29 percent of small businesses offered some sort of wellness options, compared to 22 percent last year, and 16 percent five years ago.
Such programs have been shown to pay off for employers. Research from the Partnership for Prevention found that for every $1 spent on worksite health promotion programs, a company can see an average of $3.50 in savings related to fewer sick days and health care costs. And such programs can be a good thing for employees. An Israeli study showed that employees who engaged in some form of exercise had lower rates of depression and job burnout, according to an article in MyHealthNewsDaily.
But the strong-arm approach to getting workers healthier can run afoul of the nation’s labor laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. Implementing employee health programs come with many restrictions under several key laws – the ADA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Under the ADA, employers are prohibited from requiring an employee to take a medical exam, and you can’t require an employee to participate in a wellness program to qualify for health insurance, said Chris Kuczynski, assistant legal counsel, ADA/GINA policy division for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
When it comes to GINA, he continued, “If you’re going to offer an incentive in connection with a health risk assessment or wellness program, you can’t condition that on whether a person gives you family history or genetic information.”
Employers can’t have blanket wellness policies, which is where companies get into the most trouble, Kuczynski stressed. If a worker is unable to engage in certain exercises because of an underlying medical condition that is beyond his control, such as a thyroid gland disorder or high blood pressure, employers can’t penalize the employee for not participating.
Climax has been cautious when implementing methods to encourage workers to participate.
Kinslow talks to workers individually and helps them come up with other options if they can’t do things like running a 5K. Employees can get points, which translate into dollars, if they attend nutrition or stress-reduction seminars on-site, or even if they take a healthy-eating cooking class. And, she added, some employees may not want their wellness tied directly to work, so they could get points for teaching a karate class to kids, for example.
When providing rewards there are limits, especially as they relate to health insurance premiums. Companies are increasingly offering employees breaks on their healthcare premiums as incentives to participate in wellness programs, but there are strict requirements under HIPAA on how that can be done. The total award must not exceed 20 percent of an employees total coverage cost. Under a provision in health care reform that number will go up to 30 percent in 2014.
As far as medical privacy restrictions, health screenings that are done by the employer must be strictly confidential. “They always have to be careful with where data goes and their access to that data,” said Joe Ellis, senior vice president at CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, an employee benefits consulting firm. “The employer would never see an individual’s data but they could see aggregate data.”
Another problem is potential injuries workers could sustain while exercising during work hours.
Late last year, Ged King, president of The Sales Factory, a marketing agency in Greensboro, N.C., bought four Trek commuter bicycles for employees to use on lunch runs, errands or leisurely rides.
The bikes are part of a wellness strategy King devised to help his staff of 27 get healthier.
His plan also includes rewarding workers prizes -- everything from $25 gift cards to iPods -- if they exercise more, including biking, running, or even gardening. “It makes for happier people who are more excited to come to work,” he said about the wellness program that launched last month. “You can’t be creative if you don’t feel good.”
To deal with the issue of injuries, employees at The Sales Factory were all asked to sign a “Bicycle Release Form” before King purchased the bikes. The release stated that workers were assuming “all personal liability in case of injury”.
Employees were also asked to promise to wear helmets, which he provided, when they take the bikes out. The goal of the wellness plan, King stressed, “is to make sure we’re healthier.”
BY Eve Tahmincioglu

Estimating Startup Costs

 

If you are planning to start a business, it is critical to determine your budgetary needs.
Since every business is different, and has its own specific cash needs at different stages of development, there is no universal method for estimating your startup costs. Some businesses can be started on a smaller budget, while others may require considerable investment in inventory or equipment. Additional considerations may include the cost to acquire or renovate a building or the purchase of long-term equipment.

To determine how much seed money you need to start, you must estimate the costs of doing business for the first months. Some of these expenses will be one-time costs such as the fee for incorporating your business or the price of a sign for your building. Some will be ongoing costs, such as the cost of utilities, inventory, insurance, etc.

While identifying these costs, decide whether they are essential or optional. A realistic startup budget should only include those things that are necessary to start a business.

These essential expenses can be divided into two separate categories: fixed and variable. Fixed expenses include rent, utilities, administrative costs and insurance costs. Variable expenses include inventory, shipping and packaging costs, sales commissions, and other costs associated with the direct sale of a product or service. The most effective way to calculate your startup costs is to use a worksheet that lists both one-time and ongoing costs.
Source:sba.gov

Don't Wait in Line at Airport Security?

TSA Pre✓™ is an expedited screening initiative that is expanding to airports across the country. Implementing a key component of the agency’s intelligence-driven, risk-based approach to security, TSA Pre✓™ enhances aviation security by placing more focus on pre-screening individuals who volunteer to participate to expedite the travel experience.

TSA is partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as U.S. air carriers as part of this initiative. Certain frequent travelers from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, US Airways and certain members of CBP's Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS who are U.S. citizens are eligible to participate. As of November 15, Canadian citizens traveling domestically in the United States who are members of NEXUS are also qualified to participate in TSA Pre✓™. In addition, passengers 12 and younger are allowed through TSA Pre✓™ lanes with eligible passengers.

TSA Pre✓™ is currently available for eligible passengers flying on participating airlines. To see which airports are participating, please click on the map below. For a listing of airports and terminals, please use the map below or download the TSA Pre✓™ location chart.
 

TSA Pre✓™ Location Map
In 2012, TSA plans to expand TSA Pre✓™ for eligible passengers flying on participating airlines at the following airport locations:

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• John Wayne Airprt (SNA)

TSA plans to continue expanding the TSA Pre✓™ concept to include additional airlines, as well as airports that participate in CBP’s Global Entry program, once operationally ready.

TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited screening in order to retain a certain element of randomness to prevent terrorists from gaming the system. In addition, individuals who commit certain offenses, such as violations involving firearms, explosives, and fraudulent documents at an airport or on board an aircraft are likely to be denied expedited screening for a period of time. The duration of disqualification for expedited screening will depend upon the seriousness of the offense.
Airport security checkpoints are only one part of a multi-layered system for aviation security. Other parts, both seen and unseen by the public, include intelligence gathering and analysis, behavior detection officers, explosives detection canine teams, federal air marshals, and closed-circuit television monitoring.

TSA Pre✓™ allows officers to better focus their efforts on other passengers who are more likely to pose a risk to transportation. TSA continues to analyze the best approaches to security.

Latest revision: 04 December 2012

Social Skills Really Do Count

Making customers’ and prospects’ experience in dealing with you, your associates and employees pleasant and professional is what will make them come back again. A difficult and non-caring attitude may override the product or service that they are buying. Being friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and attentive is the secret to acquiring customers and clients, plus keeping them. We all have to live and work on the same Earth so we might as well get along with each other and make everything run smoother. This part of any sales tranaction can be more important than you realize.

A candid and unresponsive demeanor is expected in business and you could put your business at risk. People will remember the overall transaction experience long after any low price or quick delivery. If customers dread calling or visiting your company because of how they are dealt with or treated, they may shop elsewhere. And once those competitors of yours show more empathy and understanding you can kiss those customers goodbye for good! Once a customer has left you it's almost impossible to get them back, even if they don't like their new experience. Make that extra effort to show that you care (even if it hurts)!

Barry is a business speaker & trainer www.idealetter.com

Do's & Don'ts for Office Parties

Like it or not, It's that time of year again -- the office holiday party! As a relationship expert I've seen and heard of many careers crash and burn related to inappropriate behavior at this event. Here are five "do's and don'ts" to avoid career suicide during the office holiday party. Following the appropriate etiquette listed below may help make or break your career.

1. Do not even think about blowing off the office holiday party. This could be tantamount to career suicide as your absence from the festivities could be misinterpreted as you not being a "team" player. If you absolutely dread this event, view it as a mandatory business meeting and put your best foot forward. Once you are there, be sure you say hello, with a smile, to as many people as possible who are in attendance.
2. Find out who is on the guest list and learn a few things about them. Be prepared to engage in small conversation with as many people as is humanly possible. Small talk at holiday office parties is a great way to network and make a positive connection with someone whom you might not otherwise have the opportunity to do so with - carpe diem. (If you have difficulty with small talk - just ask people about themselves by asking open-ended questions that begin with: "Tell me about ..." and they will proceed to do all the talking).


3. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Although you do not have to wear your business attire to the party, this is not a social gathering among friends, it is a work event. Therefore, this is not the time or place to wear clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination. These people are your colleagues and, like it or not, you will be judged by the clothes and make-up you wear. When in doubt, dress modestly. Remember, you may have to conduct business with these people in the future and some of them may have input into your career advancement and review. Dress for success.


4. Moderation is the operative word for all that you do at these events. Do not over imbibe or overeat. You are not at this event for the food or the drink -- you are there for relationship building. Therefore, do not tie one on -- no matter who else appears to be over-drinking! Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, potentially contributing to an inappropriate joke or remark that will come back to haunt you. When choosing food, pick ones that you may eat without slobbering sauces and juices all over yourself, or the person standing next to you. Take small bites, chew your food with your mouth closed and do not talk with food in your mouth. This shows not only poor etiquette but poor judgment as well. Also, do not talk too much; nobody enjoys a bore who babbles on and on. Listen more than you speak at these events.


5. Behave yourself appropriately at all times. You do not want to be "that guy" or "that girl" whom everyone is talking about the next day. Behaving classy and with genuine charm might actually accelerate your career up the corporate ladder!


6. If you genuinely enjoy these work-related parties, that is great! You now have some tips to use to make the most of this opportunity. If you find these office gatherings annoying -- or you just plain dread them -- view them as an opportunity which comes along only once a year for putting a face to a name and for discovering some commonalities with people you would normally only interact with on a professional basis! You have to spend your time at these events, so you might as well make the most of it!

        By Dr Patty Ann Tublin

Next Year's Marketing Plan

Another year is coming to an end and the new year is right around the corner. Whether you had a good 2012 or not, you hope to do better in 2013 and grow your business even more. The best way to experience success and business growth is to plan your marketing strategy early. Then you will know what you are going to do, when you are going to do it and how you will pay for it. Write down now the plan you have in your mind and adjust your budget to have the funds available for your marketing plan. If the plan works well you will get the investment back during the year.

As always use several different marketing ideas and broaden your marketing mix. Ask customers, employees and suppliers for ideas that will get you closer to your goals. It's also a good time to test these new ideas and see if they will benefit your business and your customer base. If one idea is not showing the results you had hoped for try a different one. Just get your plan on paper soon and you can always change parts of it as you go along. Next year, 2013 can be a growth, profitable and successful year for all of us!

By Barry Thomsen, speaker, Trainer, entrepreneur and business coach. www.idealetter.com

Two Restaurant Ideas

In many kinds of businesses employees do not have the opportunity to interact and meet customers as those working in a restaurant. The fact that the customers are served within the company, allows owners to have the capacity to interact with their clients, understand their behavior and develop little tricks that can increase their sales and those of many other types of businesses.

1. Help people stop thinking about money and more about what they are getting

Think what you do when you go to a restaurant for the first time. If you do not know the dishes on the menu, and no matter how money affects your decision, you start comparing prices between products to see, which seems to be the better deal. The restaurants have started using these two methods to get people to focus more on the product than the price:

Get rid of the $ signs:

In the minds of clients, the dollar signs are linked to money, therefore the dollar sign before the price may ward off customers from expensive products or services. In a certain taking away this symbol eases the psychological effect of money in buyers. Reason why, from diners to high-end restaurants, it's the rule of thumb to leave the dollar signs out.

Use flowery descriptions for your products and services:

How many times have you gone to a restaurant where the wide variety of dishes whose name does not tell you anything, hinders your ability to choose a dish. Forcing you to ignore all those dishes you might like because you're not sure what they are. Then you either order a dish you already know, or you end up basing your decision on its price.

The solution is simple, what you should do is to delight customers with what the product is and distract them from focusing on the price. Therefore, by using short, flowerily and convincing descriptions you can focus costumers´ attention on the dish causing customers to put aside the price which can lead to customers paying $ 20 for a salad, without feeling bad about it (of course if the product meets the expectations generated by its description).

2. Set the right mood

Several studies demonstrate the effects that music has on our behavior patterns. As described in this post ¨ Benefits of Listening to Music at Work ¨ music can help reduce stress, establish a rhythm of work, increase our productivity, among others. Likewise, music can help increase sales of your business.

Although music has a psychological effect on people, we should use it correctly in our favor. A study from Loyola University estimated restaurants and stores that played slow music saw a 38 percent increase in sales over stores that played loud or fast music. The fact that the music is swift and strong accelerates way people act and take decisions by which, to excite about buying something or not, in the absence of many positive factors that make the decision obvious; the decision will tend to be negative.

By Deimar Gutierrez

Should You Use Promotional Products?

Promotional products – branded clothing, gadgets, accessories… they can be a part of your marketing strategy, but have you ever wondered whether they are really worth it?
They are expensive to buy. Really expensive. So using them needs to be though through carefully. I see them working with small businesses that…

• do trade shows – can be a great traffic booster to your booth.
• sponsor events, community organizations in the local community.
• have a product that is beneficial to the masses, where general brand awareness would be a boon.
• send things out to customers. Whether the actual product you sell or educational information. A promo product can be a nice insert depending on what it is. Or it can be made part of a special promotion.
• have an in-person location where it’s easy to get your promo products out (versus having to mail them out).
• are interested in offering gifts to customers, whether through contests, a thank you for top customers or in exchange for completing a particular action, such as filling in a questionnaire.

My partner for example who does retaining walls and excavating, is thinking about getting his boys some branded t-shirts so that they look all professional and matchy matchy on the job site. That makes sense to me.

A few tips from my personal experience…

• the cheapest options sometimes can back-fire. Think about what a poor quality product says about your brand.
• be realistic about the numbers. You can get sucked into buying too much because the price is better. You don’t want boxes of the stuff lying around for years.
• As much as possible, make the connection between the promo product and your brand make sense. Too often promotional products are really random.
• Make the products useful. What would people actually want in their lives?
• Make the products enticing. Would people actual be excited about receiving them?

At a previous job at a local tofu manufacturer one of my responsibilities was preparing for trade shows and deciding on the types of promotional products to use. One of the most successful we used was all natural lip balm that matched the flavour of the dessert tofu. They went like hot cakes at the shows and people were really interested in them. And they made perfect sense in terms of awareness and connection to the business.
By Martina