Business Archives - Page 33 of 52

Keep The Fountain Of Business Idea Flowing

In an age of catastrophic population growth and shrinking job opportunities, why not take a look at putting up your own business? There has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur. No, it is not too late nor it is too early to open for business.

If you choose to try your luck at having your own business, start right by keeping your business idea fountain flowing. The many enterprises you see today, from the ones you see in your neighborhood to the ones you read about in the business section of various broadsheets, are once merely ideas; they are products of one’s fertile imagination and spirit of innovation.

Know Thyself

First things first, to be an effective business owner someday, you must know yourself. Ask yourself if you have even the smallest trickle of the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur. While not everybody can be a businessman, the good thing is everybody can learn the skills of how to be a good businessman.

Do you have foresight? Are you creative or imaginative enough to come up with new ideas and products? Are you courageous enough to face the challenges of running your own enterprise? Can you endure criticism and instead channel your frustrations to churning out more innovative business ideas?

Being an entrepreneur is not easy. And the very first step is to know yourself so that you can adapt your ideas to your personality. Thus, you will be able to upgrade your skills or choose a business that suits your character.

Be In The Loop

You would not want to offer fire proof paints with asbestos! Asbestos has been banned for decades now because it has poisonous side effects. To have great business ideas, you should know a lot about what is happening around you. Read the papers or visit trade fairs; this way, you will be sensitive to what is current and what could be the trend in the future in terms of products and services to offer.

Do Not Reinvent The Wheel

You can not offer baked goodies with holes in the middle and call them bread wheels. What you can do is try to improve or create unique toppings and syrups for your goodies and still call them donuts. Forty years ago, computers are found only in science fiction comic books. But today they are as essential as the cooking stove.

As much as your creativity can take you, come up with ideas of new products and services to offer. Nothing beats being the first in an industry. If not, your ideas should try to add more value to existing products and services. Like the story of cellular phones and cameras; they used to be two different gadgets, but now it is not uncommon to see camera phones.

Force yourself to think of new ideas and concepts. This will keep your idea fountain alive and flowing. Besides, it is always a good business sense to venture into new or improved product lines.

Join The Club

There is no point in having excellent business ideas without having the heart to start your own business. Turning the business switch on is different from just having the famed light bulb flashing inside your head. When you are actually starting and running your business, you get the feel of the industry you are in; more and more business ideas will pour out.

Always be aware and prepare yourself when that light bulb in your head blinks. You might never realize it but you will be at a crossroad between living your dreams and living in mediocrity. Good luck on your venture!

Starting a Startup Business? Choose the Right Business Consulting Firm for Success

Being your own boss is the dream of many and lately, the instinct seems to be taking the world by storm. People are now more inclined to start their own firm, it seems to lure many people and running an own business shows the larger than life picture, however, the reality is a bit different. As an entrepreneur willing to start a new business you need to understand the market, do the need analysis and many researches before executing your plan. You might be budding with business startup ideas but mere planning will not help you succeed, rather you need a right plan of action to succeed.

The upsurge of small business consulting firms has proven to be a panacea for startups. They offer the consultation and startup mentoring services which work as a guide for entrepreneurs to successfully implement and execute their business plan. Not only it supports the Business Startup Ideas but provides feedback to improve the business plan which helps in removing bottlenecks usually faced by startups.

Why do you need startup mentoring?

There is no denial to the fact that many startups fail in their nascent stage, and they may have a number of reasons for the same, the likes include entrepreneurs being naiveté and lack of supportive startup ecosystem, lack of funds, poor market conditions and much more. But, the most important factor that most of the startups miss is a lack of guidance, inspiration, and feedback from small business consulting firms and no startup mentoring. It might sound absurd to a few strong-headed entrepreneurs to take the support of a mentor to execute their business plan but these firms are a must to make your business successful.

Startup Mentoring – your ultimate supporter and motivator

In the lead to succeed, most of the entrepreneurs break rules or make mistakes which they are not even aware of, these mistakes, however, can adversely affect their business. Also, many times as an aspiring business builder you find yourself stuck in a situation where you don’t know how to proceed. Startup Business Consulting firms and mentors work as a savvy guide who constantly provides you feedback.

Initially, you may be having a lack of confidence but with the mentorship of a good startup mentor, you can move ahead with confidence and without hesitation.

How to find the right startup consulting firm or a startup mentor for your company:

You are entrusting your faith and vision on a person who will be your mentor or support or guide, hence, it is very important that you have a strong relationship with them and at the same time, it’s important that your startup mentor’s or consulting firm’s vision should coincide with yours. A good startup has the following qualities:

An expert-level experience
Already a successful entrepreneur
Are patient and action oriented
A harsh critic yet supportive

Before moving ahead and getting associated with any firm or person, as an entrepreneur you should check for the aforementioned qualities.

What does a good startup mentor do?

A good startup consulting firm or a mentor will:

Listen to your concept and give honest feedback
Will give you time and talk through your areas of difficulties. Since they carry with them good amount of experience, they also share their experience which helps you understand your problems and come up with right solution
They are action oriented and hence, always suggest practical ways on how to start a business by making optimum use of available resources

Takeaways-

You must accept the fact that it takes a village to become a successful entrepreneur, of course, your vision and idea is important but what’s paramount is its right and timely execution which only comes with the right support system. The upsurge of companies like Virgin startup is a move to support and guide the newbies in the business world to succeed and survive.

Ideation – Where Business Ideas Come From

Ideation is the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new business ideas. When we plan to launch a new business, we either leverage an existing concept or we develop our own unique idea. The same applies to growing an existing business. I have always struggled with determining which is harder – finding the idea or executing on it.

Sometimes ideas are easy enough to conjure, and the hard part is deciding if it’s good enough as the basis for developing a profitable business. If you have what you believe is a “great idea”, the next challenge is to prove or test that it will translate into a successful venture.

Then there are times when a viable idea is the hardest thing to find. It may seem like all the good ideas are taken, and you are left on the sidelines with the resources and desire to start or grow a business but without a great idea. The ideation process can take a day or it can take years, and as with the creative process, it’s usually unproductive to rush it. Aside from the other typical barriers of resources (money and people), the lack of a “good idea” is often what keeps people from taking action on their dream of becoming their own boss.

Creating a new business starts with the idea. The process of developing that idea, and your business concept, may perhaps include some level of testing through prototyping and iteration. During these early phases your idea will undoubtedly evolve and may even morph into something entirely different. There are three basic categories for business ideas, and considering these categories can help with sparking that next great brainchild or validating your existing one:

New – a new invention or business idea. Examples may include the Segway, Virtual Reality and other product inventions. This is the most difficult category for new business ideas. There are very few truly and completely new ideas. By “new” I mean something that absolutely does not currently nor in the past exist in any way. It’s easy to confuse a new idea with what is really an improvement or disruption of an existing or traditional way of doing something. Truly new and unique ideas are hard to come by, so don’t get paralyzed by thinking this is the only source of viable new ideas.

Improvement – this is the proverbial better mouse trap. Examples include exterior-express car washes (where you stay in the car), Virgin Airlines, LED lighting, and Disney Land. Most small businesses probably fall into this category. You take an existing service or product and you make or deliver it in a better way, either directly or indirectly. You may make it of better quality raw materials, for example, or you may add value to the product or service by including additional services or add-ons.

Disruption – a new and revolutionary way of doing something. Examples include Uber, AirBnB, and Amazon. Our modern interconnected world – supported and made possible by the internet – now allows us to completely reinvent, transform and disrupt entire industries. The internet and other technologies are not the only way to execute on a disruptive business idea, but it has certainly accelerated our ability to do so.

Where do great ideas come from? Sources of ideas can include reading, podcasts, art, architecture, personal experiences, travel, conversations, hobbies, borrowing from others, crowd creativity, crowd sourcing, and attempting to solve existing problems in our world. For existing businesses, the best source of ideas is usually your customers. Yet it takes a bit more than just experiencing or reading something to spark your next great idea.

In the article “How to Generate Good Ideas” by Belle Cooper, Steve Jobs is quoted as sharing that creative people are able to “connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” In his observation, creative people consistently have “had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.”

Consciously and objectively experiencing new things will definitely influence and feed your creative abilities, and it’s one of the most productive ways we can continue to develop our ability to generate great ideas.

Does this mean that you have to be creative to generate good business ideas? I believe creativity is certainly one of the main ingredients required for ideation, along with ingenuity and vision. The challenge for many people, however, is that they either have little confidence in their inherent creative abilities or don’t have the courage to express and tap into it. The idea generation process is much like the creative process in that we are putting forth something personal to be judged by others. You must have the courage and confidence to submit ideas that others might think are frivolous or ridiculous. It’s appropriate to remember what George Bernard Shaw wrote: “all great truths begin as blasphemies.”

The ideal process is to identify one or more business ideas, test them, and then continue with developing the idea that has the best possibility for success. Of course, always remember that the true test of an idea’s business viability ultimately rests entirely with the customer. Also remember that if your concept was easy, it would probably have already been done by someone else.

Some questions to ask yourself to help qualify your business idea:

What need does my product or service fill? What problem does it solve
What are the features and benefits of my offering?
What is my competitive advantage? What makes this idea truly unique in my market?
How do my skills and experience fit with my idea?
How will I be able to test and demonstrate it?
What resources will I need to build this idea into a viable business?
Does my idea solve a billion-person problem, or the problem of just a few?
Can I envision myself executing on this concept for the next 5 to 10 years?

How to Get Your Business Funded in 2018

Contrary to popular belief, business plans do not generate business financing. True, there are many kinds of financing options that require a business plan, but nobody invests in a business plan.

Investors need a business plan as a document that communicates ideas and information, but they invest in a company, in a product, and in people.

Small business financing myths:

Venture capital is a growing opportunity for funding businesses. Actually, venture capital financing is very rare. I’ll explain more later, but assume that only a very few high-growth plans with high-power management teams are venture opportunities.

Bank loans are the most likely option for funding a new business. Actually, banks don’t finance business start-ups. I’ll have more on that later, too. Banks aren’t supposed to invest depositors’ money in new businesses.

Business plans sell investors. Actually, they don’t well-written and convincing business plan (and pitch) can sell investors on your business idea, but you’re also going to have convince those investors that you are worth investing in. When it comes to investment, it’s as much about whether you’re the right person to run your business as it is about the viability of your business idea.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a business plan. You should. Your business plan is an essential piece of the funding puzzle, explaining exactly how much money you need, and where it’s going to go, and how long it will take you to earn it back. Everyone you talk to is going to expect to see your business plan.

But, depending on what kind of business you have and what your market opportunities are, you should tailor your funding search and your approach. Don’t waste your time looking for the wrong kind of financing.

Where to look for money

The process of looking for money must match the needs of the company. Where you look for money, and how you look for money, depends on your company and the kind of money you need. There is an enormous difference, for example, between a high-growth internet-related company looking for second-round venture funding and a local retail store looking to finance a second location.

In the following sections of this article, I’ll talk more specifically about different types of investment and lending available, to help you get your business funded.

1. Venture capital

The business of venture capital is frequently misunderstood. Many start-up companies resent venture capital companies for failing to invest in new ventures or risky ventures. People talk about venture capitalists as sharks-because of their supposedly predatory business practices, or sheep-because they supposedly think like a flock, all wanting the same kinds of deals.

This is not the case. The venture capital business is just that-a business. The people we call venture capitalists are business people who are charged with investing other people’s money. They have a professional responsibility to reduce risk as much as possible. They should not take more risk than is absolutely necessary to produce the risk/return ratios that the sources of their capital ask of them.

Venture capital shouldn’t be thought of as a source of funding for any but a very few exceptional startup businesses. Venture capital can’t afford to invest in startups unless there is a rare combination of product opportunity, market opportunity, and proven management. A venture capital investment has to have a reasonable chance of producing a tenfold increase in business value within three years. It needs to focus on newer products and markets that can reasonably project increasing sales by huge multiples over a short period of time. It needs to work with proven managers who have dealt with successful start-ups in the past.

If you are a potential venture capital investment, you probably know it already. You have management team members who have been through that already. You can convince yourself and a room full of intelligent people, that your company can grow ten times over in three years.

If you have to ask whether your new company is a possible venture capital opportunity, it probably isn’t. People in new growth industries, multimedia communications, biotechnology, or the far reaches of high-technology products, generally know about venture capital and venture capital opportunities.

If you are looking for names and addresses of venture capitalists, start with the internet.

The names and addresses of venture capitalists are also available in a couple of annual directories:

The Western Association of Venture Capitalists publishes an annual directory. This organization includes most of the California venture capitalists based in Menlo Park, CA, which is the headquarters of an amazing percentage of the nation’s venture capital companies.

Pratt’s Guide to Venture Capital Sources is an annual directory available online or in print format.

2. Sort of venture capital: Angels and others

Venture capital is not the only source of investment for start-up businesses or small businesses. Many companies are financed by smaller investors in what is called “private placement.” For example, in some areas there are groups of potential investors who meet occasionally to hear proposals. There are also wealthy individuals who occasionally invest in new companies. In the lore of business start-ups, groups of investors are often referred to as “doctors and dentists,” and individual investors are often called “angels.” Many entrepreneurs turn to friends and family for investment.

Three Special Business Plan Types

Though it has undergone many changes, the business plan is still around. No longer limited to the traditional 12-15 page type-written document, a business plan can be exciting and engaging as well as useful. Many of us realize that it’s the planning process, and the associated research and soul searching, that is so valuable. The finished plan is just icing on the cake.

Just as there are many types of entrepreneurs and business ideas there are many kinds of business plans. Here are three that deserve some special attention.

The “Accidental Entrepreneur” Plan:

Believe it or not, it happens quite often. An impulse, a hobby, or a passing notion turns into a business without warning. One day you’re handing your extra back-yard tomatoes or homemade cake to the neighbors, and before you know it you’re filling out the forms for a booth at the local farmer’s market. Perhaps you create a unique bit of hand-crafted jewelry and wear it to school or work, and then find your phone flooded with messages like, “Where can I get one?” and “I’ll pay you to make one for me.”

When you’re writing a business plan in a situation like these, you need to address a few issues the intentional entrepreneur has already pondered. The first is do you really want this idea to become a full-blown business? Certainly it’s flattering when you realize there’s a market value for something you were doing anyway, but that doesn’t always mean you should launch a business. A lot of accidental businesses form around fads or seasonal items, and may not be robust enough to function as year-round, money-making, enterprises.

Next you will need to carefully examine what actually goes into your offering. How many hours does it take to create those one-of-a-kind bracelets? How much does it cost to bake a dozen of your special recipe cookies? How much research goes into “whipping up” a website? Making tangible goods requires space. Do you have room to grow enough squash to actually generate profits? Are these numbers you could sustain beyond the occasional personal or family use of your product or service?

The business planning process can be very helpful to “accidental entrepreneurs” as it allows you to decide which ideas are best left as hobbies and which ones could provide some real cash flow.

The “Back of a Napkin” Plan:

It is the source of entrepreneurial legend and lore, the million-dollar idea that was hurriedly scribbled on a bar napkin. Yet, for most potential business owners this option for business planning remains a fantasy. However, like any myth there is a tiny grain of truth inside. A quickie business outline can work as a launch plan under the right circumstances.

If you need to get going quickly to ride the wave of a fad before it fizzles, then fast, bare-bones planning may be all you’ve got time to execute. This works best when you’ve already got the infrastructure in place, perhaps from previous projects or an established business, and you can simply shift energy and resources to the new idea.

When you, and your partners if any, have all the core skills and industry knowledge you need to start right away without seeking experts, napkin notes may be enough to get going. Let’s say you are already an expert in technology and social media. Then you, and your team, probably don’t need a detailed plan to start developing a new app. You will draw on your knowledge and experience, and you understand that you might need to go back and do some more detailed and formal planning later.

Certainly when you reach the point where you are looking for investors or lenders, you will move beyond those first casual notes. Until then, drawing upon your expertise can allow you to quickly jump into the market and perhaps gain a competitive edge by using a minimalist plan.

The “One Pressing Issue” Plan:

Business planning does not stop the day you open for business. Under the best of circumstances you should be revisiting your plan once or twice a year to see how things are going, and where perhaps you’ve veered away from your original goals. Remember, changing the direction of a business isn’t always bad, but it should be intentional.

Then there are the moments when something seems to be going wrong, when one or more areas of the business just don’t seem to be working. Cash flow is anemic or the marketing message is flat. Perhaps customers have shown a marked interest in only one particular product or service, ignoring all your other offerings. This means it’s time to revisit your business plan, more precisely it’s time to revisit the questioning process that helped you craft your plan.

Look at the assumptions you baked into your original plan. Did the city follow through on opening that new park across from your location? Were insurance rates what you expected? How many hours of accounting or web design help did you really need? Are your online inquiries out-stripping your face-to-face sales? Or vice versa?

Sometimes no matter how much you research, plan, or test, things don’t go as expected in a business. This isn’t necessarily a herald of failure or a sign that you’re not cut out for entrepreneurship. Life and the marketplace are both unpredictable, and plans need to be fluid and responsive. The “One Pressing Issue Plan” is simply a reflection of a normal evaluation process.

While I still recommend the business planning process, I caution you to realize that a beautifully crafted document does not always equal business success. I’ve worked with many entrepreneurs who successfully launched without a plan, and some with beautifully written plans that never materialized. You and your business idea are unique. Your planning process will be unique as well. Be wary of one-size-fits-all advice or pronouncements from experts about how you should proceed.

Van Storage Ideas to Start a Mobile Locksmith Business

Starting your own mobile locksmith business is a great opportunity as an entrepreneur, and protecting your inventory and equipment with proper van storage will improve the overall return on your investment as you begin your business.

Outfit your van properly, and you will be more organized, efficient, and committed to your work. It’s frustrating trying to accomplish a task when you have to search around a haphazardly arranged van arrangement to find the right tools or supplies.

You don’t need to buy a brand new van to start your mobile locksmith business; however, it would be a wise investment to spend some time and money on the storage ideas that will help you do your job more efficiently. Some of the higher vans allow you to actually move around inside and sit at a workbench while cutting keys, without the risk of banging your head whenever you need to locate a tool.

Here are three things to consider when selecting van storage systems for your locksmith business.

Plan Van Storage Space for a Workbench

Since you are a mobile locksmith business, plan your storage space with a workbench in mind. Don’t settle for standing outside, at the rear doors of your van. Put yourself inside your mobile office and get yourself out of the weather to do your work in comfort. Take time to measure out your space and find the best location for a workbench and a step stool for comfort. A good mobile workbench allows for six or seven feet of space to spread out and accomplish your tasks.

A full-length workbench can accommodate a key machine as well as file storage and the locking drawers necessary for your keys and other supplies. Maximize the storage space at your workbench by including catalog organizers, hooks, safety equipment and other accessories that will make your job easier.

Van Storage Should Include Locking Drawers

There is nothing more annoying than listening to hundreds of key blanks jangling like loud wind chimes while you are driving down the road. Storing your product in well-cushioned, locking drawers is a wise use of your cargo area. The keys will be protected from “road rash” marks from rubbing against each other or other items.

Locking drawers as part of your storage space will also protect you from flying objects if you need to stop or swerve suddenly. Plus, it looks very professional to have drawers full of your product, categorized and ready to use.

Van Storage is Best Organized with Adequate Shelving

One of the most important storage concepts is to determine your shelving needs. What tools and equipment will you need for your mobile locksmith business? What storage location of these tools will make your work most efficient?

Look at your van as a mobile work cell, and set it up as efficiently as possible. You will accomplish your service calls faster, and will be able to make more service calls throughout the day because your van storage plan has helped you become efficient.

Tips for Starting Your Own Casino As a Business Venture

Casinos have been around for a very long time. Some businesses have buckled with the introduction of the Internet, but casinos seem to have thrived. This is because nothing beats the environment of gambling in a casino environment, even playing in the comfort of your own home.

Therefore, opening a casino is still a profitable business and you will have the opportunity to make a lot of money. If you think that you are interested in opening your own casino, you should read ahead for some ideas and how to go about opening the business.

Plan

Before you approach anyone concerning your idea, you should have a business plan clear in your head. You should be making a portfolio of your plans, especially if you need some investors.

You could even have some ideas about whether you want to buy a property and convert it into a casino, or have a building built from scratch so it will be tailor made for your plans. Both these options are expensive, so you need to have some start-up costs.

If you are not sure what you need to know to make the business plan, then you should do some research and even take a trip to Las Vegas and have a chat with the casino owners. Tell them that you want to build a casino in your area and they might be interested in investing.

If they have any franchise programs, you should give them some considerable thought because then you will be able to use their name and their equipment. There will already be a business image in place, which you can just use. This will be a lot less work, but you will not have any design input.

Investors

When you are in the position to show your plan to the investors, you need to be passionate about the idea and you should have a model, or a 3D drawing of the casino. You have to know what you are talking about because they will see through you if you don’t and then you will have failed before your idea has even got off the ground.

It might be a good idea to have some custom playing cards made with the name of the casino and the logo on them. This will give the investors the impression that you are extremely serious about your plans. They will be very impressed that you were proactive enough to have a pack of cards made.

Permits

Once you have the investors, it is time to apply for the permits. You will need building permits and a gaming license before you have even laid a brick. Do not start building unless you have the permits because they will knock the building down.

Also, do not play any games without a license because you will be liable to prosecution for gambling without a license.

Peripherals

Once everything is in place and construction has begun, it is time to buy all the peripheral items. This includes custom made cards, poker chips, gaming tables and even the interior design.

This is the time when you should be getting excited and thinking about your brand ideas and the image that you want for the casino. If you are that excited, you might even be thinking about building your next casino.

The future is bright for casino owners. People enjoy going to casinos and there will be people who go to casinos every single night because they like the social atmosphere, so start thinking about membership cards and loyalty programs.

Marketing Ideas: 7 Simple Marketing Tips to Boost Your Business Now

Marketing is the life-blood of your business; yet, for many, marketing is a complex beast that they do not want to deal with. When you break it down to a simpler process, marketing can become your new favorite practices! Here are 7 marketing tips that you can use right now to boost your business:

1. Understand Your Target

No matter what business you are in, whether offline or online, you MUST know your target market. When you understand exactly who you are selling to, you know exactly where to advertise, what to say and even what to sell. Researching your target market will help you understand where they are in life right now and where they hang out which makes advertising a whole lot easier!

2. Build a Database

One of the most important aspects of online business is building a solid database by collecting information from your visitors. Building a database allows you to market to your visitors and customers over and over again for little or no extra cost. I highly recommend Aweber for your email marketing and database building needs. Most online business owners collect names and email addresses while others collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses. When making your decision about what to collect think about your marketing plans. If you will be including physical mailings then add home addresses.

3. Give Customers a Preview of Your Work

A great way to build your database is by offering visitors a preview or free offer for joining. This free offer can be a report, audio interview, video, or even a CD or DVD that you mail directly to their home. This offer gives your customers a great preview of who you are and what you can do to help them achieve their goals. Put the time and effort into helping them understand your business in a way that will benefit them.

4. Branding

Branding is a term that is often thrown around in marketing circles. Building a cohesive message from your logo to your website to your blog to your email messages to your twitter account and to the products that you sell is branding. You want your customers to hear your name and think a power word or phrase. For example, when you hear “like a rock” do you think Chevy? Or “MMM MMM Good” did you think of Campbell’s Soup? It doesn’t matter if your business doesn’t have the advertising budget like these two companies, always include your name, logo and slogan on all of your marketing materials, emails, products, etc.

5. SWOT Analysis

During my undergraduate degree at Penn State, every single project, assignment or paper that I had to complete for my advertising and marketing courses needed a SWOT analysis. What is a SWOT analysis? SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. For every client that I work with and every online business that I’ve built, I take the time to work through each one of these steps because often I uncover information and opportunities that I’ve never thought of including for my business. For Strengths, I work through the strengths or advantages that I have over my competition. For instance, I have a very strong background in the marketing and advertising area, so I know how to market my business and bring more targeted traffic to my website. For Weaknesses, I work through the weaknesses or advantages that my competition has over me. For example, when starting out, my competition has a larger market share and more individuals recognize another’s name or work over mine. For Opportunities, I prepare a list of opportunities or possibilities that I have with my business like the new markets that I can penetrate or the new products that I can offer an existing marketing because of my background. Finally for Threats, I look at environmental or outside threats to my business. For example, if you work in a medical niche, you must be aware of laws and regulations surrounding your business. Many online business owners fail to plan their businesses and often fail because they didn’t plan. A SWOT analysis allows you to carefully analyze your business or idea without spending days writing a full-fledged business plan.

6. Be Enthusiastic

Did you ever have that monotone professor in high school or college that put you to sleep every time they started talking? They never showed excitement or enthusiasm and you probably never cared for what they were teaching, right? To attract attention and customers, you need to be enthusiastic about what you sell and what you do! Your enthusiasm will transfer excitement to your products and services for your customers.

7. Be Persistent

This is probably the biggest mistakes most business owners make in marketing and advertising. Many think that marketing is the magic pill. One advertisement is going to solve all of their problems. Yet, it couldn’t be further from the truth! The average consumer needs to see a message about seven times for it to be effective and for them to take action. You can’t simply run one newsletter advertisement and expect it to explode your mailing list; many times you need to run it multiple times for it to be effective.

Marketing is truly the key to being successful in business both online and offline. It is a necessity to share your products and services with your target market. If you are on a limited budget, choose one method and make a commitment to running your advertisement at least three times then analyze your results.

Starting a Business by Getting Business Ideas

For most people, working for a company is just simply not enough. People are natural entrepreneurs who would want to start their own business and be their own boss. It is something that you, as a budding entrepreneur would really want.

Of course, to start a business, you will have to think of a business idea that will really sell. Lots of people have ideas on what kind of business they would want and a lot of them have made it into a reality. Now, the question is, what kind of business you would want to start?

Answering this question may seem easy, but a lot of people would have no idea at all on what kind of business they plan to put up or have second thoughts about it. This is why you need to assess everything before you start thinking of different businesses.

To get an idea on what kind of business you want and what kind of business that you will likely be good at is by first figuring out what your interests are. Your interests will play an important role when starting your own business. This is because you have an idea on how you want your business to be and will be much easier for you to make it grow.

For example, if you like cooking and think you have enough talent for it where people will really like what you cook, then why not start a business in the food industry? You can put up your own restaurant or you can even sell packaged food.

Now that you have an idea on what kind of business you like, the next thing you have to consider is the location on where you want your business to be. First of all, make sure that the product or services you plan on selling are in an area where it is needed. Besides, if you plan on selling winter coats, you don’t want to sell it in a tropical location where it doesn’t even snow. An ideal location would be in areas where it snows.

Another example is that if you plan on selling ice creams, you would want your business to be in hot locations, like in southern Florida beaches or maybe in California. Sell your ice cream where people would want to buy ice cream.

Thinking of the location on where you plan on putting up your business and relating it to the products and services you sell. If you do this, your business will really be a success.

The next and perhaps the most important thing you have to consider when starting a business or when thinking of a business idea is by determining if you have the money for it to make your business idea a reality. Getting the capital is probably one of the most common problems of people wanting to start their own business.

Try to consider a loan. There are financial institutions that can help you secure a loan. You can also try to convince a venture capitalist to provide you with the capital you need to start your business.

In every kind of business, there is a risk. If you don’t take this risk, you will end up not turning your business ideas into a reality. So, when starting a business, you need to consider all of the factors in order to make your business ideas turn into reality.

New Ideas For Small Business Holiday Marketing

2 seconds after Halloween it seems that all the retail stores put up their Christmas decorations – trying to capture as much of the Holiday market as possible. Typical ways that retail stores use to capitalize on the holidays include extended hours and sales. This is all well and good. Today I want to give you an early present by giving you some novel ways to think about holiday promotions.

Many people are fed up with holiday crowds, which is reflected in the growth of online sales and the decline of some traditional retailer’s sales. There also seems to be a trend towards buying fewer gifts, but those gifts tend to be higher-ticket luxury items.

In the type of marketing we all should be doing ,we start with the customer in mind. What do we know about people this time of year?

– Time is a commodity – there’s too much to do and too little time. – People have more shopping to do than they usually do. – People are under a tremendous amount of stress. – People tend to clean and decorate their houses.

These are just some of the factors affecting people during the holiday season. I’m sure you can think of many more. Take these things into consideration, and take the stance of being a giver.

Here’s an idea I’ve never seen (so I want credit if you use it). If you own a store, offer free gift wrap – nothing new there. While people are getting their gifts wrapped, they get a free chair massage? You could partner up with a local spa, or even a massage school who could also give every customer a promotional coupon. You save your customers time, take away their stress, and create a fusion marketing partnership with the spa.

If you are in a household service business, offer to do additional winterizing services for your customers to save them time. Offer a free holiday housecleaning. If you aren’t in the cleaning business – again team up with a cleaning service.

Give-aways are great. Give away free Christmas trees – depending on where you are you could buy a couple hundred for $10 a piece. The deal could be – spend $100 and take home a free tree. Give away turkeys, or complete turkey dinners – a lot of grocery stores have this promotion.

Everybody gives away calendars, aim for something different but still useful. How about ice-scrapers if you live in the north? Blankets, sweatshirts, caps – are all good promotional items when the weather turns cold.

Holiday cards are great. People enjoy getting them and displaying them. Hardly anybody sends Thanksgiving cards, definitely consider it. In this politically correct age (gasp) you have to be sensitive to people’s religious sensibilities. Send Happy Holidays cards and not Merry Christmas Cards – unless you are absolutely sure your customer celebrates Christmas.

If you have any kind of retail business, think about add-on gifts that might be used as a second gift. A florist might include a free gift-wrapped ornament with a certain level of purchase that can be sent to a different address. Two gifts for the price of one. Buy one get one free offers are great at holiday times.

Use your creativity this holiday season and think about how you can solve your customers’ problems.