Weekend Spirit and Savvy

Relax, refresh, re-energize Here are three ideas to review this weekend.

1. The Sun-Sentinel’s article about two brothers in Delray Beach and how they spread their small business marketing views and other ideas by radio makes for a fascinating read.

Years ago I read a magazine article on creating your own radio broadcast. Podcasts have made this idea more of a possibility. Perhaps the Sun-Sentinel’s story will get you thinking about new ways to reach your customers.

2. The Publican reminds us, in their article, of the importance of backing up computer data. It may not be a topic that makes you giddy, but having a second method of retrieving data if the first fails sure will.

I make it a point to back up my financial data each time it’s updated with new sales and deposits. Do you? Think about how long it would take you to reconstruct that information. It would certainly take time away from marketing.

3. Harriette Cole writes a column published in the New York Daily News. She responds to a question on following up with contacts after the initial meeting.

How often do you stay in touch with people you meet at networking events? Some meetings are more insightful than others, and it’s those individuals whom you should seek to strengthen ties. A quick note starts the process.

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June 30, 2006 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

Rickety Plan Makes for an Unstable Ride

Fix the foundation before your proceed I take advantage of Yahoo’s alert program, subscribing to a number of words and phrases for business and fun. One of my alerts is for news containing the words “start a business” because I’m intrigued to learn about businesses mentioned in the news.

Here’s a story I found about two partners in Anchorage, Alaska who started a bicycle rickshaw business to accommodate tourists. The article leads me to think that the partners overlooked the marketing plan when developing this idea. What do you think?

Many licenses are said to be needed for this operation. There are competitors, which tells you that the need for transportation exists, but the rickshaws cannot go into certain areas to pick up tourists. That’s another hurdle that grinds progress to a halt.

Their $25,000 investment comes from savings and credit cards, yet there seems to be no real plan for recouping this amount outside of subcontracting and possible advertisements on t-shirts and rickshaws.

According to the article, the partners have outside interests which take their focus away from business. Everything points to this enterprise being developed on shaky ground.

It’s a thrill to think of a good idea based around a perceived need. But how can small and solo business owners thrive without a marketing plan? This business seems to be skating on thin ice, and in Anchorage, that can’t be good.

Technorati Tags: bicycle rickshaw business, marketing plan, rickshaw, solo business owner, small business owner, small business marketing

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June 28, 2006 | Filed Under Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

Changing Gears and Managing Time

Blessed and stressed all at once I’m starting to write the last two chapters of my pending book. This project consumes my life, and I don’t like it, but I’m closer to the finish line than I was yesterday.

How has this project temporarily changed me?

1. No time to blog regularly or update Web sites.
2. No time to work on projects for 2007.
3. Difficulty monitoring bills, barely paying them on time (thank goodness for online payments).

Everything that doesn’t need tending is on hold for the next six weeks. After that I will have no excuse for working on personal and business tasks, even if a job isn’t on my favorites’ list.

Small and solo business owners find themselves in this same position when working with clients that use a disproportionate amount of their time. When this happens, the bottom line question is, “Does the compensation match the work?” Hopefully, the answer will be “yes.” If not, consider the project as a learning experience, and don’t let it happen again.

That’s how I feel about becoming an author for the third time. I finally realize that the time doesn’t match the compensation, especially because I’m not an author with a deep-pocketed publicity machine in my corner.

But that’s when marketing may work in my favor. I have the means to position myself in whatever way I see fit. In addition, I can hire a machine on a temporary basis.

Writing this post has reminded me that being solo puts you in a very powerful position. I might be going through changes, but the outcome will be worth the effort.

Thanks to all of you who visit this blog and accompanying Web site. I’m very honored by your opinions and can’t wait to return to blogging more often. My hope is to post a minimum of twice weekly during this difficult time.

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June 22, 2006 | Filed Under Recent Entries, Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment

Top Ten Tantilizes Buyers

Tip lists wow clients Like you, I read a diverse number of magazines. Some are strictly business, and others are for fun.

One magazine, Smart Money, arrives each month with articles and tips on keeping more of what you make. The publication features a “10 Things” list that I always take time to read. It focuses on different industries, providing a look at the fine print and disclosures we don’t often read.

The July issue reveals secrets that rental car companies won’t tell, such as:

*Car tracking and fines imposed for illegalities
*Return charges when arriving more than 30 minutes past the deadline
*Coupons accepted online but deemed meaningless at the counter

The column is a type of anti-marketing, as targeted industries would not use such disclosures as a selling tool. But the format is a great idea for small and solo business owners competing against corporations. It’s a way to uncover the fine print that consumers don’t know exists until they’re locked into a sale. By then, it’s too late to back out.

Smart Money uses the “10 Things” moniker, but yours can be five or eight or three.

“Five Things a Day Care Service Doesn’t Want You to Know”
“Six Tips Chefs Won’t Share”
“Nine Money-Saving Ideas Painters Don’t Discuss”

These lists are not written just to sway a prospect from competitors. It’s created mainly as a public service. If that means you get the lion’s share of business, all the better.

What will be the subject of your first list?

Technorati Tags: Smart Money, solo business owner, small business marketing, small business owner

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June 14, 2006 | Filed Under Offline Ideas, Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | 2 Comments