USE 101 MARKETING STRATEGIES OF THE BIG COMPANIES TO PUBLICIZE AND PROMOTE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS EFFECTIVELY

USE 101 MARKETING STRATEGIES OF THE BIG COMPANIES TO PUBLICIZE AND PROMOTE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS EFFECTIVELY

With more businesses springing up in their thousands, sale of products and services have indeed become more competitive. Business owners and advertisers, more than before, continue to churn out strategies and tactics to get their offerings into the minds and eventually the pockets of existing and potential customers or clients.    
The big companies allocate huge annual budget for their marketing campaigns; while small businesses tend to struggle to make themselves known in the market.    
This trend, however, has forced thousands of small businesses to close shop, while others have gone the way of cheap or free publicity and promotion in order to keep cost at an all time low. You find them in online forums, blogs, pay-per-click, classified ads, banner exchange, social networking websites, online directories and even small business meetings.
I have  painstakingly researched and compiled 101 marketing strategies  the big companies use to publicize and promote their businesses. Surprisingly, as small business owners, we can make good use of them tool!
1.    Use a direct mail campaign to sell your offerings
2.    Send customized bulk sms to your target audience.
3.    Create  a blog and start blogging.
4.    Advertise in newspapers and magazines
5.    Print and hand  out quality business cards
6.    Distribute corporate souvenirs  
7.    Write professional articles  on  your products and  services.
8.    Issue press releases in both the print and electronic media.
9.    Advertise on billboards and street banners.  
10.    Sponsor or co-sponsor special events
11.    Join social networking websites, e.g facebook
12.    Design a beautiful website for your business.
13.    Join and participate in online forums, e.g nairaland
14.    Establish mutual community relationships
15.    Target your audiences well
16.    Attend trade fairs/exhibitions
17.    Organize  road  shows
18.    Distribute quality flyers
19.    Paste  quality  posters
20.    Have an efficient customer/client contact centre
21.    Offer discounts on your products/services.
22.    Do a documentary on your business  
23.    Distribute annual  reports to your  stakeholders
24.    Be open to criticism
25.    Advance a dress code for your employees
26.    Use a consistent brand identity on all promotional materials.
27.     Include contacts information on all outgoing communication.
28.    Share your statements of purpose and core values with all stakeholders.
29.    Treat your employees with respect & admiration.
30.    Initiate corporate social responsibility programmes
31.    Hold annual general meetings
32.    Advertise on tv and radio
33.    Organize facility visits for your stakeholders.
34.    Give opportunity for customer feedback always.
35.    Publish a house journal/newsletter regularly   
36.    Create events around new products and services
37.    Use in-store/open market display stands
38.    Brand your vehicles
39.    Use roll-up/pop up banners within your business premises and at important events.
40.    Beautify  your business premises
41.    Partner  with other businesses to sell your products/services.
42.    Recognize and appreciate loyal customers.
43.    Use word of mouth always
44.    Offer quality products/services always
45.    Covet and win awards  for your company
46.    Use a good trade/ brand name
47.    Advertise on the internet
48.    Re-brand your products/services if necessary  
49.    Meet and discuss with other business people at events.
50.    Ask your existing customers/clients  for referrals
51.    Request for written third-party endorsement for your products or services.
52.    Maintain an open communication policy with journalists.
53.    Partner with you local and state governments on developmental issues/projects.
54.    Publish a book/magazine
55.    Establish branch offices at strategic areas
56.    Drive a posh car (for Nigerians only!)
57.    Maintain a high dress sense.
58.    Use state-of-the-art office equipment
59.    Have only intelligent employees on your payroll.
60.    Only employees with good communication skills must answers phone calls and deliver corporate speeches.
61.    Place and honour all statements of warranty on your products and services.
62.    Use beautiful packaging for your products.
63.    Offer the best product/service at a reasonable price.
64.    Initiate a market research for an existing or new product/service.
65.    Use e-mail marketing
66.    Embrace new technology
67.    Smile always
68.    Organize a press conference when necessary
69.    Tailor your product/service offerings to different segments of your market.
70.    Schedule a visit with potential clients/customers
71.    Use a punchy slogan to drive home your message
72.    Pay a courtesy visit to traditional rulers, regulatory agencies, the media and other important publics.
73.    Avoid lawsuits and respect the rule of law.
74.    Put your customers first when formulating policies
75.    Have an in-house  public relations expert or consultant on your payroll.
76.    Focus on delivering superior products/services
77.    Empathize with your clients/customers     
78.    Set new and challenging marketing goals regularly.
79.    Recruit ad-hoc sales people for sales promotion
80.    Maintain a non-discrimination recruitment policy
81.    Manage your internal and external crisis well
82.    Never speak ill of your target audiences
83.    Submit your website to search engines and directories.
84.    Submit your articles to article submission websites.
85.    Position and re-position your products/service against your competitors.
86.    Discuss pertinent but controversial issues over the media
87.    Insist on quality printing work always.
88.    Build excellent relationship with your target audiences        
89.    Offer free delivery service where applicable
90.    Give customers the opportunity to buy and pay for your products on the internet.
91.    Pay your creative department /agency well to do a quality newspaper, TV and radio advertisement for you.
92.    Say “thank you” each time a customer or client   patronizes you.
93.    Display your statements of purpose, beliefs and awards inside your business premises.
94.    Keep and update a mailing list of your target audiences
95.    Offer free services as often as you can.
96.    Provide a toll-free number for customer/client feedback.
97.    Have customer relationship officers respond to enquiries on time.
98.    Pay your taxes regularly.
99.    Maintain a credit worthiness policy with your banks and other lenders.
100.    Include a “signature” (business information) in all your outgoing e-mail messages.       
101.    Invite me to speak with your employees or seminar audience on how they can use each of these strategies to publicize/promote your (or their) products/service effectively. Call Ayokunle on +2348055981421.
Read more relevant business write-ups on my blog: www.rulingideas.blogspot.com

A Common Marketing Plan Outline for a Small Home Based Business Venture

A Common Marketing Plan Outline for a Small Home Based Business Venture

What is a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan consists of a list of actions needed to attain marketing targets. It might be for a product, a service or a brand. There are marketing plans for short term targets – 1 year, and long term goals – five years.

A marketing plan could be part of an overall business plan format. A good marketing strategy is the bedrock of a good marketing plan.

Why does a Home Business necessitate a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan can assist a home business venture owner to focus his marketing efforts. It ensures methodical technique to providing products and services to fulfill and satisfy customers’ needs.

How to formulate a Marketing Plan
Drawing up a marketing plan is not that cumbersome. Center on the content and do not fret about the writing style. Center on the targets and the efforts required to attain them need to be stated clearly in the marketing plan. Take note that a sound marketing plan sets clear, realistic, achievable  and measurable targets. It should contain deadlines, a budget and allotment of  responsibilities.

Marketing Plan Outline
A common marketing plan outline might consist of these topics:

Current Market Analysis
Explain the current market condition which the business is in. It can later be used as a benchmark to tweak the marketing plan in the future. By using a marketing plan SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and also the PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis tools, write a brief description of the current product or service available, the marketing boons and obstacles the business might chance upon. Ponder over the threats posed by competitors and also study other factors that might affect the business in the year to come. This may aid in the development of strategies in the future.

Target Market
Definitely every product or service requires a market. This explains why customer analysis in marketing plans is essential to its success. The product could be directed at the online market as well as the offline market. It could be targeted at the general public or it could be targeted at a niche market. For an online market the analysis should include reasons why people shop online. Once a target market is determined, write a target market profile based on demographics and include selection benchmarks.

Marketing Objectives
Express the company’s marketing targets for the coming year. The goals should be specific, realistic and measurable in order to gauge the marketing progress. Avoid vague statements such as, “Increase indoor sales.” Incorporate specifics instead – “Increase indoor sales by 25%.”

Strategies to Achieving Objectives
If the marketing aim is to boost indoor sales by 25% then a strategy must to be formulated to meet this objective. For example, there could be special a promotion for walk-in customers. This promotion can be marketed through an emailed weekly newsletter to buyers. The strategies should be extensive and cover the 4P’s of marketing – Price, Product, Place, Promotion.

Marketing Budget
Exercising marketing strategies to reach marketing objectives costs money. Create a breakdown of marketing concerned expenses associated with the strategies. Have a look at the numbers and decide if it is too large a figure. Do not be afraid to lower or revise the budget until a practicable figure is attained.

Keep in mind that a marketing plan has to remain an ongoing process throughout the life of a business venture. Marketing plans should be adaptable to changes in environment so as to remain relevant. 

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When Bad Credit Spoils Your Chances At A Small Business Loan

When Bad Credit Spoils Your Chances At A Small Business Loan

Bad credit is one of the main reasons for bank loan denial. A credit score lower than 580 will most likely ruin your chances for a business loan. Multiple credit checks also lessens your chances for approval. And of course, a recent file for bankruptcy will ensure denial on your request.

Fortunately, there is no reason for despair if you belong to this group of people. There are now available alternatives for getting a small business loan, regardless of your bad credit. It is important, however, that you understand your circumstances before jumping into these alternative means for a business loan.

You can opt for an unsecured personal loan in such cases. But before you do, consider these factors first. One, how much do you need as a business loan? Factor in the numbers and come to a close estimate of how much you really need. Two, how much can pay each month. You have to note that personal business loans often have higher interest rates per month and if you’re not careful, you might become more in debt than you actually were, before the business loan. And three, will you be making minimum payments? Avoid making minimum payments because it actually costs more in the long run.

A business cash advance is also one way of securing the money you need. A small business loan through cash advance is  relatively an easy process to go through as compared to borrowing money from a bank. Most small business, even if they do have good credit, have often little asset and property. This is what makes business cash advances a good alternative for small entrepreneurs in need of immediate money. The only important thing your business should have is access to credit card services (i.e. you accept credit cards for transactions). You just need to have your business’ credit scores established. The best way to do this is to separate your personal credit from your business credit. It is recommended that you control most, if not all, of your business credit needs from only one of two credit card service providers so you have better chances at getting approved quickly. Lastly, your business will need to have gained ,500 to ,000 as minimum credit card sales per month.

Most cash advance providers base the amount of business loans by average monthly credit card sales, and of course, your actual need for capital. A business cash advance as a business loan is recommendable because the processing time for approval of your business loan can be as short as 3 days. Since newly opened small  businesses encounter a lot of time constraints with suppliers and clients, easy and immediate access to additional funding is always a plus. Furthermore, cash advance as a small business loan now comes easy with the help of the internet. You can apply for a business cash advance online and have it approved the next day. The business loan will be directly deposited into your account once it is approved.

Use your small business loan to purchase new equipment, marketing, pay debt or taxes, or pay the payroll. Banks and big lending companies are now not the only way of getting a small business loan for your immediate business needs. Fast, online cash advance is now the new means of making your business grow and compete in whatever market you are thriving on.

Getting Small Business Loans with No Collateral in this Recession

Getting Small Business Loans with No Collateral in this Recession

The global financial crisis has made it quite difficult for companies, especially small businesses, to get business loans. Ironically, it is also in this situation that smaller companies often need additional capital infusion to boost income. You may need to get small business loans to acquire a better business location, construct a new building, renovate your premises, pay for new equipment, fixtures or furniture or increase inventory and working capital.

Most Small Business Loans Require Collateral

To get business loans, even small business loans, is a major challenge.

First you need to identify which among the many types of small business loans you need. Small business loans ranging from ,000.00 to ,000.00 are called micro loans. For larger needs, such as for the acquisition of land, buildings and other major fixed assets, development financing is what you should find. There are also import export loans as well as franchise financing. Do your research to find out if you are qualified for small business loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration or SBA.

Any of these small business loans will require extensive preparations and paperwork. As a small business owner, you will need to prove your credit worthiness through a personal credit history report. Lenders will also require a business plan which includes your credentials as the business owner, your company financial statements, business assets and an analysis of your market. All of these should be packaged in a professional loan proposal which presents how the loaned amount will be used to strengthen the business and how you intend to repay the loan. Most of all, you need to present your loan collateral – the assets you will put up to secure the loan.

Quick and Easy Small Business Loans with No Collateral

For smaller acquisitions or day to day business needs, there is a way for entrepreneurs to get small business loans easily and quickly with no collateral. This is through merchant services.

Merchant services provide credit card services to businesses. This enables them to accept and process payments through credit cards or debit cards either through face to face purchases, online transactions, or even by phone or fax. Merchant service providers supply terminal equipment for card swiping, as well as the necessary software and high speed IP solutions.

Most businesses need credit card services since consumers routinely pay for goods and services through credit cards and debit cards these days. If your business has not taken this step yet, you may have been missing out on more than half of your income potential.

These same merchant services also provide the solution for your small business loans. Collateral-free loans can be availed of through their cash advances, with the loan amount computation based on the monthly credit card revenue your business generates. Credit card sales requirements may be as low as ,000.00 a month. You will not be asked for collateral since your future revenue is your collateral.

The best types of merchant cash advances do not require fixed monthly payments nor do they impose deadlines on loan payment. A certain percentage is instead deducted automatically from your credit card revenue each month to go towards loan payment. This way, you never have to worry about loan amortization.

Once your cash advance has been fully paid, you may apply for another one. It is like having a revolving credit line. Make sure that you compare the terms of several merchant service providers, though, and read the fine print on contracts. There are so many merchant service providers competing for your business that you’ll surely find one that fits your needs.

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Some Tips On Small Business Insurance

Some Tips On Small Business Insurance

It is advisable to insure ones small business against risk such as fire, floods or other naturally occurring disasters. Taking an insurance cover does not necessarily imply that one is looking forward to bad times. In any case, it only means that one is looking at an easier way of managing risk incase it happens. Buying an insurance policy from an insurance company requires a lot of consideration.

The first thing to consider is the type of policy to buy for your business. This is because they do not all work the same way and compensation is dependent on other factors. For example, insuring against fire  is no guarantee that in the event of loss through fire the insurance company will repay you. They have to establish the cause of the fire and if that does not match your policy, then you stand to lose out.

You should always consider engaging an insurance agent that can handle all of your insurance requirements. You should in fact involve the agent right from the beginning of the whole process  before you have the policies in place, so that you can gauge their competence. In your policy, you are always on the safe side if you can include a commercial umbrella coverage for your business.

This incudes having an employees coverage, such that you are able to compensate them incase of any eventualities. In addition, be sure that you maintain a clean and safe environment for your employees at all times. Employment practices liability coverage also proves useful incase an employee gets injured in the course of their duty.

Protecting Your Business with Small Business Insurance

Protecting Your Business with Small Business Insurance

A small business insurance policy differs from that of auto insurance or personal home insurance. Business insurance coverage is very important for all small business owners. Your business assets should be taken into consideration when choosing a small business insurance policy, as well as securing adequate liability coverage, should something occur in which you are found liable for damages. Your assets such as business property, equipment, and tools are needed to help your company operate, and insuring these items properly is very important.

 

As soon as a small business owner has researched the right insurance carrier by conducting company research and receiving business quotes, the application process begins. Stating what assets you have and the desired coverage needed for those assets, as well as the liability coverage you need to properly insure your risk, is vitally important. Should a loss occur, you wouldn’t want to find out that in fact you do not have enough coverage.

 

After all factors have been taken into consideration, the insurance provider will calculate your small business insurance quote. Small business insurance policies can be expensive depending upon the type of business that you run and how many workers you employ. However, small business insurance is necessary and should be calculated into your business budget. Most people and companies will not employ you if you do not present a current insurance policy before work begins.

 

At the end of the day, your new small business insurance policy should be in effect. Everything that is used in the running of your small business needs to be appropriately covered and your required liability limits met. As a small business owner, you have enough to worry about; you shouldn’t have to worry about your insurance also. A small business insurance policy will give you the peace of mind to go out and make your small business a success.

 

For more details:http://www.uk-commercial-insurance.com

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Protecting Your Business with Small Business Insurance

Protecting Your Business with Small Business Insurance

A small business insurance policy differs from that of auto insurance or personal home insurance. Business insurance coverage is very important for all small business owners. Your business assets should be taken into consideration when choosing a small business insurance policy, as well as securing adequate liability coverage, should something occur in which you are found liable for damages. Your assets such as business property, equipment, and tools are needed to help your company operate, and insuring these items properly is very important.

As soon as a small business owner has researched the right insurance carrier by conducting company research and receiving business quotes, the application process begins. Stating what assets you have and the desired coverage needed for those assets, as well as the liability coverage you need to properly insure your risk, is vitally important.  Should a loss occur, you wouldn’t want to find out that in fact you do not have enough coverage.

After all factors have been taken into consideration, the insurance provider will calculate your small business insurance quote. Small business insurance policies can be expensive depending upon the type of business that you run and how many workers you employ. However, small business insurance is necessary and should be calculated into your business budget.  Most people and companies will not employ you if you do not present a current insurance policy before work begins.

At the end of the day, your new small business insurance policy should be in effect. Everything that is used in the running of your small business needs to be appropriately covered and your required liability limits met.  As a small business owner, you have enough to worry about; you shouldn’t have to worry about your insurance also.  A small business insurance policy will give you the peace of mind to go out and make your small business a success.

Click here to see more details : http://www.uk-commercial-insurance.com

Internet Marketing Guide for Small Business

Internet Marketing Guide for Small Business
Recession proof your business by learning what you competition doesnt know about online business development, Web 2.0, and Internet Marketing. Learn how to succeed online with or without a budget.
Internet Marketing Guide for Small Business

Lap Band Weight Loss Surgery Insurance Secrets
Lap Band weight loss surgery is now the most popular weight loss surgery procedure in the world. Thousands of people each year struggle to get their insurance to pay for it. This guide will help them navigate the steps necessary for success.
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Cha-Ching – The Huge Books of Small Business Marketing Ideas

A few commercial insurance for small businesses products I can recommend:

Cha-Ching – The Huge Books of Small Business Marketing Ideas
49 Unique Ideas for marketing a small business on a budget. Free samples provided.
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Local Small Business Marketing & Promotion Online
Helping local Small Business Owners Market and promote their local businesses more profitably online. Explains why traditional marketing doesn’t work and give them resources to start their own online marketing program.
Local Small Business Marketing & Promotion Online

Small Business Finance and Commercial Lender Perspectives

Small Business Finance and Commercial Lender Perspectives

The traditional commercial lending role of banks in providing small business loans appears to be growing smaller. Some of the most critical issues likely to be confronted by small businesses involving lenders are summarized in a series of brief perspectives in this report.

“Avoid online applications for business financing” is some candid advice for small business owners desperately seeking new commercial finance funding. This suggestion is a specific attempt to emphasize that it is not prudent to provide confidential business finance information before it is determined that commercial financing is feasible for a particular financial need. Such automated application processes are obviously a convenience for the lender, but this does not translate to a sufficient reason for exposing private business data without knowing more about the small business loan criteria that will be used by the commercial lender receiving the information. An effective substitute for this questionable practice is to have a lengthy and candid individualized discussion with a small business financing expert to determine what the practical commercial loan options are in advance.

“Banks are not the solution, they are the problem” describes the unfortunate reality that bankers are just not what they used to be for most small business finance situations. Hardly a week passes without negative reports about the poor financial health of banks. In one recent report, it was noted that there are now more problem banks (which are banks judged by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as being more likely to fail) then anytime in the past eighteen years. Troubled banks have grown from about 300 in early 2009 to just under 800 in the early part of 2010. It is likely for commercial borrowers to have even more trouble getting water from a well that is running dry with financial data like this.

An essential perspective for small business owners to have in the problematic loan climate displayed by most commercial lenders serving small businesses is “it is necessary to have realistic expectations”. Gone are the days of buying a business with little or no down payment. The relative ease of getting working capital has been replaced by a less predictable borrowing climate for any form of working capital that is not secured by assets, and it is important to expect this lending situation. Refinancing commercial real estate loans is now dependent on a much longer list of underwriting requirements that can realistically make attempts to refinance either difficult or impossible.

A reflection of the realistic possibility that something will go wrong with a current small business financing option is “small business owners should have a Plan B”, and to prepare for this business owners should do some advance planning. Contingency planning has always been a worthwhile task for a small business to employ for their management operations. To help soften the blow if problems develop with existing business finance services, it is strongly recommended that a variation of contingency planning also be adopted. Businesses will frequently uncover financial improvements that they can make immediately by engaging in this forward-looking approach to working capital management and business loans.

A funding solution from banks is not routinely appearing for business finance needs that most owners currently have. It should be noted that this brief evaluation covers only a small part of the total business lending picture likely to be experienced by small business owners.

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