25. March 2009 by Noel Guilford.

A successful marketing campaign isn’t as complicated as some might believe. It really just takes a little homework, creativity and guts most of all. Try to view marketing as the best way to communicate with your customers. No marketing, no communication. Bad marketing, bad communication! I have seen more money wasted on marketing than in any other part of a business. It is the black hole that many businesses with good intentions fall into daily.

Most small business owners have realized that there is no magic wand to wave when it comes to marketing. Much of it will be trial and error until the right combination of tools for each market can be identified and utilized. As much as I or anyone would like to be able to give you all the answers on what will work for you, it simply doesn’t exist. What I can offer is a few tips to consider when making your decision.

                               11 Keys to Marketing Basics

1. If you are not sure what to do with your marketing dollars stop and ask someone who does.                                        

The money spent speaking with someone familiar with your market and your demographic could save you valuable resources. It is well worth the investment.

2. If there simply isn’t any money to market you won’t be in business long

Marketing is a necessity few businesses can survive without it

3. Excellent marketing falls short in the face of bad operations

Without solid operations to support a strong marketing plan, many of the customers gained will be lost.

4. Never start a marketing campaign that you can’t stop

Remain in control of your promotions at all times. Use phrases like “limited time only” to allow you to pull the marketing at your discretion.

5. Aggressive incentives aren’t always the best road to take

When going aggressive, make sure that there are other products and services that interest the customer. Being less expensive will work till someone else is cheaper.

6. If it’s not new it better look new, sound new, or taste new

No need to remake the wheel, but you might need to shine it up every once and a while.

7. Know what your customers want and market to your demographic

Don’t waste time and money. Focus your efforts on what your customers want and deliver the message where those customers can see it.

8. Give it some time before you move on

Before any marketing campaign can be judged a failure or success there needs to be an appropriate time in which to evaluate the program. Start with a 90 day commitment.

9. Be willing to negotiate

The first time using a marketing vehicle is a great opportunity to negotiate an introductory   rate, so take it. Or maybe the last time you used it the response was unsatisfactory, now is a good time to negotiate a better rate so they can keep your business.

10. The only way to gauge your marketing success is with detailed records

How many responses to your marketing program did your receive daily, weekly, monthly. How many were new customers, existing customers, or return customers. This is just a portion of the information needed to judge your marketing plan.

11. Always know what and where your competition is marketing

Never miss an opportunity to size up the competition and the types of marketing they are using. This will save you lots of foot work. They have already pinpointed what types of marketing reach the customers that you share.  

Posted in Marketing, Being the Boss, Saving Money, Making Money | Print | 68 Comments »

19. March 2009 by Noel Guilford.

The best advice I or anyone could give when it comes to running a business is to take it personally. Seriously, no one is more responsible for the success or failure of a business than its owner. From the moment the open sign lights up for the first time the performance of that business is a direct reflection on the owner.

For you to think that customers blame the frontline employees or their supervisors is an open invitation for the customers to do business with your competition. You need to take t they say personally. As difficult as it is to build and maintain a good reputation, it is even more so to change a tarnished reputation.

It is impossible to directly oversee each and every cog that turns a machine. The main objective is to ensure that all those cogs spin and they all work in tandem with each other. This is part of training the right people the right way and holding them to your standards of operation.                                                        

                                                Bulldog Rules for Business

                                    # 3 - Hire the right people to do the job                                 

                               # 4 - Train and then keep training your employees

For analogy sake let’s say the cogs of a business are the different aspects that run it.

• Marketing 
• Customer Service  
• Image  
• Training  
• Human Resources  
• Quality of Products and Services 

Place these and several other key elements of business together and you get profit right? Well, not necessarily. I’ve worked with businesses where you could almost hear the gears grinding and you can see that the business is breaking down. The only person taking it personally at that point is the customer, which is not enough to grease the gears and get things moving.  

One of the most inefficient uses of time is possessed by the Micro-Manager. Taking it personally is exactly what the Micro-Manager does - just in excess. If you can fault the micro-manager for anything it won’t be for lack of trying. So I warn anyone who thinks that the only way to get something done right is to do it themselves - it won’t work for long.

If someone would only inoculate everyone within an organization with a little personal pride and business ethics there would be a bottom line worth looking at. That is your job as the owner. Who better than the person with the most to gain and the most to lose? Keep one thing in mind; there are more pleasant things that roll down hill. Take every aspect of your business personally and roll something useful down that hill. 

Posted in Creating the Culture, Being the Boss, Training | Print | 75 Comments »

9. March 2009 by Noel Guilford.

Whether you are already in business or looking to start a business of your own, what has brought you to this point? I can honestly tell you that if your answer isn’t a passionate love of the business, then quickly check your surroundings for the nearest exit and beat it. Sounds harsh, but that is the best thing I can say to protect everything most important to you. Don’t throw everything away betting on the donkey at the horse track. When the days get long and the nights get even longer the love of the business keeps you in the game. You need something more than the job to keep you going.
 

Money
I love this one I must say. If money is the driving force for business then a 9 to 5 job is the best bet. I’d be very cautious about loving something that won’t love you back. A nice bottom line will be the result when passion meets execution. Of all the reasons for business ownership this one I hear more often than not. Would it also surprise anyone that this is generally the reason that businesses close? Trust me I put two and two together some time ago and the answer changed my life.
 

Anger
A very close second is good old fashioned frustration. Spending day upon day working towards another person’s dream really gets to some people. Tired of taking orders from someone else when you know that you can perform better on your own? Well I hope you keep your resume’ fresh. Once fatigue sets in anger and frustration goes out of the window and that 9 to 5 workload doesn’t look so bad anymore. This scenario is the most heart breaking to watch as the business and those that support it are tossed aside to make room for a hasty escape back into the workforce.
 

Legacy
Ever seen the look in parent’s eyes when their child finally gains the courage to tell them that they don’t want to go into the family business? It is absolutely devastating. It is especially hard for those parents who started a family business with the intent to pass it on. Even worse is the purchase of a business for our children without first making sure that their passion is there. Be ready to step in and run the business yourself should things begin to go south or if there is a change of heart. It happens, believe it or not, and can be easily avoided by discussing the entire situation in a calm, open setting before any money is put on the table.
 

I love it!
Whatever it is, you have to love doing it. That love or passion whether for customer service, baking, or king crab fishing will give you the fuel to go the distance. Business ownership is an opportunity to build success and wealth doing what you love to do. This passion will bring you the most enjoyment out of business and life in the long run. Keep in mind that just because you love something doesn’t mean that you are good at it. Lucky for everyone that you can learn how. It is possible to learn to love the business that you are in, just as it is possible to learn how to make a business out of what you love. Follow your passion. Just make sure that it’s the right one.

Posted in Being the Boss, Making Money | Print | 66 Comments »