October 2022 - Page 7 of 12

Benefits Small Online Business Programs Offer to Internet Business People

The online money making secret, is starting small. Even though you may be having lots of money to invest, it is always advisable to begin from down then make your way up. This will help you learn and gain experience on some of the best business programs to invest in. Small online business programs help you to get little hands on experience on how to promote your website or blog.

On the same note, the advantage of small online business ideas is that most of them are free to enroll. This then means you can start making money online without investing any cash. Considering that there are also internet marketing strategies like free advertising on classifieds or business directories, you can promote your internet business programs and get referrals/leads.

Testimonies exist of people who have become wealthy just because they discovered online money making secrets. If you follow these successful individuals history you will realize that most of them began small online business programs and made their way up. Today, some of them are considered internet business gurus.

Some ideas of small online business opportunities include affiliate marketing, taking surveys and data entry just to mention a few. The idea is to gain visibility in your market niche and this usually takes time. Article marketing is one proven strategy that internet marketing experts recommended. Though you may claim that this is not easy work, realize that nothing good comes without working hard.

Let today be the beginning of your journey towards financial freedom. Take your time and research on at least one internet business opportunity, and concentrate your efforts towards building on it. Within no time you will discover other vital tactics that would assist you build on your small online business.

To research and learn more strategic money making secrets and small business opportunities, visit the link in the resource box below.

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.

Email Marketing For Small Business

Email marketing for small business is seriously by far, the most powerful and least costly method around. It is very easy to build a list of customers and potential customers, particularly from your website.

By building a relationship with your customers, they will get to trust and know you and more likely to buy from you again and again and email is a great way to do it.

At its most basic and at no cost, start with an excel spreadsheet, but I highly recommend you use an email database management system like Aweber. I personally use this in my business and it is very cost effective and relatively easy. It also comes with the ability to send newsletters.

The topic of email marketing, creating lists and communicating with your lists is huge, but here are a few tips to get you started:

Use your list right away

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to focus on building the list and neglecting communicating with the list. Make sure you begin building that relationship with your subscriber right away. Send them a welcome message. Send them value in the form of links, downloads and information. You may want to have an email template that brands your business, but if not, text is OK. In fact, text gets through most spam filters.

Create a communication plan

Make sure you’re communicating with your subscribers on a regular basis. An autoresponder is a wonderful tool because it enables you to create and schedule your messages in advance. You can basically set up all of your email messages on auto pilot – do it once and when someone is added to your list, they all receive the same messages in the same sequence at intervals you set. Aweber also does this.

Each new subscriber can receive the same messages in the same order, regardless of when they signed up. This gives you control over the relationship-building process and it is completely automated. You only need to set it up once. Also remember to offer valuable content, not just promotional messages.

An autoresponder automates the process, including the subscribe and unsubscribe management. You don’t need to hire anyone to manage the task for you. Your time is free to build your business in other ways.

Partner with others to grow your list

Once you have your list building and management process smoothed out, consider partnerships. You can really boost your subscribers by partnering with other relevant business owners. For example, the website owner who markets to pet owners might partner with a website that sells pet toys. They can help market your opt-in list by including a link to your form in their newsletter and vice versa. You can support each other to succeed. I do this successfully on my travel blog.

Your list can mean the difference between thousands of prospects. It really can launch your business. If you don’t have list, start creating a plan to build one. You’ll be glad you did.

Cost-Effective Marketing Strategies of Small Business Marketing Experts

Whether your business is old or new, you marketing should be dynamic and timely. Often times marketing in small business involves sending several outgoing calls and walk-in customer service satisfaction. But are these small business marketing ideas still operational today? Or is Internet marketing becoming the next norm for small or big business.

Adding to the dilemma is that, these days, the business magazines, newspapers, Internet and even your email Inbox are filled with small business marketing ideas from just anybody. Inexperienced businessmen or women can easily feel lost in these barrages of small business marketing views, advices, strategies, etc. So let me give you more centered strategies that harness one effective small business marketing strategy: Internet marketing.

Six Top Ideas for Internet Marketing

1. Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC)

For a tech-savvy business man or woman, Pay Per Click marketing proves to be a strong business marketing method. But, entrepreneurs using Pay Per Click should know what they’re doing or their cost per conversion could rapidly break unknowingly. The key to a productive Pay Per Click marketing drive is continuous oversight.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Unlike Pay Per Click advertising, Search Engine Optimization pays off slowly but a lasting prospect is feasible. On average, 75% of a business website’s traffic come from organic search engine queries. Remember that search engines wouldn’t mind your advertising budget. What they look into is the SEO strategies you employed on your site What are important are the SEO strategies that you have on your site.

3. Public Relations (PR)

Public relations are perhaps the parent of all small business marketing ideas since advertising campaigns was started. Nailing your offline and your online PR campaign is a very good way to build-up awareness, authority, trust, and loyalty to your business. Online public relation through PR Wire is very cost-effective small business marketing strategy, for example.

4. Twitter and Facebook Places

Adding to the micro blogging and the syndication power of Twitter and Facebook are their new free service to all business marketers: the Twitter and Facebook Places. This application allows you to integrate your Tweets and Facebook updates to display a map where your business is located.

5. Online Business Directories

Today, clients are prepared to junk yellow pages in favor of the more interactive online business directories to find local businesses. If you’re not included on several online business directories, then it means you’re losing on a lot of small business marketing ideas. You’re missing on citation burst that could have tremendous positive impact on search engines.

6. Online Word of Mouth

And the last small business marketing strategy that’s paying huge dividend is online word of mouth. This includes glowing customer reviews on online directories, blogs, and social media sites. Seventy percent of future clients trust online reviews, so it’s time to start looking into ReviewBiz, for example, and start strategizing.

I know that was a lot of online small business marketing ideas to study let alone implement. In fact, imposing and managing all these online marketing ideas can even be time consuming. Don’t worry though because there are solutions you can find on the Internet that should help you implement the marketing strategies above.

In closing, small business marketing ideas such as online directories, etc. are a potent means to reach more local clients. These tried & trusted methods are permanent, and your business will fall if you don’t have these strategies in place.

Business Ideas For a Shrinking Economy

Even though there may be hopes of recovery on the horizon, we are still living in a shrinking economy. Here are some business ideas that have proven to work during good times or bad. Take time make adjustments in your business to reflect these principals and you can grow despite the economy.

Increase your marketing and your promotional budgets. If you stop advertising, you will stop growing. You must keep your brand constantly in front of the audience that is your target.

Continue to make your established customer feel like they are important. The do not want to be treated like a number. They need to feel appreciated and valued. Make a personal contact with each client every week. You need to initiate the call and it should not be about a sales pitch or getting an order.

Remember that customers change vendors daily. This means you should work to keep your brand in front of the competition’s clients daily. Woo the competition’s clients with your caring attention. Remember that the competition is doing this with your clients also.

Remember that no business relationship is permanent. Business deals are based on relationships, so if your company changes staff or if the customer’s company changes staff, you could lose business. Work constantly to add value to the current customer in order to keep the business they bring your way. At the same time, constantly promote your company through PR, advertising and making presentations.

Market your business so that clients feel that you can do what they need done. Forget the this is what I can do for you mentality. Focus on what needs to be done. First meetings should be about your listening to what your potential client wants, feels or thinks. Second meetings should tie what your client wants to what you can do.

Always seek what new opportunities are available. What if IBM had said we make the best typewriters available, there is no need to change? If you do not incorporate the latest and greatest into your business, you can bet that the competition will.

A shrinking economy forces businesses to evaluate their underlying ideas. As you evaluate those ideas you are also forced to change how things are done and the tactics to reach more clients. If you learn to reach more clients even during a time of a shrinking economy, then you will be able to grow even more as the economy rebounds.

Local Small Business Advertising Ideas – Where to Get Them

Local small business owners spend a great deal of money on advertising. Most of us never know if the advertising is paying off. Most never know if their advertising or marketing is any good at all. The problem is, we ask the wrong people their opinion. We ask our co-workers if an advertisement looks good. The CEO asks the treasurer what she thinks. The problem is that most of us are not experts in advertising. At most, we know what we like in graphic design.

So, where do we get great advertising ideas? Most of us never look outside our doors for advertising or marketing ideas. The smarter small business owners look outside their doors to other, more successful, business owners…in the same business. That a smart way to look for ideas. Copy what works. It’s the franchise method. Test an idea, copy it, and deploy it to the vendors.

Te problem with his idea is that everyone in your business has access to these ideas. They aren’t new. Soon you are copying the copier. You are playing “follow the follower”. My mentor Dan Kennedy calls this “Marketing Incest”.

Most tested and proven small business advertising and marketing ideas are found completely outside of your core business. These ideas can then be tested and translated into any business you like. For example, I own a retail store and sell vacuum cleaners. But of the 42 separate marketing and advertising methods I employ, only one idea came from the retail industry. One out of forty two. In fact, the most profitable ideas I use come from the restaurant, medical, and insurance fields.

The idea is simple. Find businesses that are actually owned by someone. Not major corporation, but businesses that have a leader calling the shots. Most successful companies have articles written about them and their CEO. In fact, there are hundreds of books out there on Amazon.com that hold all the marketing and advertising secrets these leaders used to grow their company. These ideas are plentiful, easy to find, and books are cheap.

You can read a book about an entrepreneur, and I see what made them successful. Then you just have to imagine how that idea, at least the core of it, could be applied to your business. Most great advertising and marketing ideas are similar or even identical across all industries. A few tweeks is all it usually takers to generate a profitable new idea for your business.

You can go to the library and take a day doing this; Look up magazines where there are direct mail ads running. Direct mail meaning that you can actually buy something from the ad, or at least request information. These are not brand building ads. Now find the same magazine from a year ago. Look at the ads. Which ads are the same from a year ago? Those ads are profitable. These are the ads to study. What do they have in common? A few hours of studying these ads will show you a pattern that great ads use. Now look at the ads that are there a year ago, but are not there now. What do they have in common? These are unsuccessful ads. What are the differences between a dozen of these unsuccessful ads, and the ones that are repeated for at least a year?

Now imagine that these successful repeated ads were used to sell your product (or at least get a request for information). A few simple changes are all that’s needed for most ads.

I know this is boring work. I know it isn’t exciting, and won’t make for a great story when you tell your friends about it. But if you want to know the most profitable way to get advertising and marketing ideas for your local small business or retail store, this is it.

Business Ideas – 5 Business Ideas With Huge Potential

Are you seriously considering building your own business but simply don’t know how? Then, these business ideas will surely help you out:

1. If you don’t want to have a boss and if you want to have direct control over your working hours and income, I recommend that you start up an internet home based business. You can create and sell ebooks (don’t worry as this is relatively easy), you can offer coaching programs on things that you are an expert on, you can make money from blogging and affiliate marketing, and you can buy and sell items on eBay and other auction sites.

2. Set up your own gym. There has never been a time where people are more conscious with the way they look and how much they weigh. With so many desperate people trying to lose weight, setting up your own gym can be the most profitable way for you to make money. Of course, you will need to learn how to run such business in order to increase your chances to succeed. You can attend relevant classes and seminars to get in-depth knowledge about this type of business.

3. Gadget store. More and more people are now obsessed (yes, obsess is the word) with different types of gadgets like iPods, mobile phones, laptops, etc. Take advantage of this huge demand by setting up a gadget store preferably at a local mall (you can also create your online store). As there are now so many people who are doing this business, make sure that you get ahead of the pack by offering only high quality products at reasonable prices. Of course it would help if you launch aggressive marketing campaign and if you offer 100% satisfaction to all your customers.

4. Sushi restaurant. If you haven’t noticed it yet, Japanese food is taking America, United Kingdom, and other first world countries by storm. Well, it must have something to do with people in these countries who are trying not to put too much weight. For these people, you can build up your own sushi restaurant. The key here is finding a strategic location where your target market can easily and conveniently find you.

5. Massage parlor and spa. People who work hard (and those who have great buying powers) usually spend enormous amount of money for their relaxation. Put up a massage parlor or spa that these people will go crazy about.

Business Ideas Make Good Business

Ideas are the genesis of all things, seen and unseen. In the same way, business ideas are the genesis of all things business, service and product.

All things in this universe began with an idea. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that did not spawn from an idea. Look around you and take note of what you see. If you are in an office, you might see a desk, a computer, a bookshelf, wood flooring, a lamp, some wall texture, a fan…

You may be on your back porch. You might see a fence, a pool, some trees, some shrubs, a pond, a street…

Think of all that you feel. The air, the heat, the cool, the gravitational pull, the soft fur of a cat…

All things were made or created from the source of an idea. For the idea had to be there for the action of making to begin. Just as a burn follows heat or a fall results from gravitation, the existence of all actions or products come forth from ideas.

All are there because of an idea in the mind of someone, somewhere, thought. God “thought” of the created universe before He made it. Humankind “thinks” of products before they make them. Think of anything in all of human experience that has reality and you will discover that the existence thereof resulted from a thought.

The dictionary defines an idea as a thought or aim or purpose, a belief or function of reason… leading to a possible course of action. Note that action is a part of idea. The two abide together.

No idea has meaning outside of action. In other words, to merely think of an idea cannot be qualified unless there is action to follow. In business, this concept finds perfect illustration.

Business ideas lead to business realities. Business ideas are the spring board from which business energy, business inertia, business action and business success come forth.

We find that people who ask questions, who seek the “why” in all things, life and business, become the innovators and the movers and shakers of the world.

Because they think.

For any existing business to succeed and to grow, the individuals behind it must think of business ideas as a way of life. For any new business to find a place in the world, the individuals behind it must think of business ideas as a way of life. Simply copying status quo will never do it. Or at least not do it well. For to succeed, to be cutting edge and effective and powerful, all innovators must think. And they must think with intent, with purpose, with creativity.

This concept may sound a little esoteric, a little abstract, but I assure you it is not. This concept is very, very basic, for without it little can be done. The strategy for building anything of value (yes and it surely applies to business in general) rests upon the ability of the entrepreneur to think and act upon business ideas in a meaningful way.

As a business entrepreneur, to succeed you must go the beginning to discover what this “business” thing is all about, and you will always find it begins with business ideas, produced from the mind of innovative people on a path to create and build something of value. And that’s what good business is all about.

12 Benefits and 12 Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur

All over the world, people are breaking free from the traditional employment model and choosing to achieve business success as entrepreneurs. Will you be the next?

Let’s start by covering 12 of the most commonly-mentioned benefits of being an entrepreneur to inspire you on your journey:

1. You can choose your own schedule.

2. You are free to travel.

3. You can take sick days or vacation days whenever you need them.

4. If there are necessary tasks you don’t enjoy or have time for, you can outsource them.

5. You can select your own employees.

6. Learning to be a better boss also teaches you to be a better employee.

7. Your innovative ideas have a chance to shine unfettered.

8. You do not have to wear a uniform or follow a company dress code.

9. You enjoy better job security than most people.

10. Entrepreneurship teaches you the benefits of hard work.

11. You can always feed your curiosity by learning more about every aspect of your business.

12. Your ambition can always drive you to greater heights and business success.

As you can see, entrepreneurship is becoming popular because it comes with a whole new lifestyle for those who are willing to seize it.

Of course, entrepreneurship isn’t all sunshine and freedom. According to the United States Small Business Association, a third of small businesses fail within the first two years, and more than half fail within the first five years.

Not surprisingly, the challenges of entrepreneurship represent the flipside of the advantages we discussed above:

1. Choosing your own schedule can result in wasted time without the proper time-management skills.

2. Even while traveling, it may be necessary to handle work-related crises, because you are basically always “on call.”

3. There are no paid sick days or vacation days, so you must decide how much each day off is worth to you.

4. You are responsible for completing any tasks you can’t afford to outsource.

5. Hiring employees means you must learn how to conduct interviews, uphold workers’ legal rights, and coordinate payroll.

6. If you don’t yet have the leadership capabilities to direct others, you will be taking a crash course once you hire freelancers or employees.

7. You must narrow all of your innovative ideas down to the ones that have the most potential to help you achieve business success.

8. If you don’t maintain a professional appearance in person and online, it is sure to reflect poorly on your company.

9. You are responsible for funding your business, even if you’re operating at a loss.

10. Only results are profitable, not time clocked, so it’s possible you will work hard and still end up disappointed.

11. You must be familiar with each aspect of how your business operates, including those which may not interest you, to ensure everything is running smoothly.

12. Only you can motivate yourself to achieve business success.

To sum it up, let’s say that with freedom comes responsibility. If you can’t handle one, you aren’t yet ready for the other.

Of course, I don’t believe people should give up on their dreams. Just be sure to arm yourself with knowledge and understand what you are getting yourself into.

Some Ideas for Local Small Business Advertising

Local small business advertising, although local and meant for a small business, is still advertising at its very best which on proper implementation can reap rich rewards but if neglected could push the fledgling concern into the deep schism of oblivion. According to the principles of business management, a small business must invest only 5% of its total resources in local advertising and this would reap a rich harvest only when judiciously allocated and channeled as per the advertising fundamentals.

Even now in the contemporary age of technological advancement, the best recommendation for local small business advertising is by word of mouth. However, it is a method which wins publicity at a snail’s pace and hence an entrepreneur who is desirous of fast results feels compelled to use other methods to make his firm and product well known.

One of the most popular mediums for local companies to publicize themselves is by listing themselves in the Yellow Pages. Visibility is the prime factor here and a prominently displayed ad is likely to draw not only inquiries but potential customers as well. Apart from Yellow Pages, advertising in the newspaper and local magazine also helps since these are directly delivered to the target audience and segments of population existing in the area.

An attractive business card could well serve as the vehicle for local small business advertising as it simply needs to be handed over to the prospective client. Another way of effectively distributing business cards would be include these as a part of the direct mail which is sent within the geographical area surrounding the business and is much more personal in tone as compared to telemarketing or emails.

May be acquiring a slot during one of the popular national events on television for airing one’s advertisement might be difficult or even impossible but the same is well within reach if aimed at the Cable television. Cable TV is meant for the local city dwellers and an ad flashed in it would not only pique people’s curiosity but would attract a lot of local interest as well.

Having a vehicle with one’s company logo splashed across the sides is a method of local small business advertising which deserves more than just a thought. A colorful display or a magnetic quad sitting on the roof of one’s vehicle is a perfect way to catch the eye of the passers by and in case affordability is an issue then investing in a simple magnetic sign would also achieve the desired result.

In towns and cities, people depend on buses for transportation due to which a prominent hoarding at the bus stop or sponsoring benches bearing the company’s logo for people to sit on is a good method of creating awareness. This would undoubtedly attract a mass audience but is dependent on permission being granted by the local transit authority.

Trade shows, big and small, form an integral part of city life and participation in them is likely to earn one popularity as well as revenue. However, this opportunity needs to be capitalized upon in a proper manner in order to translate into profits and aiming for trade fairs which focus on particular industries is economical as well as result oriented for a small local business.