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Casual Articles - The Four Questions That Can Help You Focus Your Advertising
With the amount of information accessible on the Internet, combined with threats by viruses, worms, malicious code, spyware, and disruptions to service attacks - a threat to business productivity and profitability has always existed. This threat goes unnoticed by many business owners, especially in the small to mid market space.Gone are the days of businesses purely protecting their networks with connection based, or stateful packet inspection firewalls. The threats have changed and SMB/Mid Market companies require a firewall solution to provide connection based protection and also content based security, by protecting their networks from Spyware, Virus/Worms, Intrusions and Content at the perimeter. All businesses require this type of solution immediately, the threats are real, and you just need to look at your Outlook inbox every day to see how real it is. However, many small businesses still to this day, believe it will never happen to them.Employees’ personal use of business Internet causes a loss of productivity and hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. This combined with how businesses and personal computers are being targeted by hackers or criminals through phishing and pharming strategies have changed the way businesses need to look at protecting their networks.Where are your employees surfing on the Internet? Are they checking their home email? Making personal travel plans? Or even looking for a new job all on your time and expense? Are they spending hours a day on Instant Messaging applications with their friends? What content are they looking at? Can you as a business owner be liable for this? And this is the big one when it comes to company confidentiality, are any of your employees sharing confidential corporate information with your competition?What is the true cost of all of this loss productivity? If you have a business of 25 employees and they surf the Internet for personal use for one hour a day. This equals a
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’re well aware of the online-shopping craze that’s sweeping the country! From rare books and CDs, to cars and vacations, shopping for unusual items and oddities has been simplified with just a click of a mouse with the Internet’s virtual shopping malls. But what about the latest trend- the one about shopping for your “not so atypical” office supplies online? What exactly are your peers and competitors shopping for online, saving both time and fuel in the process? To aid you in your quest, we’ve compiled a list of the “top 5 office supplies shopped for online”.1. Office Planners and Calendars- Organization is key to productivity. Having all of your employees on the same page is another factor of success.2. Janitorial Supplies- From cleaning aids to paper supplies, no one wants the task of replenishing these items even though they are reimbursed for them. By adding a few items to your online office supply-shopping list each week, no one will ever have to be responsible for this dreaded task again.3. Mailing Supplies- Postal supplies are critical to any company. The ability to purchase large, resealable envelopes for office to office usage, plus postal tubes and other specialty mailing supplies in one location without a catalog is priceless. Postal scales and labels are also important, as they can save money and time in the process.4. Paper- Copy, inkjet, laser, business cards, personalized stationary – you name it. It always seems as though your local shop is out of the one you’re in need of, doesn’t it? Online shopping for such items alleviates this unfortunate possibility, as you will be completely aware of what’s out of stock before you make your final purchase.5. Filing and Archive Supplies- Filing and keeping everything in an organized manner can mean the difference between a positive and negative outcome. In other words, you may lose business if you are unable to lo
Jack was the Director of Advertising and Sales Promotion at Remington Arms Company and his four questions have helped me get my ideas focused in every advertising challenge I have ever faced.
After all, some say 85% of all advertising does not work. But when it does, it is pure magic. Let’s see if his four questions are your magic wand.
The Mitchell Four Questions.
Question 1: Who is your best or prime prospect?
The surest way to put your new business in the bankruptcy court is to think everyone is going to beat a path to your door. They will not. You will have a small group of customers who will account for most of your bread and butter business. That is what is meant by the 80/20 principle. Eight percent of your business will most likely come from twenty percent of your customers. Start to think and plan with that key fact in mind. If you do not, you will not have a clue who is buying from you and the media folks will be all over you like buzzards on a dead water buffalo. Get to know that prime prospect like you know your best friend. Develop a mental picture of that prime prospect. When you do, you will focus your efforts at those folks most likely to keep yo
A business plan can make or break your hope and dreams of having a business. If everyone knew how to write a business plan, then everyone would have their on business and be their own boss. In this article I will give you every thing you need in your business plan to be taken seriously by the biggest and best corporations and companies in the United States.The first thing you will need is an executive summary. In your executive summary you will put why your company is needed, and what type of services are offered. You must have a board. Then you will put your board members' names and their schooling, and work history. You will also need to identify in what type of location you would place your business. For example, would you want to be in a mall, private store, or inside a suprestore. Last but not least, you will need to show in detail what will make your business stand out from your competitors.The next step will be your venture description. In this description, you will list your products, and services with a description by every product and services. You will, also, need to add what is needed in order for your store to operate successfully. For example, what staff, personnel, and equipment will you need?The next part of your business plan would be your industry analysis. In this part, you make future predictions about what will make your business competitive with the others. In this part of your plan you will do a small analysis of your competition. To make sure you know who your competition is, you should also include a market segmentation. In your market segmentation you should include things like gender,age,race income,geographical location, and people type.nNxt, you will need to include a technology plan. For example, if you were opening a bar-be-que store, you would need to state if you willl use a regular pit or a gas powered grill. You will, also, need to do a technological comparison, which includes price, produc
After all, some say 85% of all advertising does not work. But when it does, it is pure magic. Let’s see if his four questions are your magic wand.
The Mitchell Four Questions.
Question 1: Who is your best or prime prospect?
The surest way to put your new business in the bankruptcy court is to think everyone is going to beat a path to your door. They will not. You will have a small group of customers who will account for most of your bread and butter business. That is what is meant by the 80/20 principle. Eight percent of your business will most likely come from twenty percent of your customers. Start to think and plan with that key fact in mind. If you do not, you will not have a clue who is buying from you and the media folks will be all over you like buzzards on a dead water buffalo. Get to know that prime prospect like you know your best friend. Develop a mental picture of that prime prospect. When you do, you will focus your efforts at those folks most likely to keep yo
You really want to understand Web Marketing 2.0, without buying hundreds of guides? Learn how to make connections online. The easiest and fastest way to make that connection as a noted authority is to learn the art of giving.Most Web 2.0 sites that will help you market your site will Only work if you make a conscious effort to share your resources. Think of it as traditional networking amplified and assisted by web tools. Realize, though, that the technical details of how to maximize social bookmarking, blogging, RSS, collaborative tools and widgets are all useless without the new underlying first rule of the Web."What's the new rule, Tinu?"Well, in order to receive, you'll have to start out by giving. The trick is to go beyond the golden rule of doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you, into an even higher rule of doing to others as they want to be done unto.And if you can figure out how to anticipate needs, you've got a bigger head-start than any me-centric marketer, no matter how far ahead they may be in experience.Let's look at 10 of the free ways you can use Give Marketing to enhance your entire marketing strategy.Give Marketing Tip #1- Giving Sincere and Useful Comments on Blogs.Don't make the mistake of leaving a message just so you can leave your link. Build relationships.Give Marketing Tip #2- Giving Testimonials.Send audio and a picture, along with your most sincere praise when you've found a tool you love. Even if the tool was free. Also great as a blog topic.Give Marketing Tip #3- Giving a Detailed, Helpful Answer in Forums.Don't forget to fill out the signature panel if the community allows. Even those that don't will allow you a profile.Give Marketing Tip #4- Giving a Heartfelt Compliment (Anywhere Public).Testimonials are a type of compliment, but not all compliments are testimonials. You can give a compliment without giving a full review or testimonial. A com
The Mitchell Four Questions.
Question 1: Who is your best or prime prospect?
The surest way to put your new business in the bankruptcy court is to think everyone is going to beat a path to your door. They will not. You will have a small group of customers who will account for most of your bread and butter business. That is what is meant by the 80/20 principle. Eight percent of your business will most likely come from twenty percent of your customers. Start to think and plan with that key fact in mind. If you do not, you will not have a clue who is buying from you and the media folks will be all over you like buzzards on a dead water buffalo. Get to know that prime prospect like you know your best friend. Develop a mental picture of that prime prospect. When you do, you will focus your efforts at those folks most likely to keep yo
All small business owners dream of greater leverage which means the reaping large profits from a simple inexpensive tool. So they look around for tools, tactics or software that will give them an edge. But they miss one of the most effective tools that sits right under their nose. The profit-building tool that most small business people miss is the toll free number.Independent surveys have shown that toll free numbers can increase your business’ sales, improve the branding and perception of your company and significantly increase the value of your business at the point of sale. Below are 3 critical reasons why you should get a toll free number for your small business today.Reason 1. You’ll Enjoy Increased SalesVanity or custom toll free numbers such as 1 800 WORKOUT are proven to increase sales. PRWeekly stated that such numbers result in more calls that are better qualified both by desire for - and also the ability to buy - the product or service. With the right phrase, a specific number for your business will make an instant bridge in your customer's mind between a desire she has and your product or service.Reason 2. You Can Increase The Asset Value Of Your Business At The Time Of SaleSmart entrepreneurs think differently. They don't just see their small business as a vehicle for creating sales. They see it also as a potential commodity for future sale. They know that the greatest cash windfalls in business can come from selling the whole company. And a toll free number can help you sell for a significantly higher than you might expect…Much like internet domain names, a good vanity toll free number will appreciate in value over time. For instance, 1 800 COMPUTER has recently been valued at $500,000! While you may not easily find million-dollar 800 numbers, there are still opportunities to be found in 877 and 866 area.Reason 3. You Could Easily Make A National Brand Out Your Small BusinessIf you were looking to buy from
In any office, anywhere in the world, there will be coffee. Where there is coffee, there are mugs. Mugs come in many different styles, shapes, and colors. Why not provide a mug of your own. A promotional mug with your business name on it, will publicize your business, and provide a practical item for the millions of coffee drinkers out there. There is a reason why all the promotional items available are all things that people need and that have a practical use. It is because it works.Coffee drinkers drink coffee for the caffeine, because they like it, or both. For those that drink coffee for the caffeine, they just need a mug that is durable, and can hold a good amount of coffee. Any promotional mug can do that. For those that enjoy it, they tend to want a complete sensory experience. Some people use coffee as an escape. The smell of the coffee, the warmth of the mug, and the design, picture, or message of the mug just takes them away. It gives some people a moment of peace in the midst of chaos. The most successful coffee companies know this. Today, many people find the same comfort in tea. A promotional mug is great for tea as well. Your business can provide a mug that completes this experience for most coffee and tea drinkers, and advertises your business at the same time.Regardless of the product or service you sell, your business can benefit from this. A business that sells window shutters can design a mug with a picture or drawing of a beautiful house on it. A bait and hook company can design a mug with a drawing or picture of a father and son fishing. As a business, using promotional mugs expands your target audience. It allows you to reach the coffee and tea drinker, her husband, and his best friend. It is an opportunity to reach many people with a commonality.Your business can use promotional mugs to mark certain occasions. A promotional mug that says Happy Mother’s Day or Happy Valentines Day can be given away on those occasions with the compan
To paraphrase President Abraham Lincoln, you can reach all of the people some of the time; some of the people all of the time; but you cannot reach all of the people, all of the time.
Not even the giant Wal-Mart attracts everyone but you can bet they know who their prime prospects are and aim most their approach, right at them.
So where do you start? How do you find out who is going to be that best or prime prospect?
Start at the same place your business idea started. Why in the world did you want to start your business in the first place? Who encouraged you to take that giant step? What did you plan to do different that would attract customers in the first place?
If you have competition, go shop them. Get copies of their advertising. See who they are trying to persuade to come use their products and services. Go to your local community college and university and offer to let their marketing students do a research project on your business. Do online surveys.
Here’s another way to gather information. Create a drawing with a significant prize. Money. A trip. An I-pod. Something cool. If you have a store
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