#224 on your 'To Do' List

It may be way down on your never-ending list of things to do, but it is a vital piece of your business. What is it?

The way you reach new customers...
The way you share your brand and brand identity ...
The way you draw attention to your presence in the marketplace …
They way you ask for business.

Marketing and Advertising are essential to the growth and maintenance of your revenue stream. No, not all advertising and marketing fit one company. Nor will any one marketing avenue do everything you need it to do.  Here’s how to look at opportunities that cross your desktop and evaluate whether they are right for you.

1) Evaluate each marketing opportunity on its own merit, not because you do or do not have the expense budgeted.
    You may miss out on a great opportunity to reach an audience you are not currently reaching. Or, you may be spending money in the budget on advertising vehicles that are no longer working for you. You owe it to your bottom line to give every opportunity consideration.

2) Consider how each advertising opportunity carries your brand message, or part of your message.
    We all love tag lines. Business experts say your business tagline should always accompany your logo. But ask yourself: Can one tagline really identify ALL that your company is to a customer? Probably not. It takes several short “conversations” with prospects to identify what specific traits of your company appeal to them.  Look at specific marketing opportunities as a way to start those conversations.

3) Don’t be shy. 
    You may not be familiar with the marketing opportunity being presented, but don’t let that shut you down. Instead, use the opportunity to ask pointed questions of the person reaching out to you. “How much?” should not be your first question. Opportunities that deliver results have a cost attached and basing your decision on cost right off the bat could lose you significant growth. What if this new opportunity could replace several marketing vehicles that weren’t working as well as you need them to?

4) Make a list of the most important aspects of your marketing approach.
Use a checklist to make your scrutiny quick and easy. Consider the following:
   
[  ]  Do you want to reach as many people as possible? Or are you more concerned about the type of person to reach? Does this media outlet serve one of these two goals?

[  ]  Does this marketing venue duplicate existing efforts? Or is it reaching a new or expanded marketing audience? Neither?

[  ]  Does this advertising reach prospects you want to reach while in the right frame of mind to learn more about your company?

[  ]  Does this media outlet put you in good company, either with other quality advertisers or editorial content? Can you influence the environment where your message is presented?

[  ]  Can you budget the resources to adequately reach this audience, start and maintain your marketing conversations? You’ll need a large enough ad presence and enough frequency to get the job done.

[  ]  Will you be able to keep your marketing message current, relevant, and well positioned?

[  ]  Will the company be easy to work with, professional, and available when you need them?

[  ]  Will your participation in this marketing opportunity earn your company status, rewards, discounts, editorial coverage or other marketing and business leverage?

If you answer YES to these questions, you have a winner!  If you don’t know the answers, here is your discussion talking points with the sales representative. Keep your list handy as you converse.

You’ll find that if you approach marketing opportunities in this or a similar manner, you’ll not only bring marketing to the top of your to do list and then mark it off your list easily, but you will put #224 on  your list to work for you… which is what marketing is all about!

Janie Clark is a veteran marketing and sales professional, who works with companies of all sizes and disciplines, primarily in custom publishing and web. "Knowing how to break marketing opportunities down into a Q&A format that works for your business is a great first step,” Clark says. "Many business people are so hindered by the fear of being ‘taken' by a persuasive salesperson, that they shut out opportunities that could really improve their business. It’s as important to learn how to say Yes and it is to say No. Learn to listen and evaluate before you make a decision.”

B2B Bingo by Janie Clark: The plight of the small biz owner

B2B Bingo by Janie Clark: The plight of the small biz owner

The plight of the small biz owner

I just read a post on LinkedIn where the question posed was that since more than 50% of small businesses fail in first four years and more than 90% fail within 10 years...why is that and what can be done about it?

That set me to thinking.

I've been working with micro-businesses for quite some time now, and by and large they are a great group of hard working folks.  Too hard working, perhaps. They open their shops and close their shops on either side of the day. They stock the shelves, sell the goods, mop the floor when the toilet overflows. Most small business owners wear all the hats that need to be worn in the span of the day, the week, the month and year. And vacation, well, vacation is something you do vicariously or consider as downtime the week you were flat on your back with the flu.

The responses to this question posed on LinkedIn were eloquent and full of rock solid information about feasibility studies and entrepreneurial insights. I say fooey. Micro-businesses don't fail because of a lack of ability, feasibility or even entrepreneurability.

The problem is cash flow.

Small business owners just don't have access to sufficient capital to weather the start up, growth and maintenance cycles of their business long enough and steady enough to succeed en masse.

I've heard so many small business owners say that they are petrified to add staff because they can't bank on being able to meet payroll six months down the road. And without additional staff -- and good, talented staff, mind you -- small businesses are stuck in the "never enough" cycle of business. Competition is so fierce and the buying pie so big, there's never enough. They can't market themselves well enough to gain sufficient new customers. They can't provide enough customer service to those customers they already have. They can't forecast their profits, their growth, their payroll beyond the next bend. Whether it's in four years or 10, who can work at that pace for so little? Sooner or later the spark that fuels the get-up-and-go snuffs out.

Is it government's responsibility to fuel small business better? Hard to imagine since our government does such a good job at its own business (yes, sarcasm). Could city governments have (real) local small business funds and resources? Not if they can't afford to build better roads or pay their teachers well. Could big business share their staff and resources as a community service? Not if their shareholders want more profit.

I loathe to put this out there without offering some tidbit toward a solution. Alas, I have none.

But I'm sure listening in case you do.

Beware the new phone scam

We heard from our friends at MyWireless.org on about a new twist to an old scam involving your mobile.

Here's how it goes:  The caller rings your number and lets it ring once or twice before disconnecting so that the number stays on your call log. Sometimes they might leave a voicemail. The number shows up as a missed call and is typically a normal three-digit area code that would appear to be a U.S. number, but it’s actually an international number.

• 809 is the Dominican Republic
• 876 is Jamaica
• 284 is the British Virgin Islands, etc

When you return the call, however, you’re automatically routed to an international adult entertainment or chat line where you can quickly rack up expensive charges. While major wireless companies work to block suspicious numbers on their networks, and most have consumer education systems in place to identify and combat these threats, these scams originate outside the reach of U.S. regulators and wireless providers.

Tips to Keep You Safe:

• Always check the area code before returning a missed call to ANY unknown caller.

• Be skeptical about area codes you don’t recognize.

• Be aware that there are numerous three-digit area codes (mostly in the non-U.S. Caribbean Islands) that connect callers to an international phone number.

• Don’t respond to text messages or calls from unknown sources. Delete them immediately.

• If you don’t regularly make international calls, ask your wireless carrier to block international calling.

Avoid Smishing Scams

Also on the rise is  similar texting scam called  ‘Smishing’ – a combination of ‘Short Message Service’ text messaging and email ‘Phishing’. It involves your responding to what appears to be a legitimate text message you received, even though it’s from a number you most likely don’t recognize.

Doing this can place yourself at greater risk for identity or information theft at the hands of crafty cyber thieves. This simple bait-and-hook fraud allows crooks to use auto-dialing or roll-texting computer programs to text you on your wireless device. The message encourages you to click a link or call the number back (the bait). It may be designed to make you think it's from your bank or credit card provider.

However, when you visit the website (the hook), you’ve unwittingly given the criminals access to your device, and they can attach dangerous spyware, malware, viruses, or spam to your device that gives them control of it and instant access to your personal (possibly financial) data.


What to do about it?

If you believe you’ve unwittingly been a victim of a scam like this, contact your carrier immediately. You should also file a complaint with the FCC and/or FTC, and report the activity to the NFIC and BBB to help save other consumers from becoming wireless call/text scam victims.

Back to School Basics: A is for App

There's a new app store on the block, and helping college students find jobs and internships is part of its reason for being. Check out these great places to find work or an employee.

Internship Seeker (FREE for Apple iPhone) – Internship Seeker provides mobile access to thousands of available internship listings, with new ones updated and posted every day. Internship Seeker is powered by internships.com, the web's largest internship database.

USA Intern (FREE for Apple iPhone) – Find internships for free using the USAIntern App. Search and save thousands of internships throughout the USA. Login to view contact details. Upload your resume through the USAIntern.com website and apply for internships directly through the App.

Job Finder (FREE for Android) - Find your dream job. Browse hundreds, thousands and millions of jobs in the US, Canada, Australia, China, Korea, Japan, Brazil, India, the EU, and all around the world.  Save job postings, send jobs to your friends and add the job search shortcut to your home screen!

JobFinder (FREE For Android) - This app is a job finder that improves your job searches and helps you find a job fast.  Just search with a keyword phrase, enter in a zip code OR city and state, search in titles only for the best results, and submit your search to find job posts and online job listings that meet your criteria!

Appitalism.com combines a social community with an online store, enabling consumers to discover, discuss and download digital media from a catalog of over ten million premium apps, songs, books, games and videos compatible with a broad range of digital devices including smartphones, tablets, PCs and eBook readers. Simply put, there is no better way to discover and download apps and digital content than on Appitalism.com

Is everybody asking this question? Should you outsorce your payroll?

Michael Singleton on the Innovation and Market Research Manager, UALR Lead Center, reports that the IRS is now offering tips on outsourcing payroll.  It seems small business owners often have great demands for their time and attention, and more often than not, can benefit from outsourcing their payroll.

That's exactly was certified accountant Josh Appling of Sequoia Payroll Solutions in Fayetteville, Ark. was writing about in his column this month in NWAB2B.com. Click here to read Josh's column now.

You might was to note, too, the IRS has several helpful items for a business owner considering outsourcing payroll duties.

Contractors need be aware of new law in Arkansas

According to Gwen Green, Communication Coordinator, UALR Lead Center, a new law in Arkansas requires home improvement contractors to be licensed.


Under a new state law, contractors doing home improvement or remodeling in Arkansas must have a license for jobs over $2,000, starting in 2012. According to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, effective Jan. 1, 2012, "Act 1208 of 2011 requires almost anyone doing work at a residence, when the project is $2,000 or more, labor and material, to have a license from the Contractors Licensing Board." The measure applies to almost all construction trades.

A "grandfathering" period began July 27 and will run through Dec. 31, 2011. During the grandfathering period, contractors can obtain a license without a test by submitting proof of construction experience. Click here for the grandfathering application. Starting Jan. 1, a license will be required, and contractors will have to complete a test to get a license. The penalty for performing work at a residence without a license can be up to $400 per day. There are exemptions to the law; for example, subcontractors working for properly licensed contractors are exempt.

For more information, contact the Contractors Licensing Board  in  North Little Rock at (501) 372-4661.