Business Opportunity Abounds Online

rat-race

Have you worked in the corporate sector for many years and found that the rat-race isn’t exactly your idea of the perfect work environment? The job world is drastically different from the scenario our grandparents and parents faced. There is no longer a gold-watch waiting for you at the end of a few decades of service to one company.

Changing of the Guard – The Nomad

The average employee lasts three to five years in one company before moving on for more money, or before the company is forced to “downsize” to improve budgetary standing. Three to five years wouldn’t have gotten three links on that gold watch, but then again, the term “downsizing” was not a regular part of vocabulary 30 years ago either. Therefore, it’s not terribly difficult to understand the boom of online entrepreneurship happening, but what are the specific factors driving the online business boom?

Corporate Insecurity

It’s no surprise that corporate businesses have been struggling of late – just look at the recent bailout programs and business buyouts for proof. With this in mind, many business people have found themselves out of work. They have the skills and they have the experience, but with a flooded job market, the competition more fierce than many expect. Going the route of the entrepreneur and starting an online business can be often done with minimal starting capital and networks forged through the corporate sector.

Low Overhead/Global Access

If your service can be done online, or your product can be sold globally, then beginning an online business, even as a part time venture, offers many people a low-cost way to bring in extra income while opening up their market base to the entire world.

Great Office Space

Ever dreamed of working from home? Online business owners can work from their home office, their sofa or their porches. They can work in their pajamas and at their own set schedule. Keep in mind however, that the hours can be just as long when working from home. Many online businesses work with clients all around the world, so their schedules become your schedules in some instances.

Time to Act!

Entrepreneurs are notorious for recognizing a great opportunity when they see one. We certainly agree with that statement and urge you to recognize the opportunity before you now. There are a number of success stories in this sector — from college students who wanted control of their careers, to executives offering consulting services. Whatever your scenario, you can find a way.

Posted on December 22nd, 2009 at 11:50 am

(1) Comment

Economy Marketing, Small Business

How to Promote your Business Product

As you celebrate your patent for your new business product, you may experience an overwhelming thought. Don’t worry…that should be happening. Holding the patent isn’t enough. The standard plan is to promote it to retailers, consumers and distributors for both direct sale and licensing agreements. It’s a daunting task, but there are several routes you can take involving social media, PR and memberships with trade organizations.

Social Media Promotions

LinkedIn is a powerful Business to Business (B2B) social media site that allows business product sellers to connect with businesses that would be interested in their products as direct sales reps or distributors. We suggest this tactic with caution though; cold-contacting LinkedIn users isn’t recommended. You must first build a relationship or start a conversation before jumping into the nuts and bolts of sales representation.

By creating a business profile on LinkedIn and joining groups within your niche as well as those that would include the businesses you plan to market to, you have the ability to directly promote your product to the key members of your target market.

For example, if you are selling a drink-related product, researching groups targeted to the beverage industry and retailers or distributors within that niche is a great way to start. Once you have joined these groups, take the time to introduce your product directly to your target market.

Public Relations: It Still Works!

Public Relations is not going anywhere. The vast influx of social media and search engine optimization isn’t replacing the PR industry, it’s merely adding more tools to the field. Press Releases are still a viable form of promotions to keep your industry and market aware of goings on with your business and news about your business product. Using both online and print media as a vehicle for information about your business is an effective way to build brand awareness and attract potential buyers.

ASI – Advertising Specialty Institute

As a business product supplier, the easiest way to get your product in front of thousands of potential buyers and distributors is by joining the Advertising Specialty Institute or ASI. Boasting connections with more than 130,000 distribution sales people, this organization is the largest marketing organization in the specialty product industry. Membership opens up contact potential to all their members and is the easiest way to open up the floodgates for your products distribution.

Little Steps, Big Gain

Whatever technique or strategy you choose to implement, know that getting the word out is vital to the success fo your patented product. Anytime you make a connection with a peer or sales representative, think of it as a step in the right direction. Each tiny step is part of one big leap.

Posted on December 17th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

(2) Comments

Economy Marketing, Internet Marketing, Small Business

Staying Warm in the Upper Midwest

400696_8025 Whatever happened to that mild Fall? Winter doesn’t officially begin until December 21st, but if you’re living in the Great Lakes region, Winter has arrived. Feet of snow have appeared on our streets like an unwelcome guest to dinner…and unlike those guests, you can’t wine ‘em and dine ‘em away. With the un-relentless Winter weather upon us, you may have forgotten how to find warmth in your day to day life. FindItLocal is here to remind you of a few simple tips to stay warm this winter.

Plan Ahead

Preparing yourself for the cold temperatures is the best way to avoid that unwelcome chill. With new smart-phone technologies, constant updates online and regularly scheduled weather alerts from your traditional tv weatherman, planning ahead has never been easier. Add these weather check-ups to your regular routine (yes that may mean waking up a few minutes earlier) and you won’t be caught in a snowstorm wearing just a fleece.

Gear Up

This is the perfect time of year to acquire the essentials for Midwestern Winter living. Whether you’re 15 or 75, asking for winter clothes is never a bad decision when it comes to your Holiday Wish List. New innovations in thermal-living are made each year, so why not stay up on the trends to protect your health? Guarding your face, ears and feet against the cold can significantly improve your outlook on low temperatures.

Your Car Gets Cold Too!

The family car is often treated as a sanctuary this time of year as you and your loved ones dash to and from the vehicle to spend as little time as possible in the winter wind. If you want more from your car (and especially it’s heater) this time of year, make sure you step up your game as well.

Mind the parking signs – Midwestern streets are notorious for their hidden “No Parking when Snowing” parking rules. If you are new to your city, make sure you’re aware of any parking limitations that may not be noted on street signs.
Plowed In – How many times have you been late to work because your car was covered in snow by the plow? Learn from those mistakes and find a parking garage close to your home when blizzards are approaching.
Tools – In case you do get plowed in, or find your iced over by frost, make sure your equipped to fight back. We suggest packing your car with an ice-scraper and light-weight shovel, along with the usual emergency kit, this winter.

Conserve Heat

Keeping the heat you have is crucial to warding off old man Winter’s clutches. Bundle up when you go outside, but bundle up your home as well. Paying for heat is an expense many families forget about this time of year and the unforeseen financial burden can disrupt other budgeted items. You can eliminate wasted heat by covering your windows with plastic insulation. The saran-wrap-like material prevents heat from escaping, and also keeps the cold drafts from entering your home. Additionally, keeping furniture away from the heater inside your home will allow warmth to circulate your home more easily.

Stay Warm!

As you can probably remember by now, gone are the carefree summer and fall days of dashing out the door at a moment’s notice. If you don’t look like the Michelin Man every time you walk out the door, the cold will find it’s way in. Winter can be a fun time for everyone if we take the time to ready ourselves for chilly temperatures with the proper preparations. Please include your wintery tips in the comment section. Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 10th, 2009 at 11:57 am

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Health

How to Find & Understand Your Business Market

small-business-virtualization

In business, there is absolutely nothing more vital than understanding your Business Market. This means you not only need to understand what your target clients want and when they want it, but how to sell it to them and make a profit. Many business owners understand the importance of knowing what their clients want, but they often forget that the key to a successful business is to increase the profit margin over time so continued growth is possible.

Profit Margins

In the recent economy, increasing a business’ profit margin has become increasingly difficult, which has driven mane businesses to make some hasty decisions regarding the profitability of the business that they are taking on. They understand that many other businesses are feeling the pinch in their profits too, so have reduced their prices to make up the difference and keep business coming in. However, to truly understand your Business Market, you also need to keep in mind that if you are known for a specific price setting, you may have grave difficulty returning to your normal rates once the economy levels out. If you charge cut rates for too long, then you will not see the profit margin growth you need to stay in business.

Communications

phone006 Besides your pricing, you also need to consider how your Business Market expects to be communicated to by your company. Are most of your clients’ online businesses? Do you spend long hours on the phone with clients and prospects? Do they expect immediate responses or is the timeline a little more relaxed? Knowing the path to take for communications can be the difference between happy clients or losses in business.

Evolve

One final facet of knowing your Business Market is understanding how they evolve. What changes can affect their needs? New technologies? New tools or software? Keep apprised of the latest trends and technology available in your business niche to be at the forefront of the company’s offering them to their clients.

Posted on December 8th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

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Economy Marketing, Small Business

Let Go of Your Ego – How To Minimize Personal Feelings While Serving Customers

Angry

Certainly you have experiences where you were dealing with a disgruntled customer and you knew that you were right in the situation that was concerning your customer but no matter how you tried to convince them to see your point you just could not convince the customer to see your perspective on things. Well how do you convince an upset customer that you are right?

You Don’t!

The most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with an upset customer is that your opinion does not matter, no matter how right you may think you are the customer is always the one with the correct opinion, simply because it is theirs. Providing your knowledge does not mean you know more than the customer.

While you are the expert and they are the customer, when it comes to their opinion and their expectations they are the EXPERT. Being knowledgeable means you should understand what the customer needs and wants and although their requests may seem a little out of the norm, you should politely agree and attempt to do what they ask if it is at all possible. While there are times that the customer’s requests will be impossible you still need to convey that you will do your best to meet that need.

Tactics to Ensure Satisfaction Better Service

Politely explain your viewpoint

You can express your view point to the customer without showing an attitude. Comments like “I misunderstood the situation, or our standard policy is… “Will go a long way toward explaining your side without being confrontational. You should only do this at the beginning of the discussion before it becomes a confrontation. Once you have expressed your point reiterating it will only further upset the customer.

Keep smiling

Even if you feel like you could scream just happily comply with their wishes and keep smiling. If you are friendly and smiling it shows your willingness to reach an agreement and amend the situation.

Provide results

Handling the situation with a professional level of understanding and being humble will go far to calm the customer and in many situations they will end up being one of your best customers because they know that they can come to you if they have a problem and they will get results.

Follow-up post card

A great way to make a lasting impression with a disgruntled customer is to send them a post card that thanks them for their business and expresses your gratitude toward being able to resolve the situation. It is also a good idea to offer them a discount toward future business.

Things to Keep In Mind

A bad word travels fast

A disgruntled customer will paint a picture to their friends and family that they are correct and you are wrong and this can be detrimental to the health of your business. If other potential customers get word that you are argumentative and uncooperative they will most likely not give you the chance to prove yourself.

Your attitude

Your attitude to a troubling customer can mean the difference between keeping and loosing that customer. While it may seem at the time of the conflict that that customer is just not worth it, you need to keep in mind that unless you are the only one in the world that does what you do, that you have competition and that your competition may be very happy to oblige this customer. You are not in the business of turning the upset customer over to the competition.

Secure a Life Long Customer

Hand Shake

This may seem like over-kill but you will be surprised how far this may go to securing a life long customer. They will be very surprised that you went the extra distance to keep them happy and in most cases will tell their friends and associates how you went out of your way to make them happy. It is a good idea to never discount the value of going the extra mile for a disgruntled customer.

While this advice may not always resolve the situation if you keep a positive attitude, do not allow your ego to get in the way, keep smiling and go out of your way to help the concerned customer in most cases you will resolve the situation and possibly have a loyal customer.

Posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 11:22 am