Today, everything is changing – from your customer needs to your industry to marketing tactics and technology. Unfortunately, that means that many of us who run small businesses are operating with flawed marketing plans based on outdated or incorrect assumptions. The fix: start from scratch. “But I don’t have time to reengineer my marketing plan!” .. read more
Summer is a time when many businesses experience a slump in sales, as your clients’ focus turns to family, the great outdoors, and summer vacation. The solution? Your existing customer base. We all know that the most profitable source of business is retention and expansion of our best customers. Now is the time to turn .. read more
One of the most common reasons a business isn’t making enough money: the willingness to reduce price in order to close a sale, fast. This is a terrible reason to cut price. The moment you do, you signal that your services aren’t worth full price. The client who asked for a discount agrees, as he .. read more
Pricing is tricky. Set it too low, and your profitability plummets. Set it too high, and your target audience will correct it for you – by buying elsewhere. Often, new businesses will set prices too low, concerned that high prices will scare off new customers. Established companies often haven’t revisited pricing, steadily increasing prices every .. read more
If you want good potential customers to contact you, your marketing had better be compelling. But sometimes it’s tough to figure out how to talk to your potential customers in your messaging – and come across as authentic as you are in person. You know we’ve got shortcuts for you. Picture A Real Person What .. read more
Were you happy with your business results last year? Have you resolved to do better in 2013? Resolutions can be hard to keep. Here’s how to stay the course. Start with a financial goal. If you haven’t already developed a plan, now is the time. Start simple: what do you want to make this year? .. read more
Our advice to you this holiday season: indulge a little. The holidays are the time when we see the highest levels of stress. As an overworked CEO, partner or principal, you may be working right up to the holiday, with little time even to dash around to find last-minute gifts. We get it. That said, the .. read more
It’s getting colder and darker, the pressure is on to close sales and get contracts signed, and your customers are getting flaky. It must be the holiday season! Your challenge: convince stressed, overworked and distracted people to buy your stuff. While they are struggling to balance family and work obligations, and being bombarded with advertising. .. read more
The hurricane has done its work, and hopefully you’ve made it through unscathed – just in time to realize that November is beginning, and that your business’s financials may not be quite where you want them to be. The first part of this question: is your marketing working hard enough for you? We are sticklers .. read more
It’s already the end of September. Vacations are over, and it’s back to business. How do you make the most of this? Bring in additional high-margin business this year by identifying and pursuing your ideal client or customer. 3 Steps To Higher Margins Here are three simple steps to bring in higher-margin business. That simple? .. read more
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