Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small BusinessGuerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small BusinessWhen Guerrilla Marketing was first published in 1983, Jay Levinson revolutionized marketing strategies for the small-business owner with his take-no-p... Read More >

Posts Tagged ‘industry’

Human Branding – From Stigma To Personal Statement

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

The term, ‘branding’ means to put a mark on something or, in the case of human branding, someone. The mark may indicate ownership or it may be the mark of a criminal, branded in disgrace and stigmatized. The actual physical mark may be burned or frozen into the flesh or impregnated into the skin using needles and pigment, in other words, by tattoo. Tattoo, in fact, is the Latin word meaning ‘stigma’.

Cain, described in Genesis 4:15, was the first trendsetting human to sport a brand or tattoo. Immediately prior to Cain’s nomadic life in the Land of Nod, the Lord affixed his mark so that people who encountered him would spare his life.

The Ancient Romans (10th Century BC to 4th Century AD) branded their runaway slaves with the letters, ‘FUG’, an abbreviation of the word, ‘fugitivus’. An entire profession of ‘Fugitivarii’ emerged pure for the purpose of finding the marked slaves and returning them to their owners. The Romans inflicted the mark of ‘FUR’ (for ‘fure’, meaning ‘thief’) or ‘CV’ (representing ‘cave furem’, ‘beware the thief’). Similarly, the Ancient Greeks (9th Century BC to 6th Century AD) emblazoned their slaves with the letter ‘Delta’, mean dolous or slave.

Later civilizations would burn marks into the flesh of criminals as a means of both punishing and humiliating them. North American Puritans in the Seventeenth Century would tattoo the letter ‘A’ onto the chests of men and women who had committed adultery. Canadian military prisoners labelled deserters with the letter ‘D’ or troublemakers with, ‘BC’ (for ‘bad character’) prior to shipping them onward to penal colonies. A similar practice was employed in the American War Between the States (1961-1965).

Curiously, the French adopted the practice of identifying criminals by branding with the ‘fleurs de lys’. This is curious because the symbol also marked the baton conferred upon the French field marshall in battle. Today, the fleur de lis adorns the battle headgear of the American Football Team, the New Orleans Saints.

Contemporary human branding techniques are less brutal and more likely to be worn by choice than as punishment. These are usually in the form of a tattoo and may be temporary as well as permanent.

It is not uncommon for soldiers on leave to return to their posts bearing tattoos of their wives, mothers, girlfriends, or a special mark identifying them with their regiment. In an episode of ‘The West Wing, ‘ an itinerant veteran, overcome by the icy elements of a Washington winter, was identified as having served in Korea by virtue of the tattoo that he bore on his arm. Tattoos form an important part of modern subcultures like the Twentieth Century Goth movement. Henna tattoos are also popular amongst religious groups and revellers at modern music festivals like ‘Glastonbury’ or ‘T in the Park’.

Get inside info on human branding in our complete guide to graphic designers and everything you need to know about exactly how and where to find the best graphic design studio

The Most Effective Small Business Marketing Techniques

Monday, January 10th, 2011

There is no doubt that small business owners provide a crucial element to the sustainability and growth of any local or global economy. These companies often provide the most sources of new job growth and opportunity in existence today. Of course, with such importance placed upon smaller companies to succeed and allow the economy to grow and flourish, the success of these organizations in regard to star up and longevity is crucial and must be taken very seriously. Thus, those that wish to begin any business venture must develop a sound small business marketing strategy.

An unfortunate aspect of any organization is that there are often very difficult barriers to entry that are always in existence. With any market segment, there are often already a number of businesses that offer the same thing to consumers. Ensuring solid marketing strategy will eventually make these barriers much easier to deal with for longevity purposes.

Any small business must first understand their niche. In marketing, this often involves understanding their product and truly defining who they wish to target as customers. Being as specific as possible, while still attempting to reach a wide consumer base, is crucial for this goal.

Any small business will most often begin as a local based company. As such, their success often depends upon have a complete and sound understanding of this consumer base. Sending out flyers and conducting any level of research into the population consumer preference will assist in higher sales numbers.

With any locale, there will often be trade shows and events where a large percentage of the population will be in attendance. As a small business, it is often vital to ensure these events are attended and products and services are available. Spreading the world of attending this event will help in the success rate of sales with any event.

More and more people are turning to the internet for all their shopping needs. Develop a website which sells your products and services to gain as much market share as possible. Upon such, ensure your website is well ranked and high visible to attract as much internet traffic as possible.

When any small business uses a website to sell any product or service, they must ensure it is easy to read and understand. Often, a larger and clearer font and pictures gain the most traffic. Try to avoid annoying pop ups and difficult navigation to ensure the consumer does not suspect spam or any other harmful activity.

There are many franchise opportunities available to those individuals who want to get into a business of their own. Be sure you look into franchises for sale thoroughly before purchasing into the company.

You Should Ditch Your Low Paid Job And Start Earning Good Money As A Window Cleaner Now

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

If you want to ditch your low paid job and start earning good money as a window cleaner, you have to decide that this is what you want to do. This is going to be the hardest step of the entire process because nothing is definite.

The initial step is for you to believe that you can make your dreams possible. Arrange to where you have money saved or some kind of financing for start-up funds. You will also need to make sure that you can pay your bills for a while your business takes off. It is ideal to be able to take care of personal expenses for at least one year, but try to ensure you have enough cash to pay them for as long as possible.

You also need to have a backup plan. Create a new resume for yourself and keep it in a safe place in case it is needed later. The goal is to never need that resume again.

And before you quit your job for this opportunity to earn more money, have a business plan in place. You need to know where to start once you quit your current occupation, so you can research your market, see what kind of money you may have to spend, and see what you can offer that your competition is not offering.

You’ll also need to buy the equipment and cleaning supplies that you will need with your start-up money. Research prices so that you know you are receiving the best deal, but don’t sacrifice quality. IN the meantime, you have to be sure to not spend all of your cash so that you can have the money to market your business.

Also you need to have good public relations. You need to contact businesses directly to let them know that you are available to start cleaning their windows for a specific introductory price. Make sure you offer them a promotion of some kind so that they will try you out. If they like you, they will keep you.

You may also want to offer contracts. For instance, a business or individual can try you out and then contract with you for a year. They pay in advance for you to visit on a schedule to clean their windows. Work out packages that they can choose one that fits within their budget.

To acquire the funds for your business and so that you have the ability to ditch your low paid job and start earning good money as a window cleaner, you can save your money over time or you can acquire a business loan for small businesses. With a good plan, a budget, and marketing ideas that will be attractive to customers, you can achieve success in no time.

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Simple Steps In Planning For Your Franchising Success

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

Franchising success comes from good planning and preparation. Before you commit there are numerous questions to ask, issues to resolve and goals to set. The initial part of the process is the most crucial part as it will structure the path that you choose to take. Earnest effort applied to your earliest levels of planning will have a significant impact on your franchise and for the better.

The obvious starting point for initial reflection is your finances and the sacrifices that this endeavor will require. This is a huge commitment that you are considering and certainly one that will have a significant impact on your entire life. Because of this there are numerous considerations to make on behalf both yourself and your family members.

You are not usually likely to experience high levels of profitability during your first several years of operation. Even with a well-laid franchise there are kinks to be worked out and the unexpected to be endured and overcome. At the onset of your business you will likely have loans and other forms of start-up debt that must be cleared and this adjustment period can often prove difficult.

As an individual it is important to calculate and weigh the impact that this drastic change will have on your quality of life as you work your way towards profitability. As a member of a family body it is important to make this a group discussion so that your children and spouse are able to express their emotions and feel apart of the process. When sacrificing for the business means that the belt must get tightened, everyone loses a bit and this is especially true during the start-up phase of the business. Because of this it is right and fair that all members of the have an opportunity to know what to expect.

Goal setting is also crucial to this stage of the game. You should start laying down a concise five and ten year plan which will help you determine if these goals are realistic and achievable with the opportunity that you are considering. Sometimes simply answering these questions can lead you to either close or walk away from a deal.

You should also invest the time to list out your natural skills and abilities. This part of planning will require you to define your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Here is the place where you will likely find the type of business that will work best for you, especially when you work to find one that supports your goals and represents a niche that you naturally enjoy and have a particular knack for.

In reality the ticket to franchising success comes from inside the investor. Your perseverance, determination and hard work will ultimately come from the heart. Because of this it is imperative that you have a clear idea of what you are getting yourself into and that you have taken the steps to garner the support of your loved ones while you set out to live your dreams.

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Some Points To Consider To Achieve Franchising Success

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

If your current business is operating at a profit and you would like to expand then using franchising to achieve this expansion is one option that is available to you. It allows you to grow your business without involving as much money and personal time so here are some points to consider to achieve franchising success.

First of all you do need to really evaluate if franchising is the best way forward for your business. Not every type of business can conform to the franchising model so you need to get some very good advice from a franchising specialist before you look at changing your business plan. They can help you to weigh up the positives and negatives for your own type of business.

Changing your business plan does not mean completely altering it but instead adapt it to include the franchise option. You are probably in the position to consider franchising because your existing business is doing very well and making a profit so altering the entire business model would be crazy. You simply do not change what is working as it can endanger everything.

The expert advice that you should really get does come from different associations according to your location. There are normally franchising organizations who can give you as much information as you need as well as assisting you through the entire process. You just have to search for the one for country but they normally go under titles such as Franchising council of Australia, as an example.

After you have decided you can franchise your business you have to consider the training they shall receive. It is essential that they fully understand your company and what is required to make it a success and this training has to be continual. Businesses grow and evolve and items such as marketing techniques also change so the operators do have to be kept up to speed with every part. You cannot just train them once and let them work away as they wish.

When you have franchises you need to ensure that the exact same business systems operate within each area. Consistency is extremely important as each franchise needs to be run in the exact same way using the same methods and marketing. It reflects badly on you if you have two franchises in the one area and they are promoting different products.

You can see that to have franchising success you need to have a good foundation with a business which is currently operating at a profit. It can help you to expand without endangering as much money as you would opening a new location entirely by yourself. Just remember to get as much information from your local experts as possible before starting on the road to franchising.

If you buy a franchise business, you have the benefit of name recognition to help your sales. Learning how to franchise is typically a portion of the training provided by the parent company.

The Simple Keys To Franchising Success

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

In order to enjoy franchising success you have to invest some significant time into planning before committing to any opportunity. You want to make certain that you choose the right one for you and that you are well-prepared for the road that lies ahead. Your early planning will help to determine the measure of success that you and your endeavor will enjoy.

Finances will play a huge role in the next several years of your life when starting a franchise. One thing to be sure of is that this role is not always a positive one. Starting any new business comes with an adjustment period and you will likely have to work out a few kinks and learn a few hard lessons before you start enjoying regular and consistent profitability.

Preparing your family for the drastic changes that lie ahead is also important. Everyone will have to make at least a small sacrifice in order to see the business succeed. For a time there is likely to be less money for frivolous expenses and your spouse and children will certainly see you less until you get a working routine going.

This makes it imperative that there be an honest family discussion wherein everyone is allowed to express their fears and concerns. When everyone feels as though they are a part of the team you are far more likely to garner the moral support that you will need from your loved ones. You will need should the going get rough.

There is a whole host of considerations to make before taking even the first step. You budget is not going to have room for entertainment or any other frivolous expense. This is true of both your money budget and your time budget. There are sacrifices that will have to be made and you should know them and analyze if they are truly worth it.

It is important that you select a franchise that falls within a niche that you enjoy. If you like the automotive industry and getting your hands dirty than you would likely fair better with an oil change franchise than with a restaurant. Analyzing your likes, dislikes and being honest with yourself about your strengths and shortcomings will help you select an endeavor that suits you.

Even a franchise that is destined for success can fail if the wrong person is at the helm. Franchising success requires you to choose a niche that you can handle and that you be prepared for the sacrifices that are required in order to make it work. Getting together with your loved ones to garner support will certainly help provide you with the strength that you will need to make it through the tough times.

Before you buy a franchise business, you should make certain you know how to maximize your income and effectiveness. Learning how to franchise is often included with the major companies that offer this marketing venue.

Vending Devices Can Be Your Passport To Riches

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Just about every office building within the country has at minimum a single vending machine. For staff who are even more or less stuck just using their desks for that working day, it is not very simple to go out to a store for any snack or possibly a drink, so vending machines take up the slack.

Such devices will as a result finish up taking in a large amount of money while in a working day, as personnel go with that sugar rush that can retain them ticking over until eventually they will find a break.

People rarely give a consideration to the way the vending devices get there in the first place, how they’re managed and kept well stacked, but the fact is always that there could be loads of dollars in an enterprise that has bulk vending at its center.

If you are ready to put in a large amount of foot work moving around, then a vending enterprise may very well be very lucrative. People will, traditionally, spend much more for food from a vending equipment rather than they would in a store.

This indicates that a bulk vending business might be a monetary success for the person who keeps it in operation. Should they be ready to perform the leg work they’ll get their devices in a lot of corporations and have the earnings going.

Just one lone vending machine, or possibly a couple in the one site, will take in cash but possibly not enough to seriously maintain a organization. If, nevertheless, you might be ready to get your devices in quite a lot of organisations you may get an incredible cash flow going.

You must have the knowledge about the right vending locations to make completely sure that you just know exactly where you could set a device which men and women are ready to work with. Otherwise, you could quite possibly struggle to meet costs.

Make contact with vending locators within your nearby region and you will have the capacity to locate a location to have your first machine up and operating – and from there a profit should be quick to obtain.

The best thing to start learning would be to read through the bulk vending book which enables you to you have a significant competitive advantage over the competitors. The most important thing is to locate the very best vending locations and that is mentioned in huge depth in this proposed manual.

Reasons To Ditch Your Low Paid Job And Start Earning Good Money As A Window Cleaner Soon

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Do you ever have to drag yourself to work? You feel like you are doing the same routine everyday. You are just not happy with the way things are at work or hate your working schedule. If you agreed with any of these, then may be it is time for you to ditch your low paid job and start earning good money as a window cleaner. Starting a business as a window cleaner does not require a lot of funds to start.

The supplies that you need do not cost a lot when you are first starting. All you need to start your business is a few cleaning supplies, some sponges necessary to clean the windows, and a bucket to hold your soap and water. These supplies do not have to be expensive when you first start, and as you gain more profits, you can begin to upgrade the supplies that you use.

Advertising your business can also help expand the business. Advertising does not have to be expensive, as there are many forms of advertisement. You can even use word of mouth advertisement, allowing your current clients to tell their contacts about your service. Even listing your ad on the yellow pages or in the newspaper can help you gain clients.

You want to have a separate phone line for your business and your personal one. The type of phone line you want is up to you, it can be a cell phone or even a land line. Keeping them separate, allows you to recognize its a customer calling when your business line is ringing. Make sure to return all business calls as soon as possible.

Once you start obtaining clients, make sure to arrive to the job site on time. If you agreed upon a time with the client, you do not want your business to look bad by arriving late. Arriving on time can give the customer a good impression about you and your business. If you arrive at the scheduled time, it makes your business look good. It tells the customer that you are a person of your word and deliver the service that you say you deliver.

Arriving on time is not the only thing you want to make a habit. You also want to give the best of your abilities. Let the customer see how well you can clean their windows. Cleaning a window is not a difficult task, but you want to make sure the customer is left satisfied and wanting your service again, the next time their windows need cleaning. If the customer likes your service a lot, they can provide word of mouth advertisement to their contacts.

If you decide to ditch your low paid job and start earning good money as a window cleaner, make sure you give the best of your ability. It is a great business to start without too many start up funds, but can give you great profits. Make sure to return calls from customers as quickly as possible to increase the business.

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Is The Cleaning Industry Really A Recession Proof Business In Washington?

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Does the recession cause fear in your mind? Many people simply hear those dreaded words and stop spending their money. A recession can be sparked by any number of reasons. But the effect is the same: high unemployment, high inflation, low retail sales, and plenty of fear. Can one for see a recession? No it isn’t possible. But is there a way to stop the effects? Yes, you can enter an industry where it has no bearing. This industry is the cleaning sector. Is the cleaning industry really a recession proof business in bad times?

A recession may bring doom and gloom to some companies as they are cyclical. They have up and down periods. The cleaning industry is constant. Offices must project a image to their customers. They have a professional look that must be maintained. They are busy trying to get customers. They do not have time to clean! It is cost productive to have them clean an office when they can simply hire you.

Have you ever tried cleaning a window? It is not as easy as it looks. Even simply cleaning the windshield on your car can prove to be trying. Imagine trying to clean hundreds of these on a daily or weekly basis. Also imagine that most of these windows are located at various heights. The fear of being up in the sky alone will have people calling you to clean their windows.

Carpet cleaning is another specialty niche. One can vacuum their rugs and get daily dirt and dust. But for expensive carpets they cannot be cleaned just by running a vacuum over them. Some require steam cleaning. For deeper trapped dirt and major stains a professional carpet cleaner is needed to restore the carpet to the original look. Many offices and personal homes need this service.

You can earn a very good income by cleaning people’s homes. You will not make a lot of money off one home. The trick is to get a book of customers that you have on a regular schedule. You can plan your day and know in advance how much you will make. It is possible to clean plenty of homes daily. You can later expand and hire workers to do the work for you so you don’t have to clean yourself.

There is now a new form of cleaning that is becoming popular. Many homes don’t want to use harsh chemicals and detergents in their homes. Studies have shown that the fumes are harmful and may not kill all the germs and bacteria. They are now requesting green cleaning. You will use products that are safer for the environment. These many cost more than the regular material. But the benefit is that you can charge more money.

Is the cleaning industry really a recession proof business in bad times? Cleaning has been around for ages and will continue for years to come. Inventions have been made which make cleaning easier, but it has not eliminated the need for someone to do the work.

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How To Leave Your Badly Paid Job And Start Earning Decent Money As A Window Cleaner

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Finding work can be very tricky right now given the state of the economic climate in which we all operate. Many people are finding that their hours are being cut down, their wages are being slashed, or their jobs are being lost. Others are simply looking for other ways of making better money doing something they may enjoy slightly more than the work they carry do. One such option would be to set up your own window cleaning business. As such, here are some tips on how to ditch your low paid job and start earning good money as a window cleaner.

To do this there are several steps that you need to take. The first step to take is to do your market research as this will be very important in working out what sort of income you can make and whether or not it is viable to quit your job.

Consider whether you actually can and want to perform the role of a window cleaner as well. It is an arduous job and should only be done by someone who is not afraid to get up a ladder. As such, if you are afraid of heights it will certainly not be for you. Furthermore, unless you are fully mobile you should consider it either.

If you realise that plenty of opportunities are available then you need to get together the tools that you will need for the job. It is quite important few to try to find these at a reasonable price, particularly when you are starting up, as you won’t have a large budget for them. However, always make sure that you have quality tools as well as these will be important in doing a quality job.

You need to be able to promote yourself and your new business properly if you are to build decent income streams through it. As a start-up business it can be difficult to set yourself up against some of the larger competition and therefore it is important that you look into offering something unique. Often this may include such things as discounts, special offers, and lower prices, especially when you want to establish a foothold.

It is extremely important that you get some practice before you start working for real so that you are able to offer quality services. Your income is going to be completely dependent upon the quality of your work and if you do not provide excellent service you are not going to get repeat custom. Furthermore, people will not offer referrals to people they know who need window cleaning services as well unless you provide them with an excellent job.

It is certainly a good idea to start part-time as well. You are likely to still be financially dependent upon your current salary or wage and therefore you should try to establish yourself part-time at first.

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