How Five Ideas per Day Might Save Your Small Business

Here is something to think about:

One of the most successful businessmen I have ever had the pleasure to talk to, Bob Block, credits his success in great part to his practice of developing five ideas per day to improve his businesses.

This is a practice he developed when he was just starting out as a salesperson in a mid-western state. He would think of five ideas, every single day, for improving his business.

While he admits that most of the ideas were worthless (about 95% of them), the few that were valuable were fairly priceless.

With small business owners struggling to keep their heads above water, don’t you think this practice might help generate innovative new ways to do small business?

The Value of Five Small Business Ideas per Day
I’ve recently started this practice and I can already see the benefits to my small businesses, and to me as a small business owner. Here are the benefits I have discovered so far:

• I’m forced to think outside the box (all the “in the box” ideas were used up in the first few days)
• I practice making mistakes every day, since most of the ideas are useless and can be considered “mistakes” … thus mistakes become an accepted part of learning to improve my businesses
• I think of things only crazy people would think of, and historically crazy ideas are often the ones that result in quantum leaps in the business world
• Many good small ideas pop up, and these ideas are useful for helping me patch up the “leaks” in my businesses, whether they relate to excess spending or lack of linkage between my online media outposts
• This process prevents me from being lazy and conducting “business as usual,” which I tend to do when I think I’m too tapped-out to do more.

I really like this process and it has produced some excellent ideas for my small business. What about you? Care to give it a whirl?

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Photo credit: Free Digital Photos

Tags: five ideas for small business owners, small business ideas

The Rules of the Pool Post by Chris Brogan is Worth Reading

I love reading Chris Brogan’s stuff. Here’s this social media guru who is humble, funny, and really knows his stuff … and even though I know he is brilliant he frequently manages to catch me by surprise with a post from out of left field. I read this “Rules of the Pool” post recently and I was blown away.

Read Chris’ post here.

I have always felt that the people who call themselves “experts” in online marketing are the ones I should stay far, far away from. I’ve never felt that their advice was right for small business. For big business with a big budget? Probably. But for us little guys swimming around in the big scary online pond, a lot of their advice is good but totally out of reach. Asking a small business to do online marketing at the rate the experts advise is, frankly, impossible, both in terms of time and money.

In fact, for a long time now I’ve felt that figuring out online marketing and social media for small business is kind of like a blind date: there are a lot of tentative steps, some experimental groping, and some startling surprises. OK, actually, it’s all a big grope-fest. There are some people who do it well (like John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing) and some people who don’t do it so well (who will remain unnamed).

Then there are the name-callers who tell us that we can’t be “authentic” if we use automated software to follow people who follow us on Twitter. My thought on this? People who have enough time to manually pick through and follow people on Twitter are NOT running a real small business. They’re just … well, I don’t know what they’re doing but it’s not running a full time small business.

So back to Chris’ post. His post basically says that the experts on online marketing can’t agree on the “rules.” In other words, there’s a lot of debate out there about the right way to do things, how to do things, what to do, what is professional and what’s not. No one agrees. As a result, Chris points out that there should be no name-calling at all … if the experts can’t even establish a baseline for what constitutes “good” and “bad” online marketing, then calling some marketing “bad” might very well be the pot calling the kettle black.

I love Chris’ work for its authenticity, its boldness, and its personalization. If you write him, chances are that he’ll write you back. He even tells you how best to communicate with him. Having said all of those kudos, I long ago realized I am no Chris Brogan. I have neither the time nor the talent to be the social marketing whiz that he is.

Reading his post on “Rules of the Pool” allowed me to heave a huge sigh of relief that I don’t have to be just like him to succeed. I can find my own way to promote my small business online. And since there are no rules to this pool, a little groping, experimenting, and falling down are just fine by me.

What about you?

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Photo credit: FreePhotosBank

Tags: Chris Brogan, online marketing expert, social media

Drum Up New Business from Clients with Shrinking Budgets

In these trying economic times, drumming up more business can be hard if you clients have shrinking budgets. Small business owners are finding that their clients, whether individual consumers or other businesses, are tightening their belts and reluctant to spend.

However, some small businesses are finding that they can capitalize on the current crisis by connecting with current clients in new ways, and by hooking up with new clients. Here are three trends to think about when it comes to dealing with your clients’ shrinking budgets.

1. Existing Clients are Open to New Ideas
In a world where everyone is looking for ways to cut financial corners, clients are open to learning about how to be more financially frugal, and from many new sources. One small marketing business sent its clients a short flyer listing “10 Tips for Frugal Marketing,” which not only offered great information but also alerted clients to some new inexpensive services the firm was offering. By wrapping the information about the new services into a list of useful tips their clients could immediately use, the marketing business generated an immediate positive image and some new business from existing clients.

2. Partner Up to Access New Clients
One spa owner decided to see if pooling marketing budgets with other local businesses could generate increased revenue for her own business. She teamed up with some local small businesses to offer a series of “Feel Good” workshops. The workshops offered consumers many ways to “Feel Good”–physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, and even legally. Partner businesses included a law firm, an accounting business, a fitness gym, a nutritional consultant, a spiritual counselor, a banker, and even a private investigator. All the businesses cross-promoted the workshop series to their own clients, and attendees received coupons for free consultations and discounts. Overall, the businesses reported an average increase in business from the workshops ranging from 10% to almost 30%. Not a bad gain in today’s stingy market.

3. Go for the Big Fish
Even big firms that used to have large recurring marketing budgets are starting to scrutinize the individual line items on which they spend money. According to marketing firm TheEyeWorks, 60% of businesses have or will decrease the size of their marketing budgets this year. More importantly, over half the companies polled are willing to consider working with a smaller marketing agency if the agency could produce similar results.

The moral of this David and Goliath story is that this financial crisis may have evened the playing field for small businesses. The fact that large businesses are looking for ways to deal with shrinking budgets gives small businesses a shot at large accounts that might otherwise be out of reach.

When faced with the incredible shrinking budgets of your current and potential clients, don’t despair. Instead, think of yourself as the small business version of David, in the David and Goliath story. Then start talking to your current and potential clients in new ways. You may surprise yourself!

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Photo credit: DC Drum Circle

Tags: shrinking budgets, small business partnering

Younger Small Businesses Use More Social Media

Young folks are energetic, enthusiastic, and have energy to spare, right? Just look at any five-year-old and you see what I mean. They expend more energy in one hour than I might spend all day.

It turns out that the same principle of Youth = More Energy applies to small business and social media. According to email and direct mail marketing provider Vertical Response, startup companies (or younger small businesses) tend to be more energetic and enthusiastic than more established small businesses.

No big surprise there, but the statistics make for an interesting read. Plus, if you are the owner of a more mature small business, this might motivate you to get involved in social media, even if you join with caution. Read the article on the Small Business Search Marketing website:

Small Business and Social Media: Experience vs. Enthusiasm

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Photo credit: SF critical ass

Tags: small business, social media, startup

Small Business and Social Media: Who and How?

Social media is still in the early adoption phase where small business is concerned. Yes, a lot of small business owners are getting involved in social media. No, widespread adoption isn’t happening … yet. Without the mega-bucks marketing budget that large businesses have, small business owners are taking their time getting acquainted with social media. Social media takes a lot of one resource that most small business owners lack: time.

But, as always, there are bleeding edge early adopters out there, testing the waters, occasionally getting eaten by sharks (sad, but true), and pioneering the way for the rest of the masses. What are these folks doing?

According to a study by Sage Software and AMI-Partners, at least 260,000 small businesses in the U.S. and Canada are using social media as a marketing channel. Find out how these early adopters are using social media, and then see if you might want to start getting your small business involved.

Social Media and Small Business Getting Acquainted Slowly

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Photo credit: strawberrysoup

Tags: early adoption, small business, social media

Should B2B Small Businesses Skip the Social Media?

Hmmm … good question. Maybe, maybe not. Most experts would agree that small businesses marketing directly to consumers can definitely benefit from participating in some form of social media. But what about small businesses that market directly to other businesses? Should they take part in social media?

Jean Van Rensselar of Smart PR Communications argues not. She says it’s a waste of time. In a controversial article, Jean proposes that a B2B prospect is far different than a B2C prospect (i.e., an individual consumer). She lists 7 ways in which B2B prospects are different, and why this market segment needs to be marketed to with far more care and concern. She also defines why social media is quite inappropriate for this market segment.

Her article has generated a raging storm of comments, some of which strongly disagree with her point of view, others of which totally agree. The bottom line is that if your business markets primarily to other businesses, Jean’s article is worth a read. The comments are worth reading, too. They are, if anything, just as valuable as the article itself. Get the B2B social media scoop here:

B2B - Skip the Social Media Marketing

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Tags: b2b, b2c, Jean Van Rensselar, social media

Twitter for the Small Business Owner

To many small business owners, viewing a Tweet-stream is like trying to look for a specific drop of water in Niagara Falls. Translation? Totally overwhelming. Totally impossible. The Tweets come fast and furious, and finding ANYTHING, never mind replying to someone, is like a nightmare come to life.

But there is hope! You, the small business owner, can learn to navigate Twitter with some semblance of dignity and order. As part of this week’s ongoing focus on small business and social media, I suggest you read this insightful article by Corey Perlman on the Mplans.com website:

Should a Small Business Use Twitter?

This cogent article gives small business owners a very simple step-by-step plan on how to use Twitter. Best of all, the plan is do-able, even for the firefighting head honcho. The plan is designed to help small business owners get their feet wet in Tweetville, and figure out whether Twitter is right for their business. Corey suggests using the plan for three months before making a decision. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Sound good to you?

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Photo credit: Twitter6

Tags: small business, Twitter

Unclog My Drain and Other Small Biz Social Media Stuff

So … social media has a lot of small business owners scratching their heads and going, “Huh?” It’s, like, maybe something we should do, but it’s also, like, so confusing! There’s no doubt that social is the new hot thing, and that companies like Dell are taking huge advantage of it’s reach.

But is social media really within the reach of most small businesses? What about Mom and Pop shops? Is social media effective for local promotion?

That’s up for debate. Some experts say, “Yes! Go for it! Get on the social media bus while it’s still in the station.” Other experts are far more hesitant, and advice small businesses NOT to get involved in social media unless they have the time and resources to do it consistently.

Every small business is unique, and ultimately it’s up to you, the small business owner, to decide whether social media is a viable marketing channel or a bunch of hype on which you should not waste precious resources.

To Help You Decide …
Every good decision needs good data. To help you decide whether social media is your cup of tea, I’m dedicating this week’s blog posts to links that provide you with some thoughtful insight on the subject. Let’s dive in!

To get you started, here’s an article about New York drain-cleaning company that is making use of YouTube to promote their services. Specifically, the company (called A$49.95 Any Sewer or Drain) is running a contest that involves the use of videos on YouTube. One recent content invited people to come up with a video and jingle for the company. Read about this small business’ interesting approach to social media on the Small Biz Trends blog:

Unclog My Drain: Making Viral Marketing and Videos Work for Local Small Businesses

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Tags: small business social media marketing

Why Social Media Manager Isn’t a Real Job

Why Social Media Manager Isn’t a Real Job

I was relieved to read a recent blog post from Chris Brogan, Mr. Social Media himself and one of my heroes. In his post, Getting Back to Your Desk, Chris talks about how social media is starting to move away from the “gee whiz” factor and starting become a more stable part of the marketing channel. In other words, it’s just another channel through which businesses can reach out to their people, like direct mail and email.

One salient point Chris makes is that social media is a tool, like your fax or email. He says being a social media manager is like being the email manager or fax manager - you are naming yourself after a tool. Who wants to be just a tool?

It’s a great rant, worth reading, and probably a relief to all those small business owners running around thinking, “Gosh, I really need to get on social media, but I don’t have time. Oh well, I’ll get to it next week!”

Read Chris’ post here.

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Photo credit: Financial Aid Podcast

Tags: Chris Brogan, social media

Even Local Small Businesses Need a Web Presence

Even Local Small Businesses Need a Web Presence

Let’s say you run a local small business with a store front on Main Street. Do you need a web presence? A few years ago, I would have said, “Heck no! Save your money.” Today, I say, “Hell, yes! You’d better get on the internet bus while it’s still here.”

Now, as odd as that may sound, even if you focus mainly on doing business in your local town, the up-and-coming technology means that you will need a web presence-very soon. So what’s going on?

With the advent with mobile devices, consumers in even small towns will be using their smart phones to compare prices before they head out to do their shopping. This might even apply in the little one-horse town where I live. Actually, it’s more like a one-person town, since the cows and horses outnumber the people in Olathe, CO.

An Example from the Present
But, back to the example of how a local store needs to have a web presence. I’m a nut about horse equipment. The other day I was looking for a standing martingale, which is a nifty little doo-hickey that keeps my mare from flinging her head around. It attaches to her bridle. Now, in Olathe, there are two feed stores that also sell tack. Ten miles to the north are three more feed/tack stores. Ten miles to the south of me, there are six of these stores.

With the current state of technology in Olathe, Colorado, which is about as backwards as you can get, to find this martingale, I have to get out the phone book and dial around until I find the store that carries it in the right size and at the lowest price. In other words, my fingers do the walking, and my mouth does the talking.

Looking Into the Future
Zoom forward a couple of years. Now imagine that Olathe has caught up with the rest of the big cities in the U.S. I’m looking for another martingale because my mare has gotten tired of wearing the old one, ripped it off, and killed it with her hooves. This time, instead of dragging out the phone book, I get out my “talk to me” smart phone and type in “standing martingale.” My smart phone does its brainy thing and I get a listing of all the stores within a 25 mile radius that carry this item. It also lists the sizes and prices for every item, so that I can decide, in an instant, which store I am going to visit. I can even buy the martingale with my phone and go pick it up later.

Think I’m dreaming? I’m not. This phenomenon is already happening in the larger U.S. cities. Comparison shopping on mobile devices is quick and easy. It’s only a matter of time before the technology migrates into the smaller towns in the boonies.

So even if your small business only serves a small local market, you might want to start looking at developing a web presence now. The internet is one media that rewards longevity, so the sooner you start the better.

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Photo credit: 21st century communication

Tags: Colorado, mobile comparison shopping, Olathe, small business web presence