Don’t Stop Marketing

What is the common thing most companies do when the economy gets bad? The knee-jerk reaction is to start cutting budgets to the bone. In some cases, entire departments are eliminated and marketing budgets are slashed. 

When you cut marketing budgets in bad economic times, you are not taking advantage of an opportunity that your competition is handing you. During difficult economic times, you must maintain your marketing presence by executing comprehensive marketing plans.

The smart company knows how to market to its audience and can take advantage of a cut-back by the competition. When the competition eliminates its social networking program because of budget cuts, that is when you bring in an independent contractor that can enhance your social networking presence. 

When the economic downturn is over, the companies that stayed in the public eye will be the ones that bounce back and then some. If you maintain a marketing presence during tough economic times, then you will see your business grow because you will be one of the few companies reaching out to clients. When the economy improves, your company will have a completely new customer base to grow with.

Evaluate Consumer Trends

Earlier in this conversation, we mentioned how a company can prepare itself for difficult economic times by seeing those challenges coming. One of the key parts of comprehensive business planning is evaluating consumer trends.

Evaluating consumer trends means following the volume of sales in your industry, keeping an eye on the products and features that are popular, evaluating the strength of the competition in the marketplace and staying ahead of economic indicators. If you want to keep your business afloat during troubled times, then you need to see those troubled times coming. It is one of the things that proactive companies spend a lot of time focusing on.

Plan Your Growth

Many small businesses grow based on their immediate sales. When the sales start to spike, then the company will invest in new personnel and new facilities. This is a recipe for disaster. If you want to guide your company through troubled times, then plan your growth in your business planning documents.

Planning a company’s growth requires extensive evaluation of the marketplace and a series of economic indicators, including the success of the organization’s sales and marketing techniques. If you plan your growth, then your company is always built to succeed and you will never take on more resources than you can afford.

In order to help your company survive tough times, you need to plan accordingly. A solid business plan with good leadership can help a company through any ordeal.

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These days it seems everybody wants to build a web site. From local businesses to churches to even people who are into one craft or another, everybody wants to share their ideas, thoughts, and products online. In the past, the biggest challenge to making your own web site was learning the programming involved in doing so, which restricted web site design to the very computer savvy and professional web site designers who had spent years perfecting web design techniques.

The market has responded to this demand for simple web site building tools with a plethora of applications for web design that make it easy for anyone, regardless of computer skill, to make a web site. It is not unheard of these days for there to even be web site builders that you can use from within your web browser. With these powerful and useful tools, anybody can design and publish a web site.

When it comes to designing a web site the first thing you are going to need is somewhere to put it. There are dozens of web hosting companies on the Internet and generally you can decide which is best simply by reading reviews of the hosting company. Web hosting is a competitive market and people will let the world know if they are having problems with a particular company.

Once you have acquired some web space, free or paid, you will need to decide which tools you wish to use to design your web site. There are literally hundreds of web site building tools out there. Again, reading reviews is one of the best ways to decide which you want to use. What's important is finding a tool that is right for your skill level. Some tools are going to be more robust but require you to know more about what is going on under the hood, while other tools are going to simplify the process as much as possible with web design tools that can simply be dragged and dropped onto the page template.

Once you have found your web page development tool of choice, you can focus your efforts on producing the website that best represents whatever it is you're trying to put out there, whether it's products you're trying to sell, a church web site, or even just your thoughts and ideas about various things. These days it's easy to make your voice heard online!

This post was paid for to appear on Good Plum.

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There are so many thing we can and should eventually do in order to grow our businesses. It’s like owning a house in the sense that there is always going to be another project, no matter how many projects you finish. However, some of these things ought to be done BEFORE you start promoting yourself at all. I hear the excuses all the time: “I’ve done fine without doing that.” Okay, then keep doing it if you want, but you’re turning away an entire group of potential customers by not doing some very basic things.

In no specific order, here are some key things you may already be doing that are costing your business money:

1.) You have a free email address.

It’s insane to pass out a Yahoo or Hotmail email address around on your business card. It screams out ‘maybe I’m not as professional as you thought I was.’ Just this morning I saw a great big ad on the side of the business’s van – the email address was @aol.com. Really?

If you need help figuring out how to get a personalized domain with an email address (you@yourname.com) – please just contact me. I’ll help for free just to save others the pain.

2.) Your website address is a subdomain.

If you have a business and are even half-serious, spend the $8 to get yourself an actual domain name. It still makes me cringe every time someone tells me their website is theirname dot freesite(or whatever) dot com. Also, since I count bloggers as business owners, that goes for you that think that your dot blogspot address is catchy. It’s not.

Something else that goes along with this is picking a domain name that you don’t have to spell to someone. Yes, there are occasions where the best address may be your name, or a funky ‘Web 2.0′ spelling with double-r’s or something, but as a rule, if you say it out loud and then have to spell it – I’m not going to remember it.

3.) Network and affiliate marketers who don’t have their own domain.

Yes, this is similar to #2, but worse. There are many great network marketing companies out there, many with websites they provide their distributors. Just last week I asked a friend (who is in one of the food companies) what her site was so I could order more bread. It was something dot com slash her name, a number, slash something else. Ok, so I won’t order from you again.

Again, spend the $8 and get yourself a whateverfood dot com address – you can easily redirect it to your complicated store website. You’ll even be able to stop using your free email address at the same time.

4.) You believe that “social media” is a fad.

I understand. There’s been many fads that have come and gone. Hell, you’ve probably seen leg warmers come in, out, and back in again (wait, are those back in?). One thing I would caution you to observe is the effect those fads have on the next big thing.

I’d argue that MySpace might have been a fad… but what’s boomed out of that fad is a place like Facebook that is likely here to stay. I’d argue that Twitter (though the popularity continues to grow) is actually a fad – but the concept is here to stay in some form or another.

Do you have a Facebook presence? A Twitter presence? A Google Places listing? If not, what are the chances you’ll have a presence on the next big thing? If you’re serious about your business and you care about your users/customers, you owe it to yourself to be a part of the community where THEY live. And THEY live in these fads.

5.) You talk to people about business once, maybe even gain them as a customer, and then never contact them again.

I can count on one finger the number of people who have followed up with me in 3 years of owning a house and all the projects and services that have come with that. Pretty much any home service you can use, I’ve used it. I’ve met a ton of great people, and one single person has followed up with me after the sale. One.

I’ve done roofing, siding, built a deck, put in floors, used a plumber, lawn service, tree service, painting service, realtors, lawyers, insurance agents, concrete service and on and on…. one person stays in touch with me.

Guess how many people I’ll call back if I need these services again? Yes, one. The only other chance the others will hear from me is if I happen to include them in my next round of quotes.

This is, again, one of the easiest things you can stop failing at. Just following up ONE TIME puts you in the top 2% of people in your field. If you follow up strategically and often, you can rely on repeat business and referrals for as far as you can see to schedule jobs.

There are two ways I recommend doing this. One, is to get an email newsletter started. You can sign up with a service like Aweber for a low monthly price, put a web form on your (new) website, and allow people to sign themselves up. You can also start adding old clients manually (they’ll still have to approve being sent email from you) and add new clients as you meet them. The other thing I highly recommend (and what REALLY puts people on top) is by following up by snail mail. No one hardly does this! A service like SendOutCards makes it easy to design, schedule, print & mail greeting cards to customers, family and friends. I couldn’t live without it, so just ask me if you need more info about it.

Conclusion
I’d hate for you to take offense to any of these suggestions, but let’s get real. They’re things that everyone serious about business in 2011 should already have a handle on. If you don’t, that’s okay, you can stop ruining your business starting today!

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The first iPhone revolutionised what was an embryonic smart phone market by offering high-end functionality, flexibility, design and entertainment, all of which have flourished with the reputation of the phone itself. In a single handset consumers now have access to a diversity of capabilities including music, video, mobile internet and a seemingly bottomless pit of Apps, all through the iPhone’s high-definition touch screen.

The current specification continues to satisfy most technical aficionados (high resolution Retina display, HD video recording, 5mp camera with LED flash, GPS, OS4) but the mass-market appeal is possibly the key to the commercial success of any product. Contemporary users inevitably love a device that allows such simple and ready access the internet, and therefore social networking sites, email and downloading. And with touch-screen technology still in its infancy doing all of the above through a small glass portal still seems incredibly exciting!

Nor can the importance of style be over-emphasised, with the appearance of a handset being as crucial to many consumers as the usability or features. After all, a person doesn’t wear shoes just to keep the street from their feet. The slim-line design of the iPhone is sleek, sexy, and a crucial accessory to many an image-conscious fashionista, despite its increasing ubiquity.

However the versatility of the iPhone is possibly the primary reason behind its popularity. Like compiling a playlist on the iPod, customising the contents of an iPhone through specific Apps is simply another means of using technology to express individuality. With an ever-increasing list of Apps available through the Apple Store a phone’s user is able to tailor the contents of their iPhone according to their specific requirements.

And should you ever need to talk to someone out of earshot it can also be used as a telephone.

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It is important that your employees feel you as the owner or member of upper management are accessible. They also need to know that you are willing to listen to them. By establishing an open door policy and letting your workers know that they can talk to you, you are helping them in many ways. This will give them a sense that what they think and say has value. It is very good for self esteem when someone we feel is important is willing to listen to what we have to say.

Encourage people to have positive feelings about themselves and about their work. Be sure to let them know that what they do is important to the success of the business and that it does make a difference. You can accomplish this in several ways. Enlisting your entire management team can make it easier. It’s important for leaders on all levels to be the bastion of positive thinking and complete confidence in your business.

Everyone likes to feel appreciated for their work, especially in the work place. Millions of people don’t feel they are appreciated at work, especially in the US. Worker dissatisfaction is probably at an all time high. Don’t ever think that you won’t see rewards in terms of better effort and productivity, if people could feel better about their work. This is why you should devise a program that shows how much you and the management team appreciate all the work your employees do.

Initially, it may feel that seeing an increase in self esteem among your workers is difficult to achieve. While it’s not really all that hard, it will take some time. You have several options, however, for how to change the attitudes of your employees. Give serious consideration to the benefits to making this investment in your business.

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Just about every subject matter can be covered by a ‘how to’ video. DIY, sports and cookery are just some of the more practical subjects covered by the videos. There are also videos informing the viewer how to improve their chances at dating or coming top in an interview. There are few taboo subjects and if advice is needed on sexual techniques they are available too.

The quality of the videos can vary from high-definition, professionally produced videos to those compiled by amateurs at home from their i-phone or camcorder. The videos would still need to pass the format guidelines of the website and not be offensive or promote illegal activity. The professional videos are more likely to have better picture and sound quality. Whatever the standard of filming, the video will need to be instructional and provide the viewer with ‘how to’ information.

Sourcing ‘how to’ videos is not a difficult task. Simply entering ‘how to videos’ in the search engine will result in a choice of sites. Refining the search is recommended to avoid fruitless hours trawling sites; for example, ‘how to clear a blocked drain video’ will provide a list of relevant sites and videos. Once a good site is found it is advisable to save it on the favourites bar.

Many sites also provide ‘how to’written articles as well as the videos. In fact many articles can be converted into video format. Videos, whether derived from an article or not, will be uploaded onto the high traffic video sharing sites, such as YouTube.com, for sharing with the internet community. A few of the other video websites, of which there are hundreds, with ‘how to’ videos are monkeysee.com, ehow.com and wonderhowto.com.

It is simple to create a ‘how to’ video and upload it onto the many websites if there is a particular skill or technique you would like to share. If picking up tips and techniques is required then the ‘how to’ videos available on the internet offer an effective alternative to manuals.

Get the latest how to videos and learn with many easy how to video by following the links.

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Work from home jobs is difficult to acquire in comparison to office or regular jobs. The skills needed for working at home and internet based is simply similar. You should never forget this when obtaining a home work job. Quite simply, it is very important you have the qualifications, experience and skills that is assigned and required for you to do.

Before you apply for the job you can do in the home, you should have many of the basic equipments for you to take effect. These basic equipments include a phone, printer, computer and a fax machine. Once you have these materials you are now ready to apply and look for do at home jobs.

The best place to find work at home opportunities is with the internet. The risk could be a bit high once you work online as there is always the chance of being scammed. However, it is possible to avoid this kind of incident by going and signing up to genuine sites that supply different job opportunities at home.

You can even try checking out the companies’ websites and check if they have any job openings. Most websites will provide a list of jobs by categories like accounting, writing, or web site development and many more. There are some sites that are offering freelance jobs that are updated from time to time. You can also find companies hiring worker online or you can find websites that give you information about how to start an internet business. When posting resumes, you should give you the most accurate data regarding work experience and skills because that is what the client would be looking for.

Other ways of searching home based opportunities is by reading the newspaper. There are offices that don’t need employees to go to the office all the time. They just give them work and do it at home. Newspapers can also help you. Make sure that you know which one is genuine or not like the internet scammers are also present in these kinds of ads.

Whatever you decide, the field of internet has lots of possibilities and opportunities.

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The sliding QWERTY keyboard is easy to access from its stored position under the touch screen, and is quite comfortable to use. Messaging and texting, the primary function of all Blackberry phones, is just so much easier with a full-fledged keyboard. A sturdy mechanism holds the keyboard tightly in its storage position when not in use. The chrome exterior is both gorgeous and elegant, especially when juxtaposed against the dark display screen — but, be sure to get a case to protect the chrome finish.

The new 6.0 operating system adds new software functions not possible before. One feature, activated with the swipe of a finger, is the capability to host multiple screens on the system’s Home Page. You can assign each screen a different application. “Social Feeds” is one of those applications, one that makes you wonder why no one thought of this idea before — the information from each and every one of a Torch owner’s social networks can be displayed in one interface. The OS allows more types of documents to be displayed on the screen, and supports even more email providers than before.

The Blackberry Torch connects via both 3G and Wi-Fi, depending on which is the more powerful connection. If 3G is strong, and Wi-Fi is weak, then 3G is used for a stronger, more persistent, connection. When the connection is via Wi-Fi, faster connection speeds are enabled. This allows the Torch to display complete version of web pages, and it also lets you bookmark your favorite pages online. Besides faster loading of web pages, the also has Bluetooth capability, and supports several types of flash media.

The BlackBerry Torch has a 5-megapixel camera, with 2-times digital zoom, flash exposure, auto-focus, and image stabilization — it’s almost like you get a mini-digital-camera with your phone. The editing tools for editing photos also allow you to record and playback videos with the camera. Users can listen to all of their favorite tracks by plugging in a pair of headphones. All those features require memory, and you can install 32 GB worth into the Blackberry Torch. Other features of the Blackberry Torch worth mentioning are the FM radio, and the GPS system (with Blackberry Maps).

Thinking about purchasing one of the hundreds ofBlackberry Torch accessories , please visit Think Mobile Solutions. We carry everything from Blackberry Torch screen protectors to antenna boosters all at discounted prices.

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Gold is very versatile because it may be used to put into practice many business ideas. Gold jewelry, for instance, makes great fashion accessories, but they can also help you make a lot of money during gold parties. These social gatherings presuppose that the guests bring their adornments and negotiate their prices with a gold buyer who, in turn, resells them to the refinery. The host of the party receives a ten percent commission every time the buyer purchases an accessory.

You don’t necessarily have to be the host of the party; you may just as well play the part of the buyer and win even more money. There are many more advantages on this side of the barricade as you can wear the accessories yourself, resell them to the refinery or melt them in a bar. The last method enables you to form gold bullion out of refined metal and resell them at better prices.

The melted gold can also be used to create new jewelry thanks to the special tools and kits for do-it-yourself jewelry. This way, you can kill two birds with one stone as you practice your fashion design hobby and make money at the same time. At the beginning of your fashion designer career you will most likely have to organize indoor exhibitions where guests can get familiar with your work and get involved in social activities.

It is for the versatility of the precious metal that the cost of the ounce is constantly growing, making gold bullion and coins a safe and reliable investment. Some of the great investors we know today have started their business by purchasing gold bars and sovereigns and reselling them after a while, when the prices grew even bigger.

Organizing gold parties, designing luxurious accessories and purchasing gold bars and coins are just a few of the methods you may use to make a fortune. However, innovativeness is obligatory for a successful business, so new investment ideas involving gold are always welcome. Whatever your plans may be, just remember that gold can make your dreams come true!

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Email can be a black hole, sucking time away from you. It doesn’t have to be this way. Successful time managers schedule times during the day when they will read email. Whether you have a day planner or an electronic calendar, schedule hour periods two or three times during the day when you will read your email. People know how to reach you for emergencies. Touch your email once, creating a task for later, addressing the issue immediately, or generating that meeting. Take action on an email as soon as you read it. Keep your responses very brief. Do not reply to the same topic more than twice. At this point pick up the phone and resolve any lengthy details.

Multitasking is something that people tend to be proud of. However, what they may not know is study after study shows that although it may be faster, productivity suffers. This is because not as much can been accomplished when compared to focusing on one task at a time. Successful time managers have learned that not only is more accomplished when you concentrate on one task, but it helps to reduce stress which can help to improve efficiency throughout the day.

Watch an organized person and witness what they do at the beginning of each day. What you will see is a 15-30 minute review and prioritization of the day’s tasks. These few minutes each day can save you many precious hours. People effective at managing time can accomplish more in a day using a task list than someone who just goes with the flow. Why? Because they minimize disruptions knowing what little time they have to complete the tasks.

Although not all distractions can be avoided, they can be limited. It is important to evaluate which distractions are valid or not. For those that may habitually interrupt you during the day, it is important to speak with them politely but assertively about how they can get their needs met. Because not all disruptions can be avoided, it is important to be realistic and plan accordingly. Devote some time in the day for contingencies. Finally, utilizing good phone techniques can help improve productivity. Utilize voice mail for times during the day that priority tasks are being worked on. Following these tips will help to improve productivity and allow you to gain more control over your time.

AlliedTime can help you get yourself and employees on track and on time, so be sure to visit for a great selection of affordable and reliable time clock and time management systems.

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