I know, I know, the economy is affecting us all. Just yesterday I heard another friend was layed off from a job she loved. Then I spoke to my Aunt who was pulling all her money out of the market. Worse yet, I spoke to a small business owner who lost three of his biggest clients so he decided to stop marketing. Honestly people…this is a cycle. It seems that every 8-10 years we have a downturn and we always seem to come out of it. So here's what I have to say. My friend, you are talented and this is your opportunity to find a job you love even more. My dear Aunt, this is the time to buy. By pulling your money out, you are missing out on great long term gains. You just have to hang in there. And to my dear business owner friend…the only way you'll get new customers is through some great referrals or through marketing! Be selective. Be strategic. And by all means track your marketing efforts to make sure you get what you pay for, but for heavens sake…don't give up. There are plenty more customers waiting for good quality businesses to do business with. If we don't start spending and getting back engaged in the market, we'll be in this downturn longer than we need to be. Play your part and get engaged!!!

At PRstore, I have a small business customer that is interested in giving part of their sales to charity over the holiday season. They believe giving back is an important part of their mission. They want to let their customers know that their purchases will also help others without sounding like a cheesy operation that is only doing cause marketing to get more business. So after doing quite a bit of online research I was amazed to see just how much customers truly appreciate stores that give back. In fact, I was reading numbers like 85% of customers would prefer to purchase from someone that will give a portion of the proceeds back to charity. There were really two key things that customers were looking for:

1. The charity should have an affinity with the store. In other words, a store selling coats might have a promotion with its customers bringing in used coats to get a % off for a new coat. Then a percentage of the sale would go to that charity. A grocery store may sell bags of food for $5 with the proceeds going to charity.

2. Customers either wanted the store to give a portion of the sale to charity or better yet, customers would like to pick the charity to give to.

So as you look to grow your sales this holiday, consider doing something good for someone else (and really mean it) and there's a good chance you will get additional business as a result!

It's amazing how many people go into business because they have a certain skill they want to share with the world. A top electrican that works for a big corporation gets tired of taking orders. An incredible chef gets tired of the restaurant's menu. And a marketing executive gets bored of doing the same tactics each month. So what do they do? They go out on their own, thinking they can run their own business and do it the best way they know how. Oh do we wish going into business was so easy…

What most people don't realize is that you don't just go into a small business and get to do your special talent. You also have to figure out the financials, people management and, oh yeah, you have to figure out how to get business. All these things take away from the one thing you went into business for…to show people what great skill you have. One of the best things I did was hire a coach. I hired someone from Action Coach that taught me all the different aspects of  business and, most importantly, how to spend time "on" by business instead of just "in" my business.

So if you're working 24/7 and still not making more money than you can count, perhaps it's time you hired a coach to help you take an honest look at your business. Trust me, you'll learn a ton and it will help you put your business on the right track.

Often times small business owners tell me they "just need to get some postcards in the mail". So I often ask what do they hope to achieve. The common response is, "I don't know…" So we go through all the typical questions of "What do you want to accomplish?" "Do you have an offer?" "What do you expect in return?"

Once we determine what they want to accomplish and what the offer is (for example, I need 50 new customers to come through my door by the end of the month and bring in this 25% off coupon), I will often suggest that instead of sending 5000 postcards with the same message to send 1500 postcards with three different messages and three different promotional codes, so once the cards are returned and collected the customer can see which offer or postcard had the most impact and brought in the most customers. Then the next mailing can feature the offer that had the most impact. It's a great way to be sure the right messages are getting to the right people!

Small business owners sometimes get frustrated because they aren't quite sure where to find customers. Many would be surprised that it's really quite simple. Let's take an example. Say you have your own auto body shop and really want to tell people within a 10 mile radius that you have a great special on tire rotation. Instead of just relying on referrals and postings in your local grocery store or even an ad in the local paper, why not buy a list. Yes, there are companies that will research people within your perfect profile (i.e. household with 2 or more cars and an income of $75K+, for example.) and sell you that list. And guess what, it's not that expensive! You can get 1000 names for about $200 bucks. If you got 10% that came in from that list, you would more than pay for the cost of the list. You can then mail postcards, have a service drop off coupons door to door or call customers to invite them in. So don't over think it, just ask for a little help and you'll get access to a whole host of customers under your nose.

So every small business has high quality, right? They've got great customer service too. So if you're a siding contractor, what makes you different. Can you offer your customer a guarantee that you'll complete your job on time or you'll pay their mortgage for one month. Can you guarantee that you'll clean up after yourself at the end of each job or you'll provide a maid service for one month? If you can, then you'll beat the guy that just offers high quality. Not only that, but it makes you accountable. It makes you try harder because it's money in or out of your pocket. So go ahead…give a guarantee and watch your sales increase and your brand reputation grow. I guarantee it!

Let's face it, competition is tough. And it seems like everyone is doing the same thing. I can name 10 companies that remodel houses and they all say they replace siding, install decks, remodel basements, etc. But I can't tell why I would choose one over the other. So let's get to the pain points of customers that need a remodeling job shall we? How many busy summertime contractors do you know that actually complete a project on time? How many of them don't leave a mess when they leave a house each night? How many of them actually return a phone call within a few hours of receipt. Not many. Why? They're busy, but, in my humble opinion, they're also pretty ignorant to think that it doesn't reflect poorly on them.

So what can we do to help them out? Tell them to guarantee they'll finish a job on time or they will take 10% off the total bill. Tell them to call back within 2 hours or they'll buy their client lunch for a week. Tell them to clean up each night or they will pay for a month of maid service for their customer. Wouldn't that get your attention. Wouldn't you use them knowing that they will perform otherwise it will cost them money. If every small business looked for their customer's pain points and actually guaranteed that they would relieve the pain or there would be consequences to them, I think  you would be amazed how many customers would be inclined to give you a try. Why? You stand out AND you stand by your word. That's credibility and that means more sales!

Just like any small business owner, I am always searching for answers. How do I grow my business? How do I do more with less time, money, etc…? How do I empower others to do the work I so desparately want to do myself? How do I not only be a successful small business owner, but how do I make it big?

So as you can imagine, I read a lot of books hoping someone, somewhere has some answers for me. I found a good one. Go check out "The E Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber.

The first few chapters are depressing because Gerber gives you a great look into why you go into business and basically that's because you want to be the boss. Maybe you're tired of your boss or sick of your job so you think that it would be so great to do your own thing. And yes, it definitely has its highs, but what we often don't take into account is that we often go into business because we're really good at something, maybe it's baking pies, maybe its marketing, maybe it's carpentry so we go into business to do what we're good at. Unfortunately when you go into business you don't just get to do what you're good at because now you have to do all the financial stuff, do all the future planning, manage all the people, order the supplies, ship the material, and the list goes on and on. So many businesses fail because small business owners get frustrated because they're overwhelmed with all the things they aren't so good at… This book takes a realistic look at the whole situation and puts you on the course to becoming really successful. So grab a glass of wine and read the book. I think you'll be glad you did. Let me know what you think!

Your customer is forking over $75 to fill up her mini-van and $100 for a few days’ worth of groceries. She’s stuck in a high-rate mortgage with no hope of redemption, her husband is on the verge of being downsized and she’s not sure whether they’ll be able to afford health care for their family next year. Trust me, your profits are the last thing on her mind. 

As a savvy marketer (and thinking, feeling human being), your question should be, “How can I help?” People appreciate, trust and respond to people who help them. The answer to how you can help is simple: ease your customers’ pain. It’s tempting to focus only on the negatives of a down economy, but, like Grandma used to say, every cloud has a silver lining, and our nebulous economic condition is no exception. When your customer is feeling pain at the pump, the grocery store and the online bill pay screen, you can provide some relief. 

Easing a customer’s pain isn’t just about offering discounts, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Little touches, like added convenience or extra value, go a long way toward helping – and retaining – customers during a rough economy. Even if your customer can't make a purchase now, she'll be more likely to bring you business when the economy picks up and she's back on her feet. Here’s a list of ways to offer up a little help without breaking the bank: 

• Offer extended hours to accommodate busy schedules
• Create an after-hours, closed-doors VIP shopping session
• Partner with a neighboring restaurant for a “lunch & learn” seminar
• Add value with free delivery, installation or an extended warranty
• Turn your “informational” website into an e-commerce site – sell products online
• Diversify: provide ancillary services so clients don’t have to hire additional vendors
• Make sure your website is simple to navigate

These ideas are particularly useful in today’s economy, but they’re really timeless opportunities to retain and increase your customer base. Not only will they appeal current customers, they may draw new customers too. And it’ll make you feel good that you’re helping ease their pain. 

This really doesn't have to do with marketing, but I just read a really good book and feel the need to share it. You know, it's one of those books that keeps you engrossed and you're not quite sure how it's going to end. The fact that a small business owner even gets the time to read a good book is truly amazing. The book is called "The Shack" and it's written by William P. Young. It's about a man whose daughter is abducted and killed. He struggles with his own faith until he meets God - a large black woman. I think that's all I have to tell you! That description along should make you want to pick it up!