Archive for Growing your business
Cheap, Cheap, Cheap…
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Are you too cheap?
I read an excellent post this morning by Kathie Thomas about being a VA doesn’t mean ‘cheap’. Kathie makes some very good points, especially about charging enough so you can meet your cost of living.
There seems to be an attitude among business mums and WAHMs in Australia where they seem to be afraid to charge for their services. And, on the flip side, they seem to expect other businesses to put their prices lower simply because they are a business mum or WAHM.
Just because we work from home, doesn’t mean we have to do everything free or cheap. We are running a business to earn an income.
Melinda Brennan over at SuperWAHM created a WAHM Manifesto. This is free and well worth a read. Among other things, the Manifesto states that “Every WAHM has the right to earn a decent income”.
So, are you undercharging for your services? Are you too cheap?
If you’re not sure, try raising your prices slightly and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyChoosing a charity
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Choose the right charity for your business
If you’re anything like me, you are constantly asked to give money and donate products for charity fundraisers both for your business and in your family life. There often isn’t enough money in your bank account to give to everyone who is asking, and the same with products.
So, what do you do?
The best thing is to choose a charity or two that are important to you and give to those. Then, next time you’re asked to donate something you can tell them that you have your chosen charity and give to them (it’s amazing how effectively this works).
The next thing is to work out which charity to support. There are so many worthy causes out there it can be hard to know what to choose.
For a business, it can be a good idea to choose something that fits with what you are doing. For example, my chosen charity is Opportunity International because they help people start up small businesses, so it fits with what I’m aiming to do with my business.
I know of some business mums who use their family history as motivation for choosing a charity. For example I know of one business mum who supports Mummy’s Wish because a close friend of hers had cancer and received support from the. And another who supports Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids because her parents had foster kids when she was growing up. These charities don’t necessarily match their business, not in any obvious way anyway.
If your business does support a charity, it’s a good idea to have a page on your site explaining why you chose this charity to support. I have seen some businesses who make a big thing about supporting a charity, however if it’s not a charity I am not passionate in supporting and I can’t see an obvious reason why they are supporting this charity, then it won’t sway me to purchase from them. However if I can see a story behind why they support this charity, it is more likely to sway me.
Some time ago, I bought a gift online. Inside the package along with the item I purchased was a sheet thanking me for buying from them and explaining why they had chosen their charity and how my purchase helped support their cause. Unfortunately I can’t remember which business it was (it was quite a while ago), but their extra bit of information has stuck in my head.
Do you have a charity your business supports? Do you let your customers know about it? Please add a comment and share your story.
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Inspired by a post over at BusyMum 2010 on inspiration, this weeks Friday Five is some of the things I do when I need inspiration and I’m stuck!
- Take a break - if I can, sometimes taking a break from what I’m doing can help the inspiration come. It can be as quick as making a cuppa and coming back to the computer, or it may be taking the weekend off.
- Read some blogs - depending on what I need inspiration on, sometimes reading some blogs can help. Sites such as Blog Whammy and Business Mums Daily have great blogs to read.
- Music - listening to music can often help too. The sort of music I listen to depends on my mood and what I need inspiration for. Annette talks more about this on her blog.
- Watch TV - yes, sometimes watching TV can provide inspiration! Again, it depends on the sort of mood I’m in, what I need inspiration for and what is on TV at the time. For example, last week I did a post inspired by The Collectors, a show on ABC I don’t normally watch, it just happened to be on at the time. You can read the post here.
- Kids - as business mums, we have kids. There are times when things our kids say or do can provide inspiration, whether it’s for a blog post, new product or service, or even a business idea! Spend some quality time with your kids and pay attention, you never know when inspiration will strike. Just make sure you have a notebook with you to write down your ideas so you can continue having a great time with your kids.
These are just 5 things that help me, especially with blog posts, but also for other things. What things help you with inspiration, especially at times when you really need it?
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Watching The Collectors on the ABC1 the other day, they had a guest talking about collecting promotional buckles.
This got me thinking - can your promotional items form part of a collection?
The example they were showing on the show were belt buckles from machinery suppliers. Other examples they have shown include t-shirts, things that are a particular colour, and so many more. Have a look at their site and check out some of the past collections that have been featured.
Now, I’m not suggesting you set out to create promotional products that can be collectors items. However, this is something you may consider, especially with the quality of a product. For example, a cheap t-shirt is unlikely to be kept, however one that is good quality with an interesting design might be kept.
On this topic, I have some mugs from the company my Dad used to work for. They have cartoons on them as well as the business logo and I have been told of people who would collect those mugs just because they loved the different cartoons.
Another business I know of has a series of magnets and will send out a different one with each order. Customers have been known to collect the set (meaning they have to buy at least 6-10 times to get the set!).
While your items may not be a “collectible” you may be able to create a series of something your customers can collect.
Put your thinking cap on and see what creative ideas you can come up with. Don’t forget, however, to remember the point of your promotional products so they still fit in with your goals for marketing your business.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailySTOP! Being all things to all people
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Stop trying to be all things to all people
This post is as much a reminder to me as it is to you!
I have spent much of today reminding myself to stop being all things to all people. And I know I’m not the only one who falls for this.
If you’re anything like me, you read blogs and follow Facebook pages and read eBooks and any number of other things, and come up with great ideas for business that would be a great idea, especially if you see someone else doing something and thing “I could do that better/differently/as well as….” and then decide to implement it.
Well, it’s time to stop doing that and focus on one or two things, become really good at it, get it humming along and work well BEFORE EVEN THINKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
One thing to keep in mind is the saying “You can’t please all of the people all of the time”. You will have some customers go elsewhere because you are not offering what they want. This is one place where strategic alliances come in well. Instead of offering everything, identify gaps in your offerings and find someone else who does it and form a strategic alliance with them.
Another thing to keep in mind is this - if you try and do everything, you will find that nothing gets done well, and you will stress yourself out, and everyone around you. Basically no one wins. You may even find your business starts going backwards because of it.
So, now it’s time to stop trying to be all things to all people and focus on what we are good at. Are you with me?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums Daily“Free” Samples
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Are "free" samples getting you results?
Samples are great. They can help customers try before they buy, they can be used as fillers for goodie bags, they can great.
There is also a down side to samples. As a business owner, it usually costs money to purchase or create these samples, so when you get “sample hunters”, people who just want to get samples, they are not so free, or so useful.
I went to the Australian Business & IT Expo a couple of weeks ago and there were some high school students running around collecting pens and other samples off stalls. It seemed they were playing the game “He/she with the most free samples wins”.
I have also heard of a number of business mums being contacted by people who only want the free samples.
So, how do you get around this?
One idea is to pre-qualify sample hunters with a survey or similar. Also, let them know you will add them to your database and will follow up. If people are just in it for the samples, they may not fill in your survey.
Another idea is to charge for the samples. For example, you may charge $5 for the samples to cover postage and the sample. You may want to include a $5 voucher with the samples, meaning if the customer loves the samples and goes on to buy a full size product, the samples will be free as the voucher will cover the samples. If people are just in it for the sample, they won’t pay for them.
If you are at an expo or market and people just want your samples, put them a little further back, or only hand them out once people have either bought something or entered your prize draw. Again, this puts your sample to work for you and you are handing them out to people who are genuinely interested.
Samples also make a great gift with purchase - include a couple of samples with your orders so customers can try something else in your range. This works as a reward to your current customers as well as introducing them to new products.
If you are giving out samples in a goodie bag or similar, include a gift voucher or similar with the sample to encourage people to buy and so you can track any sales that may come from this marketing activity.
As with any other marketing you do, work out what you want out of it and put your samples to work for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyMarketing Monday - What’s the point?
Posted by: | CommentsThere are so many different marketing ideas and opportunities out there - from directories to networking to banner ads to letterbox drops to… the list goes on and on and on.
It is tempting to look at the opportunity and your bank account & jump on anything that comes along that can get you in front of your target market that you can afford. Much of the marketing material I see looks like this is what has happened - basically there is no thought to it.
Before taking up any opportunity, think about what you want to get out of it. Do you want subscribers on your newsletter list, traffic to your site, sales, people signing up to your next information session or do you simply want people to see your business name? Whatever the aim, make sure your marketing material supports this.
For example, you have the opportunity to put some items in a goodie bag that will be placed directly in the hands of your target market. As a first step, you want people to visit your website and subscribe to your newsletter. With whatever you include in the goodie bag, include an invitation for people to visit your website and have an amazing bonus for anyone who subscribes to your newsletter. It could be an eBook or audio or gift voucher or some other “no strings attached” gift.
Once you know what your goals are, you can then track how well your marketing material works for you. Make sure that whatever invitation you have in your marketing material backs up the goals you set.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyHost Beneficiary ideas for Baby Products
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Host Beneficiary ideas for baby products
Over on her blog, Brenda Thomson spoke about host beneficiary strategies. As she explains:
“A host beneficiary program is an alliance strategy where one business owner (the beneficiary) supplies another business owner (the host) with the offer of something of value to pass on to their clients.”
Over the years, I have either been involved in, at the receiving end of, or observed many host beneficiary programs. This post will share some of these with you, looking specifically at baby products.
1. New Baby Gifts - a while ago, we had many members having babies. A children’s clothing business contacted me about providing a baby dress or t-shirt for each newborn baby. We were then able to send each new parent a gift that included the details for the children’s clothing business.
2. Gift Vouchers - when a friend of mine was pregnant, she purchased some maternity wear (as you do). She shopped at a high end shop as she needed clothes for work. When she made her purchase at the checkout, she was given some gift vouchers to local baby stores to buy products for her new baby. She didn’t end up using all of them, however she did use a few.
3. Childcare Service - I heard recently about a hairdresser that was new in the area. Nearby there was a Maternal and Child Health Centre and an occasional care centre that welcomed babies. The hairdresser spoke to the health nurse to offer free hair cut to new mothers, especially ones who weren’t coping and needed some time out. She also spoke with the occasional care centre about a deal for these mothers to look after their babies while they got their hair cut. I haven’t heard how this went, yet, but I’m hoping it was a success.
4. Gift for Mum & Older Siblings - nappy cakes are a great baby gift, as are baby bouqets and any other sort of hamper. If you have items for Mum or for older siblings, you could contact some of these businesses and include a gift voucher for the parents and/or older siblings with the gift hampers.
These are just a few ideas. I’m sure you could come up with some more.
If you would like more strategic alliance ideas, or simply want to learn more about strategic alliances and how they can help you in your business, check out the Strategic Alliance Success Club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyMarketing Monday - Product Images
Posted by: | CommentsIf you have an online shop, it is obvious that you use images of your products to show customers what they are buying. Product images can be used in a number of other ways to promote your business. Some of these will be obvious and others you may not have thought of using before.
Good product images can be worth a lot - not only in terms of sales. They can also increase brand awareness and encourage people to visit your shop in the first place.
- Annette Piper Jewellery uses product images in her blog posts. Each post features one of her stunning pieces of jewellery and she relates the post to the image in some way.
- I regularly see marketing pieces by different online shops featuring photographs of their products taken in different ways.
- Use a product image as part of a Facebook welcome image or even the profile image. This will not only show off your products, it will give your business an interesting profile image.
- Use your images as promotional postcards.
- Have some stock images of your products you can use for the media if requsted.
These are just a few ideas how you can use product images. Have a play with different settings and layouts for your photos, and if you aren’t experienced, it pays to invest in having some great photos taken.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - Location
Posted by: | CommentsI look at many Facebook pages, websites and blogs, many of these have no indication of where they are located!
This week, I will give you five reasons to let people know where you are. I don’t necessarily mean to give an exact location, especially if you work from home and don’t want just anyone knowing where you live. In most cases a state and country is enough, or even something like “Melbourne, Victoria, Australia” if you want to narrow things down further.
- Buy local - there are many people who want to support a local business. This could be businesses in their direct local area or just in the same country as they are. If people have no idea where you are, they may move on to the next business.
- Postage - if you are an online store, postage may be cheaper if you are in the same country or state. Having a location on your Facebook page as well as your shop may help customers decide to buy from you as the postage costs won’t be as much as they would be if they were further away.
- Local information - one blog I read regularly has great business information and are located in the US. Because I know they are in the US, any information to do with tax or regulations I ignore because they don’t apply to us in Australia. The same with many recipe’s, metric and imperial measures are different. If you share information, it can help your readers to know where you are.
- Local Products - even with the Internet, there are some products that are only available in certain locations, or if you are the local distributor, it is helpful for people to know where you are. Another thing to consider is DVDs have different zones and something that is for zone 1 may not work in a DVD player in zone 6 (for example).
- Meet You - especially if you blog about markets or networking events, your readers and customers may want to meet you face to face. This is another place where it’s helpful to have a location. For example, if you say you will be at the local Farmer’s Market this Sunday, it is helpful to know where that market is. Also if you are travelling interstate to attend a certain event, let people know so customers know you aren’t in the same state all the time and to attend that event to meet you.
For me, the biggest thing about having a location is I love to support other Australian business mums, and I know there is a whole community of business mums out there who feel the same. At the very least, please put your country on your Facebook page, blog and website so we know where you are.
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