2-7-13 Creating gifts to build your business

A few months ago my photographer friend Sue Averett asked if Rich and I would like to participate in a photo exhibition she was creating called Emanations of Love.  We were pleased to be part of this and even more excited when we learned that she would give us the photo as a gift when the exhibit was done.  Sue did this for over 60 people. 

The results of her labor and craftsmanship are now on display at the Timbuktu Java Bar & Gallery in Freeland, and Part Two of the show will be displayed in March at The Queen’s Buns inside the Cash Store in Bayview.  Sue obviously invested an enormous amount of her time, as well as considerable money to produce this exhibit

Rich and I went to the opening on February 2^nd, and like the others who came, we were genuinely impressed with Sue’s artistry as well as the presentation of the photos on the wall of Timbuktu.  We not only heard people talking about Sue’s talent, we heard them talking about ways they wanted to hire Sue to do photographic projects.

Whether Sue will get a quick return on her investment is not known, but what is obvious is that many people have learned about who she is, what she does, and the excellence of her work.  And, it’s likely to be a major source of new business for her in the coming months.

For more information about the exhibit and Sue Averett’s Studio, read the Whidbey Island Life Examiner. http://www.examiner.com/article/the-emanations-of-love-project-makes-its-debut-at-timbuktu-freeland

 

1-31-13 What’s special or unique about your business?

It’s likely that whatever business you are in, there are others selling the same or similar products and services.  Even if you feel you are offering something very different from what others sell, the same question needs to be answered in order to successfully promote yourself: You have to be able to describe what is unique or special about your business .

What makes you unique may be the product itself, or it can be the kind of special attention you give to each of your customers.  It can be the way you stand behind what you’re selling. 

If you’re not sure how to describe these special qualities, ask your friends and current customers.  If people are satisfied with what you’re selling, they can also give you their reasons….and these can become part of your message to attract more customers.

1-24-13 Do you know where your customers live?

The most basic information needed when you run a store front business or a business out of your home is to know the community where your customers live.

The simplest method to learn this is to create a system where you get the zip code of every person who comes into your business or contacts you to make a purchase.  This can be done on a computer or by doing listings and hatch marks on a piece of paper near your register (OK, I know this doesn’t sound very high-tech, but it works).

You can keep track of these zip code tabulations by the month or season, or after your business has a new advertisement or special promotion.

Once you see the patterns, it can provide you with valuable information about where, geographically, to focus your advertising dollars.

1-17-13 A Focus group is a valuable and reliable marketing research tool

What do people think about the services or products they receive from a business?  Often, those running a business get most of their information from direct feedback from comments and phone calls and other anecdotal information.  These self-selected methods generally draw input from people who have strong feelings, usually negative.

My favorite, most effective and most reliable marketing research tool for learning attitudes toward, and responses to, a business or service is a focus group discussion. 

I have heard this term used in many ways that are not truly focus groups, so here are some guidelines for better understanding the methodology:

Basically, 10 to 12 people participate in a 90-minute discussion about a specific topic.  A professional moderator leads the conversation, following a prepared outline (“Discussion Guide”).  The ground rules: all opinions and responses are valid, and only one person speaks at a time.

Focus group participants should be representative of the total population from which they are drawn. 

A good moderator will attempt to encourage all participants to share and will discretely steer the discussion away from someone who begins to dominate.  The goal is to empower people to feel safe about contributing their own ideas.

The result of a good focus group discussion is a surprising wealth of information that can be utilized for gaining new ideas and fresh perspectives, making planning decisions and/or developing an effective survey questionnaire for a random sample survey. 

1-10-13 Having a productive meeting

How many meetings do you go to each month?  On Whidbey there are so many organizations, that most of us go to at least a couple of meetings a month; some of us go to lots more than that.  Meetings are very important for group members to learn what’s going on and to decide what needs to be accomplished before the next meeting.

I admit to being very frustrated when I am in a meeting that seems unfocused; where there is a lot of talking, but not much seems to be accomplished.

As a professional facilitator, here are some of the elements that I believe lead to a productive and satisfying meeting:

• Clear goals are established and stated for the meeting;
• Ground rules are established that encourage everyone to be courteous and respectful;
• A simple agenda is prepared and followed as closely as possible; some deviations may occur as long as these contribute to the goals of the meeting;
• The meeting is set for no more than an hour and a half;
• The leader of the meeting keeps everyone focused on the agenda and assures that no single voice dominates;
• Succinct notes are prepared for distribution after the meeting.

My overall goal is to have everyone leave a meeting smiling and feeling confident and comfortable that they were able to share their responses and hear what others had to say.