Posts filed under ‘small business’
Create BUZZ around your product
Creating buzz around your product or service. Quit simply, how to make it viral. Follow these steps, stick to them, and you could create a really BIG BUZZ!
Apple launches 1st Feminine Product: iPad
Finally Apple thinks of women! Today Apple launched the iPad, the 1st ever Apple feminine product. It’s slim, light, fresh, and new, just what women look for in a maxi pad. I appreciate Steve Jobs reaching out to the number one decision makers, the women. Thanx Apple!
And the tweets go on…
iPad: MadTv already knew about this product in 2007.
iPad: Maxi Pad – available in a mini maxi or heavy flow maxi
iPad: Comes with a maxi pad App
iPad: Good for the low flow days
iPad: My iPhone just became an iPad nano
iPad: iPad… Copyright infringement with MaxiPads?
iPad: Are you ready for apple branded man purses?
iPad: For your light iDays.
iPad: “iPad!” “Oh really, well, iTampon, but I guess it’s a personal choice.”
iPad: Wonder how many women were involved in #iPad naming process? Did none of them say ‘…erm’…
iPad: The itampon, it plugs a gap….
iPad: Apple is coming out with two versions of it’s new iPad – the WiFi Mini Pad and the AT&T 3G Maxi Pad
iPad: Ipad with vaginal firewall protection and 3g-spot finder…
iPad: You can do things with #iTampon that you just can’t do with #iPad – like biking, horseback riding and swimming.
iPad: to keep you “fresh” down there.
iPad: It’s taking off because it has wings.
iPad: with mood lighting to suit your temper.
iPad: I can’t make fun of the iPad anymore. Someone call me when the iTampon leaks.
iPad: ipad…so, exactly how well does it stand up to leaks??
iPad: I Wonder if Kimberly Clark is the subcontractor to build #IPad ?
iPad: iTampon…no strings attached
iPad: Waiting for them to announce the iGoldChain so I can wear my #iPad around my neck
iPad: Just in case Apple runs out of uses for “iSomething’ They can refer to this
iPad: “‘I’m going to need a friggin’ iPack to carry all this iCrap I own
iPad: The entry-level #iPad comes with only 16GB of memory? I can fart 16GB of memory.
Lost Ring is found again
One week ago today, I was washing my hands and accidentally dropped my ring down the drain. I don’t know how these things happen, but they just do. I freaked out (naturally). This is the ring my mom bought me for Christmas 2009. It is an old sterling silver spoon that has been shaped into a ring, with the letter “R” engraved onto it. It was a perfect fit. So, I tried numerous attempts with a clothes hanger, to no avail.
Today we brought in a heavy duty shop vac to suck the thing out. And guess what? IT WORKED! You can sense my excitement in this video:
Worst ad of 2009 [Via BNET]
BNET News thinks that this is the worst ad of 2009. They describe it is tasteless and irrelevant. I agree.
Breaking News: Snow in Toronto
This is so fitting. [Scooped it from InSeansOpinion blog] Growing up in North Bay and living in Toronto, this video is so true.
My comments regarding Neil Patel’s post Harsh Realities of Starting a Business:
Neil Patel suggests these top 7 harsh realities in starting a business. I agree with some, but there are more important harsh realities that, although small, can eat you up inside and make you fear that the there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
His ‘Harsh Realities’:
1. Starting a business is like a roller coaster. He says there isn’t a ton of glamour in creating a company; instead it’s like a roller coaster. You’d have to be a complete moron to think that starting out on your own is ‘glamorous’. This is a HUGE harsh reality, and fact. There is no guaranteed level of comfort in the 1st year of business. Instead there is hope, but not too far from that there also lies failure.
2. Owning a business isn’t easier than working at a 9 to 5 job. He says that this is what most entrepreneurs believe, but it is very inaccurate. He explains that instead of having one boss you have many and that when you work at a 9 to 5 job all you have to do is work from 9 to 5. Hmm, well I know many entrepreneurs that choose their own clients, hence don’t have ‘bosses’ because they work with/for people they WANT to work with, and also hold regular work hours.
3. Consumers have to believe you are solving a problem. He says it doesn’t matter if you think you are solving a problem, all that matters is that your target customer thinks you are solving a problem. Is this not lying then if you really aren’t solving a problem? Not only do you have to make life easier for your customers (hence the solving a problem) you actually HAVE TO SOLVE their problem(s). If your marketing cries out a solution, then you must follow through with it. Or else it will come back to bite you in the a**!
4. You have to make money. OK, ummm ….duh! Unless of course starting a ‘business’ to you means donating your time/money/resources, then making money isn’t important.
5. You have to give a lot to get a little. He says in today’s world you have to give a lot. Whether it is free information or samples of your product, you have to do something to build trust from your customers. If they don’t trust you, they won’t spend money with you. I agree with this, but at the same time, this is not new (I.e. …in today’s world). Building trust and creating long lasting relationships is inevitable in business. Your most loyal customers are the ones that trust you the most. David Maister speaks wonders on the issue of trustworthiness.
6. Coolness is inversely correlated to success. Here he compares Exxon Mobil to Facebook and Twitter in terms of coolness. These are two completely different industries. You don’t have to be ‘cool’ to supply one of the most important resources, oil. All you have to do is extract it and sell it. When you are talking online terms, coolness IS important. Answer me this; which brands are considered ‘cool’: Amazon, Twitter, Facebook Zappos, Piperlime? Answer: all of them. Now, answer me this, which brands are considered necessary: Exxon Mobil, Toronto Hydro, Twitter. The 1st two. Twitter we can live without, but it is still cool.
7. Time is worth more than money. He says if you take your time and release your company when you think it’s perfect, you’ll be in for a big surprise. You will never be able to please everyone and you will always run into things that you never thought about. I can go on and on here, but really this all depends on your industry. Whether or not you’re selling a product or service, you MUST test it, research it, and understand it, before you make the launch. You don’t want to bring a dysfunctional product to the mass market. It will instantly tarnish your brand. Find a happy/safe medium between public launch, beta testing, and behind-closed-door testing.
My biggest and most obvious conclusion is that, yes entrepreneurship can be difficult, and it is not glamorous, but more specifically if you are going into business for yourself doing something you love to do, then it is NOT WORK. It is your passion. David Foster said to the Editor of Success magazine, “If you aren’t working on Saturday or Sunday, then you don’t like what you do”. In David Foster’s eyes, Neil Patel doesn’t like his job.
Twitter lists
Still trying to wrap my head around the possibilities of using Twitter lists, but it seems to be good for business. I find personal enjoyment in finding my names on lists like people-who-can-beat-me-up and eatmorecake. Unrelated, but none the less hilarious. For business sake Twitter lists allow you to group together, follow, and find Twitter users. It`s that simple. If there are very specific people you want to follow, create a list and follow them, or invite others to follow them with you. Here are some ideas of what lists you can create:
1. Nich marketing lists
2. Professional lists
3. Competition lists
4. Expert lists
5. Event attendees lists
6. Promote your affiliation lists
7. Sports team lists
8. Favourite people lists
..and the lists go on. (ha! No Pun intended)
Mashable has a great article on How to Use twitter lists.
Why Small Businesses Fail?
I asked this question this morning on Twitter and the replies were fantastic. Here they are:
1. @TanyaGeisler: I think Gerber (E-myth) explains it best…most business owners are working IN their business not ON their business.
2. @jeffparks: Doing the work to understand if the community values their ideas / products / services as much as they do.
3. @Cg6Inc: You need to fail to succeed
4. @skanwar: They take their core competency for granted.
5. @nav_een: They don’t have a solid business plan/model (but that applies to any business type)
6. @davegray: Lack of customers
7. @markeelliott: The biggest reason start-ups fail is lack of revenue from poor sales planning and execution.
8. @ethnicomm: They don’t have any idea on how to take it from an idea to something that generates cash flow.
9. @AlexIkonn: Lack of support and not feeling connected to a community.
10. @AKthe5th: of knowledge in the sales process. just because you do something well, doesnt mean you know how to sell that to clients!
11. @TraderZed: Super Mario Bros. fail? Because they don’t give the Princess any attention, therefore, she’s constantly snatched by Bowser.
12. @tukutela: too high expectations from the founders
13.@THE_REFINERY: Owners go into business thinking things will be different for them, and realize how much work it really is. Also, entrepreneurs need to have a lot of faith in themselves when others are skeptical – takes a lot of confidence.
14. @todd_herman: poor positioning in the marketplace and marketing
15. @jamiekalynuik: people focus more on creativity than strategy.
Here are some other great articles about why Small Businesses fail:
– According to the Small Business Administration, two-thirds of new businesses survive for at least two years, and only 44 percent survive at least four years
– Get a Mentor to help You Build a Successful Small Business
Overnight Sensation: Not with Social Media
Social media can make you a star. You can get millions of views on YouTube, hundreds of fans on Facebook, or thousands of followers on Twitter. But it will not likely happen over night. Just like you need to go to the gym every day to get fit, you also need to invest time and research into developing your social media marketing campaign(s).
To better understand what you want out of using any social media platform, you need to develop a strategic plan first. Creating and implementing a strategic plan will help you focus on specific goals and tasks to get you ahead.
The pitfalls in using social media:
1. The BIG one to understand is that Social Media (SM) takes time! Research shows that it can take over 1 year before smb’s even gain traction. It is much like traditional forms of marketing. Repetition is key.
2. DAILY maintenance is required. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn all require daily babysitting. You must feed and nurture all your relationships in order to get anywhere.
3. Social Media will not make you success over night. Much like point #1, you need to invest time into prospecting people (LinkedIn), creating discussions and events (Facebook and Meetup) and generating buzz (Twitter).
Now, to think that was a mouthful, but it shouldn’t discourage you. Social Media/Social media marketing is also very good for promoting your small business. But you need to take some time to really hone in on your needs and start to work backwards to get started. Do this by digging deep into your needs for Social media. Is it to increase membership by 10% this quarter, is it to sell 20% more of your product or service, or is it to be understood as an expert in your field. Decide what it is EXACTLY that you are trying to achieve and work backwards from there.
Renée Warren's Blog 