WV SBA Business of the Year Are Also in Quad State Region

Jill Sommers, QSBJ Business Writer

A business media writer could take several angles to this story as it provides for a lot of background material that could be used. There can be some wonderful backgrounders taken as you will see. There were five categories for West Virginia's Business of the Year awards.

WV Small Business Person of the Year

This award went out to Kenneth Allman, president of PracticeLink.com and MountainPlex Properties of Hinton, WV. Mr. Allman was nominated by the former Mayor of Hinton, Cloe Mathews. What PracticeLink.com does is connect more lthan 5,000 WV hospitals, medical practices and healthcare groups together. I will put the SBA website link at the end of this article.

Small Business Exporter of the Year

It is interesting that they had exporter as a category. If anyone knows if this is the same name as an award for last year, let me know. The Exporter of the Year is Chad Remp of the Wheeling Truck Center, Inc. in Wheeling, WV. The Truck Center is the oldest continuously operating White/Volvo truck deal in America and exports to 93 countries. Chad is a fourth-generation owner of the family business that started in 1933.

Family-Owned Business of the Year

This business has a heart-warming story in itself. We have not yet gotten to the Quad State region's winners yet, but this business just celebrated its 100^th anniversary from starting out delivering meat from door to door. The winner is Christopher Wendling of A.F. Wendling, Inc. of Buckhannon, nominated by Stephen Foster of the Upshur County Development Authority. The business serves 53 counties in WV and also serves selected areas in PA, MD and Ohio.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

This honor goes to Bridget Rowsy of Bridget's Dance Academy of Huntington, WV and was nominated by Amber Wilson, SBDC director at the Huntington office. That is the rest of West Virginia. Now let's bring it into our region.

Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year

Now we reach the Quad State region! This honor goes to Jeannette King. And I will allow their copy to describe the business. The winner in this category is Navy veteran Jeannette King of Strategic Resolution Experts, Inc. in Martinsburg. Ms. King was nominated by Christina Lundberg of the SBDC in Berkeley County. King, Navy Veteran, founded Strategic Resolution Experts, Inc. in 2007 to provide strategic management and IT consulting services to the federal civilian and defense agencies.

She has built a management team of certified professionals and continues to show her support for veterans oversees and in the U.S. SRE is the largest corporate sponsor for Final Salute, Inc. King also serves on the board of this organization which provides safe and suitable housing for homeless female veterans and their children.

Women In Business Champion of the Year

This award went to Quad State business owner Pam Neely of State Farm in Martinsburg. Ms. Neely was nominated by Tina Combs of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber and is the second nominee winner selected by Christina Lundberg of the SBDC in the area. I suppose one could say that if you are looking for your business to be nominated, you might do your business good if you could have the Panhandle's SBDC nominate you! Neely is the owner of a local State Farm office and has been active in the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce as Chair of the Women’s Network.

In 2013, Neely coordinated the Chamber’s third annual Women’s Network Book Club. Neely led a networking session that included a variety of techniques she learned in her corporate work. The Chamber’s Women’s Network under Pam’s leadership provided professional development to 138 women in the workshops and 71 women in the conference.

Two WV Banks Also Came Out on Top This Year

It is interesting that the WV SBA had two awards to give: the Community Bank of the Year award, won by Community Trust Bank; and the Lender of the Year award won by Huntington National Bank.

We salute our Panhandle winners and look forward to hearing from other areas in our Quad State region.   ###

Is Crowdfunding For Quad State Businesses and Nonprofits?

Taking On or Joining With The Crowdfunding Movement

At first I thought this was akin to Angel Investing only for nonprofits. But crowdfunding is for everyone--really. The Quad State Business Journal had an article in 2013 about a Washington,DC restaurant who was in the thick of raising money for local nonprofits--and selling hamburgers at the same time.

Crowdfunding websites offer average people to give money (not invest) to average folks for just about anything your head can imagine--from the proverbial ridiculous to the sublime. There have been small companies looking to raise cash for a new product to a nonprofit looking for a new animal shelter to a guy asking others to fund his vacation (yes, he was successful).

We are only taking on the crowdfunding for nonprofits idea briefly for now.

I have not followed up on the restaurant, but it seems crowdfunding is getting more mainstream every day.  I do wish I had the crowdfunding sites around when I had my nonprofit on elder financial abuse. But alas, the financial legislation had not been set in play at that time.

We are talking about a lot of crowdfunding sites to take advantage of, too. I have listed a few of them at the end of the article but it would be easier to research on your own as to quantity. There are very generous people out there who want to see a small company or idea take root.

Why So Many  Crowdfunding Websites? Piece of the Action, Baby!

This is an entrepreneurial venture and there are entrepreneurs behind each site idea. As of the end of 2012 there were right at 450 crowd platforms usually manifested as websites. The idea of the crowdfunding website is that you package your idea, your product or service story or whatever into an outline meeting the terms of the website.

There are literally tens of millions of dollars being raised through crowdfunding sources. Word is that just with Kickstarter, it alone has been responsible for over $1 billion raised since its inception.

The websites usually allow the person to flesh out their idea and put it on the site free of charge. A 'fully funded' goal is set on your project and your end result will be in two directions: fully funded or not fully funded. The site owner then takes, say 9 percent or some such figure--give or take--from the funds that you have raised for their services.

Depending on the kind of reward that the backers agree to receive upon giving money, one can distinguish between at least three types of Crowdfunding. -1- Donation-based Crowdfunding, in which the backers essentially donate money to support a cause. Sometimes he/she may receive in exchange a "thank you", a special mention, or even a gadget, but in any case the pledge is essentially a gratuity. -2- Reward-based Crowdfunding, in which the backer receives a reward with a clear monetary value in exchange of the pledge. The reward is often a product or a pre-series item that the backer helped producing by pledging money. In this case the money pledged is similar to paying for a pre-order of a product or service. -3- Credit-based Crowdfunding (more commonly called Peer-to-peer lending or "Crowd-lending"), in which the backer lends the money and receives an interest rate in exchange. In this case the money is pledged in the form of a credit loan. -4- Equity-based Crowdfunding, in which the backer receives shares of a company in exchange of the money pledged. In this case the money is pledged in the form of risk capital.

The 'Crowd' In Crowdfunding Can Be Any Type of Group .

The inputs of the individuals in the crowd trigger the crowdfunding process and influence the ultimate value of the offerings or outcomes of the process. Each individual acts as an agent of the offering, selecting and promoting the projects in which they believe. They will sometimes play a donor role oriented towards providing help on social projects. In some cases they will become shareholders and contribute to the development and growth of the offering. Each individual disseminates information about projects they support in their online communities, generating further support (promoters).

Intellectual Property Exposure--Inventor Beware!

One of the challenges of posting new ideas on crowdfunding sites is there may be little or no intellectual property protection provided by the sites themselves. Once an idea is posted, it can be copied. As Slava Rubin, founder of IndieGoGo said: “We get asked that all the time, ‘How do you protect me from someone stealing my idea?’ We’re not liable for any of that stuff.” Inventor advocates, such as Simon Brown, founder of the UK-based United Innovation Association, counsel that ideas can be protected on crowdfunding sites through early filing of patent applications, use of copyright and trademark protection as well as a new form of idea protection supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization called Creative Barcode.

Where Does Crowdfunding Go From Here?

Crowdfunding exists in just about any democratic country--yes, even Great Britain. Each country puts their own rules and regs on crowdfunding but, again, does not limited citizen participation for the most part.

If you have done crowdfunding for your organization (nonprofit) or company--or even a dream vacation--let us know! We are looking forward to seeing the potential in our Quad State region grow and flourish.

If you would like to create a crowdfunding campaign with one of the sites below, you are invited to make it public record through the Quad State Business Journal--as much info as you want anyway. We would like to see if we can launch or have started five crowdfunding groups in our four-state area to build commerce. If this gives you an idea, shoot me an e-mail!

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Sample crowdfunding resources:

www.Indiegogo.com; www.Equitynet.com; www.Gofundme.com; www.Kickstarter.com 

Marketing to Customers: What's Working Now in E-Mail Subject Lines; The Top 10

The Job Of E-Mail Subject Lines is To, Well, Get Your Message Read, Isn't It?

Is This Your Current Top 10, Too? (With a nod to Dave Letterman's Retirement)
By Steve Lanning

Having spent the better part of my working life with direct mail, I've got to confess that I'm still working to get the hang of digital marketing. People have told me, hey, you did OK in direct mail marketing, this is the same thing only electronic.

I suppose it is, but...

Like many in the Quad State business arena, I am glad I have access to some great marketing people when I need to tap into the thinking of others. And we all should have an 'iron sharpens iron' attitude, yes?

We have compiled a list of subject lines that you may have seen in your In Box recently. See how many of these you can use in your business. Remember, everyone's business audience values things a little differently--even a competitor's audience may.

1.  BREAKING NEWS

This is really an attention grabber when you have a special occasion, a special sale a once-only event that you need to get noticed. All of the subject lines listed here have enjoyed right around a 7% to 10% open rate from an in-house list. They are listed in the way they should look in your customer's Inbox. For instance, 'breaking news' should be written in bold, all caps. The promise is that the reader will indeed find something new if they open it up.

2. Facebook Traffic Is Dead...

This was for an information product that was sold in a variety of ways with an autoresponder series. (Note: all these lines are to be used in an autoresponder series of some type.) The ellipsis after the headline invites the reader to ask why--especially if they are or are planning a Facebook campaign. This is different than the native ads that show up in the darnedest of places once you have shown an intereTst. This is looking for a direct sell from a website. Not to create leads.

3.  Everybody's Waiting For You...

This really works on me--on a webinar that I signed up for but it conflicts with what I'm currently doing. This subject line really puts the reader who never likes to inconvenience anyone on a great guilt trip. "You signed up for this and now you are keeping your fellow attendees waiting until you show up? How rude."  Yeah, right. You KNOW you are not keeping everyone waiting but , gee whiz, I don't want people to think ill of me. Ha! This would probably work even better in a Google Circle event where the audience is only around a dozen or less.

4. Kindle Bestseller in 4 Days?

This appeals to the writer in all of us. We know Amazon's Kindle to be 'the' publishing powerhouse so this will get us to look at information product type offers. The type of subject line works best for an information product. Many Quad State business owners could develop one, two or several additional revenue streams by developing and selling a 'teaching' type of information product.

5.  How Are You Making These Mistakes in Your Business?

Developing a pitch for a professional service aimed at small business owners is a tough nut to crack as most business owners have been around the proverbial block a few times themselves. I have used this line as a heading in a direct mail letter with go a od success in years past. Naturally, the thrust of this subject line is to get the reader thinking "Yes, I may be under selling my business potential. I'd better click on this to see what this person is saying..."

6.  Facebook Closing Down?

Now you KNOW Facebook isn't closing down, but inwardly you are thinking that maybe something happened to Facebook and you have to see what it is. It kind of hits the same nerve as BREAKING NEWS above. This got a huge 8% open rate for a lead generation product. Having subject lines boarding on the preposterous is a two-edged sword however.  The same 'blade' that can cut through an audience's attention span can also backfire and cut the response with the other side. The tie-in copy must flow from the opening line. NEVER 'fool' an audience. The 'just kidding' type e-mail subject lines get you into more trouble than they are ever worth.

7.  Need My Help?

This is mostly for the singleton marketing their services. It is a solid qualifier for many types of services: legal, accounting, consulting and so forth. The body of the e-mail usually contains a testimonial or two o f happy customers along with how a problem was sold. The big connection between problems and services should not go unnoticed. "Have you ever known someone with a wet basement with that damp, dark musky smell? Well, we fix basements like new so that you can invite friends over with confidence. Recently..." And then the copy goes on to tell a success story.

8.  Will This Kill Your Business In 2014?

This is taking a news event or some development in your industry and explaining the problem, the solution and how your product or service will help the reader's business do great things in 2014 rather than close. This is a good subject line because the reader's curiosity gets the best of them and they click to open.  Good for products, services, webinars, seminars or one-to-one meetings, people have a great fear (as in Maslow's Fear, Need, Greed hierarchy) to 'watch over their business with all diligence' to commandeer a biblical quote. 

9.  Questions Answered About Our....

Fill in the word after 'our.' This is for your in-house list that you have been cultivating over time.  You have just come up with a new product or service--or there is a seasonal offer. These are people who have followed your  business perhaps for years. The body copy would consist of something like, "Spring is here with a vengeance and you are itching to get out into the yard. If you had questions about our landscaping course here at Sam's Nursery and Garden Center, Dave Thomas, the terrific instructor we had last year is available to take your lawn and garden questions right now. Give Dave a call at..." This is not a prospecting headline but is most effectively used as a continuing customer gambit. Of course it can work with prospects, too.

10. This Single 'Weird Trick' Is What Is Helping (target audience) to (problem solved)

You have seen this in so many variations over the last few weeks and months. The phrase 'weird trick' is what many different kinds of businesses have found useful in getting attention in their subject lines.  Inquiring minds always want to know a weird trick!

 

An Amazing Array of Outsourcing Pros are Ready to Help You--at up to 90% Discounted Rates!

Whether it is creating a new logo for a new division or you want to freshen your own one, get some great advice from a long-in-the-tooth business coach, develop new marketing strategies and have them implemented for you--we have a great resource for you.

The Business Solution Network (www.TheBusinessSolutionNetwork.com) has a plethora of pros with guaranteed services--direct marketing included--are yours on the site.

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Further research on Quad State outsourcing: www.TheBusinessSolutionNetwork.com 

 

First published: www.QuadStateBusinessJournal.com

Quad State Small Business Groups Being Led by Jefferson County Initiative

February 25, 2014 By Steve Lanning 

JCDA Hires Jefferson County’s First Business/Entrepreneur Coach

Publisher’s Statement: Although the Quad State Business Journal is finally having other writers than the publisher, this subject is personal. I have been wanting to see a development like this in our Quad State region ever since the QSBJ was published in a newspaper version under my friend Peter Heerwagen’s guidance–over 20 years ago.

While the Quad State region boasts some of the finest county development authority leaders for individual counties, we are indeed blessed to see some of the concepts and initiatives of Jefferson County’s John Reisenweber make it through the default bureaucratic web into fruition.

The following is unedited. As the co-founder of the organization that popularized the term business coaching through the National Association of Business Coaches (quick backgrounder here: http://www.wabccoaches.com/about/history.htm), I and thousands of others have been witness to what sound business coaching can accomplish in a huge ROI for organizations and entrepreneurial start ups alike.

While good business coaches do not have to come with the background of Jefferson’s business coach Tom Halverstadt, it sure does not hurt! The requisite background begins with a passion to want to see businesses succeed in their marketplace and the business coach being able and willing to share their own business battle scars.

Having trained business coaches myself who had backgrounds of small business owners to medical, legal and financial professionals, having the passion and foresight to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with owners and ‘see’ opportunity for businesses where their owners could not is huge.  The good news is that that skill can be trained into a willing heart.

We do know that this terrific Jefferson County business coaching initiative has been attempted by other US counties and for one reason or another, did not make it past the necessary hurdles to be felt in the respective marketplaces. 

We urge Quad State leaders to study what Mr. Reisenweber has accomplished for the three West Virginia counties with an eye to seeing a business coaching initiative take root in their own jurisdiction. May we support this initiative in any way we can and help it spread throughout our region. -Steve Lanning.

(Jefferson County, W. Va.)–The Jefferson County Development Authority (JCDA), through a partnership with the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WVSBDC), has hired Tom Halverstadt as the county’s first business/entrepreneur coach. 

Funded entirely by the WVSBDC with financial support from local business community partners, this new position will serve Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan Counties, with no cost to local taxpayers.

Promoting job creation and business viability and expansion, Halverstadt will work with entrepreneurs and small business owners, providing in-depth, one-on-one business consultative services, at no cost, to recently formed companies and established small businesses seeking to expand, diversify, or attract new capital investment.

“The WVSBDC partners with key economic development organizations with an entrepreneurship focus across the state to establish and staff an effective business coaching network throughout West Virginia,” said Kristina Oliver, state director of the WVSBDC. “We seek to partner with organizations that have common goals and missions around growing the economy in their area through small business and entrepreneurial success.  We are very excited to welcome Tom Halverstadt to our network.  He understands and has a passion for this work, and will be a valuable asset to both the WVSBDC and the Jefferson County EDA.”

Halverstadt is an accomplished business leader, having held executive positions as CEO, COO and CFO. He was a CPA for ten years with Deloitte, a Big Four public accounting and professional service firm, working primarily with manufacturing, retail, nonprofit and county governments. Most recently he has provided business advisory services to small and midrange size companies throughout the Eastern Panhandle. He attended the University of Maryland and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

“Tom has an in-depth understanding of business strategy, financial planning and operations management, all of which are key elements in business growth and expansion,” said John Reisenweber, executive director of the JCDA. “We are confident that his expertise and experience will translate into a significant positive economic impact on the region. We are grateful to the SBDC for recognizing the thriving business community in Jefferson County and for its commitment to serving its needs.”

The WVSBDC is a division of the West Virginia Development Office and promotes economic development through a program of practical, interrelated services, providing assistance to existing small businesses and the emerging entrepreneur. The organization is funded by the State of West Virginia, the United States Small Business Administration, and West Virginia community colleges and Workforce Investment Board partners.

Halverstadt will be the featured speaker at the April 3rd Eastern Panhandle Entrepreneurs Forum, held at the Inn at Charles Town, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Members of the community are invited to attend this free event and learn more about the business coaching process.

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Resources linked: http://www.wabccoaches.com/about/history.htm

Construction Industry Goal: Hire 100,000 Vets by 2019!

 

In an announcement that may be old-hat to pros in the construction industry, the National Symposium on Veterans Employment in Construction (say that three times quickly) announced the Department of Labor initiative.

The DOL and Joining Forces (a political group) announced that it was joining forces with more than 100 construction industry companies for the 100,000 five year new-hires goal. An additional 80 other firms have also pledged to help veterans into construction jobs with their existing training and employment programs.  

The February 10, 2014 symposium held in Washington, DC and was designed to bring awareness to a skilled labor shortage. The DC venue included Joining Forces, a political initiative headed by the wives of President Obama and Vice President Biden.

For Quad State and U.S. Veterans in general including active-duty personnel this initiative will provide men and women transitioning to civilian life more opportunities to join a growing industry with a diverse range of careers in good-paying jobs with many pathways for career advancement.

The Washington, D.C. Symposium included a series of roundtable discussions that focused on the details of ideas and concepts of how the initiative’s goal to hire over 100,000 veterans can be actually accomplished.

 

Topics discussed included how veterans can get credentials and licensed for specialty trade work, identifying training programs and included apprenticeships that veterans can apply their G.I. Bills toward and how construction companies and veterans can connect and discuss job opportunities.

Two current programs, Helmets to Hardhats and the American Job Centers were also mentioned. The construction industry has a hurdle in getting to the 100,000 new hires first in the developing and advertising the availability of the new jobs.

 

Newspapers will like this opportunity for increased revenue, of course, but also other media that reaches potential veteran markets such as radio. They must develop sound strategy to not just make the positions attractive, but to make construction careers attractive as well.

There will be other industries vying for the qualities of returning vets as they translate to business so making construction careers from architects to engineers and estimators to site management and others towards that 2019 goal. One of questions that needs to be asked and answered by construction marketing personnel is “What makes the construction industry more viable than other fields.”

Another obstacles the US construction industry faces is developing best practices in identifying the skills and experience gained through military service matching them up with careers in construction. Now, with over 180 companies and organizations committed to training and hiring veterans for construction industry jobs should make this a fairly easy task...maybe.

As of this date the Quad State Business Journal attempted to gain a complete list of participating companies but we were told that it is not yet available. We will bring the list to you as it is release—if indeed a list will be released. The Journal finds this strange as the Symposium must have already counted at least 180 of the companies.

 

The companies and organizations mentioned in the announcement include Jacobs Engineering, Bechtel Corporation, Cianbro Construction, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Home Builders Institute (HBI) which is the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

QSBJ applauds the commitment to hire 'over 100,000' veterans. The actual work-out of the goal is yet to be realized, but we welcome any QSBJ reader adds to this story—especially if you are in the construction industry or are tied to the Helments to Hardhats or other related programs. 

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First published in Quad State Business Journal: www.QuadStateBusinessJournal.com

Business Resources: www.TheBusinessSolutionNetwork.com

New Franchise Owner Finds Customer Acquisition Success in Mobile

Quad State Business Marketing Insider: New Franchise Owner Finds Customer Acquisition Success In Mobile

Actual Case Studies from Real Businesses

--From the QSBJ What's Working Now for Local Strategies

A new franchise owner connected with a consultant to see what could be done to grow their business beyond what the franchisor gave.

It was a new concept, especially in the Quad State region, and the new owner was following things 'by the book' as recommended by the franchisor when they wanted to think outside the proverbial box without breaking their agreement.

The Old Standby of Coupons Was Raised for the Food Franchisee

The new franchisee would be the first one to confess that they new virtually nothing about creating, growing and maintaining a constant contact with their customer base as they were a first-time business owner.

The consultant was amazed that a fairly new and up and coming food franchisor would think that new buyers of the franchise, especially if they have never owned a business could, by seeming osmosis, develop that information without guidelines.

The new owner was on a fairly tight budget and told the consultant so.

The consultant came with a background in direct marketing as well as advertising and website marketing as well. It was only after a period of analyzing the new franchisee's market that coupons came up as a very real gambit. The franchisor also mentioned coupons, but it was via expensive to hook up with the national coupon brand that the franchisor recommended.

Coupons, Yes, But With a Few Partners to Cost-Share

The consultant recommended that they develop a strategic alliance with other non-competitive food marketers in their end of town. The initial offering had three coupons on an oversize postcard rather than an envelope.

The new strategic 'partners' in the mailing, all approved by the new owner, were excited to combine their advertising dollars. It did remind some to check with their own suppliers to see if they had some co-op ad dollars they could spend.

The project was delayed somewhat due to one of the new postcard partners not wanting to give as deep of a discount as the other two participants. The consultant for the new franchisee insisted on the coupon discount from the other participants being fairly deep so as to attract the greatest amount of response from people.

While the consultant showed the reluctant participant how to capture their customers so that upsells to higher margin food treats could be made, the third participant was finally ready to go. They used a recommended method by a Quad State participating consultant in the Business Solution Network (www.TheBusinessSolutionNetwork.com).

Added to the 'Anchor' Advertiser: Mobile Text Marketing

The franchisee took a great trend in retail couponing to add text marketing to the mix. This texting idea was very exciting for the new business owner and he wanted to do it every week 'in order to keep the new customers excited about his offers.'

The actual campaign was more manageable with an every other week push text as to the franchisee's back-office responsibilities in getting offers and employees ready for each new message.

Table tents inside the business and a 'club' concept evolved with employees getting extra 'points' (dollars, prizes) each time they signed up a new customer for the push texts. The every other week text push was much better on the customers' attitudes also.

Quad State businesses will want to be careful to not be too swayed by other businesses using push text messaging as some business owners report that push text is losing its 'newness' and novelty among customers in some markets.

The Bottom Line Was Benefited By a Joint Effort

In any integrated campaign, owners must first look at both their product, market and staff as coupon campaigns that include other media works best by shared involvment.

The result was that not only that the employees gave out printed flyers to those picking up to-go orders as well as eat-in customers. Employees were also incentivized to take extra flyers home with them to spread out in their own neighborhoods.

With as much work that went into the campaigns it may have benefited the new owners to spend the time to build an app for their business. Yet many business owners and even many marketing consultants are not aware what an app can accomplish for both businesses and clients.

Much of the Graphics for the Promotion Gained Free or at Greatly Reduced Costs

The owner had use of a resource very similar to the Quad State's new Business Solution Network. More money could have been saved if the owner and the consultant could have utilized the resources in the Business Solution Network (URL at end of article).

Many times the graphics a national franchisor sends a new franchisee will have to be either greatly edited or ordered anew to fit local situations. That is why a resource such as the Business Solution Network will eventually be worth its weight in gold as local businesses get to know local business suppliers.

Gross Receipts Were Increased 'At Least' 4 Percent Over the Last Promotion

Whether or not a business uses the USPS' EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) program or develops their own mailing list, attention to the aggressiveness of each subsequent offer must be given. Careful records must be kept in addition.

In the first promotion, results were reported as 'too high to be reasonable' by the owner. Yet each promotion produced an ROI way over individual costs. In this case the average gross receipts were measured. As each subsequent promotion dropped in its 'newness' to the customer base, no promotion measured less than 4 percent.

Whether or not one works with a consultant, the bottom line to marketing in virtually all cases is: What gets measured gets improved.

There is a verse in Proverbs that states “There is safety in many counselors...” That goes double for Quad State businesses. While some businesses can afford it and love to have their different advisors get together to advise them, the Quad State region offers many no-cost options such as SBDC and SCORE offices as well as non-competitive friends in business.

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Courtesy: Quad State Business Journal: www.QuadStateBusinessJournal.com

Resource mentioned, The Business Solution Network: www.TheBusinessSolutionNetwork.com

What's Working Now In Selling and Marketing Strategies For Local Quad State Businesses

Business Talk Column

First of an Eyes-Only Series

[The Quad State Business Journal in cooperation with several regional marketing pros, is putting a series of tested and proven strategies in which small businesses—of many stripes—are acquiring customers in 2014. If you have a story to tell, favorite person you are working with, or a marketing problem we could put before our panel of experts, please send it in! Send it to the author of the article or QSBJ's publisher, Steve Lanning at Steve@QSBJ.org. We will get your question answered.]

By Jill Sommers

It never fails. Some marketing consultant puts a bug in your ear about using this or that strategy to build your specific business's customer acquisition (CA) pipeline and it all sounds so good.

If they are a marketing consultant with an Internet marketing flare, they will recommend all sorts of great SEO and keyword strategies, maybe an adwords campaign, re-targeting campaign and more. It sounds, in fact, very logical. You've got to build your customer list.

Then you are attending an industry conference. In the marketing breakout session you hear how the 'only' way you can truly build your list is via Facebook Fan Pages. It all sounds very logical. After all, isn't Facebook 'the' big 800-pound gorilla in the marketing room?

Then one day at lunch with a few of your business owner peers, one of them tells you of the 'fantastic' way they are building their business via telephone marketing. You are told that SEO and Facebook, while indeed good, are passe' in this new 2014 world of marketing and we need to get back to old school marketing ways.

An other owner disagrees. She has tried telemarketing—in fact several times—in her business and it never worked that well at all. What she has found in her business is that postcard direct mail is helping her close more business than she knows what to do with. More specifically, she tells about the terrific EDDM (Every Door Direct Marketing) program that the post office has and it has been extremely successful—beyond all her expectations. It all sounds so logical. She urges you to 'give EDDM a try' in your business.

Still an other owner at the table disagrees with the 'kind' of direct marketing approach—he says he tried EDDM and postcard marketing and it was a miserable failure. What he tried and won with was 'true' direct marketing—where he had a personal letter, an offer and a reply envelop or card or number to call. He said that 'true' direct marketing—with a direct mail sales letter to the prospect—while more expensive, creates the kind of ROI that you need in your business. It does seem so logical.

Yet still another owner at your lunch table comes up with the fact that he uses a couple of the methods—but only to garner leads—people raising their hands. The real breakthrough for him was when he hired a sales pro who taught his reps to close business inside people's homes. No other way works, he said. He doesn't know how to build his customer base without being able to go directly into people's home to close the business. He does make good points...yes, it does sound logical.

What Kind of Marketing Would Work Best for Your Business?

After lunch you head back to your computer...your head is spinning. Indeed what 'kind' of marketing would work best with your product and service offerings? These people you know personally, have their own businesses and have each met with success with different forms of marketing.

What's the first step in making the best decision? You cannot take chances with your bank account. And you are not going to.

Start with your customers. If you are just starting out, check with your potential customers.

A few phone calls could do you wonders. Or personal visits...gasp! Yep, good old intelligence gathering the old-fashioned way still works like a charm.

What and how are they currently buying from your competitors? If you can add the answer as to 'why' they buy, give yourself a huge bonus.

If you feel like, for the sake of your time, you want to hire a consultant to do competitor research, don't give the assignment form them to do competitor intelligence. Do product intelligence instead.

At this point you are not concerned with competitors—for the most part. You just want to get your products, goods and services out the door—and keep them sold.

Quick Note About The Coming 'What's Working Now' Series

We are going to be going over Quad State markets for Quad State businesses in this series. Granted, it may work for businesses in other parts of America, but our Quad State Area is who we are going to serve.

The thing about marketing consultants...and heaven knows I am one...is that we all tend to dance with the type of technology and skill sets that brought our client's success. Therefore we disagree.

If a marketing pro is an expert at direct marketing, they are going to focus on getting your goods and services sold via direct marketing. If they are webmasters or Internet Marketing pros, they will steer you towards SEO and keywords.

The exercise above—whether you do it yourself or you hire it done—if done correctly, will tell you HOW your SPECIFIC product is being sold—now.

Marketing should be a multifaceted part of your business. The 'ideal' customer that may not respond to direct mail, to SEO and Internet marketing or Facebook marketing, may respond to press releases. The kind that will not respond to press releases, may indeed be the best customer for postcard marketing.

What we want to focus on is what works for you...period...as a Quad State marketer. I would love to get your feedback.

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First Published: www.QuadStateBusinessJournal.com

Article taken from Independent sources at www.TheBusinessSolutionNetwork.com