First Step Marketing

For many people, the selection of equipment for their new business is both challenging and exciting. There is a real sense of progress being made and dreams becoming a reality. However, it is important not to become so focused on this aspect of starting your business that you neglect other, more important, aspects, such as starting to make sales. There is unfortunately a natural tendency to become engrossed in the selection, installation, and commissioning of new equipment — it is fun, under your control, and, as you are the customer, the sellers treat you well. It is easy to put off starting to trade because you tell yourself that you are not quite ready yet. Read the rest of this entry »

In franchising, you copy someone else’s business, with their full approval and support, under a licence agreement called a franchise. In this the franchise-giver (the franchisor) allows you to use their trade name, provides training and back-up, and gives their expertise with all its benefits. In exchange, you as the franchisee have to pay the franchisor an initial fee, then ongoing royalties. The major advantage of this method is that you get into business more quickly and possibly with less risk. Read the rest of this entry »

Consultancy is a very popular way of running your own business. But consultancy in any field requires you to have a depth of knowledge and experience which your customers do not possess. It is no good setting up a home-based consultancy business if your customers know more than you! You will require a thorough knowledge of your chosen field, so setting up a consultancy service is best performed by people who have been employed in a particular speciality for some time. It could suit you if you are contemplating early retirement, for example. Read the rest of this entry »

Make sure the results are believable

If employees have seen the results collected, know how they are compiled and have evidence that it was their customers who gave the information, they are more likely to act on it. If the information comes down from management, represents random sampling and anonymity, employees tend to discount it. Read the rest of this entry »

The following advice may be used for any occasion at which you need or want to market yourself and your business. The 15 essential elements of successful networking are: Read the rest of this entry »

Never leave home

…without your business cards! They are an indispensable marketing tool. Make them really stylish. They’re very often the first impression people will get of you, and you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Full colour cards are not that expensive to print anymore. Shop around for a good price. Keep a supply of business cards with you all the time and hand them out often. Include a photograph or sketch of your work if you can. Read the rest of this entry »

Get out there!

There are many gardening experts, but for more than two decades, one has stood out head and shoulders above the rest — Keith Kirsten. He has become a household name, both as a gardening authority and a much sought after celebrity. What is it that made him different? There were horticulturists as good and possibly even better than he was — but he’s the one who became Mr. Gardening. Read the rest of this entry »

There are two primary ways of promoting yourself and your product. (Remember, you and your product, should become synonymous. That not only do people know the products or the service but they know them as being yours.) Read the rest of this entry »

Advice from an Agent

“You must be reliable. The agent and shop owner are working on trust. Don’t let them down. So you must be geared up for producing quantities. Read the rest of this entry »

An agent will take your articles and find retail outlets for you, charging you a negotiated commission on orders taken and goods sold. This is a good option if your product is easily manufactured and plentiful, and you prefer making to selling. Read the rest of this entry »