First Step Marketing

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 »

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 »

In the beginning…

The only factors standing between you and starting your business are fear and excuses. I feel very strongly about this. We can only succeed if we are able to successfully rid ourselves of our fear and the action that it holds back. Once that’s done, you will already feel lighter - and be prepared to take the risks that success requires. Read the rest of this entry »

Although mail-order exists, it is relatively small and undeveloped. The potential for growth is great. The market includes people who have neither the time nor the inclination to go shopping, as well as people living outside the major consumer centres. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of the small-business ideas which follow, are familiar businesses which can be differentiated in innovative ways. Others are new ideas which have not been subject to thorough investigation. The intention of this listing is not to provide ready-made business ideas, but to set you thinking; ideas breed new ideas. Read the rest of this entry »

Creative thought does not end once a good business opportunity has been identified. For as long as the business operates, it will be faced with problems and opportunities that force creative thinking. Unfortunately, it is very easy to get into a rut and grow complacent. If this happens, good opportunities may be missed and many setbacks, which could have been avoided with some creative problem solving, could occur. Read the rest of this entry »

The ideas listed below are useful, only if they are an integral part of a larger, carefully co-ordinated marketing effort. Some ideas may be unsuitable for some types of product or service; some may clash with certain images; and others may simply be too expensive. Remember that the poor execution of any one of the ideas will render it ineffectual at best and harmful at worst. Read the rest of this entry »