Author Archive
by Danny Brown on August 12th, 2008
If you’re looking to create an advertising campaign for your business, you need to make sure you approach it correctly if you want it to make an impact. This is regardless of what form your advertising will take – online, print, television or radio. After all, you’re probably spending quite a bit on the advertising costs, so you need to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts when developing your campaign:
Keeping it Clean
Do use simple ideas: Focus your campaign on one image, slogan, or concept.
Don’t have 4-5 images vying for... Read more »
by Danny Brown on May 7th, 2008
Although being self-employed offers many advantages – being your own boss, enjoying all the profits, etc – there are also some downsides. For example, you no longer receive sick pay from your employers should you fall ill. Obviously this can pose problems, especially if you have mortgage payments to meet and other monthly outgoings, since without any sick pay, you don’t have any income when not working. Thankfully, there are options to take out health insurance if you’re self-employed.
Exploring the Options
The first thing you need to do when arranging self-employed health insurance is to compare the different insurance... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 30th, 2008
One of the key points in any new business is having a business plan to get your company started. This allows you to see where your finances will be used, what markets are open to your product and service, how you’ll attract customers and much more. However, once your business is established, you shouldn’t just forget about your original business plan – indeed, you should continue to refer to it and change as necessary.
Since the business world evolves continuously, it’s more important than ever to be ready to face any new challenges that you might encounter. This is where... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 29th, 2008
One of the most successful movies at depicting business life was ‘Wall Street”. Made and set in the property boom and “me too” decade of the 80’s, it was the perfect example of the “hard sell” approach of sales and advertising. Now, however, despite some people still relating selling or advertising a product as normally “hard selling”, many companies are turning to the method of “soft” selling to get their message across.
The difference here is that instead of aggressively “forcing” your advertisement onto consumers and customers, your business should now adopt a softer approach that will actually make them... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 22nd, 2008
One of the best ways for any business to maximize their profits is to keep their customers happy – after all, happy customers usually mean loyal customers, and loyal customers mean sales. For small businesses in particular, though, keeping your customers happy can often mean the difference between your business surviving, or falling prey to the larger companies in your niche. There are many ways to keep your customers happy and coming back to you, but one of the most useful and cost-effective methods is by using your company website.
Think about it – in today’s business environment, most sales... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 21st, 2008
It’s often hard enough to run a successful business, whether you’re a small-to-medium business owner or a large multi-national. Making it even more difficult are the costs involved if you’re a small business looking to either launch a new product or service, or even your company website. Thankfully there are a host of options and resources available for you to take advantage of, and very often they’re either free or extremely cost-effective.
Use Networking Opportunities
As a small business owner, you’ve probably heard of networking, and may even have attended specific networking events. Bringing together like-minded business people of similar... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 18th, 2008
If your business is successful enough to have numerous employees, then you’ll be aware of how costly it can be to administer. Whether it’s employee benefits, health plans, simple payroll details or more, the costs to maintain your employee base can soon mount up. If you’re finding that it’s a cost that’s draining your finances, then you may want to consider using a Professional Employment Organization, or PEO.
What is a PEO?
The best way to look at a professional employment organization is to consider it an outsourced part of your existing HR department. They can handle everything that an... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 17th, 2008
One of the most difficult parts of any small business is to have the funding you need. Whether it’s start up costs or the need for new equipment, the cost can often be more than you can afford. One way around this is to take out a business loan – yet what happens if you don’t have the relevant credit, or your business hasn’t been trading long enough to qualify? This is where peer-to-peer business loans come into the equation.
Working much the same way that a more traditional business loan works, the big difference with a peer-to-peer loan is... Read more »
by Danny Brown on April 17th, 2008
With businesses constantly wary of losing staff to rival companies, many are now enforcing what’s known as non-compete contracts. This is where new employees sign a contract that states they cannot contact a client of their old company to take them to their new place of work. It usually applies for anywhere between 2-3 years from the date the ex-employee leaves the company. However, whilst it’s an excellent way for business owners to protect not only their clients but also their intellectual property, it can also have its negative sides.
The Pros of Non-Compete Contracts
The obvious benefit of having... Read more »
by Danny Brown on March 31st, 2008
In order to bring in new customers, many businesses use expensive advertising methods. From newspaper adverts to trade magazines, radio or television commercials or more, the cost to get your business name out in the open can often be an expensive undertaking. However, there is another method that you can use, and it’s both inexpensive and hugely effective – social marketing.
What is Social Marketing?
At its simplest, social marketing is a method of online marketing that can bring very substantial results for businesses that use it. By working to a set plan over certain timescales, you can use things... Read more »