Marketing So Bad, That it’s Good

  Some of the best marketing was either purposely, or accidentally made to be ridiculous or just awful—and they made those businesses rich. Marketing doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to strike a chord with people and grab their attention. Of course, this doesn’t always work. Surely, there have been innumerable companies who tried this tactic (or didn’t know what they were doing) and failed, but when it comes out just right, you might hit on that special something that makes people react. Here are a few instances of terrible marketing, which will go do in history as some of the best ideas every conceived.   Eagle Insurance Growing up with the Eagle Man commercials, most of us thought it was just another really bad, low-budget commercial (we had a lot of those in Chicago). But even now, we still remember the name and joke about it all …

5 Reasons Your Online Business Doesn’t Need an Office

  The need for a brick-and-mortar office is far less than it used to be, with the advent of online business. Many businesses still need an office to operate, but the nature of ecommerce affords you certain advantages, including the opportunity to avoid the cost of maintaining a free-standing office. And that’s the bottom line—keeping it open costs money, which a lot of small businesses simply cannot afford to needlessly spend.   1. Product Presentation If you’re running a web-based business, then your customers can easily view all products, or information about your service, online. In fact, that’s how most consumers prefer to look at a product, especially in the case of a company that mainly processes its transactions online. Have you ever visited an office for Amazon? They are doing very well without any walk-in traffic, whatsoever, and if you have an e-business, then you probably don’t need it, …

Do You Need Luck to Be Successful in Business?

  Many successful business owners, when asked how they managed to work through the trials of entrepreneurship, will tell you that they were “just lucky”. Others will say that luck played no part whatsoever in the success of their business, but the consensus seems to be that the phenomenon exists, nonetheless.   The Fickle Nature of the Market Luck, in the mind of an entrepreneur, revolves around the market; how well the market responds to a product or service can be pretty volatile. Though research and thoughtful planning is the key to ensuring that you’ve got a product that will perform well, sometimes you can do all the homework, positive that you have found a niche product that is irresistible to consumers, and for one reason or another, the bottom drops out. The best course of action during those times is to assess the damage, find out where you may …

How to Handle Difficult Customers: Know When to Hang Up

Can I really hang up? The first question on everyone’s mind, who has ever dealt with a difficult caller is probably: Can I hang up on this person? There comes a point when all your efforts seem to be pointless, and you have no choice but to disconnect. You are running a business—not a call center. Even call centers have their limits, which we’ll get into later. Time is money, and when you recognize that the person you are speaking with is not listening to reason or simply using up your time needlessly, it’s time to hang up the phone. Before it comes to that, these rules-of-thumb may help to bring resolution before you cut the cord. Maintain Control Rule number one when dealing with a difficult, long-winded, or even hostile customer is to never react emotionally. You’re bound to get upset or frustrated when you’ve exhausted yourself, and your …

Learn to Attract Your Ideal Customers

  Who is an Ideal Customer? When you are trying to find the right customers for your business, it’s important to concentrate on a couple of things. Firstly, be sure to establish who your core customer is by finding out who you are best equipped to serve and will consistently bring in the greatest revenue, without putting extra strain on your business. Additionally, you will make life far easier if you seek to attract serious customers, as opposed to those who may only end up wasting their time, and yours.   Communicate Directly to Your Primary Customers Beating around the bush is generally not a good way to handle things, in any area of business. Especially concerning an area as important as finding the right customers, there is no reason why you can’t just come right out and say it. For example, your mission statement can include a description of …

Target Your Ideal Customer: Business Planning 101

The concept seems counter-intuitive: To reject some customers and put all your efforts into others? Yes—absolutely. Knowing who your core customers are, and then gathering them with targeted strategy, is crucial to the continued success of your business. Let’s first look at the pitfalls caused by failing to identify your ideal customer, and next, we’ll examine the measures a business owner should take to avoid these pitfalls. You Can’t Please Them All It all starts when you go into business without knowing exactly what kind of customer is right for you. In the beginning, most businesses have not even considered the fact that it should avoid certain categories of customers, unwittingly shooting itself in the foot by saying “yes” to everyone. They are all paying your asking price and filling the coffer, but there is a hitch: Different kinds of customers have different needs, which is which is why you …

How to Inspire Word-Of-Mouth: Better than a Billboard

Word-of-mouth is simple. Someone had a good experience with a business, and they tell other people that it was good and that they should try that business, too. How do you get people talking about your business? Do good business. It does take time, however, so here are a few tips that may be able to speed up the process. Start a Buzz on YouTube What is one thing that we find ourselves talking about all the time? YouTube videos. It may not be as popular a pastime as it was 5 years ago, but everybody still loves to brag about the latest video, meme, or gif that they’ve just seen. You can post content on your own channel that includes daily updates, promotions, or even just some interesting or funny content. The type of material you put in the videos is not as important as being consistent with it; …

10 Productive Daily Habits for Small Business Owners

  1. Get Up Early Any small business owner quickly learns that they wouldn’t get very much accomplished by getting up at the crack of noon every day. Aside from the fact that getting an early start gives you time to get more work done, you will be forced to play catch-up when you get started later because all of your partners and colleagues have probably already been going strong for hours.   2. Don’t Skip Breakfast You’re not like other people—you’re a business owner. You’ve got an insane schedule, constant daily stresses, and a team to look out for. That means you need to eat your Wheaties. Ok, you don’t have to eat Wheaties, but before the work starts, make sure you get a good breakfast that will build up your energy stores. Complex carbs like whole grains are good for sustained energy, and so is a vegetable juice …

6 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

  6. Awaken the Giant Within—Anthony Robbins Tony Robbins, everybody! Contrary to popular belief, Robbins is more than an eccentric guru; his teachings give practical insight into the science behind tapping into our innate power as individuals. The book opens with a quote from Orison Swett Marden: “Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him,” setting the stage for deeply-informed counsel from an author who seems to sit down with you like a wise father. This selection utilizes a guided progression based partially on formula; however, when it comes to Tony Robbins, you know you can expect an introspective and spiritual journey that cuts right to the core of improving the human experience.   5. The Analects—Confucius Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Everyone is familiar with the name, Confucius, but very few have read him, first-hand. Your first thought might be, understandably, “How in …

5 Ways to Make Your Daily Commute a Not-So-Awful Experience

  We all have our ways of coping with the monotonous, potentially mind-numbing experience of traveling to work. Eventually, your morning cup of coffee, daily news, and weather report tends to get pretty old, and you may find yourself fantasizing about driving into a telephone pole if you don’t find creative ways to pass the time. The key to surviving your daily commute is to get your mind off of being in transit and to mix it up as much as possible.   1. Listen to the Music Is the news and weather channel driving you mad? Try some music. Already listening to music? Try playing some new music, or different genres that you wouldn’t normally listen to. You might even put together a few playlists—or have a friend put some together for you, which is sometimes even better because you have no idea what is on them, making every …