Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Business success strategies revealed

By Jay NaPier

While many business owners are focusing on news and recession, profitable business owners are focused on how to improve their business. having the right focus for your business will make a difference between failure and success in these challenging times.

Start off by looking at the products and services that you sell. Are you making a profit on them? Are you making enough profit on them? other services you could sell along with the products that would make your company more profitable? how long has it been since you increase the prices for your services and products? Asher cost of doing business has gone up, is now time to increase your prices.

Having the right relationship with your customer is important to the success of your business. It's important to show your customers and clients that you care. We do this by recognizing anniversary dates, birthdays, and sending out holiday cards. You can also send your customer a note when it's been a while since they purchased from you.

It's easier to keep the customers you have that is to get new ones. Smart business owners know that there are only two ways to increase your business, get the customers you have now to purchase more product or purchase more often. Packaging your products or services together makes it easy to increase your bottom line. A dry cleaner might price their shirt services at $1.25 per shirt or $10 for 10 shirts. They could also offer to clean customers close by the pound, which is cheaper and simply charge a monthly membership fee.

It's a great idea to offer bonuses with a purchase. Our company gives away free Flip Mino HD video camcorders with purchase of our monthly video marketing program. a dry cleaner might give away a free lint roller with every $50 in cleaning.

Take a look at your advertising budget. The Yellow Pages has become one of the easiest ways for you to eliminate costs in your advertising. many business owners are spending hundreds of dollars each month to advertise in the Yellow Pages, when most people looking for a business are going online. Today it's easier to Google a company or service that is to pick up the Yellow Pages. People like to key in what they're looking for, press the search button, and have many options to choose from without the hassle of thumbing through the Yellow Pages. a well run each commerce campaign will get much better results for less money.

Do you have a customer list? If not, now is the time to do one. Four years direct marketers have sent out marketing pieces to announce new products, new services, special sales, promotions, and remind customers that it's time for a visit to the doctor. Today's list builders use technology instead of direct mail. It's cheaper and more effective. You can easily use this technology when you've had a slow week. Simply, send out a quick e-mail with the details on a special, silent promotion giving customers a 20% discount this week only.

Another great way to build your business and continue profitability is by running a buy local campaign. Start with your family and your own business, buy everything you can from a local business owner Instead of a big-box retailer. Chambers of commerce have been a popular way to focus on local business, but few have put any effort into promoting it by local campaign. start by putting together 50 to 100 business owners who will each commit to putting a sign in their door or at their counter promoting the Buy local website And their membership. "A recent study found that for every $100 spent in a chain store, $14 went back into The local economy. For a locally owned business, $45,", says Stacy Mitchell author of "Big-Box Swindle.

When you consider your options are sink or swim, I've always found that swimming is a lot more fun.

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