Archive for December, 2010

Micro Business Roundup – December 31, 2010

By | December 31, 2010 | Micro Business Roundup | No comments

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a wonderful holiday week with friends and family and are as anxious as us to toast the new year.  Our team spent the week catching up on some end of the year initiatives and planning for 2011.  Please have a safe and happy new year’s celebration! Please enjoy this week’s year-end edition of the Micro Business Roundup.

Image courtesy of buckshappening.com

15 More Twitter Tools for Small Business Marketing – Is one of your resolutions for 2011 to get into Twitter to help market your micro business products and services?  If so, here’s a helpful roundup of some Twitter applications and sites from eCommerce-Guide that can help you manage your efforts efficiently.  If you’re looking for more tools to help you get started, we recommend this follow up post from the same site.

11 Marketing Predictions for 2011 – Let the predictions begin! We hope that 2011 will be a successful year for your micro business.  Check out these eleven marketing predictions for the new year from B2C Marketing Insider and let us know what you think. Do you agree? We are curious to see how offline mobile marketing grows in the new year.

Small Companies Look to Cloud for Savings in 2011 – For those not familiar with the term, cloud computing is an Internet-based computing where shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand (think of it like electricity).  According to the Wall Street Journal, this technology could lead to big savings for small businesses in the new year. Do you think these capabilities can help your micro business?  Is it something you’d be willing to try?

Are Small Businesses Going to Be Saviors or Victims? – What’s in store for your micro business in 2011? That’s the burning questions for many owners as the hours tick down. This New York Times blog entry takes a look at the state of small business as we turn the calendar page and what we are to expect. In a nutshell (and no surprise to business owners), more hard work and not allowing issues out of your control to affect the way you run your operation.

Big Wins for Small Business: 7 Top Triumphs in 2010 – What were your personal wins for your micro business in 2010? What will you look back on as your biggest accomplishment of the calendar year?  As this Business News Daily article reports, this year marked a strong year for small businesses from a variety of standpoints including attention on nation’s political stage for much of the year and the explosion of social media.

Time off? Not for Micro Businesses

By | December 27, 2010 | Micro Business Issues | No comments

Image courtesy of www.hoteltravelcheck.com

Deciding when to take a vacation is always a tricky thing.  As a micro business owner, you’re never quite sure when to take a few days for yourself and get away from it all.  But most experts would agree that you do need to take a few days off here and there to keep yourself on an even keel.  Getting a fresh perspective from a few days off always helps.

But according to our latest survey data, micro businesses are not quite ready to take a lot of time off this holiday season.  When asked how much time they would be taking off in the next two months, micro businesses overwhelming indicated it was less than one week.  In fact, 28% said they couldn’t afford to take any time off, indicating that because of the down economy, they would have to stay diligent and focused.

The truth is, vacations are vital to helping you succeed long term.  In fact a survey focusing on vacation done by Expedia in 2009 found that roughly one-third of employed U.S. adults (34%) reported feeling better about their job and feeling more productive upon returning from vacation.   Another 53% said they came back feeling rested and rejuvenated after their vacations.

So while the economy is still in flux and you might not feel “good” about taking a vacation, sometimes it’s just the thing you need to help propel you into the new year.  If you’ve decided you’re not going to take one, you should reconsider.  Even a few days can make all the difference.

What about you, are you planning on taking a week’s vacation or more this year? How does or how will it help you? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Micro Business Roundup December 24, 2010

By | December 24, 2010 | Micro Business Roundup | No comments

This week was great for our team as we were able to catch up on some work heading into an extended weekend. How was your week? Are you all done with holiday shopping or do you still have a few gifts to grab? We hope that you have a safe and happy holiday weekend. Please enjoy this week’s edition of the Micro Business Roundup. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 17: A home is decorated with Christmas lights and illuminations in Matraville on December 17, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. The struggling economic climate of 2010 doesn't seem to have dissuaded Sydney residents from adorning their houses for the festival season, with home owners recreating Sydney landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, Luna Park and the Harbour Bridge alongside more traditional festive icons such as Frosty The Snowman and Santa Claus. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

10 Social Media Trends for 2011 – 2010 was the year for most businesses to get their feet wet in social media.  This article from Entrepreneur’s Starr Hill offers an insight into the new trends that micro business owners should keep their eyes on for the coming year.

When It’s the Time for Plan B – Countless businesses fail because they fail to capture a target audience for their business. Many of these businesses may have had a longer shelf life, if they had a plan B. This article in the Wall Street Journal takes a look at three businesses who found success after looking at plan B for their businesses.

The Home Office, Starbucks and Flexible Work: It’s A Reality – This piece from Small Biz Technology takes a look into the results of a recent Skype study on companies with remote workers. Definitely take a look at the numbers, especially if you have considered remote options.

The Narrower The Niche, the Wider the Opportunity – Would you believe us if we said the more hyper-targeted your businesses is, the bigger the opportunity? Probably not as it reduces the net that you can cast, but don’t take our word for it, check out this piece from the folks at Small Business Survival who offer some facts to go behind the statement.

Should Small Businesses Use Twitter? – If you are still on the fence as to whether or not Twitter is a channel that is right for your business, you should take a look at this article from Small Business Labs. Within the post, they take a look at a recent Pew Research study on Twitter use.

Inspiration in Diapers

By | December 22, 2010 | Business Stories, Micro Business Issues | 2 Comments

The numbers of businesses that have been born out of necessity are countless. Businesses of all sizes have grown from someone “needing something” and thus making it, then selling it to locals in the neighborhood and expanding from there. Many stay small, but many well known businesses have started in garages and expanded into multi-million dollar corporations.

But how many custom diaper businesses have you heard of in the past few years? Probably not a lot, but that’s exactly what Crystal Hall started back in 2004 and despite some bumps in the road, has seen success. Hall is a shining example of a micro business, but also what some have coined a “mompreneur,” essentially starting a business from a “motherhood” perspective and succeeding.

Being a stay at home mom after having her first baby, Hall found it difficult to find a dependable disposable diaper that fit her needs. She also had a hard time finding quality cloth diapers, saying at the time the only place she could find them was Sears. So instead of continuous shopping and trial and error, she took it upon herself to make her own cloth diapers that she could use for her own children. She stocked up on a quality diaper material and quite literally began sewing them herself. From that, “Wee Ones” was born. She still operates the business today out of her home, six years later.

Since then Hall has launched two other businesses along with Wee Ones. “Foe Your Diaper” sells diaper making materials to other mom’s so they can make their own, and “Easy to Bum Diaper Service” is a diaper service that will wash and return cloth diapers to families to use with their babies. Hall has expanded and with that, has had to more aggressively market her businesses. Like many micro businesses Hall didn’t have a lot to spend, so had to get creative when it came to stretching her marketing dollar. In fact, before she decided to market her business using some Vistaprint products, it was on the verge of going under. But savvy marketing materials and her presence at “tons” of tradeshows spurred her businesses to success.

Exhibiting at tradeshows was a great avenue to getting new customers, but it meant looking professional and having materials that others could grab and take home. She designed brochures, fliers and business cards that helped set her apart and made her look like a legitimate vendor. Some of the shows she attends include second hand baby shows, mom to mom shows and even Babytime in Toronto, ON. Hall hangs banners at her booth to draw people in then has postcards, business cards and other materials to give away, allowing potential customers to contact her when they wish.

Wee Ones and the other businesses Hall has started are shining examples of what a micro business is. Started and still operated in the home, on a shoestring budget and created out of a love for the idea and a talent to make it succeed.

Do you have a similar story? What aspects of Crystal’s story stood out for you? Any suggestions for other marketing initiatives she could take?

Push is On to Support “Local”

By | December 20, 2010 | Micro Business Insight, Micro Business Issues | No comments

There has been a big push to support and promote local small businesses this holiday season, and hopefully many micro businesses are seeing an uptick in sales as a result.  Be it “Small Business Saturday” which aimed to incentivize people to buy locally, or even local merchants banding together to offer unique, custom gifts that can only be found at their shops, it’s clear that as the economy continues to bounce back people want to buy locally. Supporting local business has become somewhat of a rallying cry for the economy, and that’s good news for small businesses everywhere.  A recent story in the Wall Street Journal highlights the Limelight Market, a collection of small shops and stores operated in New York City by entrepreneurs looking to not only sell, but make special connections with customers. You can see the video piece below.

What are you doing to promote local businesses this year? Have you teamed up with other local micro businesses to get the word out?  And have you seen any uptick in business due to the perceived “local push” that’s going on? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Micro Business Roundup December 17, 2010

By | December 17, 2010 | Micro Business Roundup | No comments

For those who celebrate Christmas, today marks just over one week until the big day. Are you ready?  Has your micro business seen a rush from last minute holiday shoppers?  We hope it has.  Remember when you are out finishing up (or perhaps starting) your holiday shopping, be sure to support your fellow micro business owners! Have a great weekend and enjoy this week’s edition of the Micro Business Roundup.

5 Things You Can Do Now To Save A Load Of Dough – With all we have going on in our lives right now, it’s hard to start thinking about tax season. While you still have time to prepare for tax season, New York Times blogger and small business owner Gene Marks was on Fox News this week discussing five tips small businesses should follow to help save money during tax season. This quick video could help save you money as you gear up for April 15.

Small-Business Outlook Keeps Inching Higher – This week, the National Federation of Independent Business reported that small business optimism is at its highest point since the recession hit.  This Wall Street Journal blog post offers a high-level view of the results. What do you think? Do you feel the economy is trending in the right direction? If interested, you can view the entire PDF report here.

Money Saving Tips for Small Business Owners – As a micro business owner, one of your main objectives is likely looking for new ways to save money while delivering high-value for your customers and business. This recent Forbes blog post outlines a few useful ideas that are both affordable and hold strong potential ROI results. It’s important some of these ideas may not be a perfect fit for your industry, so be sure you research the idea to be feasible for your individual needs.

Small Business Strategies: A business plan for Santa – In the spirit of the holiday season, USA Today columnist Rhonda Abrams takes a look at what Santa Claus can do to refresh his business plan. The business plan is an important aspect of your business, and should be refreshed every few months.  After the holiday season has past and you are ready to start focusing 100% back on your business, think about pulling out your business plan and making changes as you see fit.

Survey Says: Truth in Advertising? Maybe Not – Are you using traditional outlets to advertise your business? Is it working? If it isn’t, there may be a few reasons. This recent AOL Small Business article takes a look at recent survey data that touches upon several business issues. We were interested to read that as consumer’s get older, the less they trust company advertising. What do you think?

Customer Loyalty and Holiday Gifts

By | December 16, 2010 | Marketing, Micro Business Issues, Micro Business Tips, Retaining Customers | No comments

Image courtesy of www.coolchaser.com

Micro businesses by definition have a very small customer base.  Because they often are the only employee, they can only handle so much business and that means that just a handful of customers can be served at a given time.  Unlike bigger operations that are working hard to acquire more customers, micro businesses have to be hyper focused on keeping the customers that they have.  At the end of the day, a small number of customers are just more important to the micro business owner.  One lost customer could mean the difference between keeping the company going and shutting the doors. So with that in mind, how can you capitalize on the holiday season to ensure you’re keeping the loyal customers?

According to our recent survey data, nearly 60% of micro businesses polled said they would be sending a small “thank you” gift to loyal customers during the holiday season.  Gifts are an easy (but oftentimes costly) way to keep you on top of mind with customers, but also remind them that you appreciate them choosing you to do business with this year.  In the business world, loyalty counts.  Even the biggest companies in the world are working hard to ensure their customers stay loyal to their brand and their products.  So take advantage of the holiday season to make sure that your customers stay loyal to you.

Need some ideas?  The truth is it’s easy to send out small gifts, and even a little something will go a long way.  If you aren’t a business that physically produces products, you can consider all kinds of small gifts.  But for the micro business owner, personalizing them is always a good idea.  You want to make sure you stand out. Include (where you can) your brand attributes or at the very least a personalized note.  Here’s a story that offer tips and tricks when it comes to gifts for customers (and even employees).  But even simple things like pens, hats, mugs or even apparel like T-Shirts can remind people that you’re still out there and appreciate their business.  Even if you only send something to your 10 most loyal customers, it will go a long way to improving loyalty and keep them coming back.

So what are you going to send this year?  Do you expect it to have long lasting impact on your business?  Let us know in the comments section below.

Don’t Have a Facebook Page? You Should

By | December 13, 2010 | Facebook, Marketing, Retaining Customers, Social Media | 1 Comment

You’ve heard by now how social media is the big thing in marketing, for all businesses.  It’s been used by every large company from Dell to Ford and beyond, with both positive and not so positive results.  Ultimately it’s a medium that large numbers of the population will be using in some way shape or form in the near future.  It’s certainly a growing area and one that isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

But at the heart of social media is a key theme that micro businesses should be considering.  That theme is that no matter what the platform – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs – social media is about connecting and creating a closer relationship with people, and in the case of businesses, customers.   They’re getting to know you on a more personal level and you’re getting to know them on a more personal level.  Considering that micro businesses typically have less than 60 customers, knowing your small customer base is absolutely critical to success.  Methods like email, direct mail and search ads are great ways to drive sales, but ultimately they won’t give you insights into your customers.  Social media can.

In our recent survey, we asked if any of you would be using social media in your campaigns over the holidays.  Just over 40% said yes, but of that group, over 85% said that Facebook would be the preferred platform.  That’s not altogether surprising, because Facebook allows you to interact with customers one on one, while also giving them information about your business, offers, deals and even the ability to interact with one another.  It also doesn’t require as much time as some of the other SM platforms like Twitter.  While it will take time for you to build up your fan base, it’s worth it.  We’ve found our own Facebook community to be invaluable, and you can see examples of some of the interactions and conversations.

Not sure how to create your own Facebook page?  Click on the video below to watch a short tutorial our Internet Marketing friends put together on how to get one off the ground.

Do you use social media for your business, and if so, is Facebook on your list?  What’s holding you back from trying it out?

Micro Business Roundup December 10, 2010

By | December 10, 2010 | Micro Business Roundup | No comments

This has been a whirlwind of a week that flew by for our team with a lot of great things outside of the dropping temperatures in Massachusetts. Are you gearing up for the holiday season or planning any special events for your customers? If you are looking for suggestions, check out our latest research study on what other micro businesses are working on. Have a great weekend and enjoy this week’s edition of the Micro Business Roundup. NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 07: A woman walks by a store with holiday decorations on December 7, 2010 in New York City. Signs of growing consumer confidence continue to emerge with recent data indicating that retail sales surged 6% in November as people began their holiday shopping. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

5 Year-End Tax-Planning Moves for Business Owners – The year is quickly approaching, micro business owners should begin to get ready for the upcoming tax season. In her latest article in the Wall Street Journal, Barbara Weltman offers five great tips to start the New Year off on the right foot while closing out the current year.

Four Ways to Improve Customer Service – Have you ever had a really good or bad customer service experience? Do you remember how it impacted you doing business with that company? Chances are so have your customers. This article from Entrepreneur offers four easy tips to help you give your customers A+ customer service.

Smaller Firms Still Hesitant to Hire – Last month, we put out a report that noted micro businesses were content to stay small unlike the businesses we surveyed, this Wall Street Journal article notes that small and mid-sized businesses are holding back due to economic uncertainty. Definitely give the article and statistics a quick look.

Mastering Google AdWords – There is no question that a Google search is important for business. But how much business can be driven by Google’s AdWords? If you are wondering the answer, check out this interview with Amy Gottesman to see how it transformed her business. (For more articles on Search Marketing, click here).

5 Small Business Marketing Secrets from Big Box Retailers – This post from Startup Nation offers some great insight into marketing strategies from big box retailers. While your budget is probably nowhere near those of these retailers, you can still learn a bunch of things from how they market themselves.

Treat Holiday Cards as a Marketing Opportunity

By | December 8, 2010 | Marketing, Micro Business Insight, Micro Business Issues | No comments

This is an image from Wikimedia Commons

They arrive in your mailbox year after year. Despite the popularity of email and social media, holiday cards continue to be one of the most popular ways for people to show their holiday spirit. But did you know that the holiday card is actually steeped in history? In fact, the first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843 and featured an illustration by John Callcott Horsley, which is seen on the right. Since then they have taken on a life of their own, being sent for all kinds of purposes.   Now they can be sent in newsletter form, big, small, with photos, collages, colors, foil and customized text. The possibilities are endless.

The question is, are they an effective marketing tool for businesses, specifically micro businesses? We decided to ask our micro business base in a recent survey around holiday marketing trends and the results were intriguing.  While just under 60 % indicated that they would be sending out holiday cards this year, the reasons varied.

As you can see in the graphic to the right, 35% indicated that the holiday season was a great reason to reach out and reconnect with customers, while another 23% said that it was an effective marketing tool. A further 13% said they send them out, but aren’t sure how effective they are.  Given holiday cards are a difficult thing to “test” but if you can’t be sure how effective they are, are they worth the investment?  Yes, but just like any other marketing campaign, holiday cards need to be treated with a level of strategy.

If you as a micro business are going to send them, make sure you personalize them and make them something your customers will want to read.  They also shouldn’t be overly promotional in nature, rather thanking them for their business this year and giving them a subtle reminder that you’ll be there for them next year.  While the holiday season offers a great “excuse” to reach out and use holiday cards for your customers, as a micro business the message needs to be personal, with a tone of gratitude.  You have fewer customers than bigger competitors, which means you need to connect on a personal level with them.

A number of retailers now offer cards specifically designed for the business owner, so they’re easy to fill out and you don’t have to go through the trouble of having to find that “perfect card design” for your business.  But again, sometimes a simple photo of your store or business, your logo and your branding will go a long way in reminding customers who you are but also that you care and appreciate their support.

This time of year lends you a great opportunity to reconnect with customers, and holiday cards are a great medium. But take the time t0 do them right and get the right messages across.  Otherwise, it will be an opportunity missed.

Have you sent holiday cards for your micro business?  Have they been effective, and what have they looked like? Share your comments below.

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