All posts tagged make an impression

How To Set Smart Goals for Your Small Business

By | February 1, 2012 | How To, Micro Business Insight, Micro Business Tips, Small Business Tips | 2 Comments
We have all heard the excuses for not setting goals, mainly people don’t see the value in taking the time to really  think about what they want to accomplish in the short-term and how that will affect  their long-term success.  As a small business owner, it is important to set goals as they serve as a guide in making decisions.

The excuses for not setting goals range from I’m too busy,  I know what I need to do, I have been doing it this way and it works or I don’t set goals because I am afraid I won’t reach them.  Here are 7 reasons  why goals are useful and worth creating:

  1. Contribute to the success of the company
  2. Set specific expectations
  3. Create clear measurable performance standards
  4. Self-motivate
  5. Focus on what is important

    We asked our Facebook Fans what their top business goal is for 2012, here is a word cloud of what they said.

  6. Boost job and personal satisfaction
  7. Help to prioritize efficiently

Goal setting might appeal to common sense, but sense in goal-setting isn’t very common. When setting goals make sure they are SMART goals, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Specific: Goals must be clear and specific. Goals should say exactly what is expected, when and how much. When goals are specific, progress can be monitored.

Measurable: If goals are not measurable, then it is not possible to monitor progress toward successful completion. Milestones are important and should be recognized.

Achievable: Goals must be realistic and attainable, a little stretch is okay but a common mistake is setting goals too high, those types of goals are easy to ignore.

Relevant: Goals must be an important tool in the grand scheme of reaching your vision.

Time-bound: Goals must have starting points, ending points and fixed durations. Commitment to deadlines helps to focus your efforts on completion of the goal on or before the due date.

We’d love to hear why you set goals in the comments.

Additional resources for goal setting

Set Goals, WikiHow

SMART Goal Setting: A Surefire Way To Achieve Your Goals, Goal Setting Guide

 

Not your grandma’s embroidery

By | January 9, 2012 | Marketing, Micro Business Tips, Offline Marketing | 2 Comments

Bored with your traditional printed t-shirts, hoodies and hats? Looking for a way to refresh the look and feel of your company’s uniforms? Have you considered having your logo embroidered on polo shirts, hats and uniforms?  If not, you should, because embroidery has never been easier to do.

The idea of embroidery might make you think of your grandmother tediously cross -stitching a flower onto a tablecloth or a pin cushion peppered with a variety of needles, but today there are many reasons why embroidered items are good for your business. To demand attention, small business owners can create custom apparel that has a professional look and feel.

In the past, small business owners that wanted a professional look and feel with their apparel products by utilizing embroidery struggled with high costs and long set up times. Now anyone can upload a custom image and have it stitched into a high quality garment quickly and for less.

A few things to look for as you evaluate your embroidery options:

  • Online tools to design and order embroidered apparel products without having to pay set up or minimum purchase fees
  • The ability to fully upload an image or logo online and have it automatically render into a fully stitched pattern
  • Fast turnaround times
  • High quality threads and fade-resistant fabric

Embroidered polo shirts, hats and hoodies are also great for gifts and giveaways. When a customer receives a personally embroidered gift it has a significant perceived value because of the high quality look and feel of the item. Next time you are looking for a way to stand out in the crowd, look professional with embroidered hats, polo shirts and jackets.

What would you have embroidered? Tell us in the comment section.

Micro Business Roundup – January 7, 2011

By | January 7, 2011 | Micro Business Roundup | 1 Comment

We hope everyone had a great New Year!  As we kick off a new year, we’ve noticed a lot of small business media discussing resolutions and goals for 2011.  So that gets us to wondering, what are your resolutions and goals as you enter a new year?  While obtaining more customers and generating more revenue are obvious choices, what initiatives do you want to get involved with to help get you there?  Have a great weekend and please enjoy this week’s edition of the Micro Business Roundup.

Image courtesy of PixMac.com

Marketing Strategies for the New Year – Keeping with the theme of 2011 resolutions, perhaps some of you are hypothesizing new ways to attract new (and reconnect with existing) customers.  Given price of your goods and services can dictate your micro businesses success, the Fox Small Business Center offer some tips to consider as you kickoff of 2011.  Ideas include offering fewer discounts, showcasing the value of your business and possibly expanding your product/service offerings.

How Six Companies Failed to Survive 2010 – It’s something that all micro businesses owners work hard to avoid.  Having to close your business can happen for a variety of reasons.  Eileen Zimmerman of the New York Times takes a look at why six different companies failed in 2010.  While the subject may depress some, learning from others mistakes can help keep your business afloat in 2011 and possibly even improve how you operate.

Recommitting To Social Media in 2011 – If you haven’t bought into the social media buzz thus far, perhaps 2011 is the year you give it a try.  Social media can give your micro business the opportunity to network, find new customers (as well as connect further with existing customers) and build your brand at the affordable price of free (outside of time and effort spent).  Small Business Trends offers a nice round-up of different pieces to help you get started, and why you should be involved with social media.

Top 5 changes for small business in 2011 – There are a lot of changes happening to small businesses in 2011 that you need to put on your radar.  This recent Reuters article outlines five changes that all micro businesses should have on their radar, including tax filing, healthcare reform and employment laws. What changes are you focused on?  Are you worried these changes could affect your business negatively?

Long Tail Keywords and Your SEO Campaign – Whether you are a believer or not, search engine marketing is one of the fastest growing forms of marketing.  With that said, as the competition to use SEM grows, targeting the correct keywords is crucial to your SEO campaign success. A recent post from our Internet Marketing team here at Vistaprint shows you how you can help get a leg up on your competitors and help get your micro business found easier on the internet.

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?

“The Tea Leaf” Winner No. 3 in “Make an Impression” Contest

By | November 15, 2010 | Business Stories | No comments

The third winner has been announced in the Vistaprint “Make an Impression” contest and this time it’s a business that’s very close by to our Lexington offices.  Previous winners included Northfield Collision Repair in New Jersey, and Accent Home Staging in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Tea Leaf, a tea room and restaurant is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and is the brainchild of local micro business owner Sally Collura.  After years spent dreaming of owning her own business and two years searching for the perfect location, Collura finally set up shop in Waltham at the age of 57. The mission was to create a place where people could come to relax, unwind, read or enjoy time with friends. Collura sells products through her website and has a gift shop at her store where she sells unique and one-of-a-kind items.  She also encourages meetings at her store, from birthday parties and book clubs to business meetings.

“I was truly surprised when I was informed that I was one of the winners,” said Collura. “The economy really hindered my ability to market my business, but this package is going to change that. I am thrilled to be able to have the creative team from Vistaprint help me design my new materials.”

Founded five years ago, the Tea Leaf offers patrons an elegant and relaxed escape from hectic schedules. The 20-seat tea room offers savory lunches, three-course afternoon tea and desserts. The Tea Leaf is located in the historic center of downtown Waltham and offers teas from around the world, tea tastings and specialty events.

We’ll continue to follow up with Sally to see how her new marketing efforts are coming along and share the results with you so you can apply them to your own business.

How does Sally’s story stack up against yours? Are you operating a similar micro business in your town and having success? Let us know in the comments section.

Accountability, Focus Paramount in Downtimes

By | September 30, 2010 | Perspectives | No comments

Image courtesy of www.travelblog.com

Today’s Micro Business Perspectives guest post comes from Cathlyn Driscoll, owner of Best Business Mastery.

One of the changes that I see our customers making is  insisting on more face-to-face meetings with their marketing team to review goals and strategies to ensure implementation and targets are on point.

In the past, there seemed to be a concern but also a “laissez-faire’ type of attitude when it came to marketing their business. They knew they needed marketing and ventured into it, but now seem to take it more seriously. I believe they are watching their spending dollars more and making sure they are putting their monies to the best possible use- creating exposure to a tighter, more targeted audience.

The face-to-face meetings being stepped up is markedly significant for those of us who work on the web and who for years have worked with clients without ever actually having face-to-face meetings. The ephemeral, intangible web now seems to be made more tangible through these meetings and they seem to have a greater need for more understanding of these technologies and how they can benefit their businesses.

Education, more phone calls and face-to-face meetings, texting, emails – reassurance of marketing goals will take more time out of actual work time for these clients, but they will ultimately perceive a greater comfort with technologies and the personnel that carry out their plans and projects to their ultimate goals; greater sales, exposure, and brand recognition for their businesses.

As a business owner, this will require more time dedicated to staying in touch and in tune with clients and will create a more ‘team like’ working relationship with them which ultimately works out better for us as service providers. Businesses are about relationships with their clients, and the more contact we have with them the better.

Recession Forces Micro Businesses To Seek Education

By | September 27, 2010 | Micro Business Issues, Perspectives | No comments

Today’s Micro Business Perspectives guest post comes from Shakira Brown, owner of Best Business Mastery.

About a year ago, my business partner and I were leaning toward helping small business owners do more of their own marketing. Today, we are finding that small business owners embarking on marketing for the first time need more assistance from us. This is because the needs of our potential customers have changed.

Many of the small business owners who call on me to help raise their profile using public relations  need more than that. I am hearing from business owners who say they have never needed to do any sort of promotion for their business because their customer base constantly recommended them.  The reason why they call on me now is because the referrals have stopped and business has literally dried up.  For me this means  that I need to provide more comprehensive  services beyond public relations to get them up to speed which equates to website design, branding, message development and sometimes much more.

In addition, I am serving in the role of business adviser to many small business clients seeking  marketing help for the first time. Many small business owners in operation for more than 10 years  are being approached to advertise and they are considering it for the very first time. In order for my clients not to be taken for a ‘free ride’ by slick sales people I help them make decisions on what they should consider and what they should do.

Getting small business owners up to speed with how the internet works and how they can benefit from it is the biggest part of what we are doing today. Explaining how search engines work and the importance of optimizing websites for search is quite challenging. In the end, I usually give them enough information to trust my suggestions. The downturn has definitely led to an increase in business opportunity, however, the small businesses retaining us need more assistance than ever before which means that we have to increase the level of services we provide to satisfy demand.

Learn How to Worry, and How NOT to Worry

By | September 13, 2010 | Micro Business Issues, Micro Business Tips | No comments

Today’s Micro Business contributed post comes from Kai Rostcheck, owner of Free Marketing Made Easy.

I’ve been asking lots of self-employed people about the ways in which they are adapting to our extended economic slump. Many of the answers will sound familiar to you:

“I am managing my budget more carefully”

“I have learned how to leverage better technology (like Sype) to reduce overhead”

As you might expect, some folks even told me how they have cut back on marketing and/or switched to Internet marketing in an effort to increase exposure and decrease expenses. This leads to a learning curve, which they are anxious to talk about. But we’ll cover that subject in another post.

Today I want to focus on one business owner, a painter named Keith, whose answer to my question about the economy caught me completely off guard:

He told me, “I’m learning how to worry, and how not to worry.”

Upon further inquiry, he explained it like this:

“When things started getting tight I began managing my business differently; cutting back on my usual expenses and trying to improve cash flow. As the recession dragged on I found myself getting lost in worry: would I have to close my studio? Could I find new ways to market my art? Should I drop my prices?

“After a while I noticed that I wasn’t even enjoying the creative part of my job anymore. I was so worried about the cost of paints and canvas that my inspiration seemed like it was drying up. Throwing away old, unused materials – something that’s relatively unavoidable – caused me to second-guess myself. I was becoming completely unproductive, and felt my passion slipping away. It all felt so heavy.

“Finally, one day I just said ‘heck with it.’ I gave myself permission to have that one day for myself. I chose my best canvases and my favorite colors, then sat down to lose myself in the craft that I love. Hours later I was exhausted – but refreshed. It was the strangest feeling. I came in the next day, and the day after that with a new intention – finish the work I had started.

“Those paintings were some of the best I had done in a long time. I placed them in my front windows, and went back to business as usual. It didn’t take long for my regular concerns to start creeping in. But then the strangest thing happened – a woman in her mid 40’s walked in and started asking about those new paintings. It turns out she had been an art major in college – so we talked about art history, contemporary art – you name it. I enjoyed her company but didn’t expect anything to come from our conversation. About two hours later she simply announced ‘I want the 36” canvas.’ And she didn’t blink when I told her the price.

“So what is the economy teaching me about my short term and long term goals? Well, it is reminding me that I am a business owner, and I have to plan carefully. But it is also reminding me that I am a creator – I chose this career path because it is what I love. No amount of worry is worth losing my passion. So ironically, my lesson has been about living in the moment and doing the best job that I can right now. I sleep a lot easier when I remember to let go of all of those ‘worst-case’ scenarios that used to occupy my mind.”

Well said, Keith.  Well said.

Micro Business Roundup, September 10, 2010

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

- Jason Keith

Despite being a short week, it was pretty action packed for the team at the Vistaprint Micro Business Blog. Over the weekend, the Make an Impression contest came to a close after a two and a half month entry period and two week public voting period. We received over 850 entries and are now starting to sort through and grade them. So far we’ve seen some great entries from micro businesses across the country and it’s going to be hard to pick a winner. Thank you to everyone that entered. If you want to check out some of the entries, click here. Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy this week’s edition of the Micro Business Roundup.

5 Ways For Small Businesses To Get In The Location Game – Geolocation applications have dominated the social media headlines for some time now. The one problem is that there hasn’t been a great how-to for the micro business crowd. This article from Duct Tape Marketing offers some great insight into getting into the game.

Small Gains for Small Business in Federal Contracting – The SBA reported that for the first time since 2005 that government contracts to small business increased from the previous year. One problem is that the number missed the target goal for small business contracts. This article from the New York Times interviews Joe Jordan from the SBA for his take and links to some PDFs on where the contracts went to.

Financial Planning Tips for Business Owners – Pamela Yen, a financial security expert and author offers a list of financial tips to assist business owners. No matter the size of your business, these tips are worth checking out.

How to find a great business mentor – Fast forward to the 1:20 mark of this video, Mike Michalowicz offers guidance on finding a business mentor. Worth checking out if you are looking for someone or are looking to mentor others.

Start-Ups on a Shoestring – How much did it cost you to start your business? It’s ok you can keep it a secret. Here’s an interesting story on three startups that did it for less than $150. Want to see how? It’s a definite eye-opener.

Weekly Micro Business Roundup

By | September 3, 2010 | Business Stories, Micro Business Roundup | 1 Comment
An employee prepares cakes during Ramadan in a shop in Geneva August 23, 2010. Some 310,807 Muslims (4,3 % of the population) were listed in the last national census in 2000 in Switzerland. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION)

The editorial team at the Vistaprint Micro Business Blog reads a lot of articles every day. We share many of them on the blog’s Twitter feed, but we don’t want to dominate your Twitter stream. We still want to share this content with you so we decided to compile our team’s top reads into a weekly Friday post called the Micro Business Roundup. Please feel free to offer links below to stories that we may have missed or that the community would enjoy.

When You’re Most Vulnerable to Fraud – This story from the Wall Street Journal puts the spotlight on workplace fraud. While these two instances are on the extreme end of fraud, it is still important to keep a keen eye on your company’s finances.

20 Ways Your Employees Make More Than They Think They Do – One of the biggest factors in retaining top-notch employees is compensating them fairly. However there are often costs that employees overlook like healthcare, paid time off and education. These perks add up and should be mentioned to the employees so that they understand that their take-home pay at the end of a pay period. This 20-point list is worth adding to your browser’s bookmarks.

Three best ways to convert online prospects into clients – Are you having trouble turning prospects on your website into sales? This article offers three tips to turn those visitors into dollars.

5 Ways to Make a Database For Your Customers – Companies are always looking for ways to keep their customers engaged and in the sales loop. Jon Janstch offers an interesting method to add value to your customers with databases. The knowledge database is our favorite as it offers relevant content for customers.

Small business? THIS is how to work the social web! – This is a great interview with Chandara Michaels an Austin-based entrepreneur and artist who used social media to generate success for her business. Currently 40 percent of her sales come from Facebook.

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