| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
Keeping Business Alive
Who is responsible for maintaining the business relationship? Nurturing a business relationship will take effort on your part and effort on the part of the other person. If you feel the business is worth having, then you must take the time to make sure you are in touch on a regular basis. I call these touch points. Each touch point you have with the client is a point in your favor. Most people like to keep the channels open for conducting current projects or for future business. I know a CEO of a company called Olympia Funding in Pleasanton California that has a policy for sending out personal letters to all his contacts at the end of every month. These are usually in the form of postcards with good information. He also has his staff send "letters from the heart" each quarter. Through this touch point activity and a few other touch points, he is able to do millions of dollars of business without making cold calls. He has the referrals pouring in. This CEO knows the value of maintaining the business relationship. If a multimillion dollar corporation takes the time to keep in contact, then you know that you must also put a plan together that creates an awareness of you. It is WHO knows YOU and not who you know that ultimately matters. At your next networking event, gather business cards and then make contact through email to set an appointment to find common ground, ask them if you can add them to your mailing list for your newsletter for up to date information that may help them. Take the time to work on being in touch; the results are amazing. Another good way to nurture a relationship is to find out interests and keep a record of what those interests are. When you come across something of interest, send it to them, they will remember this when it comes to sending out an RFP. It is in your best interest to know more about them than they do about you. Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Creating a Paperless Office When working from home, it is usual to find that you have your office in an area that is not very big, such as a box room or even in the corner of the kitchen. When your business really takes off, you will begin to discover that your work area starts to get swamped by paperwork and that you are running out of storage space. Credit Repair Business Opportunities - Huge Profit Potential! In the world today, many people are further in debt than they realize. When they finally come to understand they need help, they are on the brink of bankruptcy. Financial Strategies for a Mobile Car Wash Business Plan Writing a business plan for a mobile car wash is fairly easy, yet often operators fall down in understanding the financial strategies and costs. Bankers and Investors alike will want to see that you have a well thought out business plan to insure your start-up goes successfully. Recognizing Employees' Contributions Can Go a Long Way Every employee would like to earn as high a salary as they can at their job but surprisingly it's not the number one motivating factor for them in the workplace. Human resource surveys indicate that wages are not even among the top five motivating factors for an employee. Dig Deep for Small Business Ideas Before You Start the Wrong Business If you're serious about wanting to start a business, the first thing you want to do is take the time to understand what really makes you tick. Where do you get your drive? What gets you in a "zone?"However, there's a lot more to figuring out the BEST business idea that will make you more money and give you more freedom to enjoy more success in your life. The PR Commitment to Small Business We're birds of a feather, public relations and small business. Wonderfully compatible and a perfect fit. Starting a Small Business? ?Tips from a Veteran Congratulations, you are starting a small business! You are taking charge and going for your piece of the American dream! Your excitement is high, and the adrenaline is pumping! Everyone dreams of freedom and owning a successful business, but not everyone can successfully create that reality. Now that you've made the commitment to give it a shot, let me give you the single most important tip that I can give you to insure your success. Franchise Territories are Generally Delineated On a Map; Why? If you own a mobile service or home based franchise your exclusive territory will be delineated on a map in the attachment of your franchise agreement. You will be assigned generally a single city, county or region and another franchisee or team member of the same system will not compete with your although may be right around the corner. Buy a Flower Shop: Serious Considerations You've always liked flowers and you think the idea of turning emotions into floral expressions sounds like tremendous fun. You are between careers and have been investigating business opportunities in your community. Small Businesses with BIG NAMES: Protect Your Trademarks and Reap the Rewards You're a small business owner with a hot new product or service and you're deciding what to name it. Perhaps you've even hired a graphic designer to create a flashy logo to go with it. The Misconceptions of the Value Of Disclosures in Franchising Disclosure laws in franchising are suppose to help the consumer. They don't. Tips and Tricks for Legal Debt Collections If a customer owes your local business money, it's hard not to feel angry, like you want to do anything possible to get your money back. But the days of going all out to collect on a debt over. Questions to Ask as Your Business Grows Here are some of the questions that you need to ask yourself regarding various areas of the business before you start your growth push. Are you clear on the goals of your business? Are your managers and other staff also up to date with these goals? Does your accountant or other adviser know what you are planning? Have you developed a business plan which brings into play the whole area of growth, which includes the resources that will be required of it? Have you assessed the performance of your marketing and advertising sections and if so, are these adequate? Have you put in strategies to get repeat sales? Are you clear about your competition and what you need to do to win when you start expanding your operations? Are you confident about your current advertising plan, including whether you have identified your target market and also the methods by which you will reach that market? Have you put in place policies for your employees? Do you feel you have loyal and productive staff? Have you put in place strategies for motivating your employees? This could include a system of extra remuneration or some other way of acknowledging their efforts. 6 Ways Small Businesses Can Survive In A Crazy Economy Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy economy by taking some proactive steps. Provide spectacular customer service -- every time. Book Yourself Solid Key #5: Go Forward With Gusto & Articulate What You Do Want your small business to flip instead of flop?! Statistically half of the entrepreneurs reading this will be out of business in three short years. Establishing a long standing, profitable and successful business absolutely depends on your ability to convey a clear message. Why Internet Shopping is the New Mall of the Future Last year, trillions of dollars transferred hands on the internet with regard to sales, or as the internet wishes to call it, eCommerce. The internet is becoming an increasingly complex manipulation of do's and don'ts. Local Search and Internet Yellow Pages - A Whole NewVocabulary for Small Businesss Buyers want both online and local information about where to buy Most small businesses are local in nature, serving people who live nearby. Their customers found them through traditional methods like the Yellow Pages or newspaper ads. How to Use Graphs and Charts in Your Business Plan Many people ask how many graphs or charts they should have in their business plans. As with most other business planning questions, the answer is "it depends. A Key to Success: Be Consistent Over the years I heard the best way to learn something is to to teach it. Well, this week's topic, practicing consistent behavior, is definitely something I need to learn and practice more effectively. Beginning an Internship Program CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the intern will be needed each week. Will specific hours be adhered to, or will the schedule be more flexible? Applicants want to know up front what they will be paid, if anything.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
