Should You Have More Than One?

Website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Google, MSN etc.?

My answer would be a resounding YES!

The more Websites and Social Media Pages you have, the more you can take advantage of key search words for Search Engine Optimization.

If you have more than one business, you may want to present a totally different image for each site consistent with your branding and separate sites allows you to do that.

Different Market Segments may be interested in different areas of your business and when they are using a search engine, they use keywords particular to their area of interest.  You can only use so many keywords and metatags for each site, however, the more keywords you use and the more Geographic areas you list, the more likely your business will be found; multiple sites allow you to use more key words, increasing the likelihood of your business being found.

Multiple sites are a great way to showcase your values and personality which are becoming so much more important in making a decision to work with a professional.  It answers the question of “What are they really about and do I want to be associated with this company?”

Link the sites together to give a complete picture of you and your so searchers will completely explore the possibilities of your services and research has shown you will gain more business.

How Do You Know That?

I have been challenged many times in a conversation when I state what to me is a fact, with “How do you know that?”  The answer is simple “I read it” or “I saw it when I travelled to...”

I read voraciously.  I read books and not just for recreation, newspapers, magazines (More Magazine is a favourite), flyers, ads, tourist information, whatever I can get my hands on.  I spend time in the library scanning parts of the new books.  I am a regular at the nearby discount bookstore where the staff are so used to seeing me browse, they discuss the latest books with me.

I have found some really useful and interesting sites on the internet and download articles to save “in case I need them”.  I have articles saved on the computer, in a binder, and in a file to put in the binder, when I get a ‘round tuit’.

The point of this is to encourage you to read and to let you know there is a wealth of information available to help you with your business.  The most useful sites I have found include Entrepreneur.com which has some great “how to” information for your business.  I recently spent an afternoon browsing through Sbtv.com (Small Business TV) which has informative and helpful articles, and a menu of webcasts in a wide variety of business areas.  The websites of other groups and companies are also useful; check out Company of Women, Womenentrepreneur.com and Art of Marketing for some good business tips

There are many more helpful sites, and yes you may ‘borrow’ my articles!  Let me know how I can help.

Telephone Messages

Do you know who Richard Rice is? 

Neither do I! 

He left a message with a phone number on my cell phone on Friday evening (?) asking me to call him. 

He has a hint of an Irish accent, the soft kind with a bit of a lilt from around Dublin.

The problem is that the phone number does not exist.  I don't recognize it.  I can't find the number in any reverse number search.  I tried to Google him, and searched LinkedIn and FaceBook.  No Joy there either!

I think we have a lesson in phone message ettiquette.

If I knew what he wanted to talk to me about, or how he got my CELL Number, I might be able to track him down and return the call.

I can only hope that if it's important, he will call me back.

When you leave a phone message, please listen to the message upfront (have you even called the right phone number to begin with), speak clearly, leave an accurate return phone number and a brief message with the reason for the call - who are you and why you want me to call you back.

Of course, check the message on your phone systems and make sure people can hear who they have called (in case it`s a wrong number).

Whoooooooosssshhhhh

Did you hear that?
It's the sound of all the days of October just flying by.

The days were filled with:

• A visit to At The Office, in Woodstock - and reconnecting with business owners there.
• I attended 2 conferences about AODA - Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.  Why?  One of the advantages of being a Marketing Person is being able to see the big picture, and work on many facets of a business.  I am flattered by being invited to partner with Beyond Rewards on a huge project: providing information sessions on the Integrated Standard (Employment, Transportation, Communication and Information).  Panel members include an Employment & Labour Lawyer and experts in Human Rights and Employment for persons with Disabilities.  This applies to ALL Businesses. Mark November 15th on your calendar and please visit www.beyondrewards.ca for more information.
• Of course November 10th is the Guelph Business to Business Network Meeting.  Special Exercise to help you plan for success in 2012. 
• There was Small Business Week
• Meetings with a number of interesting new people for coffee 

So, see you on the 10th and the 15th.

Finding Your Clients

It's an absolutely wonderful day today with a blue sky, sunshine and warm despite a sharp gusty wind.  I have just returned from my annual foray to feed my soul with local art in the Fergus Elora Studio Tour. 

I marvelled at just how well one of the artists has done since taking that leap of faith to create her own business, successfully grow it and be in demand.  She has managed to find her ideal clients and discover and fill their needs, making a good living from it.  There is a lesson here for all entrepreneurs.

"How do I sell my stuff?" is one of the usual questions. 

It doesn't matter what you are selling - art or heavy scientific equipment, the quest is the same.  You have to identify your ideal client, define their needs, determine how you can fill those needs (solve their problem) and go and find them so you can connect with them.  Communication has to be in the language of the customer, and you have to remember WIFM (What's in it for me?  Me being the customer).

What's in Art for me?  Tons - too much to define here - it feeds my soul, it makes me feel good and gives me the energy to help my clients!

Your Numbers

First of all let me say that I didn't realize how long it's been since I added a post!  Originally the intention was to post weekly.  I have been so busy that has gone by the wayside, however, in the spirit of monthly review and realigning intentions, back to the weekly post!
The Marketing Morning Workshop was a success thanks to the team of my fellow presenters Crista Renner and Ron Plasschaert, and Janice Moffat who was the detail person and timekeeper.  Time got away on us; with all the good intentions of providing a toolkit for participants to create their own marketing plan in the 2 hours allotted....  I offered a free hour of my time one on one to help with individual plans - 8 people have taken me up on it.
One of the things that came out of it was that people don't know their numbers!
What did you sell last year?  Divide by 12 for a monthly average.  Adjust for seasonal variations.  What does the curve look like on a graph by month? What do you need?  What are the ratios between Suspects/Prospects/Clients?  What is your closing ratio?  How do you find your Suspects?  If you don't know these numbers, how do you know how much work and what type you have to do to make a living?
There is a whole other discussion about ideal client and how to find them!!!!

Marketing Workbook
I prepared a detailed workbook with information, resources and exercises that when completed would be the basis of a marketing plan.  There are a number surplus to our needs, and they are available for $15 cash at the next B2B Meeting on September 29.  For a total of $50, you can book an hour of my time for a run thru and get a workbook.

Guelph B2B Network Group Info

Overview

The Guelph Business to Business Network Group draws members from a 125km radius of Guelph.  Members are B2B providers who provide a service to businesses (as opposed to the people in the business), living/providing services within Guelph and Wellington.  All are well connected, experienced business people, experienced in networking and they can and do share contacts and leads.

The purpose of the group is to:

·         Find solutions to issues encountered in your business and help others

·         Make/gain new contacts

·         Make/gain referrals for new business

The meetings are scheduled every 6-8 weeks around the activities of other business organizations.

Timing of the Meetings

I believe you should spend one day a week on your future.  That can mean sales, meetings, research, networking, attending trade shows, whatever you need to do, including getting an oil change on your car because your car is part of your business.  I also believe networking is part of your business so it should happen in business hours.  We meet from 9.30am to 11.30am.  This gives people a chance to put fires out, come to the meeting, and then make sure the fire’s out then have lunch.

Who is in the Group?

The focus is Business to Business, not Business to Consumer.

We don’t have the Financial Planner/Real Estate/Mortgage Broker/Banker/Home Inspector/Mover group as they are really a service to the people in the business.

There are a couple of Financial Planners who specialize in planning for businesses and a Commercial Banker.

We also don’t have the holistic health circle because one again, they are services to the individual not the business.

We have a couple of each business type in the B2B categories.  Competition is not the enemy.  They can be your best friend if you are overloaded, need a source of information, or just a friend to talk to who understands the business.

The members all have top notch skills and have a lot to offer.  They want to work on independent schedules because they all have other commitments.  They like a variety of work, and find contract work is suitable.

Starting the group:

Stage 1

First of all I started the group with the idea of getting people from my 7 distinct networks within 125 km radius together so they could meet each other, help each other with connections and grow.  Guelph cannot operate in isolation and neither can any other town.  There are skills and experiences the newer as well as existing businesses will need as they continue to grow and stretch their wings.  Business and Culture outside the area is different, so they will need ‘friendly’ contacts to help them make sense of it, and to make referrals for them.

Stage 2

This is designed to help people grow their business outside of the closed loop of each other and each other’s contacts.

The next stage is to bring in larger businesses that will use the skills in the group, and make connections with organizations that are in contact with businesses that could benefit from their skills on an as needed basis.

Business Trends – entrepreneurial businesses, lean and nimble, use the skills they need when they need them (contract workers etc. which is what members like).

This group is uniquely positioned, particularly as there is a focus in this area on the Innovation Sector: many will also be small businesses (to start with) that will need these services.

 

Meeting details:

Symposium Restaurant

9.30am Doors Open,

Registration 9.45,

Program Start 10.00

Networking Fee of $10.00

What We Are All About

First of all, the B2B Group is about growing business.   

There are opportunities at the networking meetings to

ü  Find solutions to some speed bumps encountered in your businesses,

ü  Make new contacts

ü  Gain referrals for new business

ü  Make referrals to others for new business

ü  Help others solve problems

There are really 3 opportunities for networking at these meetings.

1.     While we say the doors open at 9.30, and the program starts at 10.00, I find people are already lined up at the door when I arrive. So it’s open networking.

2.     I find there are some shy ones who are either there for the first time, or need some time to warm to the room and the people.  To ease people into the whole networking thing, we have small tables of 4 where there is a discussion topic.  Feedback tells me that people get some real solutions so I make a point of making the discussion topic meaty, to do with business.

3.     The third opportunity is in the 30 second introduction.  I always have a variation on the question to be answered in the introduction to stop it from getting stale.  It gives people a reason to connect afterwards.

The meeting is supposed to be over at 11.30, but I find people are still talking when I leave.

People have all got good leads and solutions from the group.

The members are all well connected, experienced businesspeople as well as experienced in networking.  They can and do share contacts with each other.

Sometimes we use nametags, and sometimes not.  It keeps the businesses secret so you have to go and talk to people to find out who they are and what they do.

If we are going to have a number of new people, to break the ice at the beginning, I put together “Talk To” cards.  They are just cards with a person’s name on it and a few others I think they should talk to.  I have been told it’s a brilliant ice breaker because it’s like a permission ticket to talk to people.  They have to find out why I have said to talk to each other, so it creates an opportunity for networking.

It's a good investment of your time, and it certainly isn't boring.