Attractivo Design Blog

Small Business Marketing

2010-08-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Marketing 101 for Small Businesses

Being a small business owner... gosh, where do you start. You are everything, you have to do everything, and you have a budget of almost nothing to do it with!

Marketing for small business is not easy, but a few simple rules and guidelines will ensure your small pennies goes a long way. And ultimately, get your more sales and customers.

Here are some simple but important marketing guidelines for small business success.

Plan your marketing campaigns

Don't rush into 'adding an ad in the local paper' or 'printing out 10,000 flyers to promote a sales promotion'. Every marketing campaign, or every dollar you spend should be planned well and thought about clearly. Before you launch into spending say, $2,000 on putting an ad in the local paper, ask yourself these questions:

Who are my customers and will this ad actually reach my customers or prospetive customers?
How much am I spending - am I better off spending this money on another marketing channel?
Have I worked out the return on investment (ROI) on this campaign?
Is this part of my business plan?

Market to YOUR customers, not just everyone.

The golden rule of marketing is this: all your marketing, branding, and communications should be relevant, directed, and appeal to your target market - that is, your customers and potential customers.

Who is your target market?

Well, if you don't know the answer to that, then you shouldn't be in business! Firstly, this should already be in your business plan. Secondly, everything you do should be focused on your customers - everything (website design, business cards, sales promotions etc). After all, its your customers who'll paying your bills.

Once you know who your customers and prospective customers are, you'll know what type of marketing you should do to capture these customers, and get more sales in the door.

Calculate the ROI on all marketing campaigns or projects

For each and every marketing campaign you run, it's important to take the time to plan it, work out how much it wil cost you, and how much you'll get back in return - this is your ROI (return on investment).

For example, you've got a sale promotion at the moment and you want all your local residents to know about it. A letterbox distribution of 10,000 flyers is the answer... or so you think. If it costs you, say $2,000 to run this campaign ($250 for graphic design, $700 to print, $1,050 for distribution), will you get back $2,000 in return to cover the cost? And then what is the profit? The minimum you should make from this example would be say, $3,000 ($2,000 to cover costs, $1,000 in incremental sales) a ROI of 150%.

Sleep on ideas

As a small business owner, we're always thinking of new ideas... often too many for our own good. One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking of an idea, and feeling the instant urge to execute this big idea that very day, thinking that if we don't do it immediately we'll either forget, or someone else will steal this big idea from us.

But it's quite the contrary.

Every big idea should always be considered, thought out clearly and strategically, and most importantly - sleep on it. Add this to your "Ideas List", and priortise these with all the other things you want to or need to do.

Consistency, consistency, consistency

Now that you've planned your marketing campaigns, what you have out there that represents your business is key. Consistency across all your sales and marketing materials.

Your business cards, online website, brochure design, sales flyer, etc - all as individual items is not powerful. But together, is EXTREMELY powerful.

Small Business Marketing Campaigns

Now that we've gone through the basics of marketing, let's look at some marketing campaigns you can use for your small business. These are efficient, cost effective ways to market to your customers with a small budget.

Website: This is relevant no matter what industry you're in - plumber, accountant, consultant, marketer, beauty salon. A website is now an online shopfront. Not only does a website give you more sales opportunities online, it's also a 'reassurance' to your prospective customers that your business is what you say it is.
Google Adwords: a cost effective way to advertise online - it's easy to use, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, and best of all - you're in full control of how much you want to spend daily. This of course, only works if you have a website!
Letterbox Distribution: a very popular traditional way of promoting a business, particular in the small business industry. This works particularly well if your business is local, you have a sales offer that is appealing (to your customers, not to you!), and you do this regularly (e.g. one letterbox drop a month in the same area, for 3 months). Frequency and relevancy is key here.
Professional Sales and Marketing Materials: it may seem obvious, but most often overlooked. Professionally designed business cards, sales catalogue, websites SELL. A potential customer that visits two company websites, one that looks tacky and the other looks professional - obviously they'll choose the professional looking one.
Social Media Marketing: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin - these are all free to use and only takes you 10 minutes a day! These networks often links you with people you already know, so it's potentially "warm" leads. By keeping you business up-to-date on these sites and regularly communicating to your linked network, it gives you 'free' leads, opportunities, and branding.

How to choose the right freelance graphic designer

2010-02-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

I’ve previously talked about the benefits of using a freelance graphic designer rather than an expensive creative or design agency. But choosing the most appropriate freelance graphic designer can be challenging. Here are a few things to consider when choosing the graphic designer for your business.

Creativity vs. Designs that sell
Graphic designers are of course, creative. It’s in their blood. But sometimes, designs that are too creative can get in the way of your business objectives. The right graphic designer should understand your business and it’s prospects/customers. For example, a designer might love bright vibrant colours in their designs, but if your brand is say, IT or recruitment, this may contradict the image you want to portray of your business (e.g. innovation and professionalism). It’s key that your designer is creative, but with a focus of your business’s brand and objectives first.

Consistency
Marketing is most effective when customers and prospects see consistent messaging or branding in all sales and marketing materials: advertisements, flyers, brochures, business card. Literally everything. McDonalds, Myer, Bob Jane – all these companies have built recognizable and valuable brands through consistency.
To achieve this consistency, it’s key to use the same graphic designer for all sales and marketing materials produced. A designer that understands your brand and your business strategies will have the same goal to build your brand into a recognizable, and ultimately profitable business.

Ability to understand your brief/requirements
Brochure, flyer, new company logo, or product catalogues: whatever you need designed, your designer must understand what your needs are – to design something that is the most effective to achieve your goals. For example, is the goal of your new sales promotion flyer to attract more customers to your shop? If so, ensure your designer understands this.
Essential elements to include in the brief to your graphic designer for every design job:

Your target audience/customers (e.g. females, aged over 30)
Your goals or objectives (e.g. 30 more customers to go to your shop in the next 2 weeks)
The brand of your business (e.g. innovative, fresh approach etc.)

Flexibility and Reliability
Unlike design agencies, which can take up to 12 weeks to produce an advertisement, a freelance graphic designer offers a much faster turnaround time (around 2 working days). With this in mind, your designer should be available for you quickly and responses to your emails/phones within 24 hours. Reliability is key.

Costs: Hourly Rate vs. Retainer
Another benefit of freelance graphic designers is the associated low overhead costs. These cost savings are often passed on to the client, allowing you to pay significantly less for design projects.

There are different ways of ‘charge rates’. Depending on the demands of your business, you can choose to pay for a freelance graphic designer either by hour or with a regular retainer. For businesses where demand is irregular, opt for ad-hoc projects hourly rates (quotes will be provided based on how many hours the designer estimates the project will take). For businesses where you regularly produce sales or marketing materials, agree on a monthly retainer package. Monthly retainers include an agreed number of hours of design work at a lower hourly cost. This often enables cost savings in the long term, as they charge out a lower hourly costs for regular work.

Grace Chau
Attractivo Design
www.attractivo.com.au

Starting a new business in 2010?

2010-01-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

If you're considering starting a new business in 2010, here's a useful checklist for a flying start.

With the GFC recovery in full swing, there's no better time than now to start your own business - something you can own, control, and grow 100%.

Whether you're looking to start your own business in retail, business services, or any other industries, follow the checklist below to ensure your business is off on a flying start for long term success and profitability.

Setting up Your Business

Register business name and company: Depending on the country you're in, it's generally essential to register your newly formed business name and company. This is particularly important to ensure your business name doesn't already exist.
Register your domain name: Whether your new business is a retail shop or offer business services, a website is key to acquiring new clients/customers online. Whilst developing a website can take at least 3 weeks, you can register a relevant domain name as quickly as possible. The key for an effective domain name is to keep it short and relevant.
Register for taxation purposes
Business identity: Logo, business cards, letterhead/fax/invoice templates - Personally, I believe it's extremely essential to get this right from the start. Your company/business logo should be unique, easy to recognize and relevant. It's the single important element that your clients and future clients will recognize your business.
Use an experienced freelance graphic designer to design a custom logo for your business (a freelance graphic designer is much quicker and cheaper than using a graphic design agency). Once you're happy with the logo, get your graphic designer to design matching business cards, letterhead/fax/invoice templates, and a website. Consistency with all these elements is key. Some freelance graphic designers actually offer "Business Start up Kits". With these design packages offered for new businesses, this will be a cost effective way to develop your business identity.
Register your trademark (i.e. company logo): Once your graphic designer has fianlised your new company logo, trademark it! With your logo trademarked, future competitors are not permitted to copy your business name/logo.
Develop a website: With the use of internet (and in particular, Google) continuing to be the fastest growing channel used by consumers and businesses, any new business should develop a website that shows their products/services, with an aim to acquire new clients/customers online. If your business is a retail store, opt for an online shopping cart. Or an online booking system to allow clients to book appointments online if your business is medical or recruitment. This is the most cost effective channel to use. Your website should also be consistent with your branding, so try and use the same graphic designer to design your website for you.
Open a business bank account: Having a separate bank account for your business transactions can ensure you can manage your business cash flow effectively as well as making it easier for taxation and accounting purposes.
Location of Office/Store/Warehouse: If your new business is a retail store, it's essential to locate the best location that has a good balance of foot traffic but at an affordable rent. For a service business, you can start off with working virtually from home to save costs related to office space, or share a business office with another new business (so you can leverage their utilities, such as internet, phone, and even reception/secretary).

Business Identity

As mentioned before, I personally believe your business identity is critical to business success and also essential to get this right as soon as you start your business.

Unique logo design for your business: Get a custom designed logo! It may cost a little more than a template logo, but the idea of a company logo should be unique and differentiate yourself from your competitors, so invest the time and cost upfront to have a unique logo designed. The last thing you want is the have a similar logo as your competitors. Think of the big brands: McDonalds, Google, Sony: Unique and simple.
Business Cards: This can be the smallest - but most powerful - marketing tool to use. Ensure your business cards are consistent with your company's brand, and also try and include the products and/or services you offer (rather than just your company name and contact details). Having a unique design will also increase the chances of the potential client/s to keep your business card, so make sure you tell your designer this!
Letterhead, Fax, and Invoice Templates: Keep it simple but consistent.
Website: It's easy to want fancy flash animation on your website. But is that what your customers want? My recommendation is for your website to offer easy navigation, loads quickly, WIFM (what's in it for me), on brand and different to your competitors. Your designer can suggest a few different design templates. Again, it's worth the extra time and money to invest in a good website. There are so many new businesses who develop a cheap website to start off with, but end up getting a new website design only less than 3 months later. So, know exactly what you want and communicate this to your designer as detailed as possible upfront (not after).

Grace Chau
Attractivo Design
www.attractivo.com.au/business-start-up-kits
www.attractivo.com.au

To outsource or not?

2009-11-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Last week, five Marketing professionals expressed their points of view on whether (and how much) of your business to outsource (view article here).

Adrian O'Donoughue, Marketing Manager of Harley-Davidson Australia, quotes "Call me a control freak, but my ultimate would be not outsourcing much at all. The internal marketing team knows the brand inside and out – they alone are responsible for success."

So, does this imply outsourcing is a way to shift responsibility or ownership?

Outsourcing was originally viewed as a solution that offered significant cost savings for businesses. Before the IT revolution, many companies in the US outsourced manufacturing jobs to counties like Canada, Mexico and South America in order to cut costs. And today, all types of jobs are offshored - IT, technical support, web development etc - which often attracts loads of speculation and negative criticisms.

But, it's not all bad. And it's certainly not about shifting responsibility.

There are many advantages to outsourcing that does not a) take away jobs from internal business and b) take away jobs from our own country.

For example, outsourcing of specific jobs allows your business to:

- Focus energy and resources on your business's core competencies
- Leverage a partner/supplier/agency's expertise
- Making better use of available resources

By leveraging outsourced expertise or utilising resources from other channels, your business can achieve it's goals sooner.

Grace Chau
Attractivo Design
www.attractivo.com.au