One of the great challenges facing small business owners is that they must often battle for customers against larger competitors, who can afford to run more advertising, offer lower prices, and who are better established in the marketplace.

And yet some small business owners do it very successfully. How?

There are some proven marketing strategies to use when competing against larger, more established competitors. These strategies have been used successfully by companies of all sizes to drive sales and carve out a sustainable position in the market. They apply to online commerce and traditional small businesses.

Here are details on two such strategies that you can use as a small business owner to help grow your business when competing with larger competitors:

Take the “Alternative” Position

If you are up against the market leader in your business, shift your market position so you don’t compete directly with them on their turf. Become the “alternative” to the market leader – that is, promote and advertise an aspect of your product/service that the leader simply can’t offer. This is a classic marketing strategy that has been used successfully by small companies and major corporations, because it allows you to compete with the leader in a part of the market where they may not be very strong.

Pepsi couldn’t beat Coke at the cola wars, because Coke was viewed as the original cola drink that had no substitutes. That was fine with Pepsi. It let Coke have that territory, and instead marketed itself as the “Choice of a New Generation”. Its marketing appeal and target audience was young and cool – everything that Coke couldn’t be with their more traditional positioning. Pepsi successfully carved out the number 2 position in the market by becoming the primary alternative to Coke, and made billions in the process.

The rule applies to everything from .com companies to local furniture stores. Survey the competitive landscape in your market and determine how you can position your business as the best alternative to the established market leader. Second place in a given market can be a very nice place to be from a profitability standpoint.

Sell what they don’t have – You!

Many small business owners have found success by building their personal reputations as experts in their field, with significant benefits to their small business. They have become the “public face” for their company.

Some large companies have a “public face”, a person who represents the company in the minds of customers (Richard Branson for Virgin is one). But most don’t. As a small business owner, you can effectively represent yourself as an expert in your area of expertise, and drive awareness for your small business in the process.

One of the most effective ways to build your reputation is through the credibility that comes from publicity and media relations activities.

Here are some guiding principles to working with the media as a small business owner:

View it as a relationship – reporters need story ideas and expert sources – you can offer both when it comes to your area of expertise to create a win-win situation

Pitch story ideas about what’s new and what’s changing – the media likes to break news about emerging trends, either in your industry or related to your experience as a small business owner

Strive for repeat business – once a reporter has identified you as a good source of information on a topic, they will keep coming back to you – so ensure that early in your relationship you are available to them and willing to offer help in getting information for them to pull a story together

Having a single person leading the charge to build media relationships and run the company makes it easier to transfer the goodwill that you achieve in the media over to your business activities. This doesn’t work nearly as well for larger companies, so leverage this competitive advantage and take a personal approach to building your business through publicity.

You Can Compete!

Small business marketing is all about leveraging the built-in advantages of being a small enterprise in the battle against larger competition for customers and sales. Establishing your business as an alternative to the market leader in your business, and building personal credibility that can be transferred to your small business are just two strategies that you can implement to help your small business succeed against bigger competitors.

Will Dylan is a small business marketing expert and the author of Small Business, Big Marketing, available for download at no charge from http://www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com

Author: Will Dylan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Gadget reviews

Are you tired of working for someone else? Do you feel that you have a great idea that can be the start of a great business? Do you see opportunities everywhere you look? Well, then, you might just be an entrepreneur.

Before you can know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur, however, you have to understand just what an entrepreneur is. That is not quite as simple as it sounds since the definition has been changing for nearly 100 years!

The first definition was simply someone who invented something. Eventually it turned into someone who owned a business. Neither one of these definitions really got to the heart of entrepreneurship. The best definition I have found, and the one used most often today is this:

Someone who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks for a business or enterprise.

This description shows that not only does a person “invent” something, but that they see the opportunity and build a business around it. An entrepreneur has a vision and builds around this vision.

Debunking Entrepreneurial Myths

Not only have definitions been changing, many myths have been flying! There are many myths associated with what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Let’s examine of few of these and see if we can’t put things into a better perspective.

Is it true that you are either born an entrepreneur or you are not? Are you doomed to forever work for someone else simply because of your genetic makeup? It is true that entrepreneurs typically have a flair for the creative and a lot of energy. These are things that we are born with. However, just having these characteristics certainly does not make you into an entrepreneur.

These talents by themselves are like unmolded clay or an unpainted canvas. A true entrepreneur takes these characteristics and gathers the right skills, experience, and contacts. They are also constantly searching themselves to make improvements. You are quite likely to find an entrepreneur in the “self help” aisle of a bookstore!

So, the answer to the question? Yes and no. Yes, there are talents that most entrepreneurs are born with. And no, you have to actually use and continue to improve these talents!

Although it is true that anyone can acquire a business license and open shop, there is far more to “starting a business” than starting up. The easiest part is starting up. The hardest part is surviving, sustaining, and building. It takes work to overcome, to build, to persevere, to create, and succeed. To be a champion it takes focus, creativity, diligence, time, and resources.

Can anyone start a business? Yes, they can. Can anyone succeed? Yes, if they put their heart and soul into it, along with the right resources!

The dream of being “your own boss” often captures the attention of those working for someone else. There is this notion that the boss makes up the rules and only has fun. This is far from true! Entrepreneurs, though independent, have to serve many masters including customers, employees, families, and those involved in social and community obligations. Entrepreneurs, however, can make free choices of whether, when, and what they care to respond to.

A sense of personal achievement and accomplishment, feeling in control of their own destinies, and realizing their vision and dreams are the most powerful motivators for entrepreneurs. Money is viewed as a tool and way of keeping score.

Eight Entrepreneurial Characteristics

Remember that entrepreneurs are always striving to improve themselves. So, in reality, if you want to be an entrepreneur and you are willing to work on it, you can eventually be one!

Over the years, people have studied entrepreneurs to determine what makes them successful. Certain characteristics seem to show up over and over again. Here are the 8 characteristics that you will want to have and improve upon if you wish to be a successful entrepreneur:

1. Leadership

2. High Energy

3. Self Confident

4. Organized

5. Competitive

6. Prepared to Work Hard

7. Risk Taker

8. Good Communicator

Take a good hard look at the list. Do you have these qualities? Do you have all of them? If not, which ones do you lack and what can you do about it?

For instance, are you lacking in organizational skills? There are certainly a large number of books and websites devoted entirely to this subject. So, read a good book and then follow the advice! Organization can be a learned trait, not just one you are born with.

What about communication? Do you have trouble expressing yourself and your ideas? The best way to get over this is to communicate more! Try joining Toastmasters so you can speak at every opportunity. Or take a course in speaking or writing.

There is nothing on this list that can’t be learned. There is also nothing on this list that entrepreneurs can live without. So, if you want to be an entrepreneur, be honest with yourself and then get to work!

Five Entrepreneurial Resources

In addition to characteristics, entrepreneurs must have certain resources at their fingertips:

1. Enough money to see the project through: Most business ventures fail, not due to poor ideas, but due to lack of money! You will need to have a plan of action and know what start up money you need.

2. Good health: Being an entrepreneur requires long hours of hard work. Being in poor physical shape will not help you be successful in your new venture! Consider some new habits, like exercising, quitting smoking, or even taking a stress management class.

3. Unique product or service: You can’t sell something that everyone else is already selling. It doesn’t have to be brand new, but it does have to have a new twist!

4. Family/friend support: Since being an entrepreneur takes a lot of time, you will want to have family support.

5. Experience: You need to have an interest and at least some experience in your chosen field.

Just as with the talents, these resources can also be acquired. The point here is that you can’t be an entrepreneur without them!

So now you know what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Do you have the skills? Do you have the resources? Are you willing to sacrifice and change to get them? If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are well on your way! Good luck!

Teri B. Clark is a professional writer and published author offering writing help for professionals. Her book, Private Mortgage Investing, is a finalist in the Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. Her book, 301 Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home NOW and For More Money Than You Thought, has just been released. Learn more about Teri at http://TeriBClark.com

Author: Teri B Clark
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Cool mobile gadgets

Small Business, Big Business – What’s the Diff?

Well a lot actually!

I become frustrated and angry at the government’s paying lip service to assisting small business. It appears as though all governments, bureaucrats and many accounting advisers do not know what a real small business is.

In Australia the government’s definition for a small business is one which has less than 100 employees. Who are they kidding? In my consultancy that’s a big business.

They believe that ‘small business’ is the same as ‘big business’ on a smaller scale, that ‘big business’ is ‘small business’ with more of the same.

Wrong! About 99% of small business employs less than 10 employees and what is beneficial to the 100-employee firm may be downright dangerous for the 10-employee firm. Governments must know that. They can’t be so stupid not too… can they?

We Aussies are ready to believe anything about our politicians. We have met so many of them and none of them seem any brighter than the fellow next door. (In fact, none of them seem to know as much as I do).

When I decided to go global I was certain that the situation would be different in the USA. I was wrong.

The USA Small Business Authority has set a size standard for most ‘small business’ enterprises. In the full Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to SIC Codes published by the Small Business Authority it is annual turnover that limits the size of small business firms.

In my consultancy of restaurants, coffee shops, florists, hairdressers, electrical retailers etc. the turnover limit is $5 million. In Australia there are NO single shop establishments achieving that sort of turnover.

In Australia a hairdressing salon working a 7-day week at an average price of $70 per client would need 30 clients each and every hour on ever day of the year. Impossible in Australia and probably in the USA too.

This does clear up an anomaly I had noticed in the different approach business plans took in Australia as opposed to that taken in America.

When Australian business began to use the Internet almost all the business plan software was from the States. The plans, although meant for small business, were not appropriate for Australian firms because they focused entirely on obtaining venture capital.

There were very few venture capital providers in Australia and of those that were few were interested in providing capital to the majority of our small ‘small business’. Business Plans languished in the filing cabinet and were hardly ever seen again.

The Australian consultants began to oversee business plans that focused on their being used as management tools. The planning itself was a vital element in the success of the business…and the plans were used to chart the course of the firm.

Each month the actual results were compared to what had been expected in the business plan. Tactics were formulated to overcome shortcomings or build upon favorable results.

Are you a small business owner who has studied all the books and web information that you can get hold of, and it is still not happening for you?

Perhaps it is because the information was directed to firms much larger than yours – firms with 100 employees or $5 million in sales. You need information more suited to your own business size.

Various organisations publish benchmarks for your industry. Compare your own results with the industry average. This will show where you should be concentrating your efforts for improvement.

You should seek out advisers and information that applies to ‘mini’ business – firms that are your size whatever it is. Perhaps you own accountant can help you find it.

But never be so foolish as to believe that what the government says is good for small business will be necessarily good for you.

Kelvyn Peters CPA and Associates knows profitable business strategies that really work.

And he’s only an e-mail away.

The Author

Kelvyn Peters is one of Australia’s longest serving Tax Agents. He was registered in 1962 and became a CPA in 1964.

Kelvyn served on many charitable boards including St Aubyns Hospital, Alzheimers Association, Older Peoples Advocacy Service and Golden Years Center. As a young man he won the Outstanding Jaycee Award three times.

Kelvyn is a compassionate, generous man who loves people. Thats why he is so skilled at helping people in trouble.

Kelvyn Peters was Mayor of Kingaroy Shire Council from 1979 to 1984 and campaigned as the Young Man of Action.

Over 20 years later he still regards himself as a Young Man of Action.

He is a director of Restaurant Catering Qld Inc the peak employer representative in Queensland, and has advised the hospitality industry for many years.

His specialty is moving in to rescue an ailing business.

Kelvyn Peters CPA has spent over 20 years experimenting and researching methods to help small business in ways that are affordable.

He’s done that for local clients now he’s going global.

http://www.profitstrategies4business.com

Author: Kelvyn Peters
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
eCommerce solution, service provider

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is here once again, with retailers large and small looking to increase their bottom line. But, what most of these retailers don’t realize is that it will take more than just a “One Day Sale” to keep their customers happy. In fact, a huge dose of superior customer service will need to be added to retailers’ great deals and bargains, if they want to keep their customers long after the holidays are gone.

It’s true – customers will still be driven to stores to purchase the latest gadgets and trendiest fashions this season, especially if the price is right. But, what will keep them coming back over the long-haul is what they experience when they bring all of these items back to the store for exchanges or returns, just a few days later. How will they be treated then?

Why customer service matters

There isn’t a major retailer in the country that wouldn’t say that customer service is a top priority for their business. Sometimes, however, saying it is all that is done. Too many companies simply pay lip service to the idea of customer service – talking the talk, but ultimately failing to deliver.

These companies run the risk of weakening their corporate brand because their lack of customer service is likely generating unhappy customers. When customers are unhappy, they’ll tell anyone who’ll listen. The effect of this “negative word-of-mouth marketing” can steadily chip away at a company’s brand and reputation, causing a catastrophic impact on the bottom line.
At the other end of the scale are the strategic thinking companies: the ones who recognize their company’s shortcomings and immediately take action to repair the problem. These are the companies that deliver “invisible profits” to their business in the form of happy customers. These are the companies that will drive consumers to their stores whether it’s the holidays or just any other day.

Protect Your Brand. Build Customer Service

Naturally, no retailer wants to see its brand weakened by poor customer service. Therefore, to make sure customer service doesn’t destroy your brand this season, simply follow these easy steps:

1. Cheerfully Manage Returns and Exchanges

Nothing is worse than a customer bringing their return or exchange to the customer service counter and being met by a frown or smirk on the cashier’s face. Believe it or not, some customers already feel uncomfortable bringing returns back to the store in the first place; so, to be greeted by a less than friendly service representative can really make them feel intimidated. Stop trying to frighten your customers when they bring back merchandise to your store. Greet them with a smile, ask them what problems they experienced with the product, and facilitate the return or exchange as quickly as possible. By doing this, you will significantly increase your chances of that same customer coming back next week to purchase additional products from your store.

2. Take Ownership

One of the simplest, and yet most successful routes to exceptional customer service is to take ownership of the complaints you receive. Don’t bury your head in the sand: accept that the customer is unhappy and go about fixing the problem. Throughout this process, make sure that the customer knows who has ownership of the issue: customer representatives should give their names, and endeavor to remain with the issue until it is resolved.

3. Be Accountable

As tempting as it is to try to pass the buck, resist the impulse to apportion blame when dealing with a customer complaint: it’s unprofessional, and, as far as the customer is concerned, irrelevant. Deal with the issue in hand and make sure that resolving the issue remains the top priority.

4. Seek feedback

It’s difficult to know how well you’re performing in terms of customer service without asking the people who are best placed to tell you: your customers. Build satisfaction surveys into your processes: send questionnaires with your invoices or encourage staff to ask their customers how satisfied they are at the end of each call. Be aware of what your customers think of your corporation: and make sure any negative impressions are dealt with using the techniques above.

5. Create a culture of customer service from the top down

Although customer-focused staff find themselves at the sharp end of the customer service stick, exceptional customer service start at the very top – the CEO’s office. CEO’s must embrace the concept of providing exceptional customer service, measuring success and rewarding employees who meet and exceed the standards set.

It’s only when all of the above points come into play that the business benefit from the “invisible profits” driven by good customer service. Failure to implement a solid customer service strategy could be disastrous, leading to loss of customers, loss of reputation and ultimately loss of profits. Make sure your customer service program is the type that your customers will talk about- in a good way for years to come.

Robert Moment is an innovative customer service consultant, business coach and author of Invisible Profits: The Power of Exceptional Customer Service. Visit http://www.customerservicetrainingskills.com and sign-up for the FREE 5 day e-course Creating Wow Customer Service Experiences.

Author: Robert Moment
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
portmeirion porcelain dinnerware, bakeware & accessories

I read an amazing statistic in an article written by the Canadian Management Centre.

“The average company loses half their customers in 5 years and half their employees in 4 years¹. This has significant impact to overall customer, employee, investor and supplier loyalty.”

Wow! Think about that statistic. 100% customer turnover in 5 years and 100% employee turn over in 4 years. Management at all levels must understand the changing role and importance of front-line customer service operations to achieve the core mission of the business, i.e., customer retention, customer acquisition, customer satisfaction, employee retention and increased profitability.

When managers do not envision the relationship between management practices and front-line actions, the business has not recognized the evolution of the customer’s Service Output Demands (SODS). Nothing short of service excellence will initiate and maintain customer relationship equity, which is the cornerstone of customer retention and increased customer spend. The most successful businesses in any industry are those that maintain relationships through ongoing customer satisfaction earned by meeting changing customer expectations, versus those that focus just on new business and new sales but lose existing customers. Consequently, customer service requires a priority focus on existing customer relationship equity. Customers have become accustomed to receiving “The Ultimate Customer Experience.” Today’s customers are just smarter and utilizing the internet and the proliferation of information available to them your customer is poised to expect your absolute best. They may know an awful lot about your company before you ever walk in their door.

The importance of customer retention and its relationship to profits and growth through existing account penetration and through referrals from existing satisfied customers is not an initiative. It is a proven best practice success factor.

Sales and Service

Without customers, we don’t exist, customer service is useless and there would be no need for professional sales personnel. Next to employees, customers are the company’s most precious asset. Consequently, customer service must become a core competency. Most companies define customer service a little differently than sales. That is a broad definition and we must not lose sight of the fact that every employee in one way or another is involved in customer service. Sales personnel just happen to be one of the “Front Lines.” As a “customer driven organization” it is important to discuss how you serve your customers. In one way or another, every employee provides customer service.

Industry studies position inside sales, customer service and counter service at center stage. Different studies document changing customer expectations. They prove the primary day-to-day contact with customers by inside sales, customer service personnel or the counter represents the biggest opportunity to develop and maintain customer relationship equity. Customer service is the customer’s window into the company. Through that window, customers see and experience the commitment to service excellence. All companies tout, “We have the best service in the industry.” Woo Hoo–the customer today demands that you walk the walk! As a customer driven organization, failure to provide service excellence encourages customers to readily switch to get what they want.

Operations and Logistics

Accuracy is one of the most important factors in service excellence. That factor applies to everyone in the organization, but it is especially true on the front line. Logistics, for those customers requiring delivery is also a part of the formula for excellence. Filling the order means knowing the inventory and location of all products to ensure customer satisfaction. Filling an order with the wrong product size, type, or causing unanticipated delays deteriorates customer relationship equity.

Customer Facing

Inside sales, customer service and counter sales professionals are key links to the customer; a crucial ingredient in the service excellence formula. Don’t underestimate the impact on customer relationships, sales growth and profitability. Customers have higher expectations of their face-to-face contacts and their regular telephone contacts than anyone else in the company. They want to get the right product, at the right time, at the right price. They also want to talk to knowledgeable total solution providers that do more than just write orders and handle complaints.

All sales and support people hold key positions in the organization and contribute favorably in all the aspects of the sales process. The ability to follow policy and procedures and to employ good judgment is also highly valued by management. A complete understanding of your role and the role and function of your teammates will improve your ability to service the customer. The most important concept is your role in developing relationship equity. Relationships play a key role in improved service, increased sales, improved profitability and deeper penetration at each account.

http://www.ceostrategist.com Sign up to receive The Howl a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. Straight talk about todays issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distributions Leadership Strategist, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Dont forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more profit into your business.

Author: Rick Johnson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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