E-myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber. You may have heard us mention this great book in the past. E-Myth Revisited should be required reading for anyone thinking about starting a business or for those who have already taken that risky step.
Having multiple social networking accounts online means having to individually update your profile picture on each network. Avatar Harmony helps you synchronise your profile pictures between Facebook and Twitter.
Create your own QR code online. QR codes are a square matrix type barcode that hold encrypted information. They are widely used in marketing to provide an extremely easy way for end users to be directed to web content, initiate an SMS, and receive contact information as a Vcard and more.
https://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/tips8.png7581200adminhttps://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.pngadmin2015-08-10 00:00:002018-05-14 15:08:26Top Marketing Tips For January
2012 has arrived and we are very excited! It is time to look at the challenges and opportunities ahead and start planning your marketing strategy for 2012, if you haven’t done so already. Relationships are key
According to numerous marketing sources and we’d agree, the future of marketing lies in customer relationships. This is supported by the rise of social media, where consumers can engage with your brand at anytime. Gone are the days when companies could control external communications concerning their organisation. The power now resides with the consumer or client. Listening and responding to their needs is vital.
Traditional advertising is over
Your customer’s ability to identify whether what’s being promoted is something useful to them or just “advertising” has become infinitely more acute. According to Andrew Baird at Amazing Business, ignoring ads is at an all time high, so successful marketing relies on being shared online. Customers can then “like”, recommend and share their opinions through this medium.
Word of mouth marketing
Now more than ever, a consistent online presence is crucial to business success. Through conducting regular client surveys on behalf of our clients, TLC Business has persistently found that referrals, whether on or offline, are still a vital tool for sourcing a new service. The rise in social media activity has made it much easier for consumers to recommend or advise against a service and have their message shared far beyond their own social circles. This is further verified by the Buyersphere 2011 report on changing B2B buyer behavior, which identifies referrals as one of the most influential channels when appointing and sourcing a supplier.
Integrated on and offline
Alongside active consumer engagement, TLC Business emphasises the importance of on and offline marketing convergence. With all the noise about digital marketing, it is easy to forget that more traditional marketing methods can still be incredibly effective. Using both mediums together can result in greater returns on your marketing investment. Integral to successfully implementing this strategy is ensuring all your marketing efforts support each other, working in unison, rather than each independently in its own bubble. For successful integration, make sure online and offline business campaigns are consistent, coherent and in sync with each other.
QR codes
TLC Business’ Director, Josh Spencer, believes that 2012 will be the year QR codes finally realise their potential and become more widely used. For those that haven’t heard, QR is short for Quick Response. These barcodes are used to take a piece of information from an advertisement or product and transfer it to a mobile device. For small businesses, this code can be added to a wide variety of marketing material, including: stationery, adverts, promotional items, posters, stands etc. and direct users to a specific landing page. Using this tool means that information about your business can be accessed instantaneously and at any time. Crucially, it also gives businesses a fantastic way of measuring the effectiveness of a variety of marketing tools that previously would have proved difficult.
Don’t get lazy
Don’t rest on your laurels. What has worked in the past will not necessarily prove effective today. Make sure you adopt strategies that are up-to-date with today’s “switched on” consumers and exploit the latest improvements in marketing tools and technology. For businesses looking to grow their client base and improve customer relations, developing a well rounded and relevant marketing plan is essential. In today’s fast moving society, marketing strategies should be constantly evolving and changing; tools that were successful in 2011, may not be as effective in 2012.
Do your homework
The beginning of a new year also allows business owners the opportunity to diversify their marketing. Research shows that 57% of entrepreneurs interviewed said that marketing was their top priority this year. SMEs that want to continue to build their reputation in the marketplace in 2012 must be aware of consumer needs. Experimenting with different channels will enhance your opportunities, so what better time to try new approaches. Determine those channels that are most profitable and those that aren’t. The New Year marks a time for change, and small businesses are no exception. By refreshing your marketing strategy, you can breathe new life into your business and make 2012 a great your for your business.
We are looking forward to joining you on your journey!
In the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, the Hampshire economy is holding up well. Starting a successful business and sustaining it is a difficult task, but recent surveys have shown that local organisations have continued to perform strongly and successfully. SMEs are making the most of opportunities and growing their businesses. The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 league table ranks UK firms by sales growth. The average sales growth amongst this year’s firms was 85%, and the group contained a substantial number of Hampshire-based businesses.
Introducing the new wave of Technology
Portsmouth-based company Vadition source security, networking and data-storage technology from America’s Silicon Valley, which it then sells to banks, television production companies and life-sciences groups via resellers. It was the third fastest growing private UK company in 2010 and this year, the company announced its acquisition of Exclusive Network group. The deal will add important drive to the business and the collaboration means that the breadth of offering is preeminent in the UK and gives them a significant advantage within the marketplace.
Looking after the MAMILS
Portsmouth company Wiggle, sells sports products online to more than 70 countries. The business launched in 1999 in humble surroundings, selling a range of cycle accessories from the back of a cycle shop in the city. The rise in the popularity of cycling, especially among “MAMILS” (middle aged men in lycra!) added significant momentum to the business. By 2006, Wiggle was offered a deal with equity investor ISIS and HSBC had invested in an £11.5 million “cash out” deal. Through negotiation, company founders were able to maintain a controlling stake in the business and they continue to manage the company today. The company attribute their success to the breadth of their product offering, promoting a range of about 15,000 products, including bikes and cycling accessories, as well as running and swimming gear. Wiggle has now achieved sales of £55m across 70 different countries in 2009 – 2010.
Water with added Intelligence
Southampton-based i20 Water is an example of a successful ‘green company’ that last year won the Bond Pearce award for Technology and Innovation. Their success is founded on their ability to identify a serious environmental problem and successfully develop a solution that will make a valuable contribution to the problem. i20 responded to claims by the UN that by 2025, two thirds of the world’s population will have insufficient water. In response, i20 created a solution to the world’s big leakage problem – an integrated system that minimises leakage and burst frequency by remotely, automatically and intelligently optimising pressures in the distribution network. i2O has now installed technology for water companies all over the world, achieving impressive leakage savings and helping to save money. In 2011, i20 water was also named joint winner in the Innovation and Technology category at the 2011 Test Valley Business Awards.
So what’s next for Hampshire business?
Recently Hampshire-based entrepreneur Jenna Rayner and business partner Sam Charles won a competition run by Duncan Bannatyne’s creative agency, Bannatyne Digital, which encouraged young entrepreneurs to pitch their inventions via online video website YouTube. The pair sent in a video to promote their company,”Freckles and Gilbert”, which sells quirky and colourful cases for laptops, iPads and Kindles. The pair demonstrated the importance of strongbranding for SMEs. Bannatyne Digital rewarded the pair with a prize of £10,000 design and the creation of a company website.
There is no better time to start your business or expand your current one in Hampshire. Currently, there is plenty of support for businesses in the Hampshire area. Schemes, such as ‘Brand New Forest’, are also successfully improving local trade. This programme is designed to help local businesses become smarter, greener, more efficient and better able to access the support available to them. The Hampshire Ambassadors scheme, run by Hampshire County Council and now in its fifteenth year, also aims to stimulate investment and encourage business development in the county. In addition, despite the recent financial crisis, results from a recent survey show that 98% of private equity investors believe now is the right time to take risks and invest. Over the coming years, Hampshire businesses will play a key role in delivering the growth and momentum to help drive Britain’s economy forward.
https://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.png00adminhttps://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.pngadmin2015-08-10 00:00:002015-08-10 00:00:00Conquering the business landscape
PageFlip-Flap
Transform your document and pdf to an interactive flipbook. Upload your file and you will receive an email with the url to your creation. You can share this with your friend, family… by email, on your blog, on facebook or twitter.
A status update usually is only a line of text. But if you want to update your status in a different way, you can start using AudioTweet to add audio to your status updates. It’s an online text-to-speech tool that works for numerous languages.
Design and Marketing (Graphic Designer’s Library)
This manual explains how the overall character and style of the design concept determines its success or failure in the marketplace. It explores how to understand, analyze and anticipate market and client needs, offering various design options that can be used, with guidelines and examples to demonstrate their effects.
https://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.png00adminhttps://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.pngadmin2015-08-10 00:00:002015-08-10 00:00:00Top Marketing Tips For September
The nights are drawing in and winter is on its way, so what better time for companies looking to boost their marketing by getting online and involved in social media on the dark and dreary afternoons that we have been experiencing lately. Following on from Joshua Spencer’s presentation on digital marketing in July, we examine some more benefits to digital media and what it can do for your business.
Digital marketing is hugely effective for connecting with consumers in an interactive and engaging way. An increasing number of people are interacting and communicating within the social media sphere, and therefore investing in an online presence for your business is very important. Effective use of social media is no longer an option for companies, it‘s now a requirement.
Last week the luxury fashion brand Burberry told the Financial Times that they were investing more of their marketing budget into the digital arena, a total of 60%, more than three times the average. In the past, Burberry relied heavily on traditional methods of marketing, such as print advertising; however they now feel that they need to be totally connected with whomever touches their brand and engaging with their audience via social media is a means of achieving this. The shift to digital marketing highlights how quickly industries are moving away from traditional methods of marketing in order to interact with consumers globally. Reaching out to consumers on multiple channels makes it more important than ever for a business to make sense of this new ‘marketing mix’
Create a two way conversation
As we have mentioned in the past, digital media can be a valuable asset not just for larger B2C organisations but also for your everyday SME. Twitter is currently dominating the marketing landscape, used by 82% of the B2B social mix. When it comes to expanding a business, “tweeting” has real value, enabling a two way conversation with customers, as well as promotion for any organisation. It is used by small businesses, as well as global companies, facilitating customer feedback, free marketing, improved brand recognition and a stronger connection with customers. Starbucks use of social media is a brilliant example of this. The coffeehouse giant posts new offers and participates in interactive discussions with their customers about the offers on twitter daily. Computer company ComCast also offers a friendly Twitter customer support, including a photograph of the member of staff you are talking to.
Audience participation
Video is another personal yet dynamic way to engage with consumers, allowing them to participate and interact with a brand in order to obtain more information. Google recently reported that 35% of B2B marketers already using online video will increase their video budgets in the future. A tool which is mainstream and accessible to all, video enables businesses to accumulate larger audiences quickly and effectively. The value of video is reflected in HSBC’s recent campaign. The bank held a competition for a £15,000 student bursary last year, and the decision to keep the media interactive was integral to the success of campaign. Students uploaded a 90 second video to Facebook stating why the money would help them change the world. Response to the campaign was outstanding: there were 50,000 interactions in one month and more than 2 million impressions. Check out Sprites Zero Skate ‘n’ Splash video below and HSBC’S winning entry.
This interactive YouTube video lets you instantly skip from one segment to the next, deciding exactly what you’ll see and when you’ll see it. Using keyboard keys 4 to 9, you can replay the skateboard tricks, skip others, and create your own rhythmic masterpieces.The promotional YouTube video, dreamed up by Coca-Cola Germany for Sprite Zero, minimizes branding because it’s creators “wanted the focus to be on the content and the interactivity.” They added, “This sort of video is quite different from what we at Coca-Cola usually do, in terms of ‘edginess’ and branding.”
‘Likes’ are not the be all and end all
Facebook is used by 67% of B2B marketers and 200 million people access Facebook via a mobile device each day. It is guaranteed to expand your business presence on the web. However, it is also important to be careful with the type of interaction your social media attracts. A recent study has shown that the more “likes” a brand has on Facebook, the less participation there was to a page by consumers. A study by L2, an organisation for digital innovation, has found that the quality and not the quantity of consumers is extremely important. Therefore, in the fast changing social media landscape, it is important for businesses to keep their pages up to date and interactive.
Another huge advantage of social media is that it is a free or low cost marketing strategy. It brings a new dimension to an organisation’s communication – forecasts indicate traditional marketing will represent only 30% of SMB marketing budgets by 2015. The objective of social media marketing is to draw the customer closer to your brand. Once engaged, maintaining an effective dialogue must be a priority. It is no good collecting likes, connections and followers. The real power of social media is only realised through regular communication and relationship building. Only then can your start turning followers into customers.
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Free Online Photo Editor – Photo editing applications often require you to have the image stored on your computer. Free Online Photo Editor lets you edit images stored on your computer and it also accepts direct URLs of images stored online. Once you provide the image to the editor you can perform numerous editing tasks that include resizing, rotating, adjusting the brightness, sharpening, enhancing, adding text to images, and much more.
Tweet Topic Explorer is a tool that lets you quickly check what a Twitter user has been tweeting about. The normal way to check would be going through the user’s Twitter timeline which can be time consuming. This tool helps you avoid that by showing the main topics in a tag cloud format. Check out the TLC Biz twitter topic image below, I have no idea why the word dog is in there…..Josh?
The Big Book of Graphic Design is the independent, international, and indispensable collection of graphic design from around the world. The work is grouped into seven categories: Corporate, arts, music, education, editorial design, self promotion and unpublished. A great book to help you with some graphic designs ideas for your business.
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Businesses are coming under increasing pressure to engage in activities which come under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) banner. CSR follows the concept that each company has a responsibility, in fact an obligation, to help the same community that allows them to earn profit.Many believe that the larger multi-national companies impact the most upon society, and therefore, must be the primary undertakers of CSR activities; however, statistics tell another story. As we know, official data gathered from across the globe, has found that more than 90% of the businesses in the world are classified as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs play a vital role and are an important part of the UK, EU and global economy; however when it comes to adopting social responsibility, smaller companies are falling behind in making changes within their businesses to honour ethical values, people, communities and the natural environment.
Although small and mid-sized organisations may not have a multinational’s budget to help them develop their CSR activities, there are some highly productive activities that can be undertaken by smaller businesses that can make a big difference.
SME’s can reap significant benefits from a reorganised approach to CSR.
Consider our key steps to ‘SME SR’:
To implement a social responsibility program effectively, a company must engage employees in the planning process. Talk to your staff. What causes do they want to support? What would create meaning and motivation for them in the workplace? By getting your network of people on board, you can work together to form an effective strategy. Set your ‘SME SR’ objectives.
Social responsibility isn’t just about recycling your paper and turning off lights. It requires a change in attitude. Look at every aspect of your business; from your impact on the environment, your staff, your community and your business network.
Gather ideas internally, from amongst your team and externally, from the wider business community and internet, of activities and undertakings you can commit to that fit with your ‘SME SR objectives’.
You may want to reduce your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of meetings that you drive to and embracing remote-meeting technology.
Rather than printing documents for clients, send PDFs via email.
If you do have to print, make sure it is duplex.
Stop printing out 1000s of brochures and leaflets that never get used. If you do need tangible marketing collateral, use folders with digitally printed inserts (printed as and when needed).
Use low energy bulbs.
Don’t leave PCs and equipment on standby.
Incentivise car sharing or cycling to work.
In the winter, introduce morning and afternoon hugging sessions to stay warm and reduce heating needs (only joking…or not!)
Allocate days when you’ll work in the community or for a cause.
Adopt a cause to fundraise for.
Most importantly, make it fun!
‘SME SR’ should be viewed as a process of building shared value within your organisiation, rather than a superficial PR exercise. Whilst it will undoubtedly give your business something to shout about, in blogs, newsletters and social media, we believe it is a lifetime commitment that should be integrated into the day-to-day running of your business.
What is in it for me, I hear you say? Well the benefits can be significant for SMEs:
Improved image and reputation within your market and local community
Improved trust and understanding
Larger, more prominent profile within your community
Possible business opportunities
Increased employee motivation within your organisation
Increased attractiveness to potential recruits and clients
Considerable cost savings and increased efficiencies within your organisation
These are just a few of the ways you can benefit. Over time, you will be surprised at what doors open as a result of your consideration of your business’ impact on your community, network and environment. We may be small, but combined; SMEs have the power to make a real positive impact on our external environment. So next time someone talks about CSR, think ‘SME SR’!
Everyone’s An Expert – Another great eBook from Seth Godin. This book is for anyone who wants more. How do you get more people to visit your site? or buy your product? or donate to your charity online?
Snip Snip is an easy way to share your favourite parts of videos you like. Simply snip out the uninteresting portions of the video, all you do is provide the site with the YouTube video’s URL and enter the start and end times. No sign-up required, just snip snip away.
High-quality images can often be too big to upload easily. BigImg solves that problem by taking awkwardly large images and resizing them to your desired size so you can easily embed them to your website.
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Mercedes has been revealed as the UK’s number one consumer superbrand in the 12th annual survey by the Centre for Brand Analysis, toppling last year’s winner Microsoft, which dropped into 6th place. This is the first time in five years that Microsoft or Google have not topped the list.
Mercedes-Benz has performed well over the last five years, with the brand featuring in the top ten since 2006, finally claiming the top spot on their 125 year anniversary. The TBCA poll, carried out by the Centre of Brand Analysis, placed the car firm ahead of luxury watchmaker Rolex, which maintained its position from last year, whilst the BBC came in third, having placed in the top five for the last five years.
So what factors are considered when crowning the UK’s top consumer brand? The survey defines a Superbrand as having established “the finest reputation in its field”. Such a brand is deemed to offer “significant emotional and/or tangible advantages over other brands, which customers want and recognise”. The survey asked 2,000 consumers to assess the following:
Quality – Does the brand provide quality products and services to its consumers?
Reliability – Can the brand be trusted to deliver consistently against its promises and maintain product and service standards at all customer touch points?
Distinction – Does the brand offer unique services and products to its consumers? Is it a well known brand that stands out from its competitors?
So how has Mercedes claimed the top spot? The premium brand attributes its success to investing in innovation and building on its 125-year heritage. “We haven’t chased volume sales in the downturn, but last year we increased our market share to 3.4% – a significant figure for a luxury brand. Everybody in the company is absolutely committed to delivering exceptional levels of customer service, and this survey result shows that these efforts are paying off,” says a spokesman for the brand.
Heritage proved to be a key trend in the Consumer survey, with most of the brands having had a longer life span than the average consumer, for example Rolex, British Airways and Jaguar.
So what can SMEs learn from this to help build their brands?
Well, focusing on the 3 attributes of ‘quality’, ‘reliability’ and ‘distinction’ when assessing your business, seems a sensible place to start.
Whilst cutting costs, and corners in the process, might seem appealing in this challenging economic times, it is clear that compromising on quality will severely damage your reputation and potentially long-term profitability.
Reliability and consistency are critical factors to have in place, whether you sell products or deliver services. It is vital that you maintain, if not improve, the levels of service and quality that your customers expect. The challenge for businesses is that customer expectations are not static, they keep increasing, so what might have been perceived as outstanding in the past, might be deemed expected as a minimum, in the present. Ensuring you have effective CRM and delivery systems and managing customer expectations will help maintain the excellent levels of service / quality your customers have come to expect.
Being distinct from your competitors is equally important. In an increasingly crowded marketplace, occupying a distinct and competitive position from your competitors will help your target audience understand how you differ from the other options open to them and most importantly, how they will benefit from your UNIQUE position. It may be challenging, but make sure your business has a USP. Without it, you are just another business amongst many, indistinct and indiscernible from the multitude of options out there. Having trouble coming up with your USP? Take a look at the competition. You may find it is staring you in the face.
Ensuring your business puts ‘quality’, ‘reliability’ and ‘distinction’ at the forefront of its values, gives you a chance of becoming one of the ‘Superbrands’ of the future.
https://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.png00adminhttps://www.tlc-business.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logooptimised.pngadmin2015-08-10 00:00:002015-08-10 00:00:00What can SME's learn from the super brands?
Really Bad Power Point – This Seth Godin eBook explores why power points are so bad and how we can tackle them to create a better presentation.
Search PSD – Free online collection of over 1,500 PSD files. You can search for them by name or category. When you hover the mouse cursor over a thumbnail of the file, it shows a download link that helps you download the file in zipped format.
ytplaylist.com – A YouTube playlist maker that helps you effortlessly create playlists out of different videos, and then share them with friends or embed them on your website. An easy way to create videos for your blog and no sign up needed.
