STAYING LOCAL IS KEY FOR ANY BUSINESS

There is something about showing your local pride to the world. There is something special about staying attached to your roots. More companies need to feel this pride. Lots of companies get a taste of the big league. As soon as this happens, they want to leave the local stuff behind. This is the wrong approach.

Here’s why.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSUMER PRIDE

Did you know that local pride has more trends than the bigger things? It’s true. There are lots of companies who prefer to show their pride and stay small. They know their customer. Their customer base is happy.

The other day I saw a picture of three people wearing Georgia hats. These two guys and girls were representing their hometown. There is something magical about this. We all go abroad. At some point though, we all make the journey back home.

There is something about being home. This is what this pride represents. There are lots of ways that business can make bank on this pride. Look at what I just described. I was describing the hats from Georgia.

There are ways that companies can attract people this way. If just two local business teamed up to advertise the emotional aspect, the sales would get better. Lots of people buy based on emotion. It doesn’t matter where the emotion is coming from, people will buy.

This is why companies need to use this idealogy to their benefit. Find at the niche that local people are looking for. Find a way to utilize this in ways that other businesses are not doing right now.

If you build it, people will come.

local mad in business name

This is why I bring up the psychology aspect of business. You need to tap into the mindset of consumers. Look at people down here in the south. People down here care about good cooking, home and family. Lots of businesses down here get this. They get it and advertise it.

This is what you need to be doing. Look at some of the flea markets. You’d be amazed at how much business flea markets do down here. The companies up north tend to concentrate on the big things. With us, it’s about the simple things. Companies down here do more business, all because of this mentality.

Psychology is very important when it comes to why people buy. Once you tap into why someone is there to shop, you can build your brand around this.

Some shop out of anger. Some shop out of comfort. These people want that emotional outlet. Do not laugh. The comfort outlet is one of the biggest sellers for businesses.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO CAPITALIZE ON THIS

—Display local things on your site and business doors. Advertise things like the state flag. Say things like “support your local bike shop.” Once you tap into this energy, people will come buy.

–Advertise something that says “made in—-“. Insert your locality where those lines are. This plays right into the psychology of the consumer. You’d be surprised how many people will come in and take a look.

–Advertise where you eat locally. My one friend does this. Every time she eats out, she posts something on Facebook about it. This boost sales in a big way. She did it the other day. She got a few likes for it. It made me click on the eatery. I actually want to go eat there now. See how this works?

–One last thing you can do is go out and support your local events. This is one of the best ways for people to get to know you. Pass out some flyers. You might get some people who are not interested, but the right people will stop in.

January 2, 2016 Business world

WHY YOUR EMPLOYEES NEED TO BE RECOGNIZE MORE

Employee recognition is so important. There are lots of companies who do not to do this. These companies are missing out. The more your employees are recognized, the more they will want to stay on board.

Still not convinced?

It’s okay. It takes more than this to convince employers to recognize their employees hard work and value. Here are a few more reasons to do it.

TURNOVER

You will have a reduce turnover rate. One company I worked for in the past had the worst turnover rate ever. People kept leaving, especially the good people. The bosses didn’t seem to care. They also didn’t care about recognizing their employees in a good way. This caused the good people(including myself)to walk away.

Bottom line: You need to recognize your co-workers. You can recognize them via Deal Toys or whole Employee Recognition Programs & Services. If you really want to keep them on board, recognize them. Give your associates a reason to stay. Otherwise, the good ones will bail on you. Do you really want this to happen?recognising is very important

HAPPIER MORALE

Would you stay in abusive relationship? Would you stay with someone who blows you off constantly, making it all about them? Same goes for your team morale at work. When the environment is happier and healthier at work, your co-workers will stay with you.

I am talking about genuine concern for your co-workers. I am not talking about being fake. Your co-workers can spot this a mile away.

PERFORMANCE IS GOING TO GO UP

This goes along with the above two. If your company is a healthy and happy place, your associates will work harder. Your associates will look forward to coming to work. This is a big deal for many people.

I knew someone who got so sick from what was happening at work, he had to leave the company. The company did not seem to care. It’s in your best interest to not behave this way.

SHOW SUPPORT

Show support for your co-workers. Congratulate them on a job well done. If you validate your associates work in a meaningful way, this will encourage them to go the extra mile.

The next time there is a big project, your co-workers will not putting in the extra hours. They will do it knowing they are appreciated. I am talking about more than just the money appreciation. It’s one thing to give a bonus. It’s another thing to really go up and show a genuine interest in their work.

Just think about it. Doing these three things will make a huge impact. Sometimes it’s not what you say, it’s what you don’t say that says it all.

January 2, 2016 Business world

HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR COMPANY ROI DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Keeping track of the ROI is a crucial part of your company’s success. It’s almost as important as reaching your target audience.

keep track of your company on holidays

How many of you are familiar with these ways? How many of you need a refresher course? Well for those of you who fit into these categories, here are a few special tips.

THE SPECIAL URL

You will need the Google URL builder for this. You can find this toll on your business activity report. This will help you place special codes. These codes are based on the platform you are using.

Most people in the business world call this the UTM Code. This tool can tell you where the action is coming from. Places like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will light up. You can see where most of the action is coming from. This will tell you which direction your company needs to take.

THE DISCOUNT CODE

Use this codes for each platform. Each code needs to be distinct too. Do not use the same codes for Facebook and Twitter. This will cause confusion. With everything your company has to deal with, you do not have time to remember to separate.

A certain page will light up, it all depends on which code was used. This is a great way to keep track of where the sales are coming from. Based on these numbers, you will know what needs to be modified.

THE DROP-DOWN MENU

It’s best to use this only at the checkout page. Each customer can click on where they heard about you. Include everything. Include people like friends and family. Include places like social networks or a t.v. spot. This will give you a detailed report on where the top sales are coming from. Did the person hear about you through Google? Include this. Did the person hear about you from an ad in the paper? Have this listed. This way the person can click on it.

This is a good way for companies to know which adverts are getting the most attention.
Based on these reports you can make adjustments as needed.

January 1, 2016 Holidays

SOCIAL SELLING AND WHY YOU NEED IT AROUND THE HOLIDAYS

Consider this part two of the social media aspect of selling. When we last spoke, we discussed things like Facebook and Pinterest. Today we will be talking about something called Instagram. This is the social feed where people post all those selfies and such. It turns out this social channel can be used for a very good purpose.

Are you a cleaning business? You can use this channel to advertise. Show pictures of the homes you have done. This is a great way for people to visually see who you are, not just read the content.

post on instagram your product

Do you have a Christmas tree you want people to buy? Post the picture. Tweet about it on Twitter. This is a great way to get more exposure. You can post pictures of Christmas cookies and other cool things. This is the perfect way for the company to sell from a different angle.

Companies can sell on Instagram without even making a sell. How cool is that?

TWITTER

Twitter is another big deal for most people. Everyone from celebrities to average people tweet these days. A friend of mine went out and bought a Christmas tree the other day. She was so excited. She got home and tweeted about it. She posted the picture and she got hundreds of responses. Everyone wanted to know where she got the tree.

She actually got the fake tree from a department store a few miles from her home. After seeing the tweets, all her friends went out and bought one. This department store was sold out in a matter of minutes.

The tweets blew up. Everything blew up. It all happened because of this one fake tree. I even wanted to know where she got it. This is how powerful Twitter is.twitter-852636_1280

There was one neighbor that bought this incredible light show for his house. All my friends wanted to know where he got them. This light show is incredible. You have not seen anything like this. In fact, it puts all the others to shame.

I told my neighbor to Tweet about it, even though it’s not really his thing. He did it. The responses were incredible. He told everyone to go to this one store. The store was sold out fast. The store actually had to order more, all due to the popular demand.

The demand would not have been so big had he not tweeted about it. This is how big this thing is.

If you are to shy to do this, ask a friend to help out. There are plenty of people who willing to shamelessly plug something, especially if it means more money in the bank.

Talk to your bosses at work about this. This is a great way for your company to capitalize on the attention. Have someone from within the company post on Twitter specifically. It will work for you.

Have you done this already? Share your experiences right here at this link. I am sure the company will love the exposure. The more you share your experiences with this, the more your company will increase their sales.

December 31, 2015 Holidays, Social

HERE IS HOW USING SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HELP YOUR SALES GO THROUGH THE ROOF PART ONE

Social media shopping hit an all-time last year. Some of the biggest retailers hit over $3 billion in sales. This went up considerably from 2013. This is all because these companies are using social media to help them out. You can too, even if your business is just a small one.

I will show you exactly how you can achieve this goal too. Read on further.

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a gold mine for most people. I don’t know many who do not check their Facebook feeds every day. In fact, I know people who spend most of their day on Facebook. It’s that addicting.

Why not use this addiction to your own benefit? Here’s how.

Do you have a product for the holidays you want to specifically advertise? Take a snapshot and post it. Advertise all the info about it. Post this picture in the social feeds for your company. There is usually one or two that are active 24/7. Post it there.

The right audience will find it. The right audience will like it. The right audience will click on it to find out more. Those people will end up buying it too. These buyers will post their purchase online to show their friends. This is how Facebook works.

More people will want to find out more. People are addicted to social media these days. Some use it as a platform for gratification. Some use it as a platform of sharing knowledge. Wherever your business interests lie, use Facebook feeds to sell it.

THE MAGIC OF PINTEREST

This is another common social thread that people use. I personally do not use it. I tried it once. Did not like it very much. You might feel different. I actually encourage you to use it. The company that you bought it from will thank you. Here’s why.

You can use it sort of like Facebook, but it takes it to the next level. Have a favorite dress you just bought for the holidays? Take a picture. Post it. Show how cute you look. Share it with your friends and other people on your feed. There are going to be people wondering where you got it. This is what you want. Share the details of your purchase.

I can guarantee that the company you got it from will see sales through the roof. This is what a company wants during the holidays.

You can use it for anything really. The company can even advertise their own stuff. This part is for any business out there. Do not be shy right now. Sell your stuff. In the right time and place your product will fly off the shelves. Pinterest is perfect for both the buyer and seller. Use it. You both will thank me for this later.

December 30, 2015 Tips

WAYS TO DEVELOP BETTER BUSINESS HABITS

We are all guilty of certain habits. When it comes to our business acumen it’s not different. The key is developing good business habits though. It’s time to get ride of the bad habits you have been holding on to. It’s time to bring in some better habits today.

Here are some specific ways you can achieve this goal.

MAKE THINGS CLEAN AND CLEAR

This is a problem for lots of people. Lots of companies do not know how to develop healthy policies and practices. You have already taken the first step. You identified the problem. The next step is start to implement good policies.

Look over your guidelines. How many of them are outdated? How many of them could stand to be improved or wiped away? Make a list of what is crucial at this moment. Take everything that is not crucial and get rid of it.

Look at how your employees are being trained. Look at for how long. Look at the resources. What can be changed or taken away? Make a list. Draw up a new way of handling policy. Develop a new way for employees to discuss issues that come up.

Look to implementing regular checkups on all associates. This way you can identify the weaknesses sooner and address them.

BRAINSTORMING NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED

This is an idea that has been needing a major face life for a long time. There are companies who take in employees ideas, but then they just do their own thing. What good is asking your employees if you are not going to use anything they have to offer? When you brainstorm with your employees do not patronize them. Actually sit down and look at the ideas in front of you. Your employees are there for a reason. They see things you do not. Some of them might just have some ideas, ideas that you are not giving a fair shake.

Think about it. By changing the way these meetings are done, you might juts be bringing more business into your office.

TIME TO EMBRACE THE SOCIAL AND MOBILE PART OF LIFE

The days of the brick and mortar buildings are slowly coming to and end. There are more online businesses. There are more socially-driven businesses. More bosses and companies need to embrace this.

It’s time to bring your company into the here and now. If you haven’t already done this, begin develop ideas to use social media to your advantage. The same can be said for mobile apps. Over 80% of consumers find a business online by using their computer or phone.

Do you have a plan to benefit this?

Maybe it’s time that you find one. More consumers are looking to places like Google. More people are looking at the content. How is your content set up right now? Can people find you easily?

What about your vendors? How are you going to work with them? Will some of them come from social media contacts? Develop a plan of attack for working with your vendors? Developing a plan of attack for keeping that trust with your vendors. Trust in social media and vendor relations play an a vital role in growing your business.

I do hope you consider the above seriously. It’s the only way to grow your business successfully and in the right direction. You can find more details on our official site.

December 29, 2015 Improving, Tips

IT’S THE HOLIDAYS. WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS PART TWO

This is the second installment of the holiday article. The holidays are an important time to lots of people. This makes the shopping time very crucial to your customers. When last we spoke, a few simple suggestions were made to help encourage more business. In this article I will be taking things a bit deeper.

IT’S TIME TO MOBILIZE

Almost everyone is on their phone these days. Did you know that almost 80% will research something on their phone first, before heading to the store? It’s true. This is why you have to get your brand out there. Customers have to find you on their phones.

Make some special eye-popping announcements for the mobile app specifically. It’s one of the best ways to reach your audience.

SET DEADLINES

At work you have deadlines. Why wouldn’t you do the same for your site. Advertise certain discounts. Once you do this, then you set some deadlines. Make sure your customers see the deadlines. Do not get into the habit of honoring after the sale-by date. Too many companies have done this. These stores have also gotten burned because of it too.

Setting deadlines will encourage your customers to take action now. Please consider doing this. You will thank me for this advise later.

If customers think they have an open time frame, they will take forever to make up their minds. A deadline will encourage your customers to do it right away. This will reduce buyer hesitation. It will also create buyer/brand respect. This is a good thing.

FIND A PARTNER

This is one of the more underrated things you can do for your company during the holidays. Find a company nearby you can partner with. Find someone that offers a common interest and bond. Find someone that is offering a similar product brand or service. Find a way to partner up with them.

Maybe you can share advertising costs. This is a great way to save some money too. This is a great way to share community within your community, especially during the holidays. This way you can appeal to both your audience and your partner’s.

CONCLUSION

Never underestimate the value you can offer others out there. There are so many untapped resources during the holidays. You have so much potential. All you need to do is find ways to utilize it. If you can show your holiday cheer lines up with your business acumen, your traffic will begin to skyrocket.

December 27, 2015 Holidays, Tips

OMG THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING: WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS PART ONE

The holidays are here. You know what that means? It means shopping. It means tons of shopping. It means people going into the red over excessive shopping.

This also means it’s the perfect time for your business to capitalize on this time. There are ways to take advantage of this, without you being seen as a money pit.

Here is how…..

IT’S TIME TO EXTEND THE CONNECTIONS

The holidays are not just about you. There are people shopping for others too. This is how you can make it work for you. Look at your social media pages. Advertise gift ideas for family and friends. Offer special discounts for certain relatives. Offer discount shopping for aunts and uncles. Do the same for friends and other relatives.

It’s the perfect way to get the word out. You have to focus on what your consumers need. Never focus on what you think they might need. Show some photos of gift ideas for mom. Appeal to that special person. It will work. Trust me. The holidays are about family and emotion, or they are supposed to be. Appeal to this side. You will never go wrong.

WRAP IT UP IN A PACKAGE AND BOW

This is another good idea. Offer gift wrapping or special packaging this time of year. Business who do not normally do this have started doing it. It will appeal to so many people. It will appeal to people because, it means less time they have to spend on wrapping. Do this. You will thank me for this advice later on.

What if your business is online? Do the same thing. Offer different colors and gift-wrapping options. Offer big and small boxes. Do not include this in with the price though. Offer it up as a special addition that you will not charge for. Customers will be very thankful for this. It might also attract some new customers to your business. It all goes hand-in-hand.

INVITE SOME FRIENDS

The refer-a-friend program is something that many business have started doing. Any time you refer a friend, you get a special rate or discount. Think about doing this one. You’d be surprised how many new customers who will want to look at your products.

You can also partner with other stores during this time. This way each of your customers can get special deals. Both you and your partnering business can get equal business. You might also get some new business from other customers, customers who already shop with the other company.

The holidays are approaching us fast. It’s time to act now. Implementing just one of these options can take your business to the next level. Join me next week for the second part of this discussion.

December 27, 2015 Holidays, Improving

HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WHILE YOU ARE IN THE OFFICE

Communication is the key for anything in life. This also goes for your business too. How many of you are looking to improve the communication in your office? Well below I have a few simple tips to help you out.

SOMETIMES IT’S BEST TO WORK INTERNALLY

Sometimes it’s best to leave the dynamics up to just a few people. There is an old saying, “too many chiefs, not enough Indians.” There is lots of truth to this. Give sole responsibility of educating and implementing to just two or three people. This is going to be a lot of work. This is why you need to assign these jobs to only those who are truly qualified.

Have these two or three people be in charge of job descriptions, the pitch and everything else associated with the goals of the business. Have these two or three people report directly to you. This way you have feedback on what is going on. You also have feedback on those who are going strong, as well as those who need some extra help. Think of these people as your office liason.

These people will be in charge of making sure things are done right. Effectively communicate any issues that the office is having. This way it becomes more streamlined. Some companies like to hire an outside source for this. It’s better to make it an internal thing. Employ this charge to people who already know the company and people very well. This way there is a reduction in the mix-up coming between the higher-ups and those lower on the chain.

EMPLOYING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP OUT WITH INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

This kind of goes with the first one. Get some sort of social network going on within the office. This way the information can reach a larger group of people, but in a shorter period of time. You can share information without having to have a meeting. Sometimes meetings tend to be pointless and tedious. These meetings also tend to take away from the real work.
There are great resources like Yammer and Slack to help out. Employees tend to ask some of the same questions. Resources like these two will help out with this problem. You can save every question being asked on these two tools. This reduces the chances of having to repeat yourself over and over.

Every employee can refer back to what has already been addressed. This also works with meetings too. If there is a meeting being held, it can be saved. Employees who missed it can just go back on Yammer and look it up. This reduces the boss having to hold the same meeting 2-3 times in a row. It gets repetitive after a while.

LET’S TRACK AND REPORT BACK

This is a great tool to implement within the internal branches of the office. Think of this as a “trend tracker.” Most companies want to know where they stand in every direction. You can report on what is happening elsewhere. This way you can stay on top of what is going on. Bosses can also report their goals directly to who needs to see it the most. With the tracking information certain employees can get to work right away, without hesitation.

December 27, 2015 Improving, Office

I WANT TO GROW MY BUSINESS: HOW DO I DO THIS WITH A MINIMUM OF FUSS

We all want to grow our business. The wanting ends up not being the issue. It’s the “how” that stumps people. Over 50% of all business owners do not know how to grow their business successfully.

Below I have a few ways to achieve this goal. These tips are for those who are just starting out and for the seasons performers.

CONNECTING TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Sometimes your current audience is not the issue. Sometimes it’s connection to a newer, wider audience ends up being the bigger problem. Try connecting to someone new. Just because your product might be geared to women specifically, does not mean men will not like it too. Try pitching your ideas to some men. You might be surprised at the response you get. Try connection to some younger audience. Sometimes the most unsuspecting of people end up being your biggest fans.

CONNECT WITH THE PERSON, NOT THE SALE

Did you know that you do better in the long run if you are part of someone’s every day life? It’s true. Try aiming to be a permanent fixture in someone’s life. This is why you need to concentrate on the person, not the sale. The sale will come in time. Do not worry about that. Focus on the person you are reaching. Talk to the person. Get to know the person’s needs. It’s only then you can truly make an impact.

BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY

This is going to sound like a cliche, but community counts. If your company is building relations inside the community, you need to truly commit. Become part of some town meeting or project. Show that you are more than just the bottom line. Show that people mean more than money. It’s only then you will reach your target audience. You also have to mean it too. Your community can smell if your are being fake in any way.

GO OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

This is a problem for lots of people, even businesses. You have to go outside your comfort zone to truly reach people. This means making your business circle wider. Try selling to someone that is not local. Widen your search. Focus on who needs what you have to offer, not the location specifically.

This might be a bit scary at first, but it will come to you in time. Just pace yourself. Do things on a small scale first, just to get your feet wet. The rest will follow.

December 26, 2015 Improving