Ideas to promote your business
Promotion is an important element of the marketing mix of any business. There are thousands of ideas to promote your business, whether it is a new start-up or an established concern. Revise your marketing plan; Revisit your research and development strategy; Refine your target audience and unique selling proposition (USP); Expand your product and service offerings; Update your business cards, website, brochure; Write an elevator pitch; Rent a booth at a trade show; Launch a direct mail campaign; Expand your social media management; Set up Google Analytics on your website and blog; Start a customer relationship program; Write a book; Design an innovative logo that compliments your business and builds your brand; Design branded letterheads, envelopes, business cards and office stationery; Design an illustrated brochure or pamphlet that looks professional to explain the benefits of your product or service. Ensure that the print quality is superior Register a domain name and create a Web site that draws attention. If possible, include e-commerce capability; Get listed on all major search engines; include carefully selected words in your Meta tags that prospective customers might enter during a search when looking for the type of goods or service you provide; Advertise in the type of magazines or newspapers your target customers are likely to read; Print handbills (leaflets printed on size A6 sheets) and place on car windshields and in mailboxes; or hand out at traffic lights; Customize your marketing to niche customers. Talk to potential customers to find out what their needs are, their likes and dislikes, and what they are prepared to pay for a product or service like yours; Build a client database to collect information about clients, such as their comments about the product or service, regularity of orders, complaints, etc.; Design branded promotional items such as t-shirts, mugs, pens, balloons, calendars, fridge magnets, etc. that can be distributed to customers in your area, at a trade show, etc.; Run a special offer on your Web site and mail a complimentary (branded of course) promotional item with each order; Sponsor a community event, which will give your business exposure in your immediate community and is a great opportunity for word-of-mouth advertising; Consider donating branded t-shirts and caps to an underprivileged sports team; contact the editor of your local community newspaper to request media coverage; Build solid relationships with suppliers. Being on friendly terms with them will encourage them to promote your business to other clients; Send out a monthly newsletter to highlight new products and specials on offer. You can also send out e-mail messages to locals to visit your store or to place an order online; Create (or have a graphic artist do it for you) an attractive point-of-sale display or an eye-catching poster. This will attract the attention of pavement traffic and get them into your store; Initiate a telemarketing campaign. Write a to-the-point opening and rehearse it well so that when you make a call the words are spoken from memory (and come across as sincere) and not read like a robot. Even when making cold calls, just be yourself; start with a friendly greeting and introduce yourself and your company. Briefly describe your product or service and relevant benefits, and where your store is located; Identify cross-promotional opportunities by seeking other businesses that are not direct competitors, but whose products or services compliment yours. The idea is to combine products or services from various sources to make up a comprehensive package that customers want and offers them convenience; you can do a promotional deal that will benefit all participating businesses. An example is a Pizza Take-Away...
Read MoreFrugal people enjoy life!
It is apparent that frugal people enjoy life because they are not burdened by debt; they pay their bills and have some money left over for savings. Living frugally does not mean doing without; it’s about not accumulating unnecessary material possessions. It’s about deciding what you want in life, and making the most of what you have, instead of complaining about what you don’t have. Frugal living is a very rewarding way to live. An effective way to start saving is to deposit at least 10% of your income in an interest-bearing savings account. Get rid of debt and trim your expenses. Can you save on petrol? Can you restrict eating out? Can you live without DSTV? The basis of Frugal Practicality lies in re-thinking life choices up to this moment to embrace a lifestyle that is more financially responsible and organized. This does not mean adopting a “poverty” mindset but rather maximizing what you have got. Create a budget plan and stick to it; don’t waste money on things you don’t need or buy things on credit, but don’t skimp on things you do need. Be alert when grocery shopping; opt for the generic equivalent of brands you normally choose or store specials. The same applies to clothing; avoid expensive brands when you can buy similar items of equal quality for less. Adopt a habit of recycling and reusing. We all know that we should become debt-free but many of us don’t know where to cut corners. Initiate a frugal lifestyle one step at a time; prepare a healthy lunch box at home to take to work; organize a lift club to commute to and from work; plan shopping outings to avoid random trips. De-clutter your home; sell or donate items you don’t use. Hold a yard sale; auction items online; sell to second hand shops. Small lifestyle adjustments can make a big difference in your bank account. Cutting expenses allows you to save money for an emergency, pay off credit cards faster, or grow your retirement fund. Run your washing machine on cold. Avoid using the tumble dryer. Turn down the thermostat on your geyser. Make inexpensive healthy meals; according to the “food pyramid” many of the things we should be eating the most of — grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables – are affordable; it’s often the stuff that’s bad for us (at least in large quantities) like red meat, dairy products and processed foods that are expensive. Grow your own fruit, herbs and veggies; a personal favorite of mine is upside down tomato planters. You’re probably thinking why anyone would want to grow tomatoes (or anything else) upside down. Well, there’s no need to stake the vines, no weeding, fewer soil diseases, overall healthier plants, and you can grow year-round. All you need is a 5 gallon bucket, a plant, and a bag of potting soil. Drill a big enough hole in the bottom of the bucket to fit the stalk of a full-grown tomato plant. Cover inside of bucket with a layer of shredded newspaper. Insert the plant in the hole (from the outside); wrap paper around the base of the plant and hold in place while filling bucket with soil. Hang bucket in sunny spot, water well. Peppers, chilies, cucumbers and eggplants also grow well upside down. Spray plant with a solution of 1 teaspoon Epsom salts dissolved in 4 cups warm water (mixed in a spray bottle); repeat 10 days later – it produces more fruit due to the boost of magnesium, especially for tomatoes, peppers and roses. Words by Theresa Lutge-Smith...
Read MoreStarting a Green Business
Starting a green business means you will be running a business targeting a growing market while making a valuable contribution to making the world a better place. It’s also a practical way to help create a more environmentally friendly and sustainable economy. Ideas for a green business: Eco-friendly Dog Shampoo Commercial pet shampoos, both cat shampoos and dog shampoos, contain a startling amount of chemicals and non-natural ingredients; some include artificial scents and colors, and even sodium laurel sulfate! Why not mix a shampoo that is gentle and natural. Ingredients for a Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo: a cup of all natural organic liquid soap; a cup of pure organic apple cider vinegar (the best way to treat ringworm, fleas, ticks and helps rid the coat of any and all skin conditions); a third of a cup of glycerin; and a quart of water. Mix these four ingredients together, pour into a bottle. You now have your own all-natural dog shampoo. Give your bottle a good shake before use to mix the glycerin thoroughly. Design a creative label for the bottle; attach a tag that lists the ingredients and method of use. Sell to pet stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, veterinary clinics or by mail order. Organic Gift Baskets Buy a selection of earth-friendly items wholesale, such as teas, soaps, shampoos, facial scrubs, organic snack food, a biodegradable flower pot and a packet of culinary herb seeds; plus baskets and natural raffia to create gift baskets. Create several themes for your gift baskets. Gift baskets are sold as ready-made gifts. Sell them to pharmacies, hotels (to give to guests), gift shops, corporations (as gifts for their customers), health shops, hospital kiosks and by mail order. Package miniature gift baskets containing small-size items such as waterless hand sanitizer, hand lotion, and a toweling cloth to market as promotional hand-out’s at trade shows/conferences/seminars/filling station kiosks. Want to start a green burial business? Use seed-embedded handmade paper to construct a cremation vase (pillow box or pyramid box) ideal for water or land burials. The seeded paper is made from 100% recycled paper, which is biodegradable and environmentally safe. The vase will disintegrate when buried in soil; the paper is embedded with Marigold flower seeds (bright yellow and orange blooms) or herb seeds and will yield a patch of flowers/herbs in your garden to commemorate the loved one’s memory. Unseeded handmade paper is used to construct the cremation vase for a water burial; the bio-degradable box begins to sink within 10-15 minutes and will fully degrade within a day. These are more valued options to simply scattering ashes in the wind. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) to order pre-cut and scored templates of the pillow or pyramid box for quick and easy assembly (flat packed). The paper vases (boxes) are suitable for adult, infant and pet ashes. Read More. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) to write a Business Plan for your green business....
Read MoreFamilies in Crisis!
We live in a country that is becoming increasingly diverse in cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Yet despite significant development milestones South Africa still generates enormous waves of negative energies attributable to poverty, indifference, resentment, corruption and greed. Many families are in crisis; family members live in fear of violence, assault and robbery, and are constantly watchful of their safety. Similarly, the pace of our capitalistic existence has become almost unbearable, with many families hopelessly entangled in a continuous cycle of debt and poverty. Accordingly, stress has for many households become a recognized and socially destructive illness in South Africa, affecting citizens of all ages in different ways. While raising and educating children is a challenge for most parents, the situation is especially difficult for families experiencing social and economic hardship, particularly single-parent households. The traditional two-parent family has by and large been replaced by the single-parent (usually the mother or grandmother) family; the percentage of female-headed households with children has increased most rapidly among our black population. The downside is that female-headed households become overburdened and struggle financially to make ends meet; juggling work, limited resources and family life impinges on quality time devoted to children’s basic education, family values, and other important family obligations. Statistics show that males are inclined to have little reverence for the females that raised them; and instead of gratitude and respect develop contempt for females in general. Some blame the escalating level of delinquency, depression and aggression in the country on the ever-expanding norm of fatherless homes, where children are raised by mothers and grandmothers and have no father-figure to impose constructive discipline. Without discipline and boundaries children lack the tools necessary to navigate relationships and challenges in life such as self-discipline, respect for others, and the ability to cooperate with peers. Failure to discipline children often results in kids who are unhappy, angry, and even resentful. This often leads to drug and alcohol abuse and violent crime such as sexual assault; these children grow up with deep emotional scars because they feel forsaken. I don’t believe a parent intentionally neglects their child; they may simply be in the midst of their own traumas and chaos, such as an addiction, an abusive situation, poverty or disease. It may be that they don’t have the tools to be a dependable role model. The African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ succinctly articulates the powerful notion of collective responsibility towards our youth, but children raised in a healthy, two-parent home fare best. A low-income parent is more likely to engage in inconsistent parenting practices; the economic well-being of the family rests on the mental and emotional health of the single-parent since financial strain intensifies stress, anxiety and depression. Yet despite these overwhelming disadvantages, the birthright of every person is access to constructive opportunities devoid of discrimination to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds and disability. Words by Theresa Lutge-Smith. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) for any writing and...
Read MoreImproved Longevity in the 21st Century
The pharmaceutical industry is at a pivotal point in its evolution, particularly in relation to research and development. New hyper-efficient technologies create a greater understanding of underlying biology of the human body and its susceptibility to disease; this provides a visionary perspective for the 21 st Century pharmaceutical engineering-sector to set a “collaborative” model of health care (information sharing to deliver optimal patient care), not only to explore greater opportunities for the development of truly innovative products but also to employ a lean manufacturing approach to eliminate waste , and boost output and cost-effective outlay. In order to best utilize viable opportunities that these strategies embody, today’s pharmaceutical manufacturer must endorse the operational changes needed to improve speed of response for the differing types of innovative treatments, and the impact of migrating from the current linear phase R&D process towards in-life testing and live licensing (cumulative testing of the drug throughout its life cycle) if it is to collaborate more closely with regulators and health care providers about pricing and demonstrate outcome benefits and value for money. There is no doubt that the quality of pharmaceuticals will be improved dramatically. Corporate Responsibility The modern pharmaceutical industry, which originated in the mid-nineteenth century, evolved exponentially to the final decades of the 20th Century. Impressive high-tech developments in medicine await us in the 21 st Century that will make contemporary medicine seem relatively primitive. However, it’s apparent that ground-breaking pharmaceuticals will not only have a “high-tech” side but also a “high-natural” side due to a growing popularity in self-care, wellness, alternative remedies, and new understandings of body-mind connections for treating acute and chronic conditions. Self-care practices have grown considerably in the past decade and even faster growth is projected for the next decade. Since health care expenditures are expected to grow faster than national income over the foreseeable future — exacerbated by high unemployment and lower incomes for many South Africans — self-care will not only be important for encouraging better health but also for saving money. Wellness programs initiated by many corporations have also experienced impressive growth in the past five years. An integral part of in-house (corporate) health care is to provide employee’s access to a resident registered nursing sister who is tasked with monitoring routine health checks. Health behaviors or conditions that warrant monitoring include blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS; health programs help employees manage chronic ailments such as arthritis, asthma, back pain, osteoporosis, stress and depression. Is DIY testing conclusive? Home testing kits, readily available from chemists or via the Internet, claim to be able to detect the early warning signs for conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to prostate cancer. But should such tests be carried out without proper medical guidance and support? And are the results conclusive? DIY testing kits for potentially life-threatening conditions such as stomach ulcers, prostate problems, bowel cancer and diabetes can be misleading; some test results give false reassurances while others cause unnecessary panic. Consequently, people may be better off going straight to their GP or clinic. Collaborative Health Care The anticipated “collaborative model of health care” will demand that high-tech physicians collaborate with various high-touch health practitioners, to convey a holistic prognosis. With technology such as emails, instant messaging, and social networks, there is little doubt that patients might soon be speaking directly to their pharmaceutical manufacturers about product information, instead of their doctors or other medical professionals. Take Responsibility for your Health After remaining fairly constant for most of human history, life expectancy has nearly doubled in the past century. The maximum life span has increased spectacularly as well. Scholarly opinion...
Read MoreAbout Theresa
I’m a published author of four business books and have written a number of self-study tutorials [creative writing; editing and proofreading; business writing; and self-publishing] and an eBook [Workplace Harmony]. I am an experienced writer, editor and publisher. 
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