Category Archives: Business

animals, Business

Have a Pet Business? Add an Online Channel to Multiply Your Sales

by Lisa J. Lehr

If you own a small business in the Grass Valley-Nevada City area, you may already feel that your livelihood is precarious. Small business are getting shoved out by large chains, and in “this economy,” customers set aside some of their loyalty to locally-owned businesses in favor of stretching their own purchasing power.

If you own a pet-related business in this area, you may be worried about what’s happening in the local economy. But don’t give up hope! By adding an online channel to your business, you’ll be able to reach outside the local area to bring in customers (and their money) from all over the country.

America is a nation of animal lovers. We provide homes for pets in greater numbers than any other country on earth; most households in America have at least one pet, and those pets are cherished family members. And most people in the pet products and services business do what they do for the love of animals—not for the love of money.

Yet the money is there for the taking. Pets are the new status symbols; a well cared-for pet is a sign of achievement. Check out these figures from the AAHA’s 2004 (US and Canadian) Pet Owner Survey:

* 94% think their pet has human like personality traits.
* 93% would risk their own life for their pet.
* 87% include pets in their holiday celebrations.
* 84% consider themselves Mom or Dad to the pet.
* 82% think of their pets at least once a day when they’re away.
* 80% said “companionship” is the major reason for having a pet.
* 78% greet their pet at the door before they greet their spouse.
* 67% of pet-containing households recognize pet birthdays.
* 62% sign letters or cards as being from their pets as well as themselves.
* 57% would rather have a pet than a person with them if stranded on a deserted island.
* 55% have an emergency preparedness plan that includes their pet.
* 43% of pets (not including fish and snakes) share beds with their people.
* 36% say their pet enjoys watching TV.
* 33% talk to their pets on the phone or through the answering machine.
* 25% say they brush their pet’s teeth.
* 24% of dog owners sometimes dress their pets.
* 18% have attended a birthday party for someone else’s pet.

Now, as you look at this list of statistics, you may notice a theme: pet owners increasingly treat their pets like people. As the number of children per household declines, the number of pets is increasing. Baby boomers, a powerful segment of today’s market, are quickly becoming empty-nesters and replacing their grown two-legged children with four-legged ones. Indeed, many people now call themselves pet parents or guardians rather than “owners.” Thus we have a hugely profitable strategy for entrepreneurs in the pet business: position pets as members of the family. With this in mind, you can create human-like products for pets:

  • ·         Gourmet and specialty pet foods.
  • ·         Doggy and kitty treat cookbooks.
  • ·         Pet clothing.
  • ·         Human-type pet furniture.
  • ·         Coordinating “Mommy and pet” jewelry.
  • ·         Designer pet carriers, buggies, and strollers.
  • ·         High-end grooming products, such as aromatherapy baths.
  • ·         Pet birthday party supplies.

All of these can shipped to online buyers, and you can probably locate drop-shippers to streamline the process.

So if you’re a pet-business owner in Nevada County who’s struggling with the economy and the encroachment of big-box stores, you may be able to give your business a boost by offering your products to a national customer base. Get a website. Set it up to sell. Create a system to capture your site visitors, keep in touch with them, and keep them coming back.

If you don’t know how to do this, get help from someone who does.

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter as well as animal lover living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for a message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

—
Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
www.justrightcopy.com
Visit my website and sign up for my fr~ee marketing tips.
New! No~cost Marketing Guide now available at my website.

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

Profitable Coupon Strategies for Small Businesses

Lisa J. Lehr

by Lisa J. Lehr

Coupons are an especially effective strategy for brick-and-mortar, local-clientele businesses. They can work for online businesses as well, but too many potential buyers will decide not to print the coupon because it requires too much ink, because too many clicks are involved and they bail out along the way, or for any of a number of reasons associated with the short attention span Internet use is so famous for.

But coupons that are already printed and right in front of the customer’s face are tempting. So how do you leverage the power of coupons? Here are a few ideas.

Have a stack of them on your counter or in some high-traffic, prominent location at your business. You can mail them, but that can be costly, and without doing some market research, you’ll be mailing them to everyone rather than just your target market.

Swap coupons with another, complementary business. By complementary, we mean businesses that attract the same type of clientele. Pizza and ice cream go well together, as do pizza and video rentals; massage and fitness go together, as do massage and manicure; fitness and fast food aren’t as good a fit, and pairing pizza with manicure isn’t particularly obvious either. Choose your partner business carefully.

Here’s another strategy: a “50-50” coupon offering. Because of the time constraints of the deal, it works best if you have a website with an opt-in and a list of subscribers so you can send the offer to a large number of people at once. This is done as a broadcast, as explained in an earlier article: “Have you heard about the tool that can bring in 90% of your sales?”

So you send a limited offer to your list, say once a week or once a month. Depending on the size of your list, let’s say 100 coupons are available, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. People hurry to your website and those lucky 100 download the coupon. Yes, they will have to print it—but they will be motivated to do so.

The coupon is worth double its face value. For example, the coupon costs $25, and they can purchase $50 worth of goods or services with it. The catch is that they must pay for it immediately–they don’t simply print it and risk losing it or forgetting about it.

You get your $25 right away. The customer is motivated to make a purchase with you because he or she has essentially put down a $25 deposit. Depending on what your product or service is, the average customer may very well spend above and beyond the $50. If you’re a restaurant, for example, where a group of four will spend $100 on a nice dinner, they’re getting a bargain because they’ve saved $25. You’ve made a profit, and you’ve gained four loyal customers. Everybody wins!

The small business owner who capitalizes on simple strategies like these will be the one who survives in any economy.

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for the message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

Does Your Website “Suck”

By: Lisa J.  Lehr

Everyone knows by now (or should) that if you have a business, you must have a website. Even if you have a brick-and-mortar building and a strictly local clientele, you need a website to stay competitive. Many people toss their phone books into the recycle bin as soon as they get them, so they’ll never know you exist unless you have an Internet presence. Potential customers check out your location, your hours, and what makes you stand out from your competitors before they consider showing up in person.

Okay, so you have a website. Can you cross that off your list now?

In a word, no. Because the reality is that your website probably—statistically speaking—sucks.

If people are bored, confused, or turned off by what they see, or if you just haven’t given them the information they were seeking, they leave and do not become buying customers. It’s that simple! So how do you get your website to “not suck”?

I’m so glad you asked.

Here’s a basic checklist of what your website must do, be, and say in order to be effective:

  • Does it clearly tell your site visitors what you do?
  • Is the look-and-feel consistent across all pages?
  • Is your unique selling proposition clear?
  • Is it focused on the customer, not on you?
  • Does it tell your site visitors what you want them to do?

Chances are, you’re not even sure of the answers to all these questions. You may not even understand what the questions mean! That’s normal, because effective web copy writing is probably not your business.

Does your website suck? If so, run, don’t walk, and get help with it before it “sucks” your business right down the drain.

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for the message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

—
Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
www.justrightcopy.com
Visit my website and sign up for my fr~ee marketing tips.
New! No~cost Marketing Guide now available at my website.

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

Are You Ready to Get Serious About Your Marketing?

by Lisa J. Lehr

Business owners can easily get stuck in a vicious cycle: Business isn’t so good. They can’t afford to outsource their marketing. They do it themselves, results remain poor, and business remains not-so-good.

How do business owners get out of this vicious cycle? It’s not easy, but it’s simple: they make a decision to get serious about their marketing before they lose their business altogether. If you’re a business owner finding yourself in this rut, here are some ideas to get you started:

1.      Define your audience. If you try to market to everyone, you end up marketing to no one. Who’s your target market? Once you’ve figured this out, you may discover you don’t have to spend as much money on marketing as you have been.

2.      Find a copywriter. Ask other local business people or do an online search. You can work with someone locally or long-distance, as you prefer. Fee structures vary. After you’ve interviewed a few, it’s best to choose one in the mid-range. Highly paid copywriters are the best, but a lot of their cost is simply their fame. Don’t choose the lowest bidder—you’ll get what you pay for.

3.      Get a website! It’s mind-boggling that some business owners still don’t “get it” that a website is absolutely essential. Many potential customers want to “check you out” before they call you or come into your place of business. If they can’t, they may well go to your competitor instead. It’s really not a highly technical task anymore, but if you don’t have the skills or the time to do it yourself, outsource it.

Continue reading Are You Ready to Get Serious About Your Marketing? →

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

No Website? Get With It Already!

Lisa J. Lehr

by Lisa J. Lehr

In an earlier post, I talked about the importance of autoresponders: those little automated messages that your website visitors get when they opt in to (i.e., put their name and e-mail address in the boxes) your website. In doing some outreach to local businesses recently, however, I discovered that not only does the average local business not have an autoresponder series…they don’t even have a website!

Grass Valley-area businesses, the 21st century is calling: you need a website.

These days, getting a website up and running is not a major project that you need to budget thousands of dollars for. You have many options with a range of prices and skill requirements. Check out XSitePro, FrontPage, Dreamweaver, and Godaddy’s Website Tonight. You can even set up your website as a blog using WordPress and choosing from their many free themes; you also have the choice of installing the blog directly on the domain name and forgoing the “/wordpress” extension. If you can’t (or don’t have time to) do this yourself, hire a teenager or someone from Elance.com.

Once you decide which way to go, the important thing is not flashy graphics or the latest technological bells and whistles, but good content. You’ll need plenty of informative material that establishes you as an expert in your niche. Besides making you look like a genius, free content has the desirable effect of making people feel indebted to you. End result: when they need your product or service, they come to you, not your competition.

Articles, downloadable free reports…free content takes many forms. And don’t forget the opt-in—that’s how you stay in touch with your prospective customers and maintain that top-of-mind awareness.    Skyrocket Your Sales

Now, how many Grass Valley-area business owners reading this will decide that this is the final piece of convincing evidence they needed to put up a website? And how many of them are your competition?

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for the message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.
—
Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
www.justrightcopy.com Visit my website and sign up for my free marketing tips.
New! No cost Marketing Guide now available at my website.

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

Improving Your Business

Lisa J. Lehr is one of the local contributors to this website. I’ll have more about our travels in Italy tomorrow. By the way, I really appreciate Lisa’s contributions and welcome anyone else who would like to contribute to this site.

by Lisa J. Lehr

Have you heard about the tool that can bring in 90% of your sales?

If you have a website to promote your business, product, or service, there’s one tool that could literally bring you 90% of your sales. If you’re using this tool, you’re in a good position to capture the lion’s share of your market niche; if you’re not, you may be getting only 10% of the sales that could be yours. And if you’re not—and your competitors are—well, good luck!

This powerful tool is an auto responder series.

You may have heard the saying that it takes “seven touches” to turn a prospect into a client. Auto responders are the perfect way to accomplish those seven touches. Here’s why:

1.      They’re automatic. Once you’ve placed the opt-in form on your web page, and composed and queued your series of seven (or more) messages, those messages go out to your list with no further thought on your part.

2.      You create top-of-mind awareness. When your potential clients need the product or service you offer, you’ll be the first one they think of.

3.      The system is flexible. You can add, delete, or edit your messages, and/or broadcast to your entire list at once if you need to announce a special offer or news item.

4.      No one gets angry with you. Part of the automated system is an opt-out link at the end of each message. If someone is tired of hearing from you, one click and they’re removed from the list.

5.      You can up sell. You may be able to split your list into those who’ve bought from you and those who haven’t, and offer things like higher-end products and services, continuity programs, and affiliate products to your satisfied customers.

6.      You can partner with other local businesses. You send your subscribers coupons for your partners’ businesses, they do the same for you, and you multiply your list of prospects!

Auto responders are particularly useful if your product is a one-time type of purchase, or a seasonal or big-ticket item that people buy only occasionally. You don’t want your prospects to forget about you between that first “curiosity” visit to your site and when they actually need what you offer.

An auto responder series is an important part of a complete marketing program; the other parts must be in place in order for them to be effective. You need good web copy, for example, so your site visitors will stick around long enough to fill out the opt-in form. A news release may lead to a feature story about your business, which could bring in a flood of website visitors.

Your auto responders must be written well too, and can be created around any of a variety of themes: based on case studies or testimonials; focused on particular products or services you offer; or written like informative articles, establishing you as an authority in your niche.

Auto responders can truly mean capturing 90% of your potential business—or letting your competitors have it!

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for the message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.
—
Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
www.justrightcopy.com
Visit my website and sign up for my free marketing tips.
New! No cost Marketing Guide now available at my website.

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

Why Some Businesses Will Thrive in “This Economy”

Lisa J. Lehr

by Lisa J. Lehr

Yes, we know. The economy is bad. Recovery may be on the horizon, but no one really knows how close. Or if we can “hold out” till it happens. Yet we can each take some actions to position ourselves in the best possible way to survive a weak economy—and be at the front of the pack when it improves.

Dr. Ivan Misner, founder and chairman of BNI (Business Networking International), the world’s largest business networking organization, says that during an economic downturn “you can actually prosper…while everyone else flounders in fear.” He tells of being at a business mixer in the early 1990s, “right in the middle of a nasty recession.” As he looked around the room and listened in, he noticed that “[w]hile nearly all were commiserating with one another, very few were actually networking and working on seeking new business…,” which, of course, was the purpose of the mixer!

So, while we can’t control the economy, we can control our response to it. Dr. Misner goes on to say, “During the last recession, I watched thousands of business people grow and prosper…because they consciously made the decision to refuse to participate in a recession. They did so by developing their networking skills and learning how to build their business through word of mouth.”

I’ve heard several people in my contact sphere say they’re refusing to participate in the recession. What if everyone refused to participate? We wouldn’t have a recession!

Dr. Misner concludes, “Don’t let a bad economy be your excuse for failure. Instead, make it your opportunity to succeed. While others are looking at the problems, those of us looking for opportunities will not only get through a bad economy but will prosper.”

Here are some ideas on ways to find opportunity:

  • Invite people to meetings of your business or trade group.
  • Offer to speak at an industry conference.
  • Send out a mailing.
  • Begin an e-mail campaign.
  • Write letters to the editor.
  • Start a blog.
  • Submit articles to trade publications and online article sites.
  • Add an opt-in and an autoresponder series to your website.
  • If you don’t have a website, get one.
  • If you need to outsource any of these projects, do it.

Stay in front of potential customers. Whatever line of work you’re in, people still need your product or service. If you’ve made your name familiar to your target audience and established yourself as an expert in your niche, you’ll be the one they go to when they’re ready to buy—instead of your competitors. Your (former) competitors will be the ones commiserating about how the recession of the early 21st century ruined them.

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for the message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

Business

Now That Tax Season is Here, Be Careful of Companies Offering Tax Relief

As tax day approaches, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today urged Californians to avoid “phony tax-relief companies” that charge taxpayers up to $3,000 in up-front fees to reduce or eliminate back taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but provide no actual relief.

“Every tax season, phony tax-relief companies emerge to exploit cash-strapped Californians who owe back taxes to the IRS,” Brown said. “Taxpayers should be on high alert, avoid paying up-front fees to these companies and never ignore notices from the IRS.”

Throughout the tax season, tax-relief companies advertise on the radio, television and internet promising help for taxpayers in distress. For an up-front fee ranging from $2,000 to $3,000, these companies claim to reduce or even eliminate tax debts to the IRS and stop back-tax collection.

However, soon after collecting up-front fees, these companies typically inform taxpayers that they do not qualify for a relief program or that the IRS has rejected their attempt to reduce or eliminate the back-tax debt. Often these companies never even contact the IRS directly. Rather than reduce or eliminate the amount owed in back taxes to the IRS, these companies increase taxpayers’ debt burden.

Brown offered the following tips to taxpayers who owe back taxes and are having trouble paying:

– Don’t ignore notices from the IRS. Call and ask about collection alternatives, as you may be eligible for a monthly payment plan. In some cases, it is possible to pay less than the total amount you owe.
– Don’t trust promises from companies that imply that you are “qualified” or “eligible” for an IRS program to resolve your back-tax debt. Only the IRS can make that determination.
– Don’t pay up-front or advance fees for tax-debt relief services.

Continue reading Now That Tax Season is Here, Be Careful of Companies Offering Tax Relief →

Business, Local Writers & Contributors

Do-it-Yourself Marketing: Bad Idea

by Lisa J. Lehr

What’s wrong with this picture?

The fictitious Modern Widget Company in Grass Valley has a small staff of reasonably capable people who do pretty much everything. One day, Bob notices a leak in the restroom. “I can fix that,” he says, “and I’ll save the company a ton of money.” He goes the hardware store, buys some parts, and fixes the leak…or so he thinks. Next morning, when the staff comes to work, the toilet has crashed into the basement. You see, Bob didn’t know water was leaking under the floor, rotting out the floorboards.

Sally arrives, late and breathless, wearing a hat. Embarrassed, she confesses she’d cut her own hair. With an important presentation coming up, she didn’t have time to go to the beauty parlor. “It’ll grow out eventually,” she says, red-faced.

Jeff and his carpool buddy Jenny call to say they’re going to be late. They were on their way when they heard a strange racket coming from under the hood of Jeff’s pickup truck. “I can deal with that,” says Jeff. “Who needs AAA?” They might not make it in till afternoon.

What do all these people have in common? They tried to fix a problem themselves when they really needed the services of a professional. They ended up with problems far more serious and expensive to fix than their original problems. They suffered embarrassment, wasted time, and inconvenience.

Then one day the staff at Modern Widget Company is ready to launch their new Super Widget.

“I’ll do a website,” says Bob. “I’m a pretty geeky guy.”

“I’ll write a sales letter,” says Sally. “I majored in Creative Writing.”

“I’ll send out some e-mails,” says Jeff. “I like to do e-mail.”

“I’ll make a brochure,” says Jenny. “I’m a pretty good artist.” So they did. How did their cobbled-together marketing program do, you ask?

It bombed. You see, Bob, Sally, Jeff, and Jenny made the same mistakes twice: they thought they knew what they were doing—but they didn’t.

If you’re offering a product or service, you need a professional marketing program to reach your audience and make them buy. Even the best product or service is only as good as your marketing plan. Run, don’t walk, to find a professional marketing writer—before you waste time and money, before you suffer embarrassment and inconvenience. And definitely before your business crashes into the basement (figuratively speaking).

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer and copywriter living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for a message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.
—
Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
www.justrightcopy.com
Visit my website and sign up for my fr~ee marketing tips.
New! No~cost Marketing Guide now available at my website.

Business

China’s Exports Increase 46%

BEIJING —China announced Wednesday that its exports climbed 46 percent in February from a year earlier. Economists said the data signaled a rebound in consumer demand from the United States and other Western markets after the financial crisis last year.

It was the third consecutive month of increases in Chinese exports and the fastest growth in three years. Orders from the United States, the European Union and Japan accounted for almost half the growth, following a pickup in demand from emerging markets in the previous two months.

Chinese imports also rose 45 percent over the previous year, led by crude oil as factories stepped up production.

Some economists said the figures indicated China’s recovery was well under way. Tao Wang, head of China research for UBS Securities, predicted that Chinese exports would rebound to the level of 2008 before China took a big hit from the global financial crisis.

Source: New York Times