September - October, 2020 Volume 17 -- Issue 97 Before we can expect to provide ideal service to our ideal customers, we need to know them. I mean, really, really know them. As a small business owner or marketer, we need to clearly understand our ideal customers’ pain points. We are (hopefully) coming out of our unique pandemic disruption. There is a clear need that we learn [...]
March - April 2019 Volume 16 -- Issue 88 Remember when you were just a kid growing up? Like everyone else, we all went through what our mothers fondly referred to as growth spurts. Those were times when we seemed to grow faster and change more quickly than normal. Social media seems to have been going through those types of growth spurts as long as they have been in existence. There is nothing sporadic about it for them. It is always going on. Change seems to be a constant for those [...]
January - February, 2019 Volume 16 - Issue 87 We have been hearing about the increase in importance of video marketing for several years now. It's been touted as 'The' thing all small businesses should be doing. Why? To better engage with our contacts and customers. What better way to begin than with some video marketing research? Video marketing enables us to better explain how our product or service can solve a client's problem. We can introduce ourselves and our companies to potential customers in a more personal way. There [...]
'Designing Strategies' eNewsletter July - August, 2017 Volume 14 Issue 78 Any small business owner or manager who has been operating over the past ten years has experienced big time changes coming at them. It is no secret that changes and external influences on small businesses are a constant we need to prepare for. Any not willing to do necessary zig-zagging required to change strategies or pivot on a dime may well be gone now. We have been facing more than a few significant external changes, trying to stay afloat. [...]
'Designing Strategies' newsletter March - April 2006 Volume 3 - Issue 10 Characteristics of failed businesses include lack of sufficient funding, lack of planning and lack of a vision of where and how owners want the business to grow and succeed. Statistics show only one in three new business start-ups survive past their second year. Those with sufficient financing and a clear direction enjoy a much greater chance for success. Basic market research can also bolster your chances of success. Have you reached a plateau or stumbling block in your business? Are you unsure how to get past it to move [...]
