When it comes to advertising the small business operator often has to write their own material and hope for the best. lets follow a simple formula created by David Frey a marketing guru.
If you can answer these 5 questions in your copy, you’ll immediately begin to write compelling copy that makes people take action.
Here’s the 5 questions…
1. Who […]

This list was in response to a friend asking for some business starting out points to check out some Ideas she has which might be a business idea in the making… I thought it had some useful points too so here it is for the rest of the business start up world…

Cheers

Steve Gray p.s. Thanks […]

It’s June 2009 the global financial crisis is still happening. Watched a documentary on Chinese businesses going under, huge factories closed down, lots of out of region migrant workers now displaced. Sure this was one province (Guangdong) and particularly one city Dong Guan, so probably not a big cross section to measure by. The show was […]

For businesses starting out, and those who may have just swapped their “marketing person” to someone new, you need to be aware there is a marketing critical mass.
I figure it as the point where the marketing being done has reached a level where a balance has been reached between the income level in the business […]

There are many types of business primary, secondary etc… but I have just had a thought about other “types” of business and felt it useful to share.
In the most part a business is about creating a device to provide a product or service and make a profit from it, however it goes a bit further […]

A business idea, starts at zero it’s just an idea, a thought.
A Home starts out as a thought… an Idea.
A job starts out as…
EVERYTHING starts out as an idea. It’s what we do with the idea which brings it to life.
Note that right at the point of starting, there is no money, no income, no […]

I have some across a lot of people in business over the years and am still surprised at how naive some people are about starting a fully blown business. Is it just me who sees this level of naivety? Surely not.
Don’t get me wrong here, a part time biz is part time, but a fully […]

I’m sure you are wondering “can the marketing mix really be held accountable for my success?” You bet it can. You see, the marketing mix is the foundations of any business promotion. Read on to find how it works…
Not many people know of the Marketing Mix, or if they have heard of it, what it […]

Years ago when the “recession we had to have” was on (late 80’s) there was a push at one stage for an Arts Led Recovery. Perhaps it’s time to look at it again and try a fresh tack in the “G.F.Crisis”.
Locally there is a small Arts following with a few commercial galleries and a regional […]

Local paper, classified training section, courses on offer with local accredited training org’s there are free courses in pre apprenticeship training, and various others to assist to up skill people… seems good, fairly non eventful stuff. It looks like the government and trying to boost things along with the freebies (have done for some time […]

Ok.. some of you are… (not you specifically…)
I wanted to raise your interest in a thought I had this morning watching the news, someone did something dumb and I thought “Derrh! what an idiot”, then I started to mentally add up the dumb stuff…

Stop violence against women, great idea, but why not just Stop Violence…
War, […]

In a stand against getting snubbed by some big bands, a Geelong based team put together a music show to set the town toe tapping and grooving to the beat of their own drum… Lets hope they get the support they need to make it successful!

I have seen a range of TV current affairs shows recently pointing out businesses (reasonable sized ones on occasions), going under and taking investors with them. If you invest in a business it is risky, any sort of business (and I don’t care what glossy brochure or figures they show you…)
So there are risks involved […]

In the “topsy turvy” world of franchise contracts, agreements etc, (which many franchisees have little understanding of) it’s painfully obvious that many of these documents ask the franchisee to jump through hoops, but how about working things the other way?
Over time the franchisor will build a “watertight contract” and expect the franchisee to know a […]

Fast thinking and wisdom can work wonders, I saw this today and thought it’s well worth reproducing here, enjoy!
A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa, taking her faithful aged poodle named Cuddles, along for the company.
One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that he’s lost. […]

Maybe you have been in business for quite a while and have most things figured, but how much are you really making?
With so many variables, fixed costs, and “things that challenge your earnings” it can be hard to tell what the take home earnings are.
If you have fixed costs it pays to make sure you […]

Starting a business is a great idea, you think about the possibilities, get emotionally wrapped up in it and then make a start… But there are a few things you may not have thought of, namely how much money you will need to get started and how long you will need to “feed the beast” […]

How about this, an organisation has the following core values as part of it’s vision.

Responsibility and Leadership
Achievement and Excellence
Citizenship and Community
Initiative and Commitment

Sounds great, things to aspire to… one problem they don’t do it, well not all of it, here are some points…

Staff are failing to take responsibility, citing they do not have the resources […]

In our local area, the media are reporting that 500 businesses have failed during 2006.
Even if half of that is true it’s too many, some might be secondary businesses that are operated by a family or an off shoot of a group of investors. Some might be moves to new locations, others could be re […]

In the “game of business” it would pay to know about the important things, what they are. To me my list is fairly short. To you they might be different altogether.

Product and or service - You better have something of value to offer or they won’t buy.
Leverage - Your time, you work hard, then […]

“Leadership, why do I need leadership skills?” This is a question I get asked often. So  in quick response to that I often come out with… “Oh you need this for lots of reasons…” and then stumble through some of them… sometimes I even forget some of the gems.
Leadership why you need it.
If you are […]

If like myself and other business people I have come across you probably have thought about the ideal business and what it might be like.
Well here’s a list to get you started on thinking about it, feel free to add any points via the comments.
1. It provides value - The product or service is […]

When yo got started in business you probably didn’t figure on how much it would cost to get started, I guess no one really knows until they have done it. and for so many people in business they find they just don’e have enough to really cover their marketing costs to get a decent response.
There […]

Getting started in business is one thing, gaining success is another. Many of us will have seen and heard of people who have failed in business even though they felt they had a great business idea and the finances to put behind it to get started… So what went so wrong that it failed?
Lets look […]

Are you burning business bridges and denying yourself possible valuable opportunities down the road? Is it possible that those who matter to you least today, will have value to you tomorrow? It’s worth thinking about.

A friend and I were chatting, he is to be made redundant, and after many years in his role with a big multinational he stands to get a good pay out. He’s still got plenty of time as an able bodied worker and wants to work… But.
There have been a number of larger businesses fold […]

Think about the leaders you’ve had in your life – that is, the people you’ve respected and listened to, and in many cases followed. School teachers, uni lecturers, people you’ve worked with, mentors, coaches, captains of sporting teams, friends, family.
Why did you see those people as leaders? Why did you accept them as your […]

Just because you select an ideal recruit for your business, doesn’t mean they will automatically want to work for you. Why not?
Many businesses overlook the fact that they have to sell their offer and make it an attractive option for prospective new employees.
If you operate in a competitive environment where good recruits are scarce, or […]

I received an e-mail from a supplier yesterday. They sent me a proof to approve and fax back to them.
First thing I noticed was that my Purchase Order (PO) number was wrong. The next thing I DIDN’T notice, was the fax number to which the supplier wanted me to fax the approval back. […]

Leadership is it… If you have ever wondered about what makes a solidly compelling and successful company, well check the list and see what you think…
A leader leads by example… If it’s a brilliant business the leader is brilliant and that excellence is passed down with ease. They follow excellently because they were led excellently, […]

Let’s get simple with the $$ and the practicalities of business.
$$ in, this comes from the sale of goods, services and the income from investments made on behalf of the business.
$$ out, these are the expenses your business has.
Profit (or loss) is the difference between the $$ out and the $$ in.
The aim of the […]

When you start out in business or develop a new product there is an inevitable challenge to figure out if the emotion that motivates the initiative is the only thing making it happen or the $$ are a motivator as well.
I guess the ideal is both. People want the product, you make it, they pay […]

carnival of australia

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Welcome to the February 27, 2008 edition of Carnival of Australia.
 Thanks to all the contributors, some great stuff there, enjoy your reading! 
Elias presents The day we said “sorry”! posted at Ramblings of an Australian teacher, saying, “I hope I can still squeeze in the current carnival.” - Yes and No Elias! I […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here is an individual “how to” option on unique selling ponts for you to explore.
Market leading Unique Selling Point/s –
Creating a unique selling point is all about setting yourself apart from your competition, sometimes called a Point of Difference. It’s all about identifying what makes your […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Training to win/win
You and your staff should be trained to make the whole show win, then the customers can win too. A great position to get to and stay in.  For some the idea […]

Recently I’ve had a few people ask me about Publicity and if they should do it themselves. I find that I answer both yes and no, depending on the person. Many people talk about how publicity is ‘free’,  except when you pay over $1000 for a company to do it for you.
So, how do we […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Upholding great values
People love it when you are on a positive footing and in the values area it’s a great place to start (integrity – honesty, truthfulness etc.).
Start the business with a strong stance on […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Covering overheads easily…
Overheads are often the thing that break the camels back, so make it easy for the camel and take the pressure off, in this case keeping the turnover and cash flow up so […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Enjoyable to run
Who wants a business, which is a hassle to run? Who wants to work in a tough field? No one… Make it a joy to be part of for you and staff […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Creating easily saleable products and services
You want people to buy, not to um and err then walk away, so it should be easy for them to select what they want and then make the purchase […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Does your business fill a need and or want?
Hopefully it does both. If there is no need for what you have there will be no sales, therefore no business. This is a vital prerequisite for […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Creating a business that people love!
Customers and staff a like love the business and what it does, heck why have a business that people despise? Go for love, it’s much better. But that’s easy […]

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Creating a strong brand
You want your customers and prospects to recognise your business easily and remember it. This is where a strong brand comes in. Just as having a clear sense of what you […]

Okay so I like lists, let’s face it they give us readily accessible starting points to build with, so lets jump in and see what a successful business should have.

Sustainable and Robust - So it will last and be strong as well. Who wants a business, which will fall over with the slightest puff of […]

Here’s Jerry’s 3 rules of life, pretty simple… so lets add some business thinking points to it.
Print it, use it, tick things off as you do them, make notes, add to the list, include some of these points in your staff training and see what happens.
Thanks Jerry lets see what happens now…
Bust your ass…

Work hard, […]