by stevengconnelly@aol.com | Jan 6, 2018 | Business
In today’s world developing a successful business can be a challenge, quick changes in the economy new products and services on the market each day. At times it can be overwhelming keeping up, yet there are many new businesses growing and expanding. If your business is a brick and mortar model you understand the value of establishing trust with your customers. However if your model is outside the town or state finding new people to do business with is often difficult. Here in Maine the pace is slower people deal with weather extremes in winter which can impact any business. The life style is not for everyone but living here offers other amenities not found in other states. For that reason people who decide to leave the city and move seek this way of life, some open a business and hang a shingle out for hire, however if your not from the area it will take a while before folks will trust you and do business with you. Income is a bit lower here so people are careful where and how they spend their money. Although away from most cities you’d think people would be open for new products and services, truth is trust and authenticity is first and foremost which is true in any place your looking to do business. One of the best ways to develop that level of trust is to listen and understand what is needed. Often times we’re looking to sell before we know how to help. When meeting for the first time ask questions about them, people love to talk about themselves. Let...
by stevengconnelly@aol.com | Nov 10, 2017 | Business
On Friday I met up with an old friend and had lunch, my friend Jim has been in business for a number of years, through out his career he has seen many people start a business and fail. No doubt Jim has been very successful in any venture with he has entered. Even when the bottom of the economy fell in back in o8-09 Jim was successful, making deals and growing his business. In Maine any venture is or can be a challenge, there’s not a lot folks who have money, so you must be trusted before people with do business with you. Jim’s business is a brick and mortar model, he’d built with many hours of hard work and dedication. So it’s no wonder the question arouse during lunch…I asked him to describe some of the keys to a successful business, although a very humble and generous man, his answer took me a bit by surprise. I was expecting to hear how hard work long hours and keeping ahead of the guy behind you were going to be the first thing out of his mouth, instead he smiled paused and said…Steve it’s not what you get it’s what you give…In any business you must make some sort of a deal, from a sale or and order, service, product anything which requires satisfying a customer. You must put aside what you want, although it’s important to understand what’s driving you, first you need to determine what your potential customer wants. Steve in any deal the customer must feel their needs have been met before they will do business with...
by stevengconnelly@aol.com | Oct 13, 2017 | Business
In business today one needs to be aware of the competition, keep up on that which the other guy is doing and become a little bit better than them…Right? Hire employees who are the best in their field, work ethics the same as yours, always ready to give you 100%. This is the only way to keep ahead of anyone who may compete for your potential clients. Margins are tight so overhead must be kept in check. Although you get what you pay for, a budget in any successful business is essential. Never mind what needs to take place every day in the field to obtain that edge over the competition. Any amount of distance you can keep between your business and the next guy’s always takes priority over day to day challenges. You could say in order to create a better opportunity you must create confusion so people will look to you for direction as well as any advice on your business. Which can result in your company becoming the leader in your field. Seems as if all else fails, you might as well as reach in the bag of last resort…A sense of what makes you different than your competitor is one way to capture clientele, why your business is better and what you can do to provide a better service than the competition in your field. However there is another way to capture new clients and be the front runner, it’s not as if just improvement in what your currently doing will keep ahead of the closest competitor. Consider an ideal which no one has thought...
by stevengconnelly@aol.com | Sep 9, 2017 | Business
If your like most business owners, lead generation can consume a large chunk of your budget. Today it seems like the world is turning at the speed of light…New methods to increase the amount of people on your list is common language in most marketing campaigns. Have you ever got an email which states for a small monthly fee you can learn how to add hundreds of new subscribers to your list each month. Or you receive an email prompting you to take a quick survey and in return you’ll get free products…When in reality they are marketing to you, learning what products suit your needs then email you deal after deal, if you act now you’ll receive free shipping! Each company has it’s own unique marketing strategy, including getting you on a list then sending you useful information in return. There’s nothing wrong with receiving information to enhance your life style. One of the challenges with some marketing can be when the information sent has no relevance in your life style and borders on spam. At that point most people either delete or ignore the info. In any business lead generation takes the drivers seat. It’s about assembling a customer base which is essential if you want to grow a business, we’ve all heard that old saying, if your not growing your dying. There is little loyalty today, information is sent to an email, read and a decision is made, some say you have less than five seconds to get someones attention before they hit the delete button…This makes marketing all the more challenging. So what can...
by stevengconnelly@aol.com | Jul 29, 2017 | Business
In business today most owners are focused on providing a product with a competitive price point which is quite a challenge due to the rising cost of overhead and daily expenses. For a person with a flavor for being an entrepreneur starting a business can be a bit overwhelming at best. Yet everyday new business are starting all across the country. When looking at existing business models one must question how a small business owner is to be competitive against big corporate companies. There is much opportunity in the world today, changes due to technology has elevated the work force to perform more work in less time, however along with these enhancements jobs have been eliminated and people have been forced to take jobs which don’t align with years of experience, needless to say some people find themselves working full time for part time pay. It’s hard to imaging working for the same employer for 30 years in the current job market. Some still do, but most don’t. The question we must ask ourselves is…Do I see myself working for ABC Company for the next 30 years and have a 401 large enough to live comfortable for the rest of my life? There is endless opportunity for growth now, more and more people are falling short from their financial goals and looking for a way to increase income and live a better life style. However if you talk to a small business owner you might hear stories of long hours with little pay. That might be true for some but not for all. Make no mistake owning your own...
by stevengconnelly@aol.com | Jun 16, 2017 | Business
In today’s world advertising has become more complex, with the development of internet tools we are now able to send hundreds of emails a day. In some cases the ability of sending thousands of emails a day now exists. There are a number of services which provide a platform to send out an email blast to potential prospects. It is inexpensive and effective if done properly. You can customize an email and hit send and information for a service or product is in a prospects in box. Technology is moving at an alarming rate, so much so one can hardly keep track of new innovations. It has been said email is one way to increase retention of clients. However for the majority of clients most wish to be recognized as an individuals. This means careful attention to detail must be closely monitored, people can become overwhelmed with “too much information” and opt out of your list. The key to a successful email marketing campaign is providing value to your clients. Knowing what their needs are then providing a fit for what they need. There is nothing wrong with sending out a email blast of information to the people on your list as long as the information you are sending is serving a need. It comes down to not how many emails are sent but the quality of information provided. For the most part people like emails once a week, that doesn’t mean you should not send emails once a day, simply put the conversation rate increases when you don’t flood an inbox with worthless information. Keep it simple get...
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