Delivering Success

Just this week, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Postal Service launched a new program called Delivering Success. Delivering Success is a series of video interviews with successful entrepreneurs who share the lessons they’ve learned about owning a small business.

There are a number of videos posted on the web site. You can just watch the video for the topic that interests you. Or, if you have an hour or so, you can sit back and watch the entire series. Here are some of the video topics covered in the videos released so far:

• Entrepreneurial Spirit--learn what it takes to turn a passion into a business.
• Getting Started--how to overcome obstacles when starting a business.
• Financing--discover how SBA-backed financing helped these entrepreneurs start their businesses.
• Planning & Research--critical components of success explained by owners who know how.
• Marketing 101--explore a variety of marketing techniques to build your customer base.
• Hiring & Developing Employees--these owners let you in on what worked for them.
• Promoting & Growing Your Business--learn innovative techniques to increase your business.
• Business Reality Check--be prepared to change course from small business owners who had to do just that.

There's also a video about 10 quick tips for business success.

You'll find the videos and other information at this link: http://www.sba.gov/tools/audiovideo/deliveringsuccess/index.html.

Did you find this posting helpful and relevant to your business? I'm interested in your comments - either about this posting or about other topics you'd like to see on this blog. Please enter your comments by clicking the "comments" button below, or send me an email to tphillips@swpub.com.

Limited Advertising Budget - What's Best?

Q: I have a limited budget for print advertising. I heard that big ads get better response than smaller ads. Is it better to spend it on one big, colorful ad or to do smaller ads?

A: Really, it depends on your objective for print advertising. Here are three scenarios...

1. You're just starting your business and knew that you would have to advertise to let people know you're open for business. Is it better to do one big ad or to split that budget into smaller ads that run over a period of time?

It's better to run repetitive smaller ads than just one ad in this case. Frequency and repetition in advertising kind of build on each other, so that ultimately your smaller ad has more impact because the increase exposures increase the number of people that will see it. Research studies show that an ad has to be seen between three and 10 times before the viewer remembers seeing it... more before they remember what it was about... and what company it was for.

2. Your business has been around for a while, but you would like to bring in more new customers.

Again, it's better to run smaller ads over a period of time than to spend all your money on one ad. The key is to advertise what "new" customers are in the market to buy... or giving them a reason to come into your store. What makes you different? Why do they need your product or service? Which words and images motivate them?

3. You have a special event or sale coming up soon.

This might be the only time that a single, large ad might be effective. Might is italicized. It assumes that what you are selling is what people want to buy that day (or weekend). It assumes that the offer matches their motivation to buy. It assumes that they'll see your ad when you're running it (see #1).


Bottom line is that when you have a set, limited budget, frequency is more important than size. You also need a bold headline and a great offer to get your ad noticed. This is true not only for print advertising, but for your Web and broadcast advertising as well. Frequency, catchy "headlines" and great offers work together to get your ad noticed.

Tips to Cut Overhead

I love the Internet. The way that something can be found or said about virtually (literally) any topic. While debating a topic for this blog... wondering what might be of interest to the yet unknown readers in the small-business universe I'm trying to connect with...

Everybody I know seems to be in a financial crunch right now. Work life or home life; it makes no real difference when you're a small business owner and work=life. Whether one blames the housing market... or the rising interest rates... or the high price of gasoline... it pays to keep an eye on expenses.

I found a link that purports to list 100 Tips to Cut Overhead Costs. Now, what person interested in small business ownership couldn't use that list? When you're small, every penny counts, right?

So... I perused the list. And, some of the items listed make sense to me. Others seem like a lot of effort for a few bucks saved. But, what I think isn't really important. If you can benefit from any of the ideas... then by posting the link here, I've helped.

My hesitation in posting is that there is no profile section to the blog. I can't verify where the original information came from, who wrote and compiled the list, etc. The information is from a blog simply entitled, "Blogging Out of Debt."

http://www.debtconsolidationlowdown.com/2007/02/getting_to_blac.html