SuncoastGlobal.com » strategy

Advertising Budgets – How Much Is Too Much

J.L. — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:23:49 +0000

If you've never really done much advertising and relied mostly on networking and word-of-mouth, how can you figure out where to start? The first thing you must do is calculate your minimum and maximum allowable ad budgets: * Step 1: Take 10 percent and 12 percent of your projected annual gross sales and multiply each by the markup made on your average transaction. In this first step, it's important to remember that we're talking about gross markup here, not margin. Markup is gross profit above cost, expressed as a percentage of cost. Margin is [...]

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Ways to Actually Get Things Done Every Day

J.L. — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:30:25 +0000

Want to spend your day getting things done instead of putting out fires? Here are some ways to do just that. Technology Streamlining your business technology can make life less of a headache for everyone. Entrepreneurs often "don't realize they can make things easier," says Kevin McElligott, founder of iTech Developers, a Nevada City, California, technology consulting firm [...]

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Your Customer Is Your Company’s Lifeblood – Treat Him Right

J.L. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:43:35 +0000

When you only have a few employees and a few customers, it's easy to stay on top of things. As you add more customers and and employees, it gets quite a bit harder. You actually create the potential for growth at the same time you're creating the potential for disaster. Creating a customer service policy and sticking to it can make it easier on you. Take these steps to help you [...]

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Sudden Success – Plan for It

J.L. — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:05:40 +0000

Too often, overnight success can quickly become a company's worst nightmare. A small business that lacks the capital, staff or infrastructure to handle a big order or nationwide publicity can promptly get crushed when ...

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Create a Good Sign – Stop Being Invisible

J.L. — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:27:45 +0000

Most business signs are invisible and utterly useless. They're well-proportioned, carefully balanced, tastefully drawn and perfectly color-coordinated. In other words, utterly predictable and effectively invisible.

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Hire The Right People – They’re Worth Every Penny

J.L. — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:14:29 +0000

How many times have you tried so hard to match the skills of a candidate to the demands of the open position that the most important characteristics of a person have been relegated to lesser importance or forgotten entirely?

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Attract Your Audience Now

J.L. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:55:18 +0000

Your website isn't getting any traffic. What's worse is you're not generating any sales. Plus, without traffic, you can't test the key components of your sales process. In other words, you're in a pickle.

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

All Advertising Campaigns Are Not Created Equal

J.L. — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:57:25 +0000

Not all ads are created equal. Just because a certain pitch worked for one business, doesn't mean it'll work for yours. How to choose?

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com

Exit Strategies – Getting Your Money Out

J.L. — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:22:40 +0000

It's not enough to build a business worth a fortune; you have to make sure you have an exit strategy, a way to get the money back out. For entrepreneurs who like to plan ahead and for those of you who don't but should, here are ...

Originally Posted under: Small Business Marketing on SuncoastGlobal.com