The two most important business areas for all small business owners

I’m currently in my final year at Quinnipiac University (AACSB Accredited) in Hamden, CT. In my Management-490 class we are acting as business consultants for local small businesses in need of a little extra help from business students. The problems have a pretty decent range, but the two core areas of emphasis are:


Websites

One of the most crucial communication tools in a small business is an informative, professional, and well-put together website. Before you jump on me for my dated appearance of my site, I will confess to it. My website really needs a facelift, but I have been concentrating on my full-time job (Student ) and future career. After doing a bit of searching on website building, I came up with this program for building a website:

http://www.v-com.com/product/Web_Easy_Pro_Home.html - Web Easy Professional 6


Getting hits to your website is also a crucial area to not overlook. On a recent thread, some members mentioned using hidden “keywords� to get hits from search engines. However, if discovered, you could be on your way to bans-ville from Google/Yahoo. I suggest taking a look at this tutorial on website optimization.

http://wordsinarow.com/seo.html - Search Engine Optimization



Marketing

A successful marketing plan is what fuels a small business, but it breaches far past advertisements. A marketing mix consists of:

http://www.netmba.com/images/marketing/mix/mix.gif

Target Market - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_market

Product - http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_plc.htm

Place - http://www.marketingteacher.com/Less...sson_place.htm

Price - http://www.marketingteacher.com/Less...on_pricing.htm

Promotion - http://www.marketingteacher.com/Less..._promotion.htm



Part of being a successful business is being competitive, so this information is just to get you started. Use it how you like and if clarification is needed, just ask.

I`ve been involved in all aspects of product, partner (channel) and retail marketing for many years. I see reference to Geoffrey Moore on one of your links. I have read all of his books. In my opinion Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado should be required reading for any product team when introducing a new product or working with a dated producted that needs to reinvent itself. The Chasm that is discussed in these books is a real phenomena that many people who make a living as a marketer don`t fully understand. These books are a wealth of information on products and their life cycles. They`re a pretty easy read as well.

I couldn`t agree more about web sites, I now work almost full time on ours, and over the last couple of day have written quite a bit on the subject.

As for marketing... the market is all wrong as it stands. And I believe that a large part of the industry is getting it wrong... I don`t think you need to be competitive, you just need to offer value for money and customer service.

We don`t chase after all the high-end cars, because these are few and far between. Instead we go after Mr & Mrs Average with their four door sallon... there are millions of these about... the problem is they don`t know about the value of the service we provide. But we don`t try to lure them in with the cheapest prices either. I don`t know about you, but I don`t want penny pinching customers!
Instead, we show them, tell them, the value of our services. The motor trade has know for years that you can buy a shabby car cheap and get it detailed and sell it at a good profit. There is no reason that Mr & Mrs Average can`t do the same with thier own car, I`m sure you know all this.
What I`m getting at is that you have to be competitive if you are chasing after the same old customers, but if you create new business, you can get payed what you are worth. Tell a customer that you can raise the value of thier car by $1000 if they pay you $500, they would be mad not to.

But while you get the customer to chase the $$$, we don`t. Instead, we chase customer service. Through this we get repeat business, but also, the whole ethos filter through into everything you do, so from the first moment a customer comes into contact with you (even if this is looking at your web site), they feel comfortable and willing to invest thier trust in you.

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In my Management-490 class we are acting as business consultants for local small businesses in need of a little extra help from business students.

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Sean,

Excellent writeup. I am a management consultant by background. I would also suggest you read articles at www.mckinseyquarterly.com if you want to learn more about consulting. Also, I strongly recommend the books by Geoffrey Moore, especially Crossing the Chasm.

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Originally Posted by !Danny!

We don`t chase after all the high-end cars, because these are few and far between. Instead we go after Mr & Mrs Average with their four door sallon... there are millions of these about... the problem is they don`t know about the value of the service we provide. But we don`t try to lure them in with the cheapest prices either. I don`t know about you, but I don`t want penny pinching customers!
Instead, we show them, tell them, the value of our services. The motor trade has know for years that you can buy a shabby car cheap and get it detailed and sell it at a good profit. There is no reason that Mr & Mrs Average can`t do the same with thier own car, I`m sure you know all this.
What I`m getting at is that you have to be competitive if you are chasing after the same old customers, but if you create new business, you can get payed what you are worth. Tell a customer that you can raise the value of thier car by $1000 if they pay you $500, they would be mad not to.

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That`s DEFINITELY a great piece of advice. I`ve had great luck with the marketing piece I`ve been using on my website, which is kind of along these lines, too.

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ATTENTION VEHICLE OWNER:

Your vehicle is in serious danger at this very moment. Every day, your vehicle is bombarded by hundreds of contaminants ranging from road salt to acid rain. These contaminants are a poison, choking the life out of your investment in the form of rust and corrosion.

Don’t worry – there is something you can do to help prevent this constant abuse from the environment. Make an appointment to meet with me – C. Charles Hahn, your Automotive Appearance Specialist. I can show you how, with proper care, your vehicle can last for years to come.

Many automotive dealerships misinform their customers regarding today’s clear coat paints and corrosion resistant components. While these parts inherently last longer than they did on the cars and trucks of 10 years ago, they still need extra attention to maintain that like-new appearance for a long lifetime of service. The “miracle paint sealant� packages sold by these dealers do not last the lifetime of the vehicle, and are often overpriced. It is important to have such sealants applied and periodically re-applied by an experienced detailer. This is where I come in.

I have several packages available to suit you and your vehicle’s specific needs. With everything from scratch and scuff repairs, to interior detailing, to exterior paint protection, together we can help to keep your investment as-new for years to come. I treat each and every vehicle I detail as though it were my own; high quality service and reasonable prices are guaranteed. So pamper yourself, pamper your vehicle, and contact me today.

I look forward to hearing from you! Please see my price list for a guideline of the services I offer.

Sincerely,

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I`ve actually had a couple people straight out tell me that I scared the crap out of them with the whole "Your vehicle is in serious danger..." bit, enough so that they understood exactly what about detailing made it so important.

I think its better for most "average" customers if marketing focuses on protection and longevity, rather than looks and eye appeal. Most folks want the best bang for the buck in order to make their major investments last as long as possible. :yay