10 tips for marketing to SMEs

According to the Toronto-based Executive Council on Small Business (ECSB), small business is already flooded with advertising and product information.

75% of business owners say the amount of marketing material they receive has risen in the past three years. Most don't even read what they get: according to another study, 36% of business owners just scan your copy for key words, while 35% skim it by reading only the bullet points.

So how do you get a business owner to give your marketing the attention it deserves? ECSB senior vice-president Jeff Berry offers his Top 10 Tactics.

Point 1: Entrepreneurs in Canada may be gutsy risk-takers when they launch their businesses, but surveys find them decidedly risk-averse regarding day-to-day operations.

Marketers can leverage that risk aversion by acknowledging the risks or issues that customers may encounter in using their products (e.g., installation or compatibility problems).

Point 2: Reduce perceived risk by offering samples and free trials, refund periods or money-back guarantees.

Points 3 and 4: Entrepreneurs are older than you think, says Berry: 62% of Canadian business owners are between the ages of 46 and 62. Use images in your marketing materials that reflect the faces, fashions and lifestyles of older entrepreneurs. And produce your copy in bigger fonts, to ensure your target market can read your material.

Point 5: Entrepreneurs need to feel they're in control. Provide two or three options in each product category so business owners can choose the item that best fits their needs. (More than three options can get confusing.)

Points 6 and 7: Most business owners are locally oriented. Berry suggests helping entrepreneurs expand their contacts by supporting local groups; in the U.S., for instance, American Express recently sponsored “meetup” groups that enabled its customers to network more formally with local business people.

You can also form your own groups of local customers. Apple Inc. hosts bi-monthly events at its Apple stores for Macintosh-powered entrepreneurs.

Point 8: Respect entrepreneurs’ hectic schedules by creating content that’s easy to read and skim. “If what you sell them isn’t going to save them time,” says Berry, “then make the message ‘faster’ to consume.”

Point 9: Offer service options that work with business owners’ schedules. At ProStores, an e-commerce solutions company, account reps make their calendars viewable so customers can pick their own appointment times.

Point 10: Empower business owners to solve their own problems in a timely manner. ECSB’s research found that 84% of entrepreneurs watch “how-to” videos, and 71% watch videos on corporate web sites.

Any marketer can have a credible product and a fabulous offer. By heeding the new rules of consumability, you might even get your message across.

Using social networks could pay

Q: What exactly is Social Media and can it help bring in business?

A: Like any emerging idea, the definition of social media is still a little blurry around the edges. Social media is an umbrella term that includes interactive broadcasts such as blogs and podcasts, as well as social networking Web sites. These Web sites often allow visitors to become users or members, create profiles, and upload and share content through the Web site.

There are hundreds of social media Web sites out there. One of the most popular is MySpace which was originally a place for bands to promote themselves. Anyone can create a profile and there are no identity checks. Companies targeting consumers often set up shop there.

Another is LinkedIn. This networking Web site allows you to create a profile and connect with colleagues, give and get recommendations, and find people outside your immediate network for new opportunities. One of the fastest growing social media sites is Facebook.

Why should you care about social networking sites? If you had a retail outlet you wouldn't set up shop where there's no foot traffic, would you? Well, many of your customers and clients may already be at social media Web sites. You need to go to where your customers are.

To get started with social networking, you may want to do some investigative work to find out where your best customers are. Since these sites offer free memberships, it only costs you in time to join multiple sites. Once you've joined, listen to the conversations around you. Each site may have its own mores, but generally people don't want you storming into a conversation to tell them how great your products or services are.

Once you feel comfortable with your surroundings, feel free to join in. Just don't make it a sales pitch. Find a group that you can participate in. If you sell dog products, find and join dog lovers' groups. If you're feeling really daring, start your own group, and invite current clients and colleagues to join in. A real estate agent might start a group focused on the local area (restaurants, schools, taxes, etc.), getting local business owners and residents to join together.

Using social media as a marketing or networking tool is in its infancy. Like a lot of marketing endeavors, the results may be difficult to track. But if you're on the sidelines, your competitors may be making connections and building relationships with your prospects. Are you willing to take that chance?

Volunteering with SCORE

Q: I’m at the age of retirement and have an opportunity to sell my business. Although I’d like to slow down, I’m not ready to stop working entirely. Any advice?


A: Why not spend some of your time helping promising entrepreneurs start or run their own small businesses? You could share your business expertise, give back to your community, gain satisfaction from seeing others succeed and connect with like-minded people by volunteering with SCORE. Each year, SCORE counselors touch thousands of lives, generously sharing their knowledge and experience so that entrepreneurs can realize their dreams of business success.

Nationwide 10,500 men and women in 389 SCORE offices donate their time and talent to assist America's small businesses. At SCORE Houston, volunteers provide confidential one-to-one and team business counseling and low-cost training workshops and seminars. In addition, many counselors are virtual volunteers, providing email counseling directly from their homes or offices. SCORE members can not get paid for the services they provide to our small business clients.

Counselors come from a variety of occupations and backgrounds. Both retired and working professionals are welcome in SCORE. Many volunteers owned small businesses for years while others worked for large corporations.

Whatever their background, SCORE counselors share a belief that small business owners are more likely to succeed if they have a business mentor to guide them. We currently are seeking new members of diverse backgrounds and experiences to complement our current team of over 70 volunteers in the Houston area.

Our members choose from a variety of ways to contribute to our mission; but, a most of our counselors are focused primarily on helping aspiring entrepreneurs develop their business plans and launch their first business. Many work with clients to find the financing needed to start or expand a small business. Others are involved in organizing client educational sessions, carrying out our chapter treasury and accounting activities, managing our internal computer network, publishing newsletters, or other administrative functions.

New members go through an orientation program to get familiar with SCORE and comfortable with the counseling process. All members stay up-to-date by attending regular monthly training sessions.

In Houston, we share offices and work closely with the Small Business Administration. We have several satellite locations throughout the city. Check out our web site, www.scorehouston.org.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please e-mail us at score37@scorehouston.org, or, call our office at 713-773-6565 and leave a message for our membership coordinator to call you.

Fun with Contests that Align with Strategy

Here’s a great way for a company that prides itself on customer service to promote itself, and the very concept of service as well.

Rackspace.com, the “cloud computing” hosting company that calls itself “The Home of Fanatical Support,” puts customer service first in its own business. But it also holds a contest for its clients to recognize “one of our customers for valuing customer service as much as we do.”

The 2009 Fanati Contest is now underway (for U.S. customers only). Rackspace clients who think they have what it takes have until Dec. 11 to put together a 5-minute video explaining why they deserve to be this year’s winner.

Here are some of the approaches Rackspace suggests to contest entrants:
• Tell us who you are and what your business does.
• Describe what Fanatical Support means to you.
• If you were going to take a thesaurus to the phrase “Fanatical Support” and use that in your company’s business motto, what would your new motto be?
• Tell us about a time you or an employee went above and beyond (fanatically) for a customer or employee.
• Tell us how you’ve continued to enhance your motto to adapt to your business’ changing needs, culture, and/or growth to ensure that customers stay satisfied?

What a great way to align yourself with your customers, promote your brand, and create increased engagement by among customers and their staff. And it costs almost nothing.

Kudos to Rackspace for showing that marketing (in this age of clutter) can still be about good ideas that benefit buyers and sellers alike.

What’s your brand? How could you get customers more excited about it, and promote it to the rest of the world, by organizing a contest of your own?

Quick: What does Small Business want?

My column in this week’s Financial Post tells about my recent encounter with billionaire Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit (Quicken, QuickBooks, etc.).

Cook came to Toronto last month to kick off an Intuit Canada campaign to get closer to the small business market by holding information sessions with working entrepreneurs across the country. Cook himself facilitated the first one, asking 14 Toronto business owners about the problems that keep them awake at night.

So my story looks at small business’s most urgent needs today, as well as how one company is getting closer to that market in order to identify the problems it can actually solve.

FYI, here are some of the key issues Cook heard about:

"Growth timing: When to take on extra fixed costs."

"When to expand and why."

"Compliance with tax authorities... Managing cash flow. Seeking investors."

"Work-life balance."

"How to persuade prospects of our value."

"Getting faster responses from customers."

"How to manage the time suck of social media."

"When to cut prices."

"Developing an online presence."

"Partnership and collaboration."

"Finding distribution channels."

"Cutting costs."

"Hiring, training, and when to fire."

After the meeting, I asked Cook if he'd heard any promising ideas. One big one, he said: "Social media as a time suck."
"I don't claim I understand it yet," he said, "but it's given us more to do."

You can read the full story here.

Financing a Business with Retirement Funds

Q: I’d like to buy a business but most of my funds are tied up in a rollover IRA. Is there any way to use those funds for a new business?


A: Yes, you can invest your retirement account funds in your own business. This can help get you off to a good start by building equity and reducing the need for debt and cash flow. These are important factors for the long-term success of your business.



Funding a small business through the use of retirement plans is ever more prevalent in today’s economic environment, as bank loans and other sources of capital have become more difficult to obtain. It can be attractive for individuals who have suffered from downsizing, closures and lay-offs or who have just retired early.



This type of self-reliant funding is available to just about anyone who has an existing retirement plan and who has terminated employment with the employer where the funds were accumulated or for someone who just has an IRA. The money invested through a properly designed retirement plan can be used to fund the start-up of a new business, purchase a franchise, purchase an existing business, and in some instances, raise capital for an existing business.



The process calls for the assets in your existing retirement plan to be rolled over – tax-deferred and penalty-free – into a newly established qualified retirement plan for you and your new company’s employees. Then the new IRA assets can be invested in the stock of the new company as well as mutual funds, individual stocks and other types of investments.



At the completion of the process, your new company can raise cash from the sale of stock to the retirement plan which in turn holds company stock as a plan asset. The cash can be used for legitimate investments in the business or to pay legitimate business expenses.



With this type of funding, it’s extremely important to consult with a firm that specializes in retirement plan design and administration. As with any qualified plan, compliance with rules and regulations is critical.



Business financing of any kind comes with risks – the risks inherently associated with opening a new business or purchasing an existing one. Before you decide to use your retirement funds, or any other type of financing for that matter, you should ensure that you have a viable business idea, a comprehensive business plan, adequate capital, and the consultation of small business professionals, like those at SCORE, who can provide advice and guidance for your new venture.

The Value of FREE

I had an interesting discussion last week with an exhibitor at the SOHO business conference and trade show in Vancouver. Specifically, about the lack of promotional pizzazz being shown by the exhibitors.

My friend’s company was giving away free product to anyone who visited the booth. It offers a service that people may use twice to 20 times a year, and it has extra inventory, so why not? Sampling is a time-honoured technique, good not only for getting prospects used to consuming your product, but also to attract people's attention in any competitive marketplace, such as a trade show.

Ever notice how trade show attendees usually avoid eye contact with any sales people in the booths? That’s because they see no value in initiating any sort of relationship with you. It’s a lack of interest, lack of trust, and unwillingness to explore the ROI they might gain by doing business with you. All because you have not caught their eye by offering any obvious, easy-to-grasp VALUE.

So how do you overcome that? Offer something free! Not just a cheap knickknack for stopping by the booth (“How many free pens do you need?” asked my friend), but a real, knock-their-socks-off FREE offer that presents real value – and an acknowledgement that in today’s ultra-competitive markets, prospects are doing you a big favor by even considering your wares.

They say people are exposed to 3,000 marketing messages a day (or about a million a year). We all feel like the quarry in a fox hunt, being chased through the woods and hounded to death. You have spent a lot of money to be at this trade show: show your prospects a piece of that. Give them an offer (something free, or a whopping introductory discount) that reflects their true value to you.

It’s not just a cost of doing business. It’s the price you pay to be noticed and trusted.

A Strategy for Beating Burnout

Q: I’ve worked hard for several years to build up my business, but the long hours, missed weekends and pressure-packed deadlines are wearing me down. What can I do?


A: There are a great many rewards in running your own business. But you must also be aware of the trade-offs and sacrifices that come with being in charge. Over time, the stress and strain may take their toll on your physical and emotional health, affecting relations with your employees, family and friends as well as impacting your business. Fortunately, there are many good ways to keep business burnout at bay.

First, identify those responsibilities or activities that are causing the stress. What aspects of running your business regularly cause discomfort or even anxiety? Perhaps you dread mundane tasks like bookkeeping and filing reports, or having to make sales calls. You may have customers who are difficult to work with, or do not pay invoices on time. And, because you are responsible for everything your business does, you may find yourself obsessing about things beyond your control.

One cure for an overburdened mind is to shed some of your responsibilities. Members of your staff with specific skills or leadership potential may be good candidates to take on certain functions. Consider using a company that specializes in offloading the administrative work of businesses. If you’re a solo entrepreneur, it may be time to hire your first employee or outsource to a part-timer.

Schedule some “me” time and stick with it. You follow a regular maintenance schedule for your equipment, so why not treat yourself the same way? A monthly lunch get-together with colleagues and designated family nights are great ways to get your mind off business issues and reconnect with the people who matter most to you. Even a quick walk around the block will do wonders to refresh your mind and spirit.

Sometimes, problems or challenges aren’t the cause of burnout; it’s the lack of them. Look for new challenges to stimulate your interest and energy. Recapture the thrill you experienced when starting your business by considering expanding or enhancing your products or services. Make sure you plan staffing and resources to support any new venture, however, so you don’t unnecessarily add to your workload.

Seek advice from experts, mentors or experts. Many sources of burnout are common to entrepreneurs and you can learn much from their experience. SCORE offers many valuable resources to help you resolve your small business dilemmas.

Make sure customers always win

Q: I know that customer service is vitally important to my business. But how do I go about making good customer service the way we do business?


A: No matter what you’ve heard, the customer isn’t always right. But that doesn’t mean you should be the one to tell him. A better line to live by might be, “The customer always wins,” because if the customer doesn’t win, he doesn’t come back—and then you lose!


Linda Novey-White, international customer service consultant and former SCORE director, believes you should establish a customer service standard that depends on your particular business. Is your core value that the customer always walks out of the door happy, or is it that the customer always gets the best product even if he doesn’t want to pay for it? Those core values are your customer service standards. But whatever those standards are, they should be designed to engender loyalty with each customer who comes in contact with your business.


Novey-White says, “Once you know what the standard is, you have to manage to that standard. The business owner has to be the evangelist for the customer service standard and also its chief enforcer.”


If customer service is important, it’s not enough to say so. The business owner has to be prepared to hire—and fire—based on customer service performance. Customer service should be foremost in annual evaluations, and it should be attached to measurable goals.


If you want to improve your customer service, benchmark it against others in your industry. But if you really want to vastly improve customer service, compare it to others outside of your industry. You might learn a whole new creative process for implementing customer service if you go outside of your industry.


You should be evaluating your customer service on an ongoing basis. Don’t wait until evaluation time to set an employee straight—your customers won’t wait to find someone else if they’ve been disappointed.


It’s not enough to train your employees in customer service. The reinforcement has to be ongoing. Some of the best ways to do this are to let the customer help. One hotel distributes tokens to guests and encourages them to hand the tokens out to employees who have done an exemplary job. Those tokens can later be redeemed by the employees for merchandise. Another company used evaluation cards as the basis for days off for employees who consistently rank high in customer evaluations.

Corporate refugees can make good small business owners

Q: I’ve been working in a large corporation for a long time and now have the opportunity to terminate with a severance package. I’m considering starting or buying a small business but how do I know if I can or should?


A: Many people in similar situations these days are wondering the same thing. Not only are the newly unemployed looking for business opportunities, others currently employed are seeing “the writing on the wall” or “just don’t like” what they observe going on in their workplace. They all need income replacement and seek investment opportunity. Going into business for themselves might just be what they need.

First, people coming out of corporate environments are usually better suited for small business ownership than they may think.

Many skills do travel from one environment to the next and experience working with big companies has some advantages. Training is an important one. Sales courses, budgeting classes, management seminars and other learning experiences are standard offerings at most large corporations.

Big-company employees may have industry-specific or technical experience that they can build a business around, if they can handle all of the other responsibilities of running a small business.

Corporate refugees normally have learned how to execute, plan and budget. If you’ve had management or supervisory background, then you’ve had the chance to develop organizational and time-management skills.

But refugees from big businesses could have some weaknesses. One is a desire or expectation to earn more than is realistic especially at the beginning. The monetary benefits of owning a privately-held business often arrive after the business is well established.

Some corporate employees are specialists--unable or unwilling to perform the kind of multitasking that is second nature to successful small business owners. Corporate executives sometimes are not ready to roll up their sleeves and do whatever is necessary to get the job done.

Most corporate employees don’t have experience managing cash. Someone else paid the bills and received the money. But in most cases small business cash management is much like managing your own personal bank account.

Risk taking is something some refugees can’t come to grips with. They’re used to a steady salary whatever the business conditions. Not having that guaranteed income can be uncomfortable.

So, if you’ve been “downsized for the last time” or are ready “to take control of your own destiny” speak to a SCORE counselor or attend a SCORE seminar for help in getting started.

First-rate customer service truly stands out

Aug. 22, 2009, 1:48AM

Q: I know that businesses that provide good customer service usually have more repeat business and therefore greater sales than those that don't, but how do you go about doing that?

A: It's the businesses that personalize their customer service that gain the most customers who come back.

Linda Novey-White, former SCORE board director and international hospitality consultant, says: “Never let your client forget who you are. You want to use every method possible to keep yourself in the front of their minds.”

One way is to send a news clip that you think might be of interest to the client, even if you don't have a current contract with that customer. The next time the client needs some work, you may get a call. Another way is to write thank-you notes once a job is done. Handwritten notes stand out from the crowd. It can pay off.

Make it your business to find out your customers' special occasions and send cards or flowers to let them know that you care. Your competition may have a product that is similar to yours, but with personalized customer service, you can distinguish your company.

You need to give your customers something of extra value if you want them to return, Novey-White says.

Try giving them more than they paid for. If you have a product to sell, customers should perceive that it has a greater value than the products offered by your nearest rival. Look at your business like a customer would. What could you be doing better and what is your competition doing better?

It's not enough to meet your customer's needs. You have to anticipate them. Think ahead to what the market is going to be demanding next year and determine what you can do better a year from now. Businesses usually proudly state that their core concept is to exceed expectations, but they neglect the founda-tion of meeting those expec-tations in the first place.

Novey-White says the two top mistakes people make in customer service are not delivering and not listening.

First, deliver what you promise. Delivering a product or service that disappoints is the fastest way to lose your customers.

Second, remember to listen. Too many businesses advertise the next big thing without considering whether their customers want a next big thing. Your customers will tell you what they really want — if you really listen.

Why buy a failing business?

Aug. 8, 2009, 1:41AM

Q: A friend has suggested that we consider buying a business that is failing. Why would we ever want to do that?

A: A failing business might present an attractive investment opportunity for any number of reasons. When businesses for sale are failing, i.e., they have low or negative cash flow to the owner, you need to look under the cover to see what's really going on in the business.

The reasons the business is struggling could be correctable by the right buyer. And, if that's the case, you need to make sure that what you are buying, with the necessary adjustments, will fit into a business plan that you believe will be successful.

Actually, the evaluation you should conduct is not much different than if you were considering buying a business that is profitable. You may find that the strong earnings of a successful business are based on factors that are temporary or depend on skills that you don't have or are difficult to acquire.

A business may be failing because of owner mismanagement. Perhaps the owner doesn't have the marketing skills needed to boost sales or maybe is not managing inventory in a cost-effective way.This could create an opportunity for a motivated buyer with the capability to properly manage the business.

The owner may just be burned out and may not have the energy to make the adjustments needed to improve the business.

For instance, an owner I visited recently has been running his business for a long time. His market has changed, but he doesn't want to make the investment in time and money to advertise and take orders over the Internet even though the rest of his business infrastructure will support this. Again, this could be a good opportunity for the right buyer.

Sometimes early-stage businesses fail because they run out of cash and can‘t raise more capital. This can happen even though their sales volume is growing nicely and can reasonably be expected to continue to grow. But a seller may have a long-term lease or a loan payment that he or she can't support any longer.

A buyer with the financial resources and the know-how can treat the business as a startup but with a head start, thereby avoiding many of the headaches entrepreneurs normally encounter when starting from scratch.

Of course, your evaluation may discover that a business is failing for reasons that can't be easily resolved. In this case, you just keep looking for that good investment opportunity. There are many of them out there.

Work hard but get a life

July 25, 2009, 5:24PM

Q: I've been out of work for a while and am thinking about starting or buying my own business. Other than preparing a good business plan and securing financing, what other major challenges will I face?

A: Entrepreneurs often face obstacles that can impede if not block progress on getting started in their new endeavors. These are often more personal than business-related.

Time mis-management is one of those issues that create problems for many who start new business ventures. Either you spend all of your time working, or you can't quite keep yourself on a schedule.

Many businesses fail early because the owner couldn't draw a good balance between work time vs. “the rest of life” time.

While you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on your business, especially early on, you can't spend every waking minute on your business. You still need to have a life. Otherwise you'll burn out.

If you have organizational skills, you've just passed the next major hurdle. Being disorganized not only means wasting your time as you try to find or do something, you waste the time of others whose assistance you may be depending upon. Being unorganized also makes focus difficult, which leads to the next obstacle — focus or rather “lack of” focus.

A SCORE client of mine decided to resign from his company and focus on consulting. Seemed like a good idea. He knew his field and had a lot of hands-on experience. He also had a fully equipped home office and no kids or spouse around for distraction.

Unfortunately, the idea was better than the venture. He couldn't focus without the structure of an office environment. Instead of being at his desk every morning at a certain time, he'd find other things to do. Lunch hours often turned into taking the afternoon off. It was a “sort of” business — not a serious one.

Also, you need to be able to deal with the fear of failure. Failure and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand. If you're not fully aware that your business could fail — or if you're terrified of failure — go work for someone else.

If you're not willing to take risks, you shouldn't be in business for yourself. Most successful entrepreneurs have had failures along the way — either companies that didn't succeed or ideas that failed. But that didn't stop them from starting again.

Brand needs clear edge in bad times

July 11, 2009, 3:58PM

Q: Is it worth continuing to build your brand in a difficult economic climate?

A: Studies have shown that companies that have high brand awareness achieve returns far greater than companies that don't. Taking an active approach to marketing and branding is vital, especially during a tight economy. Spending a lot isn't the key to marketing and branding. Instead, focus on your audience and provide qual-ity, quality and quality in everything you do.

Do what you say you're going to do. This may sound like common sense, but one of the primary drivers of brand loyalty is a consistent experience.

If you say you are going to have the product ready or the service delivered on a set day, be sure it is ready. Positive experiences lead to good feelings, which lead to customers telling their friends. Don't forget that bad experiences spread faster and are harder to overcome — if you get a chance at all.

The first key to successful brand building is to clearly define your brand. If you haven't yet, draft a one-page description of your business.

It helps to get an outside perspective; ask people who interact with your company about their perceptions. How would they describe your business? What do they think you do? What do they like about it? How do you compare to rivals? Could your company improve?

Then, write down what your business stands for.

Examine every component of your brand — for example, your logo, business cards, signage, Web site, on-hold messaging and e-mail signature — and make sure they are consistent with your desired image.

Your employees are important stewards of your brand. Branding is as much about your people as anything else. The best interactions come from one-on-one conversations among managers, employees, suppliers and customers. Employees engaged with your brand philosophy will become brand ambassadors.

A down economy is the time to reaffirm your value proposition with your customers and prospects. Keep your company and brand at the top of their minds. The economy will turn around, and you want to be the first choice when they're ready to buy.

Because branding is a long-term effort, it may take months before a small business will see results.

Don't abandon that effort, even when times are tough. This way, you'll be ready when the economy rebounds, and consumers will remember you were there.

Some ideas on coping in bad times

June 27, 2009, 1:17AM

Q: What are good ways to stimulate sales when the economy is down?

A: First and foremost, stay calm and don’t panic. Recessions and economic downturns have occurred before. Prepare now to position yourself and your business to benefit from the eventual and inevitable climb back to success.

It’s time to be creative in your sales and marketing efforts. Remember two old clichés, “step out of the box” and “don’t be vanilla.” Now is the time to maximize your sales and marketing effort. Don’t sit back and wait.

Start with obvious fundamentals. Contact all past and present customers as soon as possible. Be enthusiastic. An example would be, “We’re overstocked on items you’ve bought previously.” Offer significant incentives and/or “preferred customer” discounts on everything, including the highest-turnover items.

Liquidate old and slow-moving inventory at cost or less. If you provide a service, create a package offering a “special series,” or an evening and weekend rate. Don’t forget ladies’ day, senior citizens’ day, holiday specials and incentives to pay now. Think cash. Cash is always king, especially in recessionary times.

Revise your marketing and business plan to position yourself for long-term success. What are you good at? Set realistic goals and measure progress often. Review your product line or the services you offer. Can you profitably market to a slightly different customer group? Don’t forget customer service with this definition: An unexpected service when delivered at random, can create a memorable event for your customer. Make use of sincere thank you’s. Follow up. Then, follow up again.

Valuable tools are available today that didn’t exist during previous downturns. Technology has given you the Internet, e-mail marketing and search engines. What about cell phones and text messages? Professional networking sites such as Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter can create new contacts and new sales opportunities.

Maximize utilization of inexpensive items like press releases, trade shows, speaking opportunities and e-mail marketing. Network at chamber of commerce events and other “mixers.” Offer to provide a door prize in order to get exposure. Investigate business networking groups. Don’t forget to read industry trade journals and newsletters and visit appropriate Web sites for fresh ideas. Finally, clean up your Web site and make sure it’s user-friendly.

Plans need frequent evaluation

June 13, 2009, 3:23AM

Q:In your most recent column you provided advice on where to find resources to prepare a good business plan. Now that I have one and have started up, what do I do with the plan?

A:You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your business plan. Think of it as a living document, and refer to it and review it often. Use your business plan as a tracking and evaluation tool, so that you can determine if your business is heading in the right direction or if it has wandered off course.

Schedule periodic checkups of your business. Many factors that affect your business are tied to an annual cycle. To ensure that your business plan continues to serve you well, make it a habit to update it annually. Set aside a block of time near the beginning of the calendar year, fiscal year or whenever is convenient.

Make this review a priority activity. Often small-business owners allow their time to get absorbed on the more urgent operational tasks and don’t allow time for vitally important management and planning activities.

Validate the assumptions used in your plan. Our business environment is always changing, so ensure that the basesused for your plan are still appropriate.

Assess your performance by reviewing the data in your plan. Compare your expected results against your actual results. Because your plan sets forth marketing, operational and financial milestones, you should carefully analyze actual operating results against the goals and objectives.

Fine-tune your plan. Parts of your business plan may feel very tight and others may still need some work. Look for ways to improve what you’ve done so far. Incorporate the experience you’ve gained as a business owner into your business plan. Anticipate future events — good and bad — that may affect your business. Take appropriate action if goals outlined in your plan haven’t been met.

Get help from others. After you change and update your business plan, share it with your advisers. SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business, is experienced in helping entrepreneurs create and revise business plans.

Strive to operate your business according to your plan. Your business plan will work for you if you use it to remind yourself and your team where you are going and how you will get there.

Whether you’re updating your business plan for the first time or the 20th, treating your business plan as a document that evolves over time proves that you understand your business and you know what is required to make it grow and prosper.

Business plan help is easy to find

May 30, 2009, 5:24PM

Q: The process of writing a business plan is daunting to me. How do I get started?

A: When this happens to aspiring entrepreneurs, the obstacle is often just knowing what information is needed and where to find it, and then actually putting it down on paper.

For starters, you’re not venturing into unknown territory. Millions of people have transformed their ideas into thriving enterprises. Putting together a business plan is a valuable learning experience, an opportunity to learn about your chosen new field, and yourself. The proverbial first step of this journey is relatively easy.

Many valuable resources are available that can guide you through the process from start to finish. These aids can’t do all the work for you. You still will need to invest a fair amount of time and effort in research, writing, revising and more research.

But once you do get started, you may well find yourself wondering why you waited so long.

To get a complete picture of how a business plan is structured, visit the Small Business Administration’s Web site, www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner. The pages outline the elements found in most business plans and provide a wide range of sample plans for various types of businesses.

The SBA’s basics page also offers helpful guides to financing, marketing, employee relations, taxes and other topics that entrepreneurs should consider as they shape their business plans and strategies. At SCORE’s Web site, www.scorehouston.org (click on free business resources), you’ll find many valuable tools and other information. Download the easy-to-follow templates directly to your computer and get started.

Each section of the business plan templates explains the type of information that’s needed, why it’s essential to the plan, and the questions you will need to answer when seeking financing.

Remember, however, that while these tools can provide a good start, they are by no means all-inclusive and you may need more guidance from experienced business counselors.

Take advantage of free and confidential business counseling at one of SCORE’s several Houston area locations or attend one of SCORE’s workshops or seminars on business planning. If the nature of your business or industry requires considering specific issues, go to www.score.org and request online assistance.

Credit crunch for small businesses may be easing

May 2, 2009, 5:23PM

Q: Is there any help on the way to encourage lending to small businesses including startups and acquisitions?

A: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress in mid-February has a number of provisions to enhance the Small Business Administration’s loan programs, and three have already been implemented.

The first deals with the SBA’s 7(a) loan program, which guarantees a portion of bank loans to entrepreneurs looking to start, expand or acquire small businesses. The 7(a) serves as a credit enhancement to the lender and provides collateral to the borrower. Most 7(a) loan program guarantees are temporarily raised to 90 percent of the portion of the loan being insured against default through 2009 or until the funds are exhausted.

The increase in guarantee levels will help banks extend credit and make more capital available to small-business owners around the country.

The act also temporarily waives the guarantee fees passed on to borrowers on 7(a) loans.

On Friday, the SBA temporarily increased the 7(a) loan size standard making more businesses eligible for 7(a) loans. Also , the fees paid by borrowers in the SBA’s 504 loan program are temporarily waived.

This program provides SBA financing for long-term fixed assets such as land, buildings (occupied by the borrower) and substantial machinery and equipment.

Through the SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee program, the SBA guarantees bid, payment and performance bonds that protect a project owner against financial loss if contractors default or fail to perform. The maximum amount for contracts that qualify for SBA surety bonds has been raised to $5 million or $10 million depending on the type of contract.

The Recovery Act also expands the SBA’s Microloan program, which provides loans up to $35,000 through participating microlenders. These are paired with technical assistance to startup or growing small businesses.

The director of the SBA Houston District, Manuel Gonzalez, says, “In our district, we have seen an increase in 7(a) loan volume of approximately 50 percent over the period just prior to passing the Recovery Act.”

Starting a business? Pick one that blooms in recession

March 28, 2009, 2:37AM

Q: I would like to start or buy a small business, but the economic news these days is so depressing that I’m wondering if there are any good opportunities in today’s environment. Do you know of any?

A: There are many small businesses in Houston that are doing quite well despite the economic slowdown we face. Some are types of businesses in markets that are weathering the storm better than most. Others have acted aggressively to stimulate sales, have adjusted their product or service mix in response to changing customer needs, or have increased their efficiency to improve their bottom line.

For example, when the conventional wisdom was to trim down and scrutinize costs, Veronica Millstid-Levine, the owner-manager of Bailey Connor Catering, hired a marketing consultant and additional salesperson to root out more customers.

It paid off with a 21 percent increase in sales in 2008, and the company is on course for a greater increase in 2009.

“Auto repair is an example of a sought-after business in these recessionary times,” said Rose Stabler, Managing Partner of Certified Business Brokers.

“With the car dealerships going out of business and their repair shops along with them, there will be more people looking for private auto repair shops. In addition, more people are keeping their cars instead of buying new ones. Therefore, more repairs!” Stabler said.

One of Stabler’s current listings for sale in Houston boosted its earnings last year by 65 percent by providing superior auto service to its local customers.

Debbie Beal, owner-manager of A2Z Educational Supplies in Humble, worked with SCORE business counselor Bob Galbreath.

She emphasizes quality service to her customers, who are mostly schools and teachers.

Her sales increased by 28 percent last year, despite Ike, and are showing about a 40 percent increase year-over-year in 2009.

Vic Bailey of One Voice, a business communication services company, has maintained his sales volume by “hitting the streets” and paying visits to current clients and potential clients.

Improved telecommunications is one way his clients can increase productivity.

So he proactively gets out there to advise them on those improvements.

Marketing your small business successfully

March 13, 2009, 9:50PM

Q: I work independently, performing services or doing projects for clients. What advice do you have for finding freelance work that keeps the revenue coming in?

 

A: When you’re a freelancer or solo independent contractor, you are your own marketing department. It’s up to you to make the contacts and generate the work that will enable you to expand your business.

Freelance newcomers and veterans alike need to continually broaden and update their work-finding and marketing skills, not only to sustain their current workloads, but also to stay ahead of the competition.

Two keys to being successful at this are consistency and dedication. The search for work is a constant part of your independent enterprise, so you’ll enjoy it more if you develop a passion for finding the next big project.

The best source of new business is current customers. Doing good work for them will keep them coming back, which is why you also need to be a stickler for client satisfaction. Always stand behind your work and try to exceed client expectations.

It’s also important to stay in touch with your clients, even if you already have a substantial backlog of work. Check in periodically to ask how things are going, what projects or initiatives may be in the works, and remind them that you’re ready to help out if the need arises. They’ll appreciate your proactive interest, and planting that seed may pay off immediately or in several months when things start to slow down on your end.

Also recognize that building your personal brand is important. As a sole operator, your brand is you, so focus on leveraging your special knowledge, style or expertise. But don’t lock yourself in too tightly. The most successful independent contractors try to build new skills and leverage existing ones to higher price levels.

A substantial number of Web sites specialize in matching freelancers with potential clients. Their approaches are as varied as the range of industries they cover. Some work on a bid system where employers post projects and freelancers bid on the work. These sites will likely take a cut of your proceeds.

Then there are job boards, where projects are posted and you respond with a pitch letter and ré sumé directly to the employer. You may need to pay a fee to access these resources, so it’s a good idea to find out whether the amount of work or contacts generated are worth the investment.

Chambers give a range of help to small businesses

Feb. 27, 2009, 11:50PM

Q. I read your recent article on networking and how to interact with potential business contacts. Are chambers of commerce good places to network and worthwhile to join?

A. Chambers offer companies a range of resources to support, develop and grow their businesses as well as the local economy. From regulatory and legislative issues to enhancement of the business environment of your community, the chambers of our region are quite often at the forefront of positive change.

With chamber membership, a small investment in time and dollars can help contribute to your marketing, public relations, networking and team-building efforts.

Chamber membership expands your information and networking resources dramatically. Networking with other businesspeople gives chamber members the opportunity to meet and exchange information with each other.

“Contributing to chamber of commerce community activities brings visibility to your business as a good corporate citizen,” says Ann Hodge, CEO of the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chambers’ involvement in local charities, community cleanups, crime prevention programs and more give your business an opportunity to participate in positive changes in your community, often at minimal cost.

Powerful endorsements

“Area chambers are proud to recognize and reward this activity,” Hodge said. A company’s efforts are often lauded for months by other businesses, the community and elected officials. These accolades and respect from other local businesses serve as powerful endorsements and publicity for any company.

Are you concerned about the regulatory climate in your area and want to assume a role toward effective change? Your local chamber is the voice of business in a myriad of issues.

The chambers work to influence the agendas of city, state and national elected officials, keeping the interests of our local businesses in front of decision makers.

In addition to numerous networking events and other resources, most chambers offer educational and business counseling services to help their members resolve issues and improve their businesses.

For instance, SCORE provides free and confidential counseling as members of the Katy Area, Houston Northwest and Houston West chambers of commerce.

Get help coping with the recession

Feb. 14, 2009, 12:34AM

Q: The economic slowdown is starting to hurt my small business. How can I get ideas and assistance for coping with the challenges that small businesses face today?

A: Small businesses shouldn’t have to face the recession alone. And in Houston, they don’t have to.

Capital One Bank and SCORE have formed the Small Business Development Alliance. Its aim is to help Houston-area small businesses survive and succeed during the tough times. Small-business owners are invited to attend free seminar and networking events planned throughout the year.

At these events, you will take home coping strategies for tough times, meet with lenders of alternative financing, network with other small businesses and enjoy a free lunch.

“We recognize the important role small businesses play in stimulating our economy and rebuilding our communities and the determination it takes to open your own business,” said Laurie Vignaud, a senior vice president at Capital One bank.

At the events, you’ll have the opportunity to meet one-on-one to discuss your situation with SCORE counselors, Capital One bankers and their strategic partners:

• SCORE SMART squad members will explain how they can work with you at your location to help resolve business issues.

• The Small Business Administration will explain the SBA Loan Guarantee programs.
• Acción Texas provides credit to small businesses that do not have access to loans from commercial sources.
• Houston Business Development can provide low-interest-rate loans
and an array of support services and management assistance.
• The Houston Minority Business Council actively involves its members to increase and expand business opportunities and business growth for minority business enterprises.
• The city of Houston One Stop Business Center provides information on city, county, state and federal regulations affecting your business.

The next seminar is at the Church At Bethel’s Family, 14442 Fonmeadow Drive, in Houston next Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes a free lunch. Visit www.scorehouston.org to register and see the schedule and locations of the other free seminars.