Marketing
Consultant’s Corner: Marketing Plans for Financial Advisors
Q. What are the best marketing strategies for financial advisors? Financial advisors and similar professionals use customer referrals, local Chamber networking, other professional networking, lead groups, direct mail, newsletters, a business website, social media networking websites, direct sales, and other methods. The best marketing plan will be the one that effectively reaches your defined target…
Read This Article
Adjusting Your Marketing Focus
When you started your business, you entered the marketplace ready to solve a specific problem. It’s the whole point of any business, really — to help people by providing a solution to a someone’s problem. Unfortunately, businesses sometimes miss the mark and end up trying to sell their products or services to the wrong people.…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Business Name and Domain Name Change
Question: What is the best way to transition from our existing domain/company name to a new one? There are several things to consider when transitioning from one company and domain name to another. Business Name Change A business that changes its name can notify the IRS of the name change by following the procedures described…
Read This Article
4 Essential Elements of a Business Plan
A well thought out business plan is critical to the success of any new venture. The business plan not only identifies the goals of your business, but it also will outline the plans to execute those goals. It tells you both where you want to go as well as how you are planning to get…
Read This Article
Enlist Vendors for Marketing Help
As a small business owner, you’re always looking for an edge. When it comes to marketing, you look for efficiency and effectiveness—whatever will bring you the highest return on investment. There’s one area where many businesses don’t think to look, though: vendors. Getting marketing help from your vendors can dramatically help your business and bring…
Read This Article
Don’t Make the Wrong Partnership: Assume Nothing
How do you know whether someone is going to be a good partner or not? It’s not enough to go by someone’s prestige—there are plenty of examples of prominent figures who turned out to be bad partners. It’s not enough to be a nice guy. So what do you look for? I believe in the…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Planning a Price Increase
Question: I’d like to re-evaluate my pricing schedule, but I am not sure how much to increase my prices. Where can I get a start on understanding the pricing game? Competitive prices are critical in order to maintain customers and market share; however, you still need to maintain adequate profit margins and profitability. We do…
Read This Article
Campbell’s Soup Trademarks Chunky: Why It’s A Great Move For The Brand
After years of association, the word “chunky” is now a trademark of the Campbell Soup Company. Campbell’s filed a trademark application to trademark ‘chunky’ in 2018 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO approved the request, giving Campbell’s “exclusive right to use the mark on, or in connection with, the goods/services…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: Cold Calling Techniques
Question: What is business etiquette concerning cold calling and how often to follow-up with a prospect if they do not give you a time? How should you toe the line between checking in and being annoying? Cold calling can involve phone calls to set appointments or cold call visits to prospects to have a sales…
Read This Article
Consultant’s Corner: How Much Should You Budget for Marketing?
Q: How much should I budget for my marketing costs? General Marketing Expense Ratios For established businesses, the general guideline for a marketing budget is a percentage of sales. However, for a startup business with no sales history, the considerations are: What marketing methods are identified in a business plan? What marketing methods will be…
Read This Article