BusinessBlogs Hub

As we start out, we take cues from Giant Corporation, Inc. that we should develop cool logos, fancy brochures, zippy websites, and catchy copy. But this is a waste of time and money for a lot of small businesses and a huge misdirection of focus. There is a better way for most of us.

Read the full story

The marketing problem As a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Consultant I get a lot of marketing questions asked of me. “Should I be using Twitter, how about Facebook, what about direct mail, etc., etc.?”

Read the full story

Let’s take a minute and decide what marketing strategy is not. Your marketing strategy should be a clear explanation of how you’re going to get there, not what or where “There” is.

Read the full story

Email marketing is a powerful tool and one that every business should use. Most studies indicate that it usually has the highest ROI of any marketing a company can do. In my opinion is should play a part in every business’ marketing plan and needs to be well integrated into that plan.

Read the full story

What is your marketing timing trigger? Your marketing timing trigger is the reason why you take action on looking for and buying a specific product or service. For example if you run out of toothpaste and then go to the store to buy more, you had a marketing timing trigger. The marketing timing trigger was [...]

Read the full story

What really grinds the gears of small business owners is the near-complete inattention by lawmakers on who creates jobs. So said Kimble Fletcher Ainslie in a Cato Institute article from December 20, 2001 titled “Bush Ignores Small Business.”

Read the full story

This is a pretty simple yes or no answer with this question. I find that many small business owners say yes to this question, but then share with me that their execution is weak.

Read the full story

The first of Microsoft’s “12 Secrets of Microsoft Management” is possibly the worst management principle in history. It reveals an Industrial Age scarcity view of the world that none of us should emulate. Number one in Microsoft’s list of management secrets:

Read the full story

Let’s get real, this is an article not a book, so my goal is just to get you thinking about how you grow your business. So the expectations are on the table for what you’re getting here, I’m getting your wheels turning on growing your business. Your objections to using a system. You’re growing as fast as you need to right now, you’re not good at following a system, it will be to much work, etc.

Read the full story

The dictionary defines hard-working as a person tending to work with energy and commitment; diligent. So what is hard work in the business world? I’m going to take aim at this from the perspective of business owners and the people who are responsible for growth within companies. In case you’re not sure of who is responsible for growth, it’s the people in marketing and sales.

Read the full story

Have you ever met with a prospect who thought they knew everything about your product or service? But, after talking to them you discover they have been misinformed or did not know as much as they thought they knew?

Read the full story

Imagine you are the President of a large company that has individual sales people covering territories. How do you conduct your marketing? Do you market around your brand i.e. ‘Come do business with XYZ!’

Read the full story

Online customer communities are everywhere — you just have to look for them — sometimes in unlikely places. Because they are dedicated to serving customers, often they are not evangelized to the general public or consumer audiences. But they are alive, well and thriving within many enterprises.

Read the full story

Business-to-business companies have always needed closer relationships with their customers than business-to-consumer firms. It makes sense, since strong relationships help generate repeat business.

Read the full story