The Decision Process This process can be applied to any situation where you need to make an important decision. If you follow these ten basic steps, you will find yourself making wiser decisions in your professional as well as your personal life. 1. Define, as specifically as possible, what the decision is that needs to […]
Can You Make a Decision?
Decisions, decisions, decisions… When starting and implementing a major marketing initiative like upgrading to a WordPress site, expanding an existing WordPress site, or designing a new logo and updating your corporate identity package, it seems like every time we turn around, we have to make more decisions. The question is, “Are you a good decision […]
Expanding or More Clearly Defining Your Business Focus
Where to Find the Business Statistics You Need Those of us in the graphic arts / electronic and print publishing field have often commented that our business volume should be considered a leading economic indicator. Recent changes in the American economic environment seem to have motivated a new wave of entrepreneurs who want to take […]
How to Produce and Use Competitive Analysis
In a previous Blog, The Hidden Cost of Competition, I referred to the type of competitive analysis required for the business planning process. This, however, is not the only use for a well-executed competitive analysis. Many of Pleiades Publishing Services clients are serial entrepreneurs. These clients start an enterprise with the end in mind … […]
The Hidden Cost of Competition
Watch For Unintended Consequences Recently, while working with web content development clients, I’ve noticed an increased preoccupation with perceived competition within a market segment. The topic usually surfaces during conversations concerning product positioning, branding and differentiation of products and services. There is big difference between professional benchmarking to improve your business processes, and unhealthy fixation […]
Internet Marketing 4 Steps To Success
Discover the #1 FATAL mistake most online entrepreneurs make when first starting out… And how YOU can avoid it! By Derek Gehl [youtube]wbnYpynvpnA[/youtube]
Managing the Marketing Plan
Four Key Components for a Small Business Marketing Program Every marketing program contains four key components: Products and Services Promotion Distribution Pricing Products and Services: Product strategies may include concentrating on a narrow product line, developing a highly specialized product or service, or providing a product-service package containing unusually high-quality service. Promotion: Promotion strategies […]
The “Perfect” Website
A Cautionary Marketing Tale Our SBDC small business marketing case studies continues with, “I can’t start marketing; my website isn’t done yet.” Pleiades Publishing Services produced its first client-funded website in 1994. As wonderful as we thought that website was, and even knowing that our “First Paying Website Client” got his “First Client” directly from that […]
The Fearless Trade Show Warrior
A Cautionary Marketing Tale The Fearless Trade Show Warrior And the the Enchanted Perfect Sales Letter “The Industry trade show was really worth the expense, the customer response was great; but I can’t follow up on these leads yet because my sales letter isn’t ready.” OK this statement rates a double “WHAT??” I sometimes refer […]
The “Early and Often School of Marketing”
Have You Marketed Your Business Today? I wanted to stress the importance of doing some marketing immediately. Small business owners must market daily even if all the pieces of your marketing plan are not yet in “perfectly” place. Think Joe Vitale… he markets his books for pre-sale months before they are available at stores and […]