Ready to Start?

I'm hoping to start at least some debate about how to start up a business. There are certainly many takes on it, many fortunes made bloviating about it, and some good advice succintly given. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I don't think you have to have all your ducks in a row before you start, but you should at least be aware of what you'll need to do from the outset through the first year:
1. Have expertise in your business type. This has been debated recently, as technical knowledge isn't the predictor of success per se. By the same token, I don't believe an entrepreneurial spirit can run any business. It's that unique combination of knowledge about not only your product or service but your placement* too, marketing in general, plus passion for what you're selling. If you're lacking any of these, read on.
2. Have some capital and be willing to spend it where it's needed. You can't do it all. You will have to bring in help, particularly if your marketing and placement knowledge are on the lower end of the scale. Plan for that financially by using savings or finding investors (aka friends and family who share your goals and can lend to you without interest). Remember, I'm talking to you microbusiness owners with a product or service to sell that you can produce yourself. If you're a SAAS or other kind of outfit, "investor" means something entirely different.
3. Have a team of people you can rely on in the areas you can't or don't want to cover. Line up these folks by asking around, searching the net, setting up meet-and-greets, networking, etc. Identify the people you connect with and trust and keep their contact information accessible. When an issue comes up in their area of expertise, you'll have a relationship already and won't have to find just anyone in a crisis.
4. Have a plan for what you need to do to be successful and to grow. This means a marketing plan, a business plan, a few diagrams on a napkin, but something that includes an achievable, measurable future based on some sound thinking of what is possible.

Well, that's all I have for today. I welcome your comments, you lurkers out there!

*By placement or place, I mean where you market and sell your goods/services and how they are distributed: via the web, channel sales, shelves at convenience stores, mail order, etc.

Phoenix ASBA Brings Gerber for 15th Annual Enterprise Business Conference

On Friday I was thrilled to hear that the Arizona Small Business Association is bringing Michael Gerber, author of the best-seller E-Myth Revisited and the creator of The Dreaming Room, to Phoenix for its 15th Annual Enterprise Business Conference on April 23. Although I suspect some content may be a repeat from the aforementioned Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference, I'd hear him again and I'd advise EVERYONE to attend. At $50 for non-members, it's money well spent.

This is also nice timing, as I've known that National Small Business Week sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration begins on April 21, with events in D.C. and New York, and I was beginning to feel sad that Phoenix and other cities weren't organizing events of their own. So I am very pleased with ASBA and Jobing.com's sponsorship and timing.

Prospecting and Patience in Economic Downturns

As a small business owner, you may be tempted to be conservative with your marketing and advertising in today’s economy. Joan Koerber-Walker, chief executive of the Arizona Small Business Association, seems to agree. In an East Valley Tribune article on Saturday, she states, “Cutting . . . advertising and marketing expenses are often what come to mind first, but that can make it difficult to find new customers and new markets precisely when they’re needed most.”

But, especially if you’re selling services, the best thing you can do is stay top of mind for prospects and trust that, when the need emerges, you’ll be the one they call. So most importantly, make sure you’re doing whatever you can to solidify your offerings and educate your target market about them. This might include networking events such as the Phoenix Business Journal’s BizMix, ASBA’s networking events, and any industry-specific events.

P.S. The next issue of my quarterly newsletter will feature a list of services. If you’re a small business in need of marketing assistance, please ask! If I can’t help you personally, I can identify someone in my network who can!

Free Small Business Marketing Seminar in Phoenix

I'm hosting a free marketing seminar focused on copywriting for small business marketers on March 7 from 9:30-11 a.m. at Burton Barr Central Library (downtown Phoenix).

Attendees will learn to:

• Best position their products or services to sell to prospective customers


• Plan a marketing communications project with less stress


• Gain confidence in their writing abilities
  

Space is limited so register by Thursday, March 6 at 5 p.m. at www.tracydiziere.com/registration.html

Burton Barr Central Library is located at 1221 N Central Avenue , Phoenix , AZ 85004 . For directions, call (602) 262-4636.

How to Write Stellar Marketing Copy

Great news! I'll be presenting a session on writing for your audience as part of the Association of Strategic Marketing's seminar "Copywriting Basics: What Every Marketer Should Know." If you want to learn more on writing stellar marketing copy, this is the training session to attend! It's on April 30th at the Camelback Inn & Resort in Scottsdale. For more information or to register, visit my site or send me your address and I'll mail you a brochure!

Building a Customer-Friendly Website with 2.0

Trying to decide which new features to include in your site? Not even sure of your options? Look to your customer demographics to guide you. While all users will require an easy-to-navigate site, here are the key features valued most by demographic based on a recent analyst survey:

• Baby Boomers. Easy does it: Limited content and functionality.
• Boomers on the edge. Keeping up with the Joneses: User ratings, reviews, and price comparisons.
• Gen X. Talk about the passion: Discussion boards and profile creation.
• Gen Y. I like that: Games, quizzes and questions, profile creation, personalizing the site, and uploading content.

Overall, the preferences of Gen Y’ers (18-27) were the least requested functionalities within the study. So while you can’t please all the people all the time, your dollars are best spent incorporating the more mainstream technologies, plus the occasional special offer, if your market consists of multiple demographics and/or if you are unsure.

For best results, implement tools to collect primary market data, if you haven’t already, as this information will be a boon in driving all of your marketing decisions.

In additon to ease of use, consider applicability as a general guideline. Since most Internet users are seeking content—not e-commerce—regardless of your industry you would be wise to include educational/informative materials, even if this is not your primary product. If you are selling services, the production of content that positions you as an expert, including links to online articles you author, would be a good use of your time—and a no-cost marketing strategy to boot.

A Note on “Doing” and “Doing Well”

Issues of quality are a common concern for me, and there have been some lonely times when I was the sole champion of a high standard for professional outcomes, even if it meant more work for myself and others. As the leader of your own enterprise, you might also have that tireless commitment to quality, but we both know that not all things can be done as well as we’d like in a small business environment, where being nimble, responsive, and accountable to clients must come first--with fewer resources. If you're not putting out immediate fires, the pressures can be just as great to do things that drive client satisfaction and sales—from product development to promotions. And typically these things, because client-facing, also need to be “done well” vs. just “done.” What's the exception? Procrastinating because a task MUST be done well, when, in the meantime, doing nothing means losing a greater potential return. So as a microbusiness or small business owner, next time you’re faced with an almost scary expectation for quality, ask with these simple test questions to determine your course:

--What is the cost of doing nothing?
--What do I stand to lose by just doing it and making it better later?
--How much do I stand to gain from doing it well now?

This is an overly simplified strategy, of course, but one that I hope to build on to acheive a more robust model. To help this along, please post your comments!