Blog

No matter what type of business you have, you need a target market. There are folks who want and need your products, and the goal of your marketing efforts is to connect with them. Without a clearly defined target market, you're taking shots in the dark and just hoping that you’ll find people who will buy. You have no real idea if you’re aiming too high, too low, or in the wrong direction entirely.

What Is a Target Market?

A target market is a group of people that have related characteristics an…

I've just been looking through some of the resources offered by one of the professional bodies. I came across a letter of introduction to local businesses and found it wanting. More than that actually, in my opinion to send it is a wasted stamp.

I've taken the letter and redesigned it into something more likely to get a response. Here are some of the things I think were wrong with the original.

The Title Original : LOCAL BOOKKEEPING SERVICE What does this title say to you? Does it really want to m…

No matter what kind of company you have, you need to be blogging. Even if you don't consider yourself a writer or blogger, it's essential because your business blog offers another touch point with your customers. It's easy to do and there are several good reasons you should do it.

 

1. A More Personal Connection

Like social media, your blog gives you a chance to connect with your customers on a more personal level. While your website is a static page that simply tells them about your business, yo…

Market research gives you a picture of your target market so that you can create and grow a business that meets their needs. You have to know the people in your market perfectly so that you can connect them to the products and services that are best suited for them. In order to do this, you need to gather and analyse hard data about your audience.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Data

There are two types of data – quantitative and qualitative. Both are essential for creating an accurate picture of y…

For marketers, the Internet is a blessing. Never has there been so much information about consumers and how they think right at your fingertips. In years past, marketing firms and businesses had to rely solely on costlier, more time consuming methods like focus groups, surveys and other data-gathering methods. Online research offers some excellent shortcuts.

Whenever you start an online marketing campaign, the most basic step is to gather relevant keywords. Keywords are essential but they don't g…

Nickenamed "mobile-geddon" because of the huge effect it could have on many businesses, today Google changed their search algorithm.  Now when users start to search for something using Google on their phone the search giant will give priority to mobile friendly sites.  As the numbers of people using mobile devices increases this could spell disaster for small businesses who don't have mobile ready websites.  Is this you?

Mobile friendly websites will include features that make the page resize pro…

Much of my business has been shaped by previous experiences in my working life.

My first role after leaving school taught me the absurdity of measuring time rather than results. I was an office junior at a local sawmill. I tended to arrive early, and as I was never a big tea or coffee drinker I often had no breaks other than my lunch, which I often cut short. I can still remember comments from the team about how quickly and accurately I worked.

I recall one day as I finished all my work, stand…

Claire felt an enormous excitement wash over her as she sat at her desk.  This was the first day of the rest of her life.  Having recently been made redundant, Claire decided that the time was right to start her own business.  She had been in finance for a number of years, and with a new baby, bookkeeping seemed like the right choice for her.  She could work from home around little Lucy, and the startup costs were low.

After only a few days, Claire had her first potential client.  It was a friend…

A few weeks had passed since Claire had finished Stuart’s books.  She had expected to find her second client by now.  Surely someone had noticed all of those postcards she had put in the shops while out walking with Lucy?  Each day, while waiting for the phone to ring, Claire grew more and more worried.  Would she ever find another client?

Knowing that she would need to advertise, Claire called her local newspaper.  A small advert would cost her £80 a week.  It was quite a commitment for Claire, …