One of the greatest obstacles faced by thousands of returning veterans who are transitioning back into civilian life is in finding long-lasting gainful employment, according to Kevin Humes, the President/CEO of American Veterans Alliance/American Alliance for Disabled Veterans (501 C-3) and co-founder...
Negotiation is something that home-based or other small business, business opportunity or franchise owners need to contend with, like it or not. Unfortunately, far too many of them think it is okay to just wing it. They don't take the time to refine their skills in this area. As a result, they are doing...
If you’re a mom (or even a dad) who is currently making the job of raising kids your full-time job and who is also wrestling with the idea of buying a business opportunity or franchise, the recent raging and politically charged debate about what constitutes a “working” mom may hit close to home. Personally,...
If you’re trying to be all things to all people you could be missing the boat and tossing money right out the window.
Buying a Home Based business can be an easy proposition these days. For instance, BusinessOppotunity.com has dozens of Home Based businesses listed for purchase and some that are free to start. The critical element isn’t which to choose in most cases. What’s truly important is that once you’ve purchased your new business you must define your niche target market to increase your sales so you not only survive in the current state of the economy–but also thrive.
It’s critical to understand that you can’t afford to target everyone right off the bat. You can compete with medium to large business by defining a target niche market and focusing your marketing dollars and brand message like a laser over a long period of time. This is most cost-effective method to reach your desired customer and to generate on-going business.
Here’s some food for thought to digest as you define your target niche market.
Think like a buyer of your service or product. Ask yourself this basic question: How would I find this business, product or service if I were interested in buying it? Then ask yourself how you can reach this desired customer for the least amount of money possible on a consistent basis.in e Remember that a marketing plan is something you stick with. Work your plan daily and know that in general your ad must be seen at least seven times before it even registers with a potential customer. If you have a well-defined target niche market, you can clearly identify what print vehicles they are likely to read, what blogs they might read, what trade shows they might attend, and what kinds of web sites they are likely to visit so that you can market accordingly.
You must know your customer and understand customer trends to best market them. Ask yourself: What are they interested in learning about my business and how will it benefit them? They will be asking… “What’s in it for me and how will I make money”? By clearly understanding your target niche market, you can determine what to communicate to your potential customers and what not to communicate.
Do your homework. I can’t stress this step enough! You need to do some research to determine what other interests the people in your niche have. For instance, if your product or service targets single people, join a singles group. When you connect with them ask lots of questions to conduct some free research. You can then use that information to further develop products and services for your business.
Focus on your thought process, target your niche market, do your homework and work your plan. These are effective steps to position yourself in front of your desired customer without breaking the bank. Now get to work!
According to yesterday’s WSJ.com, far too many baby-boomer business owners are assuming that, when the time comes, they’ll simply cash out or pass the business on and have what it takes to retire. Not so, according to the experts who specialize in business finance and exit-planning. Things aren’t simple...
The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization of IT professionals who provide technology continuity and recovery assistance to communities and small businesses that are affected by disasters....
It’s tax time again, time to take a cold hard look at what you make, what you owe and what you need to be doing to save for the future. The trouble is that retirement planning for far too many home-based and other small business, business opportunity or franchise owners in particular just isn’t a priority,...
An unknown author once said that, “In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” And boy is it ever true, especially if you work from home each and every day where it’s far too easy to get distracted from the job at hand and do something other...
So you think you’re organized? Maybe that’s true of your dusty, messy desk that you cleaned up just the other day. Windex, Pledge, a few file folders and a shredder can work wonders, it’s true. However, have you given the same degree of thought to organizing your time?
Getting added value out...
Ed Lewellen is the Senior Vice President of Talent Acquisition for Employers Edge, Inc., a company that uses its own highly successful and proven business model to improve the performance of other companies―coaching,...
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View Our Video...Part on-line magazine, part community blog, and part destination site, CityStir is your best business opportunity for 21st Century economy!
Color Glo International is a restoration franchise focused on restoring and repairing damaged, dirty, faded or mismatched upholstery found in homes, offices, automobiles and commercial aircraft. Color Glo’s proprietary process uses specialty formulated, water-based, and environmentally friendly products for on-site re-conditioning of items in need of repair. Color Glo Franchise: Specialists in Color Restoration and Repair!
Color Glo provides a uniquely effective solution for repairing, cleaning, and restoring valuable fabrics and materials to achieve a like-new appearance. Our franchisees are trained to expertly handle leather, vinyl, velour, plastic, carpet and various types of fabric. In addition to material restoration, our franchisees offer a deodorizing service for our clients.