Things you know you should know about includes customer feedback, new products, more up to date reports and other ways you can improve your business but have been too busy to consider. To gather this information you can do a number of things. First, you can ask your customers and friends or experts on the subject. You can sit down with your production people or bookkeepers to get ideas on fine-tuning your business. You can do some research. Go online or read some books and magazines. You can attend industry conferences and trade shows.

For the second group, things that you had no idea you should know about, where would you even start? What would you even think about? How do you search for these ideas? To succeed, you have to be open to new ideas. You have to be more creative and you have to be more reactive because some of the things you don’t know about might have a negative impact on your businesses. You have to explore and think outside the box.

Here’s an example. A couple of weeks ago a coworker went to a movie and got thinking about how movies can be completely digital with incredible effects. He thought it would be great to be able to do that in print. So, he did some research and found a brand new product that might fit the bill. As a result, we’re now working on some new print product offerings that will create a lot of interest amongst our current and future clients.

How can we help your business? Give us a call. Our marketing team may know some things you should know about and maybe even some ideas you don’t know you should know about.

What do I mean?

To have an appropriate web presence you have to allocate and appropriate budget. There are too many websites out there that look like, and probably were, made by the owner’s kids or maybe even by the owners themselves.  They are outdated, amateurish, poorly planned, difficult to navigate and they just look terrible.

Saving money also means that many features that make a site easily found aren’t included. Sites aren’t search engine friendly. This is a common problem found even in sites developed by professional designers. Being search engine friendly doesn’t cost a lot of money, it just takes proper planning. The companies offering search engine optimization are mainly just fixing things that should have been done when the site was created… but that’s another story.

So, the first thing in website planning is allocate an appropriate budget.

The second problem with many websites is that the sites don’t work for the owners. I mean that the site was designed by a designer as a way to show off their formidable web design skills. Often very little thought is given to the customer. Too much emphasis is placed on Flash and bells and whistles and not enough on the message.

There was a time when “blink” was all the rage. Designers could and too often, would, make text and images blink. People got tired of that in a hurry.

Flash is now all the rage. Entire sites are made from Flash, often solely as a way for a designer to show off their skills and charge more money. It’s certainly not for the client’s customers.

Yes, sites made entirely in Flash have their place but only if it works for the customers.

Websites have to work for their owners. When you’re planning a site, a good developer, one with some marketing savvy, will ask you to define your target market and provide outlines of your products and services. Armed with a firm understanding of your business the developer will design a site that is visually pleasing and provides the right information to your audience.

Some Flash is fine but it’s also important to pay attention to colours, images, font size, graphics and photographs and make them appropriate for the audience.

Your site is not about your designer, it’s about you and your business.
To realize a positive benefit from your website you have to spend enough to make it work and you have to make it work for you and your clients.

The group I joined was not the first one I checked out. First I went to the Internet and searched for Edmonton area groups. I found hundreds of groups and then narrowed it down to just a few for more investigation.

Then, coincidentally I was invited to attend a network group breakfast as a guest. It was an interesting experience and while I met some interesting people the format was very rigid and not to my liking. The annual fees were also an issue.

Then I was invited to join a less formal group. That one was much less expensive and has a large membership from a wide variety of professions. The first meeting I went to was a lunch meeting and it was structured but informal. I felt very much at ease.

By the second meeting I felt very much a part of the group. There was little hesitation on my part to join this group and I’m looking forward to future meetings and events.

It’s time to make sure you’re advertising your business on the Internet. Use your website to give potential customers much more information about your business than you can in a Yellow Pages ad. Show visitors photographs, give them directions and tell them about your company.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t advertise in the Yellow Pages. There are still a lot of people who have and use the printed version. Lots of people also use the online version of the Yellow pages and if you have your web address in your ad you will get even more exposure.

Use the Yellow Pages to deliver your business contact information, a short profile and your web address. Use your website to deliver the details and why your business is the best. Use both and generate more business than using one of them alone.

We’ll have some new price sheets and images available soon. If you’re getting ready for a trade show and need a full colour vinyl banner in a nice looking banner stand, give us a call. You won’t believe the value and your booth will look great.

There are a number of reasons to put coupons on your site or in your emails and newsletters.

First, online coupons are focused. People who find your coupons are more likely to be looking for your products and services;

Second, consumers are less accepting of unsolicited coupons in newspapers and mailings, often referring to them as junk-mail which is promptly discarded. Online coupons are targeted;

Third, coupons will reward people who visit your website and will encourage them to take the next step and actually purchase your products or services;

Fourth, consumers are increasingly more accepting of coupons delivered in emails and e-newsletters and made available on websites;

Fifth, distributing coupons by email or online is less expensive than other methods;

Online coupons do have limitations. Many companies and retailers are reluctant to accept coupons printed at home because of the potential for fraud. Also, since distribution is generally to consumers interested in your product there is little opportunity to attract customers who don’t know about your business.

Online coupons work best if you offer your products and services directly to your customers. They’re also simple to implement. You will have design costs but adding them to your emails, e-newsletters or website can be quick and inexpensive.

The best deals don’t necessarily mean the cheapest products. No, we’ll want to buy products and services that last. We’re going to shop where we can get a high-quality product, at the right price and the best value. As a business owner that means it’s time to re-evaluate your business processes and focus on quality, service and value.  Sit back and reflect on your business plan and understand how quality, service and value will not only make your own business more efficient, profitable and successful, but it will also do the same for your customers.

Incorporate quality, service and value in your production, operations, marketing and advertising.

We all know what “FORD” really means, even the Ford Motor Company knows. To counter that perception, in the 80’s Ford launched the “Quality is Job 1” program. It was more than just an advertising slogan, it was a commitment to develop and implement production practices to produce quality vehicles. It’s working. According to J.D. Power, in a 2007 customer survey, Ford Motor Company received a total of 14 quality-vehicle honours, more than any other automaker.

Make providing quality products and services a primary goal. Wasting materials because you have to redo or fix products costs you money. Sending poor quality products out the door means more returns and expensive service and warranty costs which also reduce your profits. Doing it right the first time and producing quality products will contribute to your bottom line. Quality products and services will help your clients by letting them reduce maintenance and operating.

Many of us have heard stories about rude or non-existent service in Alberta. In a boom economy businesses were faced with an inability to attract workers. As consumers, we have been served by busy, harried and impolite customer service representatives. We’ve put up with poor service because we’ve been too busy to look elsewhere or reward good service. Now, in the consumer’s search for the best deals, service has become more important to our success in business. Poor service means we’ll walk out the door and not come back.

As a business owner, it’s time to focus on service because good service not only means your customers are happy and will keep coming back, but your own staff will be happier and more effective when dealing with happy customers. Good service means happy customers, which means happy servers which means more happy customers… It’s a happy circle.

Are your products over-priced? When demand was high and supplies were low you could get away with high prices and low value. Now, customers are taking the time to check around and find the best product for their needs and money.

Value means that you’re providing products and services that have a positive benefit for your customers. Your prices don’t have to be the least expensive nor the most expensive. The price should reflect the worth of that product. If your product or service is less costly than the alternative then customers will buy from you. If it costs them more then there is no benefit in what you provide and therefore less value. Value provides your customers with the best products and services for their investment.

If you can make a commitment to quality, service and value in all aspects of your business from production through to sales and delivery, you will continue to be successful and to thrive during tough times.

To survive and succeed, now is the time to reconsider and refocus your business plan. Think strategically about what and where to make cuts or changes but avoid the first reaction that many businesses make and that is to cut marketing and advertising. There are good reasons to maintain and even increase spending on advertising and marketing.

Headlines may be gloomy for the year ahead, but that hasn’t deterred one Edmonton entrepreneur from setting some ambitious goals for 2009. Ben Block, owner of Sundial Graphics, opened the business in 2005 which has grown it rapidly offering integrated marketing services.

As a perpetual goal setter, Block was reviewing how far he has come and what’s next. “When I started the business I set several goals both for Sundial and myself” commented Block. “I recently sat down to review those goals which included to raise a $1 million for charity. If I’m working to build my business I want to know I have worked just as hard to give something back.”

Block has partnered with Free the Children, a not-for-profit group that combats child labour in developing nations through education, clean water, construction of schools as well as income generation projects for parents. Ryan Hollinrake, Corporate Engagement Manager at Free the Children has worked with Block to secure approvals, photography and other resources needed to get the project underway. “We are very excited about this inspiring idea and hope the business community will support Ben as he seeks to support our efforts.”

But how to do it? Sundial has leveraged our design and print capabilities to create a unique desktop calendar showcasing the positive impact Free the Children is having around the globe. These calendars can be branded with corporate logos allowing them to be used as promotional items. “Companies routinely purchase branded merchandise for their staff, clients and as giveaways. It’s my hope that enough companies will direct some of those funds to this project and allow us to achieve our goal” says Ben. By selling the calendars for $20 each and donating all profits to Free the Children, Sundial must sell 70,000 units to reach our goal.