Resources

Measuring Small Business Success

The pressure on today’s small businesses is intense. The need to promote your business professionally and affordably has never been greater. Attracting and retaining customers – then serving them better than anyone else – is key to making your small business flourish, especially in challenging economic times. So what exactly are today’s small business leaders doing to get and keep customers?

That’s the question Deluxe put to 350 small business leaders in a recent survey. This paper discusses the results of that survey, in order to help you understand how your organization compares to others in your industry and learn about new ways of effectively getting and keeping customers

Business Planning for Contractors Part II

In Part 1 of Business Planning we ended with “Have you tried direct mail advertising? What have you tried that generated the type of leads you want? That is where to invest your money. Check the results monthly and adjust your advertising as needed.”

If you are not getting the type of leads you want, or if you are getting leads from customers whose only focus is price, you are advertising in the wrong place. This also frequently happens when you are working by referral only. You end up with leads that are a waste of your time

Business Planning for Contractors Part I

In Part 1 of Business Planning we are going to review 2009 and plan for 2010. I am borrowing some thoughts from Tony Robbins, one of the best known motivational speakers and educators. I also got help from my late friend Sonny Lykos, who was in business many years and was familiar with this exercise.

Ten Best Positioning Strategies

A position is a simple, credible story that can be summarized in one or two key words. It’s about owning a big idea in your marketplace. The most successful and recognized companies have strong business positioning. Volvo owning “safety” and Nike owning “performance” illustrate this idea. In order for your business to succeed, you need a winning position to distinguish your brand. To begin the journey of writing your positioning story, we have compiled a starting point for finding some of the best “tried and true” approaches for picking a winning market position

Small Businesses Can Beat the Big Guys

With so many similar products and services on the market today, it’s difficult for small businesses to differentiate themselves from larger competitors. So, how do you, as a small business, gain a competitive edge against larger businesses? Deliver a better customer experience based on a solid brand strategy executed with discipline and excellence

The Essential Branding Checklist

Your brand is more than just your logo. It includes your product or service, your employees, your advertising and of course, the promise you make every day to your customers and prospects. In this white paper, you’ll learn how to define, create and live your brand, as well as learn how to message and position your brand through two simple activities.

Blogging 101 with Maisha Walker

Learn how a blog can help generate more traffic and improve your business. Understand first, what a blog is, how it supports your business, why it’s become so popular, the time and investment needed and finally, how to get started.  Maisha Walker expertly talks you through these key areas to help you decide whether blogging is right for your business.