Entrepreneur Zone | Martin Print Blog

May 16, 2013

HIDDEN COSTS AND SURPRISE CHARGES
Is Your Small Business Pricing as Clear as Crystal?

In a seemingly sneaky world of hidden costs, last-minute extra fees and unexpected nasty surprises, just how transparent is your own Small Business pricing?

Could you be accidentally driving away customers with a pricing policy that isn’t quite clear enough?
Or is it a perfectly acceptable and rewarding strategy to hide certain costs until the very last second?

A strangely popular school of thought exists which maintains that there’s nothing wrong with holding back a few vital chunks of the final invoice until the very last step of the process.

After all, you’ve already hooked the customer.
They’ve spent valuable time and effort on jumping through your hoops, filling in your registration forms, giving you bank details or credit card information, choosing the exact desired options available from your range of products and services…
They’ve already made a mental commitment to buy. They’ve made up their minds and now they just want to get to the end as quickly as possible.

Unless you do something really silly at this point, it’s surely too late for anyone to turn back now?
After all, who could seriously object to just a couple of unexpected extra costs popping up from nowhere right at the last step?

Well, I would suggest that plenty of people would object. Myself included.
In fact, some people would probably get very angry about it indeed, whilst looking at your business in a whole new negative light and making a solemn vow never to return ever again…

I got thinking about this today after trying to place an order for a cat playhouse in the shape of a fire engine.
It’s not normally the kind of thing that I would buy. Honestly. I don’t even have a cat for starters.

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Posted In Business Clinic, Customer Care, Entrepreneur Zone, Finance In Focus

May 14, 2013

BOOZY BUSINESS
The REAL Reasons Why Alcohol and Networking Events Don’t Mix!

When the was the last time that you picked up a glass of wine or an equally enticing alcoholic beverage at a business function or networking event?
Could it be that such a simple and sociable act could actually wreck your chances of generating new leads and completely destroy your credibility?
Surely not…

There’s a guy down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar who would spit out his drink in surprise at this kind of talk.
Happy Henry always enjoys a drink or two at these crucial business events.
In fact, he insists on it. He reckons that it’s a compulsory component of the whole networking process.

“It’s a social thing!” he will argue.
“Having a drink in your hand delivers a certain winning impression. It makes you look friendly, human, and thoroughly approachable. Alcohol helps to oil the wheels of business! Everybody knows that.”

Hmm.
Well, some of us might be inclined to agree with him.
However, it has to be said that Happy Henry does have an unfortunate tendency to get a bit carried away.
The last time that I happened to attend a business networking event with Happy Henry – and I should stress that it really was the very last time – I ended up having to carry him home.

He had somehow managed to finish off the evening with his trousers over his head as he tried to get his photograph taken inside a coffee-dispensing machine whilst making increasingly frustrated attempts to exchange Business Cards with a tropical pot plant.
On the whole, I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t really capture any significant results from the event, other than a blinding headache when he woke up the following morning, along with a sense of horror and regret as the memories came flooding back.

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Posted In Archives, Business Cards, Business Clinic, Customer Care, Entrepreneur Zone, Local Marketing, May 2013, Newsdesk, Offline Marketing, Promotional Material

May 09, 2013

BAD MANNERS AND RUDE BUSINESS
How to Avoid the Most Common Ways
of Annoying Your Clients and Colleagues

“Good morning, Sir. You’re looking well today! May I take your coat? Please do take a seat. I’ll be with you as soon as I possibly can. May I offer you some refreshments while you wait?”

This is the kind of greeting that I often dream of hearing as I’m reluctantly making my way to the local gent’s hairdressers just around the corner from Martin Print H.Q.

However, the reality never quite matches my hopes.
Instead, I usually get something along the lines of;

“Oh no, not you again! Are you really due another haircut so soon? You’re determined to ruin my day, aren’t you? Oh well, sit down and be quiet, and try not to scare off my other customers. Don’t touch anything either, I’ve got my eye on you…”

To be fair, it’s not quite as bad as it may sound. I’ve been enjoying this kind of ‘banter’ with my local hairdresser for years. Besides, he’s the only one around for miles, so he knows that I’m unlikely to take my custom elsewhere.
I’m fairly sure that he wouldn’t treat new clients like this. If he did, his business would never have lasted much longer than a week…

But are Small Business owners ever in danger of accidentally annoying customers and colleagues with Bad Business Etiquette? Could some of us be at risk of displaying common rude behaviour without even realising it?

I got thinking about this topic as I settled back down at my office desk again, following my typically blunt experience at the Hairdressers.
Doris, our resident cleaner, popped her head round the door to say hello.
Well, kind of.

”Oh no, you’re back again!” she cried. “I was going to clean your office, but you’re in my way again. You’re always in my way! Can’t you just go away and do something constructive instead of sitting there and pretending to look busy? Why don’t you go and get your hair cut or something? What? You have? Oh, right. It looks terrible. Did you ask for your money back?”

Hmm.
You know, any normal person might start to feel paranoid about constantly soaking up so much abuse in one day!
But, fortunately for everyone concerned, I’m far from normal.
And I know for sure that no harm or malice was intended in any of these abrupt conversations. No offence was taken.

I’m also fairly confident that most of us would never dream of communicating in such a seemingly discourteous manner in the professional arena of Small Business – either to customers, business associates, or fellow team members.

But what if we’ve picked up some bad business habits which cause offence without our knowledge?
Here are some of the most common examples of rude business behaviour which should be avoided at all costs…

CONTINUE READING

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Posted In Business Clinic, Customer Care, Customer Complaints, Customer Rewards, Entrepreneur Zone, How-To's and Tutorials, Social Media Marketing, Staff Management, Technology & The Web

May 08, 2013

STRAPPED FOR CASH?
How to Improve Your Small Business Results Without Blowing a Tiny Budget

“I wish I could concentrate more on growing my business. But I just don’t have the funds for it. A big shame, really. I don’t suppose there’s much I can do about it.”

Oh dear.
I could see that Gloomy Graham was unlikely to provide much merriment and laughter today down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar.

To be honest, when I’d first walked through those doors and caught a quick glimpse of his long face, I made a clumsy attempt to walk right back out again.
But it was too late. He’d already spotted me.
Hitting my head on the door and yelping like an animal probably didn’t help my effort to slip out undetected.
Gloomy Graham insisted on waving me over so that I could buy him a drink and listen to his tales of business woe.
I sometimes wonder why I ever bother coming to this place…

“It’s so frustrating,” he grumbled in his typically less-than-uplifting manner.
“I look around and I see everybody else happily moving forward and expanding their businesses by pouring more and more money into them. But I just can’t compete with that at the moment.
I don’t have that kind of budget. It looks like I’ll just have to keep plodding on and hope that things pick up eventually.”

That last sentence almost made me choke on my Fizzy Watermelon Surprise.
The very idea of Gloomy Graham ever actually hoping for something positive seemed a bit of a far-fetched prospect to me.

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Posted In Business Clinic, Creative Marketing, Customer Care, Entrepreneur Zone, Finance In Focus, Marketing Secrets, Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Print and Design, Promotional Material, Social Media Marketing, Starting a New Business

May 06, 2013

NFC FAQ
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About
Those Amazing New NFC Cards But Were Afraid to Ask…

I lost my voice today.

I was hoping that some kind-hearted members of the Martin Print team may have shown some sympathy, and perhaps even fetched me a hot drink or two to help ease my burning throat.
They all know that I’m trapped here alone in my office, croaking helplessly away to myself, and unable to even answer the telephone.

But no.
Every time somebody wanders past my door, I attempt to wave frantically at them or throw something soft in their direction in a desperate bid to grab their attention.
But it never works. Not even when I panicked and accidentally threw my chair at Old Bert.
No, everyone is always far too immersed in their own conversations which usually revolve around how particularly quiet and peaceful it is today.
Nice.

However, even a lost voice can’t dampen my enthusiasm too much this week, as I’m thrilled to report that the incredible new NFC Cards are now rolling into production right here at Martin Print H.Q.

These wonderful new Cards deliver an extra digital dimension to your savvy Small Business marketing, and can be used in all kinds of deeply funky and highly functional ways.

I’ve been excitedly babbling on about this dramatic new digitally-enhanced development in custom-crafted Cards to everyone I’ve bumped into over the last few days in all kinds of places – here in the office, down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar, even whilst waiting patiently in the queue down at the Sweet Pastry Shop.
Nobody was safe from my bubbling buoyancy.
Well, until I finally lost my voice and just ended up croaking into people’s faces and scaring them away.

Since that unfortunate moment, my burning throat has made it difficult to answer all the burning questions on new NFC Cards that continue to pour in from every direction.
I did briefly consider handcuffing myself to Old Bert so that he could handle all the queries on my behalf.
But I eventually decided that it would make far more sense to compile an ultimate list of the most frequently asked questions on NFC Cards right here on the Martin Print Blog!

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Posted In Archives, Business Clinic, Creative Marketing, Entrepreneur Zone, Marketing Secrets, May 2013, Mobile Phones/Smartphones, Newsdesk, NFC Business Cards, Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Print and Design, Promotional Material, Social Media Marketing, Technology & The Web

May 02, 2013

GOING WILD WITH BUSINESS EXPENSES
How to Develop an Expense Policy
and Tame Your Staff Spending Habits…

Are you in the sometimes prickly position of trusting your Small Business employees with an Expenses Account?

It’s an expensive world out there.
I should know. Yesterday, I came back from the Sweet Pastry Shop in a state of shock after I discovered that they’d tripled their prices for the second time this week.
I’m starting to suspect that they’re just trying to drive me away on purpose for some unfathomable reason…

When your team members are forced into situations where they have to spend their own money to keep your business productivity running in the right direction, it’s clearly important to make sure that they don’t end up out of pocket whilst they were helping to line your own.

But does your Small Business have a clear and robust Expenses Policy?
How do you create an effective and workable new policy from scratch? And how do you ensure that these expense accounts don’t end up spinning wildly out of control?

Keeping a close eye on expenses may seem like a tricky business in itself, but it really doesn’t have to be complicated.

To be honest, I learned several valuable lessons on expenses the hard way.
I can remember sending Old Bert into town one Friday lunchtime with rather vague instructions to “buy something nice for the whole team.”
We’d had a really good week, the team had worked their socks off to meet every tight printing deadline, and I just wanted to thank everybody for their hard work and dedication.

In fairness to Old Bert, he questioned my instructions and requested slightly more specific details.
But I was incredibly busy. At that exact moment, I was actually trying to take three telephone calls at once. It really had been one of those weeks.
So, I just waved him away and told him to do whatever he thought best. I promised him that I’d pay back however much he spent from his own money.
“Just stick it on your expenses tab!” I said, half-jokingly.
We didn’t really have a clear policy in place at the time, you see.
Big mistake.

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Posted In Business Clinic, Cashflow Management, Entrepreneur Zone, Finance In Focus, How-To's and Tutorials, Staff Management

April 30, 2013

OUT OF STOCK
Why You Need to Think Ahead and Replenish
Your Small Business Marketing Supplies in Time…

“Sorry, I’m completely out of those.”

Five simple words that can conjure up crushing disappointment and even deep disapproval.

I’m fairly confident that every smart Small Business owner strives to keep an eye on the ball when it comes to replenishing stocks and goods in plenty of time.

But do we sometimes overlook the importance of replenishing our crucial marketing products – such as Business Cards and Brochures – before our supplies completely run out, leaving everyone high and dry?
Failing to keep up to date with a healthy supply of marketing tools could well result in several potential clients and business connections waving goodbye forever instead of jumping aboard with you and making solid plans for the future…

I was prompted to write this Blog article after a frankly ridiculous encounter with a fellow entrepreneur yesterday.
Sharp Simon had invited me round to his brand new computer store which opened up to the public just last week.
I’d been looking forward to popping in for a visit, seeing how Sharp Simon was getting on, and maybe even stocking up on a few new hi-tech upgrades for Martin Print.

It turned out to be a complete waste of time.
Sharp Simon’s new store was a surprisingly spacious building which had the capacity to house a treasure trove of tempting technological goodies.
Unfortunately, every inch of the store was completely empty. Not one gadget or device in sight. Not as much as a single memory stick.

“Ah, I know what you’re thinking!” said Sharp Simon, as I looked around the utterly barren store in jaw-dropping disbelief.
“I did have quite a few things in here last week, but I sold them all. I haven’t had time to re-stock just yet. Still, I can order pretty much anything you need! Just let me know what you’re after!”

It took me a while to gather my composure. I felt as if I’d been knocked sideways by this unexpected and slightly awkward situation.
“Right…” I began. “Well, it’s difficult, Simon. I kind of wanted to browse the stuff that you were selling before I made a decision. Never mind. Perhaps you can give me one of your brochures, and I’ll take a look at it back at my office?
“Oh, and you may as well give me a business card too. I’ll put it in my wallet and give you a call later.”

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Posted In Brochures & Catalogues, Business Cards, Business Clinic, Creative Marketing, Customer Care, Entrepreneur Zone, Flyers/Leaflets, Marketing Secrets, Offline Marketing, Print and Design, Promotional Material

April 29, 2013

THE TOP TEN LIST
OF THE BEST EVER TOP TEN LISTS!
Why Your Small Business Customers
are Attracted to Numbered Content

Here are four points that I was considering this lunchtime on my way to the Sweet Pastry shop.

1) The experts say that Content is King.
If your small business is hoping to reach out and connect with a wider audience, then it certainly pays to produce new and original content on Websites, Blogs, and Social Media channels.
But how do we go about cooking up and dishing out fresh content on such a regular basis?

2) Could it be that the good old-fashioned Numbered List may well provide a useful springboard for cracking new material?

3) Why are people so attracted to lists anyway? Why do lists seem to have more pulling power than the usual servings of standard prose?

4) Why is it always me that gets sent to the Sweet Pastry shop?

We may never unearth the answer to that last question.
I’ve been trying to work that one out for years.
But it was whilst I was browsing my daily list of Sweet Pastry requests from the rest of the Martin Print team that I began to ponder the hidden value of the Numbered List.

It’s such a simple and well-loved little format which can come in handy for all sorts of different types of content creation.
For example, a well-crafted list can be used for;

1) Quickly describing the benefits and selling points of your products and services on your business website.

2) Engaging your readers and potential future customers with an easily accessible Blog article, or Guest Post, or Email, or Forum Message, or indeed any suitable slice of online content.

3) Creating a fun or informative status update on Social Media which is guaranteed to intrigue your readership into exploring further.

4) Highlighting important points for your potential clients to consider in professionally produced marketing material such as Brochures and Catalogues.

But why exactly is the Numbered List packed with so much power in the first place?
Simple lists of Top Tens and Top Reasons and Top Bests and Top Worsts surely can’t be anyway near as insightful and informative as well-written articles which are made up of proper sentences and paragraphs, can they?

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Posted In Business Blogs, Business Clinic, Content Bombs, Creative Marketing, Email Campaigns, Entrepreneur Zone, Facebook, How-To's and Tutorials, Marketing Secrets, Online Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Technology & The Web

April 25, 2013

GETTING DIRECT WITH YOUR MAIL
Why It Pays to Send a Powerful Post Card to Your Customer Base!

When was the last time that you sent out an attention-grabbing Post Card to your clients of today and tomorrow?
Why is it such an incredibly effective form of marketing, and how should you compose the perfect slice of promotional post?

I actually received no less than three Post Cards in the mail this morning, and it was these unexpected arrivals that prompted me to write this very Blog article.

One of them was a warm and welcoming communication from a fellow business, delivering a pretty enticing limited offer.
The design was simple, crisp, colourful, and compelling. It also had a witty touch that took me by surprise and made me smile.
Within half an hour, I’d contacted the business and taken advantage of the offer before I missed the window of opportunity.

By the way, if this was your business and you received a telephone call from me this morning, then I do apologise for the constant sneezing and vacuuming noises in the background.
Doris, our resident cleaner, has got a terrible cold at the moment. I did try and send her home today to rest and recover, but I don’t think she could hear me over the endless sneezing and vacuuming noises that were echoing around the corridors of Martin Print H.Q.

The second Post Card was a rather drab affair, to be honest.
It didn’t even try to look like a bright and friendly personal communication. It just looked like yet another piece of uninspired marketing which nobody really wanted to receive. In a nutshell, it looked just like everything else.
And, just like nearly everything else, it was quickly despatched to the office bin.

The third Post Card?
Well, that was just from Old Bert. He’s recently embarked on another exciting jet-setting adventure with his buddies from The Australian Grandmaster Caretakers Society.

His cheerful Post Card depicted an image of a supposedly ‘fascinating’ wheelbarrow.
On the back of the card, he’d scribbled me a quick note, reminding me to water the Swiss Cheese Plants in his office whilst he was away.

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Posted In Business Clinic, Creative Marketing, Customer Care, Entrepreneur Zone, How-To's and Tutorials, Marketing Secrets, Offline Marketing, Postcards, Print and Design, Promotional Material

April 23, 2013

THE PEAK OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Is Australian Social Networking on the Decline?

“Well, that’s it then. Looks like Facebook is on the way out. It didn’t take long for Australia to get bored with the whole idea, did it?
“Ah well. It’ll be interesting to see how we’re all going to waste our time in the future.”

I hadn’t really expected to hear this kind of talk when I popped into Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar for a quiet drink.
In fact, I almost spat out my Fizzy Apple Cocktail in surprise.

Facebook on the way out? That couldn’t be right, could it?
I certainly hoped not.
I’d just come up with a couple of really funny status updates and images for later on this week.

“Yup, it’s all in there,” said Sharp Simon, slamming a few reports down on the bar as he joined me for a drink.
“Facebook, Twitter, everything really. We’re falling out of love with Social Media sites in general. The kids of today are getting particularly bored with it, which hardly bodes well for the future, does it?
“A pity, really. I’m kind of regretting spending all that money on Facebook advertising now. I didn’t realise it was all going to be over so quickly.”

Hmm.
So, is Social Media really falling out of fashion so soon?

I finished off my Fizzy Apple Cocktail, and thumbed through the reports on the bar.
There certainly seemed to be some grains of factual truth in the rumours of a decline in Social Media.
But maybe it’s just a matter of looking at the whole scene from the right perspective…

Information Services Group Experian has been conducting mind-bogglingly vast research into global internet habits, collecting data from 25 million internet subscribers worldwide – including no less than 3 million Australians.

Whilst the popularity of Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter might appear to have been increasing rapidly over the last few years, you might be surprised to learn that Australians are actually spending less time on these sites than we used to.

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Posted In April 2013, Archives, Business Clinic, Creative Marketing, Entrepreneur Zone, Facebook, Marketing Secrets, Newsdesk, Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Technology & The Web, Twitter