Online Advertising Marketing

Archive for January, 2012

What is it about running a business that fears many people – is it the initial start up cost, is it not knowing the business basics or is it the thought of the financial freedom that comes with it because that is exactly what you get after involving yourself with the Ebay Business Opportunity. Financial freedom is there for the taking if you want it.

Two of the fear factors mentioned above are partially behind why people choose to ignore the Ebay Business Opportunity. Not knowing how to run a business and worry about start up costs can be put to the back of your mind right now if you crave financial freedom. This is definitely a win win situation if you want it to be.

There are no large amounts of money to hand over to start up and as for knowledge – well you learn as you go along. This is exactly how other Ebay entrepreneurs began and are still reaping in the rewards
The Ebay Business Opportunity is not just for the hungry who have decided enough is enough and wants out of the rat race – it is also a second income for many people on a budget.

Remember the Ebay Business Opportunity is a risk free venture so what are you waiting for – all that is required from you is sheer determination and a little time. Any knowledge on how to run your Ebay business can be found through the Ebay support system or from fellow Ebayers. Beginners gather information by visiting the forums. You will find many Ebay entrepreneurs willing to share what they know with you but remember if you are competition for them then you may not get the help you need. The internet is larger than life so what you need to know can be found elsewhere online.
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You can have the best products, the plushest offices, the best location, but unless you are a ‘customer focused’ business, all of this counts for nothing, you will never really hit the heights you deserve.

So what can you do to build a business which focuses outwardly on the customer, and not inwardly on the business?

Build Passion and Commitment

The first building block is passion and commitment. This is the very foundation stone of a customer focused business. Without passion and commitment the structure you will build above will be weak and prone to collapse at the first sign of stress.

The passion and commitment has to come from you and your staff. All of you have to totally believe in the concept of the customer being the centre of everything you do. From the moment you step into work everyone has to do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer.

As the key person in the business what can you do to build passion and commitment? Lead from the front and set an example. Keep the concept at the top of the agenda and demonstrate it in everything you do. Keep talking about it. Celebrate all the great examples of putting the customer totally in focus.

Build Processes Around Your Customer Not The Business

All great businesses have clearly laid down processes on how to get things done. Whether you have a formal Process Manual or a Quick Reference Guide, which sets out your processes, a clear procedure provides confidence and clarity for both your staff and the customer.

But don’t just build your processes around making things easier for you, build them to make things easier for the customer. Look at every step in the process and ask yourself, “Can we do something to make it even easier for the customer to do business with us?”Are there steps which can be refined or even eliminated all together? Be inquisitive, bold and challenging!

Build a Relationship

Building a relationship with your customer is at the very heart of a customer focused model. Build a strong, firm relationship and you will have a customer for life. The basis of relationship building is A.B.C. – Always Be Communicating. Here are some ideas on building an enduring and profitable relationship through ABC:

• Make a point to periodically call your customers. Set up a diary system to provide you with a regular reminder or prompt. Call them even if you have nothing sell! A strange concept perhaps but you never know what will come out of the conversation

• Issue quarterly newsletters telling them about your latest products, what you have planned for the future, a customer profile, news about new employees. Find anything which would be of interest and at the same time binding both of you closer together

• Make it a point during any conversation to find out something about the business you didn’t know before. File away any interesting fact and think how you can use it in the future. Imagine how powerful it would be when you ask how the idea they mentioned in your last conversation was going!

• Do memorable things. Send birthday or anniversary cards to your key contact, a simple thank you note for doing business with us, send articles or newspaper cuttings, which you think will be of interest to them
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If you ever plan on getting a job or starting a career of some kind, you will have to have a resume. Not just a piece of paper that gives the employer some information about yourself, but rather something that will set you apart from the others applying for the same position. One would like to think that there is one way to write a resume, and that if you follow that exact formula, you’re set. But this is not the case. Each employer is different, so some might like one style over another. We can however give you some tips that will turn you in the right direction.

One thing that we see over and over again in resumes is an overload of information. I guess there are many resume writers that think quantity will impress people over quality. They are dead wrong. Employers are busy people, and don’t have all day to dig through a mountain of information. So keep it informative, but to the point. Don’t add things in there that aren’t relevant to the job. In other words, don’t list that you like pets when you’re applying for a job as a web designer. In keeping with the “to the point” rule, keep your resume to one page. They shouldn’t have to flip a page over to see what they are looking for. This is a waste of their time.

So what should you include on your resume?

A) Your name and other information on how to reach you. It’s kind of pointless handing in a resume if they can’t get back to you.

B) Your Objective. There are quite often other positions to fill, so make sure to specify what you are applying for.

C) Training and Education. List your training and education with the most recent being on top. List only what is related to the job. Make sure to list any side classes you took that could be related to the job.

D) Experience. Make sure once again that you are showing quality, and not quantity. If you are really weak in the experience area, still be careful as to not make it seem like you are just trying to fill in some space.

Although you want to keep a resume to one page, you must not do so by using a font that is difficult to read because it is too small. I find that a font size of 12 or so does the trick. Anything smaller than a point size of 11 is pushing it, and might make it hard to read. This is especially the case if the employer is older. One test to see if the font is too small is to ask a parent to read it. If they have to squint or move the resume back and forth until they find a good reading distance, you might have something that is challenging to read. Fonts that you might want to use are Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, Bookman, or Helvetica. These are easier to read, and can be found pretty much on any computer. Don’t bother with crazy script fonts or other fun looking fonts. You want to make sure your resume reflects professionalism and structure, not a casual direction or feel.
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New advertising ideas and techniques most always get the quick attention of the optimistic small business owner.

The first time you hear about a something new to use or adapt, your mind races forward, especially if the testimonials are realistic and seem to relate to what you are doing.

To illustrate, picture that ad salesperson standing right there in your business.
Temptation is staring you in the face. “It’s a great deal,” they tell you. Do you go for it or not?

Here are three sets of realistic questions to ask yourself as you evaluate the proposal:

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1. Take a step to the side and consider this. Is your current advertising already covering the basics? Is this new temptation part of your basic advertising plan or does it fall in the “next level” category? Remember that you’ve got to do the basics first, just as you have to open a showroom before you can decorate it. So make sure you are doing the basics well before you move to the next level.

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2. Will the new idea or technique stand on its own as a profit generator? Can the new idea or technique be integrated into your basic advertising thrust so it can compliment what you are already doing? Will it contribute to building a cumulative advertising effect?

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3. Can you afford it? Is your advertising budget already strained? Will this advertising method pay for itself? Or will it break the bank?
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