|
Poor Folk Marketing.com
|
marketing iedas internet marketing online marketing offline marketing | |
|
Featured Business, Start a Personalized Candy Wrapper Business: Wrapcandy.com |
|
|
| |
| |
| Home | Small Business Information | Pay Per Click Advertising | Affiliate Revenue | Web Promotion | |
|
|
|
Naming Your Business: 3 Tips To Ensure Success
If you are just starting your business, or if you have just developed a new product or service for an existing business, one of the first questions you need to answer is, "What should I name it?" And while you may feel pressure to make this decision quickly, I caution you to not make it lightly. What kind of things should you take into consideration when choosing a name? (1) Don't Use Your Own Name Well, first of all, use a name other than your own name. I often see service business professionals opening up shop and simply using their name, and the title of the service they offer. For example: Joe Smith, Accountant. I made this mistake myself, early on in my business, operating as Debbie LaChusa, Marketing Consultant. Why don't I recommend this? Because your name means absolutely nothing to your prospects. Often you only have a split second to get a prospect's attention. Make the most of that split second by having a name that communicates something of value about your business. Or a name that tells your prospects what your business is all about, or represents a benefit you offer, or how you deliver your service differently or better than your competitors. (2) Create A Meaningful Name for Your Business When I was operating without a business name, I remember calling prospects and clients, and having the receptionist ask, "Debbie with what company?" I realized relatively soon that if I wanted to be taken seriously, and I wanted to be quickly understood, I needed a company name. I was trying to build a business after all, and I wanted people to recognize who I was and what I offered. So I started using the name, DLC Marketing and I incorporated to make it official. Now I at least had a real business name, and when I contacted prospects they took me seriously. It was amazing the difference it made in the number and caliber of clients I was able to land. All of a sudden, I was a company, not an individual. Mind you, nothing else had changed. My services were still the same. I still worked out of my home. I still did not have a staff (although I had to hire partners to help out with all of the work!). But suddenly I came across differently when calling on prospects. But even then I thought, DLC Marketing, Inc. still isn't a great name. What does it tell people about what I do? It tells them I do marketing, and certainly I, or my web site copy, could explain my services and how I was unique. But what if theynever got past the still somewhat nondescript name? (3) Choose A Name That Communicates An Idea So I started thinking about how I could name my business differently to communicate my unique selling proposition more clearly. And that is when I came up with the name 10stepmarketing. To avoid having to re-incorporate, and because 10stepmarketing is a service I am offering that is closely related to the marketing consulting servicesI offer through DLC Marketing, Inc. I have chosen not to re-name my business, but to rather just market using the 10stepmarketing name. The initial response has been amazing. Suddenly people instantly want to know more about what I do. They ask questions and they want an explanation. That never happened with the other names I was using. You see, the name 10stepmarketing communicates an idea. Something the other names did not do. So the prospects I encounter that resonate with the idea it represents immediately want to know more. Is 10stepmarketing a great name? I don't know. But I do know it is strategically focused on the services I deliver, and I am almost embarrassed to say that my previous business names were not (I am a marketing consultant after all. I should know better!). And I can't argue with the response I have received thus far. So if you have a new business, product or service to name, think about what you want that name to communicate to your prospects. What do you do or offer that is unique or different? How could you describe your product or service with a word or phrase that will make your prospects want to know more? Can you come up with a name, or make up a name, that is intriguing or benefit-oriented? Spend some time brainstorming different names and then test them on your prospects, or business associates who are familiar with what you offer to make sure your final choice resonates and represents you uniquely and powerfully. (C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa 20-year marketing veteran, consultant, author, teacher and coach Debbie LaChusa has developed The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners successfully market their business, themselves. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Are You Ready to Own and Operate a Business? How often has someone thought of starting a business based solely on the fact they think it will be easier than working for someone else. Fact is, owning and operating a business can be one of the most grueling experiences you will have. SBIR vs STTR SBIR vs. STTR: If you are participating in the SBIR program you may also want to consider participating in the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. Six Sigma for Small Business It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six Sigma as being only for large corporations. Major corporations such as Allied Signal, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, Sony, and Toshiba have all rolled out Six Sigma efforts and achieved outstanding results. Small Business - Would You Still Need An Accountant If You Didnt Need A Tax Return? After over thirty years advising small business it still comes as a surprise to see the number of small business owners who are only interested in their financial results when it is time to do their tax return.Many still think that their accountant is there to 'cook the books' at tax time!It is not surprising that almost invariably the business owners who approach their accounting in this way are those whose business is not doing well. A Portable Trade Show Exhibit Makes for an Easier Show You can make your trade show experience much easier by using a portable exhibit. Since you control everything related to transporting it and setting it up, you won't have to hire firms to for those things for you. Analyzing Customers in Your Business Plan The Customer Analysis section of the business plan assesses the customer segments that the company serves. In it, the company must 1) identify its target customers, 2) convey the needs of these customers, and 3) show how its products and services satisfy these needs. The Key to Small Business Growth? Buyer Alignment Unfortunately for all buyers, each selling organization and their individual sales professionals are unique and often require immense amounts of energy to build a relationship with. This keeps buyers guessing, which in turn keeps the sales organization guessing. Small Business Franchise Opportunities Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many things that are needed for a small business of this kind, but the rewards are great. Small Business Security No Passing Fad How careful are you with the data you collect from your customers? How about the handling of money in your business. And passwords? What controls have you put in place to protect computer data?We don't often think about the security of our businesses, but we should. Marketing Your Small Business with Success Stories -- The One Pager Shortcut Series --An effective and compelling way to market your business is through the use of success stories. What exactly is a success story? How does it market my business? How can I get started with my own success stories?Consider the following: What exactly is a success story? A success story briefly describes how your business served a client/customer and what results the client/customer achieved. 10 Filler Activities for the Summer Business Slowdown Summer is a time for the outdoors, for that well-deserved vacation, and with everyone out and about, it's also a time that you may notice a slowdown in demand for your products and services. So what can you do during this summer slowdown? Well, it's a great time to do the work that otherwise never gets done during the busy business year. Data Loss - Can Your Company Survive? (Most Do Not) Data. Most people think it is a term relegated to the kingdom of geeks. You Dont Yet Know What You Dont Know Someone new to business ownership recently told me, "Before I opened my business, I thought I was pretty well prepared. I knew how to produce and deliver our product. How To Start A Blind Cleaning Business Quickly And Easily Starting the blind cleaning business is one of the best marketable business ideas you could latch on to. If you give the requisite amount of time and dedication, there will be no cap on your earnings. The More you GIVE the More you GET Why give freebies?We have all seen freebies at trade shows and we have all probably seen the person that goes from booth to booth collecting as much of it as possible. There is always someone that only goes to get the free stuff, but then again there are also people that go there to learn about new products or services. How to Give Informative Talks Why should you do informative talks to smaller groups?Informative talks to smaller groups allow you more intimacy with the audience. You will be able to more closely connect with their needs and their responses to your speech. 7 Tips To Improve Your Cash Flow Cash is King?That is what everyone tells us and it is true! You cannot function successfully in any business without proper cash flow. So if this Cash Principle is so well known, then why is it that so many businesses struggle? Sometimes the obvious is not always so obvious when you are entrenched in running the day-to-day aspects of your business. How to Effectively Design Your Business Image In many industries, image is one of the last things business owner looks at. If business is not booming, they assume there is something wrong with the sales method, as opposed to the image. You Are Invited Business card size works well for invitations to special events.What do you visualize when you think about invitations? More than likely you are thinking about a wedding or a party. FFP vs. CPFF Contracts SBIR Corner: FFP vs. CPFF contracts:In the SBIR/STTR world, the single most important decision you need to make is whether you are going to bid a job as Firm Fixed Price (FFP) or as Cost plus Fixed Fee (CPFF).
|
| home | site map |
| PoorFolkMarketing © 2007 |
