Small Business Marketing Manual

Forward:

08/30/04

This book was written ten years ago in 1994 prior to the popular commercialization of the internet. Many of the concepts outlined here are still very useful and can be applied to any small business. Using these concepts in addition and in conjunction with internet based marketing can create very effective results.

- WW

INTRODUCTION

First we are going to go over some fundamental marketing concepts:

IDENTITY

One of the most important things concerning marketing is the ability to create an individual business identity. You need a look, a logo, a type style for your company name, and a color scheme.  This is absolutely necessary! Your name should appear the same every time anyone sees it, making you recognizable and installing a permanent impression in the public mind.

Your business cards, letterhead, envelopes, company truck, uniforms, carpeting, flyers, ad infinitum must all look the same and follow the same color scheme! Consistency is key.

COLOR

Using color instead of black & white in your printed materials increases  the viewers attention, retention and tendency to act on the information!

Beware, using the wrong colors can have a negative effect.

Here are some guidelines:
One thing to remember is that people respond to color emotionally, not logically.  Hot colors like red and orange jump forth while cool colors like green, blue, and purple recede.

• Blue shouldn’t be used with food but is good representing cold.
• Green and Brown are good for natural, earthy type businesses.
• Gray is masculine.
• Red relates to low prices or excitement
• Maroon is contemporary and expensive
• Purple reflects security and dignity
• Yellow is steadfast and confident

You should try to pick just one or two colors. Too many colors will defeat the purpose of defining your identity.

LOGO

Develop a logo. Even if it is just the way your company name is rendered. If you don’t think your creative talents are up to it, invest in having a  professional artist or graphic designer create one for you.

The cost varies from person to person. One person might charge $45 for creating a logo, while it’s not uncommon for businesses to spend up to $10,000 for a reputable designer’s work. Your printer may be able to find a designer to fit your budget.

Everything related to your business should bear your logo. Once again, consistency is key. The more the public recognizes you, the more familiar you become. A consumer is much more likely to make a purchase from a business they are familiar with.

A unique logo which is always in the public eye will ensure public awareness and make you easily recognizable. This will make it easier for customer to feel good about patronizing your business. Your logo should be simple, unique and easy to recognize.

PRINTERS/ COPY SHOPS

If you haven’t already, find a good printer; ask other business owners who they use and check out prices!!!  There is a big difference between a print shop and a copy shop. Copy shops are geared toward short run duplicating jobs, single copies of documents, mailing labels and the like. Most have quick turn around times and convenient hours (many are open 24 hours).

Printers, however, are better for bigger jobs like business cards, letterheads envelopes, etc. When you get business cards, letterheads, envelopes, etc., it’s usually only a few dollars difference between the quantities of 500 and 1000 depending on the complexity. Pay the extra and get 1000; they are an essential tool and should be well circulated.

You will probably want to develop a relationship with both a copy shop and a printer.

Most offer internal charge accounts that you can pay monthly. You or one of your employees will  probably spend a lot of time in these shops, so try to get the same person to go each time. When you go, request the same shop worker every time so you can build a friendship. This will ensure quality service and good prices. Also (and I speak from experience) if you treat the people well it will come back to you. For example, if you usually go in early in the morning, drop off some coffee and donuts. This will benefit you beyond your imagination and probably save you a bundle of time and money!

SELLING POINTS

Define what selling points you are going to concentrate on. Here is an example: John Doe is opening a record store and his concentration is on jazz artists. He decides to name his store  THE JAZZ STORE

One important thing to remember is that your business name should reflect what you do. If you want to use your proper name then you should incorporate a short description of your business. For example:

“JOHN DOE RECORDS- your jazz connection”

Keep this description synonymous with your name so it appears on everything.  I have seen business cards with absolutely no description of the business. One that comes to mind simply said Bob Smith Incorporated with an address and phone number. When I found the card in my wallet I didn’t even remember where I had gotten it. What a huge marketing blunder!

NICHE

If JOHN DOE RECORDS opened and there were already two jazz oriented music stores on the same block, it’s likely that the business wouldn’t last too long. If your selling point is similar to other businesses in your area you may want to either:

A: Narrow down your selling point such as:  Vintage jazz or Modern jazz
B: Change your selling point such as:  “JOHN DOE RECORDS, your Blues Connection.”

APPENDICES:  Marketing Plans

APPENDIX A:

Restaurant / Food Services

• Announce daily specials in your phone greeting.
• Have servers suggest appetizers, drinks and dessert.
• Include coupons and new menu items on carry out bags and doggie bags. These can also be distributed along with menus to all the businesses in the area. People are always looking for somewhere new to eat lunch.
• Use signs inside and out showing daily specials or special menu items.
• Expand the decor of your restaurant to add to the total experience. If you have a bar area put in video games, a juke box, televise sporting events, or invite small music groups during dinner. One very popular restaurant in Columbus has a flute player and cellist perform during dinner in add ambiance. A macrobiotic cafe in Detroit has a solo acoustic guitar player perform for lunch.
• If you have a family-oriented restaurant, give away balloons with your logo on them. Kids love balloons. See advertising specialties.)
• Offer “dinner for two” specials, group dinners, etc. on your menu.
• Have your customers sign up for your mailing list to receive monthly coupons.
• Hold drawings for free lunches and dinners. Leave a fish bowl for people to drop their business cards into for the drawing.
• Promote business lunches. Offer incentives such as reserved tables, service from the head waiter, or having the head chef come and cheek on the guest. Put this information in a brochure far local businesses. When they want to impress a client they will know where to take them in your Yellow Pages ad, mention your best and most unique dishes.
• Co-Op advertise with local retailers: “Come down to the Main Street Cafe, have lunch and shop at Barbara’s Fashions. Mikes Antiques etc.”
• Sponsor local theater and musical entertainers. Invite them in a free dinner after their performances.
• Advertise your specials in local entertainment publications.
• Use coupons/flyers as inserts in a 2-3 mile radius of your location.
• Have after dinner mints and matchbooks with your restaurant name printed on them.
• Give away dinners for contest winners on a local radio station.
• Have eye-catching artwork on your menu. The price of short-run full color reproductions has come down drastically with the introduction of color laser copiers. A full color menu can add much to the ambiance.
• Print placemats that can he colored with crayons to keep the kids busy while waiting for their food.
• On your customer’s birthday give them a free birthday cake with candles and have your servers singing happy birthday. If it’s their twenty-first birthday, give them a free cocktail or bottle of wine. Just put a sign in your lobby that says “Let us know if it’s your birthday!”
• Make your customers feel special.
• All servers should wear similar outfits (if not uniforms). Everyone should wear name tags at all times, and smile at all times. The first thing servers should do when seating a customer is to introduce themselves. This is a golden rule.

APPENDIX B:

Bars / Nightclubs

• Announce drink specials in your phone greeting, announce specials and upcoming events on your answering machine, and use your number as a hotline for weekly events.
• Have servers and bartenders suggest mixed drinks and pitchers, etc.
• Have a sign at your enhance announcing drink specials and upcoming events.
• Make an area for video games, bar type games, juke boxes, pool tables, televised sporting events, a karaoke machine.
• Bring in live music, have local clothing stores hold a fashion show in your club.
• Giveaways are a little different when dealing with bars and night clubs. The best thing to do is give away a round of drinks to your regulars every once and a while. In a bar, your regulars are a large part of your business and probably bring in more customers than you would expect. Treating them special will have definite positive effects.
• Co-op advertise with local clothing stores and eating establishments that your clientele frequent.
• Advertising in local entertainment publications and on radio stations is the best avenue for bars and night clubs.
• Announce your weekly agenda, what kind of music you will have on a specific night, what D.J. will be playing bands, drink specials (most states do not allow prices to be advertised)
• Bring in guest D.J.’s from neighboring cities.
• Get key chains for your regulars for free admission or just to give away.
• The best thing to do is promote special promotions for different nights. Here are a few examples:
  • Ladies night - Ladies get in free and get special drink prices until midnight.
  • Men’s night - No cover charge, have a female revue. Waitresses in bikini’s.
  • Mug night - Bring in your own mug (up to a certain size, say 32 oz, ) and fill it with draft beer for a special price.
  • Theme nights - Pick a wacky movie and have people who dress up as a character from the movie get in free. Play parts of the soundtrack throughout the night.
  • Two for one night - Make drinks Buy one, Get one free up to a certain time. This can help pick up business on a slower night.
  • All you can drink - Beer and well drinks for one admission price.
  • Mexican night - All Tequila drinks at a special price.
  • Import night - Specials on imported beers.
  • Reggae night, Latino night, etc.
• If you have a nightclub you could use your walls for gallery space, have a monthly opening with different local artists, have an opening reception a few hours before you normally open.
• This way your decor is always fresh and interesting.

APPENDIX C:

IN-HOME SERVICE-HOME REPAIR-LANDSCAPING

• Use your vehicle as a rolling billboard. You can have your vehicle painted or use magnetic signs to display your services, logo, and phone number. This is especially effective when parked in neighborhoods you’re working in. All the neighbors see your name and number.
• Classified advertising can be very effective for this type of business.
• One of the most effective ways to market this business is by going door to door and dropping off door-hangers or flyers. Offer a coupon and list your services on the flyer. If possible use pictures of successful projects you have completed. Customer testimonials are also very effective. For instance “Johns repair service fixed my leaky gutters in no time at all and the price was right.” - Bob M. neighborhood resident.  This way you can hit the specific neighborhoods you want to work in.
• Find a pizza or other food delivery service in the area you want to work in. See if you can do some co-op advertising with them.
• Every home you do work for should go on your mailing list. Every month you can offer a special and send out postcards notifying your past customers. You can also buy mailing lists for specific zip codes.
• Inserts are also good for reaching certain areas.
• Mention your specialty in your Yellow Pages ad.

APPENDIX D:

RETAIL MERCHANDISE - CLOTHING - GIFTS

• Announce sales in phone greeting.
• Suggest accessories
• Compile a mailing list by having a giveaway. Mail out monthly announcements of sales, etc.
• Change indoor signage and displays regularly.
• Mention what makes you unique in your advertising, including the Yellow Pages.
• Co-op advertise with other retailers in your immediate area. If you get enough people involved you can purchase an entire page in a weekly paper and promote the area you’re in.  For example, the ad headline could read: “Great Shopping at Fifth and Main” and then divide up the rest of the space to give each participating business section.
• Sponsorship works well with retail business. The important thing is to sponsor events that appeal to your customers.
• Classified ads can work well for specialty items. Classifieds are ideal for clearance merchandise. Offer gift certificates through other non­competitive businesses. If you are close to a florist, make them available to the floral customers. If someone is getting flowers for a friend, have them offer a package that includes a gift certificate for your store. The florist will make money by purchasing the gift certificates from you at a discount.

Copyright 1994