Archive for March, 2010
In the January / February issue of Specialty News Magazine, author Ari Weinzweig offers eight tips for successful business management. According to Weinzweig, good energy leads to good business. There are many self help books and programs that teaches techniques about how we can use our “personal” energy to create good circumstances in our lives. The popular book and movie “The Secret” is a perfect example.
What you’ll learn in this article is that positive energy in your business, which starts with personal positive energy, can create a responsive, collaborative, vital organization where employees are excited to come to work and customers are anxious to visit and do business.
If you can get your hands on the January / February issue, read the full article to learn how to:
1. differentiate between good and unproductive energy.
2. lead with good energy
3. build good energy
4. protect good energy
5. monitor and mentor others’ energy
6. project your energy
7. manage group energy
8. renew energy
Increase company morale and increase sales by injecting positive energy into your life. As Weinzweig says “the more good energy you and I put out, the more we manage it well in ourselves and others, the more it will attract customers….When energy is better, sales go up, stress goes down, tensions decrease, fun goes up, everything just works better”.
March 28th, 2010
Want to make it easier for your customers to find you online? Major search engines now have local business listing sections. According to Daniel Owen, vice president of a New York interactive advertising agency, “these sections allow you to list your local business for free” (read full story).
Check out these search engines for information on how to add your business to their business listing sections.
You might also want to consider paid search marketing as a means to help customers find your online business. But before going in that direction, learn how that process works. I found a series of articles called “Introduction to Search Engine Submission”. Although written a few years ago, I found it to be a good primer on how search engines work. You can also read read Biznology Newsletter and Blog. for a more recent “take” on the topic.
March 23rd, 2010
Packaged Facts, a marketing research company, estimates that total coffee market sales, including food service and retail, rose to $48 billion in 2009, with annual growth of 4% in 2008 and 2009.” And according to Consumer’s Reports, “The average coffee drinker consumes more than 1,000 cups of coffee a year, and for most people, it’s coffee blends.” With these numbers in mind, it certainly makes sense for gift basket retailers to continue to include a coffee in their basket designs.
Check out the variety of appealing coffees at Apex Gift Foods. You’ll find coffees in attractive colorful packaging that will complement many of your basket designs. Choose from coffees with liquor flavoring, sweet flavors including double chocolate or chocolate raspberry coffee, unusual flavors such as including blueberry muffin and sticky toffee buns, or more traditional blends such italian roast. Mention that you read this blog posting and receive 5% off your coffee purchase!
March 14th, 2010
So why does your business need a web site? According to an article I recently read, we all need web sites because “websites work”. No matter what your business or profession, a website can generate business, promote goodwill among customers and prospects, and deliver strong marketing messages.”
Even if you’re not ready to sell your gift baskets on a web site, you can still set up a web site that will describe the products and services that you offer and methods that customers can use to get in touch with you. “The vast majority of business websites are still information and communication rather than purchase-oriented”. If you want to set up this type of site, read about 4 simple steps to take to set up your site.
If you’re ready to set up an e-commerce sight so that you can sell your gift baskets on-line, be sure to check out Web Sites: How to Create, Promote, and Profit On-Line” by Shirley George Frazier. Shirley is a “professional speaker and Internet entrepreneur with more than 25 profitable Web sites, shares quick and easy steps to create and market your online space.”
March 9th, 2010
