Out of work? Now’s the perfect time to become an entrepreneur. Just find the right niche, something you feel passionate about, and get started.
There’s no escape from the bad economic news, so try to ignore it for a few minutes. Here are some ways to clear your head and end the recession:
1. Spend money. If you’re employed and have some money to spend, why not treat yourself to something small. Then you’ll be helping the economy and keeping someone employed. And they will have money to spend, etc.
2. If you don’t have money, spend some time not worrying about it. Take a walk and exercise. Stop and smell the roses. Okay, so they’re not in bloom yet. But there are pretty flowers around. Smell them.
3. Take a few deep breaths and think how lucky you are to live in a relatively peaceful country.
4. Go to the library and read about something new. Get a few ideas on how you can improve your future. Explore the internet. People watch.
5. Start a new online business and become an entrepreneur. Call Creative Juices and get a logo design and website. By spending money at Creative Juices you will help Chuck earn a living and then he will spend money and the economy will recover. Amazing but true.
Like it or not, your company has an image or “brand”. It’s what people visualize when they think of your business. Your image consists of your logo, your website, your place of business, your service, product(s) and of course the people working at your business, including you.
First impressions are extremely important. Especially today when all businesses are desperate to get and maintain their customers. If you don’t stand out and project an image of success potential clients might skip by you and head over to your competition.
Don’t let that happen to you. It is vital to the future of your business to have a strong, positive image. And the good news is you’re completely in charge of creating that image.
It’s what people associate with your complete business entity. This includes any printed materials, web presence, social media, physical presence and most importantly your actual product or service. Everything you do or communicate about your business should be consistent with your brand or image. It helps build customer loyalty.
Take the time to think about what you want to project to the general public. It is really hard to change your image once it takes hold so please, don’t rush it or skimp on it. Find your niche, what sets you apart. You’ll be glad you took to time to do it right.
Check out Creative Juices Logo Design. There are many graphic design companies, but only one with a twisted pencil. Give us a call at 310-791-5803 for a Free Estimate.
Redondo Beach, CA – Effective February 2, 2009 – The clever people at Creative Juices have found a way to save thousands of dollars a year and better serve their clients. They have created a beautiful new office space in the home of entrepreneur Charles Feldman.
A little used room has been converted into a state of the art work environment. As of February 1 you will be able to experience the new “Juice Factory”, where creative ideas happen. No more climbing stairs. Enter directly through brand new French doors. And there you are.
If you’re currently renting an office space and don’t really need to, you may want to consider using your home to run your business. Why pay for two high speed internet services? And rent, utilities, gas, insurance, etc. During a recession is makes great business sense to downsize and survive.
And by switching to an online phone service like Vonage you can keep your telephone number and keep on going.
Unemployment may be at 7%, but that just means a greater majority of people who want to work, are working.
Anyway, the point is that there are still employed people spending money. Sure a lot of people have cut back. But the best way for you to increase your sales is to let more people know what you do. What is your service? Where are you located? What do you do that’s better than anyone else? How can you help them?
If you don’t advertise or market your business in some way, no one will know you exist. Or worse, they’ll think you’ve gone out of business. And these days there’s a lot of that happening.
Update your website and let people know what is going on with you and how you can help them. Promote your brand. Keep your image at the top of people’s minds.
If you don’t already have a website, you’re missing out on one of the most cost effective ways to showcase your business or service.
If you do have a website and it’s out of date, you need to update. And fast. A tired, out of date website show’s you are not on top of your game. You may be perceived as irrelevant.
Remember, when you cut your marketing and advertising, you are essentially giving your competition a clear advantage. Is that really what you want to do?
Don’t forget to call Creative Juices if you need marketing and advertising advice. 310-791-5803. Did you know weekend appointments are now available?
While I heard about VOIP, I had no idea how much money I could save by moving my phone line(s) to Vonage.
It all began with the plan to move my business to my brand new home office. Much to my dismay, I discovered that Verizon is unable to let me keep my current phone number and would charge an additional $21 per month fee just to forward it to a new number. It seemed expensive to pay almost $250 a year just to transfer a number. And if I don’t transfer it, people will think I’ve gone out of business. That’s the number in all my ads, both online and in yellow page directories as well as the local Easy Reader. Changing the number is not a preferred option.
Along came Vonage and I discovered I don’t have to change my number. They can transfer it to their system. And with their $49.99 unlimited monthly business plan I get a free fax number. And I can keep my current fax number too. (Who uses faxes now-adays?) With free call waiting, forwarding and voicemail as well as caller ID and unlimited long distance calls (all extra with Verizon) I can save a lot of money!
Now all I have to do is install Vonage after I get the equipment. By the way, this is not a plug for Vonage, yet.
Just because the economy is in the toilet doesn’t mean you can’t get more exposure for your business website and perhaps more business for you. Here are some relatively easy and inexpensive ways to get your website seen.
These are just some of the ways to help get your website and business noticed. Contact Creative Juices if you’d like any help with these.
First thing, don’t panic. The economy may be tanking but your business doesn’t have to. Unless you let it.
Now is the time to market your business. Actually marketing your small business should never stop. The trick is to focus your marketing. Now more than ever you have to budget your money. To be successful you need to figure out what types of marketing to do, and then do it.
Direct mail pieces such as postcards, sales letters or brochures are a great way to reach your target market. Create your own mailing list. You can find dba’s in the newspaper for new businesses. Or you can look in the phone book (the old yellow one) or online. Send out a few each week.
E-mail blasts are great. And there’s no postage. Or printing costs. Add a form to your website to collect e-mail addresses from people who want to subscribe to whatever you have to say.
Don’t forget ads in local newspapers and throwaways. Ads need to be seen a multiple of times before people remember them and respond. Placing an ad once in a while will be a waste of time and money.
If you must cut costs, don’t skimp on your marketing. Just focus your efforts.
I love my iPhone. I couldn’t wait to get it, not because I make a lot of phone calls, but because it’s like having a mini computer with me wherever I go.
Sure it has iTunes so you can listen to music or watch movies at the gym. But did you know you can check your Google analytics on the fly? How about downloading your files for reading later? Or checking your Facebook or MySpace accounts? Or your bank balances?
You can easily look up phone numbers, find directions to an appointment, access your calendar and contacts. Look up a meaning of a word. Add to your WordPress blog. The list is endless.
Sure, you can find many people to complain about the iPhone or compare it to the new Research in Motion “Storm”. But I find that the iPhone gives me a lot of ways to conduct business wherever I’m at and is well worth the money.
And speaking of lists, here are some of my favorite business applications so far:
If you have an iPhone, check out these applications. Most of them are FREE. If not, buy one. Unfortunately I get no commission from Apple, Inc.
The economy really sucks. Big time. You need to save money and advertising your business seems like a good place to cut back.
Wrong. Just the opposite is true. Now is the time to do whatever you can to promote your business. You certainly don’t want people to forget about you. If you are advertising in a newspaper or magazine on a regular basis and suddenly disappear, people may think you’ve gone out of business.
I’ve been advertising my Creative Juices business in the Easy Reader for over 15 years. In my experience, people remember these little ads. They may not remember whether it was in the Easy Reader or the Beach Reporter, but they remember. Some have even clipped the ad and saved it for years until they finally needed my services.
So advertising does pay.
Other ways of getting new business are:
The bottom line is that you must always be visible to your potential customers. By not promoting your business you cease to exist.
