There were so many great points in our Pricing Show that aired a few weeks back.  One highlight was when Avy Punwasee from Pricing Solutions noted that our clients are self selecting.  This is something that we’re all aware of, but I had never thought of it from a Pricing perspective.  Since our clients are deciding who they want to provide their solutions, are we putting in place solutions at every price point so that everyone, no matter their wealth or social stature, can interact with our brand and benefit from our solutions?  Good question, huh?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=McDjojgTfAY

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

This is yet another video to follow up on our pricing show that aired several weeks back.  There were so many great points in that show.  One that really stood out to me was when Avy Punwasee from Pricing Solutions pointed out that pricing communicates value.  If your pricing and value offering are not adjusting to meet an ever changing market, you could be sending a bad message to potential clients and customers.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=veQbhh2NJNs

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

Several weeks back, Avy Punwasee from PricingSolutions.com was a guest on TVPG Radio’s Get More Business Show.  Avy was a great guest and had a lot of very valuable information to share.  One of his suggestions really stood out though.  That’s why I made this video.  Listen to Avy Punwasee on The Get More Business Show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aYZaL7asII

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

In this week’s Get More Business Show, we’ll be talking about the benefits and trade offs of organizing your business as a non-profit.  When you’re just getting your business started you have lots of options and flexibility.  At The Get More Business Show, we’re committed to helping you understand those options and giving you useful information to assist you in your decision making.

This week we’re going to be having two guest to explore this topic with.  Al Rider will be joining us and sharing his extensive experience.  We’ll ask him what the benefits are to organizing your business as a non-profit.  We’ll also ask what the restrictions are.  If you’ve been thinking about organizing your business as a non-profit, but you still have questions, make sure you tune in and you can ask Al by calling in to our hotline or through the chat room.

Our second guest will be Melanie Parker Hibbard.  She will be giving us lots of ideas about how to market and raise awareness for your non-profit.

So whether you’re considering a non-profit, or your existing business is a non-profit, this show will have lots of valuable information to help your business!  And since it’s Cinco De Mayo, our own Sheila O’Mara will be broadcasting on location at Las Chalupas!

Hopefully you can catch the show live on Wednesday May 5 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern (US).  If you have a question about non-profits, there’s never been a better chance to get a qualified answer.  Feel free to call in with your questions, thoughts and comments! (646) 595-4184.  If you can’t make the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast of the show anytime at your convenience.  Just use the BlogTalkRadio player that appears at the top of the sidebars.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

A few weeks ago on the TVPG, Get More Business, Radio show we discussed specification vs. diversification.  Points were made in favor of both and you can listen to the podcast for more information.

I have always been a big believer in diversification.  There are so many possibilities out there – why limit yourself to one?  I will be the first one to admit that it is important to do what you do well before you move on to something else.  No one wants to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.  Having said that though, there is so much to be said for expanding into new horizons.

When I first started my staging business almost two and half years ago, I thought in the back of mind that I would one day expand.  Staging is definitely about getting  homes ready for sale, but there are so many other areas of staging that goes on.  What I mean is … homes are only one aspect of staging.  The longer I am in business, the more often I am hired for services well beyond home staging.  I have helped start up businesses get started, helped develop marketing plans for clients, “staged” our youth by teaching study skills and self esteem classes and most recently have signed on as a communications consultant for a local politician.  None of those things are Home staging, yet they all have been funneled through my “staging” business.

As I find myself getting more and more involved in the other aspects of “staging” people’s lives and businesses, I found that I needed to start a different company entirely.  I wanted to maintain the home staging company as what it was intended to be – a home staging company.  I knew that I wanted to continue the home staging, but there were many other areas I wanted to explore.  I was blessed to have met up with a like minded, driven partner who shared my vision of expansion and we decided to start a new business called Speakers With Spark.

Sheila O’Mara and Susan Rider – two Speakers With Spark

Speakers With Spark is a divinely inspired endeavor.  My partner Susan Rider and I believe wholeheartedly that we are called “to be the change we want to see in the world”~ Ghandi.  Speakers With Spark is a Speaker Bureau designed to provide quality training and an inspirational voice for our audiences.  We have been blessed to find additional speakers that all carry a message to share with the world.  Our range of topics is diverse and numerous.  We add to the list everyday based on the needs of our clients.  Th sky is the limit and we are continually searching for ways to make it work for our audiences.

Speakers With Spark is also home to the SPARC program.  SPARC is an acronym for Skills and Practices for Achieving Real Change. We believe that children are our best resource and we owe it to them to train them to be successful people.  SPARC is a program that focuses on health and nutrition as well as self esteem and study skills.  By giving our youth the tools they need to succeed in school, the pay off will be tremendous.  It is truly amazing to watch a child unravel the puzzle they think they are and blossom before your eyes.

The SPARC program not only focuses on study skills and learning styles, it also encompasses leadership skills, conflict management, team building, and many more.  Another topic that makes up the program is Abstinence  Education.  It is so important that our youth understand that they choices.  This training not only lays out their choices, but gives them the tools to exert strength and fortitude when they need it most.

Speakers With Spark is a great example of the benefits of diversification.  I have taken a passion of mine and created a working business model that not only enhances my life, but other peoples’ as well.  I can continue to have a niche market in my Home Staging Company, but have expanded my wings to see what other directions I can fly.

I got into an interesting discussion with my co-host, Josh Chandler, on a recent radio show. The discussion started with another host, Jason Sanders, asked me a rather innocent question — how important is writing to a business?

As a former writer, newspaper editor and public relations specialist, nearly all of my post-college experience has dealt with the written word. I know how important writing an be for a business, whether it’s a press release, an advertisement or instructions on how to use or assemble a new product.

Josh, however, disagreed. He stated that in today’s world, he believes that formal writing isn’t that important. He backed up his statement that with the advent of Twitter, Facebook and the like, the ability to be present and to communicate quickly, was more important.

It was a classic generation gap. Josh is 23; I’m 48.

For his generation, which grew up in a world that never knew life without the internet and phones that did more than simply make calls, the “formalness” of writing isn’t important. Instead, the ability to say what you want to say in 140 characters or less (the world of Twitter) is the way to communicate. Grammar, spelling and all else be damned — too wordy, too stuffy, too “old.”

And that’s ok — if you only communicate with people under the age of 25 (or so) and in a non-professional setting. I still believe that good writing — like a cover letter, resume, press release, newspaper and magazine articles — have their places. And if you want to communicate with some of the more traditional business that rely on the written word — banks and lawyers come immediately to mind — you better be prepared to play by their rules.

Maybe one day, Josh’s generation will change everything. Maybe lawsuits will be filed and settled in 140 characters or less. Maybe you’ll be able to  e-mail your business plan via video to your banker. Maybe one day you’ll be able to just hit “ok” on a keypad to get a mortgage or buy a car, and not bother with all those messy forms and notaries and lawyers and insurance people.

But until that day arrives — and my belief is that it’s a long, long way away — the written word will still have a purpose.

Even if it’s just to write a blog about how important the written word is.

Jason Sanders of The Value Pages Group announced on the Wednesday 7th April show that I was leaving. It was a tough decision to make.

The show only started back in February and I think that Jason has developed a quality team of business owners who truly offer a unique and insightful opinion to the discussion. The newest addition Carolyn Tann Starr looks to continue that record.

So, I guess you’ll be wondering what exactly caused me to leave the show.

Well, I am currently a entrepreneur who is working towards many long-term goals. I currently own a freelance project management company which is just employing myself at the moment.

I found over the past few weeks that the demand of the work I’ve got have actually detracted from my preparation time for “Get More Business”. As such, not only was I being unfair to the others on the show I was also not focusing fully on the important, paid work I’d attained.

Myself and Jason had spoken numerous times in the weeks beforehand about me leaving. Like I said, it was a tough choice.

I’ve made a video blog on my Youtube Channel which I’d appreciated if you checked out. It helps summarize this matter fully.

Thanks again to Jason for providing me with this valuable learning experience. The Value Pages Group has got tons of potential, and as such I look forward to catching up with Jason in the near future to find out what’s been going on with it.

This week’s Get More Business Show will focus on the topic of pricing.  Want to see a blank stare?  Ask a business owner how they price their product or service.  Never has there been a less understood and more crucial business component than pricing.

In this changing market, are your products and/or services priced where they should be?  What should be considered when setting prices?  How can pricing be a proactive tool to help position your business for success?  We’ll get into these questions and more on this week’s Get More Business Show.

Ashley Whittenberger of Interiority Complex will be joining us to share her expertise in what should be considered when determining price.  Ashley recently conducted a break down session on the topic of pricing for her peers at the Real Estate Staging Association Conference and has a lot of practical information to share.

Avy Punwasee will also be our guest this week.  Avy is coming to us from PricingSolutions.com.  Pricing Solutions is the go to resource for pricing strategy for many large multi-national corporations such as Aramark, IBM, FedEx, Marriott, Pfizer and many more.  We’re fortunate to have the resource for in depth pricing advice on the Get More Business Show.

Hopefully you can catch the show live on Wednesday March 31 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern (US).  If you have a question about pricing, there’s never been a better chance to get a qualified answer.  Feel free to call in with your questions, thoughts and comments! (646) 595-4184.  If you can’t make the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast of the show anytime at your convenience.  Just use the BlogTalkRadio player that appears at the top of the sidebars.

This is a show that you can’t afford to miss! Literally.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

On this past week’s Get More Business Show, we talked a little bit about starting a business and what you need to consider to not only be successful, but to grow your business and grow it fast.  We had an excellent example in our guest Adam Horning.

I won’t recount everything that he said (Feel free to listen for yourself by using the player that appears above the sidebars.), but one thing really stood out to me after our conversation.  From a very early stage, Adam Horning was thinking of his small landscaping business, Horning Landscaping as much bigger than it actually was.

When it came time for him to expand his business, he didn’t just think about filling an immediate need, but he showed forsight in setting up an infastructure that would support growth in his business for years to come.

Many people start their own business to escape the rules and mentality of corporate world.  For this reason, organization, structure, and infastructure are often put on the back burner, if not completely discarded.  Without this attention to detail, a businesses growth will metamorphasize the company into a collection of individuals instead of a formidable team.

Adam recognized that his particular approach to his business is what made him successful.  And so it was not lost on him that this approach must be preserved as his business grew.  This forsight not only kept Horning Landscaping on course, but it also simplified Adam’s training and management requirements.  He was able to spend more time focusing on growing the business instead of micromanaging the troops.  And the proof is in the results, as he was able to grow to a gross revenue of nearly 1 million dollars in only a little over 5 years.

The importance of infastructure cannot be overstated.  Is this something that you’ve been ignoring for too long?  Have you experienced success by building your organazation around a rock solid infastructure?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments section!

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

On Wednesday, March 24, the TVPG, Get More Business, Radio Show had a guest on the show.  Adam Horning was our guest and shared with us some of his techniques for taking a very small start up business in 2005, in a very crowded field, to company that made just shy of a million dollars last year.  Adam did a fabulous job not only adding revenue and also employees and that is great for him and his local economy.

Adam doesn’t have a magic product and is very reasonable in his pricing – I would say on the reasonable end without a doubt.  He has built this company by recognizing some very simple ideas very early on and capitalizing on them.  Allow me to share …

Adam recognized after his first season in the business, that in order to continue growing he would have to duplicate himself.  Always mindful of customer service and satisfaction, he determined that the best way to make sure that employees followed the same techniques and procedures was to draw up a series of SOPs: Standard Operating Procedures.  Those few SOPs have evolved into a manual that supervisors within the company must take a test on the material.  By setting the same standard for his employees and he did for himself, Adam’s company has grown significantly. 

Adam took a real leap of faith when trying to find people that would maintain the same level of consistant customer care as he did.  The manual helped in amazing ways and I encourage all business owners who are or are not seeking to employ others to do the same thing.  Writing out your standard operating procedures for all aspects of the business is just smart, but so often overlooked.  Look at where it brought Adam in only four years.  If you start out with your “manual” in the beginning, then when it is time to expand and grow, bringing on new team members will be much easier. 

I know that my lack of having written SOPs is one of the reasons I have not expanded yet.  I can’t imagine where I am going to find the time to write out all of the things I do and how I want them done.  If I had done it from the very beginning, it would be a no-brainer now and imagine how much bigger my company could be.  I get approximately 3 calls a month from people that would like to work with me – shame on me for not having the “manual” done.  I have learned a whole lot from Adam’s technique and it will be something I will work on in the future.

One of the other elements of Adam’s business that impressed me was his advertising.  He did not take huge ads out in print media.  He pounded the pavement with flyers and grew by word of mouth.  We all know that word of mouth can be difficult to rely on, but because he is so committed to customer satisfaction and care, it works for him.  Having a referral based business can only be achieved if you do what you say you will and gaining the consumer’s trust.  Adam’s training of his employees has helped him maintain those standards even if he is not personally on the job site.

It was a great show this week.  If you did not catch the live version, please listen to the podcast.  If you are a start up business owner or even one that is looking to expand, then this is really a show for you.

We had an interesting guest on our radio show today (www.blogtalkradio.com/get-more-business) who gave us some insight into growing a business.

Ok, maybe I should choose a word other than “grow” since our guest — Adam Horning — owns a lawn-car business. The reason I think Adam’s story is inspiring not just because he has managed to grow (there’s that word again!) a business in these troubled times, but he’s managed to do all this in a rather crowded, you-can-do-it-yourself business.

If you think about the lawn care business, it’s really pretty simple. In fact, almost anyone can do it. All it takes is a mower, an edger and some time (and according to my neighbor, the perfect time to cut his lawn is at 8 a.m on a Saturday…but I digress). Anyway, Adam started his business after getting out of college and earned a whopping total of $13,000 his first year as the lone employees.

Five years later, his billings are closing in on $1 million a year, and employs up to 35 people during the summer months. Now, you can credit all of this to an incredibly strong work ethic (which he has, no doubt!), but Adam has a lot more than that going for him.

First, Adam knows the power of marketing. He told our audience that he was constantly making and distributing flyers touting his business. He also would make point out his strengths (or his competitor’s weaknesses) on those flyers. How did he find out those piece of info? Simply by asking!

His customers told him things that his competitors didn’t do well — returning calls, leaving the area clean when they were finished, etc. — and his flyers made a point of saying those are things he did. “All Calls Returned”, “We Clean Up After Ourselves”, etc. Pretty brilliant stuff.

The second thing that Adam said was helpful in his growth was establishing a employee handbook and manual — before he even had employees! The procedures in his book are based on each experience that either he or his employees has had. The thinking behind this was so that any time something happened, there would be a frame of reference in writing for the next time it happened.

The example he gave was a rock going through a window. If that were to happen, he wouldn’t have to deal with a panicked employee wondering how to handle the situation. Instead, the situation and solution were already in writing, so the on-site manager knew exactly what to do.

In case you’re curious, the manual is now 243 pages. And growing.

If you’re interesting in learning more about Adam, go to www.horninglandscaping.com

This week’s Get More Business Show is going to be dedicated to those of you who are exercising your entrepreneurial spirit and have or are looking to start your own business.  We’ll discuss all the things that need to be on your radar as you get started.

We’ll also have a great guest on today, Adam Horning, who has built a very successful landscaping business over the past four years.  We’ll be asking him to share some details of what contributed to his success.

We’ll also be touching on the topic of Advertising vs. Relationship Building and sharing our perspective of what effective businesses do to distinguish between the two.

Hopefully you can catch the show live today at 11:30 a.m. Eastern (US).  If so, feel free to call in with your thoughts and comments! (646) 595-4184.  If you can’t make the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast of the show anytime at your convenience.  Just use the BlogTalkRadio player that appears at the top of the sidebars.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

Yeah, your business has a master.  You may think your business is independent, but it’s not.  It’s reliant, dependent, yes…enslaved to any number of things.  I realized this during the TVPG Radio’s Get More Business Show last week.  We had a cool little segment as a tie in to St. Patrick’s day where we got to interview members of Sheila’s networking group.  Because St. Patrick spent a significant amount of time as a slave during his youth, we wanted to ask those business owners what they were slaves to in their business.

The answers that we got were varied, but could be destilled down to the thought that small businesses, and indeed all businesses are slaves to their resources.  This reliance is more pronounced with small to medium sized businesses, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs for the mere fact that their resources are more limited.

Whether it’s liquid assets, collateral, time, man-power, or any other commodity small business owners have to approach their activities with a keen eye on their return on investment.  The bad news is that small business owners can’t play the game the same way that the big guys play their game.  The good news is that once the small business owner knows the diminsions of the field, they can create their own game that plays to their individual strengths.

Many small businesses look to the internet, social networking, etc as a way to balance the playing field and give themselves the capacity to connect with a larger audience.  I’ve been reading a lot of great advice on this topic lately from some very brilliant marketing minds, but all of it is written to benefit large corporations with substantial budgets and multiple departments that can be deployed towards a synergistic social media solution.

These types of posts seem to overload the small business owner and cause a lot of anxiety by recommending that we do more than what we are actually capable of.  But there are lessons in all that overwhelming information.  Those lessons define our field, show us what options we have as to where we spend our time, energy, and other resources.  It’s then up to us to match those choices to our own unique skill set and make the most of the time that we have each day.

I’ve been thinking all this over and I think I feel a more in-depth blog post on the topic coming on.  Look for it on my personal blog – IdeaBox.

(If you missed the show, you can listen by using the BlogTalkRadio player at the top of the sidebars.)

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

This week on the TVPG, Get More Business, Radio Show, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.  We tied most of the topics from the show to our theme of St. Patty’s Day and I was on location at my local Networking for Women in the Heartland Luncheon at the Schmidt Coca-Cola Museum in Elizabethtown, KY.

As you may or may not know, St. Patrick was at one time a slave.  We asked local business owners from Elizabethtown what, if anything, they felt they were a slave to in their business.  I know for me it could be a couple of things, but here is a run down of the female business owners that shared their perspective with TVPG, Get More Business, Radio Show.  Make sure to catch the podcast (You can listen by using the BlogTalkRadio player that sits above the sidebars.) to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

First up was Julie Mitchell from the Schmidt Coca-Cola Museum.  She has a terrific facility that holds approximately 100 people in the meeting room.  The museum is a ton of fun and you can even get a nickle coke after your tour of the museum.  Here is the link to the museum and a couple of photos with and without guests in it!

Next up was Michelle Gowan of CUB Bank.  CUB stands for Citizens Union Bank.  Michelle is also our fundraising chairperson! 

Next we had Rooney Grayof MAM Candies in Hodgenville.  She makes amazing treats and is a very busy lady!

Paula Dumont of TaprooT, llc connects children to the Source of creativity and healing through art, music and nature. 

Marsha Booth of Marsha Booth and Associates was next on the roster.  She is a wonderful realtor/associate broker for ReMax Executive Group in Elizabethtown, KY.

Last on the list was Carrie Campbell of Natural Building Network.  She was a first time visitor to our networking group and will hopefully come back again for another visit.

Networking for Women in the Heartland is 50+ members strong and growing.  It has been a wonderful opportunity for women in this community to get together and do some eyeball to eyeball networking.  Working together instead of against each other is amazing and has really helped further our businesses.  Check out our website at heartlandnetworkingforwomen.net.

We very briefly touched on a subject on this past week’s radio show (see player above the sidebars) that I wanted to explore a bit more deeply.

The question asked if are you your company. In other words, is your brand is defined by you or your company?

Interesting question. And, like so many questions in the business world, there’s no one right answer.

When a business consists of just one person, basically they are the brand.

Sometimes (told you there was no one right answer). For instance, what of the single-person who buys into a franchise? Some examples of one-person companies operating under a brand umbrella would be a ReMax Realtor, my friends over at Cartridge World, and even your friendly neighborhood Proforma owner (hint, hint). The franchise has probably spent a lot of time (and money) to develop its brand. So, a one-person company doesn’t necessarily define his company — the franchise has done a job of creating a brand already.

Now, there are certain things that franchise owners are allowed to do (and others that we are not). Within those parameters, an individual office can take on the personality of the owner (within reason), but the company is still defined by the franchise — the creator of the brand.

But in a one-person operation like a plumber, hair-dresser, limo driver or lawn cutter, the company and brand is defined by that person.  If it’s Dave’s Plumbing, chances are that Dave defines the company. Everything that Dave does defines Dave’s Plumbing.

But what happens when Dave’s Plumbing gets bigger — and he hires office staff and additional people to work in the field? Then, it’s up to Dave to establish, define and reinforce the brand with all of those employees — as well as his customers and potential customers.

If he’s successful in creating a brand culture, then Dave will still define the company. (After all, how often have you heard that a company takes on the personality of its leader?). Chances are if Dave is prompt, friendly and does meticulous work, he will try to hire people with similar qualities – or at least instill those qualities in his personnel. And as the company continues to grow, it remains vitally important that the core values of the brand continue to be passed along to new employees and new offices.

The goal — as defined by the brand — is that even if Dave isn’t doing the actual work any more, it still feels like Dave is there. That’s when the person and the brand are interchangeable. And that’s a good thing.

This week’s Get More Business Show falls on St. Patrick’s day. To honor the occasion we’ve built a whole business show around the theme!  Lot’s of exciting things happening on the show this week!

In a first for us, Sheila O’Mara will be broadcasting on location at her local women’s networking group.  Sheila will be talking to some of the local business owners there and asking them “What is your business a slave to?” We decided to ask this question as a tie in to St. Patty’s Day, because it’s a little known fact that St. Patrick spent much of his youth as a slave.  We’re looking forward to getting some raw feedback from Sheila’s peers and the discussion that will follow!

We’re also going to be spending some time on the topic of branding. Specifically we’re going to discuss whether it makes more sense to brand yourself or your business.  As you can guess, each answer has it’s positives and negatives, but we are going to talk through it and give you the input you need to decide what is best for your business.

We’ve all heard of luck of the Irish, but luck can be a major factor in your business’ success.  We’ll share some examples of lucky inventions that were discovered purely by accident, but are now all household names.  We’ll also share some examples of businesses that were lucky enough to stumble into some really great clients.  Of course we all have the ability to make our own luck, so we’ll weigh in on the best ways to do that.

And to round off our St. Patrick’s day theme, we’ll talk about how to make your business more environmentally friendly and the benefits of “Going Green”

We’ve worked really hard to put together a great show for you.  Hopefully you can listen in, or maybe even call in and share your perspective!

The show airs live on Wednesday March 17, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.* To participate, call our hotline:  (646) 595-4184

You can go to the show page by clicking the large microphone in the header or using the links embedded above.  If you want to register with BlogTalkRadio, you can subscribe to the show and receive automated reminders so you don’t miss it’s live presentation.  If you’re too busy to catch the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast on the show page, or even here on this blog post by clicking on the player at the top of the sidebar.

*We had some technical difficulties with today’s show and some dead air time shortly into the show. When using the blogtalkradio player, once the silence starts, you can forward the player to 3:45 when we get back on the air.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

This video is a follow up to the radio show from 03-10-10. I get a chance to share what I think makes good online content (ran out of time for my opinion on the show). I also talk about some of the ideas that were put forward by Josh last week about my charitable social media project Measured Impact, and a teaser about next week’s radio show. Check out the Rich’s Blog Post for more great points on diversification vs. specialization from last week’s show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hAgv5wiIKQ

Last Week’s Show 03-10-10 (listen to the podcast)
This Week’s Show 03-17-10 at 11:30am EST (or listen to the podcast whenever)*
TVPG Labs- Media, Web Design, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)  Solutions for Businesses

*We had some technical difficulties with this week’s show (03-17-10) and some dead air time shortly into the show. When using the blogtalkradio, once the silence starts, you can forward the player to 3:45 when we get back on the air.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

Help Spread The Word!

On this week’s radio show, we touched on the subject of diversification vs. specialization. While we weren’t to come to a conclusion favoring one or the other, we were at least able to reach a consensus that it really depends on a number of factors, and that each business has to decide which is right for itself.

In our discussion, we brought up some recent examples of how large companies are diversifying their product offerings so they can capture a larger market share. Among the examples we discussed were fast-food places expanding their menus to add chicken, salads, boutique drinks and healthy food; car manufacturers offering vehicles ranging from subcompacts to coupes, to sedans, minivans and SUVs; and big-box retailers offering dozens of television styles, audio equipment, CDs, DVDs, and home-theater systems and installations.

All of these are prime examples of diversification — trying to offer “something for everyone.” This is also commonly referred to as “one-stop shopping”. The theory is to make it easy for a consumer to get whatever they want under one roof. For the retailer, it’s also a chance to get a consumer to spend more.

But is this good? The answer is a definite “maybe.” And most of that depends on the consumer. For example, a truly discerning coffee drinking might shy away from McDonald’s new coffee drinks since — in their opinion — they’re not made well or they use lesser ingredients or whatever. A true audiophile might not go to a big-box store to buy equipment or accessories since the salesman may not know enough about the product to offer an informed opinion.

This leads us to specialization. Starbucks is a classic example of a specialized retailer. And there are maybe hundreds of stores that specialize in audio equipment for the discerning listener.

But how does this work for the smaller business? Obviously, specialization can work, with some caution. For instance, a business can’t be so specialized that they have too small a customer base. The example we cited was a lawn care service. They may want to only work with residential accounts. They may be under-capitalized to buy the necessary equipment to go after larger commercial accounts. So what can they do? They can offer other services that are familiar to the residential homeowner — edging, leaf removal, mulching, hardscaping and seeding, to name a few. While some of these may require some equipment purchases, they’re probably much less than a commercial-grade mower, and the trailer to haul it, and the extra personnel to man the equipment.

Likewise, an entrepreneur who wants to start a commercial lawn-care service doesn’t want to be bothered with knocking on doors and trying to make a customer one  homeowner at a time. His equipment is probably ill-suited to cut residential lawns.

Another example is in the field of medicine. A general practitioner may see dozens of patients a day, while a specialize will probably see a lot less. Yet they make make the same amount of money at the end of the day. Why? Because the family doctor will most likely refer the more difficult challenges to a specialist. It’s not to say he can’t treat the patient, but his business is built on treating “more common” ailments.

Again, going back to the small business, if you choose to service a niche, it’s can’t be too narrow. You can be in the oil-change business (which is already specialized), but it would probably be akin to business suicide to decide that you only will change the oil of red Chevrolets.

The best bet is to try to service two or three niches, provided they are related services. For instance, a Realtor might specialize in short sales. And he might target his marketing efforts to a certain geographic area. One benefit to this is that he would be seen as an expert in that area. However, our Realtor friend probably still accept any referral for a sale in that area. Again, he has a niche, but leaves the door open for other sale opportunities.

Diversification vs. Specialization? Yes, you can have both.

You are struggling with capital for advertising and need to get your message out.  You use all of the social media tools you can think of, but can’t seem to grab a hold of local consumers. Sound familiar?   It is a common problem for many small business owners and there are a few ways to pick up a bigger market share and save money in the meantime.

On last week’s (March 3, 2010 edition) TVPG, Get More Business, Radio Show my partners in crime – Jason Sanders, Rich Bradley, and Josh Chandler discussed these issues and Rich came up with a fabulous list of top ten ways to get FREE PUBLICITY.  Another avenue that we discussed was volunteerism.  For as much as FREE PUBLICITY is near and dear to my heart – volunteerism is even closer and I would like to share a few insights with you.

It is no secret that I do a bunch of volunteer work.  I get a personal rush when I can give my time, talents or treasures to benefit others.  I volunteered long before I ever owned a business, but after becoming a business owner I found that volunteering not only helped me help others, it also helped me grow my business.  That was never the original intent, but has been a fabulous side benefit and can be for you too!

I have found that people generally love to give referrals.  Most businesses thrive on referrals.  Giving a referral though depends on a couple of things.  The first thing is how well a person knows you or your work.  The other is if you do a good job and deliver on your word.  If you can build a relationship with people and can fulfill those two criteria, people will happily refer you to others when the opportunity arises.

Here is where the volunteering has helped me.  There are several organizations that I volunteer for –  those people that I volunteer with and for, know me and they know that I make good on what I say I am going to do.  WhenI  fill or exceed their expectation for performance, that helps them form an opinion that I am trustworthy, reliable, good hearteded, etc.  When it comes time to refer, are they going to refer me – you bet!  By volunteering I have increased my referral business tremendously and in ways that I never expected.

Now is that why I do it – NO, but it has been a great benefit.  Here are a few others.

1.  Sponsor an event for a non profit.  I found out that when you agree or your company agrees to sponsor events for a non-profit it is a ton of work, but also a ton of free advertising.  Last year another small business owner and I agreed to sponsor/host a fashion show for our local domestic violence shelter.  This was a benefit to all of us in ways we never even considered.  Of course, the shelter benefits because they got the money and the exposure.  The two of us end up learning a tremendous amount about how connecting yourself with a good cause brings you more blessings than you can imagine.

Because the shelter was a non-profit they are allowed certain privileges.  Marketing avenues like free PSA slots on the radio stations, a half hour show dedicated to the event on the community access channel,  and press releases in newspapers and church bulletins.  Each announcement had our names and businesses connected to it as the sponsors of the event.  It was amazing.  All of a sudden people throughout the community knew who we were and wanted to know more about what our businesses did and we didn’t pay for any of it.  Being connected to the shelter really helped people form a positive opinion of us and our businesses.  Was that our goal when we started the planning process – NO!  Was it a fabulous end result – YES!!!!

Another benefit for us was that we walked in to all kinds of other businesses and stores and organizations looking for donations and support.  We met a ton of people who we never would have really had a reason to contact, but ended up developing good relationships with them and again the referrals blossomed.  It is hard to walk in to an establishment and basically cold call for your business.  It is much easier to walk in as a representative of an organization that needs that business owners help.  Inevitably the conversation ended up in a discussion about our  businesses and by that time, we were comfortable and the conversation was much less awkward than if we hadn’t had that bridge.

Now I will caution you – sponsoring events is a huge undertaking.  It takes up a ton of time and energy, but the rewards far outweighed any inconvenience.  Each time I walk into that shelter and know that those ladies and their families are using hot water, I know it was worth it! ( the money we raised helped them to purchase a hot water tank that had broken the day we showed up with their check)  Beyond that was the building of our businesses and that was a perk we never imagined.

2.  Get involved with a charity and support their events with your business.  Let’s say the American Heart Association is having a Heart Walk in your area.  Wouldn’t it be great to support the cause with a team that rounded up pledges and walked in the walk?  Then when you are walking, you all wear t-shirts or polos or carry a banner that identifies your organization/business.  Do you think that the AHA are the only people that will benefit?  No – your walking attire will elicit questions or at the very least create name recognition for your business.  Again if someone is going to refer a business, does it not work in your favor that you were seen as a contributor in the walk?  If people knew nothing about you or your competition, but remembered that they saw you at the walk, don’t you think that will be a tip in your favor?  Again – is that why you do it, NO! Can it be a benefit – absolutely!

3.  Donate services or items to auctions, raffles, etc.  The name recognition is priceless.

These are all some very easy ways that volunteerism has boosted my business.  I am very transparent though – I did all of this long before I was a business owner, so my motives are genuine and most people see that.  If you have been established for a long time and have always said no or rarely participate in charitable events, your motives may be suspect … but do it anyway!  The good that the organization you are helping will outweigh any personal gain.  It is okay for both parties to benefit.  There is no reason volunteering can’t be a win-win situation for all involved.

Volunteerism is a great way to network throughout your community.  Making a difference is a tremendous blessings and I have found that the more I give away the more I get back.  If you have not tried it, I encourage you to go for it.  I don’t think you will be sorry.

Just in case you forgot to mark your calendars, it’s that time of the week again. Time for the Get More Business Show!  This week’s show is going to be all about social media.  Yes, the social media topic gets beat into the ground a lot, but with this show we want to take the road less traveled and give our audience some specific guidelines that we use to shape our own social media activities.

A common mistake that we make is to approach social media as a broadcast platform and overlook the two way communication vehicle that exists to help us build relationships with our peers. We’ll be sharing our ideas on how to build reciprocity with social media, and how we use it to engage our client base and grow that client base through our social media connections.

Many people get overwhelmed and give up before they’ve had a chance to reap the benefits of the work that they have put into social media.  Once your accounts are set up, and it dawns on you that the content that you create and share is the fuel that drives social media, it can feel overwhelming.  Some have a hard time imagining how they can think of new and engaging things to say and share on a regular basis. The truth is that anyone can do it. We’ll share tips on how you can create content that captivates people’s attention and do it around your busy schedule.

We’re going to discuss Diversification VS. Specialization. I promise. Are you looking to a nitch market to help you get through these tough economic times, or are you looking to increase your footprint by offering new products or services? We’ll share our thoughts on these two approaches.

I have to admit that I was shocked by Josh Chandler’s blog post this week. He and I haven’t talked yet to discuss our differences of opinion about the Measured Impact initiative that I introduced during last week’s show. We’ve agreed to air it out this week live on the radio. I’m going to expect Josh to clarify a few things, and who knows…maybe he wants me to do the same. Will we come to a consensus? Will we end the show as friends? Tune in to find out!

The show airs live Wednesday March 10 at 11:30 am Eastern.

You can go to the show page by clicking the large microphone in the header or using the links embedded above.  If you want to register with BlogTalkRadio, you can subscribe to the show and receive automated reminders so you don’t miss it’s live presentation.  If you’re too busy to catch the live show, you can always listen to the recorded podcast on the show page, or even here on this blog post by clicking on the player at the top of the sidebar.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist

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