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We hope you find this arcthve useful. A subscription to The Small Business Advisor Newsletter is free. Subscribe now - it's easy! The Small Business Advisor Newsletter for November, 1998 CONTENTS
NOTES/TIPS/etc MARKETING TIP: The holiday season is approaching - a perfect time to show your good customers you appreciate their business. Send a gift and thank them for their business. It's easy to end a number of reasonably priced gifts from one of the many holiday catalogs such as "Harry & David." INTERNET STATS: From PC Magazine. 45 million PC's regularly accessed the Internet in the first quarter of this year - up 43% (!) from the same period last year; 1 in 3 workplace PC's and 1 in 2 home PC's now access the Internet; nearly 8 million have purchased products or services over the Internet - up 100% from last year! Are you still wondering of you should have an Internet site for your small business? MEDICAL INSURANCE: Medical insurance can be a problem for the self-employed home or small business owner. Check out the National Association of Self-Employed (NASE) at http://www.nase.org. LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES? The SBA is working with the Welfare to Work Partnership in which businesses that hire former welfare recipients receive a federal tax credit the supplements 35% of the first $10,000 in wages the first year of employment and 50% of the first $10,000 in the second year. For more information contact the SBA (804) 771 2400. FIND THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO SHIP. Visit http://www.smartship.com to compare all the major carriers. DID YOU KNOW? According to Cyber Dialogue 72% of all small businesses use e-mail for customer contact; 48 percent have a webiste and 28% sell goods and services online. WEBSITES OF INTEREST:
GEEK ITEM Links 1.11 - Ultimate Link Management from Gossamer Threads Inc. http://www.gossamer-threads.com/scripts/links/ Those of you who manage your own websites may find this quite useful. MAILING LISTS. We are frequently asked where to find a mailing list with specific demographics. Best place to find mailing list information is at your local library! Ask at the reference desk for a copy of the "SRDS" books. You will find a volume devoted to "Direct Marketing" list source information - thousands of lists with details. Happy hunting. NEW SEARCH ENGINE. The new guy on the block is http://www.snap.com. It's quite good - take a look. SELLING TO THE GOVERNMENT - update. Beginning in October, the General Services Administration (GSA) - the governments largest purchaser - will issue solicitations and requests for quotations in electronic format through their Electronic Posting System (EPS) at http://eps.arnet.gov. Visit this site for information describing this system and how to register to receive automatic notices of acquisitions. EPS telephone support is available at (202) 208 2664. Happy selling! +++++++++++++++ COMPUTER PRODUCTS
VIA MAIL ORDER Those of you who have been subscribers know that I highly recommend purchasing hardware and software via mailorder. There are a few caveats, of course: 1. Comparison shop!
Recently, PC World Magazine did a review of a few of the major mail order vendors. As you might suspect none were near perfect and some were pretty bad. Here are some of their conclusions: 1. Best overall
were NECX (www.necx.com) and PC Connection (www.pcconnection.com). +++++++++++++++ BOOK REVIEW I've written frequently about the importance of business insurance. "Insuring Your Business" by Sean Mooney and published by the Insurance Information Institute Press (III) is a great reference. It's written in plain English and will guide you through the complexities of selecting and purchasing insurance for your business. Topics covered include property insurance, liability insurance, workers compensation, key-person insurance and benefits insurance. There are useful chapters on managing risk in a variety of business types but since the book was published in 1992 there is no information regarding web-based businesses. The book includes an extensive glossary of insurance terminology and a listing of State Insurance Commissioners. Get more information from the III web site at http://www.iii.org or contact them at consumer@iii.org +++++++++++++++ FAQ's Here are answers to some frequently asked questions we receive via e-mail and during presentations. Q: I lost my health insurance after quitting my job and starting my own business. Where can I find information on selecting new coverage? A: Start your search with the National Health Information Center (NHIC) organization in Washington, DC. 1 (800) 336 4797. Visit their website at http://www.nhic-nt.health.org. Also remember that many organizations provide health insurance coverage for individuals. Check with any groups of which you are a member. Q: I want to manufacture and sell a food product. What special regulations do I need to concern myself with? A: Check with the Food and Drug Administration for their packaging and labeling regulations. Contact their small business administrator in Rockville, MD. (301) 827 3430 or visit their website at http://www.fda.gov Q: I'm setting up a mail order business. Where do I find regulations for this kind of business? A: Mail order is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Contact them in Washington, DC at (202) 326 2996 or visit their website at http://www.ftc.gov. Q: I'm am investigating opportunities for exporting my product. Where can I get assistance? A: Best place to start is with the US Department of Commerce Trade Information Center. Call them at 1 (800) 872 8723. When calling ask for the free publication, "ABC's of Exporting" which explains the entire process. Also visit their website at http://www.ita.doc.gov/tic. This site is a fantastic resource! +++++++++++++++ SELL TO PEOPLE'S
WANTS, NOT NEEDS Most Americans have food, shelter, clothing and transportation. We don't NEED much more. But we Want more. We need food but we want fast foods, diet foods and gourmet meals. We probably don't need a six-bedroom, 4 1/2 bath home but we may want one. We don't need expensive designer clothes but we want them. We probably need a car but we want a BMW or a Lincoln. We don't need 60-minute audio tapes--we want to gain wisdom quickly and conveniently. We don't need insurance. We want security and protection. People buy with their hearts (emotion) and then rationalize their decision with their heads (logic). So always sell to people's wants (desires), not their needs (something required) and they'll reward you handsomely! How do you do this? By sincerely communicating "payoff benefits" and how your product or service will satisfy the three most important human emotions of hope, admiration and fear. Create The Payoff Picture In Their Minds Taking the idea of articulating the benefits of your product or service one step farther, your marketing returns will take a quantum leap forward if you can help your readers and listeners project or see themselves already using or enjoying your product or service. Think "end result" here. In other words, make them strongly desire to experience what you're writing or speaking about, or what the actors in your commercial are portraying. Use words like Imagine. Picture this. Have you ever dreamed of becoming? In many cases your marketing message will have little to do with your specific product or service. For example, if you're marketing enhanced presentation skills information to speakers, make them see, hear and feel the experience of receiving a standing ovation! If you're selling a boat, show it cutting through the waves with elated people on board. A portrait photographer doesn't just create beautiful pictures--he or she preserves moments and everlasting feelings to love and treasure. If you save people money, don't just tell them how much. Show them exactly what the extra savings will buy them. Perhaps it's their dream vacation home, a college education for their children or comfortable early retirement. +++++++++++++++ HOW TO CREATE
A CAPTIVATING HEADLINE You're reading this article because the headline captured your attention. It sparked your desire to know more about creating headlines. That's the mission of an effective headline. It captures the reader's attention and provides a compelling reason to read whatever follows. The headline is the most important part of any ad or sales letter. It determines whether or not people will read your message. You may have the best written copy in the world but you've wasted your time if your headline doesn't excite readers enough to read your message. Here are some examples of effective headlines I found in the classified ad section of a popular website: * Lose 15 Pounds
In 30 Days... And Keep It Off Each of these headlines clearly states the benefit I can expect to get from the product, service or business opportunity promoted in the ad under the headline. If I am interested in gaining the benefit, I cannot resist reading the entire ad to find out more. A SIMPLE FIVE STEP PROCEDURE I've used the following 5-step procedure many times to create powerful headlines. It's simple and easy to follow. Even someone without special talent, skill or previous experience can use it to create a captivating headline. STEP #1. Define in writing the ideal prospect you want to capture with your headline. Be sure to include the characteristics that make your product or service valuable to this prospect. STEP #2. Personalize this ideal prospect by visualizing them as one person you want to attract with your headline. Keep this vision of one person in your mind whenever you're writing a headline. Your ad or sales letter will be read by one person at a time. Therefore, you'll find it easier to produce an effective headline by visualizing just one person and writing to that person. STEP #3. Determine the most valuable benefit this person will gain from the product, service or business opportunity promoted in the message under your headline. STEP #4. Write as many one sentence statements as you can about this benefit. Use one or more of the words from the following list in each statement. There are many other power words you can use in your headlines. However, many years of trial and error have taught me these 12 are the most effective: You, Free, New, Guaranteed, Fast, Easy, Discover, Proven, How-to, Save, Increase, $7953 (any exact amount of money) STEP #5. Select the most powerful statement on your list. If you have several that seem equally powerful, try combining them into one statement and use that as your headline. That's it! You've just created a powerful headline to capture your reader's attention and provide a compelling reason to read whatever follows your headline. Here are some examples of effective headlines I developed using this 5 step procedure. * Easy Way To Increase
Your Sales 60% or More This Month! Use this simple 5-step procedure the next time you want to create a captivating headline. It's easy to follow and you'll create a powerful headline to attract your reader's attention and compel him/her to read your ad or sales letter. (Bob Leduc is the Author of "How To Build Business Fast With Simple Postcards." Contact him via Email at BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards" or by phone: (702) 658-1707, after 10 AM Pacific time) +++++++++++++++ Ten top marketing
tips from "1001 Ways to Market Your Services" 1. Make your advantages
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