Small Business Development Center
I first came across the book Different by Youngme Moon in my MBA Marketing Strategy class, and I will admit, it was a required reading. However, it provides a new perspective on how to view competition in a business setting and provokes thinking about your own business differently.
When it comes to growing a retail business there really are only three ways to grow.
You can:
Is one of these three ways to grow any better than the others? I would argue, yes. But it depends…
First, it is helpful to engage in a little analysis and self-reflection. Because knowing why you want to grow and which way you intend to grow helps you focus on the variables you can change.
A couple weeks ago, our office needed the backdoor repaired. The repair person greeted me that morning with a friendly, “How are you doing this morning?” I replied, “I’m really happy to see you this morning. That door has been so sticky lately, we all feared we’d throw our back out trying to open it! You’re going to be our hero today!”
The repairperson’s next comment spurred the idea for this blog post. He said, “It’s really nice to be appreciated. Most people highly underestimate the value of being recognized.”
Take a moment to reflect on that statement.
Let's face it...most stock photography sucks.
Perhaps worse, it can cost a small fortune to hire a real photographer to shoot what you want.
So what's a marketer to do?
Fortunately for you, there ARE a number of great resources to find awesome images for little to no cost!
Below you will find a curated list of the best sites for finding free photos.
For the most part - they are free to use and made available under the Creative Commons Zero License.
Do you have team meetings at your business?
Pro tip:
The next meeting you lead, try a quick, round-robin check-in about what’s on each individual’s mind. Ask your colleagues to share something good (Strike!!!) and/or not-so-good (Gutter L) about what’s going on for them. It can be completely unrelated to work.
"Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way"
~Time, Pink Floyd
Today I want to share a little time management system with you that may just bring a new level of sanity to your day.
Why?
Because the whole "work-life balance" thing can prove to be an elusive beast.
One of my clients recently came in with this pain point:
"The business it taking up so much of my time there are not enough hours in my day!"
Sounds magical… mystical, doesn’t it?
When it comes to marketing your business, psychographics is the Holy Grail. While business owners can usually describe the demographics of their target audience (attributes such as age, gender, household income, educational attainment, home ownership status, and ethnicity), fewer business owners consider their target audience’s attitudes or mindsets, hopes and desires, lifestyle characteristics, interests and opinions, and other psychological conditions or norms (i.e. psychographics).
In your mind’s eye, envision ABUNDANCE.
What imagery comes to mind? How does abundance feel? How do you look when you are abundant? What happens in your life?
Seriously, this is your official invitation to:
