Well you finally reach retirement, now what? Part of the dream, for most of us, is having more time to start charting our own coarse. No directives, company policies, assigned projects, I could go on and on. I did find myself wanting more time to play but also did not want to totally give up an opportunity to challenge myself and to also add a little to the retirement income so I could continue to buy a few toys. So almost six years ago now I started to work on goals to start a small business. My son, wife, and I, started a video production company. We invested some money in needed initial equipment and train ourselves in how to operate field equipment, operate editing equipment, and the manage the software that goes along with it. As with most small businesses we had several directions that did not work out so well but finally found a niche in filming and producing emergency preparedness videos. My job has been to help bring in business and assist in the field with one of our HD cameras and general setup. It has been fun and challenging but not over taxing.
I also do a little business consulting just to keep my business experience levels up to date as possible and we are exploring developing some Iphone apps. The bottom line is that if you want to retire, DO IT. I’m not the smartest guy in the wood pile but you don’t have to be. Don’t be afraid of trying something new to have some fun and bring in a little money. You know now you do not have to be worried about some corporate boundary. So, develop a business plan, set some goals, test the market, and eventually you will hit on something you like and is marketable. Always remember to put out the best product you can, take care of your customers, and follow up with contacts you have developed. In all that remember also that you are retired so leave yourself lots of time to play as well. We are in prime time so every experience is important from here on out.
Get out there and have some real fun before it’s to late!
I have been purchasing a product called Mega Scenery Earth for my flight simulator hobby over the past couple of years. This product gives new life to the stock scenery found in Microsoft Flight Simulator X. I like to download these scenery products so I can have them faster then ordering a DVD. You know, instant gratification!!! A couple of weeks ago I purchased several new scenery blocks and was trying to download them over the internet. The speed was so slow it would have taken an entire day for one purchase. The problem was most likely my server speed was very slow because of increased use locally. So I emailed and left a message asking for help and suggestions at:http://www.megascenery.comEven though it was not their problem they immediately responded by sending me all the products I had purchased online on several DVD’s at no added cost to me. The result is I not only love the product but will continue to buy from them in the future because of their attention and quick resolution to my issues. This is the answer folks to long term success, a good product, great support, and a quick follow through on all customer inquiries. I’ll even pay more then somewhere else just because I know that they truly value my business.
Well it has been awhile since we have posted to our business blog. Even though the market place is showing signs of improving and the stock market is beginning to respond it is still clear we have a long way to go before we see a return to a retail market that we experienced some two years ago. I’m going to write a couple of articles one on bad and one on good customer service. Small businesses must survive in the long haul by first having something folks want to buy and second by providing the type of customer service that will bring new customers through the door to purchase your product.Today I’m going to give you an example of how a good product can fail in the marketplace just because of poor support or customer service. I’m an avid flight simmer. My platform is Microsoft Flight Simulator X but I also buy a lot of flight simulator add-on products such as aircraft, scenery, and utility type software, to enhance my flying experience. I recently purchased a program, FSPassenger, that is a business, career, and passenger interface program, that helps you build your own airline and then manage and fly it.
Interesting comparison of the Barack Obama campaign and success.
By: Basic Marketing Blog
http://www.californiaadvertisingmarketing.com
What lessons can any small business learn from the phenomenal success of Barack Obama? Here is the story of how the ultimate small business (one man) attempted to capture majority market share in the national marketplace – the Presidency. Well, as we know he oveturned established brands (Clinton, McCain) and created a new brand image (change) that no one could match. It was a brilliant strategy to turn the long experience of competitors into a weakness and then exploit that weakness.
Isn’t that the challenge for all small business competing with larger, more established companies? How can I make a major competitor compete on my terms, not it’s terms. The book may be incredibly useful in helping you think about your business in new ways. It’s something that a maverick small business marketer might try!
In a nutsell, the book suggests that Barack won with the mantra: Be Cool, Be Social, Be The Change. That’s pretty good position for any small business.
We like the work that comes out of Score. You should go take a look at their site as they have some good tips for you to consider. The website link is at the bottom of this article.
By Christine Banning, SCORE VP Corporate Relations
Create a brand. Spend a little money to create a professional logo, business card and stationery. Present a professional image.
Ramp up Online. Make creating a Web site a top priority. A Web site is today’s calling card. You really shouldn’t do without one. Give people a place to go to learn about your business.
Make Your First Sale. This is key. Get that first sale even if it’s friends or family at a discounted rate. This counts as getting started, so go for it.
Promote Testimonials. Get testimonials from your first sales. Start building credibility for your business from day one.
Build Buzz. Be creative. Look for a special promotion, big event, email campaign or something out of the norm for your business to get people talking about you, your product or service.
Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.” Ask SCORE
We are getting close to what will be, because of our current economic condition, a possible challenging retail sales experience during this holiday. So customer service should become an extremely important part of your overall sales strategy this year. Here is an article from Ask.com that details some principles you should think about.
Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.
Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.
We are going to begin posting some pretty good ideas on how to promote your small business. Here is number one.
By About.com
Business promotion is to running a successful business as practicing scales is to playing the piano well; it may not be a thrilling activity in itself, but you just have to do it! You should spend at least an hour a day on business promotion or planning how to promote your business (and more is better, if you can fit the time in)!
You promote your business by getting the word out. The first axiom of business promotion is that you have to do this consciously. You can’t rely on other people to do it for you, no matter how great your product or service is.
Here is a great little video that gives some tips to small business owners on how to optimize your website and where to go to get a clearer understanding of processes to help make sure when prospective customers search they well find you.
The Business Mole – With the current economic indicators continuing to go down because of things like high oil prices, low corporate profits, high unemployment, the failing housing market, and an unpredictable stock market, it seems that any small business that expects to survive must look at ways to reach a broader market through advertising strategies. So we are posting the following article by Susan Ward to give you all some ideas.
Here is an article posted by Jamie Herzlich on Newsday. This article certainly is timely given the economics of the period we are in right now. Also Newsday, link below, is an interesting site to visit and has some interesting articles.
I have been purchasing a product called Mega Scenery Earth for my flight simulator hobby over the past couple of years. This product gives new life to the stock scenery found in Microsoft Flight Simulator X. I like to download these scenery products so I can have them faster then ordering a DVD. You know, instant gratification!!! A couple of weeks ago I purchased several new scenery blocks and was trying to download them over the internet. The speed was so slow it would have taken an entire day for one purchase. The problem was most likely my server speed was very slow because of increased use locally. So I emailed and left a message asking for help and suggestions at:
Interesting comparison of the Barack Obama campaign and success.
