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Do I Have To Trademark My Business Name? 10 Business Owners Weigh In

June 16, 2022 by Terkel

Why (or why not) someone should trademark a business name? 


To help you decide whether or not to trademark your business name, we asked successful business owners and entrepreneurs this question for their best insights. From preventing confusion in the marketplace to being time-consuming with high costs and complications, there are several opinions that may help inform your decision about trademarking your business name.


Here are 10 considerations for trademarking a business name:

  • Prevent Confusion in The Marketplace
  • Sell With Amazon on Their Brand Registry
  • Be Protected by The ACPA
  • Secure Your Business for Growth
  • Assure Consumers of Your Authenticity
  • Less Priority if You Are Still Figuring Out Your Brand
  • You May Have To Choose Patent Over Trademark
  • Trademarks Are Assets
  • Protect and Showcase Professional Branding
  • Can be Time-consuming With High Costs and Complications

Prevent Confusion in The Marketplace

Trademarking your business name is important for a variety of reasons, but preventing confusion in the marketplace is one big one. You could find that a completely different kind of business has the same name, diluting the association of your business name with your kinds of products. Don’t let that happen. Trademark your business name to prevent confusion in the marketplace, ASAP.

Nick Santora, Curricula

Sell With Amazon on Their Brand Registry

We have our brand and logo trademarked. The main reason I did this is to sell on Amazon with a brand registry. This protects from other sellers selling on your product listing. You need to have your product trademarked for Amazon to allow you to become a member of the brand registry. After your company has passed Amazon’s brand registry you have the extra benefit of adding Amazon A+ content to your listing. You can add extra images and make your listing more of a web page than Amazon’s standard listing.  

Evan McCarthy, SportingSmiles

Be Protected by The ACPA

Under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), you won’t have to worry about “cybersquatters”, or internet trolls, stealing your domain name. This act was created for trademarked names, protecting legally-recognized businesses from digital extortion from ill-intentioned individuals. What these individuals do is create websites using other peoples’ business names, refusing to give them up unless paid a high price. However, under this act you have the rights to your business name, earning you the rights to the website domain without having to buy it out from an extortionist.

David Aylor, David Aylor Law Offices

Secure Your Business for Growth

How do you envision your business 5, 10, or 20 years in the future?  If you are serious about your business and your goal is to grow it into something special rather than to treat it as a hobby or a sidegig, you should trademark your business name as soon as possible. The last thing you want is to put your time, money, energy, and your heart and soul into your new business only to discover that another company or competitor, who may be unaware of your existence, just applied for and got a trademark with your company name.  The only possibility you will get your name back would require you to prove in federal court that you existed prior to your competitor, and it would be very expensive with only a small chance of winning.

Alan Himmel, Florida Allstar Public Adjusting, Inc.

Assure Consumers of Your Authenticity

The one reason you should trademark your business name is to legally secure you the sole right to maximize the value of your own business name. A registered business name is merely protected from being used by another business within the state it’s registered in, but not in another state.

A trademarked business name, however, turns it into a property that grants you inherent property rights of the trademark. This will make it unlawful for another business to use your trademark in whatever way and wherever in the country. Albeit applying for a trademark is much more complicated than registering a name, businesses must think of it as an investment in helping their customers be free of doubts about the authenticity of any goods or service with your business name.

Collen Clark, Schmidt & Clark, LLP

Less Priority if You Are Still Figuring Out Your Brand

The only case in which I would not recommend trademarking your business is if you are not yet ready to make it official. If you don’t have the plan or the money to take it to the next step, it is better to wait until you have it all figured out. Going through the process to trademark your business can be expensive, and requires a lot of paperwork for which you probably don’t qualify yet. It is not a priority if you are still figuring out your start-up.

Once you have trademarked your business you are tied to the name and a certain market. So again, even if trademarking your business is essential once you want to grow and become an official brand, I recommend people wait until everything is decided.

John Cheng, Baotris

You May Have To Choose Patent Over Trademark

If your business is based around a unique service, proprietary product, or new technology, then skip the trademark and prioritize a patent. Securing the unique functions of your products against copycats is essential to companies that thrive on the cutting edge. Trademarks are best used to protect software programming, art, music, and slogans that you don’t want to lose to a competitor. The trouble with trademarks is finding a name that is unique and uncommon — too similar to another Trademark and you’ll get a cease and desist, too common and your trademark will be rejected.

Soumya Mohan, Poised

Trademarks Are Assets

Trademarks appreciate. Over time as your brand grows, the value of your trademark grows as well. Since trademarks are an asset, they can be bought, sold and even used to secure a loan. Bigger corporations down the road may even wish to acquire your business if you desire to sell it to them. In short, trademarks can be valuable.

Erin Banta, Pepper

Protect and Showcase Your Professional Branding

Trademarks are a great way to protect and showcase your professional branding. Some businesses may opt to incorporate their brand name or logo in their advertising and editorial photos for various publications, billboards and other ad campaigns on or offline. Using a protected brand and logo are best for professional branding with traditional and nontraditional marketing methods. The more recognizable your brand name and logo, the more likely you are to benefit from the protections that trademarking provides.

Robert Lowdon, Robert Lowdon Photography

Can be Time-consuming With High Costs and Complications

There are many reasons why someone might want to trademark a business name. A trademark can protect a business name from being used by another business, it can help customers identify the products or services of a particular business, and it can give a business an exclusive right to use the name. If you’re thinking of trademarking a business name, it’s important to consult with a trademark attorney to make sure that the name is eligible for protection. 

One reason why someone shouldn’t trademark a business name is that it can be time-consuming. The process of trademarking a business name can be long and complicated, so it’s important to make sure that you are fully prepared before beginning the process. Additionally, trademarks can be expensive to register and maintain, so it’s important to be sure that you are committed to using the trademark before beginning the process. 

Syed Ali Abbas, Seo Perks

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

10 Reasons Why Companies Should Develop and Introduce New Products

May 19, 2022 by Terkel

Why should companies develop and introduce new products?


To help inspire new product development, we asked business leaders and CEOs this question for their best insights. From managing seasonal fluctuations to discovering unrestricted talent, there are several reasons why your company should develop and introduce new products as part of its growth strategy.


Here are 10 reasons why companies should develop and introduce new products:

  • Manage Seasonal Fluctuations
  • Improve Your Competitive Advantage
  • Provide More Customer Value
  • Diversify Business Risk
  • Increase Sales
  • Keep Your Company’s Soul Alive
  • If You Don’t, Your Competition Will
  • Innovate to Provide More Solutions for Your Customers
  • Explore New Markets
  • Discover a New Unrestricted Talent

Manage Seasonal Fluctuations

A new product launch can help you manage seasonal fluctuations and maintain your market share. Every year, customers want to see something new, but their attention span is shorter than you’d like. If market conditions dictate a new product launch every year around the same time, you need to take action to keep up with it. That’s the best way to boost your sales volumes and keep pace with or exceed the competition.

Randall Smalley, Cruise America

Improve Your Competitive Advantage

Not improving and innovating? Then you’re not moving forward. The only way you’re going to improve your competitive edge is by changing up your product line. Even if you only make improvements to a current product, you can sell it as new and grab more market share in the process. If all you sell is what you currently have, you risk falling behind, and that’s no risk you want to take.

Stephanie Schull, Kegelbell

Provide More Customer Value

Even if your designs are the most beautiful you’ve ever imagined, you should never take your customers for granted. Creativity has several stages of development, and they’re always in flux. Your development activity needs to keep pace with trends if you’re to provide more customer value than your competitors. As long as you keep coming up with new designs and products, your market share will be safe.

Nataly Vanunu, Boho Magic

Diversify Business Risk

When you only sell one product, you’re increasing the risk to your company’s bottom line. The more products and services you develop and offer, the more you diversify your business risk. If you only have one product and it fails, you’re out of luck. But if you have many products and only one of them fails, you can still dominate the domestic market.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash & Sugar Company

Increase Sales

New products help businesses gain new customers. As your new products address the needs of customers that your older products did not, more customers flock in. Often, a fraction of the newer customers check out your older products and buy them based on their needs. This way, the businesses not only see a sale of the new product but also an increased sale of the older ones.

Nathan Hughes, Diggity Marketing

Keep Your Company’s Soul Alive

You want to keep creating products to keep the soul of your business alive. If you start to care more about profit margins and less about launching new ideas and items, you will lose your sense of adventure. Even worse, you’ll lose yourself in the inertia of running a business. There is nothing more uninspiring than that. Conjuring creative ideas is what keeps the enthusiasm level high for your workforce. You don’t want to see that taper. Keep your focus on product discovery. It will keep things interesting.

Joel Jackson, Lifeforce

If You Don’t, Your Competition Will

I can’t even count the number of times a company leader has come to me and said “we were planning on releasing something just like that, but somehow our competition beat us to the punch!” Oftentimes it seems like they assume there’s been some sort of espionage or trickery, but rarely is that the case. The scope of your industry is fairly small when you think about it, and ideas spread quickly within that tight community. We’re all competing for top talent and trying to generate new ideas. When your process for product development slows, you’ll eventually be overtaken.

David Patterson-Cole, Moonchaser

Innovate to Provide More Solutions for Your Customers

Always aim to innovate and provide more solutions that speak to your company’s mission. For example, TurboTax offers different solutions based on the taxpayer’s needs.

The company took note of the unique tax challenges faced by its users and packaged the solutions into various services. Listen to your customers to find additional mission-related problems and develop solutions for an innovation-forward brand.

Amrita Saigal, Kudos

Explore New Markets

Developing a new product gives companies the added advantage of exploring new markets other than their existing ones. Whether it is a market where the product is bound to take the competition by surprise and leave it behind or one that has customers clamoring for the product, an unexplored market promises several new opportunities for success. Also, the added resources a company garners via its product sales in new markets can be put to work to initiate a spurt of growth for the brand, from expansion of its product line to further exploration of fresh territories.

Mary Jurgensen, Gary and Mary West PACE

Discover a New Unrestricted Talent

Discover a new unrestricted talent. Use the symptoms of burnout as a signal to check in with your employees by asking if they have in mind a new initiative to launch? Burnout is the reason why companies should develop new products to keep employees, grow talent, and keep the financial aspects stronger.

Spend 15 minutes each day of focused but casual conversations by asking members what they want to do with their day, the upcoming week, month, and year. This allows you to rethink new talent in the company’s members and introduce new product.

Liudmila Schafer, The Doctor Connect, LLC

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How To Read a P&L: 11 Things To Look For

April 21, 2022 by Terkel

How To Read a P&L

What is one thing you look for when reading a P&L?


To help you read profit and loss statements (P&Ls), we asked CEOs and finance professionals this question for their best tips. From focusing on the gross margins to looking for any additional income, there are several strategies that may help you read P&Ls in the future.


Here are 11 tips for reading P&Ls:

  • Focus On the Gross Margins
  • Assess Your Net Income Or Loss
  • Calculate Your Gross Profit
  • Check Your Budgeted Costs vs. Actual Costs
  • Pay Attention to The Period of Time
  • Understand Why You’re Reading a P&L
  • Ensure The Math is Correct
  • Analyze The Seasonality
  • Watch For Depreciation On P&Ls
  • “Cut Out The Fat” – Breaking Down Your P&L
  • Look for Any Additional Income

Focus On the Gross Margins

One thing that is typically looked for when reading a profit and loss statement is trends in revenue and expenses. This can help to indicate whether a company is doing well or not. Additionally, if you want to be a good financial analyst, you should always focus on the gross margins. This number shows how much the company is actually making after subtracting all the direct costs associated with producing each unit of the product/service they sell. Gross margins can vary greatly from industry to industry and business to business. The higher the margins, the better. A company with good gross margins is one that can produce a product at a relatively low cost, or one that can produce a product at the same cost as other companies and sell it for a higher price.

Rachel Hemsley, MakeBreadAtHome

Assess Your Net Income or Loss

Your net income, or loss, is something you always want to see in the black. You need to keep it up if you’re going to be successful in business or hope to expand your operations. You may sometimes see a loss, but if you know the reason, such as more expenses in a particular month, you can make up for it the next. Look at your net income for the clearest picture of where finances stand for your business.

Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital

Calculate Your Gross Profit

Looking at your gross profit can give you a good idea of how your supply and production costs influence your ability to generate income. Gross profits can vary from month to month, so it can be difficult to plan around them. You need to look at this to get a sense of the gross profit margin ratio. Calculate this by subtracting the cost of your goods sold from the net sales to see how efficiently your company is operating.

Brian Greenberg, Insurist

Check Your Budgeted Costs vs. Actual Costs

I like to see the budgeted costs versus the actual ones, seeing where we performed as anticipated and where we missed the mark. Whether the actual was better or worse than expected, determining where and how the business deviated from the budget can help inform our strategy and budget for next year. We can use the P&L to gauge how this year is going, too, so if we need to make a quick pivot to adjust the budget we can do so quickly before a small issue or oversight becomes a bigger one or we lose out on maximizing revenue further.

Stephen Light, Nolah Mattress

Pay Attention to The Period of Time

A profit and loss statement helps you see the general financial picture of your company for a specific period of time. It is important to be able to differentiate between a monthly P&L and an annual P&L. You can compare P&Ls on a month-to-month or year-to-year basis to see and analyze trends. This is important for projections and decision making. By paying attention to the period of time, you can compare apples to apples and avoid simple errors in your financial assumptions.

Allan Switalski, LendThrive

Understand Why You’re Reading a P&L

It all depends on why you are looking at the P&L. Obviously a banker is going to look for different things than say an investor or a purchaser of a company. Or of an IRS examiner, of course. The purchaser of a company will want to look at the value of assets, source(s) of income, and expenses. With respect to expenses, it is important to look carefully at owner and even top employee compensation. Many times an entrepreneur will not take any compensation, or much reduced compensation, in order to plow funds back into the business. It is important to know, if an owner or key employees who will not stay with the company after the purchase are being compensated at the level it would take to replace them. It is tempting to overlook top contributors role in  the success of an enterprise and underestimate the cost of replacing those efforts.

Leo Fischer, Lee Fischer and Associates, Inc.

Ensure The Math is Correct

All too often with P&L statements, the math doesn’t quite align correctly and so, that is why I always ensure to double and triple check the math. It is so important that these numbers are correct in order for your company to properly formulate a proper plan of action. Checking all the math will also give you piece of mind that all the information on the statement is 100% accurate.

Colin Palfrey, JollySEO

Analyze The Seasonality

Seasonality is the fact that things change based on the season—this can be seen in many parts of a business including but not limited to both sales and expenses. I look for this every time when reading a P&L to see what business looks look during each of the four seasons. This is invaluable insight that allows me to adjust marketing efforts and schedule detailed, targeted campaigns accordingly. Analyzing the seasonality of various metrics of my business also allows me to capitalize on times of heightened demand to maximize sales, outreach, and even website traffic.

Datha Santomieri, Steadily

Watch For Depreciation on P&Ls

One thing to always look for on a P&L is depreciation. All equipment, digital or physical, deals with daily wear and tear. This can add up over time, or one massive, sudden problem can eat into profits at a moment’s notice. Always keep an eye on depreciation and stay up to date to stay current and accessible.

Loic Claveau, Prometeus Labs

“Cut Out The Fat” – Breaking Down Your P&L

When scouring through your profit and loss statement, pay close attention to the unnecessary business expenses. Of course, things like insurance costs and certain overhead are unavoidable when operating a business, yet distinguishing which of your expenses are more of a luxury than a necessity is vital as revenue accumulates. Look to cut out the fat. Throw your money towards the main revenue generators and put your energy towards maximizing resources in that area, while minimizing expenses towards lackluster products or services that don’t play as large of dividends.

Ultimately, you want to be able to see the future through a P and L. Don’t think of it as a monthly or quarterly recap, but as a glimpse of where you are headed dependent upon what action you take now. The short-term wins can lead to long-term success the same way short-term losses can spell trouble in the future.

Mitzi Runyan, Lashlette

Look For Any Additional Income

When looking at a P&L statement, you’re obviously going to immediately look at the net sales and overall revenue for your business, but it is important to not ignore any additional income outlined on the statement. This could include donations, fringe benefits, money from stock investments, or any other amount of money procured from outside activities unrelated to the primary purpose of your business. Keeping track of all forms of income keeps your finances accurate, and can give you ideas on how to obtain more extra income in the future. Figure out how you’re obtaining this extra income, and invest more in those financial channels. You’ll see the benefits!

Brett Larkin, Uplifted Yoga


Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

14 Tips For Reducing Costs While Still Growing Top Line Revenue

March 22, 2022 by Terkel

What is one tip for reducing costs while still growing top line revenue?


To help you reduce costs while still growing top line revenue, we asked successful small business owners and entrepreneurs this question for their best tips. From outsourcing to experts to using social media as your primary form of marketing, there are several insights that may help you grow revenue while reducing costs in the future.


Here are 14 tips for reducing costs while still growing top line revenue:

  • Outsource to Experts
  • Always Be Innovating
  • Rent Or Lease Instead of Buying
  • Utilize Commercial Bridge Loans
  • Expand Your Network
  • Negotiate With Suppliers
  • Understand Your Brand
  • Implement Risk Management Strategies
  • Build a Referral Program
  • Innovate With Digital Technology
  • Base Yourself Fully Online
  • Create Incentives for Team Cost Reductions
  • Concentrate On Efficiency
  • Use Social Media as Your Primary Form of Marketing

Outsource to Experts

While I understand the desire to handle everything in-house, some things are better left to others. By outsourcing certain duties, such as marketing or recruiting, you can reduce both your workload and your overhead. You can start to see the effects on your top-line revenue right away, and your bottom-line revenue will also take less of a hit.

Alisha Taylor, Alisha Taylor Interiors

Always Be Innovating

Innovation, many times, is the difference maker. When people hear innovation, many automatically think that equates to spending money, not saving it. That is simply not true. Innovation means THINKING about a task, issue, or pain point differently. Figure out a way to do something more efficiently, or faster. Both are money makers, every time.

Robert Johnson, MAC Prefab LLC

Rent Or Lease Instead of Buying

If you’re in need of certain equipment, but can’t justify the expense of purchasing it outright, you should consider leasing or renting instead of buying. That way, you only have short-term expenses rather than a long-term loan to pay off. Short-term financing, with favorable terms for rentals or leases, can save you money in the long run.

Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital

Utilize Commercial Bridge Loans

Sometimes, all you need is short-term financing to help you acquire a property or fix it up. A commercial bridge loan can work to your advantage in this scenario. Your term will be fixed, anywhere from six months to three years. You ultimately reduce your long-term expenses while granting you access to funding to help base or grow your business.

Allan J. Switalski, AVANA Capital

Expand Your Network

Networking is a wonderful way to build business relationships with others that can reduce your costs. For instance, you may find yourself in need of a newer and cheaper supplier, and by expanding your network, you can increase your chances of finding one. The more people you know, the more opportunities you have to make connections that can help you reduce expenses and grow your business.

Randall Smalley, Cruise America

Negotiate With Suppliers

Staying supplied can result in huge expenses. It’s in your best interest to talk with your suppliers to see if you can wring a better deal out of them, perhaps signing a long-term contract in exchange. You can reduce your own costs and guarantee your supplier a consistent, reliable customer for the foreseeable future. It’s a win-win for both parties.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Understand Your Brand

The future development of your business will rely on the mission and vision set by your brand standards. If you’re unsure about what identifies your brand, how can you convince others? You need to know your own company and products well, especially in marketing, talking to your team to get their take on each product and knowing everything about it helps when you’re talking to potential customers and can lead to a sale, which will increase your top line.

Amit Raj, The Links Guy

Implement Risk Management Strategies

One way you can reduce business expenses is through implementing a strategy for risk management. With the right risk management strategy, you reduce the chance of insurance claims, and this then can reduce your monthly insurance premiums. Implementing a risk management strategy will cut down on your expenses in both the short and long-term, improving your overall profitability.

Chris Abrams, Marcan Insurance

Build a Referral Program

So much money is spent on customer acquisition, but you can make it easier on yourself by building a referral program. It helps to think of your existing customer base as a rich marketing resource. Let your satisfied customers be the ones recommending you to others, and give them an incentive for referring new customers to you. With such a referral program, you can spend less on marketing and still gain more customers. Your cost per new client will diminish significantly with each referral.

Brandon Berglund, Berglund Insurance

Innovate With Digital Technology

This is the twenty-first century, and you should be utilizing digital technology to reduce your expenses wherever possible. For example, you can automate certain customer service functions, or better use software to keep track of expenses. You can also use it to innovate your product line, ultimately providing more satisfaction to customers and patients.

Henry Babicheknko, Stomadent

Base Yourself Fully Online

Base yourself fully online if you want to save a lot of money. If circumstances permit, you can even work out of your home. Running a brick-and-mortar business is significantly more costly than an eCommerce company, especially when you consider property rental and utilities costs for your business on top of everything else. You’ll have much less to worry about, in terms of expenses, with an eCommerce business.

Nataly Vanunu, Boho Magic

Create Incentives for Team Cost Reductions

Use rewards to create a zero-waste culture that reduces cost without losing revenue-building outputs. Incentivizing expense reduction helps get every staff member on board and excited to reduce costs – a cost-based bonus system can be incredibly motivating. Whether you dole out sliding-scale bonuses, extra vacation time, or simple gift cards, poll your team to determine which perks will motivate them most. Train your team to reduce costs like pros with careful research and planning, reviewing current spending and tweaking as needed, then effectively implementing the plan.

David Aylor, David Aylor Law Offices

Concentrate On Efficiency

Concentrating on efficiency is one method to cut expenses while increasing top line income. Ascertain that you have in place mechanisms that enable you to function as effectively and efficiently as possible, and look for ways to avert expenditures. Additionally, seek strategies to increase income without raising expenses. There are several possibilities for any of this, so be inventive and thoroughly investigate all of your alternatives. By concentrating on efficiency and growing revenue while maintaining a low operating costs, you may expand your business while remaining within your budget.

Hector Ruiz, BBQ Grill Academy

Use Social Media as Your Primary Form of Marketing

In those critical early years of business, it can often be difficult to find the necessary funds to really create quality marketing campaigns to help build your audience. This is why investing in social media is a fantastic idea, as it is exceedingly more affordable than traditional marketing tactics, and leaves plenty of room for top line revenue growth. Social media marketing is also a great way to build a unique, personal relationship with your audience, which is crucial at the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey. Even if your marketing budget is next-to-nothing, social media is still accessible enough that it can give anyone a platform to begin building a brand.

Peter Robert, Expert Computer Solutions

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

14 Great Ways To Innovate In Business

February 22, 2022 by Terkel

14 Great Ways To Innovate In Business

What is one way you have innovated on a new product, service, or business model?


To help you recognize the innovations occurring in real businesses, we asked business owners and entrepreneurs this question for their best insights. From revolutionizing client communications to launching an on-demand staffing app, there are several ways that businesses have innovated that may help you find inspiration for your own business.

Here are 14 ways to innovate in business:

  • Revolutionize Client Communication
  • Bring Transferable Skills Home
  • With a Base Product
  • Designer Peel-and-stick Wallpaper 
  • Launch a Profitable Business, Not Just a Start-up
  • Take a Unique Spin On a Classic Idea
  • Integrate Technology for Unparalleled Performance
  • Incorporate New Eco-friendly Solutions
  • Balance Listening With Experimentation
  • PPE Designed for Women in Demanding Work Environments
  • Pet Wellness Driven by Personalized Care Programs
  • Build a ‘Done for You’ Podcast Production Solution
  • Replace Human Opinions With AI
  • Launch An On-demand Staffing App

Revolutionize Client Communication

Modern technology has made life easier in countless ways, but it has also opened the door for information overload. The sheer amount of calls and messages a business owner receives daily can make it difficult to keep track of it all. Threads collects and aggregates all of a business’ communications into one central hub, accessible from a single dashboard. More organization equals more efficiency and less stress!

Francesca Yardley, Threads

Bring Transferable Skills Home

Project Management is a complex international certification that 70% of large businesses outsource to independent contractors like me to save and make millions of dollars. www.purposecommunity.org helps simplify PM to goal, steps, cost, hours, and who’s involved (with a few other things) so it becomes a win-win formula for enJOYing life balance and events. We offer forms and forums to exercise and encourage each other to organize and track purpose, progress, and affirmations individually and in groups. Almost anything can be a project, and so much more fun getting more done, helping each other, waste less, and stress less.

Felicity Blackwater, Purpose Community Goal Network

With a Base Product

We consider all of our products to be innovative and paradigm-shifting. But I’ve personally been plant-based for more than 31 years. My aim was to start a company that could make an impact by making it easy for people to incorporate more plant-based foods in their diets. To make this happen, I knew I needed to partner with someone in order to create delicious food products that even people who aren’t plant-based will love.  I jumped at the chance to partner with renowned Chef Dave Anderson who hails from Beyond Meat. That’s how Outstanding Foods was born.

Bill Glaser, Outstanding Foods

Designer Peel-and-stick Wallpaper 

Form Paper Co. is a designer-quality peel & stick wallpaper company that is created and vetted by an interior designer. Our wallpaper patterns are high in style, totally accessible and easy to implement. Brought to life by design aficionado and unshakable creative Dala Al-Fuwaires, who’s never been one for cookie-cutter constructs, our peel & stick wallpaper breaks the mold.


with curvy contours and statement-making color schemes that bring instant designer drip into your home, office, or commercial space. Think of us as the stylish solution for imaginative enthusiasts seeking substance over simplicity.

Dala Al-Fuwaires, House of Form

Launch a Profitable Business, Not Just a Start-up

SnackMagic launched in April 2020 as a direct result of the global pandemic. As offices emptied out and everyone had to stay home, we needed a temporary way to save our NYC-based office lunch delivery business.

We knew the joy of giving (and getting) a stash of snacks would help people feel connected and boost morale. And we made sure that gift-giving service would be easy enough so that people can quickly send 1 or 1,000 snack boxes in just a few clicks.

From day one, we wanted to create a business, not necessarily a startup. We wanted it to be an established business that has revenues, profits, losses, and unit economics from the get-go. So we used our existing runway from STADIUM to build SnackMagic. People were on our website just looking before we even launched, and our first order came within 3 weeks.

We scaled the business from $0 to $20 million in ARR in just 8 months. Since then, we’ve shipped thousands of SnackMagic snacks worldwide, and we’re just getting started.

Shaunak Amin, SnackMagic

Take a Unique Spin On a Classic Idea

Our company took a unique spin on the classic meal kit delivery service model. We coupled our fresh ingredients and unique menus with step-by-step video guides taught by Michelin-Star Chefs. Due to our form of innovation, we’ve quickly become an industry leader. If you want to get to the top of your field, you need to come up with alternative solutions to common problems or innovate upon existing ideas.

Seb Evans, Banquist

Integrate Technology for Unparalleled Performance

Water is often the culprit when repairs or replacements to stone veneer panels are needed. That’s why we created the D.RAIN system, which is built into the back of every one of our stone veneer panels and ensures safe drainage when water manages to infiltrate. Integrating D.RAIN technology into our panels has made it possible to say goodbye to excess humidity and mildew, leading to longer-lasting, beautiful siding.

Todd Sriro, Be.On Stone

Incorporate New Eco-friendly Solutions

Increased awareness of the necessity of eco-friendly practices and products has brought about many innovations to pipelining, including our trenchless repair methods. Our spiral wound liners help minimize the impact on a surrounding area when making repairs to culverts, storm drains, and sewers. They are also a long-lasting solution that helps prevent the need for regular repairs in the future, further reducing the environmental impact.

Ryan Shallenberger, SEKISUI

Balance Listening With Experimentation

First and foremost, we ask how a new product will serve the client. Otherwise, why do it? So, we actively listen to clients and their needs. On top of that, we understand that our clients rely on us to be experts in our field (HR tech and AI). They come to us, because they want to find out what AI can do for them. And so while we listen closely to recruiters and talent leaders for the pain points to solve in their industries, we also stay ahead by testing and experimenting with the limits of AI. And we ensure we’re not overreaching our current capabilities too much, which would degrade the performance of our current products and tools. It’s this holistic process that has led us to create products like our Experience Assistant last year, which won Human Resource Executive’s Top HR Product 2021 award.

Josh Zywein, Paradox

PPE Designed for Women in Demanding Work Environments

Xena Workwear makes stylish safety shoes & work apparel, empowering women in STEM and the trades to feel confident in any workplace. The workwear space has long been male-dominated. And for women working in demanding environments, most PPE options have long been uncomfortable, unprofessional, and unappealing. And having to change from office shoes into bulky work boots creates an internal barrier between them and their male colleagues.

How you present yourself and what you wear in the workplace can impact self-confidence crucial for success. This is why Xena designed and engineered a line of PPE products for women in 2019. The Gravity ESD boot is designed to dissipate static electricity, a key feature for electronics manufacturing and working around highly flammable chemicals. And the Omega boot features insulating properties that protect the wearer from shocks up to 18,000 volts. Our attractive, versatile boots ensure women never have to choose between functionality and style.

Hayley Albright, Xena Workwear

Pet Wellness Driven by Personalized Care Programs

Our Rainy Day Fund is an innovative perk of membership in KONG Club by AskVet. As the leader in virtual pet care with over 1 million chats between virtual vets and pet parents, we integrated our customer feedback that the cost of pet emergencies is one of their most worrisome causes for concern.

This emergency fund, funded by us, covers up to $1000 for pet emergencies to the ER. It isn’t insurance but a benefit of membership with our service. KONG Club’s pet wellness platform is unrivaled in the industry due to our unique, personalized pet care approach and benefits. Take your customers’ worries into mind and address them directly to be successful.

Laura Berg, Kong Club

Build a ‘Done for You’ Podcast Production Solution

At Spotlight Podcasting, we have created a full-service podcast production solution that focuses on both execution and business strategy. This means making sure that the show format aligns with our client’s business goals, allowing them to focus on what they do best and leaving the production up to us.

The response to our new product has been overwhelmingly positive.  We have found that this success is due, in part, to the fact that we are able to provide a one-stop shop for all podcasting needs: including booking guests, audio editing, graphic asset creation, copywriting, distribution and more. Our clients appreciate not having to deal with multiple vendors or freelancers and can focus on their zone of genius.

Jonathan Baillie Strong, Spotlight Podcasting

Replace Human Opinions With AI

I started WallStreetZen when I realized almost all financial advice was basically unverified. Stock analysts—even highly-reputed ones—pick and chose their metrics for deciding whether to invest or not, and ignore everything that contradicts.

We decided to see what would happen if we took all the information one would consider and removed those biases through AI. The result is WallStreetZen, but you could do this in any industry. Once you really start considering what thoughts, opinions, and ideas are driving your competitors, you’ll be better able to use technology to think more holistically than a person ever could.

Nate Tsang, WallStreetZen

Launch An On-demand Staffing App

We launched the Qwick app in 2019 with a goal of making it as easy as possible for hospitality professionals to control their own schedules. Three years later, we’ve succeeded, by creating a simple way to connect hospitality businesses and qualified professionals looking for shifts, allowing them to set their own schedules, and get paid the same day. An on-demand staffing app like ours saves time, energy, and money. It’s a game-changer for everyone.

Retta Kekic, Qwick

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15 Growth Strategies To Increase Local Market Share

February 4, 2022 by Terkel

15 Growth Strategies To Increase Local Market Share

What is one growth strategy to increase local market share for a small business?

To help small businesses increase local market share, we asked consultants and small business owners this question for their best insights. From intentional hiring to customer retention, there are several growth strategies that may help your small business increase market share and drive new conversions. 

Here is what 15 thought-leaders had to say:

  • Be Intentional With Hiring
  • Treat Customers as Special Guests
  • Invest in Social Media Presence
  • Get Publicity in Your Local Media
  • Competitive Pricing 
  • Partner With Other Locals
  • Advertise Locally
  • Networking
  • Refine Your Brand Image
  • Grow in Conjunction With a Partnering Business
  • Develop a Positive Reputation
  • Engage in Local CSR 
  • Collaborate With Micro-influencers
  • Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB)
  • Prioritize Customer Retention

Be Intentional With Hiring

While it is important to stay nimble, be innovative, and be diligent in strengthening your relationships with your clients, small businesses can increase their market share through smart hiring practices. Being intentional and focused on the roles you are looking to fill and crafting the job descriptions to include the competencies required for each position will help to attract the best candidates. Another useful tool is to use a competency-based assessment tool, like Reveal, to help strengthen your hiring efforts and your teams.

Linda Scorzo, Hiring Indicators

Treat Customers as Special Guests

Treat every customer you come across as a special guest, which they are for visiting your business. You need to make them feel like their presence, and not just the money they spend is valued. This attitude of friendliness and gratitude can lead to repeat visits, and word-of-mouth referrals from these customers to others they know. By building up a satisfied, loyal customer base, you’ll be able to steadily increase your local market share.

Henry Babichenko, European Denture Center

Invest in Social Media Presence

You can grab a significant piece of the local market share pie with your social media presence. Awareness is a key stage of the sales funnel, and local consumers are more likely to visit a local business they know is in their area. Use your social media accounts to build a local following, highlighting your integration with your community and participation in local events. You’re bound to be rewarded with more business and repeat customers.

Randall Smalley, Cruise America

Get Publicity in Your Local Media

Publicity is called ‘earned media’, advertising is called ‘paid media’.It is earned for a reason – because you (or your publicist) write a good enough story to get (free) coverage from a journalist. This is sometimes called ‘traditional PR’, (but all goes digital now) and it is still the most powerful way to reach your audience because this type of publicity creates credibility where advertising does not. 


Some tips to do it yourself:
First research the media outlets you want to be in. Find the journalists that write about your industry or topic. Write what is interesting about your company and be sure it would be interesting to their audience. Send them a pitch with a great title, personalize it to them specifically. Follow up four days later with an email or even phone call if you can find their number. Happy pitching!

Ellie Lowney, Creating Buzz Public Relations

Competitive Pricing 

Flexible, competitive pricing can be a very effective way to increase your local market share. Take a look at your competitors, and see if your prices are competitive. If not, don’t be afraid to adjust if you feel that’s what it will take to have an edge in your field. Price-matching can be an incredibly effective tool to win over customers, keep them coming back, and grow your business.

Chris Abrams, Abrams Insurance Solutions

Partner With Other Locals

While most of our training can be done virtually, we are also localized in the Atlanta market. Over the years, Atlanta has grown in the tech space so increasing market share here is important. One of the strategies we’ve used to increase our local market share is by partnering with companies and organizations like the Atlanta Tech Village, Boys & Girls Club, and Terminus, to name a few. By increasing our local network of partners we are able to increase business through referrals and other great opportunities.

Nick Santora, Curricula

Advertise Locally

If you want to increase your local market share, you have to advertise locally. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this. You can just go door to door, leaving flyers or business cards on people’s doors. Even if you don’t grab direct conversions from your efforts, you may get referrals from those who heard about you and mentioned you to others.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash & Sugar Company

Networking

One growth strategy to increase local market share for a small business can be something as simple as introducing yourself and your business to other local businesses and local people. If you’re in the restaurant business it’s grassroots getting out there and saying hello, offering a coupon or a flyer.

If you’re in the consulting business it can be networking, guest blog posting, or being interviewed by a podcast or local radio station.

Amanda Russo, Cornerstone Paradigm Consulting, LLC

Refine Your Brand Image

Sometimes your brand image can be what makes or breaks your market share. One way to improve sales and encourage growth is to refine your brand and focus your advertising capacity.

As cheesy as it sounds, people still judge books by their covers. When comparing two small businesses, your average consumer is more likely to choose the brand with which they feel aligned. There are small but effective methods for improving your business face as simple as being cleaner-looking than your competition.

Your advertising efforts make a huge impact on how many consumers you can reach. One way to gain the edge over competitors is to simply produce more, or better, advertising for your business. You are guaranteed, at minimum, to be reaching more potential customers which is the name of the game.

In the end, it is a sort of game to be played to win out over the competition. With a professional look and some solid effort, you can secure your share of the community.

Zach Goldstein, Public Rec

Grow in Conjunction With a Partnering Business

We began our business in conjunction with Tony Robbins’ upcoming book on health. We share a passion for maximizing good health and we wanted a brand that could help us raise our profile. Tony gives us exposure. He is familiar around the world. It was a perfect marriage.

That works well for small businesses, too. So many businesses work in step with existing companies. Find a business that is adjacent to yours and exploit that partnership as much as you can.

You want to sell your brand of tartar sauce? Get it in restaurants, grocery stores, retailers, seafood stores, and more. If one business dominates a particular market in a space that you don’t directly compete in, look for strategic ways for it to help your business. The exposure potential could be immense.

Joel Jackson, Lifeforce

Develop a Positive Reputation 

In order to grow your local market share as a small business, you have to get your name out there and prove that you’re worthy of people’s attention and money. You can do this by providing excellent products or services on a consistent basis. Stay the course, develop a reputation for quality and consistency, and more business will come to you. This is the best way to sustainably increase your local market share.

S. White, Novus Maintenance

Engage in Local CSR 

For small businesses and solopreneurs, word-of-mouth referrals happen quickly by engaging with your community. In a business capacity, when you support local fundraisers and events or help out in community projects, it shows your customers that your brand cares about them and the place in which you all live and work. And when community members share your efforts on their social media channels, they validate your good works and provide the social proof that can influence potential customers to like and trust your brand and purchase your products. This helps to grow your audience and drive more foot traffic to your business.

Daniel Tejada, Straight Up Growth

Collaborate With Micro-influencers

While small businesses may face competition from larger corporations when it comes to working with online influencers, collaborating with micro-influencers is an option to consider. According to my observations, influencer marketing is growing more popular than ever… Micro-influencers will be the ideal alternative for small businesses because they are less expensive and more willing to collaborate with them. Growth will not be difficult in 2022 with a couple of these tiny influencers assisting [your firm] in reaching specialized audiences.

Rameez Usmani, PureTuber

Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB)

Google My Business (GMB) is a free local business directory provided by Google. You’ll need a GMB profile if you wish to appear in Google’s local search results as a local business. Consistency is crucial when it comes to developing and enhancing your GMB profile. Because Google uses your GMB profile data to populate search results, everything you provide in your profile must match the information on your website as well as your NAP citations around the web. When your information is consistent, Google will recognize you as a real company. Your profile will appear better in search results if you submit more information.

Salvador Ordorica, The Spanish Group

Prioritize Customer Retention

One understated way of increasing local market share is by maintaining the market you already have. By prioritizing Customer Retention Rate (CRR), you’re feeding customers through the steps of the marketing funnel and creating advocates. Sometimes, for small businesses, aggressive techniques to increase market share are overstated, and organic growth is your most consistent and cost-effective.

Michael Williamson, Hoist

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

10 Webinar Marketing Tips To Boost Attendance

December 30, 2021 by Terkel

How do you actually get people to show up for a webinar? Please share one off your best webinar marketing tips.

To help you attract an audience for your next webinar, we asked marketing professionals and business leaders for their best advice. From encouraging speakers to promote the webinar to making the most of your “Thank You” page, there are several tips to boost attendance at your next webinar.

Here is what 10 thought-leaders had to say:

  • Encourage Speakers to Promote the Webinar
  • Send at Least One Reminder
  • Focus On a Captivating Title
  • Keep It Fun
  • Provide a Bonus Solely for Live Listeners
  • Offer Prizes and Giveaways
  • Promote In Your Email Signature
  • Use a Remarketing Strategy
  • Provide Referral Incentives
  • Make the Most of Your “Thank You” Page

Encourage Speakers to Promote the Webinar

Emails, social media campaigns and landing page optimizations can all generate buzz to increase attendance. But to connect with a wider audience, encourage the featured webinar guests to promote the event on their sites and social channels. The amplified promotion can boost attendance which benefits both you and the speakers.

Claire Routh, Markitors

Send at Least One Reminder

We’re all busy, so it can be easy to skip an optional webinar when bigger priorities loom. Even when a webinar is on someone’s calendar, it’s far from a guarantee that they’ll attend. Stay top of mind and make yourself a priority by sending one (or more) energetic emails that remind your attendees about your event and reinforce the benefits of attending. For example, “See you tomorrow at noon for our insider Q&A!” sounds a lot better than “Reminder: Webinar tomorrow, 12:00pm.”

Elliott Brown, OnPay Payroll Services

Focus On a Captivating Title

In my experience, the title of the webinar plays a huge role in attracting the right crowd. Usually, business webinar titles tend to include a lot of jargon and are unnecessarily long with a few colons or dashes thrown in. Titles that are short, pointed, and ask/answer the right question tend to grab more attention.

For example, instead of saying “Navigating the Post-Covid Workplace: A Guide for Businesses to Ensure Safety While Employees Return to Work” can be compressed to “How to Get Employees Back Safely into the Workplace” or something more intriguing, like “Employees are beginning to come back to the office. Now What?”

Joe Flanagan, VelvetJobs

Keep It Fun

Webinars should be fun. When we do live webinars, we make sure to start with our story, showing old photos when I first began the business and showing blooper reels.

I also start with upbeat music and encourage people to keep their camera on. To get people to sign up for the webinar, make sure you have an email campaign with a giant sign up button.

Trevor Rappleye, CorporateFilming.com

Provide a Bonus Solely for Live Listeners

So many people register for webinars but then forget (make sure you have good email followup) or choose to listen to the recording and then never get around to listening.
I find it works really well to provide a special offer, special price or special additional content, that is only available for those who attend live. Stop the recording and provide some great value content only for those present live. And make sure in your promotional emails and website copy that you point this out, and provide testimonials from people that the bonus live content is the best and worth taking time out for.
Dale.

Dale Reardon, Travel For All

Offer Prizes and Giveaways

A great way to get people to actually show up for a webinar is to give away some prizes throughout the webinar to the attendees. These prizes can be given out at random and are simply there to encourage people to show up and participate in the webinar. People love free giveaways, so if you incorporate one into your webinar, you will drive attendance up and have a more successful webcast.

Darren Litt, MarketerHire

Promote In Your Email Signature

Including your webinar’s landing page in your signature is a great, non-intrusive way to generate leads outside of your normal audience. For example, if you have outbound sales reps who send lots of cold emails, having them include your upcoming webinar in their email signatures can interest more people in your event — people who wouldn’t have been on your normal subscription list.

Another tip, when promoting a webinar through your signature, include an eye-catching graphic and tagline to intrigue more people.

Jason Brandt, Podopolo

Use a Remarketing Strategy

Remarketing is a great strategy because it lets you reach out to an audience that’s already familiar with your brand and, quite likely, interested in what you have to say.  The messaging in your ads can also be a lot more direct, exciting, and informal. A key factor is being mindful of where you place these remarketing ads since you don’t want to advertise on a website that doesn’t align with your brand values.

Larissa Pickens, Worksion

Provide Referral Incentives

Don’t be afraid to ask those who join up to invite their friends and family. Please give them a cause to do it (apart from making the world a better place) by offering referral bonuses. You might give out an eBook or some incentive. If you’re feeling generous, try launching an affiliate scheme where people who sign up get rewarded based on the number of others who sign up using their unique links and other factors. It’s also a good method to promote the worth of your webinar subtly.

Steve Scott, Spreadsheet Planet

Make the Most of Your “Thank You” Page

There’s nothing worse than being stood up when it comes to hosting webinars. Among many valuable tips on increasing your attendance, I recommend paying attention to the “thank you” letter. Don’t make it a simple recognition of registration but a cover letter that allows people to get to know you a little better, engage deeper with your product, and build trusted relationships. As we know, people tend to stand their friends up less. Your letter should ideally include a video explaining your expertise and what you’re going to cover with exclusive information. Don’t forget to add in what people need to do (share on social media, leave a comment, download your workbook), the time and date of the webinar, as well as the day of the reminder letter. Don’t forget to add your customers’ reviews and a Google calendar reminder. Make it the most efficient thank you page ever!

Rimma Serheieva, Giggster

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

14 Ways Small Business Owners Can Share Their Story

November 19, 2021 by Terkel

What is one way a small business owner can find more opportunities to share their story?

To help you connect with potential customers and clients, we asked business leaders and CEOs this question for their best advice. From leveraging knowledge platforms to staying away from using business jargon, there are several suggestions that may help you spread the word about your business. 

Here are 14 ways you can share your story: 

  • Take Advantage of Boosted Posts
  • Maintain an Online Presence
  • Make It Attractive
  • Be Genuine
  • Offer True Value
  • Keep Clear of Business Jargon
  • Highlight Client Success Stories
  • Tell Your Employees for Better Engagement
  • Leverage a Knowledge Platform Like Terkel
  • Start by Sharing Insights With Your Network
  • Become a Member of an Online Community
  • Invite Customers Into the Conversation
  • Spread Your Story on Facebook
  • Be a Guest on Podcasts

Take Advantage of Boosted Posts

I would say use boosted posts on social media to help you tell your story. You’re able to reach the audience you want to reach with a minimum of fuss, with compelling content you’ve already shared. 

Boosted posts appear in people’s news feeds in a way that feels organic, so they are minimally invasive. If you don’t have a large marketing budget, boosted posts can help you share your story and build brand awareness without breaking the bank.

Kenna Hamm, Texas Adoption Center

Maintain an Online Presence

Social media is king, and as a result of COVID-19, so is ecommerce. That’s why it’s imperative that brands actively manage their online presence and use it to their benefit.

Fortunately, this can be an affordable undertaking initially. When getting started in building a social media presence, simply post regularly and often, use relevant hashtags, and respond to direct message inquiries, and watch your following grow.

If you’re on Instagram, you can then make use of their Stories feature to keep your followers engaged and checking back every day.

Stephanie Schull, Kegelbell

Make It Attractive

When you provide individuals with valuable knowledge in innovative ways, your content will succeed. Create a business voice and tone that customers can relate to so they become your brand’s biggest supporters and promoters.

Don’t be afraid to inject personality into your brand so that it doesn’t sound like it was written by a robot. Instead, humanize your business by introducing the founders, highlighting the people behind it, and avoiding professional jargon when presenting your product or service. Make it seem friendly while remaining error-free, and prevent blunders that could derail your content’s conversion.

Alisha Taylor, Alisha Taylor Interiors

Be Genuine

When sharing your story on your website, be genuine! I have a clear brand voice on my bio page and throughout my website because I want my “boss babe” mentality to shine through and help inspire my audience. 

My company narrative is really a narrative of my life. I talk about my entrepreneurial journey and lessons I’ve learned in life that have brought me to where I am today. You attract readers when you’re genuine and have your audience nailed down.

Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Offer True Value

When you provide value to potential customers, you can get your story in front of them. We are a life insurance agency specializing in helping marijuana users get approved for life insurance at competitive rates. 

While marijuana use is still illegal at the federal level, we have the knowledge and expertise to help our clients. We have several articles, such as a life insurance guide for marijuana users, on our website that help educate our target audience on what services they can receive. When potential customers search for helpful articles like ours, they find us organically. 

Chris Abrams, Marcan Insurance

Keep Clear of Business Jargon

Your “About Us” page is for people, not academics or your professional community, so there’s no need to use long words or industry jargon. People want to connect with you and your business. 

Our “About Us” page is short and sweet. We tell our potential customers what to expect from our jewelry designs and us as business owners, giving them a peek into our company culture.

Nataly Vanunu, Boho Magic

Highlight Client Success Stories

Share your story by highlighting client success stories. Potential clients can find case studies on your website and learn more about what your company does. Talking about specific services and remarkable results you have achieved in a client story is a great opportunity to dive into deeper detail about the service or solution you offer. This strategy can also help bring in more revenue and can act as a sales funnel on your website.

Giota Gavala, Comidor

Tell Your Employees for Better Engagement

Sharing your business story online to develop connections with your target audience is important to developing brand loyalty, but it’s important to share it with your employees and teams. 

Employees who better appreciate the company’s mission, vision, and values can engage and collaborate more effectively as a team. They will also develop trust in the company’s leadership and overall direction for the long term.

Ed Stevens, Preciate

Leverage a Knowledge Platform Like Terkel

Small business owners have some of the best stories and expertise to share. But, they tend to lack the knowledge, resources, and relationships to have the opportunity to share those stories and expertise. Terkel (https://terkel.io) is a Q&A platform that allows small business leaders to answer relevant questions and get their insights published in articles like this. By answering questions, business leaders can share their stories in a bite-sized, low-lift way to gain visibility and grow their business.

Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

Start by Sharing Insights With Your Network

Every small business owner should constantly be building a network of colleagues, connections, and possible mutual collaborators. This should be at the top of their agenda during the early days, making it possible to revert to this network whenever needed.

To begin sharing more of your company’s story, start with your network and then begin to branch out. By networking with others, you’ll eventually connect with members of their networks, meaning that your story will be heard by a whole new audience!

Lindsay McCormick, Bite

Become a Member of an Online Community

Join an online community whose members are in your target market and have an engaging presence. Actively contribute to discussions to build a relationship with them but avoid self-promotion. Casually mention your business when appropriate. Once you gain their trust, they are more likely to show interest in your business.

Payel Gupta, Cleared

Invite Customers Into the Conversation

There are many, consistently evolving opportunities to share your story in the modern climate as a small business owner. Amongst these are social media, blogs, videos, and other interactive content platforms. 

The best piece of advice within this is to find areas where you can invite your customer into the conversation. This will allow your brand to build a self-sustaining following.

Boye Fajinmi, TheFutureParty

Spread Your Story on Facebook

Currently, my main way to share my story is on my private Facebook group, Shamelessly Sexy Sirens. It’s a place where I can share my whos, whys, hows, whats, and wheres of my business as parts of my story, my self-love journey. 

And I do this all while offering a platform for other women to find support and encourage others on similar journeys. As a small business owner, you can’t beat the cost. It’s free and costs me nothing but a portion of the time that I set aside for my workdays.

Rya Michele Eisma, Shamelessly Sexy

Be a Guest on Podcasts

One way you can find more opportunities to share your story as a small business owner is to offer to be a guest on podcasts. Find podcasts that are relevant to your business or your target audience and reach out to the hosts and producers. 

Let them know you want to offer your expertise and why you think it would be valuable to their audience. Avoid being overly promotional. You should focus on how you can help their listeners learn something new or gain something else of value.

Courtney Buhler, Sugarlash PRO

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

13 B2B Marketing Strategies That Actually Work

October 27, 2021 by Terkel

What is one B2B marketing strategy that has actually worked for your business? 

To help you invest your resources into the right B2B marketing strategies, we asked marketing professionals and business leaders this question for their insights. From leaning into inbound marketing to establishing your target audience, there are several strategies you can use for a B2B marketing approach that actually works.

Here are 13 tactics to strengthen your B2B marketing strategy:

  • Learn to Say No
  • Lean Into Inbound Marketing
  • Utilize Video Testimonials
  • Focus on Persona Pain Points
  • Freshen Up and Refine the Marketing Plan
  • Establish Your Target Audience
  • Utilize Referral Marketing
  • Focus on Off-Site SEO
  • Consider Content Marketing
  • Be a Thought Leader
  • Live Chat for More Sales and Happier Customers
  • Prioritize Transparency
  • Attend Zoom Networking Events

Lean Into Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is by far the most effective B2B marketing strategy since it thrives on the company’s assets to attract, engage, and delight customers in contrast to standard marketing strategies. Inbound marketers earn their customers’ attention and draw them to a company’s website by creating and distributing helpful content. This strategy also invites visitors in rather than disturbing them with disruptive traditional advertising since messaging is relevant and appears in the right place at the right time.

Eric Blumenthal, The Print Authority

Establish Your Target Audience

For us at Curricula, the answer lies within understanding our target audience and why they need our products and services. Once you know these things, you will have an idea of which platform will work well for them. This means knowing where they hang out online and their interests. Then comes the next step – identifying if there is any gap between your offering and theirs. If so, fill that gap with value-added content.

Nick Santora, Curricula

Focus on Off-Site SEO

Off-site SEO refers to search engine optimization tactics that occur off your website. These tactics are commonly seen in the form of backlinks on guest posts and publications. The purpose of off-site SEO is to increase the authority of your website on your business’s area of expertise. As more relevant websites link to your business, search engines will begin to view your site as authoritative. This leads to a higher search ranking placement which is proven to increase website traffic.

Adrian James, Markitors

Utilize Video Testimonials

One of the most powerful tools of persuasion is social proof. So a great strategy is to develop a plan to get your customers to tout your organization’s benefits for you. Third-party testimonials substantiate your product’s claims in a more credible way than you can yourself. 

Use video to take your testimonials to the next level. These can then be shared on your website, in social media, email blasts, and even included in proposals. The bonus is you can always utilize the transcript if you need a text version of the testimonial.

Eric Rutin, Marketing Mentor

Focus on Persona Pain Points

There is often a disconnect between our perception of the clients and what they think. Being humble and asking them what their challenges are helps to improve the products or services offered. It often brings new clients for whom short advice can be the start to long-term cooperation.

Rebeca Sena, GetSpace.digital

Learn to Say No

One of the most critical and effective strategies we’ve taken with our branding agency to cut through the noise in B2B marketing is to say ‘no.’ That might sound counterintuitive but let me explain:

As we’ve gotten more and more specific about what we do, who we do it for, and where our unique expertise and experience lie, we’ve had to say ‘no’ a lot more often. ‘No’ to clients who aren’t in our industries of expertise. ‘No’ to projects that are not in our services niche. ‘No’ to businesses that don’t match our team and our unique way of getting the results for our clients.

While saying ‘no’ can seem hard in the moment — like we’re passing up clients — what we’re really doing is saying ‘yes’ to the best projects, the best fits with clients, and the best work that we can do. And it’s paid tremendous dividends in our marketing, our client relationships, and our bottom line.

I’d recommend to any business leader to consider how you can start saying ‘no.’

Mike Jones, Resound

Freshen Up and Refine the Marketing Plan

The business plan I had prepared during the inception of my business obviously included a marketing plan. Fortunately, this plan incorporated a top-notch social media strategy. The top social channels, Twitter and Facebook, allow my customers to establish a stable connection with me. However, the problem is that what works online is a moving target.

Fine-tuning the business plan is necessary because today’s social media might become tomorrow’s MySpace. Therefore, you must know where to focus your time as it depends on the area where your customers are hanging out. For example, if your B2B clients are avid Pinterest users (e.g., architects/interior designers), it’s crucial to refine your marketing plan to take advantage of this platform.

Keeping all the above in mind, we update our B2B as well as B2C marketing strategy yearly and it helps us a lot.

Caroline Lee, CocoSign

Utilize Referral Marketing

Using referral marketing can help grow your business, especially if you have a large dedicated customer base. When customers are happy, they will likely tell their friends and colleagues about their experience. Referrals reportedly make up 50% of all purchasing decisions. Plus, these kinds of customers spend twice as much as sales garnered through paid advertising. Customers gained through referrals are more loyal, too.

Benjamin Smith, Disco

Consider Content Marketing

One B2B marketing strategy we use has been content marketing in a variety of topics related to our core business. We put out articles and interviews to spread awareness around our brand. We then target those readers to try to upsell them on our services while building our brand.

Darren Litt, MarketerHire

Be a Thought Leader

If you want to be successful in the B2B space, you should be promoting yourself, your business, or both as a thought leader in your industry. Provide free content that is highly relevant and valuable to your target audience. This will establish your level of credibility and expertise, which will go a long way in gaining your target customers’ trust and, hopefully, their business. 

An easy way to get started is to set up some Google Alerts about your industry. You will get summaries of top stories, which you can use as springboards to start creating content about trending topics. It will show your audience that you have your finger on the pulse of what’s important to them and your industry.

Courtney Buhler, Sugarlash PRO

Live Chat for More Sales and Happier Customers

Live chat is an extremely effective means of providing customer service. The vast majority of customers say that they are satisfied with the live chat customer service experiences they’ve had. 

This makes sense when considering that customers who use live chat are much more likely to complete a purchase than those who don’t. It’s also the fastest means of communication in many ways, and most customers are more comfortable using live chat over emailing or calling to receive support.

Sara Shah, Journ

Get Clear on How You Present Your Brand

We market ourselves the same way we would use digital marketing to help our clients. Our website is fun and colorful, and our copy is simple, relaxed, and entertaining. By revealing such a genuine brand personality, we’re able to attract clients who are truly the right fit to work with us. 

This helps our businesses because it eliminates any confusion as to what we offer and how we offer it. As long as we stay transparent in how we present ourselves online, we can gain a loyal client base.

Kristen Dole, Nowadays

Attend Zoom Networking Events

Finding and meeting like-minded business owners, authors, writers, animators, podcasters, and other creatives who need voiceover services can be challenging. So, I like to attend online networking events globally and meet new people in order to expand my network and sphere of influence. 

When we meet each other at events, we are both interested in (no matter what the subject matter). It’s a good springboard to create relationships that ultimately lead to business. And for voiceover, business can come from anywhere!

Melissa Del Toro Schaffner, Melissa Del Toro International

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

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