Business Growth Centre Blog

Honour Your Clients In Unique Ways This Christmas - Even With A Mini Budget!

Typically Christmas is the time businesses honour their clients. Corporates budget for expensive gift baskets, cases of wine, sought after tickets etc. Wholesale and impersonal, but anticipated.

Continuing my mantra "not all marketing is rocket science... and not all marketing is expensive" some wise person probably once said to you "It is not the cost, it is the thought that counts" and this is where small business has the edge.  

Carefully thought out gifts reflecting your brand, your niche, your tagline or your image will get you noticed so take inspiration from your history, your colours, your marketplace or your existing advertising for a memorable gift. Have some fun with industry terminology, trade talk, your tagline etc and you are sure to be remembered.And the best news is the most inexpensive gift can have the greatest effect if it is personalised.

 

Tips to consider

• Treat Christmas as another touch point.
• If at all humanly possible, hand deliver your gift to your recipient.
• Deliver anytime in late November or December - not just 2 days before Christmas.
• If clients are interstate or overseas, carefully consider a gift that will arrive in good condition and check deadlines for overseas post.
• Unique and quirky is good - tacky and disrespectful is not, so be mindful of your client's beliefs regarding alcohol, humour and religion.
• Will it be a universal gift or will you personalise it to male/female, clients with children, travelling clients, gardening clients, gourmet cook clients, book lover clients, young professionals, senior executives, warehouse staff etc.

 

Ideas to get your creative juices flowing

• Wrap or ribbon in your business colours and tie a business card in with your gift tag.
• Give some of your product in a basket or gift box.
• Make a commercial arrangement with another small business owner to buy product or gift vouchers.
• Support a charity, give something from their range and add a note explaining the charity or your reasons for choosing it.
• Put a special offer inside a Christmas cracker shape.
• If you have the skill, make your own Christmas cards.
• If you have a mountain of small clients or a retail outlet, wrap something small in cellophane (mince pies, shortbread, puddings, rum balls) and theme it with your business card/ribbons and give to all.
• Have some fun with your brand or tagline and come up with something quirky eg:
  • a vet could say "put your paws together for ..."
  • a hairdresser could give gel product and say "Christmas can be hair raising...."
  • a lawnmower contractor could say Dr ... recommends you do ... to    your lawn during summer".

 © Marketing Talk 2010 www.marketingtalk.com.au and www.marketingtalkonline.com

Spring has arrived and finally the sun is starting to come out. Maybe this season is the time to start thinking about wether your business is environmentally sustainable?

Have you thought of implementing better recycling strategies, finding more efficient use of energy? Maybe increasing marketability of your business or even keeping ahead of the government legislation and incentives? Our Green Business Skills program will cover all of these strategies while recognising good practices and offering suggestions for improvement.

The current Government suggests that around 40% of the money raised from carbon tax will help businesses and support jobs. They also suggest that opportunities will open up in existing businesses as they move toward operating in a clean energy efficient future. You can find more information on how the carbon tax will help benefit your small business by visiting their website at www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au

Now is the perfect time to think over sustainability in your workplace. Prepare yourself and your business for the changes ahead.  Give us a call today to find out how the Business Growth Centre’s Green Business Skills program can help you on 1300 40 60 80.

Brooke Godfrey
Social Media Coordinator
Business Growth Centre

Bag checking has become a common practice used by retailers to reduce theft, and with good reason – shoplifting is a multimillion-dollar industry.

A 2 to 3 per cent loss of sales to shoplifting can amount to about 25 per cent loss in profit.

More than one in five businesses reported being the victim of shoplifting in the 1999 Small Business Crime Survey.

It has been estimated that shoplifting costs Australian businesses about $810 million annually (Australian Institute of Criminology).

At the moment there are no legal requirements for customers to show the contents of their bags.

Store security staff and/or employees have a right to request customers make their personal bag available for inspection.

However, in general terms, no legal authority exists for any person to comply.

The Retail Traders’ Association of WA has sponsored the Bagcheck Code.

It is not a written act of law, but information for retailers. It has been developed as a compromise between the interests of retail and customer groups.

The Code has been developed with the assistance of the Department of Commerce.

The department (commerce. wa.gov.au) advises business owners to display signage that the business will request a bag check of customers.

It implies the customer is consenting to this store policy. Whether the customer has seen or read the clearly displayed sign really does not matter.

A merchant should be entitled to implement lawful procedures that will deter or reduce theft from their outlet.

Bag-checking polices will be just one of the topics in the business theft prevention workshop to be run by the Business Growth Centre at the Joondalup Reception Centre, 102 Boas Avenue, on August 23.

By Sergiu Muntean, Business Growth Centre

Tourism WA Chairman Kate Lamont and CEO Stephanie Buckland have been hosting industry forums in Perth and regional WA to outline the agency's key initiatives for 2011-2012. The Goal for Tourism WA is to double the overnight and daytrip visitors spend from $6 billion in 2010 to $12 billion in 2020.  The strategic outcomes will be:

• Brand: Firmly establish the Experience Extraordinary brand
• Indigenous Tourism: Every visitor to have the opportunity for an Aboriginal tourism experience.
• Infrastructure: to support growth; Hotels, Aviation and Workforce 
• Business Tourism: Increase the contribution from business travel 
• Regional Dispersal: Increase visitors to regional WA
• Asia: Grow our share of the Asian market, particularly China 
• Events: position WA as a recognised events destination for locals and visitors.

There will be $60 million in event funding given including $10 million p.a. for regional events and $5 million p.a. for events anywhere.

Some of the key initiatives announced include the China Market.   The aim is to significantly increase WA's share of the Chinese visitor market from 3% - 10%.  This will mean an extensive awareness exercise for the WA tourism industry to make themselves familiar with the needs of the Chinese visitor and adapt their business accordingly.

Building the events calendar by attracting and hosting major international events and elevating current key events will position WA as a key destination for events.  Other key initiatives include further hotel developments, international services to Broome, Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy and more.

For more information or to view presentations Tourism WA's corporate website.

• Creating a co-operative and positive workplace – encourage a work/life balance, encourage staff involvement in the some parts of the running of the business. If you have happy staff, you‟re less likely to be a target of employee theft and they‟ll act in the best interests of the company.
• Determine internal controls – this is basically suggesting that your business should have a detailed policy and procedures manual incorporating the operations, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguarding of assets and reporting controls and the specific duties and responsibilities of each employee.
• Recruit honest personnel – this is easier said than done, but if your style of auditing is weak and needs developing or even starting then it is even more important to have honest personnel around your business. One way to help to recruit honest people is to conduct background checks on them through a previous employer reference check, requesting a criminal history check for the individual, traffic convictions history check or educational verification checks on degrees.

If you find this interesting and would like to know more on how you can implement this into your business, call 9301 0077 and sign up with our Business Theft Prevention Program.

Prevention, like everything else, is the key!

• Keep all your businesses rear access entry points locked
• Restrict entry to store to times during operation
• Request identification of service personnel
• Keep a minimum amount of cash on the premises if none at all

Try looking at your own business and honestly reflect on the way in which you conduct your opening and closing procedures. If you find that your business could use more security and theft preventions, give us a call on 9301 0077. Our Business Theft Prevention Program provides you and your business with the prior knowledge and skills in creating a secure business. It’s also a great way of getting an “outsiders” opinion on things you might not have noticed before.

I know that this video relates to American statistics, but it provides us all with great tips to implement into your business to prevent theft...

 

This month I am going to focus on developing your small business, which can include a range of strategies, but today I’m going to talk about marketing. Marketing is to be said one of the most important features of a business; it’s what attracts new clients and customers. Promoting your business through developing branding and increasing familiarity amongst the public will lead customers to your business. Don’t forget, if you haven’t already, to develop retention tactics in keeping in contact with your past customers, as they can turn into repeating customers or inform others of your service. Database software is a great and inexpensive way to keep track and look back on any clients or customers you have had.

If you are interested in purchasing a database check out these websites:
ACT! Today – http://www.acttoday.com.au/
Microsoft Dynamics CRM – http://crm.dynamics.com/en-au/home

This month, I challenge you to look over your business plan and take note of your marketing strategy Are you spending too much or too little time on it, or are you finding it difficult and need help? You can always contact us at the Business Growth Centre on 1300 40 60 80 for some business training and advice.

Brooke Godfrey
Social Media Coordinator
Business Growth Centre

The sole purpose of networking is to, through one way or another, increase business revenue. This can be by developing a new relationship with a new client, or in learning a new business skill.

The trick with networking is to be proactive. This means taking control of the situation instead of just reacting to it. Networking requires going beyond your comfort zone and challenging yourself. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business, demands that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships.

Here are some tips to help you improve your networking skills and extend your reach:

1. Set a goal to meet five (or more!) new people at each event

Whenever you attend a group, whether a party, mixer or industry luncheon, make a point of heading straight to the people you don’t know. Greet newcomers (they’ll love you for it!). If you don’t make this a habit, you’ll naturally gravitate toward the same old acquaintances.

2. Try one or two new groups per month

You can attend almost any organisation’s meetings a few times before you must join. This is another way to stretch yourself and make a new set of contacts.

3. Carry business cards everywhere

You never know when you might meet a key contact, and if you don’t have your cards, you lose. Take your cards to the gym, parties, the grocery store, even when you’re walking the dog.

4. Don’t make a beeline for your seat

Take advantage of networking time before you have to sit down. Once the meeting starts, you won’t be able to mingle.

5. Don’t sit by people you know

Mealtime is a prime time for meeting people. You may be in that seat for hours, so don’t limit your opportunities by sitting with friends. Remember, you’re spending precious time and money to attend this event.

6. Get active

People remember and do business with leaders. Don’t just warm a chair; join a committee or become a board member. If you don’t have time for that, volunteer to help with hospitality at the door or with checking people in. This gives you a great reason to talk to others, gets you involved in the inner workings of the group, and provides you with more visibility.

7. Be friendly and approachable

Make people feel welcome. Find out what brought them there and see if there is any way you can help them. Introduce them to others, make business suggestions or give them a referral. What goes around comes around. If you make the effort to help others, you’ll find people helping you.

8. Set a goal for what you expect from each meeting

Your goals can vary from meeting to meeting. Examples include learning about the speaker’s topic, looking for new prospects, discovering industry trends or connecting with peers. If you work home, you may find your purpose is simply to get out and talk to people face to face.

9. Be willing to give to receive

Networking is a two-way street. Don’t expect new contacts to shower you with referrals and business unless you’re equally generous. Follow up on contacts; keep in touch with them; and share information that might benefit them.

The most important skill for effective business networking is listening; focusing on how you can help the person you are listening to rather than on how he or she can help you is the first step to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship.

This article was retrieved from the “Fresh Thinking Business” website. Visit their website at http://www.freshthinkingbusiness.com

Business Growth Centre and the Visitor Centre Association held EVE forums in Broome, Kalgoorlie and Coco’s Island. We appreciate everyone for attending and their positive feedback.