Tips from August 21, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss Media Coverage: How to get more media through media
Keep your relationship strong with a journalist so they know that if your industry or topic of interest comes up again they can contact you for another story.
If you have an article published be active on sending the articles out to nationwide publications. Newspapers are often more interested on reporting on recent news.
You are an expert in your industry to don't be shy; let the journalist or publication know you are available as a source. Getting your name or your businesses name attached to quotes is positive even if the story is not all about you.
Write a feature article on something in your industry. If your article is well written you may even be published which will show the viewers you are an expert and they should come in to your business.
Daily Overview: Get more media through medi...
By Frances Foley · August 24 2009
small business tips, small business, media, media coverage
Tips from August 20, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss Media Coverage: What to provide journalist with:
Press release or a 1-2 page media advisory that includes the details of your story, event, or new product/service.
Strong headline that represents the most interesting points of your news article. Choose strong key words that are common but intriguing.
Fact sheet that provides a list of all of the facts of your story, event, product. This will make it easy for a journalist to decide what they want to use in the story.
Quotes from you, your employees, or a person related to your story. List the contact information for each person in case the journalist would like to ask further questions.
Daily Overview: Provide journalist with a press release/media advisory, a headline, fact sheet, and supporting quotes.
By Frances Foley · August 20 2009
small business tips, small business, communication, media coverage
Tips from August 19, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss Media Coverage: Building a Media Relationship
Read the publications: find the journalist who would relate most to your business. Get to know them by reading their past and present articles.
Call the journalist: they are always looking for news, so introduce yourself and find a common topic (i.e. the articles you have read of theirs). They receive e-mails all day so a phone conversation makes it more personal.
Create trust: never lie or fabricate facts. You will lose their trust and end a relationship. Be honest, they see what is newsworthy and it might be the struggles you are having. They will help you if you are honest.
Communication: remember that journalists have questions with deadlines. Once you have contact with a journalist keep the contact by making them a priority. Answer them promptly, be available to them, and provide them with all the information they...
By Frances Foley · August 19 2009
small business tips, small business, media, media coverage
Tips from August 18, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss Media Coverage: Writing a clear and concise message
Look at the big picture: identify the main goal of having your message in the media. Sales goal, event, new product. Clearly state your overall goal.
Call to action: the reader should finish your story compelled to do something. Come to your store, event, or buy your new product.
Vital evidence: whether it is a single fact or a narrative story that will command emotion from the reader. It must be evident that your overall goal is significant.
One sentence: your message may be long or short but the reader/journalist is captured by the first sentence. Intrigue the viewers with strong key words. Refer to the previous blog of what is newsworthy.
Daily Overview: Identify your overall goal, create a call to action, include vital evidence, and make your point in one sentence.
By Frances Foley · August 18 2009
small business tips, small business, communication, message
Tips from August 17, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss Media Coverage: A Story Worth Covering
Proximity: Write to local papers rather than national. A reader is more likely to read a story that is in their local community. Therefore, a local journalist is more likely to use a story that is local.
Timeliness: A story will get picked up if it is relevant to present time. An upcoming event. A new service providing customers with a better way to do something.
Prominence: Reach our to your local celebrities, mayors/the town 'do-gooder,' for an event or interview them about why they like your business. A well known name will catch the eye of local journalist and their readers.
Novelty: Write about something abnormal, different, or unexpected that happened involving your business. For example, you give a 25% discount to customers who bring a pet.
By Frances Foley · August 17 2009
small business tips, small business, communication, media coverage
Small Biz Tip: Target Audience: How to keep your retention rate high:
Tips from August 14, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss target audiences: how to keep your retention rate high.
Build a customer database on your computer that keeps track of your loyal customers; their purchases, needs, and consistency.
Offer a loyal customer card which enables the customers to receive a discount after they purchase a certain number of items.
Ask customers how to improve your business. If they know they are valued and that you will make an effort to change something they will be sure to keep coming back.
Happy employees! Every employee at your business should be considerate and helpful so no customer has a bad experience.
Daily Overview: Keep your customers happy, make them feel valued, and know what they need or come to your business for.
By Frances Foley · August 14 2009
small business tips, small business, retention, communication
Government, Politics and the Economy
Democatic Senators: Climate-Change Legislation Should Be Dropped This Year
Four Democratic senators as calling for the Senate to abandon efforts to pass legislation curbing greenhouse-gas emissions this year and concentrate on a narrower bill to require use of renewable energy. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
10 Things Not to Say to Customers
There are great things to say to a customer, and then there are things that will drive that same customer into the arms of the competition. Here are the top 10 things not to say to a customer and what you and your people should say instead....
By Charles M Cooper · August 14 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Time is running out for many small businesses wishing to take advantage of the expanded business loss carryback option included in this year’s recovery law. Eligible individuals have until Oct. 15 to choose this expanded carryback option. Eligible calendar-year corporations have until Sept. 15.
This carryback provision offers small businesses that lost money in 2008 an excellent way to quickly get some much needed cash if they were profitable in previous years. This option is only available for a limited time, so small businesses should consider it carefully and act before it’s too late.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), many small businesses that had expenses exceeding their income for 2008 can choose to carry the resulting loss back for up to five years, instead of the usual two. This means that a business that had a net operat...
By Charles M Cooper · August 13 2009
small business, taxes, irs, expanded loss carryback option
