We’ve been conducting surveys – consistently – for a little over a year and a half. We’ve gleaned a lot of information about our users. The practice has reminded me that there are a few fundamental principles you need to follow to build your business. Here are the 6 steps we’ve used [...]
Read More Customers, MarketingDid you know that Marriott started out in 1927 as a root beer stand? Since then, the company has reinvented itself time and again. In 1983, it introduced the Courtyard by Marriott brand, then added Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn in 1987. In 1995, Marriott acquired a 49 percent interest in Ritz-Carlton. Today, Marriott is [...]
Read More brandingExactTarget, an Indianapolis-based interactive marketing services provider, has released “The Social Break-up,” a report exploring why consumers terminate their relationship with businesses and brands through these three major social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and email marketing. Much like a romantic relationship, social network bonding begins with an initial attraction, whereby the consumer becomes a [...]
Read More customer service, Email, Marketing, social mediaIt’s been the biggest problem of the recession — small business owners aren’t doing much hiring. That started to turn around last year, but a new Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index poll shows there is now big pent-up demand for workers. In the study, more than half of entrepreneurs said they hired new workers last year. [...]
Read More Employees, Entrepreneurship, HiringEvery time a grocery bagger said paper or plastic, Margaret Moss would cringe, envisioning the stashes of used bags in her car or kitchen. Her yearning to go green eventually led to a business idea: a set of reusable bags that fit into a handy pouch. In 2009, after investigating consumer camping gear and experimenting [...]
Read More strategyLet’s be real about this, to have a successful business, you need to have clients — so why not make it your goal to attract the ideal client? Clients, like everyone else in your life, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some are great to work with, others, well, not so much. Those “less [...]
Read More Customers, Entrepreneurship, Marketing