Online customer reviews mean your small business reputation is now exposed in a variety of places.
While thinking about writing this post about how to monitor your online reputation, I recalled an afternoon when I was in the quad at Woodrow Wilson Jr. High and Marnie James breathlessly asked me, “Do you know what Ben is saying about you?”
I had to know. Continue reading Online Reputation: How to Monitor and Respond to Customer Reviews »
Independent retailers are the heart and soul of retail in America. The National Retail Federation says retail is responsible for one out of nearly every four jobs in the US.
From the local florist to the hardware store to the funky boutique started by a Project Runway wannabe, retail remains the heart of the American economy. Continue reading 25 Ways Independent Retailers Hobble Their Own Success »
A lot has been written about all the ways you can get buzz for your business – from putting discounts on your Facebook fan page, to reaching out to mommy bloggers, to offering Groupons.
You don’t get buzz by being Santa Claus with your marketing dollars.
The way you get buzz, buzz that is sustainable and leads to higher profits, is to be a business worthy of buzz.
That means you have to earn it.
When I am asked by consultants what it takes to create a successful practice, I always tell them they need to “hit it out of the park” because that is what happened to me when I worked with one of my first clients, Polly’s Gourmet Coffee. This is their story. Continue reading Marketing: Creating Buzz for your Small Business [Case Study] »
Others may cover the world but who thought to cover the mall?
I had a couple of hours before I was to speak at the Providence, RI Convention Center one night when the client informed me there was a mall on the other side of the Westin. That’s all I needed.
As I strolled the Providence Place Mall, I noted the abundance of very high-end prosperous retailers on three levels. I was just about done when I spotted what I thought was a cosmetics counter. Continue reading Benjamin Moore Paint Grabs Market Share In Unlikely Places »
Jon Severson mural in the lobby
So based on the case study, these are some of the things you might look at in your own business:
