Great Ideas for your Small Business: Become Politically Active Dal lamagna has sold millions of tweezers. In 1996 he was busy selling himself. “Hi, I’m Dal LaMagna, and I’m running for Congress,” LaMagna said, handing out campaign flyers to sunbathers on Tobay Beach on Long Island. “LaMagna— rhymes with lasagna.” LaMagna, a successful entrepreneur, spent … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Tap the Growing Hispanic Market Some of the 2000 census figures have the U.S. Hispanic community feeling new strength. The numbers show a population growing faster than expected and more broadly distributed than in years past. “Best of all,” says George Herrera, president and CEO of the United States … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Know Your Competition Entrepreneurs love to brag about beating their competition, but the truth is, most small business owners are too buried in work to keep track of what their competition is up to. But operating your business in a vacuum can lead to its demise. “You have to … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Have a Theater Party When eric schwab moved his advertising specialties company out of his home, he needed a novel way to entice clients to visit the new location. “We partnered with the Civic Theatre of Central Florida for the opening night preview of Forever Plaid,” said Schwab. He … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Ask for Two Business Cards Whenever you meet a new, interesting person, always ask for two business cards. Why? Because you want to keep one and pass the other along to someone else who might benefit from this person’s products or services. I learned this tip from a veteran … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Know the Difference between Marketing, Advertising, and PR Too many entrepreneurs use a scattershot approach to marketing, advertising, and public relations, primarily because they don’t understand the subtle differences between the three. But knowing which to use, and when, can save you time, aggravation, and money. Marketing encompasses a … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Give Away a Seminar Seat Karen tate, president of the griffin tate Group in Cincinnati, teaches employees of big and small companies how to manage complex projects. Although she earns most of her money conducting group seminars for big corporations, she attracts new individual clients by raffling off a … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Generate Publicity in Your Community Most small business owners, at least at first, can’t afford to hire a professional public relations person. But you don’t need expensive consultants to attract publicity. You can do it yourself if you do some- thing noteworthy—and then focus on obtaining coverage by your … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Promote with Prepaid Phone Cards Phone cards have been popular in europe since the mid-1980s when British Telecom first issued them to make it easier for customers to call home from Germany and France. But they took another ten years to take hold in America. “We in the United … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Host an Open House One of the best ways to acquaint customers and clients with your business is to arrange a visit. An open house combines a social event with the ability to do some serious one-to-one marketing. Of course, if you deal with toxic chemicals or dangerous machinery, … Read more
