Looking for opportunity in unhappy customers

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Maya Pillai
Looking for opportunity in unhappy customers

Recently, I had gone to lunch with my husband in a small restaurant near his office. I ordered a Greek Country salad, cheese and tomato pasta and Gap juice (mix of guava and pear). I had almost finished half of my pasta, when I noticed there was a small bit of polythene in my pasta. I called the bearer and showed him the polythene. He took back the pasta and came back with a full plate of the same item. Later, as we were leaving, the manager came over to offer his apologies. I was touched by their customer service. … Read more

Posted in Customer Relationship Management, Know your Business, Small Business University
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What is Startup America Campaign?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Maya Pillai
What is Startup America Campaign?

“Entrepreneurs embody the promise of America: the idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country. And in fulfilling this promise, entrepreneurs also play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs.” – President Barack Obama, January 31, 2011 Recently, Startup America campaign celebrated its first anniversary. This campaign was launched on January of last year by President Obama to promote new businesses and in turn, create jobs by bringing together the corporate giants such as Intel, IBM, Google and government agencies. The … Read more

Posted in Featured, Guerilla Marketing, Sales & Marketing, Small Business University
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Little Known Ways to Kick Start Your Marketing Efforts

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Maya Pillai
Little Known Ways to Kick Start Your Marketing Efforts

“If you wait until there is another case study in your industry, you will be too late.” Seth Godin (Author of Permission Marketing) If you want to remain in business, marketing is the key. It is not about having a great marketing plan in hand, you need to have a marketing strategy laid out. The reason being, once you have your potential customers, how do you plan to convert them into loyal clients? How do you plan to follow-up with the contact? If you have a marketing strategy in place, you should know how to play around it so that … Read more

Posted in Featured, Guerilla Marketing, Know your Business, Sales & Marketing, Small Business University
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8 Expert Advices on Building a Relationship with your Customers

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Maya Pillai
8 Expert Advices on Building a Relationship with your Customers

“The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.” -Peter Drucker (Management Consultant) A customer is the best friend of any small business owner and their relationship is key to any marketing strategy. Customers play a vital role in brand building and positioning your products in this competitive market. There may be many reasons why a customer/client may have left you. Some of the common reasons that you are bound to hear from them are: Your products were priced too high. Your customer service was bad. Your competitors were giving them better offers. Your firm was not communicating … Read more

Posted in Customer Relationship Management, Networking, Sales
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6 Marketing and Social Media Predictions for 2012

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Maya Pillai
6 Marketing and Social Media Predictions for 2012

Social media is on the rise still and small businesses should not forget about that. Marketing through social media can help your business grow in ways you would not expect. We have listed out some of the predictions for marketing and social media this year. Multi-channel marketing will gain importance – Online marketing is quickly gaining popularity. Small business owners who have not exploited social channels should use it to create an online presence and also analyze customer behavior. They should, however, choose their social media network carefully. It does not make sense having a business page account in all … Read more

Posted in Sales & Marketing
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Word-of-Mouth and Reputation Goes a Long Way

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Maggy
Word-of-Mouth and Reputation Goes a Long Way

Business Summary ServiceMaster by Best (SMB) is a regional cleaning and restoration business. SMB was incorporated in the State of Kansas in July 2003 as Best Corporation. SMB serves clients generally located in Sedgwick and Butler Counties of Kansas. They also serve clients in other parts of the state that are based in Wichita and surrounding areas upon special request. They are in the business of finding solutions for our clients. There are two basic production divisions within the company, commercial cleaning & restoration and residential cleaning & restoration. Building Client Trust Every call that ServiceMaster by Best receives, they … Read more

Posted in Branding, Sales & Marketing
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In Three Years 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Got Classified in the Same World Class Level as Apple, American Express, Harley Davidson

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Maggy
In Three Years 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Got Classified in the Same World Class Level as Apple, American Express, Harley Davidson

Business Summary 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is pioneering an industry that is helping residents and businesses remove junk and regain space. Whether it’s a pile of household junk in the garage or a warehouse full of office furnishings, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? removes it for you, making the ordinary business of junk removal exceptional. They are passionate about recycling and donating to charity. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was founded in 1989 and now operates throughout North America and Australia. Is trust Really That Important? Customer trust is extremely important to 1-800-GOT-JUNK? because they strive to be an admired brand in each of their regions that they operate, as well … Read more

Posted in Branding, Sales & Marketing
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What is the Lifeblood of Money Crashers?

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Maggy
What is the Lifeblood of Money Crashers?

Business Summary Money Crashers is an online personal finance site, devoted to helping people make smarter money decisions in their everyday lives. They provide valuable and relevant information on a variety of topics ranging from ways to save money in your everyday life, retirement, and investments. Their diverse topics range from how to make your home more energy efficient to extreme couponing to the best cash back credit cards. Why is Trust important for Money Crashers? Customer trust is the lifeblood of the business. Competition in the industry is high, and there are many other places readers can go for … Read more

Posted in Growing Your Business, Online Marketing
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Small Business Owners Scoop on How to Gain Trust

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Maggy
Small Business Owners Scoop on How to Gain Trust

What is this thing called trust? Well, according to Webster dictionary, trust is an “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” Wouldn’t it be nice to know right away if a business could be trusted or not? Especially if one is buying a pricey item off a site and that business has no physical store. It’s hard for consumers to trust a business that they have only heard of once, but now, with TrustedBusiness.com, it gives consumers a little more reassurance that you’re business is actually a legitimate business and not a con. What … Read more

Posted in Branding, Online Marketing, Sales & Marketing
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Guerrilla Marketing, a Cost-effective way to Promote Business

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Maya Pillai
Guerrilla Marketing, a Cost-effective way to Promote Business

“Done poorly, guerrilla marketing can make your company look like a nightmare. Donecorrectly, it is one of the single most powerful marketing tools.” – Experiential MarketingForum Guerrilla Marketing, which is an alternative form of marketing, was a term coined by Jay ConradLevison in the early 1980s. This form of marketing depends mainly on time, energy andcreativity than on hefty marketing budgets and flashy advertisements. Guerrilla Marketing is different from the conventional marketing process because it interacts with the consumers at a personal level. Why is Guerrilla Marketing suitable for Small/Medium businesses? GuerrillaMarketing was mainly developed for the small/medium business owners. … Read more

Posted in Online Marketing
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