August 2009

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Welcome to August's Small Biz News.

First up this month I'd like to check something with you if I may ... how often do you take some time out from your business? Do you take a day or two off each week? And at least a couple of weeks each year?

I know this is something I've been guilty of NOT doing for years now, and I don't think I'm alone in that.

But taking a few days off last month for some well-deserved R&R in NZ reminded me of the importance of taking time out. I'm truly blessed that I absolutely love what I do for 'work' so it rarely feels like I'm working as such. All the same, I know I was getting run down and needed that break. And as hard as it was to keep away from my computer each day, I did try ... not hard enough, I admit - my son did threaten to confiscate my laptop if he saw me working during our holiday (so I had to check emails while he was asleep!)

As hard as it was to sort of ignore work for a couple of weeks, I soon realised how necessary it was and by taking that time off I was able to return feeling refreshed, energetic and eager to implement all the ideas I came up with while away.

So ... fast-forward to this week. I have had quite a challenging week and, I admit, I've been feeling quite flat. For me, that's a sure sign that it's time for a break. Then I realised that I haven't had a single day off since returning at the end of July. So guess what I'm doing later today (it's Saturday morning as I write this) ... I'm baby-sitting my 4 youngest nieces - 1, 3, 8 and 11 - so we're going to do lots of fun stuff. Then tomorrow we're having a family BBQ with my darling Aunt and Uncle who are visiting from Adelaide for a few days.

By Monday morning I know I'll be keen to get back to my computer and looking forward to what the week ahead brings.

What's more, I'm committing myself to taking at least one day off EVERY week, because I know it's so important, even when you enjoy your work. And if you're guilty of working long hours too, I encourage you to make more effort to spend some time each week away from your work, office or computer.

In this month's feature article we look at market research and the easiest yet most effective ways for you to discover exactly who you're marketing to. Then keep reading for details of my latest hot find and an interesting blog post about What Keywords People Are Using To Find Your Website.

Enjoy!

 

Grab Yourself Some Affordable Web Graphics:  

There's no doubt about it - professional graphics can make a huge difference to your website, just as they do with print publications. But you don't always want to go to a graphic artist every time you want a couple of general graphics to tizzy up your web page, do you?

Then again, it can be a pain - not to mention time-consuming - trawling through one dodgy-looking website after another looking for some free or low-cost graphics to use, then reading the license terms to ensure that you're allowed to use those graphics for a commercial purpose.

I'm so pleased I recently found this great little resource - Copy and Paste Graphics. For only $9.97 you get literally hundreds of web graphic images including backgrounds, headers, bullets, buttons, web 2.0 images and even some animated buttons. 

I really love these (can you tell?) and can't wait to start using them. Here's a small sample of them, just to give you an idea of what they're like:

                                

 

Feature Article:

How Do You Research Your Market?

Knowing your market - and knowing it well - is so important to the success of your business.

Very basically, market research is about finding out what your customers want and how they want it.  It tells you, specifically, the characteristics of your target market including factors like age, gender, location, income, buying preferences and so on. Perhaps more importantly, it can tell you whether or not you've even got a market for your product or service.

Once you have this information, you can begin to build a campaign and marketing method that will speak in very targeted ways to that small group. You will have a way to connect with your buyers or customers, and show them that you really understand their needs.  

But how do you get there? How do you bridge that gap and conduct effective small business market research that will get results?

There are many resources for conducting small business research.  The hardest part of it all is getting started.

You can begin with statistics and demographic research performed by outside resources. Large corporations may have the money to conduct research of their own, but you, as a small business owner, will probably be working on a much more restricted budget. Still there is enough information out there to help you in testing the market so that you can identify and choose a core group of willing buyers. Some of those resources might include:

• Industry associations. Each industry generally has an association (usually more than one) that conducts and publishes market research for the benefit of its members.

• Trade magazines and publications (print and online).  Likewise, industries will be supported by trade-specific magazines and professional publications; these are often the easiest place to find new and updated information, as well as historical and archived data.

• Small business advice agencies. These exist, depending on where you live, on the local, state, and federal levels. In some cases they will be dedicated to your industry or type of business, but more often they will be general in nature and simply provide you with information, tools, and resources for conducting market research.

• Colleges and Universities. In many areas, local universities and extension offices will provide small business advice similar to that mentioned above. In some cases, the services will be directed at specific industries, particularly those that the University specialises in or those more beneficial to the public at large (such as agriculture, education, and so on). You can obtain some very good free or low-cost market research help from colleges and universities.

• Statistics Bureaus. These vary in name and in form in different countries and locations, but most large nations will fund their own studies and publish the statistical data on a variety of factors through a central bureau or other government agencies.

• The International Business Information Service (IBIS) offers reports and demographics data for a variety of purposes.

• Online groups and forums can also be another great way to find out more about your target market, what problems they face, what motivates them. And by joining in with online groups you can start to really mix with and understand the people you're marketing to.

These resources will help get you started on small business market research, but once it's done you will need to go further and use that information to define your target audience and marketing strategy. The key here is never to assume that you know your customers already. Find out specifically what they want, and how they want you to get it to them, and always let your research - not your personal opinions - be your guide.

 

 

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed this month's newsletter. Remember, if there’s a particular topic you’d like to know more about, please email me and let me know. 

I hope you have a brilliant month.