Starting up your business can leave you feeling out of your element as you are moving up a huge learning curve. There are a few common pitfalls that you need to look out for.
1. Business structure
2. Planning
3. Testing for your Minimum Viable Product
4. Brand Properties
5. Loyalty / CRM
If you have these components in place, you are much more likely to be successful. Watch the video to understand each pitfall and the best practices around them.
As a small business owner we need creativity to help us with product development, creating new ideas in our business, and to stay ahead of the competition.
Sometimes we think that other people are the creative ones and that this is not a strength that we have ourselves. But that is not true! Everyone has creativity inside of them, they just need to know the tools and how to recognize it in yourself.
This video outlines the three major steps of creativity:
1. Brainstorming. Some different tactics to approach brainstorming and tools that you should try out. A lot of times it is as simple as starting to write things down.
2. Prioritization. Once you have a bunch of ideas it is important to figure out which ones are the best ideas or what order you can actually approach them. Everyone has a limitation on time and money, so prioritization becomes important.
3. Implementation. Once you’ve decided on the ideas, action becomes necessary. Many times people want to wait and make things perfect, but often it is good to get your MVP (minimum viable product) out there to begin your testing.
At the end of the video, there are additional tips and tricks, as well as an example of where creativity has made a huge difference.
Slogans are an extension of your brand and an easy way for customers to remember you. Of course, that’s if you do it right. If you do it incorrectly, this is an easy thing for your customers to forget.
This 16 minute video goes through the 5 point checklist to make sure that your slogan is going to get you the results that you want.
1. Does it match your business’ brand image?
2. Can your customer instantly understand how your business can benefit them?
3. Will you stick out from the crowd? Will your customer remember it?
4. Is your slogan unique for your business or is it transferable?
5. Is it simple enough or are you falling into some common pitfalls.
You’ll be surprised at how many huge companies have create their slogan incorrectly! And you’ll be happy to know that you will be able to save on marketing dollars by avoiding their mistakes.
Your slogan is part of your first impression and making sure that your customers remember you. But sometimes it is daunting to start putting your pen to paper and figuring out what you should start with.
The 5 point checklist is good to critique an existing slogan, but this video also highlights the 2 step process to getting started if you don’t have one today.
Step 1 – What is your product, service or benefit?
Step 2 – Tie it to your brand.
Watch the video for an example of how this process can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your slogan.
It is currently a $600 billion dollar industry in Canada and the United States, with over 630 million active websites. Plus it is still growing at a massive rate of 47% annually over the last 12 years.
iDeal Advisor presents this topic with the idea of focusing on conversion rates, reducing abandonment rates, and increasing the value of your website through traffic and revenue. Throughout the video, topics are covered to help you with these three goals.
First it covers that a good landing page is critical. It needs to have;
1. Your logo, images, and branding
2. You need great copy and design pieces.
3. You need a headline that is catchy and simple.
4. A brief body of copy that is succinct and clear.
5. Testimonials.
6. A call to action. What do you want the visitor coming to your site to DO.
Second there is the new SEO (search engine optimization)
1. fresh content
2. social media
3. media releases
You can’t improve what you can’t measure. So make sure that you are using Google Analytics to understand your unique visitors, abandon rates, and conversion rates.
And finally, you need a way to nurture the leads. How do you get conversion from returning visitors or individuals who left your site.
Contact The Expert
The subject matter expert is Craig Hunt, the President of iDeal Advisor.
email: craigh@idealadvisor.com
85-95% of New Product Launches fail annually (FORBES article of March 24, 2010 based on approx. 250,000 global launches).
With this daunting figure, we want to do everything right to increase our product’s chance of success. Learn from the expert, Kevin Scanlan, who has over 30 years experience in new product development with enterprises and small business.
In this 30 minute video, you will learn:
– what invention is versus product development
– the importance of a roadmap and the process
– how to scan the environment
– the QUAD approach and the 4 different types of product development
– the components of a product specification
– the Gate process used by the most successful companies out there
– red flags and things to look for during the process
Plus, if you have any other questions you can always contact our expert.
Whether your goal is to write a business book, create an anthology, or share your family’s history, this webinar will help you gain some added clarity amidst all the choices available in today’s exciting, ever-changing and often confusing world of publishing.
You’ll learn about the production process, the different kinds of publishing and basic marketing. Most importantly, you will be encouraged to think what it is that you want—and how to go about getting it!
Enjoy Sheri’s fresh approach, as she shares excellent information and tools that you will be able to use and incorporate immediately.
Above all, Sheri will inspire you to become even more committed to yourself and your work, reminding you of the value of ongoing learning and the dedication of time and patience required to bring about meaningful success . . . . and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who care about your work as much as you do!
Contact The Expert!
By Publisher, Editor, Speaker, Consultant, Author Sheri Andrunyk of I C Publishing
Think about the excitement you felt when you first thought about running your own business. Did you dream of financial freedom? More time with your family? Travel to exotic places?
Where has all the excitement gone? Many small business owners experience incredible stress, time pressures and little personal time with loved ones. They realize that their business will collapse if they are absent from it. What started out as a dream has now become a cage.
The transition from a business that is a burden to a business that enables you to have the lifestyle that you dream of is not as difficult as you might think.
Learn to avoid:
•The stress from being the bottleneck in your business.
•The stress of poor cash flow
•The stress from not feeling in control
And how to achieve:
•Financial Freedom
•A business that works for you instead of a business you have to work for
•More time with your loved ones
If you would like to rekindle the dream, watch this video!
Test whether or not your business will fly by going through the idea tester’s funnel.
This 30 minute session is delivered by Small Business Solver co-founder and the author of “Will It Fly? The Idea Tester”, Carla Langhorst. It will give you a solid process to evaluate quickly any great idea that you have. If you have a new product, service, or business, this is for you!
The process has been tested on 1000s of small business ideas and has been used by small business coaches throughout North America as a guide to highlight red flags in a business model.
Top questions that will be answered:
1. Will people buy your product?
2. Is it better than the competition?
3. Will you burnout?
4. Are your salary expectations reasonable?
5. Will you end up working more than you are intending?
Test your business idea for free through the Idea Tester.
What makes a non profit? What makes a social enterprise? What is social entrepreneurship?
These are the first pieces to understand within selecting if your organization will be for profit, non profit, or social enterprise. Knowing the difference and knowing where you fit can be powerful.
Being a social enterprise can have a huge advantage to your organization as your employees are proud of where they work, your values are a guiding light and part of the vision which helps you move forward.
Just as important as figuring out how a social enterprise is different than other organizations, there are a lot of similarities. Specifically, just because you have a mission doesn’t mean that you can forget about profit. You still need to start with your customer and client needs, then build out what business model makes sense for you.
Your Expert
Norm Tasevski
Co-Founder and Partner, Venture Deli
Course Director, Social Entrepreneurship | Schulich School of Business | University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Engineering | U Waterloo Faculty of Environment
norm@venturedeli.com
(416) 624 8349
Matter To The World
follow us on twitter: @venturedeli Want the slideshow? Venture Deli Slideshow
Networking is a super way to get the word out there about your business. Especially if you are anxious about selling, this is a great first way to try your hand at the sales pitch.
This webinar covers the basics. But more importantly, opens your eyes to many different tactics that might work better for you personally.
