It’s not necessary to work harder at your small business if you can just work smarter. It’s a well-known practice of the most successful entrepreneurs, tending to what’s important, ignoring what isn’t and knowing how to spot opportunities and problems before they arrive. Here are some simple tips to raise your small business’s IQ.

Tips

Build a business people will want to buy. No, this doesn’t mean you necessarily have to sell your business now or ever if you don’t choose to. But creating a saleable business also usually means creating a healthy and profitable business, and who doesn’t want that, right? It’s a pretty important yardstick for your business success. Is your business something people would want to buy? The Portfolio Partnership

Integrate social media effectively into your company. Are you using social media in your business today? This can involve much more than simply marketing. But if you already have other components of a more traditional marketing plan in place, you may definitely wish to combine them with your social media efforts. No matter what you are using social media for in your small business, you should integrate it into your other efforts too. ShopTalk

Planning

How to get things started. It’s important for more than just seeking investment or loans. A business plan should contain the information you will use to run and grow your small business. But where do you start when creating one? Creating a business plan takes thought and preparation, but it should never be a drudgery. Here are some steps to get you started on the business plan right for you. Expert Business Advice

Tips on the planing process. There are many concerns raised by small business people and entrepreneurs about the right way to create a business plan…or even if they need one. This example from one small business shows the benefits that having a business plan can truly give you. Realize the importance of a strategic approach to your small business when creating the best plan. Open For Business

Marketing

Keep blogging with these 20 tips for topics. Maintaining a blog for your business can potentially be a critical component of your marketing plan. But keeping a steady stream of original content flowing can be a challenge while running your business and serving customers. Not the least of these challenges is coming up with regular ideas you can transform into regular blog posts. This list of sources for inspiration should help. Riches Corner

Making your business show up on Google. Making your local small business visible on Google searches and on the Internet in general is more critical everyday if you plan on winning more business. Whether you happen to be interested in Tim’s service or not, his post and related videos including an entire online marketing blueprint for a local insurance company offer a wealth of information for any small businesses. timmcgarvey.com

Operations

15 ways to cut your small biz costs. There are a lot of ideas for cutting costs in your business without cutting productivity. Look for ways you can accomplish the same activities at lower costs and maybe even with better efficiency. Remember that many of your small business costs are based on decisions made over time. Re-evaluating these decisions over time may help you identify other options not considered previously. Angel Business Advisors

When financial insolvency may be near. Whether looking at your own business or the business of a competitor, customer or partner, it can be critical to see the signs. Could financial insolvency be ahead for your business or a company with whom you might have a strong business relationship? It’s important to know the signs and not be caught by surprise when financial difficulties appear. CorporateLifeOnline

Policy

Do we really need the SBA? Has the Small Business Administration finally outlived its usefulness? This issue has come up before with other calls to get rid of the agency whose main designated function is to loan money to small businesses. But if small business loans and even the demand for them are few and far between especially in a rocky economy, is the agency really worth the cost? WSJ

Changing roles for the self-employed. What could new pressure to re-evaluate the status of the self-employed mean for entrepreneurs and small business people? The stated aim of a “Freelancers Union” trying to get the Department of Labor to change the way it looks at “independent workers” is to improve working conditions for a major new segment of the economy. But the qualification could be so broad that it would apply to many small business owners too. Would this be a good thing or a bad thing for your business? Bloomberg Businessweek

Creating an Insider’s Guide

Without too much effort, you can help serve guests with custom guides.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston

Opened in 1912, Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel is one of the great landmarks in a city filled with landmarks. But even landmarks need to stay up with the times. The Fairmont Copley Plaza has launched a weekly “insider’s guide to Boston” via a QR code for guests’ smartphones.

A QR (Quick Response) code basically is a two-dimensional bar code that can be encoded with information such as text and URL. The Fairmont Copley Plaza uses it to link guests to its newsletter. The newsletter features news and information about the 383-room hotel as well as the insider’s guide to some events and sites around the city.

“Guests can access the QR code check in,” said Suzanne Wenz, director of public relations for the Fairmont Copley Plaza. “It doesn’t replace any kind of concierge service or all the things that go with that service; it’s just something that a little bit fun.

“We’re a historic hotel. I think it’s always nice when a historic hotel incorporates something more ‘techy.’ We’re really having fun with it. It saves a little paper, too. Our restaurant went to a local event recently where we wanted people to have the menu. They got it off the QR code, which went right to the menu.”

Applying a QR code, Wenz said, is simple and free. A property can find a QR code generator online and plug in the URL it wants to track.

“It doesn’t take a lot of manpower,” Wenz said.

The “insider’s guide” inside the newsletter isn’t your typical city guide. That is, most visitors to the capital of Red Sox Nation know about Fenway Park, the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market and the boutiques and restaurants on Newberry Street. What the Fairmont Copley Plaza wants to provide is short guide to the Boston the locals know and love.

“What we try to do pick things most people don’t think about,” said Wenz, who has lived in Boston for the past 20 years. “Everybody wants to check out the Freedom Trail – and they should – but what our little newsletter is meant to do is provide information on things off the beaten path that maybe people don’t know about .

“I work with our marketing coordinator and we work with our colleagues at the front desk and concierge desk because they have their ears to the ground to what’s cool and what’s fun to do in Boston. So between all of us we’re able to offer something for a lot of interests. It’s our way of saying, ‘here are some things we like to do and we thought you might like them, too.’”

Web sites are one of the most advantageous marketing tools available to business owners, allowing them to not only be “open” 24/7, but to reach customers and clients around the world. However, web sites also require constant monitoring and updated information, graphics, and usability features or functions. A web site featuring old information or outdated graphics could negatively impact business.

To help Nebraska business owners avoid the pitfalls of bad or ineffective web sites, GROW Nebraska is offering the affordable eValueWeb critique. The cost is $30 for basic GROW members, or $15 for GROW bundle members. Non-members will pay just $205 for the critique (includes GROW Nebraska membership through December 31, 2011). Registration deadline is June 30 and completed critiques will be received by August 1.

A jury panel of web industry experts in e-business strategy, graphic design, marketing and usability testing will rate the web sites in audience/purpose, graphics, navigation, content, functionality and search engine optimization. This year’s panel professionals include:

· Jason Berry of Wildberry Production Group

· Kurt Guntner of Blue Collar Design Studio

· Ryan Cole of Three Pillars Media

· John Stappert of Power Computing, Inc.

· Angela Stueckrath of Angela Stueckrath Consulting

· Lance Hedquist of South Sioux City Economic Development

· Kelly Diekmann of Perfect 11 Solutions

· David Hefley of Meridian Consulting

· Doris Lux of Central Community College-Columbus

· Derek Bierman of Shockra Multimedia and Design

· Sara Brownwood of Impact! Media & Marketing

· Erik Miller of CleanSheep Design

· Melody Hansen of Sublime Artistry.

The juror’s biographical information and photos are available at grownebraska.org/webeval/.

GROW Nebraska member Ann Wooledge of Wingsets in Lincoln was glad she participated in a past critique. “I can say the money was certainly well spent. Their comments were very constructive and helpful.”

eValueWeb and membership applications are available on the GROW Nebraska web site at www.grownebraska.org. To find out more about eValueWeb, call GROW Nebraska at 888.GROW.NEB (476.9632), or e-mail info@grownebraska.org.

GROW Nebraska’s mission is to maximize the state’s entrepreneurial and small business spirit, create an economically viable and sustainable environment for entrepreneurs, and generate social awareness through promotion, marketing and education.

Summer Tourism Ideas

Many tourism locales see the summer months as high season. Prices rise, at times the service is a bit less, and many tourism attractions, hotels, restaurants or transportation systems know that the summer’s receipts will determine the success or failure of the entire year. Furthermore, many locales take the position that once spring has passed, marketing may be a waste of time, as summer vacation plans have already been made. Certainly some areas of the world are heavily dependent on the summer traffic patterns. For example, many beach communities (especially those located in cooler climates) may receive up to 90% of their gross revenues from summer sales. Even non-beach resort locations see the summer as a time of great opportunity. For example, urban areas may view the summer as a time when local residents flee to cooler climates, but may also benefit from visitors seeking a cultural experience (especially with their children) at a time when big city life may be a bit less scary. This summer may also be a challenging one for many locales. The economy is still shaky in many parts of the world, and some people may simply put off a summer vacation or skip this year’s vacation. To help you prepare for summer and turn the year into a great season here are a several ideas;
Tout Being Affordable. No matter where you are realize that people will be looking for bargains this summer. Push everything from summer coupon books to places where one can spend a bit less. Be careful not to push too hard, as that can drive down prices to the point that local tourism agencies cannot afford to stay in business. The trick is to give value mixed with good service. In fact in a down economy service becomes an all-important aspect. Our guests, many of whom are struggling to afford a vacation, do not want to feel that they are anything but honored guests.

Teach all front line people to smile! Closely related to good service is a sense of caring and an open friendly attitude. This is the year to remind all front line people that no job is ever guaranteed. We have to earn our jobs with each guest. All too often the tourism experience has been anything but joyous. There is no better advertising or marketing campaign than a friendly smile.

Do not be afraid of visitors from another country. Follow currency exchange rates, for example, if the euro is expensive against the dollar than Europeans tend to flock to the USA. If however, there is a rise in the value of the dollar, Americans may return to Europe. Remember foreign travelers tend to spend a lot more money in a locale than does the local population. The trick is to make their travel as easy as possible. Offer easy locations in which they can exchange money, print multi-lingual maps and guides and encourage restaurants to have menus in more than one language.

Do not be afraid to promote the long weekend. Not everyone may be able to afford in both time and money a two -four week vacation. These people may be looking for weekend get-aways that start on Friday and end on Monday evening. The other alternative is to have creative midweek special. A may prefer to sell its rooms at 50% or the rack rate than not at all. If the economy is shaky, then focus on attracting people from nearby states.

-Be creative in offering not only stress-free summer vacations but also de-stressing vacations. The current economic situation has placed a great deal of stress on lots of people. Think through how you can facilitate hotel check-in and out, help people to locate locations around the community, and not get lost. One of the reasons that people are often stressed out after a vacation is that travel is no longer fun; be it in a car, airplane, boat or railroad car. Develop ways to make your transportation terminals feel more “homey” and less stress inducing. Do not forget to watch gas prices. While gas prices traditionally rise in the summer months, watch for trends and if they become too expensive use this expense as a creative marketing device.

Market even in the summer months. Not everyone has made summer plans, and there are always those people who are seeking a last minute get-away. Remember that creative marketing this summer may provide you with a list of potential new customers for next summer. Remember that good service is the best form of marketing. Seek the time when media prices are lowest and then blitz selected markets that may become new niche marketing zones.
Create a summer marketing web campaign. The web is a great took especially for last minute travelers. Consider such things as:
- Special summer itineraries
- Special summer web specials
- Divide your attractions by style, location and price
- Directions from any place to any point in your locale
- Lists of what is near-by each attraction, from hotels to restaurants to clean rest rooms