How Much Marketing is the 'Right' Amount?

When you begin to market your services and/or products, consider using multiple methods of marketing.  not one method of marketing is giong to deliver all the desired results.  The best results will come from multiple market strategies that enable the services and/or products to be exposed to the maximum number of people.

Listed below are 10 ways to market your services and products:

• Word of Mouth
• Referrals
• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• You Tube
• Flyers
• Posters
• Workshops
• Groupon / Living Social

The more marketing methods that you use the more likely you will succeed.  Be aware that the speicific methods you 'choose' to market your products must be unified and cohesive.  Make sure your marketing efforts are not confusing or incomplete.

Remember, the goal of any marketing effort is three fold.

First, using the methods listed above, drive the customer to your products and services building awareness and recognition.  Second, convert tehm into a paying customer and third, make them repeat and loyal customer.

As we have discussed before, it is better to have 60 clients who train once a month than 12 clients who train five times per month.  In effoct, the more people who understand and appreciate your product/services, the more successful you will be each month.

Most importantly, treat all your marketing strategies the same.  You will be far more successful using multiple marketing approaches to secure a profitable business for years to come!

Preparing For A Leave Of Absence

Taking vacations or time off is a necessity to maintain your sanity and to refresh your mindset both in life and in business. The difficulty in taking this time is preparing your business for when you are gone.

This brings up a very important concept. The concept of “automation”. Simply put this means that you need to your business set up in such a matter that the majority of the day to day activities can take place with out your direct involvement.

For you to be a true business owner and not just someone that owns a job you need to be able to take time away from the business and the business should create money. Does this describe your business? If not, you have work ahead of you.

Make a list of all the day to day activities that you as the business owner currently handle. Once you have prepared the list it is time to go over the list and identify what tasks can either be delegated to other staff or outsourced.

During the first round of evaluations place an “x” by all the activities that take 20 minutes or longer to complete.

Re-evaluate the list a second time. This time place an “*” by all activities that you wish you didn’t have to do.

Re-evaluate the list a third time. This time place an “+” by all activities that cause you to procrastinate doing the activity.

For each activity that you placed a symbol “x, *, +” write down what it would take for you to delegate or out source this item.

Hold on to your list, next week I will share with you how to begin delegating and/or outsourcing those activities.