SBA Announces Contracting Program for Women-Owned Small Businesses
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The SBA is a useful resource for small businesses. If there is an office in your area, please take advantage of their services. If meeting face-to-face is difficult, peruse the information they have available online.

If you are a woman-owned small business (the standard size is 500 or fewer), the SBA has a contracting program. The new Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program was fully implemented in 2011, with the first contracts awarded the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011. Read the excerpt below from the press release in 2011:

“Implementing the Women-Owned Small Business contracting rule has been a top priority for the Obama Administration and SBA,” said Administrator Karen Mills. “Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. As we continue to look to small businesses to grow, create jobs and lead America into the future, women-owned businesses will play a key role. That’s why providing them with all the tools necessary to compete for and win federal contracts is so important. Federal contracts can provide women-owned small businesses with the oxygen they need to take their business to the next level.”

The WOSB Federal Contract Program will provide greater access to federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs and economically-disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). The Program allows contracting officers, for the first time, to set aside specific contracts for certified WOSBs and EDWOSBs and will help federal agencies achieve the existing statutory goal of five percent of federal contracting dollars being awarded to WOSBs.

Every firm that wishes to participate in the WOSB program must meet the eligibility requirements and either self-certify or obtain third party certification. Regardless of their certification method, WOSBs must also upload required documents proving their eligibility to a secure online data repository developed and maintained by SBA.

To qualify as a WOSB, a firm must be at least fifty-one percent owned and controlled by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women. The women must be U.S. citizens and the firm must be considered small according to SBA size standards. To be deemed “economically disadvantaged,” a firm’s owners must meet specific financial requirements set forth in the program regulations.

For more information on the Women-Owned Small Business Program or to access the instructions, applications or database, please visit www.sba.gov/wosb.

Chris Brogan on Creating Trust with Customers Online
By Categories: Blog

After almost 13 years in business, I learned a lot. One thing that’s critical is people are doing business with me and the people that work with me. We are Visibility Marketing Inc. and it’s important that everyone that works in and with us know that customer relationships and trust are important in our business.

That was a little easier before we had the World Wide Web. Now, you don’t necessary walk into a brick and mortars store, shake someone’s hand and start talking. A lot of business transactions are done online where you don’t see the person with whom you are conducting business. How can you build that trust?

Chris Brogan, author of ‘Trust Agents,’ talks about new business practices that can help companies create long-term relationships with customers online. He speaks with Bryan Elliott in ‘Behind the Brand.’ In the segment he discusses…

  • What is a Trust Agent?
  • Why Use the Web?
  • Everyone Wants to be a Social Media Rockstar
  • Give It Three Months
  • Using Social Media to Get Leads
  • Social Web Benefits
  • Small Business and Policy
  • Tactics to Go to the Next Level

See the full interview of Bryan and Chris here. This is a great, short video from which to watch and learn. You will want to investigate his suggestions further. Let me know what you think.

http://youtu.be/lbZSfNtqYcY

If you need assistance in building your web presence, contact us and we will help you get started.

The Four Great Words to Hear
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For a small business owner, there’s nothing like stating the price of your services and hearing the words, “OK, let’s get started.” For so many of us, we sometimes get other words such as, “That’s not in my budget,” “Can you come lower?” or “Why are your prices so high?”

You want to attract clients that will say, “OK, let’s get started,” over and over again. They value your product or service, and they are willing to pay your asking price.

Back in October, I remember watching this video on Entrepreneur.com called “How to Attract the Clients You Want.” Every new business owner asks these same questions, “How can I get prospects to contract with me at my rate?” Or, “Why do people want me to lower my prices?” Maria Forleo, a small business expert, discusses this with Diana Ransom of Entrepreneur.com.

Here are a few of the points Maria talks about:

  • Position yourself as the best in your market by having a clean and professional website.
  • Translate your value by explaining how much time and money you will be saving your clients.
  • Prove your business success through case studies and testimonials from past clients.

Watch the discussion in its entirety here. Let me know what you think. If you incorporate some of the suggestions, maybe you will often hear those four great words, “OK, let’s get started.”

http://youtu.be/rWLj0ZOOtko

 

 

 

Learn from a 4-Year-Old How to Get What You Want!
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I recently read a blog written by Jarom Adair on CopyBlogger about how persuasive his four-year-old son was at getting what he wanted when he wanted it and even when he really didn’t know he wanted it. I have children and I know exactly what he’s talking about.

Jarom went on to tell a story of how his son got a woman in the grocery store to open a bag of chips for him that she hadn’t even paid for yet. Another story he shared was how he picked a stranger at a sporting event and — before Jarom could intervene — his son got the guy to buy him a large bag of Gummy LifeSavers from a vending machine.

As Jarom put it, his son was that skilled at “the art of persuasion.” So, have you ever had a bad period where no one was calling… no one emailed… no one ordered, just things were so slow even a snail could beat you? Well, you need to brush up on your persuasion skills. Listed below are nine things Jarom indicated as ways to get people to do what you want them to do – taught to him by his son.

  • The art of ask
  • Find the right angle
  • Break the entire process down into manageable steps
  • Emulate successful strategies
  • Collect compliments
  • Use rich language
  • Paint vivid pictures for your readers
  • Show them some love
  • Tell them your hopes

Visit his blog to read the full details here.

 

SBA: Do Your Market Research
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The SBA is a useful resource for small businesses. If there is an office in your area, please take advantage of their services. If meeting face-to-face is difficult, peruse the information they have available online.

Here’s an article about understanding the market you’re in. Who are your customers? How can you help them?

Understand Your Market

To run a successful business, you need to learn about your customers, your competitors and your industry. Market research is the process of analyzing data to help you understand which products and services are in demand, and how to be competitive. Market research can also provide valuable insight to help you:

  • Reduce business risks
  • Spot current and upcoming problems in your industry
  • Identify sales opportunities

How to Conduct Market Research

Before you start your business, understand the basics of market research by following these steps:

Identify Official Government Sources of Market and Industry Data

The government offers a wealth of data and information about businesses, industries and economic conditions that can aid in conducting market research. These sources provide valuable information about your customers and competitors:

  • Economic Indicators
  • Employment Statistics
  • Income and Earnings

Identify Additional Sources of Analysis

Trade groups, business magazines, academic institutions and other third parties gather and analyze research data about business trends. Use Internet and database searches to find information related to your location and industry.

Understand the International Marketplace

Today’s economy is a globalized marketplace, so it’s important to understand the international factors that influence your business. These resources will help you to research potential international markets for your products or services:

  • Market Research Guide for Exporters
  • Identifies resources for business owners seeking to sell their products abroad.
  • Country Market Research
  • Reports on trade issues in countries across the globe.
  • BuyUSA.gov
  • Helps U.S. companies find new international business partners.
Source: http://www.sba.gov/content/do-your-market-research

How to Maintain the Focus to Run a Business
By Categories: Blog

Early in my business career, I met regularly with two women business owners. I was not yet where they were, but I knew that someday I would own a business. There’s a saying, “Fake it until you make it,” which means continue to believe and act like what you want has arrived and it eventually will come. It did.

As my business grew, I realized that I needed to take better care of me. Since I am goal-focused, I decided to enter a fitness contest. In order to compete, I had to make sure I put the correct foods in my body and work out daily. I watched my body transform. I also felt as good as I did in my ‘20s.

Taking better care of me also included having very little contact with negative people, that includes in both your business and personal life. You can’t control others, but you can control yourself. If there are people in your life that bring you down, keep your distance. It’s futile to try to change them. The only person you can change is yourself.

Exercising and eating correctly are but two ways I reduce stress. Another is to stay grounded spiritually. In addition to following Christ, I also read the works of Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay, Don Miguel Ruiz, Michael Singer, Bruce Lipton and others. Taking time out of the day to allow my spirit to be quiet, listen and learn to move to a higher level are ways that I maintain focus, period.

I love the car commercial I recently saw that stated, and I’m paraphrasing, “We have a small rear-view mirror to glance at where we’ve been, and a large front window to see everywhere we’re going.”

Serial entrepreneur Jen Groover offers advice on how to get the mental clarity you need to stay at the top of your game as an entrepreneur.

To maintain your mental clarity, she suggests:

  • Make your health a priority
  • Get rid of the things and people that drain your energy
  • Read books, surround yourself with positive people
  • Eat right. There are foods that can elevate your energy.
  • Work out.

Listen to Jen’s advice in its entirety here. Let me know what you think.

Why Your Nonprofit Needs an Annual Report
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Writing an annual report for your nonprofit is a great idea. Annual reports can help your nonprofit to communicate activities, share your accomplishments, reinforce your core values to existing supporters, and help attract new donors. In addition, it can educate key decision makers about your organization’s work, recognize special people, including staff and volunteers, and serve as a vehicle to preserve your organization financial history.

Your annual report should include:

  • A letter from your Board and Executive Director regarding the years’ activities.
  • A list of the Board of Directors and Executive Staff
  • Accomplishments the organization made during the year, including goals set and met. Describe each one with a brief narrative.
  • Your financial statements will be very important in showing your supporters how their dollars were spent. Include diagrams in your report that show in layman’s terms an overview of those expenditures and why they were necessary.
  • A list of supporters/donors for the year. Depending on the size of your organization, it might be a good idea to ask them if they would be willing to share their personal story or provide feedback about the organization. You can then use some of these as pull-out quotes to place sporadically throughout the annual report.

Creating the annual report will take a team to develop. In addition to the accounting firm who provides the financial information, some organization hire outside public relations and/or marketing firms to assist them in formulating and creating the content. Depending on the size of your organization, you may need several people to interview the individuals you want included in the annual report.

Once all the information has been received, it’s time sit down and plan how all that information will be laid out – all the text, images, quotes, financials… everything will need a place.

Proofread, proofread, proofread! Everything must be read, read again, and read one or two more times. Select a few people who did “not” work on the project to take review it. Fresh eyes have a tendency to find things that the team may not have found or overlooked.

It’s FINAL! Ready to go! Make sure to your annual report is in a PDF format to have as a downloadable document on your website or to have handy should someone request one by email.

If you need assistance or guidance in pulling together your organization’s annual report, contact us at Visibility Marketing Inc. – (440) 684-9920.

 

Get Contracts with the Government
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The SBA is a useful resource for small businesses. If there is an office in your area, please take advantage of their services. If meeting face-to-face is difficult, peruse the information they have available online.

The United Sates federal government is the world’s largest employer! The department of defense employs 3.2 million people while Walmart has 2.1 employees and McDonald’s 1.9 worldwide. As a business owner, why wouldn’t you want to do business with the largest employer in the world?

If you’re interested in federal contracts, the 8(a) Business Development Program is an important resource for small businesses seeking business-development assistance.

Named for Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, this program was created to help small and disadvantaged businesses compete in the marketplace. It also helps these companies gain access to federal and private procurement markets.

What is the purpose of the 8(a) Business Development Program?

Its focus is to provide business development support including:

  •     Mentoring
  •     Procurement assistance
  •     Business counseling
  •     Training
  •     Financial assistance
  •     Surety bonding
  •     Other management and technical assistance

The application is lengthy and will need your full attention to detail. It is probably best to get an SBA Mentor to assist you with the application process to ensure that the information you provide is in a manner consistent with SBA policies. This could eliminate any future issues with your application.

There are companies that will tell you they can help you get 8(a) certified. You don’t need to pay an outside company to do it. You just have to make sure all your papers are in order. Some of the information you may need to produce include taxes, operation agreement, board of directors’ information (meeting minutes), by-laws, personal financial information, loan agreements and by laws.

Read more about the program and their requirements here – http://www.sba.gov/content/8a-business-development.

Visibility Marketing Inc. received our 8(a) certification on 2011. It was a difficult process and we’re happy that we are in!

The nine-year program helps small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the government’s market place. Thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs like us (and you!) are able to gain a foothold on government business.

By participating in the program, Visibility Marketing Inc. can receive sole-source contracts, but we can also form joint ventures for opportunities, like the one we’ve formed with Möbius Grey (Mö-Vis).

If you’re interested in becoming 8(a) certified, give us a call. We can explain our experiences and point you in the right direction.

Expand Your Business…The Barbara Corcoran Way
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Wow. Barbara Corcoran shares herself in this video! Corcaran built a $5 billion real estate empire from $1,000. She shares childhood stories as one of ten children to how she learned to incorporate fun in her business.

Is it worth over 60 minutes? Absolutely. Corcoran in fun and witty in her keynote address at the Entrepreneur’s Magazine Growth Conference in Dallas, TX. You will definitely come out ahead if you only incorporate one of the nine gems into your business model – from “Expand before you’re ready,” to “Everybody wants, what everybody wants.”

Watch this video from Barbara. Enjoy and expand.

Ways to Nurture and Grow Your Audience
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Sonia Simone, co-founder and CMO (Chief Media Officer) of Copyblogger Media, wrote a blog back in July 2012 entitled, “How to Protect Your Business’s Most Important Asset (No, It’s Not Your Website). In it she shares her thoughts on how to nurture a healthy and robust relationship with your audience.

Some of the key points she touched on were:

  1. The audience comes first … always
  2. Use content to provide value that scales
  3. Know your audience
  4. Think carefully about how you want to be known
  5. Tell the truth
  6. Listen more than you talk
  7. Remember that you are in business

“When you recognize that your audience is your one irreplaceable asset, you’ll start to make better decisions,” said Sonia. She goes on to say, “you won’t be tempted to promote a bad product or slap ugly, irrelevant ads on your site, because you’ll know those things aren’t worth turning off your audience.”

“Figure out exactly who you want to talk with — which normally will be the people who can become your absolute best customers. Find out what they worry about, what they need, what they want, what makes them angry.” I agree whole-heartedly with this statement. Too many businesses, especially new businesses, want to target anyone… anywhere, whether they fit the audience or not – just to sell their product or service. This only wastes valuable time.

Read more of Sonia’s informative blog here.

SBA: Developing a Marketing Plan
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The SBA is a useful resource for small businesses. If there is an office in your area, please take advantage of their services. If meeting face-to-face is difficult, peruse the information they have available online.

Developing a Marketing Plan

Marketing takes time, money, and lots of preparation. One of the best ways to prepare yourself is to develop a solid marketing plan. A strong marketing plan will ensure you’re not only sticking to your schedule, but that you’re spending your marketing funds wisely and appropriately.

What can a Marketing Plan do for Your Small Business?

A marketing plan includes everything from understanding your target market and your competitive position in that market, to how you intend to reach that market (your tactics) and differentiate yourself from your competition in order to make a sale.

Your small business marketing budget should be a component of your marketing plan. Essentially, it will outline the costs of how you are going to achieve your marketing goals within a certain timeframe.

If you don’t have the funds to hire a marketing firm or even staff a position in-house, there are resources available to guide you through the process of writing a marketing plan and developing a market budget.

Bend Your Budget When Necessary and Keep an Eye on ROI

Once you have developed your marketing budget, it doesn’t mean that it’s set in stone. There may be times when you need to throw in another unplanned marketing tactic — such as hosting an event or creating a newspaper ad — to help you reach your market more effectively.

Ultimately, it’s more important to determine whether sticking to your budget is helping you achieve your marketing goals and bringing you a return on investment (ROI) than to adhere to a rigid and fixed budget.

That’s why it’s important to include a plan for measuring your spend. Consider what impact certain marketing activities have had on your revenues during a fixed period, such as a business quarter, compared to another time period when you focused your efforts on other tactics. Consider the tactics that worked as well as those that didn’t work. You don’t have to cut the tactics that didn’t work, but you should assess whether you need to give them more time to work or whether the funds are best redirected elsewhere.

Granted, some tactics are hard to measure — such as the efficacy of print collateral (brochures, sales sheets, etc.), but you need to consider the impact of not having these branding staples in your market tool kit before you reign in your graphic design and print funds.

Marketing plans should be maintained on an annual basis, at a minimum. But if you launch a new product or service, take time to revisit your original plan or develop a separate campaign plan that you can add to your main plan as an addendum.

At the end of the day, the time spent developing your marketing plan, is time well spent because it defines how you connect with your customers. And that’s an investment worth making.

Additional Resources

Provides information to help you develop your marketing and plan and review sample marketing plans.

Offers tips to help you research, plan, develop and price marketing campaigns.

Source: http://www.sba.gov/content/developing-marketing-plan