Hosting-a-business-event

Why Should My Business Host an Event?

by BlogCommunications

hosting-a-business-eventAmanda Becker our guest blogger, shares how businesses can benefit from hosting events. Events can be part of your business strategy, overall marketing plan, and social media execution.

Why Should My Business Host an Event?

Oftentimes when I tell people that I am an event planner, they kind of give me this look and then ask me a question related to weddings, like “Is it difficult for you to deal with bridezillas?” Yes, I’m sure it is, but I decided that my company would not plan weddings, but events for businesses and charities instead. I enjoy helping organizations to reach their goals. After I give that response, the majority of business people tell me, “Oh, that’s nice. My business doesn’t host events.”

My response to that — “Why not?!”

There are so many reasons why events can be a fantastic business opportunity!

One of those reasons is to increase your foot traffic, or your web and social media traffic. Now, there are lots of ways to market your business, which I realize, but hosting an event is definitely something that you should consider. I am working with a client right now that has doubled their foot traffic since we announced their event! The event has not happened yet, but just since we announced it, they have had twice as many people come through their doors than they normally would have at this time of year. These people are coming in and making it clear that the event intrigued them. They’re saying things like, “Hey, I saw your sign, what’s that event all about?” or “Hi, I saw something on Facebook and I’m interested in being involved.”

Customers are coming in and purchasing things, getting to know the employees, and learning more about what the company does. They are leaving their contact information and are asking to be added to the company’s email list so that they can learn more about the event. The event that we are producing at their business is going to bring in at least 50 people that have never been there before, but that doesn’t necessarily include all of this foot traffic leading up to the event. Their web traffic has increased, as people are going to their site to learn more about the event, and their social media has reached thousands more than it had in the past. This is all because of their upcoming event! It’s a new event and they are already planning to make this an annual thing because of the obvious benefits to their business.

This same event for this same business has provided an opportunity for the company to reach out to its current list of customers at least four times via email, and at least one time each with a personal phone call. The customers are then thanking them for calling! When is the last time your customer thanked you for calling? They’re saying things like “I’m so glad you told me about this upcoming event,” and “thanks so much for inviting me”.

Some other reasons you should consider hosting an event:

  • Educate about your industry and provide value
  • Generate leads for new potential customers
  • Celebrate a milestone like a grand opening, anniversary, or new product
  • Employee engagement or team building. Did you know employees who are engaged make 2.5 times more for the company than employees who are not engaged?
  • Employee appreciation
  • Support a charity or cause
  • Customer appreciation

Let me know if you’d like to talk more about making an event or multiple events a part of your business strategy. I’d much rather work with you and your business than a bridezilla, and I’m sure at least one of the things on the above list could benefit your business!

About the Author: Amanda Becker is the owner of Appleseed Events. With years of experience in hosting events, both corporately and in the nonprofit sector, Amanda is fluent in handling all the details. She enjoys working with people and is exceptional at executing to provide a positive event for both the organization as well as the attendees. Named the 2015 Young Professional of the Year by the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce, Amanda has an extensive network of local contacts, and excels at connecting people to others to help them reach their goals.

Effective-Habits

Stop Putting Out Fires and Create Effective Habits

by BlogCommunications

Effective-HabitsAre you busy putting out fires in your business? We all have issues that come up in our daily operations. As a business owner, there is always that constant pressure to improve the bottom line. So where do you draw the line and put processes in place to market your business? If you’re too busy working IN your business, there is not the time to work ON your business.

For many business owners, they are great at what they went into business for but figuring out how to market their business is daunting. You know you need to market your business, but how do you know the best way to get your name out to new customers? I hear time and time again – “People don’t know we’re here.” Marketing seems labor intensive, expensive, and like something to tackle down the road once a business is better established, but the reality is now is the time to be marketing your services.

Planting the Seeds

A recent Constant Contact survey found that nearly two-thirds of small business owners (64 percent) are focused on increasing revenue and/or sales while a quarter (25 percent) identify making a profit as their biggest business challenge.

You can create habits and processes that will play a key role in driving business growth. It’s the strategy and the plan that can take speaking events and convert attendees into your mailing list. Consistent messaging and touches to this group of individuals can result in new prospects and potential clients that are regularly being added to your mailing list.

Set goals with measurable results and consider picking up the phone to call a prospective client versus always sending an email. Use different forms of communication such as instant messenger in social media platforms.

Identify “Small Marketing” Tasks and Execute

Break larger tasks into smaller pieces. Take one important marketing task, something you need to do consistently, but that you find yourself putting off, like calling prospects or sending an email newsletter, and break it down into smaller steps. Put the task on your calendar and mark it off when done. I personally like Asana and can break my task into smaller steps and check off when that task is done. I try and complete daunting tasks early in the day, so I can get them off the list before interruptions of the day begin. Working with numerous clients, I can color code various tasks for the day per client. Planning is key.

The Building Blocks of Marketing Strategy

Blend the small marketing action with a process and determine how you will implement the action Can it be made it easier, faster and better; or better yet, can the task be automated?

  1. Automate it. One of the easiest ways you can create marketing consistency for your small business while gaining valuable time to invest back into your business, is by automating the action. If email marketing is your focus, the click segmentation coupled with an autoresponder series, allows you to send personalized emails your customers want to receive. I use this tool when networking to grow my newsletter lists. My clients use this process following a tradeshow or special event.
  2. If You Aren’t Measuring How Do You Know If It’s Working? Measuring your actions will enable you to see what’s working and adjust accordingly. Measuring can come in many forms – analytics on a website, coupons redeemed from a print ad, calls received on a dedicated phone line, engagement on social media or reviewing reports in your email marketing program. Don’t just market…measure the results!
  3. Marketing Your Business is NOT a ONE and DONE! Little things done consistently can make a difference. Remember to not only repeat the initial tiny action, perhaps daily over weeks at a time but also the process of making a big challenge smaller. Any action, no matter how small, can be transformed into a positive habit and drive real results.

The key is to start somewhere and keep pushing forward with small and purposeful steps. There is no magic fairy dust to make every marketing activity a success, but consistency in your brand and messaging can create a powerful momentum.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Product-Launch

Nailed It!

by BlogCommunications

Product-LaunchHave you ever had someone tell you that you “Nailed It”? You had such a wonderful feeling of satisfaction for a job well done. Perhaps you spent months planning a product launch, large grand opening or corporate event. Everyone involved celebrated the victory, but the planning process wasn’t without its hiccups. After all… is nothing that goes perfectly 100% of the time. There are numerous vendors, responsible staff that were assigned certain tasks and logistical issues to take into account. They all have to work together toward the common goal – the product launch, corporate party or grand opening – otherwise referred to as the main event!

But what happens when someone doesn’t hold their weight or a vendor lets you down? You begin to scramble to correct the situation, or in worst case scenario, find another vendor. As a business owner or vendor bringing a piece of the puzzle to the party, you don’t want to fail.

We often talk in marketing about putting together a plan. Without a plan everything can come to a dead stop. Case in point… I planned on taking a recent vacation. Weeks prior, I asked a colleague if they would like to submit a blog for our newsletter. We discussed the topic so there was continuity in the newsletter and identified a target day.

Lisa had the article prepared prior to my leaving for vacation, and I was able to go away knowing that part of the plan was handled. This was a trust we had between us that a task would happen. But what if she would have let me down? My reaction would have been quite different.

When you get a nail in the tire of your car – think about how something as small as a one-inch nail can stop a 4,000 machine. Things you had hoped to accomplish are suddenly dead in the water. So, what does all this have to do with business? Identify your nail. Is your nail something that will build and grow your business, or will it stop you in your tracks.

We are well into the 2nd quarter of business and I would ask these questions:

  • Have you set a plan for growth during summer months and upcoming vacation season? That includes planning for summer sales, meeting new referral resources, staff vacations and your own down time.
  • Are there new concepts or skills you need to set aside time to learn? If so, put learning time on your calendar and stick to it. You may need to hire a consultant to work with you and your team.
  • When you rely on others to help you grow, do you give them the proper tools to succeed, or are you a micromanager that everything bottlenecks at your desk.

As you continue to grow your business this year are you going to key the phrase “Nailed It” or will the “Nail in the Coffin” result in stagnant growth for you both personally as well as in your business? To your business success… Nail It!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

managing-business-growth

Seasons of Growth

by BlogCommunications

managing-business-growthAs spring changes to summer one of the biggest things you may notice is how all of the plants that were coming to life in April and May have reached their climax. The spring flowers have bloomed, then fallen, the plant has survived and stabilizing itself for the summer. As a business owner, I appreciate this process and feel as though it relates to not only my business, but to businesses everywhere.

The first few years as a business owner are usually pretty rough, struggling to turn a profit and build a client base. Once you do have the base, the flowers fall off and you’ve become stable, knowing that you made it. In my 10 years in business I can fully assure you that this is one of the most gratifying feelings you will experience as a business owner. But now knowing your roots are firmly planted in the ground and you are stable, has it become time to grow?

Every season your business grows or changes you will feel the excitement that you felt as a new business owner. You will realize and appreciate the process of getting through the spring season without getting nipped by the frost and coming out the other side bigger and better than you were prior to growth. Before making the decision to grow, you need to answer a few important questions and set a business plan in place.

This process is similar to how you trim back your bushes each year and let them grow in the areas you want to expand.

  1. Plan. What is the worst thing that could happen in growing the business, whether your growth involves a new employee, expanding your office or a whole new location all-together? Having a back-up plan for the “what if” is important to planning your growth.
  2. Expectations. What are your expectations for the growth you have planned? Be sure to lay out short-range, mid-range, and long-range goals.
  3. Outcomes. You need to be optimistic. Plan for how you will handle the potential growth and what you will do to keep up with growing business. Adding a new location is not the only part of growing business, you need to have a plan on how to keep your reputation up and handle the growth.

Building your team and getting them on board is the next step. Having the right staff on board will determine the level of your success. Share your growth plans with your team so they understand your dream, and have their buy in for helping you achieve your goals.

Planning for the growth both financially and by building the right team will help to ensure your success through your next seasons of business!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

business-pulse

The Pulse of Your Business

by ArticlesCommunications

business-pulse As a business owner, it is important to know the pulse of your business. What does this mean? It is a solid understanding of why people buy from you, what your customers think, how you react to unsatisfied customers and your willingness to accommodate specific customer or client requests.

Whether you sell a product or service, successful business owners know the value of paying attention to the pulse of their company. Delivering on promises and following up with customers will help to ensure your business is meeting expectations, growing and maintaining a high rate of customer satisfaction.

Let’s start with the question of “how well do we deliver on what we promise?” This is the foundation of your company’s reputation in the community. This one simple question should be the cornerstone for everything the company delivers on – whether it is goods or professional services. While one or two unhappy customers may not hurt your business, it is important to address their concerns. With the power of social media, these unhappy customers have the ability to reach a much larger audience.

That’s why it’s necessary to address any negative comments publicly and to then offer to address the problem off line. By doing this, you have shown that resolving the issue is important. Likewise, when people give you positive reviews, always be sure to thank them. A satisfaction survey is a good tool to use to follow up with your customers and clients to ensure that their expectations are being fulfilled. Lastly, it never hurts to pick up the phone and ask your clients how things are going.

Willingness to adapt. You will find that situations often arise when it becomes quite clear that your customer or client is requesting something out of the ordinary. Can your company adapt and flex to meet the customer’s needs? Accommodating your customers will not only create a strong business relationship, but will also result turning them into loyal customers. Loyal customers become your cheerleaders who will tell others how your business has helped them.

Everyone is human and mistakes are made. But, if those mistakes occur regularly, it’s time to look at how your business is run. Here’s an example. Imagine that a customer orders delivery food from your restaurant, and when the food comes, part of the order is either missing or wrong. The customer now faced with the decision of calling the restaurant back and complaining or accepting what was wrong. The customer realizes that they didn’t get what they paid for. The positive experience of food delivery from the restaurant has just decreased. It is important to provide the product or service that was promised the first time. This prevents your customers from taking one of three courses of action: 1) addressing the mistake, 2) accepting the mistake or 3) telling others of the poor experience and choosing not to use your service again.

Customers have a choice where they spend their money. Keep a pulse on your business and know how customers perceive your service. If they aren’t willing to recommend you, it is important to find out why and fix the problem.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

becoming-an-expert, Edmiston-Group

From Yeah But… To Because: Becoming an Expert

by BlogCommunications

becoming-an-expert, Edmiston-Group What draws people to you or your company? What sets you apart from other companies that offer similar goods or services? Being able to turn the, yeah I could do that but, to we are the best at what we do because, will make you not only a more positive person but a stronger business owner.

Knowing your BECAUSE is why people buy from you. If you don’t know why people come into your business, or purchase your product, it’s time to find out. That’s what makes you different than the business owner down the street.

Being a business owner in what we can refer to as my more seasoned years, I have learned that it is important to be able to move past the yeah but. Yeah but.. people won’t support my cause or yeah but.. it’s overwhelming to learn. The But’s stop you in your tracks and the fear or complacency of moving beyond the Yeah but…keeps your business stagnant. These are phrases that you have to replace with, I can do this because.

Whether you are a business owner, a manager, or an employee, you have more than likely been faced with having to learn a task or start something new and wanted to respond with the, yeah I would do it but…. The ‘yeah but’ is your resistance to change. It allows you to justify a reason as to why you cannot complete a task.

Over the course of the past ten years, my business has evolved. Like anyone else in business, if you don’t evolve, you just stay stuck. For me this task was digital marketing – social media, email marketing and websites. It seemed such an overwhelming task and I had no idea where to start. I didn’t know how to # a twitter feed, nor did I really understand what twitter really was, or how to follow a group on Facebook, nor how to put together a website site map. That was back in 2007, and let’s just say I have come a long way since then and even manage to show my own kids new features from time to time on these social media platforms and in the digital marketing arena. How you may ask? I turned the yeah but… into the because.

People didn’t turn to me to help manage their digital marketing programs when I was still floundering myself. They did however turn to me when I learned it, attended webinars, watched YouTube videos on how to increase followings and yes even took a few classes. People came to me for help BECAUSE I made myself a well-educated expert in this field as I knew that it would be part of my key to success.

Since my first webinar I have learned many more tricks of the trade that allow me to be a successful blogger and manager of social media. There have been many hours spent on training. I turned my yeah but, into my, because. People turn to me for help because I have become educated in my field. The Edmiston Group stays up on the social media trends and integrates digital marketing into an overall marketing strategy.

There will always be lessons to learn and people that are more talented than I am to learn them from. However, I am a lifelong learner and will always find new things to learn. You can bet a few years down the road the Edmiston Group will continue to evolve and find new technologies and services to offer our clients. After all….isn’t that how we bring fresh ideas to grow your business?

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

comfort-zone-to-stretch-zone, Edmiston-group

What Zone Are You In?

by ArticlesCommunications

comfort-zone-to-stretch-zone, Edmiston-groupDo you find as a small business owner that you often feel like you are peddling as fast as you can and are going nowhere, or not near as far as you had hoped? Many of us do. Effective time management and the development of solid people skills will help you set yourself for success and accomplish more.

As a business owner it is important to have people skills. Knowing how to handle other people has a large part to do with how successful you are in in life, as well as business. Many people overlook the fact that these skills also involve you. Recognizing gaps in your own skillset or knowledge base is the first step to becoming better and more efficient at running your business.

Step Out

Becoming more efficient starts by setting goals that are above your abilities. While this sounds crazy, it forces you to improve. Let’s look at three personal zones that you can achieve when setting goals – the comfort zone, the stretch zone, and the extreme zone.

By staying in the comfort zone you essentially stop your learning process. You remain comfortable in the status quo. You have your set clients and you’re happy. Nothing rocks the boat right? As methods of doing business and technology change, you choose to resist change. Efficiencies that come with those technologies are lost and you continue to work harder, but accomplish the same amount or less due to increasing demands. Perhaps during that time one of those long term clients decides to take a different, more progressive direction and leaves you behind.

As you step into the stretch zone you begin to stretch your abilities. This is where you push the envelope on what you are comfortable with. You have stretched your knowledge base and with guts and fortitude learned how to accomplish these tasks in new ways. As you continue to learn new things, you may receive more responsibility at work, or develop a new product line if you’re a business owner. These things didn’t appear to be viable without the stretch so you’ve opened yourself up to new possibilities and opportunities.

Last we have the extreme zone. Entering this zone can be dangerous as you are reaching into an area where you simply don’t have the skill set necessary to be successful and thus can set you and your self-confidence back. You can’t go from couch potato to a triathlon participant in a week. Without proper training, sacrifice and learning how your body reacts to this preparation, you set yourself up for failure.

How you venture into the stretch zone depends on your personality. Some people prefer to take small steps while others jump in with both feet. Reaching into this zone will help to build your confidence and enable you to gain skills that will allow you to move onto tasks that perhaps were originally in the extreme zone. Knowledge is king.

Set goals.

Setting goals helps to keep moving you forward toward reaching that goal. Attainable goals that are set with deadlines will also force to keep you to stay on track and measure your results. The 80/20 rule is also called the “Pareto Principle” named after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto from 1895. What this means is that 80% of result comes from 20% of the focused effort.

Our daily to do lists can be overwhelming and it’s tempting to complete small tasks throughout the day, but at the end of the day, feel like we’ve not accomplished anything. Setting focused goals and blocks of time in your schedule when you’re fresh and where you’re laser focused can help you achieve those goals. Successful people work toward their top two or three goals all the time.

Often goals can be overwhelming and leave you wondering where to start. Fortunately there is a simple solution. Just as dissecting a big project, breaking your goal down into smaller segments with target dates can help to make the goal seem more achievable.

While at times you may feel like these smaller goals are insignificant, be sure to step back every now and then and look at the bigger picture. So tell me…are you ready to stretch?

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

Near Year Strategy, Edmiston Group

A New Year A New You!

by ArticlesCommunications

Resolutions and Vision, Near Year Strategy, Edmiston GroupAre you like the thousands of Americans who have made a New Year’s resolution?  Have you made them in the past and struggled or failed to be able to keep them?  In 2016, I made a commitment to take control of my health.  For me, a little extra motivation was the fact that my son was getting married and I wanted to look healthy and fit for his wedding.  It was a nine month journey, not without its sacrifice, setbacks, trials and times when I wanted to give up.  But with consistency, planning and focus on the goal I was able to achieve the end result.

How does that equate to being a business owner you may wonder?  For me, eating healthy, exercising and feeling better about myself was a great boost in productivity and self-confidence.  Business has grown, projects are larger and more complex.  But, I feel I can tackle them.

A New Year’s resolution can vary greatly from something personal such as being more active, getting in better shape or eating better, to performance goals at work.  Whether it is a personal goal or a business goal, you can take steps to help ensure that you are able to stick to your New Year’s resolution.

Resolutions and Vision, New Year Resolutions, Edmiston GroupWrite it down or create a vision board.  For me…I found my mother of the groom wedding dress that I fell in love with and bought.   It was a size I hadn’t seen in years.  I needed to say on track with diet and exercise to still fit into it for my son’s wedding.  I looked at it regularly, tried it on occasionally and knew I needed to stay with the program to have it zip!  Focus on the goal.

Studies have shown that when you put things in writing it is easier to stick to your goals.  Don’t just jot it down and throw it in the bottomless pile of papers on your desk.  Put it somewhere that you can see it and hold that dream, touch that piece of paper or whatever you need to do to fulfill that dream and not become complacent.

What do you want for your business?  How many new clients or projects do you want?  How much do you want to grow your retail business?  As an employee, what education or training don’t you have that you should obtain?  Is there a next level of position you seek?  If so…what qualifications are required and are you willing to educate yourself to ensure you have those skill sets?

Make your goals attainable.  Most people give up their weight loss resolution by February.  They look at the total number of pounds they want to lose instead of breaking that total number down into smaller goals with attainable numbers and dates.  As a business owner, it’s pretty unrealistic to think you will turn your start-up business into a million dollar company in 3 months.  Start out small and know that you can always give yourself new goals as the year progresses.  Shoot for goals such as to lose 10 lbs., walk 7,000 steps, then 10,000 steps and then compete in challenges with fit bits or friends.  Look to increase your business by 5-7%. Add one or two new services or products in the coming year. These are things that are attainable.

Create a plan. There is no better way to get to your destination or goal than to have a path laid out as to how you plan to get there.  It may be to cook your meals on Sunday and have healthy snacks ready.  Perhaps instead of browsing social media for the latest in what’s happening with friends, you take an online class or volunteer at a nonprofit organization.  You gain experience and expand your network.

For the business owner, simply saying you’re going to be more profitable with no plan as to how you are going to do it, will often leave you empty and discouraged.  Have dinner with trusted colleagues and discuss your plan.  Then put the plan to paper and execute.

The New Year is a great time to start a new steps in the right direction.  Be sure to set yourself up for success and create a path to follow.  Little reminders of what your goal is and being able to see the progress will help you continue down the path the success! Take time to celebrate the little victories.  I will tell you that it’s easy to slide back into old habits.  Commit to eating right, exercising and plan for your next position or business growth opportunity.  Be the best you can be in 2017!  Are you up to the challenge?

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.