Month: February 2013

Business Marketing on a Budget

Even the most inexperienced entrepreneur will recognize the importance of marketing for business success. The problem, however, is that marketing can be rather expensive. Many small companies find themselves incapable of doing the right kind of advertising due to the high cost.

Creativity and internet will help you do amazing marketing on a budget. Sometimes, a great idea can be carried out free of charge. The following marketing techniques are perfect for businesses that are trying to do promotion on a tight budget.

The Power of Internet

Internet marketing is one of the best options for you. The web is one of the most inexpensive channels and it provides the added benefit of a highly targeted audience. No other communication channel will help you reach such a demographically appropriate group of individuals.

Social networking brags high efficiency, while it typically happens free of charge. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter are perfect for marketing on a budget. Even sms marketing software can have great returns for minimal start up costs. Even if you decide to pay for the campaigns, the sums will be minimal in comparison to other kinds of promotion.

Always go through your bills and examine the internet marketing reports that you receive in the end of the month. Stick to reputable websites because you may otherwise fall into a scam trap. Forensic accountants can help you figure out the best online promotional tools for your business.

words of mouth
photo credit: Pricklebush via photopin cc

Word of Mouth Promotion

Happy customers will be willing to spread the word. Provide a stellar service and your clients will do the promotion for you.

Word of mouth promotion is highly efficient. Most often, people remain skeptical about marketing messages and commercials. When they need a service or a product, however, many people are likely to turn to friends and relatives for recommendations.

Support Events and Fundraisers

Participating in community events and fundraisers will help you increase brand awareness without spending a fortune on it.

Support causes and charities that are of paramount importance for the community. You will be creating an image of a socially responsible business. People like such initiatives and they will be willing to check your company out in the future.

Help for the organization and the popularization of the event. You can donate a sum to the charity, as well. It does not have to be a large amount. People will still notice you and remember your company.

Article Marketing

Article marketing is one of the newest and most efficient forms of online promotion.

In its essence, article marketing is the creation of content for popular websites and blogs. In return, you will get a link to your corporate website.

Writing useful articles about the topics you are knowledgeable in will help you establish yourself as the authority inside a particular niche. Clients will be more willing to turn to a well-established business. Article marketing takes place free of charge but you will have to spend some time thinking about interesting and informative content.

Participate in Conferences

Being a guest lecturer will help you increase corporate awareness, as well. You can easily get invited to participate in conferences and seminars. Work on your biography, increase your portfolio and contact the right people in order to benefit from this kind of promotion.

Participation in conferences and seminars is the perfect form of business-to-business marketing. You will get to make a presentation in front of industry specialists. The B2B sector is exceptionally important for corporate success and you should make use of such opportunities.

Local Online Marketing

Google+ and Foursquare have added a local dimension to online promotion.

Create a Google Places page dedicated to your business. These pages are used by people looking for products and services in their city or neighborhood. Local marketing is the most practical form of online promotion because it translates in the biggest number of actual sales.

Business promotion is all about making use of the available channels, even if you have a very limited budget. It will require time and effort but you will easily increase your popularity without spending too much on marketing campaigns. Take your time, think about it and be original – this is the only way to set your business apart.

Author Bio: This guest post is written by Nick Anderson an experienced finance writer.

Scandalous Investment Schemes: Is Your Business at Risk?

Recent economic conditions have made investment fraud a very prominent problem among small businesses. These businesses, often looking to recoup losses they incurred in their investments or to their company retirement accounts are being swayed by con-artist financial advisers that are more interested in their own bottom-line than the security of the investments they are offering.  Four of the most common fraudulent schemes out there consist of familiar sounding phrases.

1) Exchange Traded Funds   Commonly known as ETF’s, these funds carry a very high risk to any investor. Most ETF’s consist of very volatile and exotic financial products that would not be the first choice of any low-risk investor. Additionally, these brokers or advisers often fail to tell the small business that an ETF is often not able to be liquidated at short notice in the event that the company needs to raise quick cash.c

2) ForEx   ForEx is the slang term for Foreign Exchange trading. This type of trading deals with buying and selling foreign currency against each other for a profit. Most people do not understand how ForEx works, including most brokers. This type of investment is classed as very high-risk.

Crowne-Gold-Bullion

3) Precious Metals  As many people know, gold and silver prices have skyrocketed since the beginning of the recession. This has spurred many financial advisers to recommend purchasing gold products. However, most investors are unaware that gold is sold in many different ways and at different values. Gold bullion, for instance, is priced differently than gold coins. Likewise, gold stock certificates in a mine are much different from investing in jewelry grade gold. Most advisers encourage gold investments because they are very high-commissioned sales, not because they are beneficial to the buyer. Additionally, many people believe they “own pure gold,” when in fact they only own gold coins.

4)  Energy Schemes   Whether it is oil and gas investments or green technologies, most of these schemes are considered very risky. Many of these schemes are for start-up capital or new ventures that have no proven track record.

5)  Fraudulent Association  Advisement of an investment fraud lawyer is recommended if these situations arise, as they are some of the most common ways fraudulent transactions are committed.  Brokers “associate” themselves with a large company, even though there is no connection between the entities. The business owner assumes the investment proposal is valid because of the association.

6)  Special Deals   Think of a Ponzi scheme and you will understand this ploy. These sellers offer an investment deal that they are only willing to offer to specially selected investors.

7)  Off the Books  These deals are not only risky, they are illegal. The adviser offers you an investment opportunity that they are “aware of” even though it is not coming through their investment firm.

The best way to avoid fraudulent acts by financial advisers is to do diligent research about the investment, the company offering the deal, and the adviser themselves if necessary. If you find that you have been a victim of one of these schemes, or believe that you are a victim of another type of investment scheme, you are encouraged to seek the professional services of a fraudulent investment attorney.

Ann Bailey contributes business articles relating to investment processes.  The preemptive advice of an investment fraud lawyer like Page Perry, an Atlanta based specialist in guiding investors, could help small business owners protect themselves from unscrupulous financiers preying upon sound investment hopes of business owners everywhere.

Photo Credit:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalcurrency/2438119267/