Song Star Productions

Online Business – Adding That Personal Touch to Customer Service

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:46:39 +0000

With so many online businesses vying for customers in today’s fragile economy, an important, yet overlooked area of improvement is in their customer service. So many businesses, whether they are large corporations or small online business, neglect to add a personal touch to their customer service. A little extra effort and personal interaction can increase the rate at which a customer will return to that business to make another purchase, or better yet, recommend it to a friend. This can be especially helpful for the little guy trying to make an impression in the online business world.

We are all consumers. Most of us have now used the internet to purchase some kind of good or service. Can you remember the last time you received a personal thank you for your purchase? Or was it just an auto response, blanket email, generic letter or recorded phone call? I can remember one time that I got a personal response, ONE, and I am an avid online shopper. I became a repeat customer there, for that sole reason.

This got me thinking and I have now implemented in my own business ways to personally thank my customers. It just takes the willingness to have personal contact and maybe a little extra effort. I am not saying you should use these methods as a means to bully your customers into more purchases. A personal email, letter or phone call is just a nice gesture to say thank you for their purchase of your product or service, wish them well, and give them your contact information, so that if they have questions or comments they can easily voice them. Make sure you have your email, phone number and website for easy reference. State your return policy and be willing to help and answer the questions when they come.

To make the personal touches authentic, you have to put a little effort into them. I know in this world of instant gratification people want to take the easiest route possible to get the end result. In business this is usually getting lots of customers and getting them now, but will those customers stay loyal? If you take the extra time and effort they just might chose you over your competitor. In the long run, this will produce a better result with repeat buyers and their personal referrals.

Just think of it like a small town hardware store. There are no big companies here, just Joe’s Hardware down the street, and he knows everyone in town. You can go there knowing he is willing to take the time to explain to you how to use that new drill you are going to buy and you know that if you have problems you can go back and he will still be there to explain it again. This is the personal service you strive for.

Personal touches in customer service make your customers feel comfortable and are a way to establish a working, trusting relationship with them. It makes them feel important and valued. It is a way to get back what has been lost in business today.

Small Business: The 5 Major Problems in Growth

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:23:38 +0000

Planning for growth is the key to business development. Dealing with growth is a crucial issue for all developing companies. Successful company development depends upon profitable growth.

The problems in the growth of small or start-up companies cannot be tackled in isolation because they are interdependent. Companies which grow without considering the key areas will eventually run into problems. This will result in crisis management which will hinder the company’s development.

The 5 key problem areas

1. Lack of financial resources.

2. Management problems.

3. Inadequate systems.

4. Inappropriate marketing.

5. Lack of planning for future.

Lack of financial resources:

Under capitalization is one of the key reasons for failure of small business ventures. Lack of financial resources is a major problem for small companies. The small companies generally have four possible sources of funds which are:

1. Internally generated profits.

2. Overdraft and loan funding.

3. Additional equity financing.

4. Corporate venturing.

Cash is a key resource because, as well as being profitable, companies must be cash-generating to survive.

Management problems:

Any growing company must undertake a process of management development to ensure that the organization has a suitable management team which will meet its present and future needs. Management problems, in terms of lack of quality, experience and depth of management, have always been one of the major reasons for company failure.

The following areas must be explored:

1. Development of existing management.

2. Additions to the existing management.

3. Complementary relationships with external advisers.

Inadequate systems:

Small companies particularly in the start-up phase are characterized by a number of informal systems which rely on the direct involvement of the management. Control systems are set-up to provide information to the management. Information is needed for control and until you have control you cannot increase performance. Major areas in which adequacy of the existing control systems should be examined are:

1. Financial systems.

2. Production systems.

3. Marketing systems.

Inappropriate marketing

Marketing problems are one of the main reasons for failure of business start-ups. Before a company enters into the expansion phase there has to be re-examination of the marketing approach. The marketing strategy will have to change as the company grows.

Lack of forward planning

The most crucial step in success is proper planning for the future. But total lack of planning or inadequate planning is the major problem of small business. This means that there is no systematic, analytical investigation of the business, its environment and options available to it in determining the way ahead.

Conclusion

A proper analysis of these key areas and adequate planning along with proper management will lead to assured success and growth of the company.

Small Business – Different Ways to Advertise

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:14:12 +0000

As a small business owner you may lament the expense of advertising but know that it is an essential part of your business if it is to survive and to prosper. The only good thing in the end is to have a successful advertising campaign and claim the expenses back as a tax deduction. Either way, you will claim the advertising as a business expense but its much, much better to do it from the profits than a loss.

So, because advertising is so expensive to do it the traditional way through the classifieds or a Newspaper ad, which today has a very dubious success rate, you will need to find an original, memorable and very effective medium in which to do it. This calls for some ‘out-of-the-norm’ thinking. How good are you at being different?

If you are running a small trade business you will need a really good network in today’s world to survive. Why not gather a group of other trade businesses and do it together as a working group? Chances are anyway that you will need to call in one or more of them to do a job so why not get together with other trade businesses that you trust and do it together as a group to cut expenses?

Most small service based businesses have a network in place from which they get a fair percentage of their work anyway. By banding together on some activities like advertising and marketing, you both or all benefit from the exposure and it doesn’t break the bank for any of you. Just be sure to use this method though only with people you trust implicitly and know are financially secure.

If you would prefer to advertise on your own, then why not use more vehicles on which to do it? Using vehicle Decals are a great mobile marketing idea and if you are after exposure for your business, seeing a dozen cars or more on the road in your town or region gives the impression that you are a big business and seem to be everywhere. Next time someone needs a plumber or a financial advisor they are more likely to remember your name.

How to get these extra vehicles to carry your vehicle decal? Advertise for people who wish to earn an extra income, use their vehicle on a daily basis, either have a business that calls for a lot of driving or they have a regular car park with good exposure where the car will be frequently and regularly seen. The only two essentials that they must have is (1) a relatively new car not older than two years and (2) a clean driving record. There are many people in the world today who would be willing to negotiate a fair fee to put your decal on their car for a month or two and show it off regularly around town for you.