Marketing image to generate cash flow

Marketing has to generate cash, or revenue, for small businesses to sustain all the costs of doing business.

While large companies can use marketing to create long-term goodwill and be indirect about their benefits to customers, small companies don't have that luxury. They need to make sales and income has to be greater than expenses. Simple.

But small companies must find every way they can to set themselves apart from the competition. They have to market their unique differences. This includes designing a logo that is simple to reproduce and memorable to people who see it on a business card, a car, letterhead, a website, or a social media site like Twitter.

Creating a logo for a small company is challenging since a budget will limit the number of renditions that a talented graphic artist will make. The company owner should then do a personal focus group to dig in to the company's attributes and how the company is different than competitors.

Read the basics of logo traits and elements in this article titled 5 critical attributes of an effective logo.

How Much Money Should I Spend on Marketing?

How much money should you spend on marketing?

Let's set the question of money aside, okay?

If you want to create a successful marketing campaign to drive more sales to your business then ask another question.

"What are your marketing priorities?"

So how do you figure this?

How do customers typically find out about you? And do you have strategies for the following areas:

1. Internet


2. Print


3. Public Relations


4. Advertising


5. Word-of-Mouth


6. Trade Shows

Let me illustrate with a real life example.

There's an engineering firm that wants to re-do its web site. They do major public works projects like freeways. Search engines are not the first ways people will find them. It will be based on the business relationships they have first. Then, potential clients will go to their web site to see the projects they have completed.

In their case, the web site will validate their credibility.

Now, their print strategy may include a 4-color portfolio of specific projects or a bullet point listing of how they handled neighborhood concerns when working on municipal projects.

Their print may consist of separate "one sheets" on exact projects to match the needs of whoever they've been speaking to. These can be placed in a simple portfolio and mailed as a follow-up or possible introduction. The print can have a web url to build their credibility.

So now they're beginning to develop an internet strategy along with a print strategy.

As they do this, they can then budget their money for how much to spend on each area such as refreshing their web site, print packages, trade show attendance.

If you have specific questions on developing marketing priorities and how to best spend marketing dollars, feel free to email me and I can respond with specific input.

Or, if you have strategies you've developed that would benefit others, then post a comment and let us know.

Stuck for Sales Leads?

Generating leads

keeps the sales cycle pumping and results in cash flow for the business you represent.

But what happens when the leads fall off . . . and your contacts don't return phone calls . . . ?

I just got off the phone with Norman. He's a salesman for a lithography company in Los Angeles producing banners for outdoor advertising and indoor use. Clients include major corporations such as the studios and smaller companies, too.

I met Norman at a business networking function last December sponsored by Washington Mutual Bank and Telemundo.

He told me how he went about doing "detective" work to make contacts in select companies.

I've been sitting in a "sales lead" fog recently and have been fighting distractions. So I called Norman to ask if he knew of networking events coming up. He didn't but mentioned he had made contacts within Subway and he was also going to send me the name of the person responsible for vendor relations at Washington Mutual Bank.

While he didn't give me any specific, concrete leads or solid information I nevertheless benefitted from a call to him. It energized me and got me thinking creatively to market the interactive company I represent and to follow through on some other leads.

In a slump? Find it hard to focus in lead generation?

Then try to have someone you can call even for only a few minutes.

It can give you the spark you need to take a major step forward.

Business Resources

Need resources for your business or for your career but don't want to spend a lot of money?

Here are ones I've recently used:

• SCORE - Service Core of Retired Executives


SCORE offers no-cost advice to any phase of starting or running a business. Depending on the population density in your area, a variety of SCORE counselors can spend up to an hour or refer you to other counselors who can specifically help with your needs.

While I personally offer marketing consultations to companies, I'm going to see a SCORE counselor who has an extensive background in marketing himself for advice.



• Small Business Administration - there are a variety of functions the SBA performs.


Check with an SBA office in your area for resource links. I recently attended a Business Matchmaking Conference that was co-sponsored by the SBA, American Airlines and FedEx.




• The Owl at Purdue

This web site has extensive writing help available for busy professionals . . . and professionals who aren't so busy!

One way to preserve cash flow, identify one or more concerns in your business then see what free, quality resources are available to help you address those needs.

That way, if you do hire a consultant or spend money in another direction, you might be able to strengthen your position with a qualified second opinion.

Market Your Professional Services

Marketing Professional Services

is simply a matter of sharing your knowledge in an efficent manner to gain widespread exposure.

The information you have learned and the advice you have given to others can be put into spoken and written words to help you build a positive reputation and win more business.

1. Choose a topic
: saving money on workers comp, finding reliable investment vehicles, preventing headaches in the workplace.
2. Then put that topic into various platforms
like public speaking, writing and print materials to distribute in your local business district.
3. Find a local coffee house or restaurant
and invite 12 - 20 people to listen. Expect that 7 - 10 will show. Speak to what is of interest to them.
4. Online strategies
will include writing forum posts, blog posts or ezine articles that speak to the needs of your prospective clients.
5. Your Attitude
when you're trying to build business and win new clients don't act like you're desperate for new business. Be more concerned about helping the people you're out to serve.

This attitude will gain trust with the prospective clients you're trying to reach. And when you gain trust, you're going to win new accounts and clients.