If you own an aircraft washing service then you have invested in expensive equipment to clean planes. Parking that equipment on non-scheduled aircraft cleaning days seems like a waste of a quality asset and potential income. For instance a pressure washer or steam cleaning rig can be used to clean airport grounds in the evenings or even fleets of airfreight trucks after hours right?

Well sure and this brings us to the topic of Aircraft Cleaning Company Co-Brand Marketing and discovering other things to wash. My first aircraft washing business was started at age 12 and grew into a very large mobile washing service. At the time we were selling aircraft washing franchises in the US we did allow our teams to wash other things besides Aircraft on airport and adjacent properties. Parking Structure detailing, airport shuttle buses, scissor truck loaders, airfreight containers, concrete, runways, terminal signage, benches, buses, etc. Other than that they had to sign a franchise agreement for another of our co-brands; www.detailguys.com or www.truckwashguy.com , generally aviation folks are sharp and we generally allowed them to go with another crew for four days who was doing those other types of cleaning and ride along and work with their manager.

Five years ago I started my first business. My background and training were in manufacturing, chemistry and management. The management experience was certainly helpful in launching a new business, but the other areas really didn't lend much to helping me get done everything I needed to do.

As the owner, I was responsible for hiring, firing, billing, marketing, following up on sales leads, managing & training my employees, scheduling, submitting all of the proper paperwork for payroll, bookkeeping, accounting, etc... This can be very overwhelming for a person who is launching a business for the first time with very few resources. To manage all of these tasks, I immediately outsourced the day-to-day bookkeeping tasks, hired an accountant, and outsourced the payroll administration. These were all things that I was not adequately skilled to do and knew that it would be well worth my time to pay for outsourcing.

I have never had a job in the sales field, so the next BIG hurdle for me was to find a way to generate leads and turn those leads into clients. My company is a small cleaning service that started with me and one employee. My intent was always to be the manager of the company -- not the cleaning lady! So, I had to develop skills that did not come naturally to me. I also had to develop a strategy.

My first attempt at developing leads was a total and utter flop. I engaged in a $4000 direct mail campaign. Direct mail can range in price from $1500 to tens of thousands of dollars for a professionally executed campaign. The company that I contacted to help me in this quest developed my logo and created the mail pieces that would go out to specific demographics. My call back rate on this mailer was less than 1% and the number of resulting clients I could count on one hand. Needless to say, I was very disappointed and a little bit desperate, because this was my entire advertising budget.

Since then I have learned a lot. First, to get your business name recognized, you will need to have a presence in the community. It may take a while to brand your product or service, but in the long run it pays off. In the beginning of my first business I did this by joining networking groups. You can check your local papers in the business section to see what is available in your area. Some groups charge annual fees or dues, others charge per the function. What worked for me was the type of networking group in which you developed relationships and those who were in those groups felt comfortable giving you referrals. Please note I did say referrals. Unlike the direct mail piece where the callers were looking for a bargain, the relationship referrals were people who wanted someone they could trust. My closing rate on referrals was about 90%. And the referrals almost always continued using our service on a long-term basis.

As I said, it took me a while to brand my business. I used the logo that was developed for me because it was very well done and memorable. I kept the colors that were used in my original direct mail campaign - black and gold. Down the road, I developed a website and about 6 months ago I hired a firm to redevelop my website that did a fantastic job utilizing my branding strategy. Eventually, I bought uniform shirts, aprons, bags with our name and logo. All of our print material displays our logo. I meet more people at networking meetings that remember meeting me because of my striking business card. So the effect is apparent what a good branding campaign can do for your.

Another wonderful way to create a presence in the community is to promote your business through PR announcements. You can do this yourself by looking at the different announcements you see in your local business news or you can hire a PR firm to do this for you. A lot of professionals in sales and business owners read that information because they like to be informed about what is going on in their business community.

If your business has employees, consider sponsoring an event. Some events want monetary sponsors, but some events need workers which they will consider as an in-kind sponsorship. There are always schools, professional associations, and other non-profit groups looking for this type of relationship with business. A business associate of mine owns a senior care business. Each year she sponsors "Senior Santa" program which provides personal care and non-prescription health products to the Senior Citizens in the area. This is a wonderful way to give to the community plus the local papers pick up the story free of charge to help promote the event.

If print advertising seems to be the best route for you, check out some of the new or smaller local magazines instead of the newspaper. I have placed business card sized ads in a fairly well distributed magazine for just over $100 a month. Always check to see if the publication requires a certain commitment (3 months, 6 months, 1 year) before making a decision. If you're on a budget, you can get a better price by going for a longer term sometimes, but it may be better for you to go month to month if you are unsure about your available budget. The publication I advertised in had prices ranging from $125 - $95 per month. I got a mid-rate for a 3 month commitment which fit in my budget well.

The last thing I would recommend for new businesses is to get a web presence as soon as possible. My first company is a cleaning company and for about the first year, I kept telling people "I don't need a website because I don't sell anything on the web." That was a true statement, but what I was overlooking was the fact that people like to know something about a company before they use them and just about everyone will go to the computer and punch in your company name to visit your website if they are considering doing business with you. Having a website lends credibility to any business. It shows prospective customers that you want to share your company information with them.

One of my favorite television shows is King of Queens. A married couple, Doug and Carrie, are the main characters. They are selfish and self-centered. After being rejected at a number of job interviews, Carrie becomes depressed and tries to find herself. She has great plans to read more, learn more, and do more. She also plans to start her own business. Doug is supportive.

After weeks of staying home, she realizes that she's read nothing, learned nothing and done nothing. She swings into action and starts her own business. She wants to design, manufacture, and market personalized cell phone covers. She hires her father and one of his cronies to decorate the cell phone covers. What she doesn't do is conduct any market research. She's doomed.

Carrie invites friends, associates, Doug's co-workers, and neighbors to her home. With virtually no preamble she launches into a sales presentation. When no one volunteers to buy, she starts assigning phones. She overcomes every objection, but not well.

One friend complains that $49.00 is too much for a phone cover. Carrie responds that he needs to protect his investment. He replies, "The phone was free." Another "sale" has the objection that his phone is a PDA and won't fit Carrie's stock size. She ignores him and crams the PDA into the cell phone cover. With the pressure of the small cover, the phone begins placing a call. When he complains, Carries cracks that he needs new friends anyway.

As her sales party dissolves in shambles, Carrie faces reality. She's worse off than before. She's lost money, she's wasted time, and her support base of friends and neighbors may never speak to her again. Carrie should have conducted market research. She could have had the same party, but used it as a focus group BEFORE any money was spent and time wasted. She could have presented her idea and then written down her group's responses and then she could have used her friends for a brainstorm of ideas. She might have found out right then that her idea wouldn't work, but she also might have discovered other ideas that would fill needs and produce a profit.

Market research is like investing pennies on the dollar. It can save time and money, AND it can present avenues for business that you may have missed. Market research doesn't cost, it saves . . . time, money, and friends.

Suppose you meet someone who could hire you for your expertise and services. In the spirit of getting to know you, that decision-maker asks, "What do you speak about?" or "How do you help organizations?" or "Which groups have you worked with?"

These questions become your opening to convey how you assist people and why you're the one experienced to do so. That's exactly what a marketing one-sheet does, too.

To convey that you're a must-have expert, your one-sheet needs to be written and designed effectively.

Answers Key Questions

Your one-sheet, in effect, succinctly answers these seven questions that decision makers would ask you in person at a first meeting:

1. How would you describe your area of expertise?

2. Whom do you work with and give presentations to?

3. What are the benefits of hiring you

-- for the leaders of the organization?

-- for the participants in the ranks?

-- for organizational progress?

4. What have you done that makes you an expert?

5. Which groups have you worked with before?

6. What did participants think of your contribution?

7. How can you be reached for more information?

Well-crafted words on your one-sheet answer these questions in the form of seven corresponding must-have elements:

1. Topics/Programs

2. Target Audience

3. Benefits (especially in headlines)

4. Biography

5. Client List

6. Testimonials

7. Contact Information

Adding Personality

Even if you have all of these elements in place, what turns it into a stronger must-have piece that represents you? In a word: Personality.

For example my client, Doug Butler, is a speaker whose message is "Cowboy Wisdom." I've built his one-sheet around the western cowboy theme. This is all part of his brand. His one-sheet features cowboy graphics with lots of showmanship. I've included a color photo of him in action with a lasso and a portrait shot of him wearing a cowboy hat with his guitar. Other graphics include these cowboy symbols: a horse, a badge, a cowboy figure wearing a hat, bandana, and chaps-even a spurred cowboy boot. Its overall look reflects the personality that participants want from him, achieving that appeal through these special graphic effects.

Put Your Benefits in the Headlines

On Doug's one-sheet I have this headline: "Cowboy wisdom into the 21st century." Be sure to make your headlines bold and compelling.

Add Credibility with Logos

In Doug's case, I included his company logo and the NSA logo to show affiliation with a group recognized by decision makers. Be sure to include your logo and tag line. Doug uses this tag line: "Forge a firm foundation with Doug's tried-and-true Cowboy Code."

Through his words, themes, and graphics, Doug extends his warm personality to additional marketing pieces -- his website, business card, handout materials, and so on. Together, they create a must-have look that appeals to decision makers in organizations he wants to reach. By applying these techniques to your one-sheet and other marketing materials, you can turn your prospects into sales, and watch your revenue grow.

Marketing is a multi-faceted process that can take you from where you are now to where you want to go. Let’s take a good look at what should be included in your “marketing plan,” but not necessarily in the order shown.

Design a dynamite brochure that stresses the benefits to your customers and potential customers of your service and products. Very few people – except maybe your competitors – are interested in what you market as much as they are in how what you market will benefit them or further their goals. Take a look at your brochure.

SIX THINGS TO CONSIDER:

1. Does it convey that message?
2. Is it eye appealing?
3. Is it on glossy paper?
4. Is the layout attractive?
5. Did you avoid the problem of “too much information?”
6. Are the graphics appropriate in style and number?

If you can’t say “yes” to these questions, then set aside that brochure and begin again. You have only one chance to impress your customer with that brochure. Take advantage of the opportunity and do it right.

Be sure that your business cards do double duty by making certain that their layout and message are correctly planned. Are they attractive to the eye, easy to read? Do they provide your title, email address, and web site? And don’t forget that a logo and slogan go a long way toward building your brand. Keep the logo simple. Consider some of the most easily recognized and remembered logos – Coca Cola ©, Apple Computer © are two good examples. Note how simple but memorable they are. Your slogan should be simple, easy to remember, and easy to quote – “Drink Coke” – is an excellent example. Last, but far from least, use good card stock and remember that some colors are a turn-off. Create a card that your client will keep and remember.

While we’re talking about getting your name in front of your clients, let’s consider the power of the internet. Do you have a web page? If not, you really should consider setting one up. It’s easy (at least the simple ones are), and it can be put up and hosted for very reasonable fees by a company like Go Daddy (I’m not kidding that is really the name of the server and host). Once you have that page set up, you will want to:

CREATE YOUR WEB SITE:

It is very important to link to associations, chambers, trade journals, and vendors whose products you use or to whom you provide services because that link will increase the traffic to your website. So, call them and ask if it is all right if you link to their pages. It is very rare for anyone to refuse the linkage (assuming the product or service offered doesn’t violate their code of ethics) since the linkage is a good form of advertising and marketing for them, too.

Make that web page easy to use. If it is too complicated, visitors go elsewhere – probably to one of your competitors. Don't forget to set up a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. Note the questions, and answer them for your visitors who hate to be left in the dark about anything.

Provide an address and a means of reaching you or your company. Nothing is more annoying to a customer than finding the company wanted and then having no way to get in touch with them. Once the individual realizes that, it is quite possible that questions about reliability and ethics may hove into view.

The internet’s power lies in its connectivity. So, don’t undermine it; build on it.

In addition to creating a level of awareness, you also want to make certain that your clients and customers remember you. Many people use incentive gifts for this purpose. If you decide to do this, make certain that the gifts are useful reminders of you and your company. We have all been handed strange little “gifts” that will never be used by us or by anyone in our companies, so if we later remember the company, it is not necessarily a favorable memory. Also, consider the fact that if everyone “gives” such an item, it won’t be memorable. I can’t tell you how many company pens I’ve received over the years. Useful? Yes. Memorable? No. The gift needs to stand out, last, and be used on a regular basis. If it won’t be, why spend the money to buy and give it? Items that are useful and can be put on the client's desktop will have good visibility.

The best gift you can give any client or customers is attention – solicit input, listen, and take action when you learn needs and interests. One thing you should do is solicit input from customers and clients on a regular basis and act on what was said if it is feasible, legal, and possible. Then let all of your clients know what you are doing with the information they provided.

One of the most effective ways to secure good information is to establish a focus group. This group provides you with face-to-face contact (or ear-to-ear if you use a phone conference) and critical input. The group can shift members, but regular meetings should be held in order to stay informed about customer needs and views.

If we all had our way, our customers would do our marketing for us by telling their friends about us and our services or products. Well, why not encourage “word of mouth” action? Ask for it and encourage it with thank you gifts. Sponsor a community or school event that will result in “fame.” And, last, but far from least, hold training sessions (related, of course, to your product or service) to remind the world that you not only exist but care for your customers and want to help them succeed.

I doubt if there is anyone in business who hasn’t been told to study the competition and do it one better. But because public speaking is so frightening to many people, if they were once told to speak or write on topics that mesh with client needs, many probably tuned out the suggestion. So, I’ll make it again – get known as an expert – after all you are one – speak at local, state, and national events and write articles that you trade for ad space.

You’ve probably already figured out my next point – build brand recognition through repetition. Consistency is vital, so it is important to let your customers hear from you on a regular basis, but make certain that what you send out has value to them.

Saturn has built its brand recognition in a number of ways, but when you ask people about the company, one of the first you hear is how good the follow-up is. Take a page out their book – remember successful marketing requires three key things: an excellent product, outstanding service, and follow-up.

One thing that Saturn has done is make it easy for the customers to deal with them. This is important to remember and emulate. You need enough phone lines – there is a growing irritation among consumers about the number of times that they hear, “Your business is important to us,” and then find themselves on hold for an inordinately long period of time. It is also important make certain that ALL calls are returned promptly and that phones are answered on the 2nd or 3rd ring. If you answer on the first, the caller will not have heard the ring, and after the third ring, he/she thinks you have gone out of business. It is also annoying to customers to find themselves in what I call the "telephone loop" where they are instructed to push one, push two, push three and then eventually they get voice mail anyway.

Signage, word power and remnant space – it’s important to make use of all three of these. Let’s look first at the sign. A good sign reminds, spurs impulse, implants inclination, sharpens the company’s identity, and gives a brief message. Go out and read your sign. Does it do all of this? Now, let’s consider a different kind of advertising, flyers or classifieds. Are there any words that are more appealing and powerful than others? You bet there are. A study done at Princeton found that the following words had great drawing power: “save, new, results, safety, easy, discovery, proven, guarantee, free, now, secret, and benefits.” Consider using them appropriately in your advertisements. Also, did you know that there is a way to buy radio and T.V. time and even magazine space without incurring the equivalent of the national debt? Well, there is! Use remnant space! When you contact the media in which you have an interest, tell the sales person to provide you with information on remnant space and to let you know how deep the discount is going to be.

A few years ago, we designed some marketing/advertising tip sheets for our own clients, and I shared some of the key points with you in this article, but if you are really serious about creating a world class image on an imagination budget, here are some quick tips that should help you achieve that image:

14 TIPS TO REMEMBER

1. White is always a safe color for envelopes, and white, # 10 sized envelopes with first classstamps on them are more attention getting than metered letters.
2. You have only three seconds to “get” someone to open an envelope.
3. Invitation sized envelopes tend to get opened before regular ones.
4. Handwritten addresses trigger a greater level of curiosity than do printed ones.
5. If you are using a teaser on the envelope, make certain that it applies to the receiver.
6. Mass mailings only work if they go to carefully selected, target audiences.
7. If you are going let people know that a “free gift” is enclosed in your mail, make certain that it would be one that is helpful to the receiver.
8. If you have a product and deal with resellers, let them know if they can mark it up and still be highly competitive.
9. You can get free publicity in newspapers and on radio if you provide free training sessions. Just send a press release that provides the details that can be provided in a “community calendar.”
10. If you have a brick and mortar store, arrange the aisles to direct the flow of traffic through the store past those items most likely to attract the eye and trigger the impulse to purchase.
11. Do a good turn and reduce staffing costs by setting up a student intern program. The students profit by gaining experience (do screen and train with care). Letting the local news agencies know about the program is a great way to trigger good publicity.
12. Build brand recognition by remembering that “snappy” press releases that equal one inch of column space are likely to get printed since most papers need fillers. Get to know the editor. Get to know the reporters that cover the business beat and feed them stories about newsworthy events -- then when you have a story about your company, it is more likely to get printed.
13. Get into the Chamber habit – if it is business focused, and get on the committees that most closely relate to your business focus.
14. Hold a contest – design a contest and have prizes such as T shirts or hats with your company’s logo on them. The winners become walking billboards for your company, and the publicity is both valuable and free.

The most important aspect of being an entrepreneur or small business owner is self-marketing. Self marketing, in itself, is a full time job. And, for a bootstrapped entrepreneur it is a full-time job even more so. Luckily, there are plenty of entrepreneur resources to help you through it to self-market yourself, the best and most popular being the Guerrilla Marketing series of books by Jay Conrad Levinson. Guerrilla Marketing is defined by Wikipedia as an "unconventional way of performing marketing activities (primarily promotion) on a very low budget."

When entrepreneurs deal with self-marketing on a low budget they must realize that there is not one golden technique that they could perform that will draw loads of new business their way. New entrepreneurs and small business owners must perform a variety of marketing activities because no one marketing tactic on its own will be enough. That is why self-marketing is a full time job.

With that in mind, here are just a few self-marketing techniques that a new entrepreneur should do. If you are a new entrepreneur, don’t do just one. Do them all and more.

* Article Writing: Write expert articles in your area of expertise and submit them to article directories. The most important directory you can submit to is EzineArticles.com. At the bottom of each article that you write you can include a link to your website (if you have one), your business phone number, or an email address. The most important thing to realize with articles is that most people will find your article via a search engine such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN. And, most of the search engines will give you a ranking based on the title of the article. You must make the title keyword rich; use words that you think people searching for your services will type into the search box. Don't write just one article; write plenty.

* Internet Sales Leads: You can purchase executive contact names and phone numbers from leads list companies like InfoUSA and D&B. Or you can receive free B2B and B2C sales leads from Trade-Pals.com. There is a TradePals category for most business professionals like accountants, advertising & marketing professionals, insurance brokers, real estate brokers, lawyers, engineers, website designers, sales consultants, motivational speakers, financial planners, and writers, for example. When creating a profile remember that, just like EzineArticles.com, most people will find your profile via a search engine so it is important to create a descriptive profile, especially the "brief overview of services" section.

* Free Publicity: Free publicity could be the best advertising that you and your business could receive. The media's reach is wide and far. You could try meeting with editors of local newspapers or even news stations. You could send relevant press releases, as long as they are newsworthy. Don't believe the hype that a press release can get you instant publicity. You must realize that the media receive thousands of press releases daily; they don't even read most of them. But again, you must try everything when self-marketing yourself including writing a press release. There are online press release services like PRWeb.com and Send2Press.com.

* Business Networking: Business networking could be an inexpensive way to learn from other entrepreneurs, to make business contacts, or to receive business referrals. You could join your local Chamber of Commerce or your local BNI (Business Networking International) chapter. As well, there are online business networking websites such as Ryze.com and LinkedIn.com.

If you can recognize your customer’s preferred communication style, you can learn to communicate with and market to them in a way that will improve your relationship. You must be aware of this when you do not know the customer’s preferred style or you are communicating with an unknown group. You need to find ways to present your materials so that all three communication styles are addressed, and you can gain the attention of all customers.

A customer whose dominant style is visual will prefer written materials and face-to-face contact. The customer will be especially concerned with the way things look. The customer will want to see the benefit that your product or service will deliver. If your presentation is written, you must emphasize the appearance of things so that you client will receive your message. These customers may respond to DVDs and other visual materials

A customer whose dominant style is verbal will want everything explained verbally. You must talk to this customer and be sure your words convey the message you want to convey. You must also listen to this customer, because he will express his concerns verbally. These customers may respond to telephone calls, CDs, and other audio products.

A customer whose dominant style is touch will prefer descriptive written materials with special attention to details. Their feelings guide their decisions which means that you must build trust and rapport with them. They may talk about the feelings they like or dislike. For example, they may say that they want to feel safe, cozy, or comfortable. They may also say that they do not want to feel crowded or pressured. These customers respond to samples that they can touch, hold, and examine.

The better you know your customers, the better you will be able to communicate with and market to them. If you are marketing to a wide group of people, you must be certain that your marketing materials include all three communication styles. If you do not address all three communication styles, you will not be able to communicate your marketing message to all potential customers. You message will be lost to the customers whose communication style you did not address.

You have probably heard many marketing guru's tell you that you need to have a marketing plan.

But why is having a marketing plan so important?

In my 20 years of experience I've seen marketing plans help business owners easily avoid the common mistakes many marketers make.

I've seen marketers with plans easily create the success they desire.

I've seen them spend less and get greater results.

I've seen them be more calm and peaceful about building their business.

No frantic reactionary marketing.

No stop and start efforts that end up wasting time and money.

I've also seen plenty of business owners wander aimlessly and waste their valuable time, energy and money trying to market without a plan.

And still never get where they want to go.

We're all striving for success.

So why not give ourselves the greatest chance of achieving that?

That's what a marketing plan can do for you. And that's why I'm so passionate about them.

In addition to helping you create the business of your dreams, a marketing plan also has a number of other side benefits.

I've identified at least 8 benefits that you'll reap when you have a plan.

I find that business owners who plan tend to:

(1) Think long term

(2) Stick with their marketing efforts long enough to reap results

(3) Monitor their competition, but not overreact to it

(4) Focus their efforts on achieving their specific goals and objectives

(5) Target their primary customer vs. trying to market to everyone

(6) Spend their budget more efficiently and effectively

(7) Understand what marketing works and doesn’t work for their business

(8) Get smarter about marketing every year they are in business

These are all traits of a successful marketer and business owner.

And, they are also the natural by-products of having a marketing plan. That means you don't have to worry about them - they're taken care of!

What is on your Hors d’oeuvres tray? Think of all of your services and products as hors d’oeuvres. You are passing them around to your prospects and clients, a bright silver plated hors d’oeuvre tray topped with all that you have to offer.

What does your tray look like? Is it filled with a delicious spectacle of tempting delights, offering different shapes, sizes, colors and textures to all? Is there something there that resonates with each of your ideal prospects? Something to get your long term clients or former clients to come back for another “taste?”

Do you have everything that you need or does your tray appear to be empty? Do you need to change your recipe to spruce up the meal?

As a business owner it is your job to be the best hostess and to provide an overflowing and attracting silver plated hors d’oeuvre tray. Many businesses do not consider having a variety of items to choose from and feel that their main spread, perhaps a rich delight is all that is needed.

Today’s Audacious Marketer experts know it is important to be original, enterprising and spirited. A hostess of that title does not have a boring predictable menu.

What can you put on your tray? Spice it up a bit, have a mix of free items, perhaps newsletters, articles, tip sheets, promotional items such as gifts, coupons or other incentives. You can also have introductory products that allow you to establish a rapport with new prospects before asking them to engage in filling up on the main attractions.

Scatter your items around on your tray so that each person gets to pick what speaks to them. Some may grab for the beefy stuffed mushroom right away, others nibble for a bit on lighter fair until they get to know you.

On your tray your main products or services can also reside, even they can come in different variations, be mindful of the expected dieter who seeks a lighter experience.

Think about what is on your tray. You are the keeper of the tray, the hostess of the hors d’oeurves. Do you have enough to offer, something for the palette of all that visit you? This hors d’oeurves tray also serves as the marketing funnel for your business, offering that first nibble and enticing, through the aroma and display, other temptations in which your prospects and clients can participate. Like a funnel, it attracts prospects in, making them want to indulge more and more, moving through the hors d’oeurves and right on through to your main course, indulging in your marketing funnel with a predictable flow.

"My expertise is worth literally billions of dollars. Why would I put a $5 (or less) price tag on it?"

Yes, I completely agree that your expertise is absolutely worth plenty, and certainly a whole lot more than $5 for a single copy of your booklet, and charging even less when filling a large-quantity order. There is no denying it, even for a split second, by anyone’s definition.

And this is something I hear at least several times a week from you as a booklet author or someone consider creating one or more booklets.

Follow me for a moment into a slightly different perspective and then tell me what you think.

When was the last time someone paid you $5 for your business card? Yes, your actual business card, the one you pull out of your wallet or snazzy business card holder. Or even $1 or less for your business card or glossy company brochure? I’m guessing that has yet to happen.

And then, at their own expense and effort they sent that 'business card' to thousands (maybe tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands) of people you have yet to meet. And these people who got your 'business card' turns out are wanting to do business with you in a big way, people who can well spend thousands and thousands with you, who came to you through that 'business card' that you were paid $5 or less for.

And you turned several hundred percent in creating and distributing that 'business card' in the process. How do you feel when you look at it from that perspective? Quite a bit different, isn't it? Instead of paying out of your own pocket to reach beyond your current client base to generate additional business, someone else not only did it for you, they paid you to allow them the chance to do so. How does sit with you?

It turns out that booklets are more of an emotional experience than you may realize when first getting started. You feel that your image is on the line. Understandably so. It is not uncommon to hear you say the content needs to represent everything you know or ever expect to know on your topic. You are not realizing a booklet is the entry point for the reader into your expertise, that you will develop other products to take the reader further.

You think the design of your booklet has to be a 4-color cover with photography, a glitzy interior design, include reference to every product and service you offer, and have not a single typo anywhere in it or it is nothing at all. Yes, image is important and excellence is the goal. There is no disputing any of that.

It is, however, more important to realize that overproduction of your booklet can make it too expensive for large-quantity buyers to bring into their budget, even with the current technology lowering the costs. Remember that those large-quantity buyers are your representatives. They want to pay you for them to reach a much larger fish bowl than the one in which you currently swim. If the large-quantity buyer wants a more involved or elaborate design, on a big enough quantity they can probably do a good job of that within their own company's production activities by licensing specific print rights from you. When print is a large part of your buyer’s everyday business function, they can do production less expensively than you can.

Find those large-quantity buyers. They are at the head of the sales or marketing departments of corporations. They might even be at the head of investor relations for the company. Several years ago a booklet author licensed a booklet to that department for $30,000. It was a wonderful transaction and that 'business card' reached some very important prospects for the booklet author's business.

It is hard saying it but it's the HARD fact. Except you fix these mistakes, and right away, your dream of making it online will end up like 95% of internet marketing businesses. In the dot.com trash dump. Another failure!

That is blunt but it is the hard fact. So if you must build a successful online business, you must carefully plan your business strategy to avoid these mistakes.

Always on the look out for what will help me and my subscribers build our businesses online, I'm always surfing the net for the latest strategies and tools. And recently I took a concerned look at what was happening online. And what I discovered is shocking. It appears that a huge lot of those who want to make money online have not learnt any lesson.

A majority of new entrants are sucked in by the hype of making millions without lifting a finger. Still another group of these would-be online marketers are confused. They don’t know where to really start. They have been from one business opportunity to the other. But there is no head way. Others who were lucky enough to start something are stuck half way as they face the realities of the online business world.

In my search I’ve discovered that these groups of people are plagued with the same mistakes. And not knowing it, these mistakes have been their undoing.

In this write-up I present some of the silent killers of businesses online. Look at them carefully and if you’ve fallen into any of these mistakes then do something about it now. If you desire to be successful with your online business then avoid these mistakes like a plaque.

Mistake #1: Not Having a Game Plan

I cannot emphasize this really enough. I know you must have told all the stuff about the tools you must have to make it online. That is fine. But let me advise that what you need most for your online business is a plan to carry you through. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? How do you do it? How much do you want to make? Who do you work with to achieve your aim?

Make a decision. Decide on your game plan. Without a plan you will remain a rolling stone. Even when you know all the tips and strategies; and have all the powerful tools!

Mistake #2: Not Being Focused

If you’ve been online for a time now, you must have noticed the number of business opportunities and new programs that come flooding the market. You cannot afford to jump from one to the other. That will only bring on more confusion and the heartache. You must know that making money online is not difficult. But it could be confusing if you don’t know what you want and focus on getting it.

I’ve discovered that many of those who want to make it online are in a hurry to make it. They’ve swallowed line, hook and sinker, the hype of quick money online. Because of this they are impatient. They never stay to work their plan. They are always jumping from one bandwagon to the other. You must resist this temptation.

Mistake #3: Not Building Your Own Opt-in List

It is surprising that despite the importance of the list to every internet marketer, many out there still believe they can build their businesses through SPAM. It’s unfortunate. But I know you’re not in that boat. So, if you still don’t have a list, build one. If you already have one, work on growing it. Remember, the money is in the lists!

Mistake #4: Not Educating Yourself

Trends online are always changing by the minute. What worked powerfully a moment ago can become obsolete in a matter of days. Therefore, to stay abreast of the changes, you must continue to educate yourself. Education online is unending. Stay up to date through your business specific journals or newsletters. Invest in educating yourself for that is the greatest of all investments.

Mistake #5: Undermining the Power of Integrity.

Integrity counts greatly online. But it’s unfortunate that many still don’t realize this. Or if they do, they simply don’t care about it. Many online business entrepreneurs realizing the power of the right words can produce a copy that, literally, makes you go grapping for your wallet. But when you receive the product, disappointment is always the case. What you receive is a far cry from what you were promised in the sales letter.

You must realize that doing that only kills your business. One unhappy customer will cause a lot of problems for you. So remind yourself that integrity is a great asset. Build it. It is better to under promise and over deliver than the other way round.

Conclusion

Let me wrap up this article by repeating that you must carefully plan your business strategy to avoid these mistakes. Building a successful business online is not very different from building one off-line. Follow the rules of the game and success is sure. But slip in just one point and you may end up biting your fingers.

The most important aspect of being an entrepreneur or small business owner is self-marketing. Self marketing, in itself, is a full time job. And, for a bootstrapped entrepreneur it is a full-time job even more so. Luckily, there are plenty of entrepreneur resources to help you through it to self-market yourself, the best and most popular being the Guerrilla Marketing series of books by Jay Conrad Levinson. Guerrilla Marketing is defined by Wikipedia as an "unconventional way of performing marketing activities (primarily promotion) on a very low budget."

When entrepreneurs deal with self-marketing on a low budget they must realize that there is not one golden technique that they could perform that will draw loads of new business their way. New entrepreneurs and small business owners must perform a variety of marketing activities because no one marketing tactic on its own will be enough. That is why self-marketing is a full time job.

With that in mind, here are just a few self-marketing techniques that a new entrepreneur should do. If you are a new entrepreneur, don’t do just one. Do them all and more.

• Article Writing: Write expert articles in your area of expertise and submit them to article directories. The most important directory you can submit to is EzineArticles.com. At the bottom of each article that you write you can include a link to your website (if you have one), your business phone number, or an email address. The most important thing to realize with articles is that most people will find your article via a search engine such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN. And, most of the search engines will give you a ranking based on the title of the article. You must make the title keyword rich; use words that you think people searching for your services will type into the search box. Don't write just one article; write plenty.
• Internet Sales Leads: You can purchase executive contact names and phone numbers from leads list companies like InfoUSA and D&B. Or you can receive free B2B and B2C sales leads from Trade-Pals.com. There is a TradePals category for most business professionals like accountants, advertising & marketing professionals, insurance brokers, real estate brokers, lawyers, engineers, website designers, sales consultants, motivational speakers, financial planners, and writers, for example. When creating a profile remember that, just like EzineArticles.com, most people will find your profile via a search engine so it is important to create a descriptive profile, especially the "brief overview of services" section.
• Free Publicity: Free publicity could be the best advertising that you and your business could receive. The media's reach is wide and far. You could try meeting with editors of local newspapers or even news stations. You could send relevant press releases, as long as they are newsworthy. Don't believe the hype that a press release can get you instant publicity. You must realize that the media receive thousands of press releases daily; they don't even read most of them. But again, you must try everything when self-marketing yourself including writing a press release. There are online press release services like PRWeb.com and Send2Press.com.
• Business Networking: Business networking could be an inexpensive way to learn from other entrepreneurs, to make business contacts, or to receive business referrals. You could join your local Chamber of Commerce or your local BNI (Business Networking International) chapter. As well, there are online business networking websites such as Ryze.com and LinkedIn.com.

Have you considered setting up your own aircraft washing service lately? Perhaps you are a private pilot and are looking to make some extra monies. Indeed it can be a very good business to own and a whole lot of fun also. I started my first aircraft cleaning business at age twelve and built up a huge clientele and branched into other types of washing. Let us face it, if a 12-year old can start an aircraft washing business so can you.

Chemicals and cleaning products are important in the aircraft washing business and you need to understand which ones can and cannot be used on which surfaces, for corrosion protection and new high-tech lightweight paints. Waxes are even more critical, as some paints like Polyurethanes and Imrons breath and therefore silicones, Teflons and such are problematic. Some polymer chain waxes too and even some soaps also contain in their ingredients.

My company; The Aircraft Wash Guys does not do the volume to afford to be in the business of chemicals, due to the costs to make them and the over regulations in the industry so we cannot sell you any. At one time Private labeling made sense and we did talk with a firm out of Houston and one in Dallas which has FAA approved products and also Military Mil Spec stuff.

We found a whole lot of talk and claims and not much reality based know-how of modern day aircraft paints, which are changing very rapidly along with the coating industry. It is for this reason you will need to shop around for your aircraft cleaning supplies. Here is an example of the problems with aircraft washing soaps, as we approved this soap and polish line, only to switch it 4 months later and then switch back again.

Much has been written over the years about business. Much has also been written over the years about war. There are many parallels between the two. The more business people from the shipping dock to the executive suite view business as war, the more the spoils of war: success.

The Troops

Armies since ancient times have not been known for selecting the best and the brightest. At times, the bulk of armies were criminals, debtors and drunks. How did these cast-offs of society become armies able to conquer huge areas of the world and win massive battles? Training and discipline. Businesses today are so enamored with the best and the brightest that they seem to forget about the importance of training and discipline. Forget this bunk about baby boomers, gen-X and gen-Y. For a competitive edge, a business would be well served to get good (not great) people and invest in extensive training and that disciplines such as good management, quality and process control.

The Officers in the Field

Battles and wars have been won as much by the officers who are with the troops – such as lieutenants, captains and majors – as by the generals back in their tents and command posts. The officers in the field have the pulse of the people who serve under them. They see the enemy in action. They also see where the orders from above become a day to day reality – including all the things that can and do go wrong. For any military force, the field officers are a competitive advantage. For business too, lower and mid-level supervisors and managers can be a competitive advantage in the same ways as they serve between the troops and the executives. Unfortunately, most businesses have gutted these resources. On a percentage basis, the field and mid-level managers have been reduced more than the workers or the executives in many industries and corporations. As such, these businesses are less attuned to their workers, competition and have few vehicles for relaying the commands (and visions) from the executives above.

Generals

Generals in history have been killed by the enemy. They have been gravely wounded by their adversaries too. Generals have been fired by their superiors – both military and civilian for a variety of reasons. Why are the generals killed? They are up front with their troops. They are gravely wounded. And why are generals relieved of command or fired? For not meeting their objectives. Often this comes down to not meeting AN objective. Generals are expected to not only provide visions, missions and values – they are expected to lead their troops. And they are expected to WIN battles and wars. Those who do not effectively lead their troops and who do not win battles are replaced by others. The same should take place on a day-to-day basis in business. The executives who demonstrate they cannot effectively lead their people, who cannot meet their objectives, who cannot win new business over the competitors should be relieved so others can step in and drive success.

Technology vs. People

The rock. The axe. The arrow. The spear. The crossbow. The gun. The machine gun. The bomber aircraft. The rocket. The missile. The nuclear bomb. Technology has changed warfare of the ages. But there is one constant - people. In spite of all the innovations and technology, wars cannot be fought without people. That even applies to the most extreme and obscene form of warfare – nuclear war. Men and women must be recruited, uniformed, trained, trained more, armed, led and put in place with a mission and specific orders to each perform their own small task within the vast machinery of war. Businesses today are enamored with technology – both as products and as tools. And yet the basic elements of business have not changed. Even on the internet. A business is only as good as their people – even in the most technical sectors. In fact, as technology expands into the products and tools of all forms of business, people become even more important. They must be trained, led, motivated and rewarded – constantly for businesses to grow and be more competitive.

Strategy vs. Tactics

In war, civilians and military leaders develop winning strategies. The winning strategies are translated into tactics. The tactics are executed at the operating level on the ground, in the air and at sea. The tactics are used to win battles and ultimately wars by the troops and their officers as they face the enemy day in and day out. Strategy is important in winning wars. So are tactics. And so is execution. All three are required to be victorious in battle and in war. So why do business spend so much time developing strategies and then spend little effort on developing tactics. Then they wonder why something always falls short in the execution. In business, as in war, all three are important. Businesses must learn to balance resource and focus to insure that strategies play out in the day-to-day tactics and that the tactics are then executed with precision.

Battles and wars have gone on since the beginning of time. So has business and commerce. While warriors have learned to be more effective at their art, businesses have often grown stale due to technology, egos and the latest fads in management. If business people became more like warriors, workers would be better led, leaders would be more accountable and ultimately businesses would be more successful against their competitors.

The biggest problem with owning a small business is that your life can be full of worry. I encourage my coaching clients to manage their potential risks. If you do the same, this will allow you:

* To identify which issues must be resolved to keep your business running smoothly and
* To ignore or forget your other worries.

Identify your potential problems

1. What are the critical factors in your business? Staff, supply chains, quality control, product delivery, cash flow … Type them into column 1 of a spreadsheet.

2. What specific business problems follow a failure of each factor? Add them into column 1 under their related critical factor eg. poor cash flow can immediately lead onto an increase in your overdraft.

3. What is the risk of the factor failing in the next year? Is that risk the same for each ensuing problem or is the risk spread between them? Type these risks against each critical factor or specific business problem into column 2.

4. What would each major problem cost you in lost revenue? This goes in column 3.

5. Which problems have a high cost and high risk? In column 4, give them priority 1. Which have a high cost/ medium risk or medium cost/ high risk? They are priority 2.

Decide what to do

6. What events lead to each significant problem? You need to monitor these events on a daily or monthly schedule so put a recurring reminder in your electronic diary.

7. How do you plan to respond when one of these events happens? Write in your business continuity plan your chosen response: to plan to accept, to avoid, to contain, to remediate or to transfer the costs of the event.

Put succinctly, if you want to stay in business, you have to pay the cost of managing your priority problems; if you don’t manage the right problems, you will be out of business.

So use this spreadsheet technique to focus on what you need to worry about - then you can spend the rest of your effort on building and growing your small business.

If you run a non-profit business then perhaps you should try direct marketing and direct-mail to get volunteers and increase donations to your non-profit. Direct-mail and direct marketing does not just work for businesses, as it is a way to catch people in their homes who read direct-mail and direct marketing packages.

Some people think that direct mail and direct marketing are mostly for local small businesses in the area to send out to high net worth individuals in specific demographics within target areas of zipcodes. It is true that direct-mail and direct marketing packages do work well for many types of small businesses in both the service sector and the retail sector. But direct marketing and direct-mail is not just for businesses, as it works very well for public announcements of water conservation or other important issues and it has been used by politicians and government agencies for years.

I recommend that if you run a non-profit group that you consider direct-mail or direct marketing mail outs to promote to your endeavors. It is not easy staying up on the needed funds that nonprofits must have to survive. It is not easy recruiting volunteers, which will work very hard in your organization. Direct-mail and direct marketing can help you achieve your goals.

The number-one advantage of dimensional mailers is that they get noticed. Amidst the #10 envelopes, postcards and other traditional mail that your prospects receive daily, boxes, cylinders and lumpy oversize envelopes stand out.

The number-two advantage of dimensional mailers is that they get opened. Usually.

Most of us, when we receive a box in the mail, addressed to us, from someone we don’t know, simply have to find out what is inside. But you cannot depend entirely on the odd shape or size of your dimensional mailer to do all your work for you. You must still tease your prospect into opening the box.

One organization that knows how to use lumpy mail to good effect is the city of Memphis, Tennessee. A while back, the nice folks down at the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau realized that they needed to attract more meetings and conventions to the city. So they sent a promotional mailer to meeting and convention planners across the United States.

The mailer consisted of a small box wrapped in wrinkled brown paper. Handwritten on the top of the box was this message: “We found your wallet in Memphis.” Inside was a wallet, and this message: “Next time, why not come with it?”

The wallet contained faux credit cards for accommodations and dining, with Memphis hotels and restaurants listed on the back of each card. Along with the wallet was a sales letter explaining why Memphis was the most cost-effective place to host the prospect’s next meeting or convention.

You’ll agree that this mailer works for a number of reasons. The packaging, complete with wrinkled paper, is unique. The teaser copy on the box is irresistible. And the message inside, along with the wallet, is light-hearted and sure to put a smile on a prospect’s face.

The box alone was probably not enough to tease a prospect into opening it. It might have been mistaken for a home-made bomb. But the line about having found the prospect’s wallet in Memphis was inspired, and sure to make the recipient reach for the scissors and cut open the package.

Direct marketing is the most dynamic solution today for sales promotion, lead generation, and traffic building, as well as mail-order sales and database marketing. Like in any other industry-related service, associations also govern direct marketing. These associations can also be called partnerships, in which all members advertisers not only advertise their own product, but the products of other member advertisers. This allows all member marketers to enjoy a broad, grassroots audience base.

Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of business and nonprofit organizations using and supporting direct marketing strategies. Founded in 1917, DMA has more than 4,800 corporate, affiliate, and chapter members from the US and 46 other nations, including 55 companies listed on the Fortune 100.

The association lays down industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the entire direct marketing process. This is a benefit to every member.

The Federation of European Direct Marketing (www.fedma.org/) comprises direct marketing associations which represent every player in the direct marketing industry, from users and service providers to media agencies. FEDMA’s aim is to build the business of cross-border direct marketing, through its extensive network of contacts within and beyond Europe, and by representation within the European Union.