Thursday, January 3, 2008

Profile a Great Customer - Gain More Customers Just Like Them

Profile a Great Customer - Gain More Customers Just Like Them
One of the biggest challenges you will face as a business
owner is attracting new customers. Expanding your customer
base can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is
necessary in order to continue to grow your business. As a
business owner, what can you do in order to attract more
customers without breaking the bank?

The first thing you will need to do is identify your best
or ideal customer. It is important to think about what
constitutes your ideal customer. These characteristics
will vary, depending on the nature of your business and
your specific industry. It is a good idea to take a few
minutes to make a short list of characteristics and
behaviors that will help you identify your ideal customer.
This is called profiling a customer.

Once you have profiled your customer, you can use this
profile to your advantage. For example, one local mobile
home dealer was surprised to learn that his ideal clients
are retired couples, not families. In his research, he
found that his best clients are retirees who are looking
for a smaller home on the lake. Once the owner discovered
this information, he could begin to attract more retirees.

He started asking clients about the local newspapers and
magazines they read. He found that they often read a
different newspaper than the paper he regularly advertised
in. This means that his ads were not reaching his target
audience. He clearly had to change the way he advertised.
This allowed the business owner to change the way he
advertised in order to attract more of his ideal clients,
getting more results for his advertising dollar.

When creating his advertising, the business owner also took
his ideal customer into account. He created print ads and
commercials that showed he had experience helping retirees
find their dream vacation home. One of his best ideas
included using a story approach to advertising. In his
ads, he related a specific example of he how helped a
couple purchase their vacation home. This helped clients
visualize how his mobile home business could help them
realize their dreams.

This business owner also involved his clients in his
advertising. He used pictures of real clients in their
real homes purchased from his business. These pictures
were not only used in print ads and television commercials,
but they were also posted in very visible locations in the
office. This serves as a constant, yet subtle reminder to
the clients that his business has experience helping people
just like them.

His most successful project included using customer
profiling to his advantage. He learned the main route his
customers took into the area and rented a billboard. He
then used a picture of a real client moving into a
lakefront property. The only other information on the
billboard was his phone number. This simple billboard
increased sales by 20%.

Profile your ideal customer and sales will increase
significantly. All you need to do is a little research,
and your customer base will expand rapidly.

Copyright, All Rights Reserved, Nicole M. Shields


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Nicole Shields is the creator of the 7 Step Marketing Plan
which simplifies the overwhelming task of creating and
managing a profitable marketing plan for small businesses.
It includes forms, formulas and worksheets in a Quick Start
Kit full of Word and Excel files. Sign-up for the f'ree
marketing course, too at http://www.7stepmarketingplan.com

The Many Uses Of Camouflage Poly Tarp

The Many Uses Of Camouflage Poly Tarp
Not sure why you need a camouflage poly tarp? Well, you
have definitely come to the right place. There are many
uses for a camouflage tarp, many of which are the same as a
traditional tarp. The best thing about camouflage is that
it is perfect for covering items up and keeping them hidden
if necessary. If you are a big hunter, fisherman, outdoor
gamer, or even in the military a camouflage poly tarp could
be the answer you have been looking for.

Camouflage poly tarps are great for the hunter. The tarp
has camouflage on one side and the other side is an olive
green color. This is perfect for blending equipment into
the surroundings, keeping everything looking as natural as
possible while out in the field. Hunters also enjoy these
tarps because they are very useful for covering people,
keeping them hidden from the game they are hunting.

For the fisherman, keeping your boat and other equipment in
good shape is a priority. The camouflage poly tarp is
perfect for keeping things out of site and making sure,
they are protected at the same time.

Do you and your friends get together often for paintball
games? You can really get into the game with these tarps.
Hide yourself and your equipment, preventing others from
seeing you and getting a good lead on the game.

The military also makes use of camouflage poly tarps for
many reasons. Particularly in military exercises and
combat. In wooden areas, when you need to keep covered from
the enemy or keep ammunition and equipment hidden, these
tarps are extremely useful.

You have many choices when it comes to camouflage poly
tarp. You can choose from a standard grade for the light
uses or heavy duty grade for when you need something
extremely strong and durable. The standard grade camo tarps
weighs approximately three ounces per square yard, while
the heavy duty grade weighs approximately five ounces per
square yard.

You can be confident in your choice because camouflage poly
tarp also comes in twenty-seven different sizes. Camouflage
tarp sizes range from six foot by eight foot, all the
weight up to forty foot by forty foot. You will have no
troubles in finding the right tarp size for your specific
needs. No matter what grade you choose, you enjoy tarps
that are one hundred percent waterproof. You and your
equipment are protected against grease, dust, and rain. You
are also guaranteed a tarp that is tear resistant and
extremely strong. They are created from a strong poly
tarpaulin, which ensures a durable tarp for any and all of
your coverage needs.

Aside from uses such as military, hunting, fishing, and
paintball games, there are many other uses for your
camouflage poly tarp. One of the great things about these
tarps is that it gives the look and feel of environmentally
friendliness. Thanks to the camouflage, your coverage needs
are answered and it blends easily with nature.

Camouflage poly tarps are useful for protecting
landscaping, buildings, equipment, and many other types of
materials. These tarps provide protection against damage
from the weather elements. This keeps all of your equipment
and materials safe from damage and looking new for as long
as possible. Your new camouflage poly tarp is built to take
a great deal of punishment.

It is both durable and strong, which means that it can
withstand exposure to the sun, rain, snow, wind, and other
elements. Other tarps are not as durable, for example, the
traditional tarp. These are the ones you generally see
around town. These are not built for handling the elements
well or even for handling heavy duty applications. These
types of tarps are generally built for smaller applications
and lighter uses.

When you really need something to handle harsh uses, hold
up against the elements, and provide lasting and tough
protection for your equipment and materials, a camouflage
poly tarp is what you need.


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Tarpaulins expert Robert Page has worked in the tarps
industry for over twenty-five years. Robert has used
Camouflage tarps in the past as he enjoys paintballing in
his spare time. For more information, please visit
http://www.tarpaflex.com

Easy Marketing Strategies When You're Starting a Business

Easy Marketing Strategies When You're Starting a Business
Starting a business can be a very rewarding venture, but
you need to take the right steps to market and promote your
business to ensure success for the long run. Your online
or home based business will only survive the competition
with a cohesive marketing strategy that you can implement
effectively month after month. Without the right plan, you
can end up wasting money and losing out on some great
opportunities to attract customers and make a profit. The
beginning and launch stages of your online business are
often the most critical to your growth, and you need an
effective marketing strategy to make it through the startup
challenges. Here are some easy marketing strategies to get
your business going with a strong start:

Starting a Business with an Attractive Website

Building an attractive website is important because it will
introduce your customers to your products and services.
Making sure the website is easy to navigate and browse is
essential; you'll need to develop quality content and use
relevant images to encourage your visitors to stay and
explore. Remember that the longer your visitors stay on
the site, the higher the chances that they'll be interested
in buying something.

Starting a Business with a Free Newsletter

Offering free information in the form of a newsletter,
eBooks, or even a set of articles is a great way to attract
and retain customers. People are always searching for
unique and interesting content, and you can start building
a subscriber list that will be invaluable as your home
business grows. An online business is the perfect
opportunity to create an active subscriber list, and you
can use this e-mail newsletter to present and sell your own
or affiliate products later on.

Starting a Business with Online Networking

Online networking has taken on a variety of forms with the
growth of the internet, and you can develop a strong online
presence with a variety of tools available. Take the time
to share and distribute articles and content on your site
so visitors can learn about your company and brand with
ease. Online networking is important for generating
traffic and finding out what your customers are interested
in. You can start to build a community around your website
or industry by launching a blog as well; this can attract
traffic to your main site and encourage visitors to 'stay
in touch' with your site for the long-term.

Starting a Business with Search Engine Optimization Tactics

Search engine optimization has become more important than
ever, especially with the growth in sites that are so
similar in scope and content. Earning the top rankings of
the search engines will help you capture visitors as soon
as they enter keywords in a search engine's search box;
this works as completely free advertising for you, and will
help you increase the chances of a sale when visitors can
find you immediately. Getting onto the first page of the
major search engines is an important asset when you're
starting a business online or offline, and can help you
generate traffic with very little effort. The best way to
do this is to optimize your site with relevant content,
appropriate formatting, and make sure the design and
overall presentation is search engine friendly.

Marketing is an important element of starting a business,
and you can enjoy long-term success with the right
approach. Take advantage of the different types of
marketing strategies for the easiest way to get your
business to the forefront of your industry.


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Clinton Douglas IV, teaches people about internet home
business. Get his FREE Special Report - How To Make More
Money In Only 30 Days Starting From Scratch ==>
http://online-emprire.vasrue.com

Coffee in the Office - The Flavia Drinks Machine

Coffee in the Office - The Flavia Drinks Machine
In this latest article of our 'Coffee in the Office' series
we take a look at the Flavia filter-pack drinks machine.

The Flavia range of drinks machines work in an unusual and
ingenious manner to serve a wide variety of top quality
delicious drinks to the end user. After the drink choice
has been made the appropriate drink foil pack is inserted
into the machine, a cup is placed underneath and a button
is pressed. Hot water is then forced into the foil pack to
release the full flavour of the drink as it is dispensed
into the cup.

Each drink is individually made and there is no cross
contamination of flavours between different drink types.
The machine has very low maintenance and can be plumbed in
or just topped up with fresh water as required. Since no
cup is dispensed the user has the choice to use their own
cup or use branded Flavia waxed paper cups that can be
provided by your supplier together with sugar sticks,
stirrers, cup holders etc if required.

The Flavia machine is best used in a supervised environment
as the ingredients are selected from a display case and
there is no security. It is also best used in a low volume
office type environment where drink choice and quality is
paramount rather than serving a large number of people.

The main advantage of this type of machine is the sheer
quality of the drinks produced and the amazing choice of
drinks available. A huge number of fresh ground coffees are
offered of different types of coffee beans and roasts,
fresh leaf teas, speciality drinks, speciality teas,
chocolates and even fruit infusions and green teas. Note
however that the drinks are usually sold from the supplier
in cases of 80 so in reality most offices will want to
limit the range of drinks offered although they can of
course order different products each time they order.

Although the cost of the machine is relatively low when
compared to other types of drinks dispensing machine
(allowing the possibility of multiple machine sites) the
individual drink cost is quite high and can prove
prohibitive.

The Flavia option is not the solution for high volume
sites, sites requiring security of ingredients nor for
those requiring a coin controlled system.

However in the right environment the Flavia drinks system
can be the perfect high quality solution for satisfying
discerning drinkers at all times of the day.


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For more information about Flavia drinks systems and other
types of coffee machine visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk