Transmission Wire

A trade show represents an excellent opportunity to present your company and its products to an audience looking for new ideas and innovation in a specific field. And even if you are not attending a traditional “trade show” but something more like a product exhibit or vendor showcase, it is important that your presentation is attractive and professional so you can attract prospective customers.

Portable trade show displays are a good choice for exhibitors who travel to shows, bring a small sales force and want an economical way to display their company and product information. Below are some of the benefits of using portable displays:

1. Portable trade show displays can be affordably shipped via UPS or FedEx. Traveling for business can be a hassle. Many exhibitors ship their trade show display and all the demo products, sales literature and computers ahead of time to make the trip less trouble. Since a portable display is made to transport easily, shipping it via UPS or FexEx is not expensive. And you can even bring a portable display with you on an airplane if you are concerned about it getting lost in transit.

2. A portable display typically fits into one or two shipping cases. We’re not talking huge shipping crates but portable shipping cases that aren’t overly heavy or awkwardly shaped. Most shipping cases have wheels and can be easily wheeled into the trade show venue.

3. No drayage fees if you bring the display with you. If your trade show display is shipped, typically the trade show venue will charge a drayage fee for storing the display until it is set up. Depending on how large your display is, the drayage fees can be hundreds of dollars. With a portable display you can bring it with you foregoing the need for the venue to store it.

4. Set up and breakdown of a portable trade show display is quick and easy. At most trade shows you have to use the site’s laborers to set up your display. This can cost $100/hr per person making set up and breakdown of your display costly. A portable trade show display only takes one person and 15 minutes to set up or breakdown, saving you time and money.

Portable displays are all about convenience. They are easy to transport and to set up and breakdown. Consider a portable trade show display when you begin planning your next trade show booth.

Mat Kelly is the president of ExhibitDEAL, the Original Exhibit Wholesaler specializing in trade show exhibits from large custom displays to portable trade show displays - on the web at http://www.exhibitdeal.com/

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What do Klingons, giant rubber bands, and monster trucks all have in common? They hold the fascination of every male on the planet - and they make frequent appearances on Spike TV. Spike TV, which totes itself as a network for men, is the perfect example of the power of knowing your audience and giving them what they want.

In one week of watching Spike TV you can expect to see poker, ultimate fighting, demolition derbies, cop shows, kung fu movies, school bus figure eight racing, pyrotechnic explosions, Klingons, customized cars, Chairman Tamori, giant rubber bands, sports superstars, Captain James T. Kirk, video game awards, Japanese trivia shows, dating competitions, MacGyver, and monster trucks. And that is only a partial list of what Spike TV offers men.

When it comes to your small or home business, knowing your audience, giving them what they want, and letting them know it’s there for the buying are essential steps to establishing a consistent income.

Knowing Your Audience the Spike TV Way

The creators of Spike TV saw an opportunity in the television industry to create a network marketed toward a huge, almost completely neglected demographic of men. By creating a product men would be interested in (did I mention MacGyver?) and packaging it to succeed, they paved the way to truly become the “first network for men.” Follow these steps to find out who your audience is and what their habits are.

First, categorize your potential customers or clients according to their similarities. You may create these groups based on age, socioeconomic status, gender, political activity level, or any other characteristic that is relevant to your business. Group your potential clients and customers based on characteristics they actually possess, rather than on features you would like them to have or that you think they should have. Just because men should be interested in keeping the kitchen clean does not mean Spike TV should create a show all about dish soap.

Second, distinguish between the categories of your customers that will purchase what you’re selling and those that will not. When all is said and done, your business relies on the revenue customers generate to stay in business. If no men watched Spike TV it would not still be a viable, thriving network. It may be helpful, if you have the resources, to identify which categories of your customers might not buy right away, but may come back and purchase later.

Finally, discover how your customers will use or purchase your product. Spike TV no doubt was faced with the challenge of providing quality service to both Sci-Fi fans and Demolition Derby junkies. Some of your customers may purchase your product based on impulse, while others may be converting from one of your competitor’s products. Still others may need information, testimonials, and a personal relationship with you before they spend money. Catering to your individual customers (by identifying categories and marketing to the ones that will buy what you’re selling) increases the likelihood that they will return the next time they need your services.

Knowing your audience and meeting their individual needs can be the difference between barely scraping by and buying a yacht - or a school bus figure eight racing track of your very own.

Nick Smith is a specialist in network marketing. Find out how to get Spike TV on your television at DishNetworkProducts.com.

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Sometimes we loose site of the small things in life that are incredibly important. As a child growing up in America, most people are taught from a very young age to say Thank You in appreciation of a courtesy extended by someone.

Your parents, your teachers in school, your minister or teachers in church, your youth group leader and others all attempt to teach this civilized and courteous behavior from a very young age. Most children use Thank You without even thinking about it.

As adults, too many people forget this seemingly minor consideration when dealing in the business world. This lapse can have a very profound effect on the success of your business.

Even in the high-speed world of today, polite and courteous people stand out from the crowd. In the rush to complete your work, it’s all too easy to forget to use Thank You with your customers, employees, vendors and others that you come in contact with on a daily basis.

People like to be appreciated. By using the simple coutesy of Thank You with your customers, you send the message that they want to hear - their business is important and appreciated by you.

Sincerity is a key ingredient when using Thank You. Don’t verbalize Thank You as a hollow statement or mechanized response. If your customer is standing in front of you, look them in the eyes and sincerely thank them for their business.

A written Thank You note is an extremely powerful tool. Your ability to up sell additional services or products and gather referrals is enhanced with a personally signed Thank You note. People are much more willing to refer others to you when the pleasant memory of their transaction with you is remembered in a warm note.

The cost to your business to use this powerful tool is almost nil - verbally it’s free and a Thank You note plus stamp is less than 50 cents. Incorporate Thank You notes as a systemic function in your normal business practices and this small courtesy will pay large dividends.

© 2004 ODEC

Mike Burstein has been helping the SOHO and Small Business community grow & prosper for over 20 years by solving start up problems, creating best practices, automating their offices, getting free publicity and dramatically increasing traffic and sales.

Visithttp://www.SOHOWiz.com for the latest FREE business tips.

Email the Wiz at: SOHOWiz@SOHOWiz.com

Write your own article.

Okay, that might sound a bit too easy. Yet with the possible exception of public speaking, nothing establishes your business credibility like penning an article with your name and company in the byline. Yet even with all the content-starved publications out there, very few businesses take advantage of this golden opportunity.

The answer why is quite simple: most businesses, large or small, don’t consider it as an option. Interesting because most companies won’t think twice about putting out a press release. Even if a publication does a feature based on your release, you’re at the mercy of editors and reporters and there’s no guarantee the article will depict your firm in the light you want.

Sure, a publication could run your release. Since most press releases run 400 words or less, the likelihood of that being enough to establish you or your company as experts is slim.

With an article, depending on where you submit, you can have anywhere from 500 to 1,000 words or more. Though it can vary with different publications, your article can generally say what you want.

Which probably leads back to square one if you don’t consider yourself a capable enough writer. Here’s a news flash: you don’t have to be! Hiring a writer to generate an article for your byline is a perfectly acceptable practice. In fact, it’s probably a safe bet that a good percentage of articles in trade publications written by non-staff members are ghostwritten articles for whomever is named in the byline.

If you’re short on topics, not a problem. Start with what it is you do. Is there some area where you have a particular expertise? Is there a current issue or trend in which current, former, or potential customers or clients might have something at stake? Or some product or service currently available that could save them time or money or both? Anything hitting those areas makes for great article topics.

Still stuck? Go to your company newsletter. Many times, you can expand on the content for your employee or customer newsletters to create an article for a broader audience.

Picking the publication you want to submit your article to is something you should probably think about before you write the piece. That way you can tailor the piece to the publication’s audience.

Where you submit your article is much like applying to colleges. You have your dream schools and your safety schools. So, while you can write an article you’d love to have in the Wall Street Journal, realize it will be mighty difficult to get in there. Thankfully, the Internet offers plenty of “safety schools.”–including ezinearticles.com.

Your local chamber of commerce is another option. Most have newsletters and welcome “free content.” Free is in quotes because even though you’re not getting paid for your article, you most likely will get a byline with your name, company and maybe even your Web site or e-mail address. Essentially, you’re getting paid a much larger fee for your article: free advertising.

Remember , the objective of your article is to establish your expertise. You will sell a lot more widgets writing an article about the different kind of widgets and what works best for different applications than how your particular widgets are better than anybody else’s. If your article demonstrates your expertise, readers will become your customers because they want to buy widgets from somebody who knows their stuff. And by publishing articles on a consistent basis, that can always be you.

Joe D’Eramo is a freelance copywriter based in Plymouth, Massachusetts. As owner of Hiroad Communications, he writes brochures, newsletters, Web content, press releases, and, of course, articles for small businesses and corporate clients. For more D’Eramo writings, please go to http://www.hiroadcommunications.com.

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No matter what business you are in, you probably have something to sell. Furthermore, if you have something to sell, you have something to say. So say it to as many people as possible, and don’t wait for them to come to you. You need to go to them. Take your business, your product and yourself, either directly or indirectly, out of the office or store and onto the local speakers’ circuit. Don’t have one in your area? Think again.

In another article (See “Marketing On The Cheap: Become a Joiner”) I wrote about joining a service club to get exposure for you and your business. Those same organizations are always looking for speakers. Most, if not all, Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary and a number of other service clubs have programs during their regular meetings. They are always looking for speakers on any variety of subjects of interest.

Regardless of what business you are in, you can develop a program to fit the needs of those organizations. However, you don’t want to develop a program that is a blatant and direct sales pitch. You’ll have to develop a program that is somewhat indirect.

If you’re in the insurance business, you probably don’t want to do a 30-minute program on why everyone needs life insurance. Instead you may want to consider developing a presentation on ways small businesses can save on their worker’s comp insurance. You may also want to think of developing a program that has nothing to do with insurance at all. A few years back a local insurance agent became the talk of the local “rubber chicken circuit” when he returned from a hunting trip to China. He put together an remarkable slide show that included incredible shots of the local culture and scenery, but it included absolutely nothing about insurance at all. Of course, he and his business were listed on hundreds of agendas and program guides and mentioned during every introduction.

I served on our local arts council years ago. Part of their responsibility was offering input into the County and City Art in Public Places programs. On a cross-country vacation trip which I took, I made sure I visited a large number of sites that had remarkable sculptures and other works of art in public places. After returning home and putting on a program for the Arts Council, my phone started ringing off the hook with requests for the program at all the local service clubs and other organizations. I did the same thing when I served on the board of directors of the Museum of Flight in our area. In my two trips around the speakers’ circuit neither subject had a thing to do with the business I was in. Yet, I made lots of contacts, got a ton of exposure and had a lot of fun, not to mention all those free rubber chicken lunches!!

If you don’t consider yourself a very good speaker, not to worry. Pre-record your presentation. With all of the fancy audio-visual equipment there is out there, today anyone can come off sounding like a world-class orator. You may also want to consider hiring a professional to voice your presentation. My company was hired at one time to put together a presentation for a company promoting an affordable housing project. I hired a local television personality to do the voice over. Once his distinctive voice was recognized, it gave instant credibility to our presentation. My name and the name of my company were listed on the program during the introduction, and I handled the question and answer period at the end. Other than that I didn’t have too much to do, beyond showing up, setting up and turning on the audio-visual equipment.

Make sure you include some sort of hand out to go along with whatever kind of presentation you do, even if it’s just some sort of imprinted premium like a pen or a keychain. These sort items, as opposed to business cards, are less likely to find the trash can before the receiver leaves the building.

Other speaking opportunities you should look into include your local college. Most of them have some sort of adult classes. I had a number of programs I did in our local community college. I made class presentations of 1-2 hour duration and in one case did a 2-week how-to presentation every semester. These were all adult classes and provided tremendous exposure to the exact market I was aiming to reach.

Your local chamber of commerce may also offer any number of speaking opportunities. They may sponsor business conferences or trade shows. I didn’t like setting up the standard booths at these sorts of events myself, but rather preferred to be a presenter or do a demonstration of some sort. You might even consider leading the discussion in a breakout group. This will get your name in most, if not all, of the pre-event promotional materials and offers a higher level of exposure and credibility.

No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Email floyd@sbmag.org.

About the Author: Floyd Snyder is the owner of Strictly Business Magazine at http://www.sbmag.org, http://www.EducationResourcesNetwork.com/ and http://www.TraderAide.com.

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Salehoo: Non Simple Lingerie Wholesale
One thing that I was surprised with was the community within the forum. These people seem to work together to make each other successful. There are many Ebay PowerSellers that are members that are willing to help. I had a question about a distributor one time, and I got the answer within an hour. I was very impressed with the service that this place has. The stock that I sell is sourced from the local market as well as imported from abroad, so learn all about Salehoo wholesalers.

Always include a sentence at the bottom of your descriptions encouraging visitors to check out your other listings - most people will which is the real benefit of Salehoo dropshippers. Closeout News is a great example of a publication that is geared towards wholesale buyers and also the Salehoo Suppliers. From the outset Salehoo has been constantly adding new suppliers and verifying them to provide a comprehensive database

Salehoo Wholesale Inflatable Pool Toys:
Some of the wholesale bags are made in Asia, because production costs are lower and the huge trend for Oriental designs and natural materials (which are cheaper there). Other wholesale bags are made in Europe, featuring the work of younger, lesser-known designers. Ebay powersellers trust Salehoo dropshippers and Salehoo prices.

This is really useful if you don’t have much room to store stock, so try to join the Salehoo forums. The only difficulty the risk involved using non-secure payment methods such as Western union and Wire Transfer, which will be the Salehoo customers. See Salehoo.

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Does this minisite thing confuse you ?

Create a 1 page minisite or a huge 12 page content site ?

What to do and more importantly how to do it ?

Before getting started you need to know the basics…

1. Micro site is a 1 page minisite that targets on selling a single product.

It focuses on either getting a sale or diverting the visitor to the affiliate sales page.

2. On the other hand, a theme based minisite is around 3 to 12 page site that targets a particular theme in a niche.

It tightly focuses on one segment of a theme.

Theme based minisite can help you get hoards of traffic from search engines if you…

1. Create quality theme based content.

2. Optimize your site well with niche keywords.

3. Increase your link popularity by writing articles.

It contains tons of links that targets different topics of a theme.

For example, a theme based minisite that focuses on ‘minisite creation’ theme might contain articles such as…

1. How to design minisites ?

2. How to write killer copy for your minisites ?

3. How to design graphics for your minisites ?

4. How to promote your minisites ?

5. How to create affiliate minisites that presells visitors ?

6. How to create 1 page minisites to sell your products ?

7. How to create a lead capturing minisite ?

Whereas a micro site may only focus on selling a minisite creation package or divert a visitor to an affiliate program that sells minisite design software.

Creating a theme based minisite with keywords stuffed in title, meta tags, headlines, top and bottom portion of minisite, alt tag of images, domain name, links, etc can get good search engine rankings.

Where as it is difficult for a micro site to get ranked well on search engines as it lacks content.

A theme based minisite also helps in establishing credibility due to its valuable content on a specific niche segment.

Whereas it is difficult to build trust and credibility instantly using a micro site if at all you’re not an established expert in your niche.

You can use testimonials and valuable content on your micro site to gain your visitors trust and then load them with benefit laden copy. This will surely help you to close more sales using a micro site.

Whatever approach you take, make sure you do your research, to enjoy unlimited profits in future.

Murtuza Abbas specializes in creating simple ‘Profit Pulling Minisites’.

Churn out simple, effective Profit Pulling Minisites in 3 Hours or Less. Grab your FREE $147 ‘Minisite Creation Pack’ & learn how to start an internet business today.

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A news release is sent to editors and journalists in order to generate a news story in a newspaper or magazine. It’s one of the easiest and cost-effective, ways to get your message out there. If a reporter decides to run your release, your business receives space for free - and more credibility than just running an ad.

Many businesses ignore the fact that reporters are looking for news, not just as rehash of an advertisement or promotion. Ultimately, if the release is newsworthy, it won’t be put in the trash

So what’s news?

Cherry offers 31 suggested press release topics:

1.A new product
2.An old product with a new name or package
3.A new version of an old product
4.An old product available in new materials/colors
5.A new application of an old product
6.New accessories available for an old product
7.The publication of new or revised sales literature
8.A speech or presentation given by an executive
9.An expert opinion on any subject
10.A controversial topic
11.New employees
12.Promotions within the firm
13.Awards or honors given to employees
14.Awards or honors given to the company
15.Original discoveries or innovations
16.New branches, departments or facilities
17.New sales reps, distributors or agents
18.Major contracts awarded to the firm
19.New clients
20.Joint ventures
21.Strategic alliances
22.Management reorganization
23.Major achievements
24.Unusual people or products
25.Unusual ways of doing business
26.Case histories of successful applications
27.How-to advice
28.Change of company name, slogan or logo
29.Opening of a new business
30.Special events such as an open house or tour
31.Charitable acts

About the Author

About the author:
Shannon Cherry, APR helps businesses and nonprofit organizations to be heard. She’s a marketing communications and public relations expert with more than 15 years experience and the owner of Cherry Communications. For more tips and tricks - or information about her services, visit www.cherrycommunications.com. Contact her at shannon@cherrycommunications.com.

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