11/2016 by Sarah Roussos

Intelligent Marketing!

When you start a company, the last thing most people think about is how to market your product. Yet marketing is one of the most important keys to success in making of your business something that goes viral and everyone wants to have something to do with. We see examples of this with companies such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Consider if you will, that outside of an outstanding product, getting that product out there to the general public is the single most important decision you will make. It doesn’t matter if it’s intellectual property or physical property, the product still needs to be made known to those prospective customers. Enter Intelligent Marketing.

Intelligent Marketing

There are approximately five factors that need to be evaluated your company’s product in the area of intelligent marketing.

First of all,you have to make sure that you are targeting the correct customer segment(s). This means that you have to have research done to see who your prime customers are going to be. It’s only then that you’re going to be able to stand a chance of having marketing done effectively. This, in turn, will allow for you to chose the correct market(s) for your business.

Sales is the next part of intellectual marketing. I’ve seen it over and over again where the company believes that sales will walk through the door as soon as they hang up their sign, and for the most, part it doesn’t happen this way. There needs to be a funnel of prospective clients. Why? Because there are different types and styles of customers that will be looking to buy your product. Some aren’t going to be able to buy the product right away because they need their bosses approval. Others will not be sure if they want to spend their resources on what you have to offer, and others will feel that it’s not a good fit. It’s few and far in between when the customer will actually sign on the dotted line at the initial contact. It is, in fact, a journey from beginning to the signing and then the satisfaction of the customer.

Part of inteligent marketing means that you’re going to need to bridge their needs with your ability to fulfill the perspective customer.s needs. This used to be called “a sense of urgency” within the customer. This has to be done very delicately in this day and age because people don’t like to be sold. It takes a skillful hand to show a customer how what they need is met by what you do, without them filling like you’re trying to sell them a bill of goods!

This also brings into play the need for the right rational needs of the client. If their needs aren’t possible or correct, you’re going to need to be able to show them how their thinking is in error and why it’s not going to work. This may cost you clients in the beginning, but if you’re not able to follow through and give them what you promised your reputation is on the line and it can need to be managed, if you don’t let your future customers know what’s realistic and what’s not.

Lastly, intelligent marketing means that you’re going to need to have an understanding about your competition and how you’re going to offer something that they aren’t able to do and how you’re going to fill that gap in the marketplace.

If your company doesn’t have intelligent marketing, contact Beacon Tech Marketing today and what the results come. Remember, like any area of business, if it’s not done correctly the business that has the marketers will be left with a bad taste in their mouth in the area of intellectual marketing. You need to do your homework before you higher someone and then have evaluations/reports done frequently to ensure that you’re getting your money’s worth.

06/2016 by Sarah Roussos

Obstacles Or Opportunity!

In life there are many obstacles that you will come across, some are bigger mountains than others, but they are all obstacles. When you run across those obstacles, you have a choice of deciding what you are going to do with it. To lay down and quit, or to find a way to go up, over, down or around that obstacle. Climbing up it can mean putting stairs in it, so that you have a sure foothold. What would the the staircase look like?

Opéra Garnier, Paris France

Well it can take many forms, consider if you want to go to a world renowned school. One of those that everyone is trying to get into. One that only the elite of the elite are even given an opportunity to go to. That’s part of the obstacle, the opportunity is that you can do things like; take lessons, get sponsors, find mentors etc.. Those things that you do to get over the obstacles are the stairs. You have the chose of walking away or doing what you need to do to get to that opportunity that you’ve dreaming of.

The same is true when you start a business there are countless obstacles that you will come across. it is your choice if you’re going to find a way to go over, under, around or through those obstacles.

If you don’t see things as opportunities, they you really need to stop and consider if starting a business is the right thing for you. If you’re one that throws the towel in when the smallest of things happens? If so you probably shouldn’t consider going into business for yourself. Above is a picture of Googles emblem. Do you think that those that started google never had any issues? Of course they did. Every company has issues. Those don’t stop when the company is large like Google, FedEx or Microsoft. In fact the challenges increase.

Challenges

Challenges are simply those things that you don’t know how to handle yet! Yet is in fact the keyword here. Because a challenge is simply something that you don’t know how to handle yet, but a challenge is something that you can overcome.

How? The first thing you need to do is brainstorm! What brainstorming does is to allow for you to look at all of your options. Brainstorming can include talking to people, doing online research, sitting and think or any number of things that will bring ideas to the forefront. Sometimes they easy to over come while other times, they’re not. Every obstacle is different. The key is to bring ideas to for the obstacle to the surface. Then you can know ways to overcome those obstacles.

What that does is change that obstacle into an opportunity to make something great happen. It’s not hard, but it is doable. That doesn’t mean that your solution is going to be easy, the two should not be confused. For example: your business may need more money. That’s a simple problem and the solution in a startup is to go to VC’s (venture capitalist). Doable right. Just go in front of people and tell them you need money. But easy, well that’s another story.

Going in front of a V.C. means that you’re going to need to have a business plan. Those can be 100’s of pages and take as many hours to get the business plan done in a professional way. It also means that you’re going to have to find those that are interested in what you’re looking to get investors for and then it means being able to get in front of them in a timely manner so that you can keep your business running and not close the doors before the investment.

Opportunity!

The opportunity for you in this case is to move your business to the next level. It’s about making your dream come true, and allowing for others to come to you for their dreams. Each obstacle is an opportunity for you to be able to do more than you’ve ever dream. It’s a chance for you to be all that you can be, but more importantly for you to move beyond where you once thought that you weren’t able to go to.

Objective

One of the hardest things for a business person (or anyone for that matter) to be is object with their project. You see if you’re to close to your project, it’s your baby. You want to make it work at all cost. There’s television shows that are built on people with their pet projects and they’re trying to get investors in order to make their project all that they think it should be. But the reality is that some things shouldn’t move beyond the initial stages. Why? Because they aren’t something that anyone really needs to have or invest in.

The hard part is knowing if it’s something that needs to be developed further, or if it’s something that should be let go. We’ve all see that ‘thing’ that we didn’t think was going to make it, but yet it does. For me Chia Pets was one of those things that I thought was well not great. But in 1977 someone decided it was a great thing and they’re still going strong. Not only that, but I’ve never met someone that didn’t have at least one. Your baby may be like a Chia Pet, no one but you may think it’s great, and the next thing you know it’s taken off and everyone else loves it. That’s what makes asking friends and family a challenge. Sometimes they only see the obstacles and not the opportunity or possibility. It’s at this point that you may need to make some hard choices with family and friends. If they aren’t going to support you, they may need to go. That’s a hard thing to think about, but it’s no less a face.

So now it’s time for you to sit down and think about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to look at things. Are they going to be opportunities or obstacles. The choice is yours!

05/2016 by Sarah Roussos

Success In Business

When someone starts a business, it’s never their intent that it fails. If you consider that you were going to fail and that would be the outcome, you never ever would have started to begin with. Realize that 8 out of 10 business fail in the first 5 years. So what does that mean for you and what can you do about it?

Multiple Assaults

Starting a business should be handle much like when a country goes to war. The generals never just go into the battle and guess what they’re going to do, they have gone to school, studied, learned their enemy and strategized. So when they go on a mission, they know what they’re going to do and when they’re going to do it. They know when airstrikes are going to happen, when ground troops are going in, and when to set up a M.A.S.H unit. Because the realty of war is death and injuries. They don’t go in half hearted to fight, it’s a full on assault.

They same has to be true for you and your new business. You need to study! Yes, you need to do your homework. You need to study the enemy (your competition) and find out what he/she does well, but also what they do poorly. You need to have a M.A.S.H. unit. That is, you need to have your plan in place for when things don’t work the way you planned. For example, if sales don’t come when you think they will; have resources lined up so that you don’t have to close your doors, have your car repo’d and you don’t have to lose your home. You have got that plan in place.

Your Arsenal!

Like an army, your arsenal has to be in place. Do you have your SEO agency in New York in place? So that your name and your company is getting out there? Do you have your social media marketing agency set up, so that you can get onto the social media sites and get your name out there for you. So that when they see that little red ant, they think of you? Are you online at all? Do you have your website designed and user friendly? Is your website designed in such a way that it’s responsive to cell phones.

Is your arsenal ready?

Your Product!

The product that you’re choosing to merchandise is important. You can have all of your ducks in a row, but have a terrible product and it never fly. If you are one of 20 restaurants on a corner, then it’s not necessarily how good your food is, but your location. Are you one of 5 dentists in a strip mall? If so, you’re going to have a hard time getting new customers over the other 4 businesses that are in your neighborhood. Worse, is there a genuine need for what you have and what you do? Are you feeling a void that currently exists. This is why Microsoft worked so well. Not only did they fill a void, but they created a need that we didn’t even know existed. Now you can’t imagine not having a computer, let alone talking with someone around the world!

Is your product needed?

YOU Can’t Live!

That’s right, YOU can’t live without being in business for yourself. This is a must above everything else. Why? Because you’re going to be working seven days a week. You’re not going to see your family. You’re going to miss important events. You’re going to work late into the night and then turn around and get up early in the morning. It’s all part of the unspoken cost of starting a business and making it work for at the very least, the first 5 years of it’s existence. Then you might be able to start cutting back on hours…maybe.

Are You Ready?

That’s the question that remains; are YOU ready? It’s a time of blood, sweet and tears. It’s a time when you have a lot to loose, but you also have a lot to gain. So do those around you, those that you live with…your family. It’s a hard road, but if you succed…well there’s nothing better! Ask Bill Gates!

01/2016 by Sarah Roussos

Soda Blasting

Usually when one speaks of art, the first thing the mind goes to is the art of painting. After all there are great artist in that arena to be sure. But if you would, consider for a moment, that most anything can be considered to be an art, if it is done well. Consider if you would an athlete, they are artist in motion to be sure. Then there are singers. Some are better and over the top such as Celine Dion. She excels with her talent that she’s far superior to most anyone else in her field. She has taken her craft to the level of art.

This concept of art doesn’t stop in the area of athletics or music. There is an argument to be made that art can also be found in business. Consider if you would, those that give customer service. If you receive bad customer service, you’re quick to note it. The same can be said for over-the-top customer service. When you receive attention and are handled beyond the norm, then you also notice it. This is especially true if it’s so far beyond anything you’ve experienced in a long time. The same can be said in the area of commercial cleaning. Specifically in the area of Soda Blasting, which is the focus of this Every.rocks article.

Soda Blasting A Building

Soda Blasting

You may be asking and rightly so; what is Soda Blasting? Simply put, it’s the art of using baking soda to blast away those surfaces that have tough and extra tough contaminants and coatings. The next logical question in your mind is probably; but will it disturb, harm or in anyway damage the product below? The answer to that is NO! Those base metals below can be cleaned (contrary to popular belief) without being damaged.

Examples:

Standard Maintenance

Before

After