ABC Business Blog

If you don't know what makes you different then how will your customers? Many entrepreneurs waste their time trying to create a business in an area where there are already established products. They seem to think that just by being better, quicker and/or cheaper they can build a sustainable business. But if the consumers in that sector are already getting acceptable products or services, then the market is destined to become commoditised and consolidated, and generally only large companies will survive. To build sustainable growth, small and medium-size enterprises must find and exploit emerging markets or create products and services that provide better solutions to…

            If you Repair the Leaks Customers will come! Most business owners believe that the single key to a successful and profitable small business is their ability to generate a substantial number of new leads for their business. “My business would be humming if I could just get some more people to come through the doors” Business Owner. And with this business owners set about investing time and money in marketing campaigns, signage, promotions, sponsorships etc etc. Whilst this strategy can make a business money, far too often it costs the business far more than it makes them. Consider an…

Source: By Chris Nobbs Many of the planned exits from a business require that a valuation be undertaken.  Naturally when you do this you will be getting guidance from your accountant but it can be very helpful to understand the basic methods used to value a business.  These include: The Profit Valuation Method The Asset Valuation Method Discounted Cash Flow Analysis The Profit Valuation Method One way of getting a broad estimate of the value of a business is by multiplying the net profit before tax by a given factor.  The chances a business has of being successful will determine this factor. Past financial statements…

 Written by: Craig Stanmore August 2013 With the start of a new financial year it's a good time to review your business. The key is to focus on the 'big picture' rather than get bogged down in too much detail. Here is a five point checklist to kick you off:   1. Goals and strategic planning   Set your goals for the year. Be specific (but brief) so you can work towards them. What will be your strategic plan to work towards those goals and who will be responsible for implementing them? It's also good to have a calendar that paces out this implementation with…

One of my favorite subjects is "no-brainer" marketing.  I call it no brainer because even though it is fundamentally easy, so many business owners simple DO NOT DO IT!  Now there are internet gurus out there that will tell you that the attention paradigm has shifted, that the consumer wants to be communicated with in multi-leveled spheres.  They include word, video, podcast etc.  Sure, I agree wholeheartedly and at ABC Business Coaching we do this however whilst the paradigm shifts I still want to be sure that the tried and true marketing doctrines are still working in parallel with the innovations.  You should to...so read…

Client Nurturing Programme Remember Perceived Indifference? Well Client Nurturing is a systemised way to show your customer that you do indeed 'care' about them. Most businesses will say and do nice things, but it won't be planned nor organised and especially, it won't be effective. A Client Nurturing Programme is about 'systemising' how you 'care' for your customers. Client nurturing is nothing more than keeping the lines of communication open. And it's also suitable for prospects as well: although we all tend to nurture prospects. It's only once they've paid their money that we tend to take less notice of them. Isn't that interesting??? However, fear not, it's completely normal…

Source: Bea Fields Today's customers are demanding, and their expectations are furiously escalating. Everyone wants value, and they want it now! They want convenience, and they want their needs and requirements met. You don't have to look very far to hear what customers are saying I want my Dell Computer with Windows Vista and a Flash Drive, and I want lifetime customer service with it, or I want my Honda with navy leather seats, and I want to be treated like royalty when I come in for my 30,000 mile tune-up. Adding value is key to business success, and these ten strategies will make your customers love…

Source: By Chris Nobbs Every one of your marketing tools needs a headline. Headlines get attention, make your message easy to read, get your main selling points across, and lead your customer to a sale. Use a short three word headline for classified ads. Use headlines frequently in your web site copy to help people get your main message without having to spend a lot of time online.  Headlines range from newspaper "hit-you-in-the face" to more subtle ones that don't seem like a headline at all. A hard-sell direct mail letter might have your headline in all capitals at the beginning:   I'VE GOT FIVE…

Straight into it!   We've lost some time.  I got called away during the week to an emergency board meeting.  Three days of such intense scrutiny that I haven't touched the blog because of the brain drain.   Never fear...I'm back.   Is EMAIL Sexy?  Can EMAIL Be Sexy. I'm not talking about the bombardment of emails purporting to enlarge certain parts of one's anatomy...that's not sexy.   In an earlier posting we talked about  the subject line (aka headline or "banana") and I mentioned that this line is the most important part of your marketing.  Remember that 75% of users won't open the email…

Commonly referred to as USP, the Unique Selling Proposition can also be known as Unique Selling Position, Unique Marketing Advantage, Competitive Edge Analysis, or any number of 'tri-letter' acronyms. The bottom line is that, whatever it's called, the USP is the thing which sets you apart from your competitors: Establishing the USP is one of the first and most important things that must be done in order to maximise the impact of your Target Marketing. Everything from that point onwards is then based on whatever had been determined as the business's USP. How to determine a USP? If done right, determining a USP will take several weeks. This…