Are You Fully Utilizing Your Technology To Achieve Business Growth?
Using Technology to Achieve Business Growth
My wife and I recently took our son to Sesame Place. When we submitted our e-tickets at the entrance to the park, a fingerprint was taken of our index fingers. When I asked why, I was told that this would be a way to confirm our identities in the event that our son wound up in the “Missing Adults” office.
At the time, I was really impressed that this theme park was using a fairly sophisticated technology to address a very important business issue – child safety. That got me thinking about whether most business owners are making full use of the technology they have available to them.
Here are a couple of technology related things that any small business should be doing – If you’re not doing them, you are leaving money on the table:
- 1. You use Quickbooks, but have you actually sat down with your bookkeeper to determine which financial reports you should be printing off WEEKLY to determine the health of your business. How about using multiple years of Quickbooks data to determine which are your most profitable months and more importantly what are least most profitable months so you can determine what to do about making them more profitable?
- You have a database of clients, but how often do you review the list to determine if all your client info is up-to-date and which clients have not purchased from you in a while?
- Are you making full use of LinkedIn? Are you actively mining your contacts’ contacts to see if there are any potential referrals that can be made on your behalf? Same for Facebook. And have you joined various organization groups on these sites to identify networking opportunities.
- Are you posting testimonials on your website, asking for testimonials on LinkedIn and posting videomonials on your website – if you have a website – as well as Facebook?
- Do you have a blog, and an e-blast system in your e-mail software so that you can keep your clients informed of your full range of services and offerings?
- Do you use Constant Contact or other electronic marketing vehicles to reach your past and current customers?
If you are NOT doing at least these six things, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage in the marketplace. Most importantly, they are either NO COST or LOW COST ways to generate warm leads and increase sales.
Would you like to receive a free evaluation of how effectively you’re using systems to maximize your profitability?
To make a difference in your business you have to change the way you do things. It begins by having a business coach evaluate your business.
To get started today click the link above or call us at 203.210.7003. We look forward to helping you grow your business and making the kind of money you always thought possible.
Is Social Media Here to Stay? Social Media & Business
By the end of 2010 social media will be so embedded into our culture that it won’t even be a buzz word. Read Write Web says social media is here to stay.
What I’ve Learned:
- Women dominate the social media world. Woman make up 75% of all buying decisions for the home and at least 50% of social media networks across all ages 35-55
- In 2010 more companies will be expected to engage in social media activities
- Large companies appear more approachable thru their use of social media
- Social media takes away the “hard sell” and turns it into “making connections”
- Social media makes it ok to be yourself
- Social media jobs will be created such as social media managers and social media executive administrators in 2010.
- By 2010 Gen Y will outnumber Baby Boomers….96% of them have joined a social network – sited from Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 4th largest between the United States and Indonesia (note that Facebook is now creeping up – recently announced 300 million users)- -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum-source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- % of companies using LinkedIn as a primary tool to find employees….80% -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- 80% of Twitter usage is outside of Twitter…people update anywhere, anytime…imagine what that means for bad customer experiences?-source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- There are over 200,000,000 Blogs -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- In the near future we will no longer search for products and services they will find us via social media -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- Successful companies in social media act more like Dale Carnegie and less like David Ogilvy Listening first, selling second -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
- Successful companies in social media act more like party planners, aggregators, and content providers than traditional advertiser -source Socialnomics By Erik Qualman
How can we use Social Media to promote our business?
- Concentrate on building a community thru using social media
- Communicate with your audience even when you have nothing to say – stay in touch with the members of your community and provide useful information
- Social Media Tactics to use to increase your Search Engine Optimization
- Blogs – are an easy way for businesses to keep their customers informed and interested in new products or services. When connected to social networks business blogs can have a large reach.
- Video – puts a face to the business
- Twitter – current Live connection with others
- Social Networking – extends your reach in the community and across the world
- News/ Press Releases – can be not only local, but worldwide
- Make sure your business is listed in local business directories on line; for small businesses local searches can be a big win – Hey Fairfield, Fairfield County Online, YELP.com
- Favor those who follow your business – on Twitter, LinkedIn, Your Blog etc.
- Offer those who follow your business incentives and prizes.
- Use LinkedIn to find prospects, candidates and strategic alliances
- Create a Facebook page for your business
If you are looking for business advisors in CT, why not give your business a Business Growth Analysis and gain invaluable insights into four major areas of your business?
Your answers will be used to qualify you for a FREE Business Diagnostic Meeting
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