Comments on: Finding the best customers for your business http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2009/03/17/finding-the-best-customers-for-your-business/ Editors from FSB magazine answer your pressing small-business questions. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:52:55 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Dr Bill Toth http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2009/03/17/finding-the-best-customers-for-your-business/#comment-2004 Dr Bill Toth Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:42:35 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/?p=961#comment-2004 Determine what makes you and your business unique and tailor your marketing to the customers that LOVE that uniqueness. Be very clear as to who your ideal client is. For example; Our ideal client is "Bob" or "Bobette". a 40ish YO salesperson who makes 60k per year, has two kids they never get to see, a spouse they rarely get to relax with, hasn't had a vacation in more than a year, wears khaki's and a golf shirt to work, drives a 2+ YO car, is fed up with being downsized and right sized, was considered "over qualified" on their last interview and is seeking to start their own business." After you are clear as to your value in the marketplace, who your ideal client is, THEN you MUST have a written plan…for the year, month, week and each day. Most important – Have Fun, Be flexible and Live With Intention, Dr Bill Toth Success Coach http://www.CreateYourFate.com Determine what makes you and your business unique and tailor your marketing to the customers that LOVE that uniqueness. Be very clear as to who your ideal client is.
For example; Our ideal client is "Bob" or "Bobette". a 40ish YO salesperson who makes 60k per year, has two kids they never get to see, a spouse they rarely get to relax with, hasn't had a vacation in more than a year, wears khaki's and a golf shirt to work, drives a 2+ YO car, is fed up with being downsized and right sized, was considered "over qualified" on their last interview and is seeking to start their own business."
After you are clear as to your value in the marketplace, who your ideal client is, THEN you MUST have a written plan…for the year, month, week and each day.

Most important – Have Fun, Be flexible and

Live With Intention,
Dr Bill Toth
Success Coach
http://www.CreateYourFate.com

]]> By: ilya bodner http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2009/03/17/finding-the-best-customers-for-your-business/#comment-1835 ilya bodner Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:29:35 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/?p=961#comment-1835 D&B research is great. Consider getting your own company registered. Search for "strong business credit" via google or yahoo. There is a lot more to know about building business credit. Sincerely, Ilya Bodner Small Business Owner Initial Underwriting Group D&B research is great. Consider getting your own company registered.

Search for "strong business credit" via google or yahoo. There is a lot more to know about building business credit.

Sincerely,

Ilya Bodner
Small Business Owner
Initial Underwriting Group

]]> By: Valerie Breslow, Atlanta GA http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2009/03/17/finding-the-best-customers-for-your-business/#comment-1620 Valerie Breslow, Atlanta GA Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:18:05 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/?p=961#comment-1620 We had so many problems with slow-pay/no-pay clients during last year's bad economy that we started a new policy of having a credit card on file for everyone we service--no exceptions. If we don't have their credit card info, they can't receive our service. That one change has really helped raise our revenue plus it really does pay for itself in less paperwork and time spent processing checks, bounced checks, etc. I agree totally with the advice about heeding the warning signs of potential clients wanting a discount up front, being hard to work with, making unreasonable demands, etc. They are always going to be more trouble than they are worth. We had so many problems with slow-pay/no-pay clients during last year's bad economy that we started a new policy of having a credit card on file for everyone we service–no exceptions. If we don't have their credit card info, they can't receive our service. That one change has really helped raise our revenue plus it really does pay for itself in less paperwork and time spent processing checks, bounced checks, etc. I agree totally with the advice about heeding the warning signs of potential clients wanting a discount up front, being hard to work with, making unreasonable demands, etc. They are always going to be more trouble than they are worth.

]]> By: Max Smith http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2009/03/17/finding-the-best-customers-for-your-business/#comment-1608 Max Smith Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:27:43 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/?p=961#comment-1608 It seems that recession results in proliferation of cost-per-performance services which minimize marketing costs and risks for businesses. For instance, nationwide publicity can be obtained on pay-for-results-only terms from (Publicity Guaranteed) PublicityGuaranteed.com, online advertising can be obtained on pay-per-visitor terms from Google and Yahoo, cable TV offers revenue-sharing deals for infomercials and many services can be obtained for stock via Services4Stock.com. Does anybody know companies which offer advertising in print media on similar terms? It seems that recession results in proliferation of cost-per-performance services which minimize marketing costs and risks for businesses. For instance, nationwide publicity can be obtained on pay-for-results-only terms from (Publicity Guaranteed) PublicityGuaranteed.com, online advertising can be obtained on pay-per-visitor terms from Google and Yahoo, cable TV offers revenue-sharing deals for infomercials and many services can be obtained for stock via Services4Stock.com. Does anybody know companies which offer advertising in print media on similar terms?

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