Every business owner dreams of that great marketing campaign that will garner tons of positive attention and drive new business their way. Whether you are spending big bucks or just creating small advertising on an as needed basis, you’re hoping to get the most bang for your buck. Even the best marketing needs support to succeed though. As a business owner you need to be sure that you are propelling your campaigns towards success as opposed to holding them back.
Recently my favorite brand of ice cream changed the name of their vanilla. There in tiny, light colored type were the words “va va” on the carton. Certainly this change to the packaging came with a cost. There had to be discussions about the change, designs were drawn up and approved and finally new cartons were printed. Why, then, was the change so subtly presented that I almost missed it? Va Va Vanilla is not a shy vanilla hoping to be overshadowed by the flashier flavors. Va Va Vanilla stands on its own, shouting to the world “Hey, ice cream lovers. Try me! There’s nothing plain about this vanilla.” The change should have reflected that. It should have been printed in big, bold type so that anyone could see it from the ice cream case. If nothing else, it says that something may have changed about your favorite vanilla and it might be time to try it again if you haven’t had it in awhile. This is a classic case of holding a marketing campaign back. If customers don’t recognize the change, it will have absolutely no effect on their buying habits.
We’re sure that you don’t make marketing decisions lightly. As we mentioned above, even slight changes come at a cost, and as a small business owner you can’t afford to waste any money. Once you’ve decided on a new strategy, commit to it fully. Go big or go home! If that thought scares you, it may indicate a lack of confidence in the new direction. If that is the case, take a day or two to really consider why you are hesitating. Are you afraid that your new campaign will offend some of your existing your customers? Then this may not be a path you want to take. Worried about the cost? If you are confident that this new campaign will generate the kind of buzz that will help your business grow - go for it! The rewards may be well worth the risk. Any campaign that you implement will be that much more successful if you and your staff fully support it and promote it.
Succeed in Business with Big Marketing Efforts and an Easy Inventory Management Solution
You know what else you need to own? Your inventory issues. You own the inventory, now you need to take responsibility for it and take control of its management. Inventory management isn’t as fun and exciting as a new marketing campaign but it can be just as critical to the success of your small business. Taking an ad hoc approach to inventory management is a surefire way to end up with inventory headaches. You need to know what you have on hand and where to find it. You need to be able to track items within a single location, and across multiple locations as your business continues to grow. You need an easy inventory management solution. Tax time, accounting and other functions will be easier if you can quickly access the reports you need, as you need them. Want to pull up your inventory data, but you’re not at the office? That shouldn’t be a problem either. If you own Stockpile, you’ve already got all this and more covered. Stockpile is an online free easy inventory management solution that makes owning your inventory issues stress-free. Don’t have Stockpile yet? Get started today!
