Marketing | ISBDC

Silence is Golden, but It Might Be Bad for Your Business

Scott Underwood – It has been said that the first step in solving a problem is admitting that you have a problem in the first place. Yet, with many of the entrepreneurs we have experience with (and more importantly, with those that don’t come to us), they are hesitant or reluctant to express their challenges, [...]

East Central ISBDC / November 28, 2012

Are You Speaking My Language?

Vicki Hollanders – Establishing a relationship with your clients and customers begins the instant you meet - a handshake and a smile. How quickly can you size up the personality of another? Are you dealing with someone who is an extrovert or an introvert? Are you dealing with someone who enjoys casual conversation or one who prefers [...]

ISBDC / November 16, 2012

PR Provides a Positive Return on Your Investment

Mary Popovich – One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter when working with small business owners through my position with the Indiana Small Business Development Center is that you have to spend a ton of money on advertising to win customers and increase sales. But, as I learned from operating my own public relations firm [...]

ISBDC / September 4, 2012

Marketing Is Essential To Any Successful Small Business Venture

Marti Chestovich – Establishing your business brand and marketing your products or services over several platforms is essential to being a successful company in today’s market. It is too often neglected in the rush to conserve cash, and I have seen it over and over again when companies decide to lower or stop their marketing [...]

Central ISBDC / August 29, 2012

Your Emails and Text Messages Say a Lot About You!

Joe Ubben – As technology continues to change the way in which we communicate, it doesn’t change the fact that we are judged by these messages. Some of my clients who are in the 20 – 30 year old age group seem to think that it’s OK to alter the English Language with abbreviations, misspellings [...]

Northwest ISBDC / August 28, 2012

Does Social Media Help With Your SEO?

Kathy Pierce - Joining social sites isn’t just so you can look popular to visitors. These sites provide valuable “backlinks” that up your ante in the SEO world. From a Search Engine Optimization perspective, backlinks demonstrate your site’s popularity. When search engine spiders find a site with lots of other sites pointing to it, they conclude that [...]

ISBDC / July 23, 2012

Marketing Yourself: Blowing Your Own Horn

Jill Johnson – Effective self-marketers know where they are going and have specific goals targeted to advance their career. They create opportunities to increase their visibility and take calculated risks to enhance their potential for success. Effective self-marketing requires a delicate balance of tact and a willingness to blow your own horn. Start developing your [...]

ISBDC / June 6, 2012

Is Your Plate Full?

Larry White – Is your plate full? In our fast paced business world, many entrepreneurs simply don’t have enough time in the day to get everything done. Unless we are extremely organized, it is often difficult for the typical business owner to really focus on what is most important every day in the life of [...]

Central ISBDC / June 4, 2012

“Make New Friends, But Keep the Old”

Kevin Jones – There’s an old song whose lyrics are “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” Sound advice for our personal lives to be certain. But it’s also a good strategy for small businesses. Many small business marketing strategies focus on increasing sales by adding new customers [...]

ISBDC / May 2, 2012