Comments for The Small Business Toolbox Blog http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com Blogging to Help Make Small Businesses Better Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:45:33 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Sales Letters – Part Three by make solar panel http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/10/15/sales-letters-part-three/#comment-54 make solar panel Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:45:33 +0000 http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/?p=142#comment-54 I've been reading a few posts and actually and enjoy your writing. I'm just setting up my own blog and only hope that I can write as well and give the reader so much insight. I’ve been reading a few posts and actually and enjoy your writing. I’m just setting up my own blog and only hope that I can write as well and give the reader so much insight.

]]> Comment on Guerilla Marketing – Is it Good? by Luigi Fulk http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/12/23/guerilla-marketing-%e2%80%93-is-it-good/#comment-37 Luigi Fulk Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:49:35 +0000 http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/?p=167#comment-37 I have been reading these posts for a while now and enjoy your site. Thank you for always delivering on the info. I have been reading these posts for a while now and enjoy your site. Thank you for always delivering on the info.

]]> Comment on Guerilla Marketing – Is it Good? by Omarr Cantu http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/12/23/guerilla-marketing-%e2%80%93-is-it-good/#comment-35 Omarr Cantu Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:45:03 +0000 http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/?p=167#comment-35 Linkedin Link corrected. OOPPPSS! Linkedin Link corrected. OOPPPSS!

]]> Comment on Guerilla Marketing – Is it Good? by Omarr Cantu http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/12/23/guerilla-marketing-%e2%80%93-is-it-good/#comment-34 Omarr Cantu Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:43:25 +0000 http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/?p=167#comment-34 Great blog post. I really enjoyed it. Sometimes brands fail to check this check list off as they are doing their conceptual thinking and are just out to get attention. Attention is great when either is A. positive attention such as earned media or B. sparks buzz within a highly dense concentration of your target consumers. Let's not dismiss the fact that brands need to delicately tread the fine line between being cool, and gaining negative attention by being a nuisance. omarrcantu at gmail dot com Great blog post. I really enjoyed it. Sometimes brands fail to check this check list off as they are doing their conceptual thinking and are just out to get attention.

Attention is great when either is A. positive attention such as earned media or B. sparks buzz within a highly dense concentration of your target consumers. Let’s not dismiss the fact that brands need to delicately tread the fine line between being cool, and gaining negative attention by being a nuisance. omarrcantu at gmail dot com

]]> Comment on Making Sense of Pricing – Part 2 by Anton http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/09/04/making-sense-of-pricing-part-2/#comment-10 Anton Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:32:14 +0000 http://thesmallbusinesstoolbox.wordpress.com/?p=117#comment-10 I agree wholeheatedly with your sentiments! How do we go about educating consumers so that they become their own "watch dogs" and don't have to depend on others to alert them to sharp practices? Maybe we should all make the effort to support the supermarkets which are prepared to go to the trouble of marking prices according to the unit costs. I will certainly be more aware in future!!! I agree wholeheatedly with your sentiments! How do we go about educating consumers so that they become their own “watch dogs” and don’t have to depend on others to alert them to sharp practices? Maybe we should all make the effort to support the supermarkets which are prepared to go to the trouble of marking prices according to the unit costs. I will certainly be more aware in future!!!

]]> Comment on Step Outside the Comfort Zone by Market Research Reports http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/07/03/step-outside-the-comfort-zone/#comment-8 Market Research Reports Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:40:49 +0000 http://thesmallbusinesstoolbox.wordpress.com/?p=97#comment-8 well written. worth reading well written. worth reading

]]> Comment on Successful Small Business Marketing by Brian Findlay http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2008/12/22/successful-small-business-marketing/#comment-4 Brian Findlay Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:44:50 +0000 http://thesmallbusinesstoolbox.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/successful-small-business-marketing/#comment-4 Talking to an Operations Director of a major engineering business this week made me think about how out business can be and is affected by the frame of mind of the leadership. He spent nearly an hour describing all the difficulties that the business currently faced! It made me wonder whether he talks the same way to his people? Probably!!! And if we believe everything we read in the press and hear on the radio and television, we probably feel the same way he does at times. And if we look back at times in the past, we can find countless examples of executives publically predicting the demise of their businesses and their industries. In many if not most of these instances, the dire predictions never materialised - they were the hysterical rantings of people who were looking for excuses. Pretty much the same thing that is happening to-day!! Sure circumstances have changed. The last few "years of plenty" are behind us. Yes, there are some real economic problems. But, as it has done in the past, the marketplace will sort itself out. We can adopt the cynical pessimist role - and infect all those around us with the same grim outlook or? Or as leaders in our businesses, we can take our real responsibilities seriously and make a difference. I am not suggesting for a moment that we do not take cognisance of what is happening around us and make plans to protect against the worst possibilities - that is the prudent thing to do. BUT, what I am saying, is that the requirement of responsible leaders in business to-day is to focus on the possibilities, on the opportunities and on the future progress of their enterprises. We are faced with a situation - maybe not one we would have chosen but a situation nevertheless. It is simply the choices which we exercise at this time which will determine whether we survive and prosper or whether we simply become victims. By implication, therefore, it is the mandated role of the leader to focus on the future, on the possibilities and on the identifying and capitalising on opportunities - because even in the worst of times, there are opportunities!! So we, as leaders, should be vigilant about what we say and how we behave in front of our people. If we allow the circumstances to dictate our behaviour, we abdicate our role as generators of hope and we place ourselves and our businesses at the whims and fancies of the marketplace - instead of taking responsibility for guiding our ship through the storm!!! So until we take ownership of our own thoughts and channel those in the direction of the future, looking for opportunities and possibilities, we fail in our role as business leaders - and we can only expect that our people will follow our lead!! Talking to an Operations Director of a major engineering business this week made me think about how out business can be and is affected by the frame of mind of the leadership. He spent nearly an hour describing all the difficulties that the business currently faced! It made me wonder whether he talks the same way to his people? Probably!!!
And if we believe everything we read in the press and hear on the radio and television, we probably feel the same way he does at times. And if we look back at times in the past, we can find countless examples of executives publically predicting the demise of their businesses and their industries. In many if not most of these instances, the dire predictions never materialised – they were the hysterical rantings of people who were looking for excuses. Pretty much the same thing that is happening to-day!!
Sure circumstances have changed. The last few “years of plenty” are behind us. Yes, there are some real economic problems. But, as it has done in the past, the marketplace will sort itself out. We can adopt the cynical pessimist role – and infect all those around us with the same grim outlook or?
Or as leaders in our businesses, we can take our real responsibilities seriously and make a difference. I am not suggesting for a moment that we do not take cognisance of what is happening around us and make plans to protect against the worst possibilities – that is the prudent thing to do.
BUT, what I am saying, is that the requirement of responsible leaders in business to-day is to focus on the possibilities, on the opportunities and on the future progress of their enterprises.
We are faced with a situation – maybe not one we would have chosen but a situation nevertheless. It is simply the choices which we exercise at this time which will determine whether we survive and prosper or whether we simply become victims.
By implication, therefore, it is the mandated role of the leader to focus on the future, on the possibilities and on the identifying and capitalising on opportunities – because even in the worst of times, there are opportunities!!
So we, as leaders, should be vigilant about what we say and how we behave in front of our people. If we allow the circumstances to dictate our behaviour, we abdicate our role as generators of hope and we place ourselves and our businesses at the whims and fancies of the marketplace – instead of taking responsibility for guiding our ship through the storm!!!
So until we take ownership of our own thoughts and channel those in the direction of the future, looking for opportunities and possibilities, we fail in our role as business leaders – and we can only expect that our people will follow our lead!!

]]> Comment on Marketing Strategy – What is Marketing Anyway? by almagray http://blog.thesmallbusinesstoolbox.com/2009/01/19/marketing-strategy-%e2%80%93-what-is-marketing-anyway/#comment-3 almagray Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:33:24 +0000 http://thesmallbusinesstoolbox.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/marketing-strategy-%e2%80%93-what-is-marketing-anyway/#comment-3 Hence the beauty of social media--tune in and listening mission is on it's way to accomplished. :) Hence the beauty of social media–tune in and listening mission is on it’s way to accomplished. :)

]]>