Storm Dawg Marketing

People are spending money… but where they are spending that money has changed considerably. You might be thinking, “This is nothing new”, but I like to think I’ll give it a little something extra…plus I’ve got some fun stats for you.

Who would have thought that going to a movie or buying perfume would become a “luxury” purchase?  Those things always have fallen under “discretionary” purchases, but the majority of people probably wouldn’t have thought of them as a “luxury” – until now.

People are being frugal with their money, and more people are staying home to rent movies, drink and eat.  So how do you get them back? The first reaction is to run a deal or a special to draw in the business.  Not a bad idea, but what happens when you go back to regular price – will your customers be happy?  Watch your specials and don’t go overboard.

Since it seems people aren’t going out as much….do girls need to get all “done up” as often? Survey…Says…..NO.

One industry that usually doesn’t see a large decrease in sales is the beauty industry. As a girl, I can tell you yes, I will eat in more often if it means I don’t have to give up things that I deem essential – hair, cosmetics and perfume.  I mean…if my hair doesn’t look good, if I can’t smell fantastic and if my skin isn’t balanced, then I don’t feel good about myself. And the end result is my work and social life suffer.  Right!?

Deep down I think/know that I can make do without these so-called essentials.  But I’ll do my best to make sure I never have to find out.  Please send your friends to read this post…I need a haircut and color next month!

It appears, however, that some girls have had to find out if they can make do. So sorry!!  According to NDP Group, skin care sales between January and June 2009 were down 6%, makeup was down 7% and fragrances down a whopping 10%.  There has been a slight increase in these numbers, but it just goes to show that people are giving up certain things to buy the essentials…food, water, break and milk…who knew?  Oh and some are even paying down their debt – imagine that.  Please see the attached research from our friends at ORC Guideline. It’s a great piece and worth checking out.

Until next time,

Christina Kudym

As you know, most small-businesses owners have barely enough time to complete their day-to-day tasks, so planning for the future…past next month…is probably not something that most of them can achieve.  But seriously, you really REALLY need to.

Think about it, as a business owner what would happen to your business tomorrow if you were hit by a bus today?  Would your staff be able to run the business without you?  Ego might have you saying “no”…but if that is true, will you have a business when you get out of the hospital?  That is where one type of succession plan comes into play.  Make sure at least one person knows how to do what you do.

Another scenario involves the “family” business.  Who in your family is going to take over the business so you can retire someday?  Are you waiting for one of your children to take the initiative?  Don’t wait too long.  Hiring outside the family to have someone manage your business is always an option!  Keeping the business going doesn’t mean keeping it “all” in the family.

Attached is some great resarch from our friends at ORC Guideline on succession planning.  There is some great information here I think that you really need to check out.   Let me know if you have anything to add to this, especially your own experiences!

Christina Kudym

You keep hearing about people and businesses “going green”…  What does that mean to/for you?  Possibly another way to increase traffic to your business by way of new products and services?   Um…YES!

More and more people are feeling the urge to lessen their carbon footprint & want to buy the products that will help them accomplish that.  Can they buy them from you?  The green consumer base is growing, and where they want to be green, they also want to save green.  So offering products that are green and affordable is a goal you should add in 2010.

That being said I’ve attached some research from ORC Guideline that says by 2013, green product offerings will increase by 19% as well as some trends out there now.  See if you can take advantage of these trends.

As an added bonus, you are also doing your part to keep our planet healthy -small businesses are so numerous they can have a large impact on the environment by way of the green products and services they offer.

Until next week…

Christina Kudym

What types of benefits do you offer to your employees?  Discounts on your products and services perhaps?  If so you are ahead of the curve.  The majority of small businesses out there do not offer benefits to their employees, healthcare or otherwise.  For the most part benefits are too much of a drain on their business and they just cannot afford to offer them.  For the small businesses who offer some type of benefits for employees it is usually only offerred to employees who have been with them for longer periods of time, but that is where they seem to draw the line.

The number of very small firms offering healthcare benefits has steadily declined over the last 10 years, by as much as 10% says the Kaiser Foundation.  But could smaller firms like yours find better talent if you were to offer benefits packages?  Larger companies are finding that wooing and keeping talented employees can be done by offering competitive benefits packages.  It works for them…why not for you.  Please see the attached research from ORC Guideline to get a better picture.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Christina

Do you need help knowing how your product or service is perceived by consumers, how much to charge, how your company operates or how it should operate?

Before investing your resources in hiring a consulting firm, look no further than your computer. Ask consumers for their input on the Internet by creating a blog, Twitter account, or an online community. This is a great alternative since it doesn’t come with a large price tag and you’re getting information directly from the horse’s mouth.

Check out this article in The Wall Street Journal, “The Customer Knows Best“, which offers ideas, stories, and a word of caution for those about to recruit consumer’s feedback.

Small businesses are large contributors to charities and their local communities.  I am sure this is not a surprise to some of you, but did you know that small businesses donate in excess of $40 billion in cash, products, services and time?  That is incredible!

Despite the current economic situation and the fact that small businesses are getting hit hard, they are still out there lending a hand.  Wow!  In fact, according to a survey from our friends at ORC Guideline, small businesses feel they can do even more! Are you one of them?  If so, what are you donating?  Would you rather donate products and services instead of cash? Read the attached research and see what businesses like yours are giving away.

Thanks, and as StormDawg would say, “Don’t work too hard!”

Christina Kudym, StormDawg S.W.A.T. Team

It is imperative that business owners pay attention to what is going on in their communities and around the country. 

Before you open that second location, hire extra staff or remodel an existing location, you might want to take a look at a few key things.  Job growth, consumer confidence and weekly retail sales numbers are some things to you may want to keep your eye on.  Consumers feel at ease when the job market is expanding… as it usually means they are not in fear of losing their own jobs and are willing to go out for dinner, buy nice things and take a vacation. 

Did you know that consumer confidence hit historical highs last summer but the index has been falling ever since?   The Census Bureau reports on all retail sales numbers monthly; retailers plan on 5% growth year-to-year, but those numbers have been falling just short lately.  How does this affect you?  Take a look at the attached research from ORC Guideline and you will find some interesting information.

Christina Kudym – StormDawg S.W.A.T. Team

In today’s world, it seems that more and more people use their credit or debit card as their method of payment for products and services.  So why is it that some businesses still don’t accept credit cards?

Customers expect that no matter where they go, they can use their credit card.  If you don’t accept credit cards, you’re running the risk of losing business.  So ask yourself, does the cost of accepting credit cards surpass the potential loss of revenue?

If you answered yes, here’s something else to consider: A recent Visa and MasterCard study shows that the average purchases made with a credit card exceeds that of cash transactions by….are you ready….30%.   Is your answer still yes?  Check out the research on this topic by our friends at ORC Guideline.

As StormDawg would say, “Don’t Work Too Hard!”

Christina Kudym, StormDawg S.W.A.T. Team

You can directly impact your bottom line by cutting your costs. Some small businesses like yours are looking to things such as Buying Groups to do this. Should you?

We know that if we buy more of something (in bulk), we’ll get a discounted price. With buying groups, this happens on a much larger scale when you join a whole group of people buying the same products. With groups like these, you may never have to worry about pesky purchasing minimums or additional freight on smaller orders. Best of all, you can offer a better price to your customers and become more competitive.

How much does it cost? I know…I thought the same thing! According to the attached research from our friends at ORC Guideline, there may be fees that apply when joining these groups, but most likely the fee will be more than made up for in the additional savings and possible rebates you would receive from being part of the group.

Like StormDawg would say, “Don’t work to hard!”
(Maybe you won’t have to if you find the right buying group. Good luck!)

Christina Kudym, StormDawg S.W.A.T. Team

Good news!  More and more lenders are finding ways to get you the money that you need to keep your doors open! Smart! Here is some great information from our friends at ORC Guideline on a variety of ways that you can get your hands on the funding you need!

As StormDawg would say, Don’t work too hard
Christina Kudym – StormDawg S.W.A.T.