We’ve Moved!

Hello Everyone!

Several months ago, I started on a project to consolidate my websites. In order to do this, I had to combine a WordPress blog with my new blog at www.marketpromba.com. This WordPress site will be left up but not updated. I am in the process of creating some new posts and looking for guest writers for MarketProMBA. My goal is to provide a source for small business owners to talk about problems and find answers. I may not have every answer, but I have a lot of friends, business associates and fellow bloggers that probably do know the answer.

MarketProMBA Looks to 2009

It has been some time since my last post. I took a little time away to get some fresh thoughts and contemplate the direction that MarketProMBA is going to take for 2009. My article “Marketing in a Tough Economy” has seen a great deal of traffic and I have had many requests for reprint.

Low Cost Marketing Ideas: Bartering

Uncertain economic times call for creating marketing ideas. When sales slow and businesses start to struggle, it is usually easy to look at your marketing budget as an easy target for cutting. The problem is you take a chance at loosing market share to your competitors. During economic downturns, your target market shrinks which can result in less new customers. If you cut your marketing budget, you take a chance at loosing market share, which means fewer customers. When the market rebounds, your share is still smaller and your competitors might have the edge. Look for ways to market smarter during tough economic times and consider trading out services or products for advertising better known as “bartering”.

What’s In Your House?

Today in church, I heard a message that really struck me. It was the story of Elijah and the widower with her two sons. Most of you are asking why church has anything to do with business and marketing. As I listened to the sermon, I asked myself the same question. I found this story unique because it struck me that this message has a great deal to do with our businesses.

Low Cost Marketing Ideas

Now that I have placed a few of my older articles on my blog, I thought it was time to start some timely articles. Over the next few weeks, I am going to cover some low or no cost marketing ideas to help you get your small business off the the ground. Most people know these ideas as Guerrilla Marketing. As a small business owner, I have always been a fan of Guerrilla Marketing. Most people just starting out in business have a limited budget to start so they choose to not put money into marketing. This is of course a mistake because marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. Guerrilla Marketing is the art of using marketing ideas that are “out of the box” and low cost. This week, we will cover the first of several Guerrilla ideas.

Are You a Business Person or a Person in Business?

As a marketing and advertising professional, I have asked this very question many times to customers that I consult with. “Are you in business or a business person?” It isn’t meant to be rude or cut a business owner down, but rather to help them think about how they are currently managing their business. Too many people enter the world of small business ownership blindly without really having a good plan and the means to execute that plan.

You’ve Started a Small Business, Now What?

You have paid your licenses, set up your company, bought your equipment and now you’re a small business owner. So, what’s next? In the movie, “Field of Dreams”, the catch phrase was, “If you build it they will come”. In the business world, it doesn’t work that easy. In order to get customers to your door, you have to market your business.

Marketing In Tough Economy

Marketing in a tough economy can be a challenge, but if you follow a few simple principals, you might be able to cash in instead of cashing out.

Welcome to the MarketProMBA Blog

Welcome! This blog is dedicated to the hard working small business owners that don’t always have the resources to manage their marketing & operations to their highest capacity. My hope is this blog will reach those that need a little help of some fresh ideas to market and operate their business. I look forward to meeting you and learning about your ventures.