Cost Per Acquisition - Will Your Business Survive?

Do you know what COST PER ACQUISITION (CPA) means? This is the one bit of data that will actually help you determine if you're being smart about your tactics.  CPA is how much money you need to spend to get ONE actual new customer.

Here's a real-life example of why coming up with a realistic marketing budget is so important to your company's very existence.

Do you make these three common, but dangerous business mistakes? – Part 3

This is the third part of a three part series by Maggie Curran, University of Utah Instructor for Create a Small Business Marketing Plan That Works.  Her workshop will be held on January 31, 2015

I DON’T HIRE CONSULTANTS!

I’m Going to Do Everything Myself Because I’m Smart & I'll Save Money

This is the small business person’s most destructive habit.

I myself was guilty of this the first few years of being a small business person.

You focus on retaining as much revenue as possible from each sale by doing as much as you can yourself.

So,

Do you make these three common, but dangerous business mistakes? – Part 2

My Blog Originally Appeared in and is Reprinted from University of Utah Continuing Education Blog

This is the second part of a three part series by Maggie Curran, Instructor for Create a Small Business Marketing Plan That Works.  Her workshop will be held on January 31, 2015

I’VE ONLY GOT $200 A MONTH FOR MARKETING BECAUSE I SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON OTHER THINGS 

Are you a start-up/new business?

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard, “I spent all my money on rent and furniture. I don’t have any money for marketing.”

Really?

Do you make these three common, but dangerous business mistakes? Part 1

This is the first part of a three part series by Maggie Curran, Instructor for University of Utah's Create a Small Business Marketing Plan That Works.  Her workshop will be held on January 31, 2015

Reprinted from my blog at University of Utah Continuing Education site

PART 1 - I Don't Need Marketing

I’ve been in business development and online marketing since 1998. I ran the first global Internet campaign for Ericsson, the Swedish telecommunications giant, in 2001. It was a huge success, getting over 1 million unique visitors per week, plus enormous media exposure and a number of new customers for the company.

I worked for the EU Trade Commission on a project to increase female employment in Europe.

I’ve worked with businesses in almost every niche. My experience is very broad and deep, and I’m quite confident in being able to come in, see where the obstacles are, find new revenue streams and help people start from the ground up or re-visit their goals and the steps to achieve them.

Now that I’m back in the US and working with high net-worth individuals and businesses of all sizes, I often focus on helping them cut through ineffective activities.

I have to say most marketing is done without any strategy or connection to any other activities or goals.

Before I was in strategic marketing, I spent many years as a financial analyst. This bottom-line thinking has carried over into my work. For me, there’s no distinction between business development and marketing. They must go together or nothing significant will happen.

There’s nothing fluffy about these activities to me because I analyze and measure the effectiveness of every activity, online or offline. I will find out what works and what doesn't work.

Because I’m dedicated to supporting small & medium-sized businesses, especially women and minority-owned, I’ve put together this blog with the most common, but dangerous mistakes I see people repeatedly making, as well as some tips and tricks that I hope will help. Why are they dangerous? Because not only can you lose money, but your business can fail because of this type of thinking.

Finally, here's part 1 of the THREE MOST COMMON, DANGEROUS BUSINESS MISTAKES MADE BY BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES,

For Immediate Release
October 10, 2014

Touax Launches North America Website to Support Expanding Container Markets

Miami, FL – Paris-based Touax Group, known worldwide for leasing and selling shipping-containers, modular buildings, freight railcars and river barges, has launched a new website at Touax.net to serve North America.

The 159 year old publicly-traded company will focus on expanding business in mobile offices, temporary classrooms and modular space, as well as supporting construction companies, administrative facilities such as classrooms, or any company that requires extra space.

Women & Feminine Traits to Save the World?

John Gerzema: Why Women Make Better Leaders

Great article about John Gerzema, author of the Athena Doctrine, about how current disillusionment with the state of the world will lead to a new way of leading. 

79% feel their success is tied to sharing and collaboration with others, while noting that their country's leaders didn't care about their citizens as much as they did in the past. People are disillusioned with the aggressive "command and control" tactics in place for far too long. 

The doctrine is based on interviews with 150 leaders around the world in 18 countries. Adapt or lose power. Serve or be gone. A new prioritization of company values toward more feminine competencies will cause a ripple effect. Authenticity is required, companies with values, leaders with accountability to society, in order to bring balance back to the world.

Source

"Older Businesswomen" (over 45) Are Told to Be Bold, Be Inventive in Order to Succeed

Interesting perspective from Anne Meaux, a French business consultant, whose clients include international billionaire businessmen. Apparently older women are stigmatized in business. I find that there might be initial prejudices, but one just keeps talking and then they realize you know a lot more than the 25 year old and the added maturity doesn't hurt either. I think in my own experience most people are surprised at my innovative thinking and fresh perspectives. I guess because I'm always learning and experimenting.

After Your Cell Phone Contract Expires Now, You Can Unlock Your Phone and Use it With Any Carrier

All I can say is IT'S ABOUT TIME. People in other countries have been able to use any phone with any carrier at any time from beginning to end for decades. We in the US are in prehistoric times when it comes to cell phone practices. From the Daily Online Examiner: The House of Representatives this week passed a bill that would allow people to unlock their cell phones, in order to use the devices with their choice of wireless carriers. The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (H.R. 1123) aims to ensure that consumers who unlock their phones won't face prosecution.

There's A Lot of Stink Going on With Emails This Week. Beware!

Be Super Careful with Emails you Get & Send

British Airways Scam

First, the BBC reports that British Airways customers are getting phishing emails from an email address, BC.CustSrvcs@email.ba.com, asking receivers to confirm an upcoming flight. I'm sure it's a tantalizing flight meant to get people to hand over their personal information, since this is a classic phishing scam. Phishing, if you don't know, is how scammers get your financial information so they can steal your money: they lure you into giving it to them. They fake email addresses and sometimes even create entire look-alike websites on different domain names. Always call the company directly first. Don't use the numbers or email addresses provided in the scam email itself, please.

The Cascade Bicycle Club - Not a Scam, but Creepy. Damned Creepy.

Then the Seattle Times reports about a really inappropriate email actually sent out by the Cascade Bicycle Club. Talk about strategic email marketing! Was this part of an integrated campaign?

Let me introduce myself. I’m Bike “I’m smarter than you” Bot, the Director of Cascade’s Intelligence Agency.*

I’m not human. I’m an internet program that’s been trolling through how many emails you’ve been opening from the Cascade Bicycle Club and how many actions you’ve been taking.**

And I have to say, I’m a little disappointed (like Siri gets when you ask her a dumb question … you know the tone). You’ve opened fewer than one out of four emails from Cascade, and you’ve never, ever signed a petition, sent an email to a decision-maker, or attended a lots-of-humans-in-the-room (ick) Cascade advocacy event.

Gosh and yuck is all I have to say. In this day and age, when most of us are really concerned about living in a police state with massive surveillance of every citizen, this is not funny. Not. One. Little. Bit.

And Wisconsin Governor Accused of Abuse of His Power and Making Bigoted Remarks in Emails

Another day, another political scandal! According to the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Governor Scott Walker is in the hot seat as 27,000 pieces of personal emails have been released from his work email. Apparently he wasn't just doing personal fundraising and campaigning while on the clock, but also took time out to bash (in writing) gays, African-Americans, and many other groups. He was mixing campaign work and public duties, he says, because he doesn't have a personal email, plus "everybody else does it." He doesn't think it's a big deal. Oh, he's up for reelection.

More Wisconsin Old-Boy Network Stuff

The chief legal counsel of Gov Walker's Dept of Transportation thought it would be really funny to send the governor a jokey email. It was written in the style of a phony press release and recommended that the state provide jobs for welfare recipients by legalizing prostitution with references to oral sex and venereal diseases. Slow clap, John Schulze. Way to go. That's how to have compassion for the millions of people suffering under your (that's the plural) collective actions against the poor and declining middle class populations of this country. Did you know 2/3 of our returning veterans are forced to accept food stamps to feed their families?

Finally, Country Star Dierks Bentley Bares All

Not really. He was trying to promote his new album's availability on iTunes by sharing an email he received from them. Unfortunately, he's probably not so good with PhotoShop because his email address was clearly visible. You know what happened next. His inbox exploded with emails from fans. Time for a new email address, Dierks.

This the kind of woman entrepreneur I'd love to work with!

4 Year Old Creates Her Own Paper Dress Designs

Sure, you can tell her mom helps her on most of these designs, but it's also clear that she's an enthusiastic participant. And even on the ones where you know she did them mostly by herself, there's a joy of childlike creativity that comes through that can't be denied. Yes, I'd love to work with these women entrepreneurs. These are the kinds of creative, fearless people I enjoy collaborating with.

Paper Dresses Find Their Niche!

But seriously -- don't you think this is an amazing achievement, even with mom's help? I remember years ago when certain designers were trying to get us excited about paper clothes. This makes a lot more sense! 

Moms: Dress Up & Little Girls' Tea Parties Can Now Be Less Stressful

Paper dresses for little girls. So easy to play dress up and look fantastic, while inexpensive. And mom doesn't have to worry about her own fancy dresses being ruined by the dress-up game.

 Check out more of the images on my Pinterest Board