What could Seinfeld possibly have to do with marketing a small business? As it turns out, all small business owners could take a few lessons from the show that brought us such popular phrases as "Man Hands" and "master of your domain".
The Coffee Shop ? Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine spent countless hours in the coffee shop, talking about "nothing." You should spend some time there as well, but instead of talking about your parents or your date last night, get together with other small business owners and talk about your respective business and marketing activities. Many of you already participate in local business clubs and organizations, but the feedback and shared ideas that are generated in an informal business chat over a coffee are often the most valuable. My "coffee shop group" consists of 3 small businesses owners from different industries. Between us, we generate great marketing ideas for each other or in my case, new topics for small business articles. You can easily gather a few small business owners together for this type of meeting. Just be sure they are not competitors!
The Short-Term Relationship ? It seemed that every Thursday, Jerry was dating a different woman. In fact, outside of Elaine he rarely dated a woman for any length of time. Jerry understood that sometimes, you don't want to be tied down to a long-term relationship. The same rule applies to your small business marketing activities. Too many small businesses get drawn in to long-term advertising relationships by committing to a certain amount of advertising in exchange for a discount. Those who sell advertising try to convince business owners that you can't evaluate a particular form of advertising based on just a small sampling period, and thus a longer contract is required. This is simply not true. In the small business world, ads must at least pay for themselves before you agree to investigate any long-term advertising commitment. You're not building the next mega conglomerate (not yet, anyway), so ad money that doesn't produce a positive ROI is wasted money. Jerry understood that if the early part of the relationship wasn't perfect, the rest was bound to go downhill. Apply that rule to your marketing and advertising purchases and you'll maximize the effectiveness of your advertising. If it works on a sample basis, consider a long term plan. If it doesn't work in the short term, give them the "it's not you, it's me" routine and move on.
The Superman Effect ? Did you know that Superman appears or is mentioned in every Seinfeld episode? It's true, largely because Jerry kept a Superman figurine in his apartment that popped up in the background numerous times during each episode. For small business marketers, Jerry's Superman equates to your core business. With so many marketing opportunities to consider, it's easy to lose sight of your primary business in pursuit of new revenue streams. Unfortunately, this can often leads to the collapse of your business. Take a page out of Jerry's book, and be sure to keep your core business (your "Superman") a part of everything you do, even if it is only in the background. Every opportunity and every possible marketing strategy that you consider must relate back to your core product/service offering to ensure the continuity of your business. Don't allow yourself to become so sidetracked that you end up chasing marketing opportunities that detract from your current strengths. When evaluating a new business opportunity, ask yourself "How will this new marketing or business idea impact on my core business?" before you begin a new marketing venture.
The next time you are watching a Seinfeld Rerun, be sure to look for the hidden small business tips in each episode. You might find that it wasn't a show about nothing after all.
About The Author
Will Dylan is the Author of Small Business Big Marketing and owner of www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com. Will also offers article and news release writing services through his website. You can contact Will at www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareBusiness consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking... Read More
Some of the greatest words of wisdom for any man... Read More
Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to... Read More
There are only a handful of car wash franchises in... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Before you start a business we encourage you to prepare... Read More
If you run a pressure washer business you need complete... Read More
With the massive explosion of start-ups and home businesses developing,... Read More
I love work, I can watch it all day.I am... Read More
Incorporation in Nevada has become an attractive option for savvy... Read More
As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours;... Read More
$elling $elling $ellingWhat makes a great sales person? Well, the... Read More
When is it a good thing to say no to... Read More
You can't imagine how many people ask me how I... Read More
Should your business have a toll free number for customers... Read More
Hi, Charles...here, Your Cap and t-shirt guy From Texas. How... Read More
If you're anything like me then you dislike with a... Read More
If you're like me, you love accounting. It's so fascinating... Read More
You've probably heard the statistic that 95% of small businesses... Read More
So there I was ? sitting in the audience of... Read More
What is a guru?A guru is a teacher. A mentor.... Read More
Once you've decided to incorporate your small business the next... Read More
So you want to start a business but you don't... Read More
Most small businesses incorporated in 2005 will fail by the... Read More
A tongue-in-cheek look at the skills required to operate a... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..The home-based business market, sometimes called the SOHO (small-office/home-office) market,... Read More
The stock market is still on a wild roller coaster... Read More
What's your job profitability? Do you know?Many business owners are... Read More
Thinking of starting a business on line? If so there... Read More
Some of the very qualities that attract people to the... Read More
Writing a business plan is a fundamental step to ensuring... Read More
If you are a franchisee of a large franchise system;... Read More
Expanding your business requires you to take a good hard... Read More
Motivational author and speaker Jim Rohn says that for a... Read More
The story is told of a tiger chasing some goats... Read More
Tammy, a skilled and gifted horticulturist, called me to discuss... Read More
Hew Hampshire car wash market. Well we have visited every... Read More
Someone new to business ownership recently told me, "Before I... Read More
Don't let your customer satisfaction research initiative collect dust on... Read More
How much is your time really worth? Is it worth... Read More
As a solo entrepreneur or small business owner, one of... Read More
In a world full of complications sometimes we overlook the... Read More
Congratulations, you are starting a small business! You are taking... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission which governs the franchise industry thru... Read More
As a practise gets larger & larger the associated problems... Read More
My clients and many of my readers are small and... Read More
If you are a small business and qualify to participate... Read More
Do you have a Business Plan? Congratulations, but you are... Read More
Marketing is one of the four corner-posts of a solid... Read More
What kinds of things effect mobile service businesses P and... Read More
Small Business |