Free Marketing Course

 

 

SPECIAL OFFER FOR 5 DAYS    

Including FREE Marketing Course

If you have been affected by Corona19 then read on. Maybe you have been laid off part-time, possibly lost your job. probably used your savings to survive.

This online course is affordable for everyone and has proved it's worth to many.

Ideas to start a business, full or part-time PLUS a great No-Cost, Low-Cost Marketing programme. 

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 Fast moving, easy to follow and less than a tenner. Enrol now before the price goes up.

 Fight the Beast. Have you suffered financially over Covid19? Have you lost money, had a cut in wages, spent your savings to exist or even lost your job?

So you want money now. Maybe some extra money to put you back to where you were before this disaster happened: perhaps you need a job to replace the one you lost. You might even have realise that the job you have is not what you want and it is time for a change. Well here is a course that lays our dozens of ideas for full or part-time work that you can do without capital money, a vehicle, equipment, training or premises. Ideas that have been tried and tested over again. Ideas that don't depend on the internet. Ideas that can bring money in within days, without any catch. The level of work that you can do will depend 100% on your ability to take action and do something straight away, be strong and optimistic, and be positive and polite.

This course combines not just the ideas that will be your work of the future but how to market your project with no money (or very little). It combines two courses which had over 1900 students between them. We have combined the two and reduced the price to make it affordable to everyone. The course is full of ideas that are suitable for anyone with any level of education. The course consists of easy to follow videos that are fully self explanatory,

Most of these opportunities are local and need no special expensive equipment or other outlay, no special skills, no premises (you can operate from home), and no traveling. For many you need no transport. Where you will need equipment it will be low cost or something you use at home. In some cases as the business develops you will be able to invest in more robust equipment to improve the quality and speed. Some skills can be learned on the job or in an online course. Most are local projects with just a few on-line ideas. This course does not promises great riches overnight. It does offer you a steady income that you can begin today, and be paid on completion, in some cases paid in advance.

You should take this course if you are motivated and driven to succeed, if you are positive and prepared to take enthusiastic action. If you do not have those qualities then stop reading now!!

Exciting new video editing software that's a real winner



Video is king.

 

A video says more than a million words

 

So why don't more people use video on their websites, blogs, Facebook page and landing pages?

 

Is it because many are afraid of video? Don't realise how easy it is? Don't want to feature on video? I believe it is a mixture of these and many other factors. So they are losing opportunities to increase orders for their business. Video helps potential customers get to know you, get to like you, and get to trust you. Video also lets you demonstrate products. Seeing someone on your website handing a product is almost as good as them holding it themselves. And holding a product gives you a feeling of possession. So this is very important.

I've discovered a brilliant video editor which is quite unlike any I've ever seen. It's easy to use and is the most versatile low-cost video editing I've ever seen. Take a look just click here 

 

Just take a look and you'll be as impressed as me. I must tell you I may be paid a commission by the seller if you decide to purchase. I will have some examples to show you in a day or so but I wanted to tell you immediately.

 

You may also be interested in the video training I shall be covering in this blog over the coming weeks,. This will cover using smartphones to produce outstanding video, composing shots to be more interesting, how to talk on video, how to make a good selvid (video selfie), what you should include, titling, setting up a YouTube page and much more. So why not click here  or copy and paste this link http://jvz6.com/c/376557/123757 and see how with Explaindio you can make watchable videos with or without people and even without using any video.

Working on your business, not in it.

 

 



People buy from People

Face the facts. You can't afford to be faceless in business.

I've been looking at the "people" factor in business over the last few weeks and can really agree that "people buy from people".

And how people interact . . . .

or don't . . . .

When did you last even notice someone sweeping the street? Remember the face of the person who served you in a shop? Can visualise the attendant when you paid for fuel at a garage you don't call at?

Often it is irrelevant but sometimes it is because of the other attitude of the other person. Maybe they were talking to a colleague, perhaps they didn't give you any service.

On the other hand, if they took notice of you and were polite you are more likely to remember them. Why? In simple terms probably because next time you call you would like the same again. We all want others to talk to us, look after us and give us a little bit of personal attention. Next time you are out having a coffee just spend a few minutes watching how people are served. notice a difference between Tesco and Aldi. In Aldi the till staff always ask how you are in just that way that you don't mind it when they tell you they don't provide carrier bags.

And that personal touch goes deeper. Do you have staff out facing up to consumers? Do they wear a name badge? If not then try it our for a month. You'll find it does work. Make the names big enough for everyone to be able to comfortably read. Introduce a "lets smile at our more customers" campaign. If you smile at someone they'll usually smile back and suddenly both of you are relaxed.

And make your business personal too. Get your name on your website. Why not have a mini video of you welcoming people to the site and telling them you want to give them a good personal customer experience too. They'll see you and that makes all the difference. If you include your name they feel even better. I've just tried to speak with the manager of owner or a hotel to tell them about the Local Business Card but not even their e-mail address was on the site, just an impersonal form. When I tried to get their name I was stone walled and just gave up. An opportunity they might have appreciated and used for additional business . . or . . a prospective guest who just had a query but didn't want to speak to the receptionist.

Well. You won't believe this but as I write . . .

. . . . I've just had an e-mail that is very personal and begins "I am Michelle Furse and I am the new Sales and Marketing Officer for Afan FM. I have been brought into the station to increase both sales and awareness. I am very passionate about taking the station forward to the next level and want to form relationships with all local businesses.

I would also like to thank you in advance for reading this email.

Afan FM is a new style of radio station. We are Neath & Port Talbot's first and only dedicated radio station. We want to work with all local businesses throughout Neath & Port Talbot and find ways in which all residents of Neath & Port Talbot and both ourselves can benefit. . . . . . . • To establish a station for all people with a focus on young people aged 11-25

• To give a local entertainment, news & information service

• To provide training and experience opportunities to those interested in working in radio broadcasting, production and broadcast journalism. This gives avid media fans a first step to a new career

• To support, nurture and provide a promotional platform for local bands, DJs and artists

• To provide cost-effective advertising packages to all local businesses Afan FM is the radio station that is proud to be different because:

• No cheesy DJs – real people speaking in a real way!• No Hidden Agenda – we’re a not for profit company so we’re here to help make Neath & Port Talbot great!

• We pick the best music because it is the best music – not because our friends at the record company bought the last round.

• We’re 100% independent and impartial – we are honest to all! This is what makes us unique; we aim to provide high-quality programming whilst giving back to the local community Why choose Afan FM?Whether you want to create awareness for your business, generate footfall, increase website traffic or promote a product launch we can tailor an advertising package that can really separate your business from your competitors."

So I phoned and we had an interesting call that I feel might give us both some business.

If she hadn't mentioned her name in the e-mail probably wouldn't have called. So if you sfacetart getting personal - stop being faceless - and concentrate on being available then I promise you that your business will do better things.

Follow me on http://twitter.com/mike_leahy

If can help you become a better communicator call or text me on 07976 364681

Personal communications over 60 years

We talk to each other but do we listen? We have highly sophisticated technology and can send a message around the world instantly - or as near impossible to know otherwise. But we often can't get our message across to some-one sitting next to us.

And then there is the question of can we keep up with the latest. Facebook, Twitter and much much more. Some of us not only can't keep up but don't know most of it exists.

I can remember when we had the first phone in the road we lived in back in 1949 and I can still recall the number Priory 2082. How things have changed. Come on a short journey with me over the next few days.

Follow me on http://twitter.com/mike_leahy

If I can help your increase your profits contact me.

Service does make or break

So much has happened since I wrote my last post on 4th May. We've had the Swansea Business Show over two weeks ago. Unibus met over a week ago and the sun is just bursting with good-will.You just can't have missed the last few days and the glorious weather. Doesn't it make you feel great.

The Show was a success and with the internet maybe it's time to be innovative. How about a virtual business show? Perhaps the name "Swansea Bay Business Show" might just be different enough. Maybe I should think about getting the domain name later this month.

When the sun shines prospects tend to say "Yes" sooner. It is easy to start getting those positive responses when you are asking questions. You can bring home the bacon.

But life can still be tedious. I've had two poor customer experiences within a week. And both have finished up with me not wanting to go back to either supplier. The first happened with business over the bridge, whilst the second centred around Pembrokeshire. The first instance was where the supplier felt I had cheated him out of giving a sales presentation despite making it very clear in the preamble that this wasn't possible. He even went as far as to twist my written words! This guy has lost any creditability I had in him or his product.The second was where I was supplied with a wrong part and when I complained the supplier called me back and told me that life is like that and should put up with what he considered good service. His attitude has turned me away from his company. In addition the correct part was marked with my nmae, but they spelt it wrong. Personally I don't mind but in general getting someone's name wrong is a major sales crime.

The downside is that I will not use either again and I will probably tell other people about my dissatisfaction. This will lose even more business because I believe that the people I tell will listen and make up their own minds.

Then I was talking to a friend who had his company BMW car serviced. He drove into the Service Reception area and was met by a Greeter who welcomed him by name and directed him to the specific bay for collection by the Service Crew. He was offered a coffee both when arriving and when he collected the car. When he picked it up it had been valeted both inside and out. The service charge was high but my friend was left feeling good about the whole experience.

So the upstart is that service is paramount and that the customer is king - or at least he should be treated like one, no matter how we feel. Listening to the customer is vital and going out of your way to make him happy by providing exceptional service is the way to keep a customer coming back and acting as an ambassador for you. The most cost effective customers are existing ones and those who have had a testimonial from a happy customer.

Think back about the best customer experience you've had. It was either because something was put right beyond your expectations or the service was just fabulous.

Remember get the basics right and see an improvement in turnover, profit and cash flow.

The Local Business Forum's new blog starts this week http://localbusinessforum.blogspot.com/ Get involved. There are good things happening that will have a major impact on the members.

If I can do anything to help with your success do call me.

Brand yourself continued

It's been a busy couple of weeks.

Self publicity works. I've arranged a good amount of coverage for Rachael Flanagan of Mrs Bucket Cleaning Co since which her phones have been going mad. If your business is in need of a fresh injection of inquiries to augment your canvassing then get writing press releases. Be creative.

First we had an Independant on Sunday columnist in touch but that didn't get to the printed page but we will keep trying.

Secondly I arranged for Rachael to be the Keynote Speaker at the Bright Futures Dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Swansea on hursday 12th March. The dinner was bringing Swansea Universitt students and local business together to help the students gain valuable business life-skills to help with interviews and in their journey to becoming employed.

From this we had interviews on both Swansea Sound and the Wave which you can hear below. Jackie Jobes of Bright Futures accompanied me to the Radio Station together with Mac McCaffrey from Swansea University who also gave an interview.

You can hear the interviews by clicking on the videos below.

Then a press release that I sent to the Western Mail resulted in a photographer and writer getting in touch with Rachael and "Bang!" she is featured in the Forward Wales supplement last Wednesday with a full page and photo. Forward Wales is entitled "Entrepreneurs" so it was a bit of a coup.

I also found a couple of photos in the possibly last issue of Swansea Business Life, so it pays to get out and about. I'm sorry to see the magazine go because firstly it was a good magazine, with excellent articles by local people, and secondly I had been promised an article in the next issue. Life is tough.

And the dinner on Thursday went great. I'll post up some photos.

If there's anything I can do to promote your business call me on 07976 364681.

Grow & Think Rich

Brand yourself. Grow and Think Rich




Walk along any street and watch the people coming towards you. How many are looking down or way? How few, if any, do you make eye contact with?

People tend to look down or away and yet when you do make eye-contact and smile you'll usually get a positive response. Try it for yourself. It must be a genuine smile and you must look a people.

Once you start getting response you'll find that you can make general comments and people will talk back. If you try this in your neighbourhood, whether home or where you work, you'll soon find that you meet the same people and they'll often greet you first. You'll find people begin to think of you as "that nice person who talks to me" or "it's that aweful person who tries to make me speak". That is a kind of branding. You are standing out from the crowd - making your mark.

Make yourself stand out by attending as many networking and group events and be different. Always wear a hat, wear a specific tie that is instantly identified, go up to people and present yourself with your tag-line, be a bit louder than you are at the moment - or anything that will help you stand out.

If you begin branding yourself in this fashion you'll find that other business people will remember you. When I go to meetings I always wear my own name badge so people aren't embarrassed because they haven't remembered your name. You will grow in stature and you'll begin to do more business. You will begin to think rich.

Meanwhile . . . . .

. . . . . Who's Afraid of Virginnia Woolf! Come along to this great performance at the Dylan Thomas Theatre from 3rd - 7th March. For full details just lick here to take a look at the leaflet.

Swansea Business Show is just 11 weeks away. Book your stand or visitor tickets now just complete the simple form on the left side of this blog.

Are postcards better than leaflets?

After such bad weather over the last 2 weeks it was really great today to see the sun shining. And it has been warm.

Could this be an early Spring already!

We are bombarded with leaflets promoting everything from concerts to holidays to shopping offers. They seem very popular but are they read? s there an alternative and does that alternative work better?

If you want to put a message across quickly use a postcard. Postcards are cheap and easy to handle.

Postcards are:
· Easy to create· Fast to print· Easy to address· Multi-deliverable· Easy to complete · Cheap to return· A single sheet, complete in itself· No need to open· Visible upon delivery· Visible en-route and wherever left.· Bigger than a business card and can be many times more useful.· Convenient

You can deliver postcards by hand, by 1st class post, 2nd class post, courier or special delivery, door to door, with a product, in a postcard pack, in an envelope with advertising material, in display holders, with brochures, magazines and catalogues, given out at exhibitions and on the street, put behind car windscreens or left in library books, loose in cafes and any public area (but make sure they don’t become litter).

3 Ways to use Postcards

1. SALE PROMOTION instantly· This can promote one product or many.
· They can be used as a one-off for a special event· They can be used in a series because the average number of receipts before action is around 5-7· You can create your idea and often have it designed, printed and delivered within a week· It can be on the counter, handed out or left in a rack· If not delivered to the home they can be put in the pocket easily

2. PRODUCT PROMOTION · This can promote one product or many.· They can be used as a one-off for a special event· They can be used in a series because the average number of receipts before action is around 5-7· You can create your idea and often have it designed, printed and delivered within a week· It can be on the counter, handed out or left in a rack· If not delivered to the home they can be put in the pocket easily

3. GUARANTEE· Send with a product as a guarantee or warranty. When this is returned completed you have another name to add to your data base· There will be space to add additional material such as a special offer or about supplies or replacement parts

Watch out for my low cost e-booklet "37 Ways along the A6" which will be available in about 10 days. 35 pages of simple ways to use postcards to promote your business at around £3.

Ever trying for improvement you'll see my signature is now not in a white box, and is certainly blacker. Always looking to improve.

Have you booked your stand at the Swansea Business Exhibition click here?
Have you joined Local Business Networking? Join and grow your business. Click here.

If I can do anything to help your success do call me.

What is the problem? Bang that Drum

Where has personal marketing gone?

I remember as a cinema manager back in the early sixties that I was constantly looking for promo material that would tell local people about the films I was showing.

What did we do? remember that we had stars of forthcoming films attend and in particular Oliver Reed. His film was about an advertising executive who has some sort of breakdown and smashes up his office. Well, he came to the cinema where we had set up a desk on stage, just below the screen so it wasn't visible and in the intermission, when the lights came up he strode down the main isle with an axe over his shoulder and onto the stage where he smashed up the desk. This was great for us because we'd announced he be there and so the cinema was packed and we could expect a crowd the next week for his film: it was great for the audience because they saw one of the stars of the day: and it good for Oliver Reed because it kept his exp[osure high.

I remember when we had Bond 007 films showing, we'd either dress up for local newspaper shots or have some of the big props and equipment from the studio set up in the foyer. We also had an open lorry that we'd tour the streets with where we'd paste up posters on a giant A-board.

Nowadays that's changing. I as amazed at two things on Friday and one on Saturday. The former very negative whilst the latter both positive and negative.

On Friday I went to an indoor shopping centre to look at a retail outlet. One of the points we discussed was giving out leaflets. He staggerred me by saying that it was against the centre rules. He wasn't allowed to step outside the shop to hand anything out!! I then went to a large outdoor shopping centre and heard the same story.

People buy from people. The best introduction is not through adverts, websites, mailshots or bill-boards. No! It's through personal contact. How can you make contact with possible prospective customers if you can't approach them?

Imagine fishing and having to dangle the line and bait right at your feet, rather than throw the line into the middle of the river or lake! I know that fish hide under the bank and can be tickled but that's a different game ; thery are usually resting or asleep - if fish sleep.


On Saturday I went into Swansea and passed through Swansea Market taking photos when I came across Jannis.

Jannis is Greek and has a market stall selling authentic Greek speciality foods. He's had the stall for just under a year and is a really happy chappie.

When I saw Jannis he was walking around the busy market ringing a bell and holding a tray of what could be doughnuts (I'm going back to find out). And he was shouting "Support local businesses" I couldn't believe it, particularly as I'm organising the Swansea Business Show in May and one of the themes is just that - support local business.

But there's a problem here as in the shopping centres: the management seem to disapprove because when I asked other stall-holders why they didn't shout or do anything to attract attention I was told that this wasn't acceptable!!

When I had a stall in Pettycoat Lane in London with a friend we were expected to shout out and try anything to attract attention.

What is going on? Is this being politically correct? Have we lost our sense of proportion? Please help?

Visit my Marketing Basics website to learn about easy ways to market.

Swansea in and around the Market



If you are doing anything different to attract attention on the street do let me know. Write a comment.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS . . .

. . . . at the Dylan Thomas Theatre on Saturday night was a superb production. There was one set and the main characters were there throughout then production. It was snappy and well rehearsed. I sat in the front row and didn't hear one prompt. The play went from being a serious production and slipped into a riot of slapstick at times. I couldn't stop laughing in the second half.


Until the curtain call when we all had a surprise and the Director a shock! But you'll have to wat until tomorriow for more about that. Another rmarketing trick is to leave the reader in suspense. There's no prize for guessing what happened but read on tomorrow.


Keep busy. Market well and be successful.

At last - Goodbye Bush

Barack Obama's inauguration day is today!

Will this be a new beginning for the USA?

What about the UK?

Every day it seems we are being led by the blind, spoken to by the dumb and listened to by the deaf.

Every day the banks seem to be reaping a harvest of golden crops glistening in the fields of human endeavour. Our endevours. And I understand the top guys are still getting golden truck-loads of cash. For what? For drowning the UK in a sea of uncontrolled debt.

And the government seem to be drafting in anyone whom they believe can safe the ship. But isn't the ship listing too far? Aren't we just going to overfill the life-boats? Who will be brought ouit of retirement next? Worse still is the government going to hide under Barack Obama's coat and as he takes off try and cling to his coat tails. If it does I guess they probably be so shaken by his rapid progress that they'll possible fall off in an unbalanced way.

What we need is a charismatic figure-head that will inspire us by their singular focus and motivation, openness and forward thinking. Is there such a person? Nobody springs to mind.

And so small businesses will begin to suffer as the unemployed numbers rise and larger organisations flounder. So now is the time to look for opportunities and promote yourself & your business.

Think about your website.

• Does it have your details, tel number and e-mail on the top banner on every page?


• Does it tell a story and give benefits in the opening visible part of the screen?


• Do you keep it up to date and full of good material?


• Can you buy off the site if applicable?


• Is your web-address mentioned on all your literature ad stationery?

Think about it.

If I can help you promote your business contact me.

Keep busy and productive.