Being an Independent Distributor in a Corporate Market

Have you ever noticed how time seems to be going backward rather than forward in the business world today? Once upon a time independently owned businesses and independent distributors were the only options available. Then corporate giants moved in and started pushing them out of the way! In the face of economic recession and the new opportunities offered via the web these corporate giants are slowly losing ground. Small businesses are becoming the "in" thing of the 21st century!

If you're considering being an independent distributor for a company like Hoover, Avon or Mary Kay, whose entire business is built on building a personal relationship with their consumers, now is the best possible time to do it. That doesn't mean that the journey is going to be all chocolate and roses, however. You're still going head to head with major corporations like WalMart (who is rapidly gaining a monopoly on the retail market in the face of today's recession whether they mean to or not!), which means you're going to have to take advantage of all of the guerilla marketing tactics at your disposal.

First and foremost, door to door marketing isn't just ineffective-it's annoying! Today's consumers have been overexposed to selling techniques like mass media marketing and door to door sales, which means the only thing you're likely to do if you knock on a door is watch is close in your face. Widespread distribution for today's independent distributor relies heavily on:

a) Building a network of their friends and family, particularly for consumables like make-up that will need to be repurchased regularly. Not only does this open the door to repeat customers, you're also more likely to draw in referrals from people who are more comfortable doing business with a "friend of a friend" than a nameless, faceless stranger.

b) Mass market-tastefully. Hand out your business card regularly, and pass around flyers. Plan events (like parties) and invite people regularly. This will allow your potential customers to feel like doing business with you was their choice-not yours.

c) Launch a website. Yes, they could go to the company's website to buy their products, but why would they want to? Launch your own site with information about your products and their benefits, as well as new industry updates, information on parties and upcoming events and links to other valuable resources. Put your URL on your flyers and cards, then sit back and relax. Today's consumer loves having the chance to privately examine your merchandise and draw their own conclusions before feeling as though they have to decide whether or not they want to buy. A good website is a more successful selling tool than any door to door pitch will ever be.
Discover a host of resources to help boost your independent distribution network at http://www.1uptoyou.com/.

An Easy Guide to Choosing Your SEO Keywords

It's all over the web-the secret to a strong Internet advertising campaign is to make sure you're choosing the right keywords! The problem is, how do you know if you're choosing the right keywords to make sure your site's getting the SEO attention it deserves? How do you make sure the search engines are on your side?

There are two simple steps to choosing SEO keywords. First and foremost, imagine you're a consumer rather than a developer thinking about your products. If you were looking for your products on the web, what words would you use to look for them? What words describe them? What words describe the value benefit you're offering?

You should end up with a pretty long list when it's all said and done. Don't worry if some of them are a little bizarre-you're going to end up using them later on! (But that's a story for another blog…) The next thing you want to do is take advantage of the keyword tracking tools available through the major search engines. If you visit http://www.google.com/sktool/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=top%20keywords# you can find some helpful suggestions for keywords from Google, or you can purchase keyword tracking software to find the top listed keywords for each engine. There are other resources. It's up to you which ones you prefer to use.

Now, cross reference your lists. What keywords are on both? You want to be careful when using this method to determine your keywords because overly specific keywords are going to generate too little traffic, while incredibly popular ones are going to toss you in the pool with too many competitors. Imagine hundreds of sharks and three little tiny fish-the fight for food is going to be tremendous!

Once you've found four or five potential keywords, stop. That's enough to get you started. Now it's time to stop looking and start optimizing!

Discover the tools you need to maximize your SEO campaign by visiting http://www.1uptoyou.com/.

Polishing Your Resume

There's nothing more rewarding for most of us than the joys of running our own business, but let's face it-the aggravation and worry (and attention to minutiae) that go hand in hand with running a business. And there are some professions that just don't lend themselves to setting out on your own-laboratory work, for example! If you work in one of those fields that just doesn't encourage professional independence, or you're happier letting someone else deal with the details, you're in good company-and you're going to need to keep your resume up and running!

The first thing you need to do before you take your resume on a job hunt is check and see if it's current. You'd be amazed at how long we can go between resume updates as long as we're employable. If you don't double check your resume before you take it out on the market you might find that the last five to ten years worth or "relevant" job experience you've obtained aren't even mentioned-the rough equivalent of professional suicide!

When making your resume, be sure it is direct, to the point and geared toward the job you're applying for. When you mention your education make sure you highlight the areas that pertain to the field you're trying to enter. The same principle applies to job experience; if you worked as a grunt, occasionally stepping into a supervisory role, and you're applying for a position in lower level management you're going to want to make sure that supervisory experience is emphasized. It's all about gearing your experience toward your target market.

Don't toss in too much detail, however. Resumes longer than a page and a half long are usually skimmed with little attention to detail, and your would-be employer might miss something pertinent because they're too busy trying to wade through the minutiae you didn't really need.

Whether you choose to provide references on your resume is entirely up to you; some employers prefer not having to go to the trouble to contact you to check your references when they have hundreds of applicants, others simply don't care. Most professionals recommend keeping your references private until requested, and to maintain a current list that you can rapidly produce and send via email should your employer request it.

For more information on succeeding during the recession, visit us at www.1uptoyou.com.

How Recession is Actually Helping Small Businesses

It's hard to imagine today's current economic recession actually helping with anything, but recession is an important part of the business cycle for a reason. First and foremost, it helps weed out weaker businesses without the resources to outlast what's guaranteed to be a temporary condition. Despite that fact, however, recession serves another valuable purpose; it can give small businesses the impetus they need to succeed!

Wait. If industry giants like Circuit City are buckling under the pressure of recession, how can it help small business with infinitely fewer resources? The fact that small businesses have fewer resources is exactly what makes them prime targets to outlast a recession. Fewer resources equals smaller overhead. A business being run from a home has fewer expenses; you're not paying for office rental, electricity, multiple phone lines, and any of the other myriad expenses that go hand in hand with running a large facility.

Because most small businesses don't stock huge amounts of inventory, they're less likely to be left hanging with the expense for inventory that simply didn't sell. They also generally employ fewer employees and have the capability to function with even less, helping them ride out the recession and get things back on stable ground.

Perhaps most importantly, because small businesses tend to operate with less overhead and a smaller staff they can often offer their customers less expensive, more personalized goods and services. For example, a smaller used auto retailer might be able to "take orders" from their customers when they go to auction rather than leaving them coming back time and time again hoping they'll have what they're looking for. And they might be able to offer their financially pressed customers a "discount" for their services that will earn them a customer for life when things go back to normal.

The bottom line is, with the recession in full swing consumers are looking for a better way to buy their goods and services-and they're not afraid to take a chance on a smaller business if it will give them what they want at a price that they can afford. Are you going to let this opportunity pass you by?

Recession, Pawn Shops and the Golden Opportunity

Recession is a part of the endlessly fluctuating cycle of life for businesses, helping the strong survive, pushing the weak out of the running and reminding everyone to appreciate it when things are going well! The other thing recession does is give certain types of businesses a boost, encouraging people to shop places they would normally avoid and look to sources of income that they would normally consider to be inferior or tacky.

In other words, in the middle of a recession is a great time to be a pawn shop!\

Yes, pawn shops are feeling the pinch just like everyone else, but let's face it-if you're going to go looking for cheap electronics devices, jewelry and one of a kind gifts anyplace but Amazon or eBay, where better to go than a pawn shop? They're able to offer a huge selection of second hand items that they've purchased from people just like you looking for a way to unload their excess belongings for a profit. (Did you know that the average American has a minimum of $5,000 worth of "junk" lying around their house?)

Pawn shops tend to have a ready supply of inventory, and although they pay for the pieces they purchase they're still able to keep their shelves stocked for considerably less than the average electronics store-and the diversity of their inventory means they usually manage to corner their own share of the market without having to put too much effort into advertising. Pawn shops have seen a boom in business in every economic dip that history has seen, and it's a trend that continues into today's business world.

Give your pawn shop a boost during today's recession using the resources at www.1uptoyou.com.

Building Your Brand

What is it that makes a business successful? Is it a stunningly sophisticated product? A genius mind sitting at the controls of their marketing campaign? Savvy pricing practices? The answer to that is…all of the above. You see, strong product, a good marketing campaign and smart pricing are all vital elements to building your brand, and a successful brand is the key to enjoying success in your business.

Think about it. When you think bottled water, what do you think about? Probably Dasani or Fiji. What about pizza? Pizza Hut and Dominoes have been leaving their mark on the industry for years. When people are considering buying a bottled water or going out for pizza these are going to be the first names that spring to their mind, not only because they've tried (and are happy with) their product but also because they've spent years and millions of marketing dollars to build their brand.

A brand name is more than a name you slap on the side of a bottle. A brand name is something that garners respect. When someone thinks about your brand name you want them to automatically think of you as a leader in the field, a strong innovator with high quality products and services and good pricing practices. The brand is going to represent your company even when you aren't at the helm; for example, look at McDonald's. It's very rare to find two McDonald's restaurants with the same owner, but you know just what to expect when you walk in. The company has built up their brand name, and their franchisers are holding up their end of the bargain.

A strong brand name is vital to the success of your business, for several reasons. First and foremost, it allows you to expand. Consumers are more willing to take a chance on you if they know you have a reputation for high quality products and services, even if you're in uncharted territory. The reputation you've already built will help hold you up until you've established yourself in that field. Secondly, it distinguishes your competition and helps you hold on to your market share when new competitors come into the mix.

In other words, your brand is your foundation. Treat it well, and you'll watch your company grow. Ignore its importance and it won't be long before your company comes crumbling down.

Learn more about building your brand at http://www.1uptoyou.com/.

What Does Advertising Do For Your Business?

You hear over and over again the importance in Internet marketing, but how often do you actually stop and think about the power of advertising for your business? Yes, there is in fact a difference between Internet marketing and advertising-sort of. It's a little confusing, but there you have it!

To break it down into marketing terms, advertising is part of your marketing campaign. The first step of any good marketing campaign should be research-research into your target market, what they want and, more importantly, how your product or service is going to give it to them!

What you're going to find is that your target market isn't always a single group of individuals. Very often it covers several different groups, and each of those groups has their own wants and needs. Now, you have two choices when it comes to selling your products to these groups. You can either:

a) Build a personal relationship with each and every one of your customers, which is great if you're specializing in B2B commerce and can work with each company's buyer personally but not very effective if you're attempting to market directly to a large consumer market, or

b) Launch an advertising campaign geared toward mass marketing using widespread media like the Internet, newspapers, radio and television.

Advertising doesn't have to be the dull, boring ads that have been lying around for years. Your ads are the first opportunity your customers and clientele have to get to know your company, so it's important you use each ad to convey the way you want your customers to see you. Do you want to have a laid back, friendly persona or are you all business?

Advertising is one of the most important tools you're going to have when it comes to promoting your business, so it's important to make the most of it! Find the tools you need to succeed at http://www.1uptoyou.com/.