Small Business Today Magazine - December 2012 Edition

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SBT Houston Staff December 2012

FROM THE

Publisher

STEVE LEVINE

True Leaders Empower Others “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” - Bill Gates In my nine months as Executive Publisher of Small Business Today Magazine, I have learned many things from our cover story interviews and through my participation with several great organizations that include the Women's Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA), the Houston Minority Suppliers Development Council (HMSDC), the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and MainStreetChamber.

The one thing that seems to be a common denominator in our cover honorees and those singled out at the various organizations’ awards events was that they excelled in empowering others.

Bill Gate's quote was not only his vision but also the primary points of focus for his business.

Today's business leaders and entrepreneurs have learned the power of creating more leaders in their organizations. They have taught me that no one creates and builds a successful business on their own.

This month's cover honoree, Ms. Sue Burnett of Burnett Specialists, is a leader who knows all about empowering others.

In fact, on top of Sue Burnett's desk is a sign that reflects her mantra for life, “Treat Others the Way They Want to Be Treated.” Figuring out how people want to be treated and then treating them that way is what Sue has done her entire life and because of it, she has reached the heights of success and in turn has shared the rewards with her employees.

Speaking of “empowerment”, Barbara, John, and I recently had the opportunity to make a presentation to the Bauer Women Society which is part of the C.T. Bauer Business School of the University of Houston. How exciting it was to see so many young women possessing an entrepreneur spirit!

When I was growing up in the '60s and '70s, I was told that if you get a college degree and then get a good job with a good company, you can be assured that the company will take care of you. Well, in today's corporate world, that is no longer true. Barbara, John, and I were united in our message to the ladies of the Bauer Women Society to always have a “Plan B” ready and do not ever, ever give up on their dreams.

In the photo on this page with me from the Greater Houston Chapter of NAWBO 19th Annual “Business Woman of the Year” Gala are some of the leaders from the Bauer Women Society (from left to right) Uroosa Samar/Corporate Relations Director, Nourhan Wael/Member, myself, Sana Tobaccowala/Vice President, Aliya Garcia/Member and Sonia Harb/President.

The ladies were volunteering to help at the event and served as models of the furs that were being offered in the event’s silent auction.

As we close this issue, which coincides with our first fiscal year in business, we want to take a moment to thank our Publisher's Advisory Board members, our contributing writers and columnists, our staff – Barbara Davis-Levine/Assoc. Publisher & Creative Director, Eric Kleiman/Photographer, and Vanessa Vara/Graphic Artist, our clients, and especially you (our readers, subscribers, and “fans”) for your support of this very special magazine. We are very proud of our accomplishments so far and look forward to more of the same in 2013.

Have a wonderful, safe, and joyous holiday season!

Good reading, good sales, and great success to you all!

Steve Levine

President John Cruise Executive Publisher Steve Levine Creative Director Barbara Davis-Levine Business Development/PR Bill Huff Donna K. Rooney Graphic Design Vanessa Vara Photographers Eric Kleiman Contributing Writers Errol Allen Cyndi Barnett Don Brown Barbara Davis April Day Erich Fruchnicht Julie Marie Irvin Jeffrey Jones Steven Kay Craig Klein Bertrand McHenry Hank Moore Erica A. Murray Amy Olivieri Rita Santamaria Alvin Terry Jack Warkenthien Chief Advisor Hank Moore Publisher’s Advisory Board Debra Bann Cyndi Barnett John Cruise April Day Maya Durnovo Kathie Edwards Leonard Faucher David Holt Richard Huebner Julie Marie Irvin Jeffrey Jones Steven Kay Craig Klein H. Quincy Long Hank Moore Mike Muhney Neil Polansky Rita Santamaria Allen Shapiro Pam Terry Jack Warkenthien Doug Winnie R.D. Yoder Aaron Young Phone: 832-460-2020 E-Mail: Steve.Levine@SBTMagazine.net Or Write: Small Business Today 5380 West 34th Street, Ste 230 Houston, TX 77092 See us on the web at www.SBTMagazine.net

Publisher

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INSIDe

HOUSTON December 2012 EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE Dressing for Professional Success 8

6

Sue Burnett BURNETT SPECIALISTS TREATING OTHERS THE WAY THEY WANT TO BE TREATED

22

Managing Risk in Every-Day Business 9

TGDesign, LLC. "Quality, Affordability, reliability...

Pick Three!"

What Small Businesses Need to Know About Twitter 10 The New Android: Finally! Mobile Devices for the Enterprising Entrepreneur 11

Would you or your company like to be profiled in our next issue?

The Business Leader as Community Leaders 12 The Economics of Borrowing from Your 401(k) 14

{

5 Ways Sales Pipeline Management Grows the Bottom Line 16 Buenos Aires, Argentina is FULL of Capital! 17 The Package 18

{

A Sale Is A Relationship Not A Transaction 21 Show, Don't Tell: Effective Proposal Graphics 24 Five Things That Can Impact the Value of Your Business 25 The Staying Connected To Your Dreams 26

23

Today's Customers - What Do They Want? 30 Are You Designing Your Network and Working Your System? 36 Navigating Your Competitive Advantage 37

For more information contact Steve Levine at: 832-460-2020

Extraordinary Cakes Designing Exquisite Culinary Creations Using Profits to help others

HOUSTON EDITION PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE SMALL BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE PRESIDENT: JOHN CRUISE PHONE: 832-460-2020 www.SBTMagazine.net ADVERTISING RATES ON REQUEST. BULK THIRD CLASS MAIL PAID IN TUCSON, AZ. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND NOTICES ON FORM 3579 TO 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PUBLISHED MATERIALS, SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED OR FACTS SUPPLIED BY ITS AUTHORS. COPYRIGHT 2012, LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Dressing for Professional Success

THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE

By Rita Santamaria

W

hat is professional dress in this global melting pot we live in? We need to remember “when in Rome, do as the Romans”. That being said, the information below is with the agreement we are in the United States of America and therefore, my suggestions on professional dress would be for the office personnel residing in the USA. Many companies are requesting an informative and direct approach to employee dress. It has changed considerably over the years as our society has become more and more casual. Even while attending our churches, synagogues, the dress has taken more of a weekend relaxed style.

When selling to the public and your job is sales, there are some guidelines that allow you to look professional while not “over dressing” for the climate or client. Golf or collared shirts are good choices for men during the day. Loud prints or overly baggy shirts or pants are not good choices. Dress slacks, not in denim, are the best daytime selection for men. Never wear a cap of any type while involved in your work a day world. Even if selling country property, leave the cap at home. If you are selling farm and ranch, dressing for the ranch in denim, boots, hat are always appropriate.

Women should wear either dresses, skirts, or slacks with blouses, jackets, sweaters. Revealing tops, tank tops, halter tops are considered inappropriate office attire. No denim, Bermuda shorts, Capri’s in the sales person’s career wear. When in doubt always remember to dress better than you would for an athletic event.

Men, the definite no-no’s for work are the following: tank tops, tee shirts,

mesh shirts, warm up pants, sweat pants, blue jeans, gym shorts, any athletic wear.

Ladies, the no-no’s for you in the workplace are: halter tops, tee shirts, cut-offs, sweat pants, warm-up suits, blue jeans, tennis wear, shorts of any kind, or low cut tops.

Shoes should always be in good shape, shined, and never wear flip flops of any kind during your work day.

Even in our more casual society there is a customer expectation as to appropriate dressing of their salesperson. More companies are

reverting back to the basics with specifics on what to wear and not wear due to aggravation by their customers and consequent loss of the sale due to the poor judgment of the sales person.

When in doubt, dress up, not down and you will always be making the correct decision.

Rita Santamaria is the owner of Champions School of Real Estate and Champions School of Professional Development. www.ChampionsSchool.com

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 8

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Entrepreneurs Tool Box Managing Risk in Every-Day Business

ENTREPRENEURS WORKBOOK

By Alvin E. Terry, MBA / Business Consultant, Dynamic Business Builders

If You Don’t Manage Risk, It Will Manage You!

R

isk is inherent in all Business Ventures. That is why we engage in the risk/reward scenario to see if we can win at the game. Just thinking about going into business is a risk in itself. It is a risk because you have invested time, money, energy and intellectual capacity just in the formulation of your idea and its manifestation. Hopefully after investing all of those resources it will not be an exercise in futility, but a dream that has come true with all of its’ splendor and rewards.

As we manage our companies we must manage ourselves. We must put in place our own rules, regulations and standard operations procedures that will serve as guidance tools and a road map to keep us on course.

We must conduct assessments to identify our risk exposures, and adjust to those assessments that are out of our tolerance levels.

Managing liquidity is our ultimate goal. Staying solvent is an ever-present engaging mind activity that persists on a daily basis. It is essential that you have your team in place to give you timely feedback when you need it. This team may be internal or external.

All risks cannot be mitigated at all times but managing them is a necessity. Identifying the types of risks that you will be bombarded with can be defined as follows: •

Strategic Risks: Risk that can result from adverse business decisions, inappropropriate business plans, ineffective business strategy execution or a failure to respond in a timely manner to changes in the macroeconomic environment.

•

Credit Risk: Risk of loss arising from the inability or failure of a borrower or counter party to meet its’ obligations.

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•

Market Risk: Risk that value of assets and liabilities or revenues will be adversely affected by changes in market conditions.

•

Liquidity Risk: Risk that has the potential inability to meet contractual and contingent obligations both on/or off balance sheets as they come due.

•

Operational Risk: Risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, whether from people, systems or external events.

•

Compliance Risk: Risk that arises from the failure to adhere to Laws, Rules, Regulations and Internal Policies and Procedures.

•

Reputational Risks: Risk that has the potential that negative publicity regarding an organization’s conduct or business practices will adversely affect profitability, operations or customer base. This can incur costly litigation or other measures.

•

“Transparency” is the key in managing. It is the most critical component in effective “Risk Management”.

Everyone in the organization must be on the same page. Everyone must know and understand their roles and how it affects the bottom line for all.

You may contact Alvin E. Terry, MBA at 713-392-9107 or by e-mail, alvin.terry@rocketmail.com

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 9

EDITORIAL FEATURE

What Small Businesses Need to Know About Twitter

MARKETING STRATEGIES

By Amy Olivieri, Constant Contact Regional Development Director, Houston Metro

Twitter is like the Swiss Army Knife of social media networks.

At first glance, it seems simple – a network where people share news stories, blog posts, and other content and engage with colleagues and businesses using 140 characters or less. But take a deeper look into how it can actually be used, and you find that the value it brings to small businesses is anything but simple. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful networks available to business owners today.

Using Twitter for your small business really starts with understanding what you’re trying to achieve. Are you looking to promote your organization or drive activity to your website? Do you want to provide your customers with an easier way to connect with you online? Or are you just trying to add a new element to your next event?

Understanding what you hope to gain from using Twitter will help you make better decisions about the content you create and improve the likelihood of getting noticed by your target audience. It will also help you make decisions about how you want to promote your Twitter handle and give your content more visibility.

Here are eight tips to help give your content the exposure it deserves: •

Make it easy to digest (Example: 10 Tips to Help You Do [Blank])

•

Use words that catch your readers’ attention (best, worst, most, least…)

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•

Think of Tweets like email subject lines

•

Remember Twitter’s most important question: Why should I care?

•

Use a personal comment instead of just auto-sharing links

•

Take advantage of Twitter’s “Search” tool

•

Make it visual: use photos, videos, infographics, etc.

•

Join a Tweet Chat

Remember – just being on Twitter won’t be enough to accomplish your business goals. What will allow you to achieve those goals is having a social strategy about the way you plan to engage on Twitter, the type of content you want to share, and the milestones you hope to achieve.

“Using Twitter for your small business really starts with understanding what you’re trying to achieve.”

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

The New Android: Finally! Mobile Devices for the Enterprising Entrepreneur

By Erich Fruchtnicht

I

am going to engage in full disclosure and say, for the record, that I am biased. The fact that a geek is biased about computer equipment or digital "gadgets" of any kind really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but I want it to be perfectly clear where I'm coming from in the following missive.

thumb drive, an MP3 player, a video player with the proper app (probably a free one), or more.

I like Android devices or, rather, I have wanted to like them since they first came into being as competition in the smart phone war. They were intended to be the phone equivalent of a PC: greater control and customization while possibly being less "refined." I am of course comparing Android devices to their main competitor: the iPhone.

So what was the big problem with Android devices up to now? Simply put: they were not smooth and they were not fast. A choppy user interface made even simple navigation of some phones tedious. Spend a few minutes on an Apple device and the difference in refinement is clear.

While an iPhone would immediately respond to your touch and glide through menus with ease, the supposedly comparable Android would stumble frustratingly along.

I am not intending to speak poorly of the iPhone. It is a solid device.

However, the target audience for the iPhone is different from that of the Android in that iPhone users, in my humble opinion, are not "tinkerers" and do not possess an illogical urge to "mess with" their electronics.

The main thing that Androids have done better is grant the owner the ability to fully use the capabilities of the device. For instance, if one wishes to upload a file to an Android device there are many options. One could email the file to the phone, connect to a network via Wi-Fi and download the file to the phone, or plug a USB cable into a computer and download by "dragging and dropping" the file into the phone's memory; no iTunes, no file type restrictions, no issues.

An Android device can function as a

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Additionally, apps for the Android do not all need a centralized stamp of approval before being placed on one's device. We are all free to choose the source and content of our apps.

Enter Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Project Butter. Though the names are funny, the result is amazing. The new Android operating system (or "OS" for those in the know) contains a great deal of upgraded memory management and better resource allocation.

Project Butter was created to make the navigation on the devices smooth like... you guessed it! The payoff is that the new devices with Android 4.1 are everything for which I had hoped.

Now not only do I have the aforementioned freedom with my device, but it operates and feels like it should. Instantaneous response to touch and smooth gliding through menus finally make it seem as though the little phone is not only able to handle its

own base software, but much more demanding functionality.

For all those inspired by my words who are dropping this magazine and heading for the door to buy as many Android devices as you can fit in a dump truck: slow down. The new Android OS (aren't you glad you know what that means now?) is in the process of rolling out onto new phones, but is currently not available on that many devices. Each manufacturer has to tune their device to the new OS or tweak the new OS to their device.

Unfortunately this process can take time since, unlike iPhone, there are many manufacturers and brands that use Android and not all the devices are the same.

I am still encouraged and intend to purchase a new Android phone with Jelly Bean installed upon it as soon as a sufficiently awesome one comes on the market to satisfy my unreasonable desire to "tinker�. Until then, I wait and I eat Jelly Beans!

If you have any questions about this or another topic feel free to contact me.

Erich H Fruchtnicht is President / Principle Designer at TGDesign, LLC www.trinitygroupdesign.com or email him at erichf@trinitygroupdesign.com

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 11

EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Business Leader as Community Leader

BIG PICTURE OF BUSINESS

By Hank Moore / Corporate Strategist™

I

n an era following downturns and scandals, it is incumbent upon good companies to go the extra distance to be ethical and set good examples. Demonstrating visible caring for communities by company executives is the ultimate form of potlatch.

No matter the size of the organization, goodwill must be banked. Every company must make deposits for those inevitable times in which withdrawals will be made.

To say that business and its communities do not affect each other, is short-sighted and will make business “the loser� every time.

Business marries the community that it settles with. The community has to be given a reason to care for the business. Business owes its well-being and livelihood to its communities.

Business leaders have an obligation to serve on community boards and be very visible in the communities in which they do business. If done right, community stewardship builds executives into better leaders, as well as receiving deserved credit for the company. Civic service is the ultimate way to steer heirs apparent toward the leadership track.

Communities are clusters of individuals, each with its own agenda.

In order to be minimally successful, each company must know the components of its home community intimately. Each company has a business stake for doing its part.

Community relations, in reality, is a function of self-interest, rather than just being a good citizen.

Companies should support off-duty involvement of employees in pro bono capacities but not take unfair credit. Volunteers are essential to community relations. Companies must show tangible evidence of supporting the community by assigning key executives to highprofile community assignments.

Create a formal volunteer guild, and allow employees the latitude and creativity to contribute to the common good.

Celebrate and reward their efforts.

Publicity and promotions should support effective community relations and not be the substitute or smokescreen for the process.

Recognition is as desirable for the community as for the business.

Good news shows progress and encourages others to participate.

The well-rounded community relations program embodies all elements: accessibility of company officials to citizens, participation by the company in business and civic activities, public service promotions, special events, plant communications materials and open houses, grassroots constituency building and good citizenry.

No entity can operate without affecting or being affected by its communities. Business must behave like a guest in its communities, never failing to give potlatch or return courtesies.

Community

acceptance for one project does not mean than the job of community relations has been completed. It is not "insurance" that can be bought overnight. It is tied to the bottom line and must be treated accordingly, with the resources and expertise to do it effectively. It is a bond of trust that, if violated, will haunt the business. If steadily built, the trust can be exponentially parlayed into successful long-term business relationships.

Potlatch Potlatch is the ultimate catalyst toward Customer Focused Management.

It means extra gifts, beyond value-added, visionary mindset and the ultimate achievement of the organization.

The word "potlatch" is a Native American expression meaning, "to give." For American Indians, the potlatch was an immensely important winter ceremony featuring dancing, food and gift giving.

Potlatch ceremonies were held to observe major life events. The Native Americans would exchange gifts and properties to show wealth and status. Instead of the guests bringing gifts to the family, the family gave gifts to the guests.

Colonists settled and started doing things their own way, without first investigating local customs. They alienated many of the natives. Thus, the cultural differences widened.

The more diverse we become, the more we really need to learn from and about others. The practice of Continued on page 13

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 12

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Continued from page 12

doing so creates an understanding that spawns better loyalty.

When one gives ceremonial gifts, one gets extra value because of the spirit of the action. The more you give, the more you ultimately get back in return. Reciprocation becomes an esteemed social ceremony. It elevates the givers to higher levels of esteem in the eyes of the recipients.

Potlatch is a higher level of understanding of the business that breeds loyalty and longer-term support. It leads to increased quality, better resource management, higher employee productivity, reduced operating costs, improved cash management, better management overall and enhanced customer loyalty and retention.

Community Relations The well-rounded community relations program embodies all elements:

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accessibility of company officials to citizens, participation by the company in business and civic activities, public service promotions, special events, plant communications materials and open houses, grassroots constituency building and good citizenry.

Never stop evaluating. Facts, values, circumstances and community composition are forever changing.

The same community relations posture will not last forever. Use research and follow-up techniques to reassess the position, assure continuity and move in a forward motion.

Companies need community relations at all times: • • •

Prior to coming into locales.

Every year in which they do business there - in good and bad economic times.

When they are leaving an area.

•

Even after they have ceased operation in certain communities.

In today's economy, no business can operate without affecting or being affected by its communities.

Business must behave like a guest in its communities - never failing to show or return courtesies.

Community acceptance for one project does not mean that the job of community relations has completed.

Programs always shift into other gears and break new ground.

Hank Moore/Corporate Strategist™ Phone: 713-668-0664 Website: http://www.hankmoore.com Email: hankmoore4218@sbcglobal.net

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 13

L MANAGEMENT & ONSIBILITY

EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Economics of Borrowing from Your 401(k) FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY

By Cyndi Barnett, Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Tax Specialist™

W

Barnett ecruiting:Cyndi It’s not always easy to find the hen times are tough, that pool ght fit for a new position. There are potential of dollars sitting in your 401(k) penses associated with recruiting, including plan account may start to look dvertising, drug screenings, background attractive. But before you decide hecks, as well as the cost for someone take a plan loan, be sure you understand the review resumes, screen applicants,toand onduct interviews. financial impact. It’s not as simple as you think.

The basics of borrowing aining: Getting new employees up to speed nd making sure they become as productive A 401(k) plan will usually let you borrow as much possible can also be expensive. Employees as 50 percent of your vested account balance, pend an average of 32 hours a year up on to $50,000. (Plans aren’t required to let you aining, and new hires often need additional borrow, and may impose various restrictions, me to learn the ropes. One report estimated so check with your plan administrator.) You

pay40the loan back with interest from your Continued on page

edit? p!

paycheck. Most plan loans carry a favorable interest rate – usually prime, plus one or two percentage points. Generally, you have up to five years to repay your loan, longer if you use the loan to purchase your principle residence.

You pay the interest to yourself, but…

When you make payments of principal and interest on the loan, the plan deposits those States. We Help Our Clients By payments back into your individual plan reaus And Help Them Establish New s. In addition to repairing personal account. This means that you’re not only eway Credit can help you and your receiving back your loan principal, you’re also paying the loan interest to yourself instead of to a financial institution. But the benefit of paying interest to yourself is somewhat illusory.

ches to Help Get You Approved

CAUTION: To pay interest on a plan loan, you first need to earn money and pay income tax rian, Equifax, and Dun and on those earnings. With what’s left over after taxes, you pay the interest on your loan. When you later withdraw those dollars from the plan es, revenue lending, (at retirement, for example), they’re taxed siness credit, purchase order again because plan distributions are treated , and more as taxable income. In effect, you’re paying income tax twice on the funds you use to pay back the loan. (Note: Special tax rules apply to Roth 401(k) contributions.)

The opportunity cost When you take a loan from your 401(k) plan, the funds you borrow are removed from your plan account until you repay the loan. While removed from your account, the funds aren’t continuing to grow tax deferred within the plan. So the economics of a plan loan depend in part on how much those borrowed funds AY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2012 | PG 21 would have earned if they were still inside the plan, compared to the amount of interest you’re paying yourself. This is known as the

edit.net edit.net

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 14

opportunity cost of the plan loan because you miss out on the opportunity for more taxdeferred investment earnings.

Other considerations There are other factors to think about before borrowing from you 401(k) plan. If you take a loan, will you be able to afford to pay if back and continue to contribute to the plan at the same time? If not, borrowing may be a very bad idea in the long run, especially if you’ll wind up losing your employer’s matching contribution.

Also, if you terminate employment, your plan may require that your loan become immediately payable. If so, and you don’t have the funds to pay if off, the outstanding balance will be treated as a taxable distribution to you, and if you’re not 59.5, a 10 percent early distribution IRS penalty may also apply to your taxable balance.

Still, plan loans may make sense in certain cases (for example, to pay off high-interest credit card debt or to purchase a home).

But make sure you compare the cost of borrowing from you plan with other financing options, including loans from banks, credit unions, friends and family. To do an adequate comparison, you should consider: • Interest rates with each alternative • Whether the interest will be tax deductible (for example, interest paid on home equity loans is usually deductible, but interest paid on plan loans usually isn’t) • The amount of investment earnings you may miss out on by removing funds from your 401(k) plan

Email Cyndi@gpswealth.net to discuss your particular situation for Investments, Retirement, Insurance, Taxes, and Estate Planning.

These are the views of Forefield Inc., not the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Securities offered through Questar Capital Corporation (QCC), Member FINRA/SIPC and/or Advisory Services offered through Questar Asset Management (QAM) A Registered Investment Advisor. GPS Wealth Management is independent of QCC and QAM. Cyndi Barnett is a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative.

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Gil Garza has 30 years in the custom clothing design business.

Gil Garza owner of G Ernest Desgin In a world of off-the-rack imitations, custom tailored garments by G. Ernest Designs are of such impeccable taste, others immediately recognize you as a leader. When you walk through the door of your office, your client’s office, your club, community or philanthropic organization you do so with confidence, knowing your apparel is just right.

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| PG 15

EDITORIAL FEATURE

5 Ways Sales Pipeline Management Grows the Bottom Line

By Craig Klein/SalesNexus

M

anaging sales people is challenging no matter the industry. Whether selling large ticket items or products and services that typically take customers several weeks or months to decide upon, sales people have a way of making the future look rosy for management. Too often, reality doesn’t measure up, though.

Sales people are great at telling stories about all the great opportunities on which they’re working. Most often without malicious intent, sales people tell management what they want to hear and management believes them.

Sales people can be out of the office much of the time and may have only a few moments to update executives on the latest news from the field, so management gets only bits and pieces.

All of this abbreviated communication causes the business to miss opportunities, react slowly to changes in the market and miss their revenue goals. Managing the sales pipeline rather than managing hopeful anecdotes can put the business in position to see the future more clearly and build a stronger sales approach. In businesses where the “inmates run the asylum,” or where management lacks sales and sales management experience, managing the sales pipeline can seem like redundant work; sales people should be spending their time with customers. However, the benefit of creating a consistent, measurable sales pipeline management process

is tremendous and easily achieved once the will to start has been found. Following are five ways that sales pipeline management leads to increased profitability.

Motivate Sales People by Helping Them Compete with Each Other Sales people are frequently paid on commission and compared using close sales totals. However, for expensive, long sales cycle processes, there can be many ups and downs in results and sales winners can look like losers and vice versa at any given moment in time. Measuring the total volume of opportunities being pursued by each sales person helps them compete based on their ability to prospect and find new opportunities and customers.

A seasoned rep may have a few welldeveloped accounts that keep him in the black each quarter but, measuring the total sales opportunity pipeline can shine a light on more aggressive reps that are building the future of the business by finding new high value customers. Sales contests and bonuses can also provide incentives to build new markets and develop new product lines but, only when the sales process is measured from start to finish. This results in more realistic opportunities and more opportunities in the pipeline.

Manage the Revenue Roller Coaster Sales people typically love to spend time closing deals. Staying motivated to network, cold call, get referrals and find new prospects for sales in future

months is more difficult. It’s easy to “put off” prospecting activities that build future business, especially when management only sees the end results. Monitoring the overall pipeline of future business opportunities can identify early on when sales people neglect prospecting activities.

Management has the ability to address prospecting problems early, before they have a material impact on revenue. Likewise, seasonal businesses can increase the focus on prospecting during “off months” to ensure the good months meet expectations. By tracking all potential opportunities and the status or stage of each opportunity, the business can predict future business in aggregate and by territory and product line to identify short falls or opportunities while there is still time to impact final sales results.

Predict Future Demand In many businesses, over estimating future demand can result in excessive inventory and kill profits. Under estimating demand can result in missed sales. Visibility of the sales pipeline allows accurate prediction of future demand. Production lines can work over time to meet expected demand but this increases costs. In any business, staff levels can be increased or decreased in concert with expected future sales to ensure reliable delivery while reducing costs. By measuring the sales pipeline by product and territory, unique and otherwise unseen shortages or overages can be identified in time to react.

Continued on page 28

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Buenos Aires, Argentina is FULL of Capital!

MARKET PLACES

By Erica A. Murray

Erica A. Murray

B

uenos Aires is one of the largest cities in Latin America. It also ranks as the leading financial, industrial, commercial, and cultural hub of the region. Due to the changes in the world’s economy, the economic profile of Buenos Aires is going through a deep transformation. With that stated, it makes Argentina an emerging market with a plethora of opportunities and a tremendous upside potential for investors, business owners and entrepreneurs. Argentina is a market that has favorable demographics, global export demand, superior quality of life and a surging tourism sector. Their economic climate is diverting from a heavily industrialized base, to service and technological activities. Seventy-eight percent of the city’s economy is produced from the service sector and is highly recommended by businessmen from all over the world. Other sectors with a significant influence are advertising, agriculture, manufacturing, and some additional sectors.

The top ten imports of this country are: • • • • • • • • • •

Vehicles and Auto Parts Equipment and Machinery IT – High Tech Products Petroleum and Minerals Organic Chemicals Plastics Pharmaceuticals Iron and Steel Products Inorganic Chemicals Optical Instruments

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In an attempt to facilitate entrepreneurship and encourage Foreign Direct Investments in the City of Buenos Aires, there has been a series of strategically designed programs and incentives established for various industries in multiple areas of the city.

• Information Technology and Communication • Real Estate Development • Audio Visual Industry • Tourism Outside of being a beautiful tourist attraction, Argentina is a lovely terrain for the business owner or entrepreneur and they should consider investing today! No visa is required for travel and migrating there and it’s painless with the flexible immigration laws surrounding naturalization. What are you waiting on?

Erica A. Murray is an International Business Consultant and is the owner of a boutique consulting firm, Erica A. Murray Consulting and may be reached at 800-580-2113 x 2200 or you may visit her websites (www.ericaamurray.com or www.ceotothepowerofyou.com)

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 17

EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Package

By N D Brown

“W

hat does brand mean to my small business?” That is probably one of the most popular discussion topics for small businesses.

There are shelves of books and magazine articles and blogs explaining the definition of brand. The authors usually discuss the meaning of brand and that developing your brand is a complicated stew of culture, customer and communication.

Now think about the package holding your brand. Your brand package is more important than what you might think.

Few small businesses take a moment to stand back and think about all the visual opportunities their brand has to sell its real meaning.

Look at your business and think about your package. Remember it is an extension of the brands visual message.

Your building, even if a warehouse, should be thought of as an extension of your brand. I am always amazed when I see headquarter office buildings without signage that reflects what the brand is.

Banks used to build a package that looked like a Greek temple to assure costumers they were conservative

“As a visual and often tangible extension of your brand, the package has a greater audience than customers and prospects.”

As a visual and often tangible extension of your brand, the package has a greater audience than customers and prospects.

For one thing the package can give employees a true sense of pride in their relationship to the brand.

Think about a gasoline retailer. The package is the entire station, in and out. That is what the consumer sees.

What they literally buy is invisible so their total perception of the brand is how the station looks. Dirty, messy stations; the consumer might think the gasoline is as cheaply produced as the look of the station. A trip inside to deal with an unkempt counter clerk does not help the brand's perception.

and safe. Today customers feel secure about their bank because the FDIC insures their money and what they want is quick and easy so banks now build stores that look modern, convenient and neighborhood friendly.

Your business might be selling a service or a B2B product so it is easy to assume the consumer is only thinking about the actual product or service. Your homework is to see the opportunities your package has to convince your customer what's inside is what they think they are buying or have already bought.

I worked for a marketing company whose offices were latest in interior design. It made a statement about the companies work. Prospective clients who wondered if their money was being used frivolously did not understand what brand meant and would never understand the importance of their brand.

Many products are shipped in cardboard boxes with the name of the company printed as cheaply as possible on the outside. Why not? After all, the only people who will see it are the fork lift drivers on the shipping dock.

You might think their influence is imperceptible but when they discuss operational problems how is your brand going to stack up? Does it look as good as your products do? Is the package easy to handle? How many more pennies would it take to give your package a more quality appearance. If it looks like it holds a quality product will it be handled a little more gently? Common sense says yes.

Steve Jobs, of Apple fame, was notorious as being a stickler for the smallest detail. His persistence on superior design made Apple an elite brand. The 'look' of Apple, in both product design as well as the package made consumers think it surpassed ALL the other computer products. By designing one of the most hi-tech looking stores he drew in more customers each day than any big box competitor. To his customer, visiting an Apple store was an event.

If customers wanted cheap the brand Continued on page 38

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From the co-inventor of ACT!, it provides mobile professionals with an affordable, easyto-use, anytime/anywhere solution. VIPorbit for iPad is $14.99 and VIPorbit for iPhone is $9.99. There are free versions for both devices, limited to 100 contacts. Available at VIPorbit.com or on the iTunes App Store.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Your Next Step A Sale Is A Relationship Not A Transaction

By Jack Warkenthien

W

orld, “Life’s A Sales Call: How To Succeed In the World’s Oldest Profession”, and am asked to deliver a keynote speech, I share my Five Part Code of Sales.

The first item covered is always the name of this article: A sale is a relationship and not a transaction. In fact, given a choice, I’ll always choose a relationship over a sale, since business relationships tend to move around nowadays – from company to company – and you never know where your friends will end up. Even more important to understand: there’s huge equity in client relationships!

The primary asset of any business is its customer base. Only recently, firms are waking up to the power of customer relationships, thanks to the enormous capacity of computers.

Last month, Facebook streaked past one billion users, worldwide. One billion users! That’s approximately equal to one-sixth of the world’s current population. Though the (now) publicly-traded company stock’s value does not necessarily reflect the value of that enormous database, I’d like to have Mark Zuckerberg’s earning power. Tomorrow morning, he may wake-up and decide, “Maybe I should just charge all users a dollar a month.” Nice cash flow, eh?

Even though many customers in the database are infrequent users, one billion individuals serve as a strong base for building deeper relationships.

The intensity, reach, and breadth of our business relationships determine the true significance of this most valuable asset. Even though few business owners would argue the

premise, most do not formally put “relationship marketing” at the top of their strategic agendas.

The One-to-One Future is Still Here Do you need further convincing? One of the best reads of the last decade is “The One-to-One Future: Building Relationships One Customer at a Time,” by Don Peppers and Martha Rodgers. Guess what? The messages still resonate today – louder and stronger than ever! Among the most tantalizing morsels dished up by the duo: The goal of business competition will soon be customer share, not market share.

Instead of selling one product to as many customers as possible, we’ll be selling a single client as many products as wanted/needed.

Mass marketing has been replaced by niche marketing.

We’ll want to continue to find ways to engage our customers in dialog.

Instead of “reaching our target audience” we’ll think of ways to “converse with our customers.”

The Pareto Principle will still apply: 80 percent of your business will come from 20 percent of your customers.

You will find out which customers are most valuable to you.

Finally, instead of measuring success by the number of sales transactions, we’ll gauge success by the increase or decrease in our customer’s expected lifetime value to our firm (LTV or lifetime value – learn what your customers are worth, over the length of their relationship with you).

If the objective is to increase the magnitude of our relationship with each individual customer, while becoming one-to-one marketers, we need a way to put our new insights to work.

Direct Response Marketing Still Works What is direct response marketing (DRM)? In essence, it’s being able to identify and market to individual customers. DRM is providing the right product to the right person at the right time. The Five Keys for Effective DRM: 1. Start with clearly defined objectives: Before you can map out a successful direct response marketing route, you must determine a destination. Who are you trying to reach? Are you targeting consumers or businesses?

What is your primary goal and expected results?

2. Build a manageable database of information: What drives your customers’ actions? To find out, look at their purchases, inquiries, demographics, performance, and history. Determine what those elements tell you about their purchasing behavior and preferences. Then, and only then, can you make relevant compelling offers.

3. Check and clean your list before sending out your mailing: Hello?

Direct Mail still works.

According to the United States Post Office (USPS), over 33 percent of all mailed pieces are undeliverable due Continued on page 38

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Show, Don’t Tell: Effective Proposal Graphics

By Julie Marie Irvin

W

hile there is more to winning your next proposal than good visual communication, graphics, when used properly support your message with both facts and emotion and can be a powerful persuasion tool. According to a study at the University Of Minnesota School Of Management, presenters who use visual aids are 43% more effective in persuading their audience than presenters who don’t use visuals.

Further research revealed that humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin proved that using professional graphics improves learning by 200% and according to The Wharton School, it takes 40% less time to explain complex ideas with the aid of effective visuals. Research done on the topic of retention, shows that evaluators will remember twice as much of what they see in a graphic as what they read in text. Additionally, when they both see and read the same point they recall it six times as much. Highlevel evaluators often only have time to skim proposals, and are looking for the answers to their questions in graphics, captions, headings and highlight statements. Proposal evaluators are human and because they are affected by time constraints, incomplete information, the inability to calculate consequences and other variables; they often make decisions based on their intuitive judgment and what they initially see. Effective proposal graphics leave an overall positive impression and make it easy for evaluators to find detailed answers

to their questions.

In order to ensure that the graphics in your proposal enhance your message rather than weaken it, begin with a cohesive plan and develop the graphics before you begin writing the text. Preparing graphics before the text is written can often cut writing time by one-third. Once an effective graphic is in place writers typically find that they have much less text to produce. The final size of the graphic, as it will appear in the proposal, should be decided before the graphic is created so that it can be designed proportionately and eliminate last minute problems including pixilation, or unreadable text that can arise when resizing later.

Use graphics that demonstrate an understanding of your customer’s needs, emphasize your strategy, and highlight your unique discriminators.

Visualize what is possible if your solution is awarded and the benefits your company can offer. All imagery should be customer focused and fully support your message. When designing graphics, focus on what your audience wants to know, rather than what you want to express about your company. All visual elements should have a specific role and a reason for being incorporated.

Use images that convey important information and avoid using graphics just to break up large blocks of text.

A proposal loses its validity when paired with an inappropriate graphic.

Proposal evaluators have been known to consider the use of canned clip art, insulting and say that it shows that the respondent is obviously not

invested in winning the work. When an evaluator is quickly scanning your proposal, the graphics should answer one of their central questions or illustrate a process that will be of great benefit to their organization.

When deciding how to illustrate your ideas, select the type of graphic that best supports your message. Sideby-side comparisons are an effective way to highlight the benefits that set your company apart from other proposers. Use a graphic to show a complex process next to a simplified process, an old product beside your new product or side-by-side graphs, bar or pie charts to illustrate how your proposed solution makes the most sense for your evaluator’s problem.

Choose or create graphics that are understandable and appropriate for all evaluators, including non-technical ones. Begin each section with a clear and concise summary that is broadly understandable and then increase the technical complexity of both graphics and text to fulfill your more technical readers. Each visual element should be labeled directly to avoid confusion.

When selling complex technologies and services, illustrations can help your customer visualize what to expect. This is often more effective than expressing your method in dense text. Whenever possible, use recognizable images that the reader will relate to immediately or identify and explain any unknown imagery.

Few customers will give more than ten seconds of attention to a complex graphic before they have given up and turn the page. To make sure your graphic is fully digested by the reader, Continued on page 34

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Five Things That Can Impact the Value of Your Business By: Jeffrey D. Jones, ASA, CBA, CBI

By David Holt 1. Not all values are the same. Understanding the Standard of Value to be used can make a big difference in the final opinion of value. The following is a brief description of the Standards of Value that can be determined, depending upon use of the appraisal. a. Fair Market Value – A willing seller and a willing generic buyer, not a specific buyer, both having knowledge of the facts, and neither being under compulsion to buy or sell. b. Investment (Synergistic) Value – Value to a specific buyer who can gain synergistic benefits that will enhance the earnings of the subject company c. Fair Value – In a litigation setting involving dissenting partners/shareholders, the concept is to use pro rata value of the company value rather than a discount for owning a minority ownership interest.

In valuing a public company for reporting purposes, Fair Value means value to a market participant who may obtain synergistic benefits from an acquisition.

2. The use of the appraisal can impact value. Value is a range concept and the use can influence the final opinion of value within that range. Often the courts or the IRS can impose specific criteria that can impact value. Typical uses for an appraisal are: a. Gift or estate tax planning b. Buy-sell agreement c. Merger d. Divorce e. Shareholder litigation f. Economic damages 3. The ownership interest being appraised can significantly impact value. Partial ownership interest typically requires discounts from pro rata value, depending upon the use of the appraisal.

Even controlling ownership interest requires a small discount, and minority ownership interest can require discounts of 30% to 80% from pro rata value.

4. The size and scope of the business can and often does impact value. Buyers for larger businesses are willing to pay higher multiples of earnings than for small businesses, due in part to the larger www.SBTMagazine.net

earnings, the number of buyers who are looking to acquire larger businesses, and the fact that they usually have less risk due to multiple layers of management, diversity of products and services, and greater geographical markets.

5. Other factors that impact the value of a business include: a. The nature of the tangible assets - Service businesses typically have few assets, whereas manufacturing companies typically have a lot of assets. Buyers typically like tangible assets and are willing to pay more for a company with assets even when the earnings are the same. b. Geographic location - A business located in what is deemed to be a “bad side of town” will sell for less than the same type of business with the same earnings located elsewhere. c. The levels of management - Businesses where the owner controls a significant portion are deemed more risky than those businesses where there are multiple layers of management. d. The mix of customers – Businesses that have a customer/client that represents 15% or more of the total business are deemed more risky than when business is spread over a large base of customers/clients. e. Age of the business – Businesses that have a five year track record are deemed to be more stable than younger businesses. f. When a business appraisal is needed, here are two websites that have a directory of qualified business appraisers. i. The American Society of Appraisers (http://www.appraisers.org) ii. The Institute of Business Appraisers (http://www.go-iba.com/certify.asp)

Jeff Jones is President of Certified Appraisers, Inc. and Advanced Business Brokers, Inc. 10500 Northwest Frwy., Suite 200, Houston, TX 77092 713-401-9110, jdj@advancedbb.com www.advanced.com.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Staying Connected To Your Dreams Steven Kay Steven Kay Media

LIFE, BUSINESS & MONEY

By Steven Kay, Steven Kay Media LLC Talk Show Host & Producer, Media Consultant

I

was at a concert one night featuring the band Shinedown. I knew some of their music, but was not a big fan before that night. The lead singer took the time to preface each song by sharing the story its background story. I found him speaking some of the most inspirational words I think I have ever heard come out of a rock star.

One was about how the birth of his child made him realize that he had to be the example, another was about how much his father impacted his life, and one was about a friend that attempted suicide and now has turned his life completely around.

Every song had a specific story that it told and each one was equally, if not more powerful than the one before.

envy to seep in and allow themselves to think “that should have been me.” Yet, I can tell you that I sit here and I am fulfilling my dream and my life’s purpose daily. Every day I have the honor to come on the radio and pass along life lessons that myself and my co-host and all of our great show advisors and guest experts have gone through along their path to success.

“God will never plant a dream in your heart that He has not given you the ability to achieve.”

I also had found myself remembering how I wanted to be a rock star growing up (a dream which I think most of us have had at some point in our childhood or adolescence). I sat there and listened to the passion he had for his art, how the different circumstances throughout his life were funneled into his work, and how his talent made it all come to life in a way that was unique to him and his band.

I remembered having a similar dream, how I wanted to share my passion for life with the world, how I wanted to inspire people with profound words, and how I wanted to share my life experiences in an effort to teach and help others.

Now it has been said that God will never plant a dream in your heart that He has not given you the ability to achieve. So I ask you, did I accomplish my dream?

Obviously, I am no rock star. I do not sing, nor do I remember how to play the instruments I had learned in my youth. Some may allow SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 26

You see, the real dream that God had whispered into my soul was to be a helper. He wanted me to help others succeed, He wanted me to teach people how to identify mistakes before they made them, He wanted me to inspire as many as possible to go after and stay connected to their dreams.

So the answer is “yes,” I have and continue to accomplish my dream. Maybe not in the exact way I initially conceived with my own vision, but definitely in the way that God has envisioned for me. Some of those dreams and goals that I had in my life did not come true as I had intended or hoped, but they certainly prepared me for how to accomplish the ultimate dream that I have been blessed with having.

If you listen closely enough, God will tell you what he has in store for you. If you pay attention, He will guide you to your true purpose. Each of us has been given a mission and will impact the world in our own unique way. Make sure you stay connected to your dreams, and happiness and fulfillment will be yours.

Steven Kay, Talk Show Host & Producer / Media Buyer & Consultant, Steven Kay Media LLC, 713-STEVEN-K (713-783-8365), me@StevenKayLive.com, www.StevenKayLive.com.

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Close More Sales Faster In most businesses, sales get stalled most often at the same point in the process. It can be difficult to clearly see the bottlenecks without objective measurement of all sales opportunities, as opposed to only those that purchase. A business may feel good about closing 30% of the “leads” they get each month but, by identifying that 50% of sales opportunities stall as soon as a proposal is prepared, strategies can be identified to better qualify opportunities early. This allows you to avoid wasting time on customers where budgets don’t exist and better educate them of your solution’s value prior to the proposal to avoid sticker shock. This allows sales reps to focus more time on opportunities with the highest probability of closing and win a higher percentage of them. More detailed measurement of the sales process inevitably results in better and earlier qualification of opportunities and shorter sales process time.

its sales process to maximize sales performance, market penetration, profits and customer satisfaction without measuring the flow of customers and opportunities through the sales pipeline.

Rather than procrastinate, it’s best to simply begin by measuring the input as well as the output of the sales process (how many leads go in, in addition to sales closed) and

build subtlety from there to increase visibility and insights.

Craig is the founder of SalesNexus.com.

For more information visit www.SalesNexus.com

Increase Close Rates Breaking down the sales process into typical steps facilitates thinking about the customer’s “buying process.”

Customers can’t digest everything there is to know about a product and service all in one presentation.

Some information is only useful or relevant to the customer after they’ve been educated on other concepts earlier in the process.

Sales pipeline management allows sales presentations and marketing collateral to be organized so that the customer learns just enough to encourage them to take the next step in the process but, no so much that they become overwhelmed and put the brakes on the entire process. Wellsequenced sales processes, built around objective pipeline analysis can overcome common objections before they ever arise, moving sales forward faster and avoiding typical stalls.

Conclusion Sales pipeline management is never perfect and always evolving. Many businesses avoid it due to the ephemeral nature of the information. What a business knows about sales opportunities today will change tomorrow.

However, no business can fine-tune

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Today’s Customers – What Do They Want?

By Errol D. Allen

I

've noticed something different about today's customer. Unlike the customer of yesteryear who did not have easy access to product information and multiple avenues by which to locate and purchase products, the customer of today can easily access information, compare prices and formulate product or service questions in the comfort of their home or office. The question of "What does today's customer want?" often comes to mind. Here's what I think they're looking for: Convenience - Lifestyles have changed over the years. People are working longer hours. More and more of us are working from home. The internet has assisted in making the world a twentyfour hour marketplace. Today's customer wants the convenience of researching and making purchasing decisions without having to leave their home or office. Does your web presence allow them the ability to acquire enough knowledge about your product or service to make a purchasing decision? Is it possible to make a purchase right now? Twentyfour hours a day? On the other side of the world? Can they make purchases via their smartphone? Now I know this one may be a little tough, but can they communicate with someone within your organization when it's convenient for the customer? I know this may mean asking the customer to email your organization, but can they feel confident that someone will respond within a reasonable amount of time? The busy customer of today wants to have the ability to do

business with your company at their convenience.

Knowledgeable Workforce Because your customer has the ability to perform their own research regarding your product or service, they expect your employees to know even more! Have you ever asked questions regarding a product or service only to feel that you knew more than the employee? Your customer expects your employees to be experts. Are your employees trained properly? Do they know the history of your company? Do they know how your products are made?

Materials required to manufacture the product? Can they provide comprehensive answers regarding your service concept? Are they familiar with your competitor's products/services and how they compare to your offerings? When today's customer interacts with your company, they want assistance from competent, knowledgeable employees.

Speed - Today's customers are busy with the everyday hustle and bustle of life. The idea of dealing with inefficient processes and procedures when attempting to do business with your company is very unappealing. Your customer wants to be serviced in a timely manner.

Today's customer wants to utilize technology to assist in reducing the amount of time required to make purchasing decisions and completing transactions. Is purchasing products or services a simple process for your customer? Once your customer makes a purchasing decision, how long does it take to complete the

transaction? What's the wait time at your retail locations before the customer is serviced? Are you aware of your peak periods and staffed accordingly? Can your customer easily find products or services on your website? Is your customer able to walk into one of your "brick and mortar" sites and quickly locate their items of choice? Make sure that your company allows your customer to quickly and efficiently conduct business.

Consistency - The customer of today wants to know that they will receive the same level of service every time they choose to do business with your company. Whether it's through your website, over the phone or in person, your customer wants to know that they can count on your company to consistently deliver a great customer experience.

As we stated previously; speed, convenience and a knowledgeable workforce are key ingredients required to service today's customer.

Can you provide these ingredients for every customer - during every interaction? I hear someone saying "For every customer, Errol - during every interaction?" Yes, for every customer - during every transaction.

Consistency is one of the building blocks in creating both customer retention and customer loyalty. Your level of consistency is key to building trust with your customer. Make sure that your customer consistently receives a high level of service regardless of how they choose to conduct business with your company. Does the customer receive a high level of service at all of your Continued on page 34

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

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create an image that is easy to interpret and attracts them in less than ten seconds.

Keep all of your graphics simple, uncluttered and easy to read. Only depict one key idea per graphic. Focus on the most important questions your audience is looking to answer.

If a concept is too complex or verbose, it is better to use a series of graphics that explain your point rather than overwhelming your reader. Avoid a large amount of text within a graphic because it distracts your reader and creates unnecessary visual noise that interferes with the objective of your graphic.

Whenever possible avoid the use of legends.

Legends add clutter and force the audience to spend valuable time decoding your message.

Evaluators of proposals have often said they look for graphics and tables in a proposal first. If they find the answer through these items, they do not bother to read the text.

Even if competitors have the same proposal message, the message coupled with a graphic will appear superior because it is being explained in more than one way and has the added benefit of being vividly remembered by the reader. As long as the graphics being used in your proposal are professional, clear and uncluttered as well as relevant and supportive in conveying your message, they will enhance you proposed solution and show, not just tell, your evaluators why your company is the answer they have been looking for.

Julie Marie Irvinis Founder & President of Keystone Resources 713-874-0162 www.keystoneresources.com Julie@keystoneresources.com

Odds of a child becoming a professional athlete: 1 in 16,000 Odds of a child being diagnosed with autism: 1 in 88

Some signs to look for: No big smiles or other joyful expressions by 6 months.

No babbling by 12 months.

No words by 16 months.

To learn more of the signs of autism, visit autismspeaks.org © 2012 Autism Speaks Inc. “Autism Speaks” and “It’s Time To Listen” & design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved.

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retail locations? Does it matter which customer service person interacts with the customer in regards to the level of service provided? Your customer expects your service delivery to be consistent across all channels and from all company personnel.

A Great Mobile Access Experience - Technology has created a multitude of avenues that assist your customer in their daily living. Today's customer can make dinner reservations, and check for parking availability near the restaurant directly from their smartphone. Does your company take advantage of technology to create a better mobile experience for your customer? Do you have a mobile website? How would your customer rate your mobile website? Are you aware of what percentage of your customers found you via your mobile website?

According to Compuware, fifty - seven percent of consumers would not recommend a business with either a bad mobile website or no mobile website. Forty percent have turned directly to a competitor's mobile website after a bad mobile website experience. Does SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 34

your mobile website provide enough information for your customer to take the next step: call you or visit in person.

A smartphone usage study (The Mobile Movement) from Google in 2011 reveals that a positive mobile experience drives traffic to your business. The study found that after conducting a local search, sixty-one percent of smartphone users called the business, fifty-nine percent visited the business in person and ninety percent of callers or visitors did so within twenty-four hours.

In today's marketplace, your competitors are no longer just in the same local area, state or even the same country.

The customer of today has many purchasing options.

Garner your share of today's customers by including the ingredients of Convenience, A Knowledgeable Workforce, Speed, Consistency and A Great Mobile Access Experience.

Errol Allen – Customer Service Engineer – Errol Allen Consulting errol@errolallenconsulting.com 1-800-830-4167 www.errolallenconsulting.com www.SBTMagazine.net

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Are You Designing Your Network and Working Your System?

By Bertrand McHenry Bertrand McHenry

I

have two questions for you. Are you actively designing your network or have you gotten caught up in social “networking activities” believing that you have actually been productive towards and congruent with your goals? Okay, here’s the second one. Aside from attending the mixers and events we use to meet other business people, are you also applying an actual referral marketing system to your efforts? I know these questions seem to be coming totally from left field, but given the current business climate and the discussions I am hearing among business people, I think they are very relevant questions. See, we live in an era of speed and have been for some time.

What I mean by that is that each generation of man has evolved through an era; ice age, stone age, bronze age, iron age, industrial age, etc.

The information age and now the Internet age, has had a gap between one and the advent of another. Each of those gaps has become shorter and shorter until now we are in an age where we seem to crave speed and ease.

We even have an office supply chain that has made “The Easy Button” part of our language!

Let me be brutally honest: Business is not easy; it may be simple but it’s not easy. To believe that attending networking events and having a drink, collecting as many business cards as possible, being seen, shaking many hands, smiling a lot, and handing out stacks of business cards are the skills we need to master in order to be successful in business is wrong. Those activities may indeed need to be present when we network, but they are not the strategy.

Now, we’ve got your “why” and your “Target Market,” so let’s decide what percentage of your business you want to receive via referral marketing or networking. What are your mission and vision statement and your 30-second elevator speech? Got it? Now look at your target market and decide where you want to be in the next three to five years.

Visualize that and ask yourself three questions: Who else serves that target market but does not compete with you? (Ex: Chiropractors and Massage Therapists) What value can you bring to their business efforts or lives? And, do you see yourself being friends with them?

Do you think these might just be some of the folks you may want to form strategic alliances with? Yes! Could meeting these people be a goal you set for yourself when you attend a networking mixer? Yes! I actually believe you would feel more in control of your destiny if you attended these mixers with these goals.

Let’s go back to the fundamentals. First, let’s begin with why you are in your particular business. Nail that down firmly and be able to communicate it to anyone at anytime. Next, decide who your target market is; this is key.

In fact, these two questions are paramount before moving forward in your networking efforts. By the way, if these two questions give you pause, you are among most people and I can help. I teach, “Finding Your Starting Point,” which is a class guaranteed to get you those answers.

Bertrand McHenry President Owner The Referral Institute of Houston

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Is this starting to sound like a business discussion? It should because Referral Marketing as an entire strategy is a business system which includes the activity of Networking. Yes, it also includes having fun, having a drink and enjoying yourself, but those activities are not the system that drives results. Results driven Referral Marketing and Networking are relatively simple ideas that take hard work, consistency and discipline. Thank goodness for that otherwise everyone would just be partying and hitting the easy button!

Bertrand@referralinstitutehouston.com 281-401-9852 281-300-8228

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Navigating Your Competitive Advantage April Day, MBA

I

n the small business landscape, Houston is prime real estate for the budding entrepreneur or small business owner. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston is home to over 200,000 small businesses and listed third in job creation and sustainability. With Houston small businesses serving as an economic powerhouse, we must navigate the marketplace strategically in an effort to remain relevant and sustain profitability.

Profitability is closely linked to ones competitive edge or structure. As a small business owner, regular assessment of our competitive strategy is critical to staying in the game. With a goal to remain relevant and sustainable, we look at three key elements: New Entrants or Competitors While we welcome new businesses, saturation in ones territory can quickly dry up profit margins. Understanding your part of the pie or marketplace is integral to maintaining or increasing your market share. Develop a knowledge base of possible barriers of entry in terms of start-up costs, branding, governmental oversight, technology, and specialization.

Enhance your relevancy by being known as the “thought leader” or expert in your industry. Candace Waterman, Chief of Staff for Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), stated that they, too, are looking on a national level to assist the small business community by “enhancing a model where WBENC is a women business resource in industry providing not only certification but executive leadership training, networking, matchmaking and access to market place.”

In working with over 800 businesses, I have seen a high need for owners to solidify their standing within the industry and connect with

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community organizations, media representatives, and small business resources centers. Adopt a strategy that helps ward off new competitors within your marketplace by strengthening your brand recognition and adopting logos, patents, and trademarks for your business services and products. A strong marketing strategy, branding, and consumer reputation can help deter new competitors, increase profits, and encourage strategic alliances.

Buyer Switching With an elastic economy and so many choices for consumers of small business products and services, the threat of substitution is one of real concern. Many times consumers are looking for the same or similar product/service at a lower cost. At WBEA, we often send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to garner the best bid at the right price for the service desired. Buyer switching is a common theme in the consumer market, thus small business owners must look at their products and services in comparison to their competitors.

Working up a strong value statement in your marketing collateral, in addition to how your products and services differ, will help distinguish you from competitors. In supporting our start-ups, we suggest secret shopping, or “sneaky peak,” at their competitors for consumer perspective. Another key element in deterring buyer switching is to develop a strategic pricing model that includes tangibles such as extended warranties, additional features, rebates, or higher level of customer service for your products and services thereby adding value to the overall purchase. One suggestion to facilitate this process is to complete a Features and Benefits Analysis on company products and

services where you outline the unique features as well as how it will benefit the consumer. Knowing thyself and thy customer can become your best allies in developing consumer loyalty.

Financial Portrait While maintaining a strong brand and consumer base may consume much of our energy as small business owners, we must find a source of reserve in monitoring the financial health of the company. Careful review of the cash flow, balance sheet, and profit and loss statements on a monthly basis, as well looking at comparisons from the same time or “snap shots” in years past, will help to organize financial direction and streamline priorities. Accurately tracking sales trends and attending to accounts payables and receivables can enhance sustainability strategies and increase fiscal health. Reviewing financial statements on a regular basis affords stronger operational decisions and quick response time to evolving financial trends and patterns within your business and industry.

While starting your business can seem to just take flight, maintaining a profitable and sustaining entity takes vision, strategy, and implementation.

With so many business resources available for entrepreneurs there is no reason to go it alone. Visit your local Small Business Administration resource centers or the WBEA for support in becoming part of Houston’s economic powerhouse and top source in job creation.

April Day is President Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance. You can reach her at 713.681.9232 or by fax at 713.681.9242 or email her at aday@wbea-texas.org* www.wbea-texas.org

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encouraged them to look elsewhere. Apple put quality first and it showed.

to address deficiencies. That results in wasted time, paper, and postage, with lost opportunities for revenue.

While you’re at it, purge your email lists as well.

Apple is merely one example of how developing a package that is a visual extension of your brand message helps differentiate you from all the competition.

Line up your competitors packages (the building, the boxes, the signage, the uniforms the name badges) does your package truly reflect what you want custumers to think of your brand?

Your brand is dependent on everything that is seen by your customer.

In an industry that is extremely weight conscious airlines add over 400 pounds of paint on its 'packages'. At 35,000 feet no one sees the fuselage package but 25 aircraft taxiing at an airport tells travelers what the airline thinks of its brand.

UPS is in the business of moving and tracking packages.

Yet its best package is the delivery driver standing in your business in UPS brown. That brown package is alive, breathing and smiling. Which would you trust? A person wearing a sweaty T-shirt and torn jeans or Big Brown?

Consider 'look' as a major part of your company's brand.

We have all shopped stores that put purchases in a small shopping bag with cotton carrying handles. Your $25.00 purchase now looks and feels much more expensive. The difference is the package.

4. Personalize your offer for maximum impact: Today’s direct mail recipients are more discriminating about what gets opened and what gets tossed.

Develop strong customer relationships by personalizing information for one-to-one marketing, including the use of the recipient’s name in the opening of the offer.

5. Understand Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): What is the potential worth of a customer and how much is he or she willing to spend on your products in a lifetime?

Once this value is known, you’ll realize the investment you’ve made in Direct Response Marketing is a solid one.

Even in these fast-moving, hard-charging times, a lost relationship is typically lost for a long time. Treat your customers as if each one were a fine jewel, because there are very few things more precious to your business.

Jack Warkenthien, CEO, NextStep Solutions.

Email him at jwarkenthien@nextstep-solutions.com or call him at 832-344-6998 www.nextstep-solutions.com

Not long ago I bought a mildly expensive glass object d'art. The store wrapped it in enough bubble wrap to protect it from an earthquake. Then it was placed in an elegant box with a prominent store logo. The box went into an expensive looking shopping bag. When I got home I was reluctant to toss out the bag. So for a few days the store's 'package' reminded me of the quality of what I had bought.

Jos. A Banks, a mid priced clothing retailer, slides your new clothing purchase into a protective garment bag that looks like you just bought a high priced item. When customers leave the store the Banks brand goes with them. Every time the garment is removed from the bag the customer is reminded of the store.

Your business has a brand. Make sure you look for all the ways that packaging can extend the value of your brand.

N D Brown is the Principal of brownchild ltd Inc, 3754 Sunset, Houston, TX 77005 You can contact him at 713 807 9000 or cell 713 822 8370 don.brown@brownchild.com www.brownchild.com

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 38

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LOOKING LOOKING FOR FOR AN...

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Advertiser’s Index

Autism Speaks ..............................................................34

Keystone Resources......................................................39

Champions School of Real Estate................................8

Main Street Chamber.....................................................38

Churchill Mortgage...............................Inside Front Cover

Nerium...................................................................2

Courthouse Direct.........................................................40

Quality Hospitality Travel d/b/a Cruise Planners................28

Cruise & Hughes ...................................Inside Back Cover

RAC Conference Center..............................................35

Eric Kleiman Photography..............................................13

Sales Nexus ...................................................................4

ExtraOrdinary Cakes Profile ........................................23

Steven Kay ....................................................................27

Fidelity National Title-Galleria...........................Back Cover

TG Design .....................................................................22

G Ernest Designs...........................................................15

VIP Orbit ........................................................................19

GPS Wealth....................................................................29

WBEA ...........................................................................31

HMSDC.....................................................................20

Westpark Communications ............................................1

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 40

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 3

Fidelity National Title

速

TM

---- Joan Oelze, Broker Associate Prudential Anderson Properties

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 | PG 4

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