‘Tis the Season to Give and Save

If you’re looking to start a new project in 2009 or could use some marketing help, count on us and save a little, too!  Simply Put Marketing is offering a 25% savings (up to a $100 value) on your next project.  Use it for things like public relations, graphic design, Web design, copy writing or even to write your 2009 marketing plan.  Offer expires December 31, 2009.  Just mention the word “holiday” when redeeming.

Happy holidays!

Keep your name out there

With the downturn in the economy, I’m realizing more and more how many businesses are ceasing all marketing activity with the hope that once the economy is on the up and up, things will resume like before and everything will be peachy keen.  All I can say to that is please don’t stop what you’re doing completely.  It will take a lot more time, money and resources to re-educate and re-introduce yourself to the marketplace later.  Instead, keep a presence out there as much as you can, even if all you’re doing is incorporating social media or guerilla marketing into advertising your business.  What you do now will surely help your business later.

Need ideas on how to keep up with your marketing in a down economy?  Check out books like Off-the-Wall Marketing Ideas and Guerilla Marketing for Free  or contact me and let’s brainstorm some ideas together.

Good networking groups make a BIG difference

Since starting my business I’ve been involved with a lot of different groups such as the Arizona Small Business Association, Ad2Phoenix, American Marketing Association, Alliance of Technology and Women and countless others.  But one group that particularly stands out to me is IABC’s Phoenix chapter.  Talk about a dynamic group!

Just attended the holiday mixer yesterday and met so many wonderful people, re-connected with others, and made some great business contacts, even got some leads.  Also scored some awesome silent auction items!   What I love most is the intimacy the group presents.  Everyone welcomes you in like family.  I’ve been to a few of their lunches and love that everyone in the room gets to take :30 to introduce themselves.  This is something I find to be very beneficial to business owners.  Helps when you can talk to everyone in the room over a select few sitting at your table.  Within :30 seconds, 50 people know what I do!   This group definitely has it going on!

Check them out at www.iabcphoenix.com.

See you at the next event!

It’s a good day for some PR.

While I do PR for clients, it’s not the thing I focus on most, but when I do, watch out!  What I love most about it is under promising and over delivering to clients.  I never guarantee results, but you should see the clients’ faces light up when I tell them their story ran or they’re going to be on TV.  It’s priceless.  

In fact, my first stint at PR was when I was back at ASU.  I was hired on by a small company called AZeats to launch their business, an online restaurant dining guide in Phoenix.  When I sent the press release, I had no idea what type of response the client would get.  It ended up getting them a full-page profile in the Phoenix Business Journal, coverage in various restaurant magazines, and a full-year of coverage every Friday morning on KPHO channel 5 reviewing their client’s restaurants!  Talk about great coverage and value, not to mention more sales for them!  They could now go after more restaurants with the power of the media behind them.  Their media value was estimated at over $30,000 off one release.  I got paid $50… Go figure.

Anyway, PR can work for any business if executed properly.  It takes a lot of time to build connections and of course, there are no guarantees like advertising, but hey, it works and can really make a huge difference for your business.  

In fact, today I got coverage for my client, rsvpBOOK, in some national event trade publications.  Now that’s what I call a good day for some PR.  Woohoo!

JV Mavens on Facebook

I just joined a group on Facebook called JV Mavens that I feel would be a great benefit to any woman business owner.  JV, which stands for joint venture, is something I can 100% relate to.  Why go at business alone when you can create lasting and meaningful relationships with other like-minded professionals all striving to grow their business?

The group’s creator, Gina Fink-Bell has a five-part teleseries called 2009 Partner and Prosper she’s offering for free.  Anyone interested should check it out.  In fact, here’s the link to do so.  Comes with an action guide, too.  Now, that’s good marketing.  I was so impressed I’m writing about it.  Hopefully you’ll find it as fascinating as I did.  My business path for 2009 already looks much, much clearer.

http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5208429

A lot to be thankful for.

Just got back in town from El Paso over the weekend after spending the holidays with my husband’s relatives.  First official vacation since having Caleb just over three months ago.  It was definitely a much-needed one although I’m more tired now than before we left Wednesday.  Could be that Caleb’s not really into his portable crib.  Can’t blame the lil’ guy. 

On the way there, I was reminded of the enormous number of jobs lost and all I could think about is how thankful I am to be right where I am.  Sure, being an entrepreneur has its ups and downs like anything else, but it’s allowing me to make a living AND take care of my son.  Isn’t that why women become “mompreneurs”?  To have the best of both worlds?  To me, there’s no greater gift than enjoying what you love to do and spending time with the people you love most.

I’m truly thankful.