This list has
been compiled as a result of years of working
with business owners who didn't quite lay the
right groundwork when they started up, and ended
up paying for it later. Sometimes, what seems
like a means of saving money actually ends up
costing more in the long run. Some of these tips
work for all different kinds of businesses,
while others are more relevant to consultancies.1.
Always get your logo in multiple file formats.
It will probably cost you extra, but it will
save you a whole lot of trauma and expense
later.
Make sure you
receive: - a high-resolution TIFF file - a
web-ready JPEG - vector version - preferably
Illustrator - a layered version (PSD)2. Have
a copy-less brochure designed - one that can be
run through your laser printer.You can have
a letter or legal-sized brochure created in
colour with only your company name and logo,
address, and USP (or tag line) plus a nice
watermark done in full colour (uncoated, no
folds) that allows you to print the copy as you
need it. This way you can create custom
brochures as you need them, instead of having a
thousand copies (or more) of a single brochure
that might get changed. 3. Get business cards
for all staff - even part-timers.People love
to hand out business cards.
Can you find a
cheaper advertising method? 4. Invest in
blank business card stock.The same way you
can have your brochures printed without any copy
on them, you can have your printer set 8.5 x 11
sheets set up for business cards, which you can
use for people who are representing your company
on a contract basis. If you are placing anyone
at a client site, they should have a business
card with your company information.5. Have an
MSWord document template designed, at the same
time as your letterhead and other marketing
collateral.Make sure it has a cover page as
well. It will be good for proposals, quotes,
white papers, specifications, faxes, notices,
and so on.
You can also
use this to generate polished and professional
PDFs for your website.6. If you give
presentations, have your own PowerPoint template
designed as well. 7. Have your own domain name.Even
when you start with only a one-page placeholder
describing your company, make sure it is on your
own domain name, unless you are part of an
industry association website that clearly states
what you do. When I receive email addressed from
businessname@LargeInternetServiceProvider.com it
really appears as though this person does not
understand the Internet, or is too cheap to get
his own domain name.
A domain name
can cost you as little as $7 US for a year, and
you may be surprised how inexpensive hosting
will cost. Look into it - it will make your
business seem more solid.8. Make sure every
employee has an email address at your business
domain.This is one of those peculiar areas,
as with business cards, where companies tend to
skimp out as though saving a few pennies in
server traffic, is worth the cost in
professionalism and name placement. There have
been many times when I have received an email
from someone I don't know, or a message that has
been forwarded to me by someone I know, and I
have typed in the domain name (the part after
the @ sign) out of pure curiosity. It's a
perfect opportunity to showcase your company for
surprisingly little - and you never know who it
is going to reach.9.
Create a
standard company email signature.Everyone
working for your company should have a standard
email signature attached to every email message
that goes out the door - that is those four or
five lines that follow all email correspondence.
Most email clients have a function that will
automatically insert the specified text.
Everyone who receives mail from you or your
employees and representatives should be given an
easy way to find out more information and to
contact your company.A standard email signature
file might consist of:
-- [or
some way to signify this is the end of the
message body][Full name of the person
sending the mail][, Title optional][Company
name][Phone number][Web address][Company USP
(Unique Selling Proposition or "tag line"]
10. Get
training.Learn how to
use your office tools efficiently. If it's not
you managing the administrative side of
operations, pay to have that person trained.
For the
investment of a day or two, knowing how to use
the software will save many many hours of
frustration and lost document. How is this
marketing-related? How do you think it looks or
sounds to your client to have to say, "I can't
do that," or, "just a minute - I just lost the
record.".
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