Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by
Jennifer Strezo
Principal Brand Designer
Red Seal Design
Jennifer@redsealdesign.com
http://linkedin.com/in/jenniferstrezo
www.redsealdesign.com
773-456-2732
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
Red Seal Design is a full-service graphic design company specializing in creating signature brands for small businesses. A signature brand is a company’s image or identity that appears on all of its sales and marketing materials. It includes the look of your logo, your brochures, your letterhead, business cards, website, PowerPoint™ presentations, direct mail, newsletters and the like. A signature brand gives companies a more professional look over something that they’ve tried to create themselves or have taken off the Internet. A signature brand will help to set a company apart from its competition and be immediately recognized and long remembered.
MY UNIQUENESS
We develop customer solutions for your communications materials based on the personality of your company. Red Seal Design doesn’t create a great-looking design without first learning what the image is that the company wants to portray. I begin with a series of basic questions regarding the client’s goals and target audience, but then move into more aesthetic questions pertaining to the client’s likes and dislikes, what adjectives would best describe the compeny, its core values and culture. In this way, my team can create a custom signature brand that truly reflects what the company is all about.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
A perfect client for us would be your small business that has been operating for at least three years and in the beginning may have created their own brand identity or used some form of online template, but now is ready to move up to the next level of brand identity. With so many businesses struggling, today, many come to realize that they need to stand out from their competitors. That’s when they come to us for that professionally-designed custom signature brand.
UNIQUE CHALLENGE
Like most small businesses when they’re just starting out, I had limited funding. While I was able to design my own signature brand for all of my marketing materials, I still needed to hire someone to develop my website which I knew would cost thousands of dollars. The challenge was figuring out how to secure a great custom website design at minimal cost. At first, I attempted to create one on my own, but it was taking up too much of my time and was not getting me to where I needed to be. Meanwhile, I was losing potential business with no website to which I could direct prospective clients. So, after several months of frustration, I decided to seek the help of a professional web developer.
RESOLUTION
I turned to all of my contacts including those on LinkedIn™ and asked for some referrals. It so happened that a friend from college gave me the name of someone who was able to create economical custom websites by using free WordPress™ and Joomla!™ templates. Among the features that make these templates so attractive is that they allow the website owner to make his or her own website edits avoiding additional costs of having to call back the web developer to make them. This sounded perfect. As a result, I was able to design all of my web pages in Photoshop™ and my web developer found a suitable free template into which he could import all of my custom designs. So, after spending months trying to accomplish this on my own, my new found web developer was able to produce a new customized website for me in a couple of days for a fraction of the cost of HTML development. Meanwhile, he and I have created a partnership that now offers our clients economical custom website designs that focus on signature brands.
Editor's question: Who has struggled with developing their own brand identity? Who believes a fresh new signature brand will help better your position among your competitors - and how?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Fine-tuning language skills of international professionals becomes niche business for entrepreneur
Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by
Sandra Wroblewski, MA CCC-SP/L
Communications Specialist
Accent Aware
accentaware@aol.com
www.accentaware.com
630-784-8173
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
Accent Aware offers communication training for international professionals whose second language is English. I offer this training to individuals as well as to companies and organizations. It’s not teaching English as a second language, but more in line with the next step which is fine-tuning a person’s American-English language skills. The initial response to my early marketing efforts came not only from corporate professionals, but also from the Catholic Church and the medical field. As a result, I’ve worked a lot with Catholic priests who have carried over their accents from their countries of origin and with medical professionals who understood the critical need for clear verbal communication.
MY UNIQUENESS
When I first started my business, there was little competition. But, now there are others who have recently taken up this type of training. What sets me apart is that I have been a speech pathologist for a long time with years of experience. I continue to pursue educational resources to increase my variety of training methods as opposed to a single type of training fairly common within this field. Also, I have narrowed my area of concentration to where I have now been working primarily on accent modification for the past five or six years. That’s what makes Accent Aware unique.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
On the individual level, my ideal client would be a professional who speaks English well and has a good use and knowledge of the language, but runs into problems in his or her career setting of being understood. Potential clients need to be dedicated, hard-working and wanting to make a change in how they come across in professional conversation and presentations. With regard to groups, the ideal client profile here would be companies that would include me as part of their employee development teams, or to those who offer continuing educational training to their employees.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
The travel time it takes to get from appointment to appointment to meet with individuals is not the most lucrative way for me to conduct business. What would be ideal would be to have individual companies with a good number of clients within each one to work with in succession, or to work with groups of unrelated individuals all at one location. My challenge is to make this happen.
RESOLUTION
I am concentrating on reaching people within corporations through those who are in charge of employee training and development. That includes those who manage a company’s diversity training, as well. Because of their being closer to the need for this type of communication training, I am confident of receiving a positive response. What’s more, I have joined business associations to meet and reach people within large corporations and organizations. And, at the same time, I am increasing my social media presence and pursuing online training opportunities as technology improves and online interaction between client and trainer happens more in ‘real time.’
Editor's question: Is accent modification something you knew existed? And do you personally know a professional to whom you might recommend such training?
Sandra Wroblewski, MA CCC-SP/L
Communications Specialist
Accent Aware
accentaware@aol.com
www.accentaware.com
630-784-8173
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
Accent Aware offers communication training for international professionals whose second language is English. I offer this training to individuals as well as to companies and organizations. It’s not teaching English as a second language, but more in line with the next step which is fine-tuning a person’s American-English language skills. The initial response to my early marketing efforts came not only from corporate professionals, but also from the Catholic Church and the medical field. As a result, I’ve worked a lot with Catholic priests who have carried over their accents from their countries of origin and with medical professionals who understood the critical need for clear verbal communication.
MY UNIQUENESS
When I first started my business, there was little competition. But, now there are others who have recently taken up this type of training. What sets me apart is that I have been a speech pathologist for a long time with years of experience. I continue to pursue educational resources to increase my variety of training methods as opposed to a single type of training fairly common within this field. Also, I have narrowed my area of concentration to where I have now been working primarily on accent modification for the past five or six years. That’s what makes Accent Aware unique.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
On the individual level, my ideal client would be a professional who speaks English well and has a good use and knowledge of the language, but runs into problems in his or her career setting of being understood. Potential clients need to be dedicated, hard-working and wanting to make a change in how they come across in professional conversation and presentations. With regard to groups, the ideal client profile here would be companies that would include me as part of their employee development teams, or to those who offer continuing educational training to their employees.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
The travel time it takes to get from appointment to appointment to meet with individuals is not the most lucrative way for me to conduct business. What would be ideal would be to have individual companies with a good number of clients within each one to work with in succession, or to work with groups of unrelated individuals all at one location. My challenge is to make this happen.
RESOLUTION
I am concentrating on reaching people within corporations through those who are in charge of employee training and development. That includes those who manage a company’s diversity training, as well. Because of their being closer to the need for this type of communication training, I am confident of receiving a positive response. What’s more, I have joined business associations to meet and reach people within large corporations and organizations. And, at the same time, I am increasing my social media presence and pursuing online training opportunities as technology improves and online interaction between client and trainer happens more in ‘real time.’
Editor's question: Is accent modification something you knew existed? And do you personally know a professional to whom you might recommend such training?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Mapping out life's memories turns entrepreneur into visual eulogist
Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by
Ronnis Oher, owner
LifeMaps - The Story of a Lifetime
www.lifemaps.biz
info@lifemaps.biz
847-398-0187
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
I’ve been called a visual eulogist because I’m in the business of creating customized keepsake treasures called LifeMaps. A LifeMap is a full-color, hand-drawn geographical map that outlines someone’s life. It incorporates their personality traits, their relationships, their major life events and some of their fondest memories. It captures not only the facts of the person’s life, but also who they are/were. The maps are humorous and whimsical featuring mountains, deserts, swamps, rivers, campgrounds, highway and small businesses - all representing a specific story about a person’s life. Yet, at the same time, they can be touching because they not only allow people to see what impact their lives have had on those around them, but also to learn how fondly they are viewed by others in their lives.
MY UNIQUENESS
While I don’t have a great deal of direct competition, what makes my business unique among those who provide a similar product is that I bring great interviewing skills to the project along with a sense of humor and custom creativity which others may not.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
My ideal client would be anyone looking for a special gift for a special person who may be celebrating an anniversary, birthday, graduation, wedding or retirement. That would include corporations and non-profits that are looking for special retirement gifts and awards or visual mission statements or sales presentation handouts. Since LifeMaps make great memorials or family member keepsakes, some of my perfect clients would also be the families of seniors who wish to capture the lives of their loved ones while they still have the opportunity to do so.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My greatest challenge seems to be how to close the sale. How to get around a prospect’s saying LifeMaps are not within their budgets without realizing just how economical they are and the lifetime value they provide.
EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
I approached this obstacle head on by offering a traditional lay-away plan to people. If they have an event coming up in six or nine months down the line, I give them the opportunity to start making payments well in advance so that by the time the day arrives, most of the LifeMap will be paid for. This makes the transaction much more manageable. This seems to help people make the commitment which allows me to introduce more LifeMaps into the lives of more people.
Ronnis Oher, owner
LifeMaps - The Story of a Lifetime
www.lifemaps.biz
info@lifemaps.biz
847-398-0187
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
I’ve been called a visual eulogist because I’m in the business of creating customized keepsake treasures called LifeMaps. A LifeMap is a full-color, hand-drawn geographical map that outlines someone’s life. It incorporates their personality traits, their relationships, their major life events and some of their fondest memories. It captures not only the facts of the person’s life, but also who they are/were. The maps are humorous and whimsical featuring mountains, deserts, swamps, rivers, campgrounds, highway and small businesses - all representing a specific story about a person’s life. Yet, at the same time, they can be touching because they not only allow people to see what impact their lives have had on those around them, but also to learn how fondly they are viewed by others in their lives.
MY UNIQUENESS
While I don’t have a great deal of direct competition, what makes my business unique among those who provide a similar product is that I bring great interviewing skills to the project along with a sense of humor and custom creativity which others may not.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
My ideal client would be anyone looking for a special gift for a special person who may be celebrating an anniversary, birthday, graduation, wedding or retirement. That would include corporations and non-profits that are looking for special retirement gifts and awards or visual mission statements or sales presentation handouts. Since LifeMaps make great memorials or family member keepsakes, some of my perfect clients would also be the families of seniors who wish to capture the lives of their loved ones while they still have the opportunity to do so.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My greatest challenge seems to be how to close the sale. How to get around a prospect’s saying LifeMaps are not within their budgets without realizing just how economical they are and the lifetime value they provide.
EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
I approached this obstacle head on by offering a traditional lay-away plan to people. If they have an event coming up in six or nine months down the line, I give them the opportunity to start making payments well in advance so that by the time the day arrives, most of the LifeMap will be paid for. This makes the transaction much more manageable. This seems to help people make the commitment which allows me to introduce more LifeMaps into the lives of more people.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Friend's last request turns into memorial services business that celebrates life
Showcasing recent entrepreneurs has a twofold purpose. One is to offer an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. The second is to provide a forum through which they can guide other aspiring business owners around avoidable obstacles and toward a path of attainable goals. Sharing insights starts with hearing their stories firsthand such as through this conversation with
Deborah Williams, owner
Loving Touches Memorial Services
www.lovingtouchesmemorialservices.com
dwilliams@lovingtouchesmemorialservices.com
847-991-0546
BEGINNING MY BUSINESS
I began Loving Touches in July of 2009. What motivated me to start this type of business was that I had lost two of my best friends to breast cancer. One had asked me to handle her memorial service to take the burden off her two sons. She specifically said she didn’t want the traditional morbid funeral, but something fun that focused on all the good times of her life. That wasn’t something normally done at the time, but with the input of her sons, I took on the challenge. I created a DVD of her life, developed a huge photo collage, booked a hotel ballroom and brought in a band. The eulogy was a celebration that covered five areas of her life delivered by five family members, neighbors and friends. At the end, we all toasted her with a shot of Bailey’s which was her favorite. When the event ended, everyone approached me saying that I had missed my calling – and that planted the seed for Loving Touches.
MY SERVICES
Our services are offered both as a package or ala carte. We customize our memorials based on the particular interests and events of the person’s life. Some families have requested bagpipers, flag ceremonies, and a Japanese white butterfly release. Our number one requested item is our eight to 10-minute DVD which is an uplifting life-story summary depicting an era or various life celebrations of the loved one. Each service can be as unique as the person whose life is being celebrated.
MY UNIQUENESS
The beauty of what we do is that it is very cost effective. Combining cremation along with our memorial service is about half the cost of a traditional funeral. – very appealing in this economy. In addition, cremation and what we do are 100 percent environmentally safe which is of great importance to many people, today.
IDEAL CLIENT
That would be people in the age range of 45 to 65 primarily because they are looking after their parents, or those who are above 65 and in the position of having to make their own memorial decisions.
MARKETING MY BUSINESS
Currently, about 95 percent of my business has come through referrals from cremation societies or people who have known or used us. The other five percent has come from the Internet thanks to a great website and some Google Adwords. I also advertise in the Pioneer Press and the Daily Herald. I have been featured in Crain’s as well as in the Daily Herald and I will be featured in Our Family Magazine in Barrington.
SHARED ADVICE
What surprised me the most was the traditional value systems of everyone and their resistance to change. Initially, we had surveyed residents of the northwest suburban area who had recently dealt with the loss of a loved one. We found that 73 percent said they were dissatisfied with the service that they had, yet their resistance to making a change was surprising. They were nervous in thinking that a memorial service could be a happy occasion.
The one thing that I might have done differently would be to have marketed the business in advance of starting it. I tried to get it up and running first and then did my marketing. I find that the Midwest is a more conservative area. Change is difficult here. Had we started on the West Coast, we might have taken off a little more quickly.
I’d advise budding entrepreneurs to do your research and be willing to change because you’re going to have to continually re-evaluate your market at first. Who you think is your target customer may not always be the case and you’ll have to adjust many times over. Also, be open to the comments that you receive because many of them will be positive suggestions and recommendations that can help you. In the beginning of any business, there will be many ups and downs. You’ve got to ride those waves in order to make it.
Deborah Williams, owner
Loving Touches Memorial Services
www.lovingtouchesmemorialservices.com
dwilliams@lovingtouchesmemorialservices.com
847-991-0546
BEGINNING MY BUSINESS
I began Loving Touches in July of 2009. What motivated me to start this type of business was that I had lost two of my best friends to breast cancer. One had asked me to handle her memorial service to take the burden off her two sons. She specifically said she didn’t want the traditional morbid funeral, but something fun that focused on all the good times of her life. That wasn’t something normally done at the time, but with the input of her sons, I took on the challenge. I created a DVD of her life, developed a huge photo collage, booked a hotel ballroom and brought in a band. The eulogy was a celebration that covered five areas of her life delivered by five family members, neighbors and friends. At the end, we all toasted her with a shot of Bailey’s which was her favorite. When the event ended, everyone approached me saying that I had missed my calling – and that planted the seed for Loving Touches.
MY SERVICES
Our services are offered both as a package or ala carte. We customize our memorials based on the particular interests and events of the person’s life. Some families have requested bagpipers, flag ceremonies, and a Japanese white butterfly release. Our number one requested item is our eight to 10-minute DVD which is an uplifting life-story summary depicting an era or various life celebrations of the loved one. Each service can be as unique as the person whose life is being celebrated.
MY UNIQUENESS
The beauty of what we do is that it is very cost effective. Combining cremation along with our memorial service is about half the cost of a traditional funeral. – very appealing in this economy. In addition, cremation and what we do are 100 percent environmentally safe which is of great importance to many people, today.
IDEAL CLIENT
That would be people in the age range of 45 to 65 primarily because they are looking after their parents, or those who are above 65 and in the position of having to make their own memorial decisions.
MARKETING MY BUSINESS
Currently, about 95 percent of my business has come through referrals from cremation societies or people who have known or used us. The other five percent has come from the Internet thanks to a great website and some Google Adwords. I also advertise in the Pioneer Press and the Daily Herald. I have been featured in Crain’s as well as in the Daily Herald and I will be featured in Our Family Magazine in Barrington.
SHARED ADVICE
What surprised me the most was the traditional value systems of everyone and their resistance to change. Initially, we had surveyed residents of the northwest suburban area who had recently dealt with the loss of a loved one. We found that 73 percent said they were dissatisfied with the service that they had, yet their resistance to making a change was surprising. They were nervous in thinking that a memorial service could be a happy occasion.
The one thing that I might have done differently would be to have marketed the business in advance of starting it. I tried to get it up and running first and then did my marketing. I find that the Midwest is a more conservative area. Change is difficult here. Had we started on the West Coast, we might have taken off a little more quickly.
I’d advise budding entrepreneurs to do your research and be willing to change because you’re going to have to continually re-evaluate your market at first. Who you think is your target customer may not always be the case and you’ll have to adjust many times over. Also, be open to the comments that you receive because many of them will be positive suggestions and recommendations that can help you. In the beginning of any business, there will be many ups and downs. You’ve got to ride those waves in order to make it.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Entrepreneur sells clients on full-service marketing with accountability workshops
Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by
Claire Slattery, director of client marketing
and business development
Mindful Mix
http://www.mindfulmix.com/
claires@mindfulmix.com
847-284-4404
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
Mindful Mix is a full-service marketing agency that helps companies determine the right marketing strategies for their business. Working within the budgets of each client, we specialize in maximizing the reach and ROI of each promotion. We provide business planning, strategies, budgets, branding, corporate communications, sales collateral, website development, seminars and webinars, along with marketing coaching.
MY UNIQUENESS
I bring a wealth of well-rounded marketing experience to the table. Unlike some contemporaries who specialize only in specific marketing disciplines such as graphic design, PR, or research, I offer personal expertise in every aspect of marketing. There are few small agencies of our size that offer this hands-on working relationship. In essence, I serve as the client’s marketing director without its having to incur the expense of hiring a full-time staffer or paying the premium costs of contracting with a large, high-priced marketing firm. In addition, I offer accountability coaching to keep clients on target toward reaching their short and long-term goals – unusual for marketing firms.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
The ideal client for Mindful Mix is any size business that has a genuine commitment to marketing, but is also aware that it may not be in the position to hire its own full-time marketing professional. A secondary client profile would be that of a company that has downsized its staff and is comfortable with outsourcing its marketing projects to professional contractors.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My primary challenge is determining how to get business owners to make that initial investment in marketing in order to take their businesses to the next level. Most understand the value of a marketing program, but shy away from committing the funding necessary to take that first step.
EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
We have designed coaching and accountability seminars that give business owners a sampling of how marketing can increase their bottom line. As a result of these programs, clients begin to see the measurable results of a concentrated marketing focus. In turn, clients not only readily accept the concept of a more complete, on-going marketing plan, but also choose Mindful Mix as the full-service marketing resource to put their plan in place.
Claire Slattery, director of client marketing
and business development
Mindful Mix
http://www.mindfulmix.com/
claires@mindfulmix.com
847-284-4404
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
Mindful Mix is a full-service marketing agency that helps companies determine the right marketing strategies for their business. Working within the budgets of each client, we specialize in maximizing the reach and ROI of each promotion. We provide business planning, strategies, budgets, branding, corporate communications, sales collateral, website development, seminars and webinars, along with marketing coaching.
MY UNIQUENESS
I bring a wealth of well-rounded marketing experience to the table. Unlike some contemporaries who specialize only in specific marketing disciplines such as graphic design, PR, or research, I offer personal expertise in every aspect of marketing. There are few small agencies of our size that offer this hands-on working relationship. In essence, I serve as the client’s marketing director without its having to incur the expense of hiring a full-time staffer or paying the premium costs of contracting with a large, high-priced marketing firm. In addition, I offer accountability coaching to keep clients on target toward reaching their short and long-term goals – unusual for marketing firms.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
The ideal client for Mindful Mix is any size business that has a genuine commitment to marketing, but is also aware that it may not be in the position to hire its own full-time marketing professional. A secondary client profile would be that of a company that has downsized its staff and is comfortable with outsourcing its marketing projects to professional contractors.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My primary challenge is determining how to get business owners to make that initial investment in marketing in order to take their businesses to the next level. Most understand the value of a marketing program, but shy away from committing the funding necessary to take that first step.
EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
We have designed coaching and accountability seminars that give business owners a sampling of how marketing can increase their bottom line. As a result of these programs, clients begin to see the measurable results of a concentrated marketing focus. In turn, clients not only readily accept the concept of a more complete, on-going marketing plan, but also choose Mindful Mix as the full-service marketing resource to put their plan in place.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Despite recession analytics consultant sets up niche business in 24 hours
Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by
Alex Caffarini, president
Analysights, LLC
www.analysights.com
acaffarini@analysights.com
blog: http://analysights.wordpress.com
847-895-2565
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
We’re a market research and analytics firm that helps companies make better marketing decisions based on analytics. In other words, imagine having a magic wand that would tell you which non-customers would have the best chance of becoming customers, or which current customers are at risk of leaving you and going to a competitor. We’re able to do this by comparing a customer’s purchasing history, demographics, and psychographics to those former clients who have left your company. We can also come up with a score for your current customers using similar data to better know on which ones you should be spending your marketing dollars. In addition, we’re able to provide information through surveys on how much the market is willing to pay for a new product concept as well as the size of the market.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
My ideal client would typically include banks, credit card companies with $500 million to $2 billion in assets. Or associations with large memberships wanting to determine which non-members are likely to become members and which current members are at risk of leaving. Typically, any data-rich industry whose companies collect a lot of statistics on their customers for marketing effectiveness would be a perfect client – mobile broadband firms, retail catalog companies, direct marketers, credit unions, credit card companies.
MY UNIQUENESS
We’re strong in discussing complex analytical concepts in layman terms so that anyone not familiar with statistics or analytics in market research will gain a simplified understanding of everything they need to know. We don’t use any heavy technical jargon to which most clients can’t relate. And, our size allows us to offer a great deal of personal interaction between us and the client.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My primary challenge was to get this business flying in the midst of a recession. The company will be two years old this November. I had been working for the American Medical Association at the time doctors began dropping their memberships. I saw the writing on the wall and decided to start my business in 2008.
EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
I wasted no time in getting things moving. I got my tax papers in order, created my business plan, got my LLC designation, and set up my website all in the span of a single day. Obtaining that first client became my focus. I participated in countless networking events because demonstrating your abilities and capabilities is key to selling any consulting service, especially analytics. I worked on getting myself known as an expert in the field – “You’ve got to circulate in order to percolate.” There were no quick fixes. I called family members and sent relatives letters telling them I was in business. I soon realized that I was focusing on too broad a range of clients. I was looking at both small and large companies which would be impossible to manage. So, I honed in on what became my niche – financial companies and tech companies. In addition, I started a blog to build a following and I created a Facebook™ page. As a result of these efforts, things are beginning to move along steadily for Analysights LLC.
Alex Caffarini, president
Analysights, LLC
www.analysights.com
acaffarini@analysights.com
blog: http://analysights.wordpress.com
847-895-2565
ABOUT MY BUSINESS
We’re a market research and analytics firm that helps companies make better marketing decisions based on analytics. In other words, imagine having a magic wand that would tell you which non-customers would have the best chance of becoming customers, or which current customers are at risk of leaving you and going to a competitor. We’re able to do this by comparing a customer’s purchasing history, demographics, and psychographics to those former clients who have left your company. We can also come up with a score for your current customers using similar data to better know on which ones you should be spending your marketing dollars. In addition, we’re able to provide information through surveys on how much the market is willing to pay for a new product concept as well as the size of the market.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
My ideal client would typically include banks, credit card companies with $500 million to $2 billion in assets. Or associations with large memberships wanting to determine which non-members are likely to become members and which current members are at risk of leaving. Typically, any data-rich industry whose companies collect a lot of statistics on their customers for marketing effectiveness would be a perfect client – mobile broadband firms, retail catalog companies, direct marketers, credit unions, credit card companies.
MY UNIQUENESS
We’re strong in discussing complex analytical concepts in layman terms so that anyone not familiar with statistics or analytics in market research will gain a simplified understanding of everything they need to know. We don’t use any heavy technical jargon to which most clients can’t relate. And, our size allows us to offer a great deal of personal interaction between us and the client.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My primary challenge was to get this business flying in the midst of a recession. The company will be two years old this November. I had been working for the American Medical Association at the time doctors began dropping their memberships. I saw the writing on the wall and decided to start my business in 2008.
EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
I wasted no time in getting things moving. I got my tax papers in order, created my business plan, got my LLC designation, and set up my website all in the span of a single day. Obtaining that first client became my focus. I participated in countless networking events because demonstrating your abilities and capabilities is key to selling any consulting service, especially analytics. I worked on getting myself known as an expert in the field – “You’ve got to circulate in order to percolate.” There were no quick fixes. I called family members and sent relatives letters telling them I was in business. I soon realized that I was focusing on too broad a range of clients. I was looking at both small and large companies which would be impossible to manage. So, I honed in on what became my niche – financial companies and tech companies. In addition, I started a blog to build a following and I created a Facebook™ page. As a result of these efforts, things are beginning to move along steadily for Analysights LLC.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Key resource development sets company at forefront of employee/caregiver field
Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by
Susan Avello, vice president, resource network development
AgingInfoUSA, LLC
http://www.AgingInfoUSA.com
susan.avello@aginginfousa.com
blog: http://susanavello.blogspot.com/
224-618-1008
ABOUT OUR BUSINESS
AgingInfoUSA offers ongoing Elder Care seminars and educational programs inside corporations designed around the individual needs of their employees.
OUR UNIQUENESS
At any given time, more than 21 percent of the workforce is dealing with a care giving situation. We address this growing challenge through a confidential online survey of employees followed by programs we customize to their specific requests.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
The CEO or Human Resource Director of a mid-sized to large corporation in the Chicagoland area would be the perfect client for us.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
As the number of elderly in the United States continues to grow with the Baby Boomers aging, the issue of employee caregivers will be amplified. This growth will intensify the amount of lost revenue - $17-$33 billion annually - for companies due to decreased productivity, caregiver stress, FMLA leave, and other stress-related health issues of caregivers. Our challenge is to prepare our company to be at the forefront of this crisis by developing the right resources for employees and companies alike.
EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
We have devised an ongoing educational series, developed resources and planned events that assist in employee retention, factor in the decrease of FMLA for elder care and help create a more satisfied workforce. Among these are elder care seminars held at corporations, employee wellness events, on-site support, and links to established resources. By doing so, AgingInfoUSA has been able to stay atop our industry as the champion of caregiver employees.
Susan Avello, vice president, resource network development
AgingInfoUSA, LLC
http://www.AgingInfoUSA.com
susan.avello@aginginfousa.com
blog: http://susanavello.blogspot.com/
224-618-1008
ABOUT OUR BUSINESS
AgingInfoUSA offers ongoing Elder Care seminars and educational programs inside corporations designed around the individual needs of their employees.
OUR UNIQUENESS
At any given time, more than 21 percent of the workforce is dealing with a care giving situation. We address this growing challenge through a confidential online survey of employees followed by programs we customize to their specific requests.
IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
The CEO or Human Resource Director of a mid-sized to large corporation in the Chicagoland area would be the perfect client for us.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
As the number of elderly in the United States continues to grow with the Baby Boomers aging, the issue of employee caregivers will be amplified. This growth will intensify the amount of lost revenue - $17-$33 billion annually - for companies due to decreased productivity, caregiver stress, FMLA leave, and other stress-related health issues of caregivers. Our challenge is to prepare our company to be at the forefront of this crisis by developing the right resources for employees and companies alike.
EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
We have devised an ongoing educational series, developed resources and planned events that assist in employee retention, factor in the decrease of FMLA for elder care and help create a more satisfied workforce. Among these are elder care seminars held at corporations, employee wellness events, on-site support, and links to established resources. By doing so, AgingInfoUSA has been able to stay atop our industry as the champion of caregiver employees.
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