What could Seinfeld possibly have to do with marketing a small business? As it turns out, all small business owners could take a few lessons from the show that brought us such popular phrases as "Man Hands" and "master of your domain".
The Coffee Shop ? Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine spent countless hours in the coffee shop, talking about "nothing." You should spend some time there as well, but instead of talking about your parents or your date last night, get together with other small business owners and talk about your respective business and marketing activities. Many of you already participate in local business clubs and organizations, but the feedback and shared ideas that are generated in an informal business chat over a coffee are often the most valuable. My "coffee shop group" consists of 3 small businesses owners from different industries. Between us, we generate great marketing ideas for each other or in my case, new topics for small business articles. You can easily gather a few small business owners together for this type of meeting. Just be sure they are not competitors!
The Short-Term Relationship ? It seemed that every Thursday, Jerry was dating a different woman. In fact, outside of Elaine he rarely dated a woman for any length of time. Jerry understood that sometimes, you don't want to be tied down to a long-term relationship. The same rule applies to your small business marketing activities. Too many small businesses get drawn in to long-term advertising relationships by committing to a certain amount of advertising in exchange for a discount. Those who sell advertising try to convince business owners that you can't evaluate a particular form of advertising based on just a small sampling period, and thus a longer contract is required. This is simply not true. In the small business world, ads must at least pay for themselves before you agree to investigate any long-term advertising commitment. You're not building the next mega conglomerate (not yet, anyway), so ad money that doesn't produce a positive ROI is wasted money. Jerry understood that if the early part of the relationship wasn't perfect, the rest was bound to go downhill. Apply that rule to your marketing and advertising purchases and you'll maximize the effectiveness of your advertising. If it works on a sample basis, consider a long term plan. If it doesn't work in the short term, give them the "it's not you, it's me" routine and move on.
The Superman Effect ? Did you know that Superman appears or is mentioned in every Seinfeld episode? It's true, largely because Jerry kept a Superman figurine in his apartment that popped up in the background numerous times during each episode. For small business marketers, Jerry's Superman equates to your core business. With so many marketing opportunities to consider, it's easy to lose sight of your primary business in pursuit of new revenue streams. Unfortunately, this can often leads to the collapse of your business. Take a page out of Jerry's book, and be sure to keep your core business (your "Superman") a part of everything you do, even if it is only in the background. Every opportunity and every possible marketing strategy that you consider must relate back to your core product/service offering to ensure the continuity of your business. Don't allow yourself to become so sidetracked that you end up chasing marketing opportunities that detract from your current strengths. When evaluating a new business opportunity, ask yourself "How will this new marketing or business idea impact on my core business?" before you begin a new marketing venture.
The next time you are watching a Seinfeld Rerun, be sure to look for the hidden small business tips in each episode. You might find that it wasn't a show about nothing after all.
About The Author
Will Dylan is the Author of Small Business Big Marketing and owner of www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com. Will also offers article and news release writing services through his website. You can contact Will at www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..Part of the power plan is making sure you have... Read More
One of the biggest excuses franchisees of home based and... Read More
Cash is King?That is what everyone tells us and it... Read More
Washing manufactured homes, mobile homes, can be a lucrative and... Read More
Shipping materials can be expensive! Even the styrofoam "peanuts" can... Read More
$37.4 million funded from venture capital today. $86.4 million funded... Read More
Many times small businesses want to expand their businesses and... Read More
While there are few career paths that some would call... Read More
You'd like to go into business for yourself, and believe... Read More
I propose this thought on the subject of Franchisee territory... Read More
The American system of business management has been admired and... Read More
The employer / employee relations environment has been constantly evolving... Read More
We have all seen the mobile washing units cruising our... Read More
Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be... Read More
Many mobile car wash operators would like to add de-ionized... Read More
I am simply amazed at the problems some of my... Read More
Here are some important points to take note of if... Read More
If you're an entrepreneur responsible for your own small business... Read More
The Dynamics of Daylight Savings Time changes the way we... Read More
Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many... Read More
I ran a franchise company for many years, a car... Read More
Increase your profit potential by identifying ? and avoiding ?... Read More
Every company has business pain, but the pain does not... Read More
Concrete Roof Tile Business: During the 2004 summer season, storms... Read More
Now that you have invested your time, energy and money... Read More
express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..Over regulation of small business is so intense it is... Read More
What's your job profitability? Do you know?Many business owners are... Read More
Want your small business to flip instead of flop?! Statistically... Read More
Managing cash flow is every small business owner's most important... Read More
Rule 15C211Under SEC Rule 15C211, a U.S. securities broker or... Read More
If you don't know what a Virtual Assistant (or VA)... Read More
Senior citizens are generally not a large marketing segment for... Read More
Franchisor expansion policies are not as simple as one might... Read More
Anyone who is serious about washing aircraft as a full... Read More
As a franchisor I am always asked by new and... Read More
It is most fascinating to study how entrepreneurs spot opportunity... Read More
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PRICINGIn case you hadn't noticed, people can... Read More
If you're just ramping up your small business email newsletter,... Read More
Microfiber cleaning towels have been around for about ten years... Read More
If you own a small business, you should know that... Read More
Many years ago, I had warned the carwash industry of... Read More
It has been discussed allowing Franchising companies to electronically disclose... Read More
Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform... Read More
I've got good news and bad news. The good news... Read More
There have been many great points raised on both sides... Read More
Do you like animals? Would you like to work for... Read More
The bad things starts with the letter 'O'?.like Obstacles, Obstruction,... Read More
Every home business has the same problem of how to... Read More
Whether you operate a chain of restaurants, a mom-and-pop convenience... Read More
Paper Shredding Business Opportunities are blossoming up everywhere because in... Read More
Small Business |