September 28, 2009

$100,000 for Your Local Business?... The Difference
Between "I" and "You"... Cash Competitions Can Lead to Big
Payouts... Is Your Key Info Marketing Tool in Top Shape?... and More.

Heading out to the grocery store has certainly become a bit more complicated in the past few years.

Not only do you want to buy the best foods you can, but you also want to do this for as little money as possible. Then there are the product recalls you've got to watch out for, and you want to read the labels to make sure you're getting what the box is advertising.

However, there's one great thing that one grocery chain has started, and it could land you between $1,000 or $100,000 for your business.

Whole Foods is a chain dedicated to providing customers with healthier, organic and unique grocery options. While their political stance has sometimes attracted more attention than what they carry on their shelves, Whole Foods is certainly still an interesting business.

As more and more people become aware of not only what is in their foods, but also where their foods come from, Whole Foods has introduced what they call their " Local Producer Loan Program" (LPLP).

In order to help stock their shelves with locally produced products, these loans can help small producers purchase more supplies and increase their production. It's rare to find people looking to help small businesses, so when a big business starts reaching out, this is fantastic news.

I expect we may start seeing more of this type of program in the near future. As large companies want to stay in business, they are going to look at ways to help their suppliers provide them with what their customers are demanding.

As many people look for quality products made locally, there could soon be larger opportunities for small businesses that rely on flea markets for much of their business.

While not every product may make it to the shelves of major distributors, there is possibly help out there for your business and product.

If you're a local producer, head to a Whole Foods near you to learn about this loan program.

When it comes to selling, whether it's a product or service or even if it is yourself as a job candidate, it is important to address your audience properly.

Your audience is your desired customer or your desired employer. And you need to ask yourself, "How am I going to reach them personally and prove myself as the best possible choice for them to make?"

You see, there's always going to be competition and, to make yourself stand out, you need to address people in their own terms. Other people want to sell the same product or service and other people want that same job. Standing out is important and can be done with just a few simple changes to how you present your offer.

Let's say you're shopping for a new car. You've clipped some ads from your local newspaper and now you're going into a few dealerships to find the best deal. At one particular dealership, you are approached by a salesman who begins his pitch, "I see you're looking at our newest model. I drive that same car and I love it."

The first thing that pops into your head should be, "Who cares?" That's not because you're uncaring, but because you're shopping for a car that will suit your life and satisfy your needs. Unless you know that car dealer personally and can identify with him, you're not going to care what he drives.

Taking an example from our poor car salesman, you can reposition your own sales pitch to reflect the customer more than the salesman. For example, you could say, "I see you're looking at the newest model in our showroom. You look like a person who wants reliability and security from your car. This model has..."

You see, in this second pitch, the salesman is identifying a need you may have in your car purchase. By using this approach, the conversation feels more personal, even if it is still a sales pitch.

Whether you're selling a car or selling yourself to a new employer, focus on the needs of your customer or boss. Once you've identified their personal situation, you can then discuss how you can help them and position yourself as the best possible choice.

Every year, loads of money is made available for businesses through different business plan competitions. Wharton Business School, for example, offers $25,000 in cash and $10,000 in legal services to the winner of its competition. Harvard gives $25,000 in cash and another $25,000 in business services. MIT awards $200,000 in cold, hard cash. Rice University offers $125,000 in equity investments, $20,000 in cash and another $80,000 in various services. These are just a handful of the competitions out there.

Aside from universities, a number of private businesses and government organizations also offer handsome rewards for viable business plans. If you're looking for ways to get funding for your business, while also building contacts and taking advantage of experience and know-how, entering one of these competitions may be in your best interest.

Before you do so, however, it's recommended that you prepare yourself as much as possible in order to give yourself the best opportunity at victory.

The first thing you're going to want to do is locate a competition that best suits your business idea. For example, some competitions focus strictly on environment or "green" businesses, while others focus on technology. In order to have any chance of winning -- while ensuring you don't look foolish -- make sure you find a contest that is looking for businesses in line with what you do.

When you learn about a competition that is looking for a business like yours, it's worthwhile to do some further due diligence. Learn about exactly what it is the judges are looking for, in order to give yourself an even better chance. Contact past winners, judges and other people who can offer some valuable insight towards what can maximize your chances.

When you find out the best way to approach the competition, don't rush. For instance, if the deadline for submissions is a month or two away, it's likely in your best interest to postpone entry until the following year. The truth is that, to put together a tested, viable business plan, you're going to want to give yourself anywhere from four months to a year to prepare it. That way, you can have some sound data to support your claims. If you want to win, you're going to have to have some real evidence that you've got a moneymaking idea.

These competitions are a great thing to get involved in, even if you don't win. They give you the chance to make contacts, work under mentors and give you the guidance to come up with sound business models. Do some research and learn about the various business plan competitions you can enter. One of them may be the gateway you've been looking for to get the funding you need!

** Is Your Key Info Marketing Tool in Top Shape?
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

Reggie, my barber when I was young (and when I still had hair!), used to go on and on about the good old days. He even had a joke placard on his wall titled, "For Those of Us Born Before 1946..." It detailed pretty much the same things he talked about when you were in the chair, getting your hair cut. He went on about how ice cream used to be only ten cents, how cheap gas once was, and how the sanctity of marriage is yesterday's news. It was funny to listen to Reg go on and on about whatever topic was on his mind. Sure, it was more of a rant than anything serious, but I liked to listen to what he had to say. He came from another time than I did and his stories were a highlight of many of my days.

But one thing that was not on the list and one thing I did not dare bring up around Reg was computers. He and his buddies scorned computers like they were an unholy product. They believed they caused more problems than they were worth, especially at places like the bank and with the government. When doomsday came, Reg was sure, computers would fail and cause global chaos.

Like I said, I took everything Reg said with a grain of salt. And now, computers, cell phones, and other new technological devices are an integral part of my personal and professional life, as they probably are of yours. That's just the way that it is. And it isn't bad -- these things are tools that make our lives easier.

But like any tool, these items, especially computers, need to be upgraded, serviced and even replaced. Since you will use your computer a lot in info marketing, it's going to take a beating.

Here are some tips on good computer care that I have learned over the years and will apply to you as an info marketer. While technology is ever improving, these are some good precautions to note and will be useful to you in your info marketing business.

-- Reboot and "defrag:" A lot of guys I know leave their computers on all the time. These days, this isn't so bad. It takes a lot of juice to start up your computer after you have shut it down. However, if you leave your computer on a long time, it is good to at least reboot it from time to time, as well as use the "disk defragment" program in your computer. This program deconstructs and rebuilds all the programs in your hard drive, while scanning for viruses. I usually leave my computer on and then shut it down after a 49-hour period. At the end of each week, I defrag everything. This helps my computer stay in check and should help yours as well.

-- Get the best virus software available: When I worked in publishing, our in-house computer guy would come around once every six months with the latest software and install it on our computers. It was great and necessary to our publications. If a virus came in -- they can come anywhere these days -- and the whole system crashed, we were up a creek. While you may not have the luxury of an in-house computer tech, you can get good virus software and save yourself many potential headaches by getting it installed on your hard drive.

-- Back up everything: When I say everything, I mean everything. Imagine being over halfway through your Nobel- Prize-worthy info book and your computer decides to up and crash on you. Never had it happen? Great. Lucky you. I have. And it stinks. Save everything you are working on both to your computer's hard drive and to a moveable drive; i.e. one of those USB drives that fit onto your key chain. I am not like Reg in thinking the worst of computers. But I am a big believer that you should always take precautions, no matter how small. And this is one of the best precautions in information marketing.

-- Go for upgrades: Unless you are the ultra-computer-savvy type, you are not going to keep ahead of all the advances in computer technology. These days, it's next to impossible. That said, you can take your hard drive or laptop to a computer specialist; one who knows what upgrades you could use for your business and can outfit your computer with whatever updates it needs. Search around for this type of person as well as what programs you need to upgrade your computer with to make it that much more efficient for your info marketing business.

Computers are like any new tool and trend: they are to be utilized, not feared. Whether you get a new one for your business or have one that already works, keep it up to snuff with the right programs and upgrades to make your info marketing business better all the time. Remember: you need it for business. Reggie is just plain missing out!