Try New Things

  The easiest way to sell more of your products is to increase sales to your current customers. For example, my family started selling beef several years ago. Our customers began asking for other meats, we began raising lamb, pork, and eggs. We didn't have to spend any more money on advertising and we increased our sells tremendously. So the bottom line is, develop a brand people trust then try adding new products.

Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is not a norm in some parts of the business world, but it is something to consider when you start a company. Direct marketing means you sell directly to consumers, skipping the middleman. This adds risk to your business, but it has a lot of benefits. If you direct market you can price the product for less than your competitors. That means you can make more money and your customer can get a better price. You are able form a relationship with your customer. Not only will your customer appreciate the one on one care, you will also receive invaluable information from your customer if you keep your ears open. Relationships are hard and often impossible to form when you sell through stores.

What Do You WANT?

Watching people can be an excellent way to discover a new business opportunity. People can tell you what they think they want, but sometimes that's not actually what they need. It's up to you, the entrepreneur, to find viable businesses that meet consumers' needs. Go watch people and see if you can find a recurring problem they have or even think of a problem that you have been faced with yourself. When Ben Franklin was eleven he invented, "flippers." He was swimming in the creek with friends. He wanted to be able to swim faster, but he was trying as hard as he could. He put two wooden boards with holes in the center on his hands. These allowed him to swim faster without exerting so much energy. He found a problem and he solved it. Once people are made aware of the problem, selling the solution will be easy. Today, millions of flippers are sold every summer.

Who Will Your Customers Be?

Before you start a business, you need to know who you will be selling to. A lot of people think businesses want to market to everyone, but this is simply not true. Whole Foods is a grocery store that focuses on organic products, but this quality comes at a much higher price. WalMart on the other hand offers an inexpensive option, but lower quality products. Obviously, the people who shop at Whole Foods and those who shop at WalMart have the same basic need, food; however, one desires quality while the other wants a less expensive option. Will your business offer high quality products? Will it cater to people who can't spend a lot of money? These are just a few questions you need to ask before you begin marketing so you can do so effectively.

Try Before You Buy

Every year, my town hosts a festival called Depot Days. Businesses rent booths to advertise and sell their wares. Some businesses handout pamphlets and cards while others give away random paraphernalia. One of the most popular booths was the local gym's. They were giving away free seven day passes and a chance to win a three month family membership. These passes cost very little to give away, but they had a big impact. This business not only had a wonderful opportunity to show consumers around their gym, they also gained customer approval. Who doesn't like free stuff? Giving away products is a great way to interest potential customers.  

Test the Waters

Test the Waters

   Tom decided to open a rental business. His store offered the finest table linens, chairs, and various items necessary for large parties. After two months, Tom had lost several thousand dollars. He racked his brain trying to figure out what he had done wrong. He asked several people who lived in his town, why they didn't take advantage of his quality products and reasonable prices. Everyone said the same thing, "We live in a farming community. We don't have time to have many parties because we are always working."

   Tom had an idea. He decided to take a risk and invest more money into his business. He bought expensive time-saving equipment that most farmers couldn't afford to purchase. A month later, he not only recovered the money he had lost in the first two months, he made a profit.

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    To run a successful business, you must research the market before you invest time and money. Searching existing data, setting up focus groups, and observing your would-be-competition are excellent ways to discover if your business will be successful. If you do not research your business before you embark on an entrepreneurial journey, you are risking countless hours and dollars. 

                                                           
 I Want What You Have

     In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara tries relentlessly to win Ashley Wilkes' heart. Scarlett could have had any man she wanted, but she only desired the man who she could never have. Have you ever thought about how the "Scarlett O'Hara" mentality follows us into the marketplace? For example, LL Bean's famous Bean Boots. They are crafted in Maine by hand. Every winter, these boots are on back order for months. If LL Bean desired they could make enough of these boots to shoe every person in America and their dog; however, they use the limited supply to make consumers feel like they are buying something special. When companies do this they are able to sell their products for a higher price with less effort.