Posts Tagged ‘small business’

Common Advertising Mistakes Businesses Make

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

A business is never too big to make a mistake in their advertising copy. All one has to do is to look up the yellow pages in your local area to find them. A big business who has been operating in the area for a few years can weather these mistakes more comfortably than a small business can but they are expensive to both the businesses.

The three major mistakes I see too often are:

1) Incorrect phone numbers
2) Incorrect web address
3) Too busy an advertisement

The first two mistakes make you wonder if anyone has read the ad copy sent through by the yellow pages rep or the newspaper. If the mistake happens and they haven’t given you a copy of the ad to proof read before publication, then they simply owe you an apology and a new ad. If they don’t offer to compensate your business this way, then don’t pay the bill.

If you are the one responsible for the proof reading of the ad, then make sure you really read it and not skim it. When we are very familiar with what our phone number or address is, sometimes the human brain only sees what it thinks it ought to be and not exactly as it is in front of them. It’s part of being human. So concentrate on each word and number and make sure everything is correct. If you are not a good speller, then have someone else check it with you.

Bad spelling is a very common mistake and it is one that stands out like a dogs hind leg to anyone who is a good speller or a finicky personality. It shows that someone is either careless, uneducated, or incompetent. Some potential business clients will be quite put-off by this simple mistake. These days, with nearly everyone in a business environment having access to a computer, and all computers have a spell checker as part of their system tools, there really is no excuse for this one except the reasons given above. The non-logical thinking behind this being “that if they make that mistake with their own stuff, what are they going to do with my business?”

The next mistake many big and small business make is trying to put too much into an ad so that it becomes too busy and almost unreadable. Another ‘queer-ism’ about human nature is that it doesn’t like being made to work. If a reader of your ad sees a whole lot of information jumbled together and they actually have to decipher the words, chances are very good that they simply won’t bother. They will just move on to the next ad.

This one is easily overcome though simply by knowing what product or service you are wanting more clients for and then knowing what action you want them to take. The best way of achieving this is to simply and clearly tell them. People then don’t have to think too much because it is clear what they are needing to do. This is also human nature.

We are all human and if you are more aware than the average bear, you will make fewer mistakes and have more success with your advertising.

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Gas And Electricity Costs Reduction Guidelines For Businesses

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Saving money on electric and gas contracts in your business may involve many of the same practices you would use in your home and may come naturally. You can take additional measures to make your savings even more dramatic over time.

If you are just starting your business, you will have the ability to shop around for an energy efficient building to use. Look for things like solar power, good insulation, plenty of natural lighting, and newer efficient heating and cooling systems. Even if you already have an established location, you can still take measures to lower monthly utility bills.

Begin with the same practices you might use at home. Invest in a water heater jacket and insulate pipes from temperature extremes. These two easy steps can add up to big savings over time. Make sure to replace furnace filters frequently, and if you have an older furnace, think about installing a newer, energy star rated furnace for monthly savings. An older water heater can also cost much more to run than a newer one. Replacing outdated appliances with newer ones will usually pay for itself many times over.

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs that use up to 75% less energy than standard bulbs, and use natural lighting as much as you can. When a room is not in use, turn off the lights. It is also a good practice to turn off or unplug machines that are not used much; even standby mode wastes energy. Turn off computers at the end of the day.

If you can, use your computer to receive faxes so that every page of fax your business receives is not automatically printed. Most business get numerous faxes throughout the day that are “junk,” and you will save money when they don’t print.

Consider getting an audit for your utility usage to see where your business is using the most energy. You can also purchase software that can analyze utility usage and suggest changes that can be implemented for future savings. The computer analysis can show you what kind of difference any cost cutting steps are making in your energy bills. You can find freeware online, but it will not provide the same amount of information as a program you pay for.

With a combined effort and implementation of energy saving practices, you will see a noticeable difference in your electricity and gas usage.

Now Try – Commercial Gas

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