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26 Replies Last post: Apr 14, 2009 3:04 PM by jrtivoli

Mar 24, 2009 10:40 AM

SBOCTeam 328 posts since
Jul 27, 2007

Actually grow your business in an economic downturn? History tells us that many small businesses can do just that. By taking advantage of weakened competition and big company cut backs, small business can seize a tremendous opportunity to grow. Learn a few basic marketing tips to help you weather this downturn -including improving your web presence, generating leads, pricing strategies and targeting your marketing dollars more effectively.

About Tivoli Partners

By focusing on direct marketing as a niche, Tivoli Partners has weathered the business ups and downs of the past decade, including the dot-com meltdown and September 11. As clients demanded more "bang for their buck" direct marketing has grown in popularity, with new technologies allowing for more targeted and personal messaging.

Tivoli Partners continues to thrive by embodying a commitment to serve the needs of their clients and deliver programs that work. Their expertise encompasses all aspects of direct marketing including strategy, direct mail, advertising, collateral, web design and email programs. For more information, visit http://www.tivolipartners.com

Janine Rogers joined Tivoli partners in 2008 and brought with her more than 22 years of direct marketing and sales experience in the financial services industry. As VP of Client Services at Tivoli Partners, Janine leads business development efforts and works closely with clients to deliver direct marketing strategies and programs that are on target, effective and on time. Before joining Tivoli, she served as VP of Marketing for a local financial services company. Prior to that, she was Regional Sales Director for a direct marketing firm and Vice President of Card Marketing at large financial institution.

Join us on April 14, 2:00-3:00PM EST to pose a question to Janine. You can even ask her a question today and check back for her response.

Participating in an event is easy! The event takes place on this forum thread. You just need to be a registered member to post your question. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes 2 minutes and it's free! Simply click on the green join now button or follow this link:
http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/create-account.jspa

We know business owners are busy, so we collect questions in advance of the event - just reply to this thread to post your question. Or during the event you can post your question. Tivoli's reponse will be on this event thread, so you can check back during the event or after for the response.

Post your question today Community!

Tags: tivoli_partners, janine_rogers, advertising, best_practices, best_technique, ecommerce, economy, entrepreneur, home_based_business, internet, internet_commerce, marketing, online_emarketplace, sales, small_business, starting_a_business, tips, web, generate_leads, pricing_strategies Report as inappropriate

larc3000 1 posts since
Mar 16, 2009

1. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 24, 2009 2:14 PM

Hi Janine,

I have been seeing alot of articles about having a niche. I am a co-owner to a general contracting company and one of our project managers suggested making our niche, finishing projects that were abandond by GC's that may have gone out of business. There are many un-finished jobs out there and it is a great idea, however, I have been trying to find out who would I connect with. No one seems to know who to direct me to for these kinds of inquiries. Where should I look? Thanks for your help.

Rhonda

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rvrepairs 2 posts since
Mar 16, 2009

2. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 24, 2009 2:16 PM

Hi Janine,

1. We have a small business, a mobile RV Repair and parts sales. We go to where the rig is set up and repair whatever needs our help when called. My concern is this: This is a very distinct market, and one that is really watching its pennies, since it deals with how much disposable income people have. How can I intice people to call me first (there are several of these services in the area). Once I speak with them, I feel confident in being able to get the job, but getting the inital call is the key.

2. We have recently purchased parts catalogs to hand out, What do you think of doing a "door to door" in neighborhoods that have an abundance of RV's parked at their homes. Do you think this is an effective way to market or does the "door to door" aspect give a negative impression? I have also created a 'Wish List' to use as a bookmark for the catalog, so as people look thru it, they can jot down page, part number, description and price, making ordering easy. The back side of the wish list has a partial list of suggested services we offer ie: appliance maintainence, ect. This was a successful idea in other locations. If you have any fine tuning ideas, all are welcome.

Thank you for your time. Mary (rvrepairs)

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rvrepairs 2 posts since
Mar 16, 2009

3. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 24, 2009 2:18 PM

Would love to register for this event. I am new to this network, can someone help me get registered or tell me how to access the event on Mar. 17? Thanks for your time.

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create 1 posts since
Mar 17, 2009

4. RE: Event: Apr. 14: Advertising and design in a recession Mar 24, 2009 2:18 PM

Hi Janine,

I am one of three partners in an Advertising and Design agency in Los Angeles. we are quite small (10 of us including partners) and have been in business for 13 years and provide a range of services such as Graphic Design (concept to delivery of printed material including packaging design), Web Design (including content management systems), Creating Advertising campaigns including recruiting campaigns. We started off in the Financial industry, then began working in the consumer electronics industry, Entertainment and also LA county, we have worked with very large companies. We've had some great success up to this point.

We have attained most of our clients through word of mouth and networking and some through RFPs that were granted to us. Unfortunately many of our clients have dramatically cut their Design, advertising and marketing budgets most by more than 1/2. We are being hit hard by this recession. We are also finding it hard to get new business. We are trying to go after some new companies we have not worked for and have been using many networking channels....but have been hitting a brick wall.

How can I market and grow this business better? and in a recession?

thank you
-A

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pezz26 3 posts since
Mar 11, 2009

5. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 24, 2009 2:19 PM

in response to: larc3000

I'd be interested in the answer to this question also.

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Chewy09 1 posts since
Mar 17, 2009

6. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 24, 2009 2:19 PM

Hi Janine,

I have a new product I am developing and we are nearing the final stages. I know it is a product that is very specific to a very specific industry. I will post it to my website; however, I want to make it known to the companies I know that can use it. What is the best way to promote, without having a celeb use it to market it, because I dont have the "connections. Is direct mail marketing overrated? If not, do you think a reply card or reference to the web will work? Do I need to throw in a bonus or "give away" to entice?

Thanks.

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e_d.04lv10 1 posts since
Mar 24, 2009

7. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 25, 2009 4:46 PM

I'm a new contractor who's trying to get into property maintance field. How do i get the property management company and the banks(fix the short sale houses) to give me a chance to show them the kind of quility work my company produces.

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VIP.Journey 3 posts since
Mar 29, 2009

8. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Mar 29, 2009 11:18 AM

We plan to attend the event in April. Will there be any information/strategies for small business non-profits? Ours is a training initiative and there is strong emphasis on education and training at this time. However, being a non-profit we rely on donor support and donations. The grant proposal process can be lengthy to say the least.

Thanks

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vlea_online 1 posts since
Apr 13, 2009

9. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Apr 13, 2009 3:43 PM

What's the best data to collect when determining the "best price" to charge for services and products a downturn? I have a list of my competitor's pricing, but I don't know how much lower I should price my products and services. What else can I do to capture prospective customers?

Virtual Learning Educators Association (VLEA)
Background: We're a new/start-up membership-based organization offering professional benefits (such as online education programs, collaborations with peers and mentiors, etc.), reward points (participation in surveys, etc.) that are redeemable for real merchandise (iPods, digital cameras, projectors, laptops, etc.). We have a web site, and are using SEO and analytics (Google). We're also considering "cold-calling" and email marketing. www.vlea.org

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CommunityTeam 132 posts since
Jul 27, 2007

10. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Apr 14, 2009 11:53 AM

Don't forget to join us today @ 2PM ET.

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CommunityTeam 132 posts since
Jul 27, 2007

11. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Apr 14, 2009 2:01 PM

Everyone, please join us in welcoming Janine Rogers from Tivoli. Janine will be with us from 2PM - 3PM ET. If you have a question, simply hit reply. Janine may not have time to answer all questions, but she'll try. Also, don't forget to refresh your browsers so that you can see Janine's latest response.

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jrtivoli 25 posts since
Jul 29, 2008

12. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Apr 14, 2009 2:09 PM

in response to: larc3000

Rhonda – Great question! First let me applaud you and your company for “thinking outside the box” for new opportunities created from the recession. I clearly am not an expert on general contracting but have a few ideas for you: Do your homework – Talk to your local BBB, State Licensing Boards, attorneys who specialize in real estate law, local bankers and local consumer protection agencies. Chances are the clients that have been left high and dry are reaching out to these organizations for advice and possibly legal action. Position your company as a solution to help consumers deal with this growing problem. Check your local paper or Business Journal for news about GCs who are in trouble or have gone under. This will help you zero in on your target market. Use your existing client base as a source of referrals. Existing customers who are pleased with your work will be your best asset. Consider offering a referral fee for good leads. Reach out to your local Neighborhood Associations. Ask them to include your services in their next email blast or newsletter. This is an inexpensive way to get your name out. Use Craig’s List to advertise your services –it is free and a great resource. If you have a web site, be sure to include this target market in your company’s description of services. Be sure to include key words such as “abandoned jobs”, “general contractors out of business”, “unfinished jobs” etc.

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jrtivoli 25 posts since
Jul 29, 2008

13. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Apr 14, 2009 2:15 PM

in response to: rvrepairs

Mary – sounds like you offer a great value added service. I have a few ideas and a few questions:

Do you have a web site? If not consider building a simple site you can use to drive traffic. Web sites are a great way to offer “niche products” in your market area as well as being able to offer items and services that may frequently need to be updated. You should also consider an educational focus on your web site like providing tips on “spring maintenance”, how to save on fuel or the latest new RV equipment. This type of informational content will
help visitors to your web site visit again.

I am not a big fan on “door to door” drops. Perception is typically not one of professionalism and I am not convinced they are very effective. You are offering a valuable service and you want to be perceived as trustworthy, competent and competitive.

Instead, have you looked into a mail list of RV owners in your area? There are many lists available through list brokers. If you purchase a list, I would recommend you investigate creating a simple oversized postcard
(10” x 6”) that highlights your services and directs them to call you or visit the Web site. Perhaps even offer a discount to first time buyers or even free shipping?

In addition to a direct mail campaign, we would also
recommend you follow up your direct mail with an email campaign. You would want to limit this campaign to prospects and existing customers who have opted in to
receiving email from you. Again this email would focus on the value your company brings and would encourage them to call or visit your web site. If you provide informational and educational content, you will be surprised how quickly
this list can grow for you.

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jrtivoli 25 posts since
Jul 29, 2008

14. Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession Apr 14, 2009 2:24 PM

in response to: Chewy09

Congratulations on your new product! It would definitely
be helpful to know more about the product because the development of effective
marketing strategies are contingent about many factors. Questions I have
are:

*Is the product marketed business to business or
business to consumer? Tell me a little more about the target
market.

*What are the product’s unique and competitive
advantages?

*Are you first in the market with this
product?

*Is the product competitively
priced?

*Are you already selling a similar product line? Are
existing customers good prospects for this new
product?

With that said, in general, we are firm believers in
integrated marketing campaigns – meaning you utilize complementary channels to
get your message across to your target audience. Direct mail is definitely not
“overrated” and in fact remains quite effective – provided your message, offer
and targeting are in line. Many of our clients lead with direct mail then follow
with email marketing or a phone call. You should always give responders the
option to call or visit your web site for more details.

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