Taking a Quality Photo

The time has arrived, you have spent long hours working long and hard over a job that you are really proud of or you spent hours thinking about the best decoration for your new restaurant or salon and know you want to take a great photo to show the world in your next advertisement. But why doesn't it look like those photos in the magazines that you see?

1. Choose the right camera If you are taking photos of your jobs on a regular basis for your portfolio, you may find it is worth spending a little bit of money on a base model DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex), but it isn't necessary... you can still get great photos even if you "just" have a point and shoot. Lighting, focus and composition are the things that will really make the difference in getting a quality image.
2. Lighting High noon is not your friend! Early morning hours or early evening are much better. The time just around sunset is what photographers call "The Golden Hour," it's a lovely flattering light for people (but might cause color casts as well, so keep that in mind!) Good light will give your photo more depth and dimension. Keep an eye out for shadows that are cast on the photo; if you're a house painter, make sure you can clearly see details in the house, and take a step (or ten!) back to ensure you capture the entire house in the photo! You don't want to accidentally cut off a roof's eave, or where the house meets the ground.
3. Clean up the area Make sure that all miscellaneous debris is cleared from the site. I once saw a great photo but they forgot to pick up the hose, that one little thing can really bring an entire image down.
4. Shoot Extra Photos Take Lots of photos from lots of different angles, and don't be afraid to start far away from a subject and slowly move in closer. You never know what you might find!

Here are three photos of the same object, taken with three different cameras; a cell phone, a point and shoot with flash and a DSLR using natural light. The natural light photo much better portrays what the product actually looks like, and will help you build trust with a prospective customer, by properly representing your product.

Making Your Business Unique

We're happy to bring this article to you, written by Tom Egelhoff

If you took high school physics you probably learned that two objects can't occupy the same space at the same time. Well, the same is true in business marketing. No two companies can occupy the same perception in the customers mind at the same time. We're not talking about a physical presence, but an image that comes into the customers mind when they think of your business.
If I were to ask 10 different customers where to find the lowest price , or highest quality or most selection for women's clothing I would get 10 different answers for each niche. Each customer might have a different perception of what low price or highest quality is. But each customer will usually only have one answer per niche.
Here are some back niches a business can occupy. Is your business among them?

• Low price/low quality - If you have the lowest prices, you can talk quality all you want but, you are going to have an uphill climb to convince the customer. We are suspicious of low prices. Does the phrase, "What's the catch." ring a bell. There is nothing wrong with having competitive prices for comparable products. Most businesses that profess to consistently have the lowest prices simply match competitors prices. Many name brand products will not allow a company to sell their products below a certain price. They don't want to be perceived as cheap.
  
• Top of the Line, Highest Price/Best Quality - Rolls Royce, Rolex. Top of the line products not only have a perception of high quality but can also be prestigious. Also keep in mind high price can carry the perception that its overpriced. Does, "You pay more for the name.", ring a bell? It's much easier to justify a higher price by pointing out the quality than trying to justify the lower price.
  
• Large Selection - Go to any big name department store, JC Pennys, Nordstroms, and compare the size of the women's clothing department to the men's clothing department. The women's section is always three to four times larger than the men's. Why? Women demand selection. It's fashion suicide for a woman to be caught at a social function wearing the same outfit as someone else. Men really don't care if someone else has the same tie. Do your customers demand selection? If so, how does your selection compare to your competition? Keep in mind selection doesn't always mean inventory. One flower shop may carry exotic flowers while another shop doesn't. The shop with the exotics has a larger selection with one flower than the shop that has none.
  
• Service - Ask any major retail chain who has the best customer service and chances are they will say Nordstrom's. They are the team to beat in retail customer service. In small towns, family and small business can usually offer better individual customer service than national chains.
  
• Friendly - Small businesses usually excel in this area. Large businesses have more restrictions and rules than small businesses. Small businesses can get to know their customers by name. Workers in small businesses have more of a sense of ownership in their job then large faceless corporations.
  
• Convenient - We hate to go out of the way for things. We pick things up on the way home from work. We shop, eat, buy gas where it's easiest. We seldom go out of our way to go to a specific business if another is more convenient.

So, which of the six does your business coincide with? I know what you're thinking, "We do all of the above." You can't occupy all the positions at the same time. Only one position will be dominant in the minds of the customers.

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You don't have a choice

Unless you are a brand new business, your customers already have a perception of your business. It may be right or wrong but they have it.
The point is, if you don't do anything your customers will pigeon-hole you along with your competition. You don't have a choice. They may not do it the way you want, but they will do it. Doesn't it make more sense to find the strongest niche and promote it and establish your uniqueness with your customers?

Used With Permission ©1998 Eagle Marketing PO Box 271 Bozeman, MT 59771-0271
http://www.smalltownmarketing.com - 406-585-0219 • email:tommail@smalltownmarketing.com

Marketing for Little to No Money

I truly believe that a successful business must advertise in a least 3 different types of media. That does not mean that you need to spend a lot of money to do so, you just need to advertise intelligently and creatively!

1. Create a referral network Do you have people in your network that do something similar to you but are not in competition to take away your customers? For example a great network would be a hair dresser, tanning salon and manicurist; or how about a roofer, window contractor and painter?. These examples of referral teams allow for the group to easily refer each other's services in a natural conversation without seeming pushy.
2. Email marketing Set up an email capturing widget on your website using one of the many services out there such as Constant Contact or iContact. For a small monthly fee, these services will help you market to your targeted audience; people who you KNOW are interested in what you have to say and are interested in hearing from you.
3. Be helpful Put yourself into the role of resident expert, or trusted advisor. Offer to be a speaker, write an article or do a demonstration and share your knowledge and don’t hold back. You will benefit from the name recognition.

These are only a few ideas; I encourage everyone to go online and find other ideas that fit your specific business. The more things you do, the better your business with be for it!

Branding Your Business - Part 2

1. Put together a Brand Package: Design a logo (or have designed for you!) that is simple and easy to read and understand. You don't need to explain every part of your business in the logo... keep it simple! From the logo, get a business card and stationery set (letterhead and envelopes) that coordinate and feature the new logo. If you do estimating or use other forms regularly, having a custom form that also features your logo is a great investment. Once you have this package put together, make sure your website coordinates as well! Use similar colors and design concepts throughout for a cohesive, professional image.
2. Get optimized online! You want to make sure that customers can find you easily, and an increasing number of people are going to the web first when searching for this information. One simple way to make sure you're maximizing the free resources is to go to GetListed.org, which will take it simple to claim your business presence across a number of sites.
3. Join the online world – Join the social media world through Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. These are great places to not only promote your business but also to educate your current and future clients, and to interact with them on a personalized level, which can go a long way to building a long-term relationship.
4. Put it into print – Postcards, newspaper, and direct mail are all great ways to get you message into your customers homes. Print media is different then the wonderful online world, simply due to the fact that your message is delivered right to the customer! The customer does not need to know who you are to be found.
5. Stick to it - A brand grows over time, you now should have a great plan of actions. Stick to it and you should see the success through your consistent actions and dedication to your marketing plan.

Bridges Gift Certificate Winner!

At the Home and Garden Show last weekend, we had a chance to enter to win a
$50 gift certificate to Bridges Restaurant in Danville!
We numbered each entry and used random.org to choose the winning number.
Congratulations to Scott E., of Danville on his win!
Thanks to everyone for entering, and good luck next time!

Branding Your Business - Part 1

This is the first of a two part series about branding and using it effectively.
Part two will be posted next week!

Defining Your Brand
We all know how special your business is, and we want to help you share your skills or product with the rest of the world, but in order to do that you must make sure you are branding you business in an effective manner. With these simple steps you will soon be on your way to standing apart from your competition in the minds of your customers.

Let's Get Started. Grab a piece of paper and allow yourself to have some uninterrupted quiet because we are going to do some good old-fashioned brainstorming.

Take a few minutes to read over and think about each of the questions below.

1. What is the purpose of your business? What is the heart and soul of your business? Define the passion that moves you in regards to your business
2. Why do your clients choose you over your competitor? (This is really important, if you do not know this next time you have a good repoire with a clients ask them why or why not they choose you!) Your customers buy on their own personal emotional reasoning, not your own. It so important that you define your customers want and needs out of your company not your own
3. Why should your clients choose you over your competitor? What makes your business unique and valuable to your customers? We live in a very competitive market, so it's important that you know about the other businesses you are competing with. Learn as much as you can about them, from what they specialize in to what their customers like (or don't like!) about them.
4. How can make this information work for you? Put it together and what do you get now that you have identified your wants, your customers want and what the other business in your market are doing you should know be able to determine you strategy.

Next week we will talk about what to do with all this fun information!

Our booth at the Home & Garden Show in Concord

April 8-10, 2011