Helping you evolve your small business - online, in print and in person
From the category archives:
photo credit: Keyser_ Soze
Spend the time.
It’s the one thing we all complain we don’t have enough of. Time spent with a client can really strengthen your relationship.
Random Act of Kindness 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
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Shock a potential customer by doing something unexpected.
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Shock a potential customer by doing something unexpected.
Sandra from 100.5 the Peak fm surprised me with a big box of chocolates just for calling in and requesting some Honey and the Money. Random Acts of Kindness Day 2 - Share your toys – even if all you have is information
Random Acts of Kindess Day 1 -
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photo credit: Grzegorz Łobiński
We’re posting random acts of client kindness all week and suggesting that everyone try to do at least one random act a day to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 8-14).
Do something you normally charge for absolutely free –no strings attached.
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photo credit: Dave Duarte
I recently had a conversation with a business acquaintance where I started sharing information about the strategies I deploy when writing. It wasn’t until he said, “Wow, I should be paying you for this information,” that I realized I wasn’t expecting to receive anything in return for my advice.
This got me thinking about sharing. Whether online or in person both business models offer opportunities to share information, ideas, technology, products and services. And these can be shared freely or with strings attached.
Now I know, most of us in business are driven by the bottom line. But I’ve noticed lately that there are two broadly defined groups of companies: one that is looking inward, holding on to all it has, looking for the next quick sale and the other that is looking outward, letting idea sharing flow, seeing their customers as long term investments.
The first group has its reason for not sharing. When you share you leave yourself open and vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Your competition knows what you’re about. Giving for free takes away from revenues earning potential.
And the second group has its reason for sharing. When you share you leave yourself open and vulnerable to form a relationship. Your competition knows they have to work that much harder to be better than you are. Giving for free keeps clients returning, adding long term revenue to your bottom line.
I’d like to urge each business to share one wise thought or give a product or service every day to one existing and one potential client. Then watch what it does for your company’s popularity and for your own morale.
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Photo credit: Isaac Bowen
I’ll be honest, I lacked in printer knowledge. With a communication background, I didn’t spend time learning about printing – and when I first started Polished Promotions, I wanted to believe that people would reduce the amount of printing they did all together.
**sigh** printing continues. At least what we choose to print on can be consciously and thoughtfully chosen.
Here is a fragment of what I have learned – stay tuned for more
· Not all printers are created alike. Some have very genuine information and are shaping the world one small business at a time. En Masse Media, located here in Vancouver, is one such company. Richard Cooper, owner and printer extraordinaire, not only knows printing inside and out (he comes from a family of printers) but he knows GREEN printing! But his Green Print thumb isn’t why you’d choose to print with En Masse Media
…Here are 5 reasons why you WOULD choose En Masse (FYI – Richard has no idea I’m blogging about him! But I’ll tell him once I’m done!)
1. He knows how to use the most of the sheet of paper being printed and cut. Case in point –last week I had to figure out a way to fit a spa menu inside an envelope that would hold a gift card, business card and look like gift wrapping all at the same time so that my client, an environmentally friendly hair salon, (shameless plug) Salon Montage, wouldn’t have to add unnecessary packaging to their presentation. En Masse Media invited me over, sat down with me and together we crafted a great looking, cost effective* design. It’s with the designer right now getting gussied up!
2. The quality is superb – they use 13.5 pt stock for business card printing (which is thicker than most of the printers I have worked with). I am impressed with the types of output from their work. They just changed their website – you can request a sample kit here
3. It’s cost effective. We saved paper by creating a long slender envelope, making it possible to fit more on one sheet of printing paper (thus saving trees)
4. En Masse uses 100% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) Content – a lot of printers say they have recycled fibre in their paper – but that doesn’t make it 100% recycled.
5. They’re reliable and fast. If you’ve ever been frustrated with printing schedules – you’ll understand the great feeling of getting printing on time! Because the printing is local, I can even pick it up and hand deliver it to my clients (saving them a few dollars and the courier an extra trip out to their businesses)
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I’ve been secretely helping some of Polished Promotions clients with their blogs for a number of months. Helping them clarify their content and consulting with them on what they can do to advance their blogs.
Today’s theme - commenting. In order to illustrate how commenting works, I walked my client- Cathy Clark -business coach extraordinare - through how to leave a comment. And we did so on my “work in progress” blog.
What was interesting to hear Cathy say was that she was a reader of some blogs, but had never commented. It made me think - wow! I preach it but I’m certainly not doing it for myself. So, in an effort to get started - I found a new blog called Blog oh Blog and left a comment - like just now.
And now I’m leaving a trackback on my post here.
For my client’s following me along on my blog up-start, don’t worry - we’ll get to trackbacks soon. For anyone else who stumbled upon this entry - please feel free to comment 
and use a trackback - it will give me an example to show my beginner bloggers when we get to that lesson!
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My evenings have been filled with crafts and kitchen goodie smells – cutting out bird shaped cinnamon ornaments, glittering up frosted glass hurricanes and miraculously baking marshmallows (who knew!) – along with simple online donation making to specifically selected charitable causes that mean something to family and friends.
It takes a little bit of planning and some extra time but making something for the holidays is a great way to show the people in your life that you care. Whether its baking, crafting or doing whatever you’re an expert at – a gift from the heart is something that will be cherished by the receiver.
For example, this year I received (alright I helped form the idea for it too!) a lovely tin of biscotti from Accentuate Home Staging Design Group. Katherine Van Leeuwan baked cranberry-almond biscotti and wrapped it up in a paint can.
It was delicious and from the heart. She even handmade greeting cards!
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I am often asked to clarify what “exactly” it is that I do for a living. Unfortunately, it would take a long sit down to explain (as my current clients would attest). However, I can share one of the many things that I did today. Today I taught a blogging client the importance of commenting and developing relationships with other complimentary interest bloggers.
When it comes to commenting - its important to have something to say - and be sincere in your comment. Avoid negative “ranting.” And by all means, link back to things you’ve written about -but only if they’re appropriate. The more you comment on other blogs - the more likely you will be remembered and the more readers will follow your links to your blog. Extra bonus - you may get asked to guest write. (You never know!)
So, if you are reading my blog entitled “If You Build It He/She Will Come” you will notice 2 comments that have no relevance to the post – but I like to show people how to do something by actually doing it.
(Don’t think that this is all I do in an hour session. We worked on some sales tips to warm up a “gatekeeper,” analyzed website traffic and decided on what to focus on in the New Year. All in a day’s work for the marketing girl…)
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Visit 
Found a new way to spread the word!
by chenrickson on March 1, 2009
in fresh marketing
Wow, where have I been this last week? I have definitely been writing, just not blog writing and Yelp is why:
I recently discovered the “funness” of Yelp! and I’ve been having a great time writing reviews for local restaurants, shops and services, that I haven’t been blog writing. However, all of this review writing is definitely considered some random acts of kindness.
You can check out all of the businesses I’ve been Yelping about by clicking on my profile over on the sidebar. You can set up a business page with them if you’re a business or just write up reviews on places you like to shop, eat and play.
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