Get ready for that question Somebody walked up to me after a recent speech and said, “In 15 words, why should I do business with you?”

You need a good response. After you have created an elevator pitch and are comfortable presenting it, condense it even further. You might come into contact with someone who may have heard hundreds of elevator pitches and wants something even more concise. They may want 15 words. You have to be ready.

The 15-word response I responded, “I can turn your problems into solutions. I’ve been doing this since 1992.” That was 13 words (five seconds). It met his criteria and helped establish a dialog. We ended up talking for another 10 minutes. When you have an answer, you look competent and invite new business. If you don’t have one, you may end up looking inexperienced to a prospect. I am sharing a few more similar responses for your review. They’re all 15 words or fewer:

I can turn your problems into solutions. I’ve been doing this since .
I can turn your problems into solutions. How can I help you today?
I’m a business owner too. This works for me and my business.
My customers are jumping for joy!
I was skeptical at first, but I gave it a shot. It works great!
My product is not the cheapest, but it is the best value.
You won’t have to think about anymore.
Pay me to think about . You’re running a business.
It works. It works right. You won’t have to think about it at midnight.

Embrace one of these or create one of your own. Create a worksheet to help you answer the “Why should I do business with you?” question. Write the date in the left column and your 15-word responses in the right column. Get ready for this question. You may need a 15-word response tomorrow.

Daphne’s Answer I have a friend, Daphne the Dancer. Daphne already has sufficient information for three elevator pitches. She tells me, “I don’t know what to do. I’m working at my 9-5 job, I’m still teaching at the health club, and I’m launching my business. Can I get 90 seconds to recite three elevator pitches in a row?”

“No. That would confuse everybody. Stick with what you are pursuing. That is how you want people to remember you. That is where you’re looking for help, vendors, customers, and referrals. It’s OK to say what you are pursuing as long as you’re not physically at the 9-5 job or the health club when you say that. Keep your separate occupations separate. It’s also OK to tell people you are launching your own dance studio and it won’t happen in a New York minute.”

“OK. I am going with: ‘My name is Daphne Prancer. I dance. I have danced professionally in 10 countries. I have taught dance locally since 2005 and am opening Daphne Dance Company soon. I am looking for dance students of all ages. It’s OK if they’re deaf-I know sign language.’”

“That sounds pretty good. Let’s move on to another item. What will you say when you don’t have enough time for the elevator pitch? You may have someone approach you and say, ‘Why should I do business with you?’ Daphne, you may be surprised by how many people cannot answer that question quickly.”

She replies, “I can see that happening. How about these:

‘I can help you become a great dancer. That is what I do.’
‘My students have had great results.’
‘I’m not the cheapest, but my students appreciate the quality.’

“How will I know how much time I will have? Somebody may give me enough time for an elevator pitch and the next person may ask me, ‘Why should I do business with you?’ How will I know?”

“Ah yes, that could be a toughie. Here’s something I’ve noticed. Folks who want the 15-word response will usually dart across the room to get to you and then they will get in your face. If you see someone make a beeline to get to you and then stare at you like a cat stares at a mouse, they may be too impatient for the elevator speech. Give them a 15-word response.”

Create your elevator pitch and your 15-word responses today. You may need them tomorrow.

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business card printing can be one of the most crucial things you can do to support who you are, where you come from and what your company has to offer the average consumer. Whenever you run into an old friend or create a casual conversation with a new one, custom business card printing can be your partner in crime. Because of the influx in technology in recent years, it’s easier – and cheaper – than ever to create your own order from home or on the go, wherever there is a computer and an internet connection. Here are a few things to get you started.

As far as the physical attributes of your cards, you’ll want to select the right options for your needs. Paper stocks come in many different types including 12 and 14-point card stock. These provide a sturdier, crisper version than, say, a 100# gloss flyer. That’s because business card printing needs to be able to withstand a fair amount of abuse when being transferred from place to place or housed in a wallet. For the most part, you’ll be able to choose if you’d like a matte finish or even a completely plastic and translucent card at specialty printers.

Coatings are of major importance to the finishing touches of your order. These can make your cards shine like the sun and protect them from any moisture, scratching and smudges. They are a mark of a true professional because they make the whole thing look clean and brilliant. Pick from an aqueous or high gloss UV coating, the standards at most online print companies. Sometimes they will even be able to apply a laminated coating if you’re looking for the ultimate in appeal.

Designing can be a huge issue too, especially if you’re unaware of how to exactly go about doing it. There are online design templates for the person who likes to be able to do it on their own. These are a great idea because once your design is set up, all the printer has to do is send it through the press. The form comes in a print-ready state. Otherwise you can always hire their graphic designers to conceive something unique for you. This can include logos, designs, body copy and layout ideas. Plus, it’s going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than hiring an external source to produce the same. You should always consider these kinds of options when you’re looking to order business card printing.

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Local businesses depend heavily on customer satisfaction, regular clientele, and good reputation. Therefore it is vital to make a favorable impression when meeting the public. It is vital that owners and managers stay above reproach, while maintaining a high profile in the community.

Community Involvement and Local Public Perceptions

It is important to be involved in community events, groups and charity work. Attend local fairs, bazaars, parades and festivals and hand out business cards, small promotional gifts, brochures, sales catalogs or take out menus that are appropriate to promote the store front. It is important to be friendly and outgoing in all public situations. Offer money saving coupons, and gift certificates. When there are community charity raffles, donate a gift certificate to be raffled off. Local marketing frequently involves giving a free sample occasionally.

Social Networking Even Works in Small Towns

Use social networking sites to keep up with clients and try to friend as many people as possible from the community. Build a mailing list of names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses. Send newsletters via e-mail, but no more often that once a month. Send personal e-mails which are friendly and folksy weekly to good clients, close friends, and people in the community, just to say hi. It’s a great idea to build friendships within the community and promote a sense of solidarity between independent store and restaurant owners and managers in the area, both online and in person.

Build a Great Web Presence

Local business marketing online is possible. Start by building a website, which should be frequently updated and informative. Include articles about the area, information about local charities, interesting fact about the products, and a list of products and services. Make the site interesting and attractive. Post the link to the site whenever possible, and make sure the site address is on all the promotional literature and ads for the business.

Run the Business With Integrity

With all the social activities, don’t forget to work hard in the business as well. It is important to satisfy the customers and make sure that prices are fair. Keeping the customer happy is the secret to local business marketing. A friendly smile and a good product are the most important elements of growth of any establishment. Keep a sharp eye on quality, and use customer evaluation cards if those are applicable to the transaction. Repeat business, good publicity and satisfied customers are all vital to local marketing in any town or city. Encouraging people to patronize the location is about providing quality products, good service, fairness and honesty.

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The tried and true ideas are some of the best online business ideas to start an internet business with. Even if you are new to trying to earn money on the internet with you have probably heard about selling things on Craigslist or eBay. But you may not be familiar with affiliate marketing or making money with blogging. Those that master either of these two avenues for making money can make a great living and can even become rich doing so.

As with any business venture you will need to determine what you have the ambition, desire, and passion to do everyday. You’ll also want to set goals that are realistic. You will need to consider the nuts and bolts of businesses such as eBay or Craigslist if you want to sell using them. You probably have some “stuff” around your house right now that will sell but what will you do after those are gone?

With research you can determine what the hot items are and buy those cheaply yourself to then resell. But do you have the storage? What about shipping and handling? There are some great training materials available online to assist you in getting started.

Affiliate marketing is for those who would rather just promote products of other companies without the hassle of dealing directly with customers. This again will take some research to determine the best products to promote.

There are a lot of things to consider when coming up with products to promote. What niche are you most interested in? Will you get your own website to direct customers to first or will you strictly supply a link to the company who’s offering the product?

There are pros and cons of both but long term you’ll benefit the most by having your own website. This way you’ve captured the information (names and email address) of those showing interest in the product. You can then contact them in the future with other promotions.

In considering the products to promote it will be important that you find quality items that do what they say they will do. For example there are a lot of affiliate eBooks for sale that really only give basic information that someone could find easily on their own. And many do not offer true solutions to problems.

On the other hand there are thousands of great products that give you a chance to earn 50% to 80% commissions. Part of your research will be determining what products have the best chance to sell and finding out what your commissions will be. Blogging has become another way to promote products and any other business you have. Blogs are very easy to set up and enable you to find a target audience to drive to your site.

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If you regularly attend business networking events then you probably have a large stack of business cards that you carry with you. Many people just carry them in their pocket which results in them handing out bent and distorted cards – hardly a good impression to set!

For this reason any networker should invest in a smart business card holder or case to house their cards and keep them in good condition. In this article we look at the different types of business card holders that are available and help you choose the right one for you.

Leather card holders

These are probably at the premium end of card holders due to them being created from, or at least layered with, genuine leather. This gives a luxurious feel and due to the natural durability of leather they last a long time.

These make fantastic gifts for friends and colleagues but also help to create a good first impression when you meet somebody at an event for the first time.

Metal card cases

These are often smaller and able to carry fewer cards than other holders but they are still quite stunning nonetheless. Available in a variety of metals from chrome to aluminium, these card cases are very strong and look great.

Rotary card holders

You will recognise these from the desks of cops and office workers in movies from the eighties! These rotary business card holders enable you to quickly flick through your contact list with the aid of index tabs. They often hold hundreds of cards so make a great addition to any office desk.

With the advances in technology however, many people are opting to keep their contacts completely digital and as these rotary systems are not designed to leave the office, their popularity is diminishing.

Savvy business people still have one for cases of technical emergencies anyway, allowing them to find the details of that PC repair guy they met a few months back with ease!

Card wallets

These are usually much larger and are designed to store many business cards for the purpose of presentation. A little bit like a photo album, card wallets provide a great place to put all of the cards you have collected over the months and years in one single place for reference.

These have additional benefits other than simply finding contacts; if you are a fan of innovative design like myself you can use these as a place to store your favourite business card designs and use them for inspiration next time you design a new card.

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So you’ve signed up to a MLM company. You paid something to join, a start up package, or a distribution system, or something of the sort. You probably have been told by your recruiter how easy the money will come once you get the ball rolling.

You’ve probably been told, by the same guy, about the company’s compensation plan, how it is the best in the business, and it’s the only one returning 60%, or whatever the percentage. He also, most likely, told you to make a list of a 100 people you know, and start calling them and pitching your great company and great product and most of all your great opportunity.

OK. You took action. You made a few phone calls and maybe you even held a presentation pitching your company to your family and friends. And who knows, maybe you signed up somebody to your company. Great!

Well, what’s next? You most likely ran out of people to call, or you’re so afraid of the phone by now, that you make up every excuse not to pick it up and dial. You ran out of leads. It’s hard to build a MLM business without leads.

That’s where the internet comes in.

Or actually, internet marketing. On the internet, marketing your opportunity is relatively easy, if you know what you’re doing. And frankly, marketing is the only thing you need to know how to do. You don’t want to sell, you want to market. Also, you don’t want to market your opportunity or product. You want to market YOU. I know it sounds kind of crazy to you, but it really works. What it ultimately boils down to, is this; Network marketing is a people business, and people do not want to join a company, they want to join you.

There are a number of ways to create your own leads online for free, and even more ways to do it at low cost.

There are people on the internet right now making a killing in marketing. They are making five, six, multiple six, and even seven figure incomes, just by marketing online. And marketing themselves, not their products. They are the heavy hitters of the network marketing industry and they certainly know what they are doing. They lead with funded proposals and have systems that spit out daily leads on complete autopilot. They use different kinds of marketing methods, Pay Per Click advertising, social media marketing, article marketing, blogging, and so forth. The opportunities are endless, when it comes to marketing online.

What you really need to do to get your business growing, is to find out what these top producers are doing, what kind of systems they use, and duplicate them. That’s it. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. These heavy hitters have proven ways of marketing and making money. And that’s what it all really comes down to. Making money. That’s why you joined a MLM business in the first place. So, get out there, roam the internet and find out what is working right now and make it work for you. Make some money.

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Are you curious as how to get started building a business online? If you are new to the online business world this article will explain different online business ideas for beginners. Because there are so many different opportunities available to you with the ever-expanding world of internet commerce, it is important to understand how to generate income online as fast as possible. So here are the three tips/ideas I have: affiliate marketing, training, and having an online marketing strategy. Read on and I’ll explain these tips in more detail.

Many beginners look to affiliate marketing as their first endeavor online. This is a great idea, since you won’t have to stock any physical products, deal with customer service issues, and you get to choose what hours you want to work. As an affiliate you will basically be promoting another companies product, and when you get a sale you earn a commission off of that. This is a great online business idea for beginners because the hard part of actually creating the business, the product, website, etc. has already been done for you. All you really need to do is find creative ways to promote that product. How exactly to promote the products will be explained in the next couple of paragraphs.

The next of our online business ideas for beginners is actually more of a recommendation than an idea. Anyway, this recommendation is to find a training program that will help you with your online business endeavors. If you decide to become an affiliate marketer, find a company or a product that has instructions and tips you can follow to become more successful. This is also a good idea just in case you get stuck or if you have any problems, you’ll have someone to help you out. Be careful though; there are scams, so please research the program you are interested in thoroughly before you go ahead and purchase it.

The last online business idea for beginners I have is to come up with an online marketing strategy. You will need to have some sort of strategy no matter what type of online business you’ll be creating. Whether it be affiliate marketing, MLM, or selling your own products online, you will need to make a strategy on how to attract potential customers to see your products. After all, what is a business without customers? Remember that in order for your business to be successful you will need to market it properly and to the right audience. You can find much more information about good marketing strategies just by doing a quick Google search.

In summary, these three ideas can be helpful in your online business endeavors. There are so many opportunities available to you, make sure you research the different programs, make sure they offer training and support, and they can help you devise a fail-proof internet marketing strategy. If you do that you’ll be well on your way to success!

Wishing you the best,

Beth Balcum

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If you are a business minded, creative person with a flair for cooking, a catering business might be an ideal venture for you. Managing your own catering company will give you’re the opportunity to channel your creativity, energy and ideas into something you not only do well, but something you enjoy. Running a catering business, as with any entrepreneurial venture, you will encounter new challenges and be your own boss. The only limits to your catering business will be the ones you place on yourself.

What Do I Need to Know About the Catering Industry

Catering businesses prepare and serve food for social and corporate events. Corporate events include conferences, employee incentive events, customer appreciation events and meetings. Social events, such as weddings, parties or even private dinner parties are another catering market.

While food serve is a very important component, the most important aspect of any business is business development and marketing. Simply put, no clients means no business.

An outgoing, confident personality is a must in the catering industry, especially for anyone working directly with clients. Clients range from meeting planners, to stressed brides to corporate executives. In each case, you will need to not only market the food, but you will be marketing the service also. Clients must be confident in your ability to not only create a delicious meal, but you and your staff must act in a professional manner in every aspect of the event. This means the from the moment you first meet with your client until the final meal is served, the event looks seamless.

Building Your Network

All successful caterers must create a referral network in order to create and stay in business. The easiest way to do this is to introduce yourself to others in the party planning and event management industry. For example, wedding planners, party equipment rental centers, florists and bridal shops are all great connections. Local banquet halls which do not have in-house catering services are another great business lead.

Make sure you always have business cards with you, because you never know who you might run into while waiting in line somewhere. Follow up with your contacts and if you’d really like to show off your culinary skills, drop off sample appetizers or desserts to potential clients.

Catering Business Information and Tips

As with all small business, your success is directly related to your planning and executive of your plan. It is very important to understand your client’s expectations and to meet, or ideally, exceed those expectations.

Keep in mind in the catering business, thirty percent of your time and labors will be related to the food, while seventy percent of your efforts will involve food delivery, equipment rental and staffing. This is why organizational skills are necessary to your success and survival as a catering business.

Enthusiasm, focus and business-savvy decision making skills are also vital to the long term success of your business. Fulfilling your client’s wants and expectations will always be your top priority, and it is important to remember patience and understanding goes a long way in building and maintaining relationships.

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Are you looking for some great small business ideas? You have probably come at a crossroad in your life wherein you believe you are now capable of running your own business. However, the big question remains. What kind of business should you get into? If you are just one person with very limited budget, this article will present to you some of the small businesses that you may want to consider.

But before we proceed any further, keep in mind that having your own business is never an easy thing. Surely you can get the permits, the licenses, the office (or home) space, and all the pieces of equipment that you may need to operate, but making good money out of it is another matter. I have seen countless number of first-time business owners close shop within just a few months since they opened simply because they did not plan well. Do a market research. Create a marketing or business plan. In short, be overly prepared before you even make the first great move to owning a business.

Here are some small business ideas that you may want to include in your list of prospects:

Start an online business. Getting a domain name, a web hosting account, and creating a website has gotten so much easier as compared to maybe almost a decade ago. Now, thanks to various services and tools, even complete Internet newbies can create their own sites within less than a day. It is now a matter of point and click system, wherein if you can point and click using your mouse, then you can now put up a website.

Offer your skills or talents. Are you good in writing sales letters or articles? There is a hot demand right now for really good copywriters and article writers. You can get writing projects from online business owners to the regular shop owner down the street. Because for as long as business need to market their business, there will always be a need for people who can write great marketing copy.

Put up your dream shop. Have you always wanted to own a selling miniature die cast cars? Now you can, and with the right promotion and marketing, you can earn a good income from it. It is called selling within a niche and in this case, you will be selling to people who loves collecting small metal cars. There are a lot of niches out there, and chances are you can set up a store based on it.

Go into a food business. Start a small restaurant, a convenience store or a bakery. The premise is that people will always need food and so it means you will always have a business because of that. Of course that logic is far from being perfect but the idea that you are selling a commodity based on real human wants, then having a food business makes complete sense.

Go into a consultancy business. Depending on your profession, you may want to start consulting with other businesses. If you are in construction then you can become a general contractor, if you into marketing then you can assist other small business owners with their marketing campaigns. This is one of the small business ideas that have always been quite popular.

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Small businesses are everywhere, but only a few actually have made it to the top. Obviously, if you are like me, you look at a small business as a sizable investment because no matter how small it is, there is still a start-up cost to pay. In this day and age, people are looking to save as much money as they can. Unfortunately, the economy isn’t what it used to be and people have had to adjust. But yet, even in these hectic times, time is till moving forward, and everyone is looking to become an entrepreneur.

Given below are the top 10 small business ideas for 2010 that are likely to grow and become very popular over the coming years:

1. Organic Cloth Diapers – The neat thing about this is that it is very simple. You can find organic cloth almost anywhere, and if you own a sewing machine and know how to sew a diaper, you are all set. Right now, people are struggling just to pay the electric bill, let alone pay for diapers. Another great thing is that people will never stop having kids, and they will also never want to stop saving money! To boot, they are contributing to a healthier environment – which is something that has become very crucial…and even trendy!

2. Working From Home Online – A business that lets you promote products, such as affiliate marketing is expected to grow enormously over the next few years. The great thing about it is that the start up cost is small, and all you need is your computer to work!

3. Offer Services From Your Own Home – If you have a designated space in your home that you could call your office, then this would be the perfect idea. Since you are into saving money, a home office is just the thing to have. Most entrepreneurs spend money on office space, which can really cut into their expenses.

4. Organic Produce – As I’m sure you have noticed, everyone is talking about the whole concept of “going green”. There have been more discoveries made about health and the benefits of living a healthy, “green” lifestyle in the past five years more than ever before. People are always looking for a way to save, and be safe also. Organic produce isn’t grown using harsh chemicals, and that is what separates it from the rest.

5. Trash Treasures – Do you have an accumulation of cans, cardboard, old clothing, etc? Instead of throwing it out, find something to make with it. There are a bunch of websites that freely give out ideas on easy arts and crafts. You could start by creating a few things, get your own website, and operate your business right from the comfort of your own home.

6. Outsourcing – This is something else that is becoming more popular as time passes by. The pay is good, and it also gives you a chance to become highly recognized without having to do a lot of advertising.

7. Online Home Business – There are seriously thousands of small business ideas you could choose. You could choose to make or sell soy candles, makeup, household cleaner, t-shirts, office equipment, greeting cards, etc. Either way, it’s something you need to think about that could possibly create a very lucrative profit.

8. Seasonal Businesses – And I’m not talking about just for one season. Something that you could do (and I am sure it would be profitable) would be to buy and sell products from distributors that are put out just for the season. Be sure that other stores such as Wal-Mart and Target do not carry the same products. Make your products 100% unique. For example, in spring, sell “spring-cleaning” products. In February, sell chocolates, and other Valentine’s Day gifts. In summer, sell school supplies, etc. People will want to buy your products because they are unique and the ideas keep changing, so it’s also very interesting!

9. Traveling Businesses – This idea is a lot like a lemonade stand. You transport your products with you and advertise your business by selling at different locations. This will help tremendously with bringing the customers to you.

10. Freelancing Business Ideas – This involves staying at home and providing your professional writing and blogging services to various clients. A great way to advertise is to create a website as well as write for other websites at discount prices to attract more clientele.

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