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These articles by Teena Chandy and Melinda Sherwood were published in U.S. 1 Newspaper on June 30, 1999.
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Business Promotion: Better, Not Bigger
You have just started a business and you want to get
the word out. Perhaps you’ve built a company website or run an ad
in the daily newspaper. Setting your sights high is good, says Al
Warr of the Business Owners Institute, but when it comes to promoting
a small business, “bigger” is not necessarily better. “American
Express can send out a million pieces of mail and work with a 1.2
percent return, but if Joe’s Plumbing Shop does that it’s going to
seriously cut into his budget,” Warr says. “You can spend
a lot of money on various types of promotion and you may get two calls.”
Warr will give “14 Proven Techniques to Promoting Your Small Business,”
on Thursday, July 1, at noon at the Business Owners Institute at 676
Route 202/206 North in Bridgewater. The seminar is free. Call 908-526-1500.
At the Business Owners Institute, Warr helps entrepreneurs find the
money they need to start up or go public with their companies. “I
always recommend that people put their own money aside in order to
introduce discipline to the equation,” he says, “because you
have to pay back the money every month. If you use your own money
you use excuses that a bank or an investment house or a friend won’t
take.”
Warr comes from both corporate and small business backgrounds. A chemist,
he went to Mercer University in Georgia and did rocket research during
the Sputnik era. He left a job at an oil company at Exit 8A to found
a graphics company that pioneered in high-end computerized typesetting
for Wall Street businesses. In 17 years he grew it to be a $5 million
firm and then sold it. He has also had a documentary film company,
a real estate firm, and a classical music publication.
Most people starting a small business don’t know much about promotions
and advertising because “they’ve always had someone else take
care of it,” he says. “We talk to a lot of corporate people
and they want to own a small business,” he says. “Corporate
America and small business are two different planets,” and when
it comes to promoting a business, they speak a different language
too.
Small business owners, for example, shouldn’t try to spread the word
far and wide; they need to focus on boosting their visibility within
the local community. Warr’s suggestions:
Use the community newspapers. Community newspapers havea longer shelf-life than dailies, says Warr, which means your ad willgo further.Create a simple brochure. Even if it’s simple two-foldor three-panel brochure created on your own computer and reproducedat OfficeMax or Staples, have it ready to go, says Warr.Get involved with the community. Sponsoring a softballteam or a volunteer effort goes a long way towards getting the businessmessage out.Use trade magazines.The best way to bring in new customers, though, is to focuson the ones already there, says Warr: “They will tell everyoneelse about you.”Top Of PageCorporate ServiceIn today’s tight labor market, it is very difficultto keep people motivated, says Robert Murray, president of RCPManagement Company, a Research Park property management firm. Oneof the tools he uses to retain his staff and keep them happy abouttheir jobs is by letting them do community service. “It’s a paidday off and almost like a company picnic. They work shoulder to shoulderon a project that benefits the community,” says Murray. “Itdevelops a sense of team work and camaraderie that they can’t getfrom their day-to-day jobs.”Everybody has a duty to give back something to the community, saysMurray. Working together in a community service activity makes theemployees feel that their company is involved, says Murray. “Itmight be difficult for an individual to give of themselves but asa group you can give a lot.” Murray speaks on volunteerism inAmerica at the Princeton Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday,July 1, at 11:30 a.m. at the Forrestal. Cost: $28. Call 609-520-1776.Murray and his three dozen employees volunteer their time and laborone week of the year to participate in Habitat for Humanity’s effortsto build houses in the Trenton area. “If they feel they are partof this community, this is their chance to help others in their communitywho may not have the jobs and benefits that they enjoy,” saysMurray.The goal of Habitat for Humanity is to help eliminate substandardhousing in various communities one neighborhood at a time, says Murray,whose commercial and property management company has been involvedwith Habitat’s efforts for many years. Murray graduated with a degreein American Studies from Yale University in 1962, and has served inthe United States Navy and in Vietnam.Murray is also involved in Habitat’s corporate support advisory committee,which aims to raise money to build 15 houses in the North Clintoncorridor of Trenton, a project connected to the overall redevelopmentof the area along with the Department of Housing and the City of Trenton.Habitat for Humanity, the international Christian ministry dedicatedto providing all people with affordable housing, has built 85,000houses since its inception in 1976. Habitat has spread to 1,500 communitiesin the United States and 50 countries around the world. In 1998 Habitat’shouse-building efforts in the Trenton area raised $119,600 from individuals,$135,460 from businesses, and $55,088 from churches. Six familiesin Trenton were provided with houses last year.Some companies contribute labor for their community service days.This month, for instance, FMC Corporation sent employees out on 12different one-day projects, and, says Kristine Piazza, 25 ofthe FMC-ers worked at Habitat for Humanity sites.Every year, during Habitat’s “corporate building blitz” week,corporations in the area make a $5,000 contribution and volunteerfor much of the labor. Some companies sponsor the costs of a wholehouse, or a substantial portion of it. Last year Bristol Myers Squibb,Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Summit Bank, Congoleum, Merrill Lynch, Church& Dwight, Gillespie Advertising, NorWest Mortgage Company, and TargetStores participated in building houses in the Trenton area.Typically, says Murray funds for construction come entirely from privatesources. Low income families selected to become the future home ownersprovide 500 hours of “sweat equity” and they can purchasea completed house from Habitat with a no-interest mortgage. Thosemortgage payments are recycled to build more homes in the area.”In RCP’s case, the boss always comes and works with everybodyelse and that is part of the joy,” says David Gibbons, executivedirector of Habitat for Humanity.”I got involved with Habitat for Humanity because I wanted togive not just monetary but also physical support to achieve theirobjective,” says Murray. “My employees are working on a buildingtrade they know nothing about. It appeals to their sense of prideand workmanship. Like vacation and sick days, an opportunity to docommunity service is another benefit you can offer.”– Teena ChandyTop Of PageGood Networking:Ask QuestionsYou don’t have to be a Machiavellian, but strategy isessential when you’re working a crowd, says David Bailin, founderof the Professional Alliance Exchange — a networking group forprofessionals. “Many people equate networking with idle gossip,”he says. “People often go to a networking function and talk aboutanything from the weather to sports and at the end they’ve had a funtime but no new leads.”In the techno-centric world of business, schmoozing could easily becominga lost art, says Bailin. Drawing on 13 years experience at the Prudentialand New York Life, Bailin composed an original seminar entitled “Toolsof the Trade: Networking, Follow-up and Client Retention,” thathe presents for free on Friday, July 9, at 8 a.m. at the Daily PlanIt on 707 Alexander Road. Call 732-274-0098.Bailin, who earned a BS in finance and marketing at Lehigh University,Class of 1984, wrote his first business seminar on networking whilerecruiting for Prudential. Now president of his own home-based business– Comprehensive Assets Management — Bailin has a completerepertoire of seminars that build on his knowledge of business andfinancial planning. These are often centerpieces for the ProfessionalAlliance Exchange meetings on the first Friday of each month.Networking, says Bailin, can help you establish the personal relationshipsthat keep people loyal. “You want your clients to become emotionallyattached to your business,” he says. Once you have establisheda personal relationship, he says, “it wouldn’t matter whetheryour product was good or bad or lower priced, as long as you havea line at your door you’re always going to be in business.”By building solid relationships with other business people, you alsoelevate your standing with clients. “You can recommend someone,not just refer someone,” he says. Ultimately, that reflects betteron your company.How do you get from being a nameless face (or a faceless name) amongpotential clients, partners or employers? Bailin says that good networkersshould be strategic but brief, and ask lots of questions:Begin with the end in mind. “When you go to a networkingfunction know that the purpose is to develop sales leads, or do whateverit is you’re looking for,” he says. Get specific: if you wantto leave with the names of 10 people who might be good contacts, setthat as your goal. Whatever you do, don’t confuse business with friendship,he says.Don’t push, pull. Don’t jump out with a sales pitch. “Ifyou think of that pushy salesperson stereotype in your mind, you probablydon’t think of them asking questions — you think of them as tellingyou things,” he says. By asking questions, the “psychologyof reciprocity” goes to work for you. “If you want to tellsomeone about your company, ask them what they do,” he says. “Theywill typically turn around after and ask what you do. You’ve achievedyour objective and the other person doesn’t think about it as beinguncomfortable because it’s normal conversation.”Quit early. Sometimes people will try to do too much,says Bailin. “The objective is to get just enough informationto develop relationships at a later date,” he says. Don’t justcollect business cards: you’ll get a lot of business cards, but nota lot of contacts.Follow-up within 48 hours. Schedule a time to really discussyour ideas.Network 24-7. “If you’re responsible for any kindof client retention, you should be networking 24-hours a day,”says Bailin. Eventually it becomes second nature, and doesn’t needto be more than a 20-second conversation.In settings that are not specifically oriented to business networking,you can be gracious by keeping the conversation short. “The bestthing someone can hear is `this is neither the time nor the place,let’s set a time to follow-up.'”Bailin admits that even he sometimes needs to psychologically preparehimself for networking. His personal trick: “As I’m going in I’llthink about other networking successes in the past — when I metsomeone who didn’t seem like much but who turned out to be a goodrelationship.”– Melinda SherwoodTop Of PageEnergy QuestionsIf you think you will be confused by the energy deregulationprocess (who isn’t?) and if you are a program chairman of a businessgroup or club, call the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to schedulea workshop. These free workshops result from a partnership with RutgersUniversity to help small companies make their energy choices in thenew competitive marketplace.The Small Business Energy Awareness Program will provide nearly 200presentations to chambers of commerce, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, andother business alliances. Using federal grant funds of $134,900, theCooperative Extension department of the university will distributespecific energy efficiency, renewable, electric and natural gas restructuringliterature to small business owners.”Rutgers University has already demonstrated its expertise ineducating entrepreneurs and small businesses about important managementand consumer issues,” says Herb H. Tate, NJBPU president.The Electric Discount/Energy Competition Act mandates a minimum 10percent rate reduction over 36 months for all New Jersey consumers,starting August 1. Electricity customers will also save an extra fivepercent in the next 48 months, due to the Energy Tax Reform Act of1997.”Small business owners are also residential customers and activein their communities,” says Commissioner Carmen J. Armenti,”and educating these key customers will help disseminate the wordabout deregulation throughout New Jersey.”Top Of PageCorporate AngelsJoe Savino, general agent of Northwestern MutualLife at 777 Alexander Road, underwrote the awards dinner for the Tributeto Women and Industry program sponsored by YWCA Princeton last month.Public Service Electric & Gas presented the New JerseyState Museum $5,000 to help fund the world debut exhibition of “UnseenTreasures: Imperial Russia and the New World,” which will debutat the Museum on September 26. The New Jersey State Museum is theonly stop on the East Coast for this collection of over 300 art objectsand artifacts from 18th and 19th century Russia.Twenty-seven New Jersey high school graduates will receive scholarshipawards of up to $6,500 this summer, jointly sponsored by AT&T,the Communication Workers of America, and the InternationalBrotherhood of Electrical Workers . The awards are given to studentswhose parents are AT&T employees.Among them are Ripan Kadia, from Hillsborough High School, whowill attend the University of Pennsylvania, and Jane Wu, fromHolmdel High School, who will attend Princeton University.Duron Paint is lending a helping hand and a fresh newlook to the YWCA of Trenton, which celebrates its 95th anniversarythis year. Duron has provided a donation of goods and services tofacilitate the much needed painting of the YWCA’s gymnasium, fitnesscenter, children’s room, and more.Previous StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
