Entrepreneurs are creating massive wealth with new marketing software business!

Last year was an amazing year for my company Augment Marketing Group. To top it off, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the largest universities, oil companies, and medical centers in Houston not to mention the vast number of small businesses I have consulted over the years. But what really takes the cake, if you will, is an opportunity I found to buy a marketing software business that literally turns the B.I.G. system I created over one year ago into a true reality.

As a marketing consultant for small businesses, I have entrepreneurs work through a comprehensive survey to develop a customized marketing plan to best suit their needs (found on my website www.augmentgroup.com). Many of the businesses I have worked with have all needed the B.I.G. System because it helps build brand awareness, increase interest, and generate revenues. What I was missing however, was a turn-key implementation system that helped small business owners implement their marketing plan. I actually even thought about developing this software on my own. Now, I don't have to - thanks to this amazing new marketing software business.

I'm only telling you about this because if you have to rely on your own efforts to do the marketing for your business or you want an opportunity to provide marketing solutions to your clients you might want to research this grand opportunity. With a team called Mentors4u of Passport to Wealth, I have been able to provide my clients with marketing software to help implement more effective marketing strategies.

For more information, visit the marketing software business website. I found that only this team provides the kind of support to really achieve massive results in building wealth with online marketing. They offer free weekly webinars, support and training to their members. Records indicate that entrepreneurs and marketers are seeing immediate results.

As a marketing consultant, this software solution has given me a huge edge over my competitors. I can bet they are not offering this type of free training.

Aged Shelf Corps with Funding Gives Businesses a Boost

Are you looking for a way to boost the foundation of your business? You can actually purchase (which can be costly), an Aged Shelf Corporation that will give your business the distinction of being in business as long as the aged shelf corp was in business. Imagine what this can do for you when trying to obtain funding or trying to get a large contract. The credibility of being in business for over five years can play a huge role with banks, potential clients, and government requisitions.

There is a lot of information out there. It's really hard to distinguish which companies are legitimate and which ones might not be knowledgeable. Here are some things to look for:

1. Full disclosure
2. Funding options included in the offer
3. Marketing packages should be included
4. Paydex scoring
5. Customer service and support

Aged Shelf Corps Funding is a website that I felt offered the full agreement right up front. You don't have to call a sales rep just to know more about it, you do not have to rely on someone calling you back, you don't have to wait for answers...It's simply all right there at your finger tips. I thought that was very important.

If you can afford it, it's an amazing boost to your business. The success of a business begins with the strength of the foundation. Purchasing Aged Shelf Corps and matching that with Funding can turn your business into a profit making machine. Augmenting your business can be that easy.

Aged Shelf Corps plus Funding is one solution to building a strong corporation from the very beginning. Trust me when I say, the banks care and your clients care. Wouldn't it be nice to tell them, not only do I have 15 years experience, but I've owned my corporation for 10 years.

No that is not dishonest. It simply is a corporation that you purchased. Like a subsidiary or a franchise, turn-key business. Large corporations do this all the time to expand and so can you.

5 Things you can do to augment your marketing - The only way to get it all done!

Just think about it. You own your own business, you are starting to really see some success, you still have to think about the sales, the marketing, the finances, etc... So, how do you get it all done? It all boils down to proper planning, vision, time management, hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Sure, I could name more but those are the basic core values you have to have to achieve success. We spoke previously about writing down priorities. Zig Ziglar gave us some really great advice, "Only work on 6 "TOP" priorities a day". What else can you do?

In order to augment your marketing, you have to have the right systems in place. I really focus my time on analyzing automation. Ask yourself what more you can do to systematically deliver marketing. Listen, take it from me; someone who has to market for other businesses as well as their own, marketing is tough work. None the less, if you are dedicated to making this business work, you can bet you may have to commit to late nights, pushing the envelope, being innovative and creative. It takes all of these qualities to get it all done!

Are you just another business trying to mark your territory in this land of opportunity? Is there a way for you to really make strides? You may be a small and growing business but your ideas are huge. Make a difference by:

1. In one sitting, brainstorm 12 topics that you could write about to start generating PR for your business. Be creative here and try to connect public relations, consumer education, and a news worthy event. (ex: Business: Day Care - One article may be about safety awareness. Invite the police and fire fighters to your day care. Have Blue Cross Blue Shield come out...invite them all. Have a huge safety awareness day and make an event out of it. Write about it, make news, follow-up with an article to parents about safety. The list goes on).
   
2. In one sitting, create your event calendar based on your business and seasonal purchases. (ex: Business: Youth Retail - Have a back to school sales planned in advanced, Spring into action sale, Christmas Toy Drive, etc...)
3. Start a constant communication campaign. Either send postcards regularly, thank you notes, emails, or phone calls. This should be done on a regular basis. Get out your calendar and schedule it out in one sitting. This will eliminate falling behind and procrastination.
4. In one sitting, develop a call list of new potential clients. If you do this Sunday night, your list is made for the week and you will be more efficient.
5. Make sure you have one marketing task on your list of 6 priorities for the day. (ex: upload the latest news to your website, post a new article to your site, write an ad for your local paper, etc.. ) Even writing down your marketing vision will progress your marketing).

If you try these 5 things, you will augment your marketing this year. The key here is to set each one up for the whole year in one sitting. While you are in the mood to create ideas, you can develop the campaign all at once. By doing this, you are really combating procrastination and communication delays. Tell the rest of us, what you do to get it all done.

The biggest lesson I learned that enhanced my marketing results.

The biggest lesson I learned that enhanced my marketing results was one that I heard from Zig Ziglar himself. He said, "Write down (6) six things everyday that are most important from top priority down. Do this everyday, 365 days a year. You will produce results." He is right!

Have you ever had those days where you were extremely busy but did not feel like you achieved all that you set out to do. That might have been the day you were side tracked, took on too many phone calls, answered one to many emails, or the like. In fact, we can get so busy some days that we never touch on ANY of the important tasks we need to do.

Stop! Take a moment and jot down the 15 or so things that have to be done this week. From there, categorize and prioritize the most important. Shooting for no more than 6 priority tasks each day. Include at least one marketing task for your business. It's important to always focus on marketing and sales because it's the life line of your business. Without revenue, your company may cease to exist.

Start now. Don't hesitate. I started this as a new years resolution and it has done wonders for achieving those things I just couldn't seem to find time for in the past. None the less, it was very important on growing my business so I took charge of my "To Do" lists. You should do the same.

How Often Should You Email Your Clients?

Good news travels fast, but how often is considered too much? Well, that's a debate and it really depends on a lot of factors. First and foremost, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you have an opt-in list?
2. Are your messages targeted?
3. Do you get to the point?
4. Do you have an objective for contacting them? (i.e. sales, informative, educational)
5. Do you bring value to your readers?

These are simple questions you can ask to begin deciding how often you should contact your clients. In a sales environment, I've seen emails come across weekly if not daily in some cases. In an informative or educational environment, I've seen weekly or monthly. Rest assured that people are getting a lot of email correspondence frequently and they are also bombarded with traditional advertisements on a daily basis. Is this overload?

Here are a few quick tips:

• A good rule of thumb is around 2-3 times a month (depending on your objective)
• Poll your clients to see if the correspondence reaches your goal
• Take an educational approach to build trust
• Review your spam or opt-out statistics
• Offer what your clients really want to hear or buy (use targeted list)

These quick marketing tips should help you but in the industry, there is much debate about this. The question still remains how much is too much or too little for that matter? If you don't contact the client on a regular basis, they'll buy from your competitor. If you contact them too much, they'll become annoyed. You just can't seem to win for loosing. The important factor is that you reach your target audience with a valuable message they need.

Tell us what worked for you so we can pass that to other aspiring entrepreneurs.

3 Lessons to Augment Your Credibility!

Earlier this month we had a really great article on "Becoming the Expert". We talked about becoming the expert or preferred provider in any field by using PR or publicity to get exposure. Advertising budgets are competing now more than ever with PR budgets because both are very important when building a brand. What if you could do both? How would you do it? One company that used publicity to build a great brand is Microsoft. Did you know that Microsoft is the second most important brand next to Coca-Cola, according to Interbrand, a brand research company? Amazingly, its not the amount of revenues that this company brings in, or the dollar spent on advertising that this poll is based on, it's the value of the brand in the mind of consumers.

You're questioning how to do this by now. Here are a few tips:

1) Leak information to the media. Do you write press releases? Certainly something you are doing is news worthy and can be built into a news story. For small businesses, there are a ton of free online PR news forums that will submit your articles. Of course, this isn't going to secure media attention in most cases; however, when consumers begin searching about your company on the internet, finding an article or two is a credibility builder.

2) Name your business or product properly. If you are going to go to all the trouble of having a great product or service or company for that matter, you had better name it something that generates a little buzz. Something new, fresh and creative is important. Two major mistakes, creating a line extension of an existing brand or too generic to have substance. The media likes "new" ideas. Refer to the branding section of this blog for ideas.

3) Build your credentials. There is only one way to do this and that is to obtain the degrees, certifications, build the reputation, work with those who are already considered credible. This too can be read under "Become an Expert" section of this blog. Having someone attached to your product or service that is a doctor or already branded as an expert can give your product leverage in the media. If you begin taking an educational approach with consumers you will begin establishing credibility as well. Just think of a product that makes it to Oprah. After she is done talking about your company, you can bet, it's like putting a gold stamp right across your name. Oh, don't forget to add this type of endorsement on your website. Seeing a "as seen on Oprah, or as heard on Channel 2 News" etc... is also a credibility builder.

Listen, the first thing you have to do is envision where you want to be in three to five years. You will be amazed when your plan starts coming to fruition when you really see where the future can take you. Plan for it, experience it, and envision the possibilities. Soon you will be there.

Augment Your Sales: 2 things you can do immediately!

Marketing and sales is what keeps your business going, right? An infusion of both can help your business soar. If you are feeling a little stagnant and need to augment your marketing and sales read these two tips and put an action plan in place to implement immediately.

1. Overcome fear and develop courage and self-confidence. Part of that comes from practice and knowledge (knowing your product, competitors, and potential rejections). Having a well thought out presentation is also helpful. That doesn't mean to over do it and get all stressed out. Have a professional presentation printed on quality materials and dress well. Confidence shows!

2. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call your prospect. The worst that can happen is that they say "NO". What always works best for me is to be patient. Just keep calling (not harrassment), but keep in touch. Being in the right place at the right time is critical. Increase your call number by at least 5 people a day. This will get you more sales ultimately.

These tips are designed to be easy enough to implement immediately. Just a few ideas each day will help your business to grow.

What do you to overcome fear, break barriers or increase sales?

Augment Online and Grow: Quick Tips

" Augment: To succeed online, augment your website with offline promotion, constant maintenance of your site, participation in newsgroups and forums, email, chatroom attendance, posting articles, hosting conferences and rapid follow-up." (Guerrilla Tips from Advisor Today News, 2003).

Wow... This is great advice. Augment means to enhance, to grow, to make larger. Yes, these things will work; however, you also have to incorporate long-term strategy. What does this mean? We will cover long-term strategy more often in this blog, but for now to state it briefly, keep the end in mind.

Where do you want to go? How can you get there? Let's discuss.

Use "The Secret" on your brand and watch it grow

I'm sure you have all heard about the documentary "The Secret" by now. Take this challenge. Put a pencil to paper and tell me if you could have any end result you could imagine, what would your brand look like? What would it feel like? Following the core branding values in this Blog, write down how your brand would look. I want to hear about it.

Aren't brands really a culmination of emotions meet logic? Trust me on this one. If you write down what you want your brand to end up like in 1 year, 3 years and 5 years, I will bet you that you will be somewhere close if you are committed to building your brand.

Tell me your thoughts on the subject and what successes you have had with planning and developing your brand.

My Biggest Fear is Speaking!

We are all struck with fear when we speak, well let me just say most. Few gifted individuals have the gift of gab without the fear - how dare they. For the most part, however, the rest of us are "um'ing and awe'ing" our way through it. I'm reading a book I just have to tell you about. The author is Marcia Yudkin. She has a host of marketing information if you love diving into the subject like I do. On the flip side, she also talks about speaking and writing and a lot more.

Her book is "Smart Speaking". I learned a new speaking strategy that at first seemed kind of weird. It's called "Plosive Polishing"...What? Apparently, plosives are a group of eight sounds in English that make an explosive sound when pronounced. They are:

1. b ex: cab
2. p ex: tip
3. d ex: lead
4. t ex: light
5. k ex: back
6. g ex: big
7. ch ex: church
8. j ex: judge

Her book is really easy to read. If you are like me and you would rather pull your hair out strand by strand than to speak sometimes, read "Smart Speaking: 60-second strategies" it really works. The exercises are easy and fun. The only other thing I would recommend is to get rid of the audience...just kidding.

If you just spend a few minutes a day reading aloud, sounding out plosive sounds, and practicing when its time to speak, the jitters do seem to subside. Finally, facing your fears head-on (which is what I did) will finally keep your fears on a leash.

What do you do to relax before speaking?

5 Simple Tips to Name Your Business

Naming your business can inspire growth and it can hinder growth if you're not careful. I have researched several ideas that might help you come to a final conclusion and should absolutely be considered.

1. Avoid acronyms in your company name. How many companies are named ABC, NBC, etc. etc... Since we are no longer driven by telephone book advertising, having an A-name or acronym is not necessary especially for marketing purposes. If you noticed large companies (in most cases), didn't use their acronyms until they were well known and already branded. i.e. - HP, Hewlett Packard; IBM, International Business Machines Corporation; GM, General Motors. Just be careful when you are starting out. Using acronyms can make it difficult for a small fish differentiate in big pond.
2. Be easy to spell and pronounce. If someone says, "huh?, can you repeat that?, or gives you a totally different name when they repeat it back to you" ...it's definitely a good idea to rethink your naming strategy.
3. Be careful not to be a brand extension. I truly believe that each child (Jr.) and each brand name, needs its own identity. A study showing movies that were the II, III, or extension of a very successful first version never did as well as the first. Identity is so important and having a unique fingerprint in the world of brands is important to your success.
4. Can you build a brand with it? Really ask yourself if the brand is clear and concise. Certainly, you can have a Starbucks, nothing to do with coffee really and it has worked for them, but you have to always consider your brands clarity. If you do not have a lot of resources to brand your image like a Starbucks, you need to sit down an go over the 7 Core Branding Values article on this blog and start your own brainstorming.
   
5. Beware similar products and names. Be careful in naming your product or service a name that has 100's of other product names. I recently had a client with a very popular name and trust me, getting a name like that high on the search engines when you have a small marketing budget is quite the challenge. You can name your company Tri-star or Triple AAA this or that, but you are in for a big surprise when trying to brand your product or service.
   

The key here is to really brainstorm and think about the different names you can come up with. I have a link to a company that names your business in the favorite links section of this blog or find a small business marketing consultant to help. Most importantly, research your options. Another great website is www.wordlab.com.

How ever you decide to come up with your name, make sure to have fun, think of long-term effects, and make sure you are comfortable with the end result most of all.

Become the Expert and Win Business

Everyone will listen to experts, right? How do you become one? Unless you are highly qualified already and have multiple certifications and/or degrees, it might be a long journey to becoming "The Expert" trusted adviser in your field. However, I believe that this is a long-term strategy that can be a won if you follow a few simple techniques:

1. Write articles for your local newspaper. Don't you remember writing letters to the editor? Pick up a magazine or newspaper and read the style of that journal. Once you get a feel for the type of writing, give it a shot. If you do get published, this clearly gives you a great start to a portfolio that will build lasting credibility. If your not a great writer, there is only one way to get better and that's to start writing.
2. Know your target audience. You will hear me say this a million times. I don't know how many times I have to tell my clients to narrow their audience. The more defined the easier to target.
3. Always be prepared and do your homework. I spend at least 1000 hours a year studying marketing and case studies. Anything and everything that has to do with marketing, PR, online marketing, etc... I'm reading about it. With fast changes in every industry just about, you have to be cutting edge and knowledgeable to speak as an expert.
4. Develop a long-term strategy. Another bit of advice you will hear from me often. Becoming an expert isn't an overnight plan. In fact, if you do not develop the mind set that it's going to take time to build your credibility, you will not be able to get past the quick fix syndrome that many small business owners have. Think about posting articles, starting a blog, speaking engagements, educating consumers, or building a portfolio of events and press releases that demonstrate your expertise.
5. How about a newsletter and email list. A small article in a local newspaper can generate an email opt-in list if you give away free advice by directing them to sign up for your newsletter online. It's really quite simple. Think about all the topics you can cover. Plan them out over a year. Develop the articles and send out a blast at least once a month but typically no more than three.
   

Credibility is a journey not a quick fix solution. Your action plan is to write down five things you can do to start building your credibility and the title of being "The Expert" in your field. List the five things and then spend a few minutes each week building a to do list that gets you from A to Z. Start now and before you know it, you'll have five published articles, three speaking engagements, eight press releases and a host of credible resources for your portfolio.

Most of all, credibility builds trust and trust generates sales. You have to crawl before you can walk. Plan today!

Inspired by Growth on a Budget: Can it be done?

Growing can sometimes be painful and expensive. I have personally scoured hundreds of websites claiming low-cost marketing tips. I've done the research and I've got the experience, so what did I find? Great news. Let me give you 10 of my favorite tried and true marketing for small business tips that can work for any industry, any time.

1. Focus your marketing. If you do not know your target audience, spend some time trying to figure that out. It will save you 1000's of dollars in the long run giving you a bigger budget to work with.
   
2. Direct Mail. It's affordable, still works great and can be used as a test marketing strategy for bigger, costlier ads in the future.
3. Visit Trade Shows. That's right, you don't actually have to participate to make a trade show worth your while. Just make sure you have clear objectives and work with what you've got. With some professional business cards in place, you'll be sure to capture some new leads.
4. Image is Everything. Have professional materials printed to give out. This alone is branding 101 and something that's hard to reverse if the first impression is a bad one. Read "Image is Everything" below. If you have to, print one at a time to save on bulk costs until more sales come through the door.
   
5. Plan.Plan.Plan. Even if you just right down some simple goals each month. Number of calls, number of follow-ups, number of sales, number of profits. Something that will motivate you to reach for bigger goals.
6. Stay in Contact. Be sure to have a contact system in place to respond to potential clients and clients consistently. This drip marketing method is a great way to develop long-lasting relationships. There are plenty of free and trial CRM software programs available.
7. Strategy. Develop a long-term strategy. Connect your product or service to something larger than you. By doing this you will give meaning to your product or service and consumers trust those who have their best interest at heart. Volunteering is free and can bring in new leads.
   
8. Co-brand. Look for alliances, partners or those products and services that compliment yours. Teaming up can be a great way to cut costs and reach different segments when marketing.
9. Find Your Niche. I don't care if it takes you every day for a year. Constantly ask how you are different than your competitor. Implement loyalty programs, free trials, anything that will gain consumer trust so they can see you are different and all you really pay out of pocket is the cost of the product.
   
10. Customer Service. You're bringing in the client finally, so be sure to have a strong follow-through. Listening to their needs, sending thank-yous, over delivering, and a strong handshake can make all the difference in the world. Customer retention is definitely the least costly marketing you can do. You've already spent the money to get them in the door. Now...WOW them!

Tell us how you save money and time when marketing your new business.

7 Core Values of Branding: Implement now while you’re young

A Brand Building Strategy that’s built on brand-centric feedback and customer experiences. According to, A New Brand World written by Scott Bedbury et. al., marketing and branding work through building an emotional experience for your client not necessarily a logical one. Emotional hot buttons are extremely effective. The author points out (7) core branding values that every brand should follow:

1. Simplicity (Risk insult for the sake of clarity)

2. Patience (Solid brands are patient and realize that it is not built overnight but with specific strategies in place)

3. Relevance (You cannot build a lasting company on one product or service. Look for relevance and alliances to create more opportunity)

4. Accessibility (Always include your website address, phone number and contact information, and always follow-up with some sort of response)

5. Humanity (Connect your brand to something much larger, more timeless, and more interesting than just your company, no matter how great you think it is)

6. Omni-presence (Place your brand where it needs to be to represent your values, fulfillment of our higher values)

7. Innovation (Create an inspiring environment and hire people who have the same values as you have)

A good brand parent has a well thought out vision, mission and core-values as well as a business plan and business model. Take an online survey at www.augmentgroup.com to learn more about your marketing readiness.

If there is one thing that Scott Bedbury knows, it's good brand parenting. He has lead some of the largest conglomerates in the world to reach even higher grounds. Just to name two, Nike and Starbuck's. Advice doesn't get any better than this.

Kids Can Build Marketing Skills Too: Parents have fun helping...

Listen to this creative and exciting activity for kids. Wouldn't it be a fun experience to teach your child business skills, marketing skills, and money managing skills all by trying this exercise? Have your child do the following:

1. Pick a product (Ex: Lemonade)
2. Pick a location (Ex: Church Bazaar, School Fair, Garage Sale)
3. Determine the price (Ex: Have the child determine how many packages it costs to make a gallon, divide the cost of the lemonade mix by the size of the cup to determine how many glasses you can get out of a gallon and that is your cost. Now determine the profit margin and explain what all this means "age appropriate of course".
4. Choose the promotion (Ex: Buy two glasses for the price of one, get a piece of candy with the lemonade, etc...)

Listen up parents, this can be a lot of fun and is just the beginning of helping your little entrepreneur understand marketing, accounting, and of course "PROFITS". Learning these skills will last a lifetime and be a fun project in the mean time.

Remember to emphasize, honesty, integrity, savings, and customer service skills. Be sure to continue reading the blog each week to learn more about "Marketing for Kids".

Image is Everything: Planting the seeds for long-term success!

Thinking long-term can be one of the best choices you make as a small business marketer. So many just go with quick, cheap solutions that they end up missing the mark all together. Developing an image that will build long-term success is like nurturing a seedling to maturity.

With that said, it’s important to understand that image is everything and can be the difference between catching a big fish or Nemo. How many businesses start on a whim (not necessarily a bad thing), but give out hand written business cards, poorly designed graphics, or the quality of stock used for printing is not just bad, but really bad! I know what you’re thinking. That’s all I can afford. There are definitely some things you can do on a shoestring budget that will help you improve your image and grab clients a little faster even if your look changes completely in a year or two. The idea is to get business as fast as possible without looking like it’s little old you running the whole company. A few “Inspired by Growth” tips:

• One thing you should always consider is to invest in a professional logo with tag line
• Always use a quality stock of paper
• Less is more
• Be consistent with colors, look, and theme
• ONLY give out brochures printed on a quality stock even if you have to print them one at a time
• Use templates and icons if necessary
• Find a small business marketing consultant (this can be an affordable option)

Remember, the important thing is to get sales as soon as possible. You can always upgrade later down the road when your company is growing beyond your wildest dreams.