Most small business lenders now require borrowers to put up hard assets to be granted loans, and the most common collateral used is real estate or one’s home.  Take the case of Craig Holman who put up his share of the family farm as collateral to get an $85,000 loan to buy into an AdvantaClean franchise.  “Having the farm on the line has made me pretty focused,” says Holman.  This has also been the reason for his success, according to SmartMoney.com.

Craig Holman is betting the farm on his new business – literally. After getting laid off from a high-level job in the steel industry, the 58-year-old engineer put up his share of the family farm as collateral for a loan to open an emergency home cleanup service in Columbus, Ohio. “Having the farm on the line has made me pretty focused,” says Holman, who launched the business early last year with his wife as a partner. The hardwood tree farm has been in Holman’s life for years.

It’s also the key to Holman successfully opening his AdvantaClean franchise. Small-business loan brokers say collateral is now king among risk-averse lenders. Loans to small companies have decreased by some $60 billion since the 2008 financial market crisis, according to the Small Business Administration. Much of that decline reflects the near extinction of unsecured loans, which were fairly common among small-business borrowers before the recession.

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Customers at these times of economic difficulty have second thoughts about spending their money on untried businesses.  They would rather spend on tested brands.  It is in this context that the IFX Enterprise has scheduled a three-day conference in Las Vegas.  The Las Vegas Business Press says this summit will guide potential suppliers on franchising fundamentals – how and where to offer their products for franchises.

The franchise industry is on the rise, with 784,802 franchises projected to be in business by year’s end. At the end of 2010, there were 765,723 franchises, according to the 2011 Franchise Business Economic Outlook, published by The International Franchise Association.

The reason? Patrick Walls, chief operating officer of Capriotti’s, said it’s because people want a sure thing.

Investors are more likely to pour their money into these turnkey businesses during uncertain economic times than an independent venture.

“People are comfortable with household names,” Walls said. “They know what they’re going to get.”

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Facebook, the leading social media network, joined the International Franchise Association (IFA) as a member, the IFA announced.  It has also teamed up with the association to boost growth of the over 800,000 US-based franchises.  In 2012, it will offer free advertisements to local businesses.  It told The Street that it will email companies with FB pages about this promotion.

Facebook is teaming with the International Franchise Association to spur growth at small franchises in a challenging economy.

The trade association, representing more than 825,000 U.S.-based franchise establishments, said Friday that Facebook has become an official member, with the intent to connect “franchisors and franchisees with tools to grow their franchise systems and better connect with customers in their communities.”

Franchised companies are looking to grow, which means they are looking for ways to find prospective franchisees. Additionally, they want existing franchisees to connect more effectively with local customers, IFA president and CEO Steve Caldeira says.

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Network Solutions reported that the US Small Business Administration announced a record volume of loans in fiscal year 2011.  This volume is the highest in its history.  The first quarter of 2011 was also the most active single quarter ever for SBA-backed loans with over $12 billion.  This is more than double any quarter in the past four years.

SBA Administrator Karen Mills said the loan growth continued a trend started in 2009 and that SBA-backed lending has reached pre-recession levels.

“SBA-backed lending continued the upward trend we saw last year,” Mills said in announcing the total loan volume of over $30 billion.

In fiscal year 2011, which ended September 30, the SBA approved $30.5 billion (61,689 loans) to small businesses and startups through its two largest loan programs.

Mills says loan enhancements created under the Small Business Jobs Act, which allowed the SBA to raise the guarantee on its 7(a) loans to 90 percent and waive fees on both its 7(a) and 504 loans, helped contribute to the growth in lending.

Despite the overall good news, the SBA says, there are still some gaps in the marketplace and small businesses that need access to capital. To help fill these gaps, in 2011 SBA created two new lending programs: Community Advantage and Small Loan Advantage.

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As the most important goal in any organisation, striving to achieve continuous improvement should be at the forefront of all management processes, regardless of the size of the organisation or the nature of work produced. Effective processes are required to achieve this goal, and also assist in quality management. Processes should not only be developed and implemented, but they should also be visible in order to achieve optimal results. In this regard, process visibility plays a vital role in every improvement strategy within the organisation.

Many managers make the assumption that the design and application of an improvement process is enough to enable a better level of quality in all areas of the organisation. In order to make sure that these processes are followed efficiently however, processes need to be visible to all levels of staff and management, as each staff member’s role to implement processes is required for effectiveness.

Factors that are needed to ensure process visibility include the following:

• Documentation – document control is by far the most efficient and straight-forward way to document and distribute all processes within the company. Whether it is a formal process manual or a basic list of tasks that are to be carried out, documentation is essential to keep all relevant persons informed. Process documentation can then be shared amongst all staff and key decision makers who will be involved in applying the processes. This documentation is also kept on record, which allows the document to be updated as changes are made.

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So, you’ve joined Linkedin on the promise that it’s a great business tool and you’ll definitely get clients from it, right? Now what? You know that clients coming from this medium won’t happen on their own, but what should you do next? 

This is such a common question – what should I be doing on Linkedin and more importantly how do I get business out of it? – that I thought it was important that I gave you some tips. 

You see social networking is just like networking at an actual business event. If you attend a business event once and never again and didn’t talk to anyone when you went to that event, how can you expect to get business from it? And yet, this is what many business owners do on Linkedin. 

Like at an actual business event where you would have a one-to-one chat with people, start a discussion, ask a question, recommend someone or simply throw a comment out there and see what comes back, you can do all of these things on-line too. 

Each week in an ideal world, you should be looking to spend roughly half an hour on Linkedin and do at least the following activities: 

• Spend some time going through the connections Linkedin recommends for you. Linkedin finds potential connections based on the people you’re already connected with – it says if you’re connected to x person, maybe you know some of the people x is connected with and recommends them to you. Go through these recommendations and connect with people you know. 
• Post a discussion in the groups you’re a member of – if you post a link back to your site in the discussions, you can automatically share this discussion in all of the other groups you’re connected with. Any replies to these discussions will come into your inbox meaning that you can start to build a relationship with people. 
• Answer a question. Many, many people post questions in Linkedin.

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You’d think with all the literature, research, evidence etc out there that small business owners would know who their target customers were and what their needs are. And yet, still I went to a networking event the other day and heard a lady say that she could help “everyone”. 

So, today I thought I’d turn the question around and ask who will you CHOOSE to work with? 

You see, in any business there are several different types of clients:

1. There are people who expect everything to be free. In fact, they can’t believe you would possibly want to charge for your products or services. They will ask you for free advice and if you offer a free giveaway, they’ll be the first to take you up on it. But, they have absolutely no intention of every paying for your products and services.

2. Then there are people who will pay something, but it will always be a fairly low fee. They may buy one or two low cost products from you or possibly come to a few courses, but they won’t generally spend any more than that.

3. There are those who will then spend a medium amount with you. They like you, want to work with you and are generally fairly good payers. 

4. And then of course, there are your top clients – those who think you’re wonderful, pay a top amount for what you do and come back to you time and time again. 

Now, who do you want to work with?

Many of us dream of being able to help everyone, but of course everyone doesn’t actually pay the bills. And then we also dream of having a really successful business; one that brings us in lots of money and provides a great lifestyle. In order to have the two dreams, it’s not possible to work with everyone, so you’re going to need to focus on who you WANT to work with.

Here’s how I see it.

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As a business owner, one of the biggest questions that you will face is how to get the most out of your different resources. Likewise, another big question that you’ll face is where to find the most advantageous credit terms. Luckily for business owners, there is a way to combine these two things and make a responsible decision for your business. Using a solid business credit card and maxing that credit card out can have many benefits for a smart, sensible owner. So why should you max out your business credit card? Here are four of the top reasons why that is such a good idea.

1. Cash Back Aids the Bottom Line
Studies suggest that just less than 40% of all business are profitable over the long run. Some industries have it more difficult than others, as well, as food service and retail businesses tend to fail at a higher rate than their service-based counterparts. What this means for business owners is that you must do whatever it takes to add little bits to the bottom line.

When you max out a business credit card instead of using cash reserves or some other form of credit, you are giving yourself a significant boost in the form of cash back. Many business credit card providers give a hefty percentage of all purchases back to the card holder. This percentage is even higher for some types of purchases, so it is smart to buy things like gasoline on a credit card if you have those expenses. Even if the amount of money you’re getting back seems small in comparison, it can add up over time. A smart business owner will recognize this and maximize his use of the credit card in an effort to aid the bottom line.

2. Travel Rewards Make Expanding a Business Much Easier
One of the things that most business owners struggle with is expansion.

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Do you remember, back at the beginning of the 2000s, when reality shows were just launching and were all the rage? I can’t think of anyone I know who didn’t watch at least something from The Apprentice to Big Brother, The X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing to name oh but a few. 

And yet, these days they seem to be a dying breed. Yes, they’re still there, but people seem to have grown tired of the format – even the judges have gone elsewhere. Recent news reports about the X Factor 2011 show that none of the previous judges will be appearing. 

So, are reality shows good examples of marketing? Let’s compare then and now. 

Back then, when the reality TV shows really kicked of in a big way, it was at a time when big Saturday night shows had gone by the wayside. Gone were the days when families used to gather round the box on Saturday night eagerly anticipating the latest game show etc. All the classic games shows had ended or were coming towards the end.

Producers of the big reality shows judged their audience just right and knew that there was a longing for new shows for the Saturday night audience. They knew their customer and they launched what people were looking for.

And they did something else really well too – they launched shows which appealed to the family. Whether you were young or old, there was something for everyone and it was a talking point. People could get behind it and discuss it on a night out. If you didn’t watch that particular show, it was almost a disappointment to the people you were with who wanted to talk about it.

These shows were everywhere you looked too – and the judges became celebrities in their own right. Kids dreamed about becoming famous just by turning up at the auditions.

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Synopsis: It’s said that you can’t find the right answers until you ask the right questions. So with that in mind if you are thinking of hiring a public relations firm or of launching a media relations campaign for yourself, the following is a list of how to points to ask yourself before moving forward. Done correctly a PR campaign can establish your brand and build your business and establish you as an expert in your field. It’s the most powerful marketing tool out there, so give it a shot, but first do your homework and review the checklist.

It’s said that you can’t find the right answers until you ask the right questions. So with that in mind if you are thinking of hiring a PR firm or of launching a media relations campaign for yourself, the following is a list of how to questions to ask yourself before moving forward. Done correctly, a PR campaign can establish your brand and build your business and establish you as an expert in your field. It’s the most powerful marketing tool out there, so give it a shot, but first do your homework. Find out what you need to know how to do in the list below.

As you go through the list, write out your answers and see where you feel most comfortable and where you feel you need some help, or points that you need to give more thought to. Once you’ve reviewed the questions and developed your own list, you can start searching for the right answers.

With that in mind, before you move forward on a PR campaign, you want to know:

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Public relations is the most effective and least expensive way to build your brand, grow your business and establish you as a go-to expert in your field. Whether or not you should launch a media relations campaign should not be the question, because the answer to that is a no-brainer; yes you should. The real question is how are you going to do that? Your best bet is to bring on a firm or media consultant who can chart your marketing course for you and launch your campaign. But whatever avenue you choose, the following points apply.

Don’t think that a PR, media relations or publicity campaign comes down to spamming the media with press releases and pitches. The media is inundated with press releases. They’re not looking for releases; they’re looking for good stories. Simply sending out a release is not going to do the trick.

Press releases do have other uses nowadays. They are no longer pitches that you simply send to the media. With blogs, forums, social media and online press release services you can now use your releases to directly reach your customer. In fact, that is probably the biggest value that a press release posted online has for a small company. Chances are slim that the traditional media will react to an online press release, but it will help with your SEO and it is a direct way for you to reach customers. One note of warning, do not post a press release on a blog site or forum in a press release format. You might want to take some of that information and post in it a conversational way. But posting a standard press release on a blog or social media site will generally backfire on you. Your best bet is to comment on blogs, forums, social media sites or forums, but don’t pitch your product or service. Talk about your field in general. Educate, give some tips but don’t try and sell.

When you do decide to give PR a shot, remember you’re not Google or American Express.

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The biggest problem that most small business owners have with PR is that they don’t fully understand the process or how it can help build their business or establish their brand. Most think that public relations is only for large corporations or those in the entertainment world and that it has to do with stunts and smoke and mirrors. None of those perceptions are correct. PR is a multi pronged process that includes traditional media, an online presence including blogs, sites and social media, byline articles, public speaking and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. PR can and should be utilized by entrepreneurs, authors, contractors, service providers, business professionals such as physicians and attorneys, home workers, as well as any and all small businesses.

It is inexpensive compared to other forms of marketing and the only marketing avenue that can offer you and your business credibility and validation and position you as a go-to expert in your field. Although effective media relations is an art, it need not be mysterious. It is in essence the art of effective storytelling. Sounds strange, but it’s true. It is a way of communicating to the media and the public that is compelling, accurate, and valuable. Defining your story and your message is the first and probably most important step in any campaign. Whether you’re a veterinarian, florist, restaurateur or hair stylist, you need a clear effective story that is interesting to the media and to the public as a whole. This is where many companies make their biggest PR mistake, they develop stories that are of interest to them, but not necessarily stories that interest the media. Most business owners go with the obvious story, which is telling the basics about the service they offer or the product they sell. That is an important part of any story but very rarely is that enough in and of itself.

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When it comes to distribution and media outlets, PR has changed dramatically. Mailing used to be the standard way of sending out information (actually it’s not a bad approach nowadays, since everyone is getting so adept at hitting their keyboard delete button). But on the whole, mailing in many ways has become archaic. The number of media outlets and what defines a media outlet has also shifted. Yet the basics of PR, which include defining your objectives, defining your stories, learning how to present your stories, defining your target market(s), and creating a media contact list that reaches your target market(s), remain the same. Although the distribution channels have changed, and the Internet has redefined who and what the media actually is, the public relations basics remain constant.

This truly is a situation where the more things change, the more they remain the same. You still want to reach your prospective customers, you want to tell a compelling story, you want to give a call to action, and you want to demonstrate your value. None of that has changed. That is all as it always has been. Yet, while the core basics remain the same, it’s true that just about everything else has changed. Mailing a release to editors and producers and making follow up calls is no longer the sole name of the game. It is still a part of the process, but only a part, the media relations terrain is constantly evolving and the changes have made the process more intricate, not less. Placing a press release on one of the paid wire services is not going to meet your public relations objectives. Anyone can write what they consider to be a press release and send it out to a number of contacts and place it on a wire service. The trouble is just about anyone does, so most of those releases remain totally ignored. They might end up on some websites, but most of the time, little more than that will happen.

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1. Got Ego?
Not yours… the designer’s.
Most doctors have lousy handwriting. All politicians promise you the world. Many designers are divas. Great designers check their ego at the door. It’s not about them, it’s about you and making you look good. If a designer insists on telling you what they have accomplished instead of asking what YOU are trying to accomplish, then move on.

2. Too Many Designers, Not Enough Time.
Don’t overdo the review process. Find three designers that you feel comfortable with to quote your work. Anything more is just overkill and it will drive you crazy. Make sure they are all quoting apples to apples as well. And don’t have them re-quote 20 times. It’s just not fair to the designers and will leave a bad taste in their mouths (and it won’t taste like apples).

3. Review Designers’ Portfolios.
Does the portfolio jive with your needs and taste? Has the designer worked in your industry? Does he claim to be all things to all people or have a niche? Be wary of designers who insist they can work in any arena. It’s difficult for me to believe someone whose work is 90% comprised of construction industry design materials can effectively create a perfume campaign for Britney Spears’ “Deseo” scent.

4. Expect A Lot of Questions.
When reviewing designers, if they don’t ask a lot of questions, RUN! Fast. A great designer needs to ask a lot of questions in order to thoroughly familiarize himself with your company, your product or service, and especially, you.

5. Be Specific About Your Needs.
Plan your project ahead of time. Look at designs/campaigns you like. Do your homework before looking at designers.

6.

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The other day I was speaking at a conference and was inviting delegates to ask me anything they wanted to know about marketing. One of the audience asked an interesting question – “Is Cold Calling dead?” 

They’d been along to a social networking seminar on the same day and the presenter had made this bold statement so the delegate naturally wanted to know what my response to this question would be. So, I’ll tell you what I told him – no, I don’t think cold calling is dead, but like any marketing method, cold calling cannot be taken in isolation and expected to do all the work. Let me explain what I mean. 

Too many business owners choose one marketing method out of the hundreds of different ideas out there and expect it to bring in miraculous results. If it doesn’t, they’re disappointed and tell everyone that that marketing method didn’t work. Rubbish! 

What you should be doing is using a marketing method as part of a strategy. Let’s take cold calling for instance. If you make say 100 calls and get nothing back, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s not working for you. But instead, let’s say you make 100 calls, follow-up with some information by email and then call back to see if that information is of interest, then that is more of a strategy and you’ve combined both email marketing with cold calling as marketing methods. Even better, would be to run an email campaign first; get people to express interest and then call these interested parties to turn them into prospective customers. It’s all in the strategy. 

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If you’re a physician looking to market your practice or reach out to new patients, keep in mind that physicians, more than those in other professions, can benefit from an effective media campaign. Press coverage reaches their target market, drives patients their way and gives them validation and credibility. The public generally learns about the latest medical breakthroughs, news, or studies via the media. It is an avenue they trust and trust is the bottom line when it comes to health care.

Physicians that are featured in the media are seen as the experts, whether they are featured in their local newspaper or on the Today show. Doctors and health care specialists can present themselves as media go-to experts by offering the media relevant and timely stories.

Although marketing a medical practice via print ads or commercials can have some effect, that approach has inherent risks. No patient wants to feel that he or she is being “sold”. Patients want to see someone they trust, someone they feel is the best in their field. It is that validation and trust factor that comes with being featured in the media. For example, if a prospective patient reads an article that features a physician in the New York Times or USA Today, or sees a doctor interviewed on CNN or on a network nightly news segment, chances are that physician will be viewed as an expert, as a leader in his or her field who can be trusted.

Public relations is also important because a PR campaign is not just about marketing; it is also about educating the public. An effective media campaign educates and informs. Used effectively, media relations can not only build a practice, it can educate and introduce new concepts and perspectives and shape the ideas of a community. Because of that, it’s important that physicians see and present themselves as educators.

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Times are changing; Oprah is gone as are many of the daytime soap operas. TV’s 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daytime slots are shifting dramatically. It is a primarily female audience that watches at that time. The numbers show that most are seeking personality based or issue oriented programs. Talk shows, game shows and reality shows fill the niche since none require the type of consistent viewing that a traditional drama or comedy does. Busy women can tune in and out throughout the programs. If you’re looking to pitch yourself as a guest on a talk show, never fear, although Oprah is gone, there are a myriad shows out there and more are on the way.

Daytime TV will be talk-heavy; Time Warner will launch a new talk show hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Walt Disney’s ABC is in talks with Katie Couric. There is also Talk, the View, Dr.Phil, Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, Ellen DeGeneres, Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart. “Chew”, featuring chef Mario Batali will launch in September, 2011. And “The Revolution”, from the producers of “The Biggest Loser” will premiere in January, focusing on topics relating to health, weight, and lifestyle.

The courtroom will also probably be more present during the daytime. Judge Judy has been averaging 6 million daily. This type of programming not only appeals to women, but does fairly well with other demographics.

Whether any of the current crop will breakthrough and reach Oprah status is hard to say. It would be difficult to replicate a program and personality with the power of Oprah, but who knows? From a PR perspective, what was for so long considered the golden ring is gone, but there are quite a few avenues out there to pursue. Although its ratings are inconsequential next to what Oprah used to draw, the OWN network has its own shows which are worth a look.

Initially your most important job is to actually watch the shows.

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You may be a natural salesman, and your clients may indeed love you, but you’re playing a different game when you’re contacting the media. You are entering a very specific phone world. You may be a great person one-on-one, with a winning smile and a firm handshake, but that won’t get you far over the phone. You may be an extremely successful high-pressure telemarketer, but remember, here you’re dealing with a different, more weary, more sophisticated audience. Making PR follow-up calls can be a difficult proposition. Be candid with yourself. Do you have a personality that works over the phone? If the phone intimidates you, or if you come off gruff, demanding, or impatient over the phone, don’t make the calls yourself, hire someone to make them on your behalf.

You need to be painfully honest with yourself. Most of us don’t like to admit that there are areas that aren’t our forte. But none of us are proficient in everything. Developing a good pitch and writing a strong press release are important, but you also need to have an effective follow-up plan, which could include learning to communicate differently.

Don’t try to be everything to all people. If you’re uncomfortable on the phone, too shy and passive or too demanding and pushy, consider either learning how to adjust your approach, or consider having someone else make the calls. Otherwise you’re not doing you and you’re business any favors. You’re only going to hurt your chances for success. You may be a good field general when it comes to your business, but what you need here is a savvy diplomat. You may not even be aware that you have a weak phone voice, or you talk too quickly, or you’re too aggressive, or your tone is too confrontational over the phone. You might figure you’re you and they better like it. But the aim here is to make sure that the media likes the pitch.

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A recent editor’s note in a sleep products magazine discussed how many people suffer from poor sleep and the editor referred to these individuals as zombies. Instantly, I thought of dozens of sales people I have encountered over the years who could be classified as zombies, too.

Here are 14 signs that you might be turning into a sales zombie.

1. You no longer ask high-value qualifying questions. Asking questions takes too long and you’d rather spend your time talking about your product so let’s not waste time. Besides, prospects won’t tell you the truth anyway so it’s better just to move past this step.
2. You launch into your sales pitch as quickly as possible. Telling is selling and if you’re not talking about your product you will lose the sale.
3. You make quick assumptions about your customers and prospects. “They said no last time so I won’t call them today” or “They can’t afford our product.” Assumptions are deal killers and you need to avoid them.
4. You use the same sales pitch with every customer. You have refined your pitch so why so should you change it? It’s been working just fine and besides no one has complained. Plus, you’re closing about 20 percent of your sales opportunities.
5. You frequently refer to the “good old days”. Yeah, nothing like the good old days when you could take a prospect out for lunch and close a deal over a few beers. Or you could make a few calls and reach your quota. Times have changed but you haven’t.
6. You don’t seek clarification. Prospects and customer don’t always clearly articulate their thoughts but that doesn’t matter because you understand everything they say.
7. You don’t listen for underlying clues. Many people say one thing but mean something else.

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I know in my own business that I ALWAYS do better each month if I set some targets for my marketing. If I’ve got goals to aim for, I know where I am and I can try to achieve them. 

So my targets for this month for instance are:

• 1 x meeting in the diary every week
• 1 x new client every week
• 1 x networking event every week

Because I’m clear on what I’m striving to achieve, I can aim for these and know whether I’ve done them. 

To put some meat around the bones on these targets, one meeting each week is with a potential customer – someone who is looking to use our services. This can be over the phone or face to face – it doesn’t really matter. These meetings can also be with past customers too. So for instance this week, I have had a phone meeting with a past potential client and a meeting with a past customer. 

One new client each week means a client who is willing to give us more work. This could either be a new client, an existing one who wants to give us more business or a past client who wants to come back on board with us. 

One networking event every week is pretty self explanatory really. But for me, this isn’t only about going along to the event; it’s also about making sure that you follow up after each networking event too as that’s where the power of networking is. 

As well as these main targets, I also have goals in place that are going to help me to achieve these targets. So other things that I do are things like:

• To follow-up with 2 x potential clients by email or phone each day
• To post 6 social networking posts per day
• Send out at least one piece of email marketing per week
• Contact 5 x past clients each week

And so on…

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