Through my large network of business connections and the Creative Marketing Services (CMS) strategic business partners, I consistently come across a number of great workshops and networking events for small business owners and entrepreneurs which I'll be sharing with our readers throughout the year.  The events range from email marketing and social media workshops, to networking events and business planning seminars.

The first event that I'd like to share with you this year is the Dream Big event hosted by Lorenda Phillips with The Essential Entrepreneur.  She is a successful business coach to thousand of entrepreneurs and business owners.  It's a great way to start 2012 by spending an evening networking with entrepreneurs, discover winning strategies for business growth and take away tools to master your business plan!

With any networking event, I recommend that you set goals for yourself so that you can make the most out of each opportunity.  For example, set a goal that you will meet 5 new people, share contact information and ask if they can be added to your email newsletter list.  Don't forget to always bring plenty of business cards and have your thirty second elevator pitch down pat.  Keep in mind that people don't want to be "sold to", include who you are what you do and most importantly, what makes your product or service unique compared to the competition.

DreamBIG is the event to attend in 2012. You will leave with clarity, focus and a renewed motivation to excel in your business, plus great ideas to implement immediately.

When: January 25, 2012

Time:  5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where: The Olympic Collection, L.A.

www.dreambigevent.com

We spend most of our time talking to, working for or learning more about the small business community in general and Southern California small business in particular.  There’s one topic we come across again and again, so it’s about time we addressed it in writing; What can small business owners do to reduce overhead without affecting the level of service or product quality that their customers have come to expect?

There’s more than one good answer to that question, but let’s start with something that affects every small business; the increased high cost of printing business collateral including sales, marketing, promotional materials s well as administrative forms and stationary etc…Allegra: Marketing-Print  -Signs is one of our small business strategic marketing partners and they’ve come up with some useful tips to save money on printing without losing service or quality.  Enjoy!

10 Ways to Reduce Your Printing Costs – Without Losing Marketing Effectiveness

By Mike Buchs - Owner, Allegra: Marketing-Print- Signs

Competition is increasing for your customer’s attention and business. This means it is essential that marketing materials stand out and set your company apart.  Printed marketing materials do not have to be costly to be effective.  At the same time, planning your printing and following some simple guidelines can significantly reduce costs and maximize the impact of your marketing investment.

Today, nearly every business uses Full-Color Printing for marketing its products and services.   While other avenues of marketing and promotion are employed, the  majority of businesses point to printed materials as one of their primary communication vehicles.

Even companies that just use the basics in printed material can cut their printing budgets by as much as half.  For example, many companies use flyers to promote special programs and services.  Rather than using two colors of ink on the job, ask your printer to use one color along with a screen of the same color in select areas.  A screen produces a lighter version of the selected color, which adds interest like a second color.  This can reduce costs, in many cases, by a significant margin.

Anticipating and planning for design and print needs may also produce significant savings.  On custom orders, it’s best if you can project what your annual needs are going to be, and then schedule one printing.  Multiple custom orders throughout the year will increase your costs while netting you no additional quantity of printed product.

Today, it is even more important to save on printing for a number of reasons:

·         Increasing paper prices. Paper costs fluctuate constantly with certain paper grades increasing as much as 40 percent in a two-year period.

·         Decreasing shelf life of printed materials. Due to constant changes in technology and customer demand, companies are revising marketing materials at a rapid pace. The printing industry estimates that each year, up to 30 percent of all company literature becomes obsolete and is thrown away.

·         The ability to test different versions of marketing materials with different target markets. Studies show that the more effective marketing efforts are those directed to the specific wants and needs of particular market segments versus a mass market approach.

Many companies are saving money by designing their own marketing materials. During this phase, it is essential that you consider the impact that graphic design decisions will have on production and printing costs. Whether you are designing the piece yourself or working with a graphic designer, you should include your print shop early on in the process to help you make these decisions. In this way, you can make sure the design is not cost prohibitive, as well as build cost-saving measures into the design. (Keep in mind that many printing companies offer graphic design services, too.)

Follow these Top 10 Rules to minimize printing costs, but, at the same time, not give up marketing pizzazz.

1.   Use standard paper sizes, 8.5 inches by 11 inches or 11 inches by 17 inches. In addition, ask your printer if they have any in-stock specialty papers to use or if any specials are being offered by paper suppliers. Often, specialty papers are left over from previous jobs or paper supply companies are trying to deplete excess inventory and sell it at substantial savings.

2.   Use “screens,” instead of two colors, use one color along with a screen of the same color.  A screen produces a lighter version of the selected color, which adds interest like a second color.

3.   Avoid using “bleeds,” which is when the ink goes off the edge of the paper without leaving a border. This can add 5 to 10 percent to the cost of your printing order.

4.      On larger quantities printed on two sides, lay out both sides on a larger sheet using standard sizes. This is called printing “two-up” and can reduce costs by about 25 percent since production time is cut in half and a minimum of paper is wasted.

5.   Watch close registration of logos or illustrations, these may require the production of metal plates, adding dollars per ink color.

6.   Avoid large areas of solid ink, which may also require production of metal plates or longer press runs.

7.   Instead of printing photos in full color (four color), ask for “duotones” which use two colors instead of four. The results are often striking and may create significant savings.

8. When providing your materials on computer disk and/or providing a digital file, make sure your printer outputs a sample to check accuracy of the layout and colors. In addition, make any revisions before you turn your layout or digital files over to the printer. Revisions are costly once a job is in production.

9.   Print a supply of two-color “shells” or “masters”, for items produced in the same format on a recurring basis, such as newsletters. When a newsletter issue is ready for press the printer can simply imprint the text on the “shells” and you’ll save money over the life of the project.

10. Avoid rush charges, Find out what lead time is required for production, printing and added processes like folding and die-cutting. Stay on deadline to avoid rush charges, which can be as high as 50 to 100 percent above the normal process.

When choosing a print shop, find someone who is knowledgeable about cost reduction options and who is willing to work with you to make sure you are getting the most for your money. In addition, if you are producing your own layouts, consult with your printer in the initial design stages. This may save extra steps, as well as reduce printing costs over the long haul.

Mike Buchs  is one of  the owners of Allegra; Marketing-Print-Signs and he consults regularly with business owners about their communication needs. Buchs has been helping businesses develop their marketing and printed materials for 7 years.

Creative Marketing Services monthly newsletters  and articles are created to help individuals, entrepreneurs and the small business community at large to become better acquainted, more knowledgeable and more comfortable with the benefits, cost savings, expected R.O.I. and marketing practicality that are directly linked to small businesses and the use of email marketing, target market development, websites, traffic analysis, SEO, on-line promotions and the Internet in general. The Internet is also a great communications and informational platform for staying in touch with your current customers and provides the most up-to-date statistical data to help identify and target new potential customers.

CMS Network of Strategic Business Partners

CMS is a small business that was created to serve the small business community and all of our strategic business and marketing partners have similar backgrounds and work histories. They possess skill sets, or specialize in “industry specific” marketing areas, that are particularly attractive to the small business community as a whole and we all share in the responsibility for helping small businesses succeed by maximizing their marketing dollars in the areas that give them the best chance to attract potential new business and strengthen the business relationships they already have.

Most marketing experts agree, that in today’s economic environment, that the most effective, cost efficient and results oriented method of maintaining relationships with current customers and reaching the most viable pool of potential new customers is by utilizing the Internet and all it has to offer via in email campaigns, social media marketing, e-commerce, on-line promotions and web based surveys etc…It’s also the only marketing medium that’s not cost prohibitive and available to most small businesses which allows them to identify, target and reach a select group of potential new customers based on target demographic indicators.  The results of marketing to a group of people that have already shown an interest in your products or industry is substantially better than sending your marketing message to a group of potential new customers based on a common zip code or area code etc…

In an effort for our readers and subscribers to become even better acquainted with our strategic partners, CMS will feature an article, business blog and/or company profile etc… on or by one of our strategic marketing partners in our monthly newsletter and blog starting with today’s issue.

You don't need much to start reaping the rewards of Internet marketing, but you do need a website.  Driving traffic to your website and turning prospects into customers is the #1 objective for small businesses and the best way to stay at the top of potential customers search lists is through Search Engine Optimization or SEO.  One of the most innovative and successful SEO firms in Southern California is Search Optimizers.  Search Optimizers and CMS are strategically aligned business partners and our track record for driving the right traffic to the right websites throughout the small business community speaks for itself.

Below, you'll find the first in a series of eight articles written by Search Optimizer's President, Steve Kinney.The series will be a main feature in the CMS monthly newsletters & blog and covers everything from the basics to a behind the scenes peek at insider SEO secrets for small business success; Here's the first in the eight part series:

What is SEO - Search Engine Optimization?

Written by: Steve Kinney - President & Founder, Search Optimizers

80% of Internet users find what they want to buy using a search engine. But how do the search engines know how to order the websites for each organic search? They use complicated, proprietary algorithms to rank websites according to their relevance to the search query.

Below is a diagram of a search engine results page (SERP). In the circled area of the graphic, you can see there are often millions of websites competing for position on a search query. Since most people don’t search past the first three pages, it will be difficult to beat out all those website competitors. That’s where an SEO strategy comes in. Search engine optimization (SEO) uses tools and techniques to get your website ranked high so it’s visible to online shoppers.

SEO affects rankings for only the organic search results. Those are the non-paid links in the SERP diagram above (see rectangle). Arrows point to the sponsored links which must be purchased from the search engine through an auction-based system. The highest-ranked sponsored links go to the highest bidders who pay-per-click (PPC).

If you can purchase that ad space on the first page, why would you want to pursue top organic rankings? Here are a few reasons:

· Organic results receive the overwhelming majority of clicks

· Searchers view organic results as more trustworthy

· 90% of Internet users do not search past the first 30 results

· Organic rankings are not subject to the rising costs of an auction system (PPC)

Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines are popular precisely because they deliver relevant, unbiased organic results to online searchers. If you can’t afford to buy that space on page one, how can you get ranked high organically in order to drive traffic to your website? One option is to hire a turnkey SEO service. They know the tricks of the trade, have automated tools to save time, and can track ranking changes for multiple customers to discover what the latest algorithm changes are. For most small businesses, this is by far the most cost-effective option.

In our next post we will explore what are the best use cases to employ SEO and PPC.

"At Search Optimizers we are very focused on organic SEO and prefer to refer best of class partners when web development, marketing strategy and social media needs are revealed to us by our customers. In our efforts to vet out high quality partners we have interviewed literally hundreds and found that Creative Marketing Services (CMS) worked at a very high level, delivering superior results and service to our clients upon referral. Our vision is to provide clients a holistic marketing solution, but organic search is only one piece of the puzzle. CMS provides a significant complement of services that, when employed with SEO, creates a powerful marketing platform to launch a business into the 21st century and beyond." - Steve Kinney

Steve Kinney is the President and founder of Search Optimizers. For 14 years Steve and his team have been performing search engine optimization (SEO), currently serving over 100 companies. Steve focuses on continually automating the process of SEO in order to increase value add to clients year over year. He is a co-instructor of the Search Engine Marketing class for the University California, Irvine Extension Department and serves on their advisory committee for the Internet Marketing Program. He is also frequent guest speaker at various other MBA programs and business conferences.

Constant Contact will provide lunch, you bring your business cards, and get ready for a dynamic workshop guaranteed to jump start your 2012.

The Power of Engagement Marketing:

How can you keep your customers coming back for more - telling their friends - and keep your business thriving? Learn how to inform, inspire, and create long-term meaningful connections with engagement marketing, building the relationships that build your success. This is a FREE event with an opportunity to network with over 100 small businesses and includes a Q&A Panel with Marketing Experts.
Date: Tuesday, November 29th

Time: 11:00 AM Registration/Meet & Greet Marketing Experts (including Creative Marketing Services, CMS)

Where: Writers Boot Camp, Santa Monica (map it)

Cost: FREE
We hope to see you there!

Register now

Are you making the most of your presence on LinkedIn?  This free social media vehicle can be a great resource for growing your business if you take an active role...

Here are 5 Tips for How to Maximize Your Visibility on LinkedIn:

1. Connect, Connect, Connect...
   Spend some time "Connecting" with as many people you know (i.e. clients, co-workers, former colleagues, networking groups, friends, etc...). If you haven't already done so, upload your contact list.
2. Share Your Expertise
   - Visit the LinkedIn Answer's section and provide feedback or tips on the topics that fall under your expertise.
   - Post your blog articles to the home page and share them.
3. Join Groups
   Join "Groups" in your industry as well as the ones where your target audience is most likely to be participating in. Become an active participant and contribute to the discussions.
4. Promote Special Offers
   You can promote special offers and exclusive deals on the business page. This can be a great way to increase visibility and opportunity to test different offers. 
   Use a discount code so you can track the results.
5. Request Recommendations
   Reach out to your clients and ask them to "Recommend" you on LinkedIn to help add more credibility for the services you offer.  It's easy...simply use the "Recommend" function in LinkedIn which will send an email to your contact.

I'm looking forward to participating on the Expert Marketing Panel this month at the Constant Contact "Cracking the Code on Social Media for Small Business" events.  These are FREE events and an opportunity to network with hundreds of small business owners.  I hope to see you there!

You'll uncover tons of useful tools and strategies that will help boost your bottom line-from maximizing your email marketing to putting social media to work for your business.

Register Today!