Today we are going to think about marketing. Understanding marketing for your business enables you to EARN WHAT YOU WANT TO in your business!

Marketing does not need to be a stumbling block. Let’s start at the beginning – What is the POINT of your Marketing? When you get crystal clear about this one question, everything else can fall into place, helping your customers decide to order from you. YUP – your success (and profit level) begins, and ends, with how good your marketing is.

It is understandable to be intimidated by “marketing” because it is one of those business words that is tossed around all the time, yet very rarely is it ever put into a context that you can actually use. I am going to try and do that for you here, today, right now. Ready?

Here it is – the ONLY thing you really need to understand about marketing – WHAT is the POINT?
… of your business card
… of your brochure
… of your website
… of the message on your voice mail

Decide what it is that you want people to do when they see your marketing (business card, brochure, website, voice mail, etc.). And then tell them what you want them do with it, it and how.

Does that sound “too simple?” Surprisingly enough, that is all you have to do in order to have an effective marketing plan. The secret is to be very clear in telling someone what you want them to do, and fill in any gaps they may have when they try to do it. And really, there are only THREE things you want them to do:

1. Call you
2. Stop by your business
3. Request for more information

Here is an example for your business card:
Include “Call me today for a quote.” But if your business card does not have your phone number, it will be hard for them to call you, right? Or if you left off the area code, that is fine if the person is local and does not need it… but what if your card lands in the hands of their cousin that owns a small factory with 75 employees in the next state? How will they call you with incomplete information?

Another example, for your brochure:
Most brochures share what you can do for your customers with copy and great photos. You also have to direct them to stop by your business, and then include your complete address (including the zip code, which is essential for anyone getting directions from an online site) and your business hours. How frustrating for them to by Thursday evening on their way home from work, only to discover you are open until 7 PM only on Wednesdays!

Do you have a website? Does it:
Collect the name and email address of everyone that visits? Offer a coupon in exchange for their contact information. Once you have their contact information (and you really only NEED their first name and email address), you can begin a campaign to them about all the ways you can help them. On your home page, you should invite them to SIGN UP for a COUPON – and include a box for them to enter their name and email address.

When you understand the POINT of effective marketing, it is possible to get customers to interact with you. The more they interact with you, the higher the chances of you getting orders from them. If you want help designing marketing that speaks to your customers, and gets them to act, give me a call and let’s review what you have, and what you want it to do.

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Cheryl Lynn of Cheryl Lynn International presented a TON of information about what you can do to help your business “get found online” during the webinars she presented to over 50 NNEP members on April 24.

It was fast-paced and information-packed.  Lucky for all of us, she permitted me to record the session and is allowing us to share the recording with NNEP members for a BRIEF period of time.  Watch it by May 8, as the recording will not be available after that!

NNEP members  – log in using the log in box in the upper right of this page to login and see the recording of this webinar.

FYI – it is a HUGE file.  So you may want to either download it to your own computer or start the download and then plan to come back and watch it in a bit.

Get Found Online Webinar Recording

The password to access this file is NNEPwebinar.  I liked watching it again, as I could pause it when I wanted to take notes.

If you want to take advantage of Cheryl’s special offer to make a mobile webpage for your business, go to CherylLynnInternational.com/op

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Attend an exciting webinar about “6 Things You Can Do NOW to Grow Your Business” on April 24, 2012. We are presenting this event with Cheryl Lynn, Founder of Cheryl Lynn International, the Mobile and Local Internet Marketing Expert and Author of “Mobile Mastery 2 Millions.”

As your professional organization, we are constantly looking for ways to help you grow your business.  I met Cheryl last year in California, when I attended training on business growth strategies.   We believe that Mobile and Internet marketing is critical to the growth of your business.

Webinar details -

• Date: April 24 – you will get the login details after you register
• Time: 10 AM or 1:30 PM EST – for approximately 1 hour
• Cost: Free for current NNEP members

In exploring ways to help you drive local foot traffic to your business’s front door, I found that Cheryl Lynn of Cheryl Lynn International has a true passion for local business. Cheryl Lynn’s mission is helping local businesses be on the first page on search engines.

How much additional sales do you think you would have if your website was one of the first to appear when someone searched for embroidery services? With just a bit of specific planning, your website could be dominating in your local community, increasing your revenue and customer base using the new and even affordable structures of advertising platforms in Mobile and Local Internet Marketing.

As the old traditional ways of advertising your business move out and new ways of advertising using devices such as iPhones, iPads, iPods and the Internet move in, it’s proving to be very cheap and in some cases FREE to implement effective local business advertising.

To do business in today’s marketplace, you must be become aware of the ways to stay competitive and out think your competition using this new information-based style of platform advertising.

This free webinar will show you how to set your website apart from your competition! You’ll discover how to gain instant expert/celebrity status for your niche, rank on page one of Google, how to get more customers coming through your door, and how to make more sales . . . all through the power of Mobile and Local Internet Marketing media!

In this webinar, you will discover why Mobile and Local Internet Marketing will be YOUR secret NINJA marketing strategy to set you miles ahead of your competition and you will learn 3 FREE ways to immediately get started.

Cheryl Lynn will cover how to:

• Build a HUGE loyal following through the power of ATM websites!
• The 7 ways to Monetize your own website!
• Rank on Page One of Google for 5 keywords!
• Utilize an Untapped Ninja marketing secret!
• Plus tons more . . .

Sign up now – we look forward to seeing you at the webinar!

If you are not yet a member of NNEP, join immediately so that you can take advantage of this excellent information!

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We hear from NNEP members rather regularly that they want to sell their business, either now, in the near future, or “someday.”  To help members prepare for the process of successfully selling a business, I just finished a quick yet insightful book by John Warrillow, Built to Sell.  While this book is very easy to read (it is told as a story and is only 150 pages), you definitely get the framework you need in order to successfully sell your business.  Thanks to Norma Rist, for recommending the book and for lending me your copy!

There were several points in the book that were particularly on target for business owners in our industry, I thought.  One of the main points that I learned is that the process of BUYING a service-based company is different than the process of buying a product-based company.  Therefore, the process of SELLING one is different.  If you want to walk away from the sale of your business with more money in your pocket, you should position your company as a products-based business.

Another key point that struck me was that the process of selling your business is one that may take up to two years.  It is not very realistic to decide you want to sell your business and then expect that – poof – a buyer appears and hands you that check in the amount you have hidden deep in your head.  The process is going to take a while and if you want to maximize the potential sale, you are probably going to have some work ahead of you.  But it could be very much worth the effort if you end up with a sellable business and an understanding of the process to attract the right kind of buyer.

Here are the basics that you must master in order to sell your business for a lump sum and just not a percentage of sales over time:

Step 1:  Isolate the product or service with the potential to scale.  Scalability means that you can teach it to employees or you can deliver it with technology, it is valuable to your customers, and it use needed more than once (think razor blades, not the razor).  Of these three factors, the most important one to increase the value of the business is the customers’ need to repurchase. The more you can create recurring revenue, the more valuable your company is to a buyer.

Having the customers’ logos digitized helps you create that recurring revenue because you are “sticky,” meaning your have that logo ready to go, and your competition does not.  Recognizing the value of your customer base and their logos is a KEY POINT for apparel decorators!  If you have a logo for a customer, that may very well represent money on the table that you are not collecting.

Step 2: Positive Cash Flow.  Charge your customers up front, at least for a significant deposit.  If you operate on receiveables (payment due after delivery), the value of your company is much lower.

Step 3: Hire a Sales Team.  If your business survives only on sales made by you, how much sales can be generated without you?  Two sales people, even part time, are likely to do better than one full time person, as sales people are often motivated by competition.

Step 4: Stop Selling Everything Else. GASP – I know!  I have been teaching you to sell everything, to everyone, every chance you get in order to grow your business.  And that is still true – IF you are not in the mindset of getting your business ready to sell.  If you are building your business to sell it, set your sales team on the task of selling the product you identified in Step 1.  They should become the best in the market at it.  Determine what you are awesome at, and then rock that, and only that, as your core business.

Step 5: Launch long term incentives for management.  Even a one man operation that hires sales people can grow to need management.  Once you have that, you then need to bind them to you with exceptional incentives.  Warrillow outlines several interesting ways to structure long-term incentives that will help you when you sell the business, as your management has good reason to stay through the transition.

Step 6: Find a Broker.  I am researching if there ARE any brokers that work in our industry.  With 20,000+ embroidery businesses, and 40,000+ screen printing businesses, there may be someone in the industry already.  I will update this post if I find them!  Brokers typically take a percentage of the proceeds of the deal.

Step 7: Tell your Management Team.  Once a buyer is identified, it is time to tell your management team that you looking at selling your company.  The value of your company is influenced by the staff that will stay through the transition.  Offer key employees a success bonus if the deal goes through and they stay with the new owners for a set period of time, payable after that time has passed.

Step 8: Convert Offers to Binding Deals.  Once a buyer presents an offer, they generally require full access to your business and your financial records for set period of time.  They get to kick the tires, so to speak.  They are trying to find reasons to lower the price they are offering, or to remove their offer altogether.  Try to keep your cool during this period (you will really NOT like it).  Do not lie or hide the facts, as it serves no purpose.

Carefully consider offers that include “earn-out” options, as you assume the risks, while the buyer assumes the assets.  This is generally not in the best interest of the seller.

We will continue to research ways to sell your business.  I will post our findings here for NNEP members.  If you have any specific questions, email me or post them below, or post them on the NNEP Exchange here on this blog or on Facebook.

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Technorati Tags: Built to Sell, John Warrillow, NNEP, sell your business

Congratulations to Ann Nagy of Bark Avenue Custom Embroidery – you are the winner of the Vacation Getaway Prize at Embroidery Trade Show.

We hope you enjoy your weekend at Sawmill Creek Resort, which includes a deluxe room for 2 nights, as well as dinner and breakfast for two.

Thirty three companies were eligible for the drawing.

How much fun!

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We are just about to hit the road and head to Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, Ohio to get everything ready for NNEP’s embroidery event, Embroidery Trade Show, which is this week.

The NNEP offices will be closed until Monday, April 2.  Please feel free to email us your sourcing requests and we will get back to you beginning on Monday.  If you are desperate, you can try us at the show at 330-554-1629.  We do not have access to any of our databases and probably will not be much help with sourcing requests from the show site.

We hope to see you at Embroidery Trade Show.  You can register at the door!  If you have questions or need help, we will begin returning calls and replying to emails on Monday.  Have a great week!

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Exciting News – 5B’s Embroidery joins NNEP as a Preferred Vendor!

As a family owned business founded in 1980, 5B’s Embroidery is currently one of the largest contract embroidery operations in the United States. 5B’s and The Biles Family combines state-of-the art systems with old-fashioned values centered on you, their customer. From its humble beginnings as a specialty sewing business, operated from the family’s basement, 5B’s now occupies a 170,000 square foot facility, with over 300 embroidery heads, operating 20 hours a day 7 days a week.

In addition to custom embroidery and appliqué, 5B’s offers a wide variety of other services including digitizing, warehousing, special garment prepping, drop shipping, order fulfillment and rush orders. 5B’s prides itself on providing their customers with on time delivery, attention to detail, customer service and competitive pricing. They invite you to experience the 5B’s Embroidery difference! They’re confident you’ll “bee” pleased.

Download the updated list of NNEP Member Savings here to get the details on all the ways you can save as a member of NNEP:

Their customers are the advertising specialty industry distributors all over the US.  They also partner with smaller embroiderers needing help with large jobs.  They provide embroidery services with your artwork on your garments. They can ship those garments anywhere and anyway you need them to. They can also assist you on finding artwork, finding just the right garments, suppliers and/or distributors.  For 32 years they have been doing nothing but embroidery in the Midwest.  Contact them and let them help you with ANY of your embroidery needs.

Call or email them today! 740-454-8453 or info@5bs.com

Check out their website: www.5bs.com

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Download the most current version of Section 2 of your NNEP Embroidery Manual below.  In the current version, you will find all the NNEP Preferred Vendor Offers and the information you need in order to save with these companies.  Log in as a member at the right to access the download.  Section 2 as of 3/26/12 is available now.

NOTICE - Revisions were made on 3/26 – Please download it again for the updated version using the link below!

Let us know if you have any questions or cannot pull the file!

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Customers bring in all SORTS of designs for NNEP members (and apparel decorators everywhere) to embroider on apparel and products.  How do you know what is copyrighted, and what is not?

NNEP created some guidelines for you to help you determine how to handle designs provided by your customers.  Included in these guidelines are some sample disclaimers that you can use in your business.  When a customer brings in a design, have them sign a disclaimer before you begin the work!

One key point that many embroiderers do not realize is that ALL designs, by their very existence, are protected by copyright.  Every original image is the work of the person that created it, or is owned by someone that that paid to have it created.

Download the Copyright guidelines and sample disclaimers for customer provided artwork, and add this to your NNEP Embroidery Manual today.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions on this, please comment below!  This is a HOT topic for apparel decorators everywhere.

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We are pleased to welcome Midwest Punch Embroidery & Applique to the NNEP Preferred Vendor program.  Their specialty is distressed appliques.  The distressed applique look is everywhere you look in retail.  Midwest is now a preferred vendor so you can get what you need to create this HOT HOT HOT look!

Here is how you can get it touch with the folks at Midwest Punch Embroidery & Applique today, so you can start saving your 10% on your distressed applique orders:

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