By Kendra Hill, Alpha Source, Inc. Marketing, www.alphasource.com

More Than Money Marketing’s primary purpose is for a business to share their commitment to community, environment, children, work life balance and other causes that extend beyond sales and profit.

Small business owners may not have the financial resources to start a foundation or create a special website discussing their community involvement, but every small business has access to two of the greatest assets and resources a company could ever ask for, its community and employees (even if there is only person employed). 

Below are 3 tips on how small businesses can make a difference, get more exposure and encourage their employees to get involved in the community.

1. Community Connection.  Small businesses that revolve around the medical industry could benefit by partnering with a non-profit that focuses on providing medical services or products to those less fortunate.  A small business that provides marketing services could partner with a school organization that teaches young people about writing and communication or adults how to read.  The point is there is value in finding a cause to rally behind and an organization to partner with, especially one related to your area of business.  Consumers get tired of hearing about new product promotions or how awesome you are in everything they get from your company.  Announcing how your business gave a $500 college scholarship to a student majoring in a field related to your business or how an employee participated in a run for Alzheimer’s research could attract a potential customer who would otherwise delete your weekly e-blast.  Offering employee incentives for their community work could get the ball rolling and let your employee see tangible evidence of your commitment to the community and giving back.

2. Power in the Press Release.  Press releases are one of the most underutilized resources available to small businesses.  Perhaps due to the focus on sales and the day-to-day administrative work required to operate, it is hard for a small business owner to think about writing press releases.  However, making the time to write and regularly submit press releases to local, community, regional, national, and international media outlets can make a big impact.  The press releases I have found that get the best response from media outlets are those that talk about what your company is doing as a good citizen first and your businesses services and products last if at all.  This type of publicity is free and could potentially create additional opportunities for exposure.

3. Volunteering is Networking.  Networking is more than being a member of a trade organization, attending professional events, or being on a non-profit board.  There are also many business relationships that start as a result of a connection made while volunteering.

Time for the small business owner is very precious and for that reason I would suggest when searching out opportunities to volunteer to choose an organization or organizations that are doing something you are genuinely interested in and support.  Because time is valuable, start off small with your commitment.  Many organizations would appreciate an hour a week or a one-time commitment.  

In conclusion, a business can get just as much exposure, potentially more by sharing what they are doing beyond trying to make more money or generate new leads.  ‘More than Money Marketing’ is simply another way to look at public relations and can help those businesses with a small marketing budget get more exposure and as an indirect result attract new business.

By Ben Olson, CGS Premier Specialty Vehicles, www.cgspremier.com

Many companies are finding that it’s a good move to supplement or replace some or even all of their traditional trade show efforts with a mobile showroom.  These rolling road shows allow brands to take their sales efforts directly to their best prospects and customers, creating an emotional connection with their audiences and building deeper affinity with their brand.  Following are some of the key benefits…

Convenience

With corporate travel restrictions becoming more prevalent and actual travel becoming more of an inconvenience, you can spare your clients the need to travel to trade shows to see your products.  Mobile showrooms bring the show right to the target audience, allowing them a valuable brand experience without ever leaving their physical location.   Additionally, you can reach an entire level of their influencers who you would not have access to at a traditional trade show.

Higher Quality Interactions

A mobile showroom allows you to create a controlled environment that provides greater customer concentration than on a trade show floor or in their office.  No phones, emails, competitors or fellow attendees to distract attention away from your selling message.  You’ll enjoy a focused opportunity for you to showcase your brand and the ability to get to know your customer and their needs on a deeper level, helping you to build a truly appropriate solution for their needs.

Flexibility

With the proper planning, the right mobile showroom/specialty vehicle can drive your sales all year long. When not in use as a mobile showroom, use it for special regional or local events.  Put the CEO behind the wheel for a truly impactful visit to a key client/prospect.  Utilize the mobile vehicle as a product development/R&D tool by taking upcoming products out to key customers for input. Finally, in between these, use the vehicle as a mobile training tool for your associates, your dealers or your customers.  By sharing functions with other departments, you can potentially share costs as well.

Unique and Engaging

Who doesn’t love to participate in something unique and fun?  Mobile showrooms/specialty marketing vehicles give you the chance to create an engaging experience, bringing the brand to life in a positive way.  Use this to get appointments with harder to reach prospects, plus the on-site visibility of your vehicle will potentially draw out an even greater number of visitors, increasing the value of each scheduled stop.

Ease of Demonstration

While some products lend themselves to portability, many require permanent installation, or at least detailed set-up.   With your mobile showroom, your product can be permanently installed and ready to go at any time.  Large product lines that could never be carried in a sample case can be displayed to showcase the entire line.  And for really large equipment, your mobile showroom can have video and satellite equipment for high-impact recorded or live demonstrations in a controlled, professional theater setting.

Efficiencies

Taking your products/services on the road can result in the ability to eliminate or downsize some of your trade show budgets.   By hitting your key clients/prospects on a one-on-one basis, it becomes less necessary to be at every industry function, or allows a smaller presence at those key events. Savings from eliminating shows, square footage, personnel, and elements can often justify the creation of a mobile program.

By Jim Locatelli, Locatelli & Company, www.locatellicpa.com and Erica Conway, C2 Graphics Productivity Solutions, www.c2gps.com

How can creative entities rebound from the recession and improve their profit margins? As creative companies begin to expend resources and staff workloads increase, serious consideration should be made to staffing up for the peak demand periods with temporary staff from a well-recognized creative staffing/placement firm.

Beyond the advantage of creating billable multiples over the reasonable direct cost and avoidance of carrying staff during non-billable periods, working with a creative staffing agency solves a potential employee/independent contractor classification issue with the State of Wisconsin and federal government. All temporary staff placed through staffing firms are employees on the books of that firm and all taxes and payroll tax reporting are absorbed by the staffing firm.

With the relative availability of freelancers, many marketing and creative firms potentially put themselves at risk if they do not review the following ten points seriously with each freelance candidate. Several creative firms in the metro Milwaukee area have undergone audits by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in the past year. The state of Wisconsin considers an individual an employee if they are unable to answer yes to at least 7 of the following 10 points of reference;

1. The individual holds or has applied for an identification number with the federal Internal Revenue Service.
2. The individual has filed business or self-employment income tax returns with the federal Internal Revenue Service based on such services in the previous year or, in the case of a new business, in the year in which such services were first performed.
3. The individual maintains a separate business with his or her own office, equipment, materials and other facilities.
4. The individual operates under contracts to perform specific services for specific amounts of money and under which the individual controls the means and methods of performing such services.
5. The individual incurs the main expenses related to the services that he or she performs under contract.
6. The individual is responsible for the satisfactory completion of the services that he or she contracts to perform and is liable for a failure to satisfactorily complete the services.
7. The individual receives compensation for services performed under a contract on a commission or per-job or competitive-bid basis and not on any other basis.
8. The individual may realize a profit or suffer a loss under contracts to perform such services.
9. The individual has recurring business liabilities or obligations.
10. The success or failure of the individual’s business depends on the relationship of business receipts to expenditures.

Beyond the employee/independent contractor classification issue, other reasons to work with a reputable staffing/talent placement firm include:

1. Saving time and money on recruiting.
2. Control project expenses with a competitive rate structure, often less than individual freelance rates.
3. Playing it safe with the government and allowing the placement firm to handle all of the payroll tax reporting and payroll taxes.
4. Quick turn around in finding qualified talent for rush projects.
5. Guaranteed technical and creative capabilities of hired talent.
6. Accountability and backup from a firm relating to individual performance.

By Annie Almasi, Vollrath Associates, www.vollrathpr.com

Many of our clients have just gotten comfortable using Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers and now we’re being introduced to a new kid on the block – Foursquare. If you are considering integrating Foursquare into your social media circle, you’re well on your way to becoming more popular.

Foursquare is taking social media to the streets via GPS and mobile phones. This location-based social media allows customers to interact with friends and businesses in their neighborhood. Customers simply "check-in" to a location on their mobile device and receive promotional offers from nearby companies or connect with friends who are geographically close by.

Here are four ways in which companies have found success using Foursquare to boost product sales and increase brand awareness.

• Create incentives for new customers - Offering incentives using Foursquare can provide an instant interaction between brand and consumer. By offering a discount or even a free demo to those who "check-in" at a company location, consumers will feel as though they are receiving special care.
• Location-based customer reviews - Consumers can leave their feedback and reviews of companies on Foursquare. With the emergence and development of "augmented reality," customer comments can be viewed by location within the store with a mobile phone camera.
• Maximize the success of events - A Foursquare “check-in” for a company can increase productivity during large events. Upon check-in, companies will be able to see how many attendees are at events. Sales and marketing teams can utilize Foursquare as a marketing tool to meet prospective clients and customers during trade shows or networking events.
• Market intelligence - Foursquare announced it will release a free analytics tool that will provide businesses with information and statistics about the customers who visit and “check-in” at their business locations. This information will offer businesses insight into the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and strategies.

Those who have taken the time to get to know Foursquare have been pleasantly surprised by its capabilities, ease of use and how nicely it works with Facebook and Twitter. So if you’re looking to expand your geographic reach, Foursquare may just be your new best friend.

• Monday, June 21 Wisconsin Lutheran High School will host its 20th annual Friends of Wisco Golf Outing at Evergreen Golf Club in Elkhorn. Proceeds from the outing will go towards the purchase of 14-passenger vans for the high school Registration is limited and will be booked on a first come basis. For more information or to register visit wlhs.org and click on the golf outing link. 

• Thursday, June 10 Cardinal Stritch University will host its annual Summer Festival at the Joan Steele Stein Center for Communication Studies and Fine Arts on the Cardinal Stritch campus, 6801 N. Yates Road, from 5 until 8 p.m. Celebrate the beginning of summer with the University. All proceeds from the event go to benefit the art department and art scholarships. The event will feature wine tastings, student and faculty art sale, and live music. Cost to attend is $20. To register or for more information visit: www.stritch.edu/summerfestival or call (414) 410-4939.

• Friday, June 11 The Women Business Owners of Milwaukee will sponsor a business building workshop with national speakers Raymond Reese and Brian Tracy at Hotel Metro in downtown Milwaukee from 7 to 9 a.m. The seminar topic is entitled, Would you like to double your business without working twice as hard. Cost to attend is $20. To register, email Cheryl Muskus at cmuskus@muskusmgmt.com or register online here.

• Saturday, June 26 Elite Sports Clubs will host its Breakfast at Wimbledon fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Southeastern Wisconsin chapter, on Saturday, June 26, at Mequon Elite Sports Club, 11616 N. Port Washington Road beginning at 10 a.m. Guests will enjoy a traditional English-style breakfast while seated at center court on the club’s tennis court. Wimbledon will be show live on a large outdoor screen. The menu for the event will be catered by the Marcus Corporation and include an entrée of strawberries and cream, crumpets, bangers (British sausage), french toast, eggs, potatoes, tea, champagne and more. Following breakfast, all attendees can enjoy the Mequon Elite Sports Club for the remainder of the day, including the recently completed indoor and outdoor salt-water pools, exercise equipment and family gym. Cost to attend is $35 for adults and $10 for children and under, guests are encouraged to wear their tennis whites and tickets can be purchased by calling 262-241-4250.

• Monday, July 19 St. Francis Foundation will host its Annual Golf Outing at Tuckaway Country Club. Participation in the outing will benefit the children educated at the Child Development Center of St. Joseph and the senior residents who call Villa St. Francis their home. Those interested can choose to play in the outing, provide raffle or auction items, or make cash donations. For questions or for further information call the St. Francis Foundation office at 414-645-5337, ext 270

• Wednesday, July 21 The Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce will host its annual BIG One Golf Outing at Ironwood Golf Course in Sussex. Registration is now open, for more information visit www.waukesha.org

• Monday, July 26 Clement Manor will host its 10th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic at the Wisconsin Country Club, 6200 W. Good Hope Rd. Participation in the outing will support Alzheimer’s and dementia care programs and services for Clement Manor residents, families, staff and community. Those interested can choose to play in the outing, become a sponsor, provide auction items, or make cash donations. To register, visit www.clementmanor.com. For questions or for further information, please call Maria Watson at 414-546-7351 or email development@clementmanor.com.