Thu, 29 March 2007  Learn how to organize all your data, get small business loans and funds and improve your credit score. It's all here in this week's edition of Uniqueness is Power, , where we bring you business growth solutions, help you save your bottom line and let out your innovative inner marketer. After covering the new 1% model with Thanks Again, and giving shout outs to Fritz Scheffel for "superman" type of work, we discussed brand loyalty and we tossed around the idea of how a small business IS it's brand - and began to explore what that means to you as a business owner. We'll need more time on that topic, perhaps on both of them... Stu Lustman with Southern Lending Solutions led of the show as our Business Booster. Aside from providing great cheer, Stu's knowledge of how to best grow and position your business is all encompassing. Our time with him proved he can help you in matters of funding, check processing (and credit cards, too) - and in the realm of leasing or purchasing equipment. Perhaps the two most important things we covered - personal credit is the crux of all small business loans for businesses younger than 2 years. Stu gave us a tip to increase credit scores anywhere from 20-30 points in less than a business quarter. Also, as a small business owner, understanding that the day to day is often do-able - but the one unseen big expense is what does a business in. Unsecured Lines of Credit and loans can help with this. TOBI - which stands for Total Office Business Intelligence - was created to make your life easier in the office, and bring together the morass of data collection programs available, into one centralized access point. Targeting the small and medium sized business, TOBI brings a full suite of capabilities to the table, and makes life easier. =========== This week's show is brought to you by Carroll/White, with hosts Andy Greider and Lee Kantor. Uniqueness is Power is a marketing and business growth show, broadcast live Thursdays 6-7pm eastern, over WGSR Atlanta, and downloadable by podcast. Please send any questions to andygreider@comcast.net. You can sign up for our FREE marketing and business growth weekly tips program - and please check out our affiliate sponsor, Tire Rack, to help support the show. Also, if you have a product or service or advice that can boost a business or know of a company innovative enough to be an Unique of the Week, drop Andy a line. Comments[20] |
Thu, 22 March 2007  March 22 2007 show Lee and I began the show reviewing our awesome time at PodCamp Atlanta, and wondering what else would could have possibly have learned in a weekend? The presentation went well, and we made some awesome contacts - some you will soon meet on the show. We then took some time to examine what the most recent underhanded scam the RIAA is running could do to internet radio like Pandora and small (heck, even large) broadcasters. Lee and I, along with producer D, spent some time going round on this topic, and wondering what the effects could be? Go to the online petition and congressman letter writer for making your voice heard. From there, we brought in our Unique of the Week, InXpress - a shipping revolution for small businesses. When it comes to shipping, most people only think of 3-4 options - the Big Brown Truck - UPS, the Castaway Company - FedEx, the vacation ruiners - DHL, and snail mail through the USPS. Everyone has their opinions about which is the one for them, sometimes based in non-business reasoning. But when it comes to saving you, as a small business, money on shipping, InXpress does an amazing job of making sure you get the same efficiency you have always received, at lower cost. Check out the broadcast and let Dustin Hansen explain how it is done. ===== This week's show is brought to you by Carroll/White, with hosts Andy Greider and Lee Kantor. Uniqueness is Power is a marketing and business growth show, broadcast live Thursdays 6-7pm eastern, over WGSR Atlanta, and downloadable by podcast. Please send any questions to andygreider@comcast.net. You can sign up for our FREE marketing and business growth weekly tips program - and please check out our affiliate sponsor, Tire Rack, to help support the show. Also, if you have a product or service or advice that can boost a business or know of a company innovative enough to be an Unique of the Week, drop Andy a line.
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Thu, 15 March 2007  When it comes to beating writer's block and finding the muse - our first guest, Robert Wilson, is the real deal. He shares some wonderful anecdotes with us, answers how to let our your inner innovator and helps our small business owners realize that each person has creativity and innovation inside. Robert helps our listeners let it out. To hire Robert for some help innovating or to add some spice to your event or as a keynote speaker - visit his site. Speaking of innovation, our second guest, as Unique of the Week, had it ALL going on when she started American Chocolate Company - a service that allows her to print directly on chocolate - with food coloring ink. WOW! How cool. And tasty, too. These treats - from medallions to truffle boxes, with a chocolate business card in the center, grab attention and not only taste great but look phenomenal, too. Check out American Chocolate Company for more info. Comments[21] |
Sat, 10 March 2007  One of the most critical aspects to beginning a business, aside from an excellent business plan, is a name that supports that vision and path. So, what's in a name? So, what's in a name? As true as it is that a picture is worth a thousand words, a business name, consisting of 1, 2 or 3 words, or perhaps an acronym, has the potential power of a thousand pictures, if chosen properly. However, it also has the serious opportunity to become lost in the morass of poorly developed names. So, what are the critical points to consider when choosing a name? A name needs to do certain things for your business. It needs to be able to position, grab attention, convey worth and engage. Such names aren't easy to come by, and honestly, are why marketing consultants and branding experts are paid well. (LOL!) Here are the nine things that should be considered when naming your business: 1. Achieves Differentiation from Competition - your name should be different from the competition, as should your messaging. When given the chance to be unique, oftentimes businesses end up imitating the successful leaders, instead of carving their own niche - this is true right up to the name. 2. Reinforces Positioning in Marketplace - a name that simply enters the marketplace without making an impact and bringing forth some sense of the company's position is not a strong or appropriate name. This is one reason the owner's last name is often not a strong choice. 3. Engages Customer or Prospect - without this, your name is passed over in the sea of noise, in the massive amount of other companies who are getting some traction with the customer or prospect. The name should be something that causes interest, causes inquiry and causes potential for action. 4. Is unforgettable - or at least, less forgettable. How many times have you seen a great product or company service, and promptly forgotten the name of the company, but recalled what the product or service did? Names need to be chosen that will embed themselves in the collective consciousness, tie themselves to mental signposts in the consumer's brain and help the consumer remember the name when speaking to friends. 5. Has a Life of It's Own - A company name needs to carry a self-sustaining message, something that identifies what the company does or provides, without additional messaging or clarity being added. 6. Evokes Deep Well For Graphical Images - this is important in helping develop a logo, and design for websites, etc. 7. Rises Above the Goods and Services You Provide - the name should not be tied into just the things you provide - it should have a greater, more encompassing edge to it - because if it is tied to services or products, and they change, your name might well need to, also. 8. Has What It Takes to Dominate the Category - this comes from the ideas expressed previously, of timelessness, or not needing to change, of speaking to the consumer in an unforgettable way, but it also goes above and beyond that - evoking the power to dominate by placing barriers to entry to others trying to mimic or copy you. and finally, perhaps the most important issue in today's time and age of the internet: 9. Url MUST be Available for Registration or Purchase For Web Address- if this is not available, and the name is not under trademark, there is not point in moving forward if you want your company to have a successful future. One other word to the wise re: Taglines and Catchy Slogans- Happy Naming, folks! You can contact Andy Greider at 404 516 4204 or at agreider@carrollwhite.com - with questions or to begin a discussion.
Category: Articles and Advice -- posted at: 1:21 PM Comments[27] |
Sat, 10 March 2007  Welcoming Sherry Heyl and Amber Rhea, plus Rusty Tanton to the show was easy as they are all veterans of podcasting. Sherry walked through fire setting up SoCon07, and Amber and Rusty are the driving force behind PodCamp Atlanta. Join us as we discuss with Sherry Heyl how that and other aspects make the world go round in a potentially better fashion these days. Also check out Sherry's blog for her business - What a Concept - where she helps companies gauge what their competition is doing online in the blogosphere - and what those companies should also be doing in response. And if you are a PR Professional, be sure to learn more about her seminar on understanding the power of blogs. Or check out her appearance at the upcoming panel on PR and Blogging. Next up are the founders of the Georgia Podcast Network and organizers of PodCamp Atlanta, held this coming weekend at Emory. Be sure to check out the site, if you can't sign up and make the event. Spots left are limited, so go NOW. Lee, Adam and I are presenting at 4 pm on Saturday about how to explode your business through podcasting, and position yourself as an expert online. There are plenty of other interesting sessions, and address the beginner to the vet. The format is "un-conference" - where the event participants and attendees are the presenters, who lead a forum discussion more than anything else. Also, be sure to, if you have a podcast in GA, approach Amber and Rusty about syndication of your show on their network and website. Powerful place to be, for sure. Amber and Rusty have really learned to embrace this new format, and are helping dozens of people connect locally. Amber and Rusty's insights into how podcasts and blogs won't turn us into computer drones who don't leave our house is a healthy listen for those with such concerns. Thanks - remember, next week the live broadcast goes to Thursday night at 6 pm. So that's this Thursday from 6-7, with guests Robert Wilson and Stacy Hankinson - Robert will unveil how to let out your inner innovator, and Stacy shows how her business, Amercian Chocolate Company, has become the Unique of the Week! ==== This week's show is brought to you by Carroll/White, with hosts Andy Greider and Lee Kantor. Uniqueness is Power is a marketing and business growth show, broadcast live Thursdays 6-7pm eastern, over WGSR Atlanta, and downloadable by podcast. Please send any questions to andygreider@comcast.net. You can sign up for our FREE marketing and business growth weekly tips program - and please check out our affiliate sponsor, Tire Rack, to help support the show. Also, if you have a product or service or advice that can boost a business or know of a company innovative enough to be an Unique of the Week, drop Andy a line. Comments[24] |
Sat, 3 March 2007  Wow, what a powerhouse show - we show you how to gain new business - not once, but twice, and bring you guests John Dynes of Sales Smarts, and Rick Daigle of BtoB CFO. Lots of great info on the show this week, and we're happy to share with you the secrets that will win you new business - here's a hint - the Boy Scouts swear by it....or so we're told. John Dynes of Sales Smarts continued the intelligent new business and sales increase conversation, showing better ways to find, target and win business. With many great advantages over the other products out there, this one seems a no brainer at the price and the function. www.salessmarts.com Also, Rick Daigle brought his portion of over 2000 years of experience as a CFO at BtoB CFO - a firm specializing in helping your company tap a CFO's functions without laying out the big bucks and committment. Working on a contract that is handshake driven, the CFO you hire can tap over 50 associate partners to find answers on your behalf. That's pretty darn unique - and impressive. www.b2bcfo.com Comments[17] |
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