AIM Group Two Promotional Products Offers Small Business Success Tips

Posted on November 19, 2008
Filed Under General Business |

Companies that have been around for over 10 years have faced economic challenges like our current one, learned from them and developed strategies for successfully weathering (or even leveraging) them. AIM Group Two Promotional Products Company of Apex, in its thirteenth year of working primarily to meet the needs of small businesses, offers this advice for small businesses today:

1. Invest time, rather than money, by taking advantage of low-cost or “free” visibility opportunities such as networking groups, festivals, expos, association meetings and social business gatherings (e.g., after-hours events or luncheons).

Enter with an interest in others: find out who they are and what they offer; help out; share resources; make yourself useful; and of course, once you find a group of people you like, trust and value, show up consistently.
Hone your business description so you can quickly and easily describe both what you do and why it matters to the customers you work with. Share it in conversation even beyond the traditional business settings: waiting on line, with telemarketers, or at your children’s activities, to name a few. The one golden rule: don’t dwell on yourself/your business too long; let your listener keep bringing you back to the topic, IF they’re interested.

2. Spread your name, number, URL and top benefit around as much as possible.

Give something away that has your business name on it. Select low cost items that have a shelf life and are useful — sticky notes or pads and similar paper products are always the most popular.
Use the “media” that you already have and make them work harder for you: brand your cars (use magnets and stickers), your “self” (apparel, bags, name badges), your windows (signs, banners, clings). Your website is a good candidate for putting to best use too — focus on incorporating good content, updated regularly.

3. When you’re networking, marketing and/or updating your blogs and website, share brief stories about creative solutions you’ve employed, problems you’ve solved, and benefits rendered to your customers and prospects. Keep them light, share the credit, and remember to turn the spotlight on someone else before you start to sound too self-serving.

4. Be diligent about follow-up. Always. Enough said.

5. Identify opportunities for making your business stronger — partnerships, sponsorships, events, promotions, new programs, new business lines — and use these newsworthy changes to get some added publicity.

And above all, say AIM Group Two co-owners Barry and Ellen Sherrill, “keep your focus on what’s positive in your business environment. Projecting doom and gloom is not going to help attract business.” For more information and ideas on how to increase visibility cost-effectively, contact AIM Group Two at aimgrouptwo@yahoo.com or 919-387-7588.

About Aim Group Two: AIM Group Two Promotional Products is owned and operated by Barry and Ellen Sherrill, who have specialized in small-quantity, high-quality, in-house production of personalized promotional products for small business marketing and individual gift-giving for over 12 years. They are active members of the local business community, including being members of both the Cary and Apex Chambers of Commerce. Barry also serves on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Fly-In and Sport Aviation Convention. Ellen has her Masters degree in Social Work and is a founding member of the Research Triangle Association of Diabetes Educators, “ReTRADE.” For more information please contact them at 919-387-7588 or aimgrouptwo@yahoo.com.