Monday, December 15, 2008

11 Tips for a Great Trade Show

Exhibiting at trade shows is a great way to spread the word about your business. If you have ever exhibited at one, you've probably learned what works and what doesn't in order to have it be a success. Fresh off of several trade shows, I've compiled a checklist of things to remember when packing for the big day. Many of these things seem obvious, but trust me; they are easy to forget if you don't use a checklist! You probably have other things to include that are specific to your business, but here is a list of items most business owners will want to remember to take.




1. Marketing materials. Take more business cards, brochures or flyers than you think you will need. Better to have too many than not enough.




2. Plastic card holder. Use these for your flyers and business cards. It helps create a professional looking display and keeps you organized.




3. A large stack of your items. If you are selling a book, a CD or a home study kit or any product, have a lot of them on your table to display.




4. An attractive card basket or fish bowl for collecting cards. Create an attractive sign to place on the front of your basket explaining that by dropping a card in your basket, visitors are entered into a drawing for a product or service, and that they will also receive a complimentary subscription to your e-newsletter.




5. Table covering. Even if your table will be skirted, bring something colorful to put on top of your table to coordinate with the color in your branding. For example, you can purchase a few yards of fabric at your local fabric store for a few dollars a yard. If you are a wedding consultant, using tulle would be very effective.




6. Office supplies. Pens end up disappearing, so take plenty with you. I have also found that things like notepads, paperclips, tape, scissors, Velcro stickers, duck tape, rubber bands and so forth have come in very handy on occasion.




7. Fresh flowers. I find that flowers have a knack for attracting people I enjoy meeting.




8. Risers. Plan some elevation to your display. It's more interesting and will attract more people to your booth.




9. Brag book. Take a binder filled with your press releases, your press coverage, flyers of past events, client thank you notes and other things that help to build your credibility.




10. Portfolio. Show off your work however you can! If you can show a video that does not require audio to be heard (trade shows tend to be loud and people can't hear very well), use your laptop. If you can showcase your work in a binder, that works just as well!




11. Take a "Freshen Up Kit". Here's one that may buck the system. Toss some gum, mints and a few bottles of water into your bag. Conventional wisdom says to never chew gum or drink at your booth, but anyone who has talked non-stop for two to four hours needs to do something to stay fresh and not dry out or have a sore throat the next day. It's OK to chew gum at a trade show, but make it a small piece - perhaps a half a piece - and don't blow bubbles, crack it or make it obvious. If you can sneak a small mint from time to time, that's even better.




Most business owners are experienced at exhibiting at trade shows, but reviewing these things and creating your own custom checklist will be helpful to you, even if you do shows frequently. You may find it handy to have a storage bin where you keep all of these items that you can simply pick up on your way out the door to your next expo so you don't have to worry about collecting all of these items time and time again.


Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, publishes Smart Marketing, a free bi-weekly ezine featuring marketing tips, insider secrets and thought provoking articles designed to help the busy female entrepreneur become known as an expert in her field, build trust with clients and prospects and generate more income than ever before. Claim your free subscription today at http://www.richlifemarketing.com .

entrepreneur ideas: entrepreneur online

entrepreneur ideas: entrepreneur online

Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com

Advertising Online Doesn't Have to Be Difficult

Advertising has been a major obstacle for a business' success ever since cavemen started trading fish for sea shells. This would include the presentation of the product/service to the consumers. What really matters is how it is presented to the target market to be able to capture it.




Whatever the package, the ad media also plays a great role in determining the success of the product or service awareness.




What may be its advantages over other proven medium like the best-selling TV ads?




Advantages




1. Low Cost




Even though the Internet ad might be not be viewed as "classy" or far-reaching as compared to other medium, this is far cheaper than most. Internet ad packages are offered for as low as $29.99 for a one-month run-time period.




2. Capture market




Should your product / service aim to cater to the younger generation or the corporate-oriented ones, Internet ad would be best since they would always be "hooked-up" into the net surfing sites that might have a link to your very own. Result, a great number of "hits" on your site!




2. Hassle free




All you would ever really need is a PC (and some knowledge and bright ideas in forming your site) wherein you could open your site, search for the best Internet Ad package, and check / update the status of your ad. You may actually never have to leave your home to advertise!




3. Updated ads




Unlike the TV ads that need to be updated on a regular basis, Internet ads may run for quite some time without the need for change. If so, change in the site is very minimal and may be done easily at home.




Disadvantages




1. Scope




Limited market may be captured if one would solely use the Internet Ad for advertising. Although most people now are into the use of technology, i.e. surfing the Internet, still, majority of the average consumers still relies on the old form of advertising as a means of gathering information about certain products/services.




2. Additional cost




If one would enlist the help of another professional or establishment to produce the site for their product or service, this would entail additional costs on the part of the entrepreneur.




Given the stated list of advantages and disadvantages about low-coast Internet Ad, an entrepreneur may now weigh in its applicability to his/her product or service.




The aim of Internet ad is to offer the widest range of the brand at the least possible cost. Now, does that not sound good or what?


If you're really interested in making money online then you should look into building a business like one about football betting.

entrepreneur ideas: entrepreneur online

entrepreneur ideas: entrepreneur online

Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com