10 Tips to Big Business in 2012
Staying on Track in 2012: Part 2
10 Ways to Keep Business Flowing in 2012: Part 2
Last week we went over five ways to keep your small business on track in 2012. Here are five more:
Know the How-to
Employees are bound to procrastinate if they are assigned a priority that they do not know how to do. Be sure you equip your employees with the tools, resources and support needed to complete their tasks.
Build Accountability
Making employees accountable for the work that they do will definitely boost productivity in 2012. If you employ people who do not do what they are paid for, it’s time to reinvent your workforce.
Celebrate
Take time to celebrate a completed goal or job well done.
Reward Employees
“A paycheck is not a reward.” This is one of your 2012 mantras! “A reward is something given in recognition of service, effort or achievement,” says Mitch Evans in Quick Printing magazine. Reward your employees for the good work they do. This will build accountability, workflow and improve attitudes.
Communicate
In order to set goals and follow through with priorities, communicate with employees to keep goal completions on track!
10 Tips to Big Business in 2012
Staying on Track in 2012: Part 1
10 Ways to Keep Business Flowing in 2012: Part 1
How are you going to keep your business afloat in 2012? Here are a few tips to keep your boat from slowly sinking.
Create a Purpose
What is your small business all about? While you have yearly, quarterly and daily goals, the main purpose behind your small business should be in the back of you and your employees minds at all times. Solidify your mission statement and business values in 2012 if you have not already.
Make a Road Map
Your small business workflow is successful because of your employees’ hard work. And while there are several aspects of your business to be monitored, everyone should recognize communal goals. Be sure everyone is on the same map, even if they travel on different roads.
Prioritize
How are you going to reach that communal goal? Communicate with employees what needs to happen, and when, to achieve goals.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Setting deadlines is an excellent way to get things done. Without deadlines or direction, employee workflow can slow tremendously.
Follow Through
Don’t assume your employees are following through with their priority. A daily or weekly check-in will keep priorities in balance and work flowing.
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Stay tuned next week for five more ways to keep your small business on track in 2012!
Trade Show Printing for Small Businesses
Small Business Trade Show Printing
2012 Trade Shows are Coming Up!
Is one of the main ways you market your local Sonoma County goods or services at trade shows? Be sure to grab customers’ attention when you are there with eye-catching banners and other printed materials!
Most trade shows allow individuals a booth or area to market their small business. How will anyone know who you are without a spiffy banner to reel them in? Perhaps it was a flier you had printed for a specific show and distributed around the building that brought a new customer to you.
Look at Laura of Sweet Joyfulness marketing her cupcakes with an amazing banner, printed by Ajalon!
Winter Social Media Special: Evaluations
Free Small Business Social Media Evaluations
Social media evaluations for small businesses…
Are you a Sonoma County small business trying to immerse your brand in social media, but don’t quite know what you are doing right or wrong? If you have been trying to reach new and returning customers on the internet with little results, let Ajalon Print, Web & Social Media evaluate your current social media status.
We will determine what you can do to create conversation with your clients, define your business as an authority in its field and establish lasting relationships with local customers.
New to social media? Ajalon will help you to figure out which social media outlets are best for your brand. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest might just be your biggest referral!
Contact Ajalon today for your free small business social media evaluation!
Ajalon Winter Printing Special
Ajalon’s Print Special: 10% off Envelopes
We know envelopes are a vital part of your day-to-day business routines. That is why Ajalon is pleased to offer 10% off your envelope orders this winter!
Envelopes work wonders for:
- marketing goods and services
- sending out invoices
- connecting with consumers through newsletters
Offer expires March 31, 2012
Updated Business Stationery for 2012
A New Look for the New Year
Rebranding Your Business in the New Year
Have you heard the rumors about the approaching apocalypse in 2012? We have, and while we’re not quite buying that “the end” is coming, we certainly do anticipate change.
A new year is the perfect opportunity to rebrand your local Sonoma County business. Updating business cards and stationery with a new logo will work wonders to attract new clients, as well as let your current customers know that you are a growing brand.
While a lot of us were raised to oppose change, 2012 is surely a time to embrace it! Contact Ajalon today to begin your rebranding efforts.
Marketing on Facebook: Contests
Valentine’s Day Contests on Facebook
Market your local business with a contest on Facebook!
Are you wondering how to attract more fans on your Facebook business page? You’ve posted quality content and implemented a Facebook ad, but it might be a contest that gets you the most “likes.”
With Valentine’s Day approaching, brainstorm ways in which you can market your goods and services to local couples (or singles). Since Ajalon is in the printing business, we might offer 25 free Valentine’s Day greeting cards with a special couple’s photo printed on them. In order to enter, they would have to first “like” our business page, and then leave a comment on our blog telling us how they met. We could choose the winner randomly, or based on the stories collected.
Our contest will bring us new “likes,” interaction, and will spread the word of our business to local customers.
There’s a lot that goes into running a contest on Facebook and you want to be sure to follow their guidelines. Here is an article by SEO expert Mari Smith explaining the fine type.
Have you ever run a contest on Facebook? How did it work out for you?
Business Cards for Local Business
Sonoma County Small Business Printing
Why your local business needs a business cards…
If there is one thing I have learned from my boss while working at Ajalon, it is this: when giving your business card to a prospective client, be sure to give them two cards—not just one. That way they have one card to give to a friend as a referral!
Business cards are essential when spreading the word about your business. A great business card will leave a lasting first impression, so be sure to take care when designing your logo, picking out your font and laying out your type.
If you need help designing the perfect business card for your local Sonoma County business, contact Ajalon today!
The benefits of the business card are endless. Don’t forget to take advantage of this great marketing tool.
3 Ways Videos Will Work For You
Using Video within Business Websites
Are you utilizing videos within your website?
YouTube has been around for years now, but one of the most popular and legitimate up-and-coming web tools is video. Embedding video within your business website may be what you need to take your business website to the next level.
Here are three reasons video just might work for you:
1. Videos Grab Customers’ Attention
SEO experts used to preach that customers would find you if you created good (and lots) of content. Many small business owners loaded up their webpages with tons of content that was keyword driven. If your business website is drowning in text, customers might get overwhelmed and return to the search engine.
An introductory video (instead of an introductory essay) will draw a new customer into your site, rather than drive them away.
2. Videos Showcase Products & Services
Gone are the days when consumers wanted their goods without knowing how, when and where they were made. Giving customers a tour of your shop or a demonstration of the making of your products is an excellent way to build transparency in your brand. Customers will have no problem supporting a good or service they are educated about.
3. Videos Encourage Clients to Return
If you get the hang of this video thing pretty quick, a weekly series is sure to keep customers coming back to watch your intriguing and informative videos.
How have you used video on your Sonoma County small business website?
Split Fountain Letterpress Printing
Printing Techniques for Your Stationery
Start the presses! Split the fountain!
We love letterpress here at Ajalon Print, Web & Social Media! Our sister company, Invitations by Ajalon, creates exquisite letterpress wedding invitations for brides all over the world. It is always a treat to be able to see all of the fun letterpress printing techniques that come out of the studio.
Most recently, we decided to run a split fountain for Ajalon’s 2011 Thanksgiving greeting card! A split fountain is achieved by using two inks in one letterpress fountain.
The printer positions the inks perfectly to create a luxurious gradient within your piece.
Split fountains can be run on your letterpress and offset print jobs.
The result is a-maz-ing. Just imagine your letterpress business cards printed on a split fountain!
