Entrepreneurship Coaches Indianapolis IN

by Doug Hudiburg

In my experience, it is not hard to convince business owners and managers to focus on marketing, what ∗is∗ hard is convincing them to do first things first. Most people want to jump right into the promotional elements of marketing, such as advertising and sales, before they have done the hard work of building a solid marketing foundation.

YOUR MARKETING SYSTEM IS LIKE A BUILDING

When people look at a building, what they see from the outside is mostly just aesthetic covering. They see walls, windows, ceilings and floors. These external attributes comprise the sum total of the experience most people have with that building. The outer skin, if you will, IS the building to the vast majority of people who interact with it.

But stop to think about what makes a building truly functional.

A building has a foundation, plumbing, electricity, etc. Without these "invisible" elements the building would be of little use to anyone. The same holds true for marketing systems that are built on an unstable foundation.

Wildly successful entrepreneurs understand this principle and can apply it to their businesses and to their marketing systems.

I call it their "dirty little secret" not because the concept is inappropriate for young audiences :-) but because it means getting your hands dirty. You can't build a good foundation without getting a little dirt under your fingernails.

THE MANUAL LABOR OF BUILDING A MARKETING FOUNDATION

The work that makes marketing programs effective and profitable is the grunt work of marketing. It is the marketing equivalent of digging foundations, pounding in re-bar, and welding girders. When it comes right down to it, many marketers just don't have the stomach for it. They want to avoid the dirty work and move quickly to the glamour and glory of promotion.

I have created a conceptual model of the optimum marketing infrastructure. I'd like to share it with you here, because it helps to illustrate the idea that I am putting forth.

There are four layers to the optimum marketing infrastructure:

1) Business Foundation 
2) Marketing Foundation
3) Promotional System 
4) Promotional Activity

The efficiency of each layer is dependent upon the preceding layer. In other words, without a strong layer #1 (business foundation), it is impossible to have an effective layer #2, #3, or #4 because you will be so plagued with business problems and breakdowns, that your marketing efforts will go largely unheeded.

If any one of these elements is not functioning correctly it can completely wipe out any promotional marketing efforts that you undertake. For instance, you can write an ad that pulls like crazy and has the phone ringing off the hook, but if you staff your order desk with a rude, surly, ex drill sergeant... well, there is a breakdown in your system.

I'm not going to delve into each of the 4 layers in this article, but I would like to touch on the elements required for strength i...

by Roy Primm

"Niches are like bathrooms; You never notice one until you need it!"
- Roy Primm (The Niche Man)

What's the best way to create wealth today? Answer: To create a powerful product or service niche. It's the last frontier for the little guy.

Notice I didn't say find a niche, or buy a niche. I said to create your own product or service niche from scratch. That's the secret wealth key you've been searching for.

Relax, it's easier than you think when you know how, I've created dozens myself. I got C's and D's in high school, if I can do it anyone can.

The great thing about creating your own product or service niche is you have no competition. That's how fortunes are made my friend.

You make 100% of the profits when you create what you sell ... That's when wealth comes. Make sense so far?

Please stop buying others ideas and products to sell and expect to get rich, it will never happen. Stop wasting your time and money. Following that advice alone can save tons of money. But keep reading ...

A niche you create is the one secret behind every successful product or service. Never forget that if you want to get rich and avoid wasting money.

I'll show you how to create niche after niche and be at the bank - before most people realize what happened. Could you stand that? Then keep reading...

If you already have a product or service: (hopefully created by you or the jokes on you ... you're only helping someone else get rich) I'll show you how to give it more "niche power," and turbo charge your sales. Overnight!

To make money you have to sell what people are buying ... Now!

And what are people buying? I'm glad you asked that question. People are buying unique niche products and services that no other business is offering. You need to create a cutting edge niche!

Here are 3 magic tips to creating your own niche. In the interest of time and space I'll give you 3 quick tips to creating your own money - making niche.

1. Be Niche- minded:  

You've got to start thinking niche all the time. Look at successful products and services and try to find the niche that makes them successful, unique, or different from the rest.

Simply doing this can give you more insight than the majority of people who simply glance at them and walk by. Doing this will instantly put you above the average Joe.

2. Look at what your competitors are doing - or not doing:  

There is an old Jewish proverb that says "If you want to get rich, do what others won't do. This saying has stood the test of time and is still true today.

"Remember you don't have to be 100% better than your competition to win: You just have to be 1% better at 100 things! That's do-able.

Look at your competitors, can you do some aspect faster? Can you charge less? Can you give more of something? Can you provide it on week-ends or holidays? Can you eliminate a negative or inconvenience for your customer that your competition is not doin...