National Clothesline

Not too many business owners will be sad to see 2009 turn the page. For most of those who remain standing, it was an ongoing struggle for survival. If some of the experts are correct, then the new year will be about branching out instead of hunkering down. According to a forecast offered by Ad-ology Research, a company that analyzes marketing and advertising trends in over 440 industries, small business owners will look to engage customers in new ways in 2010.

During a recent survey of 1,100 U.S. business owners with fewer than 100 employees, 25 percent said they plan on spending more on social networking including using tools such as: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, Flickr and YouTube.

Overall, more than one-third of those surveyed plan to spend more time writing white papers and e-articles and 28 percent will spend more on creating online video. Clearly, more business owners have become aware of the advantages of incorporating social media outlets into their marketing plans. Of course, there are still many who are in denial about it, too.

In the Ad-ology study, 31 percent responded that they do not currently use social media because they believe their customers don’t use it. They couldn’t be more wrong. In a poll from 2008 (the Cone Business in Social Media Study), a whopping 93 percent of Americans believed that a company should have a presence on social media sites and 85 percent believed the companies should use these services to interact with customers.

There were other findings of note in the Ad-ology report, as well: 42 percent of respondents planned to participate in trade shows or conferences and the percentage of those planning on spending money on trade publications jumped up 18 percent from the previous year. Such numbers indicate a stronger future for the landscape of business in 2010. Drycleaning will be no different.

According to columnist Dennis McCrory (see page 10), at the top of any plant owner’s resolution list should be a “focussed and strategically crafted marketing plan.” That plan should certainly include branching out to social media marketing, but be careful how you incorporate it. If you are going to do it, do it right. The most important thing is to clearly define your overall marketing objectives and strictly adhere to them in every facet of your plan. By doing so, you can make 2010 the year your business thrives instead of simply survives.

So you’re sitting there quietly taking care of routine business when — WHAM! — your day is interrupted by an unexpected intrusion that demands your full attention.

Everyone has had days and moments like this. For Dave Reddish it was a quiet Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. He was working at his desk at Regal Discount Cleaners in Phoenix when a car came crashing though the wall, stopping just short of where was sitting.

For Reddish, it was déjà vu all over again, the third time someone had taken “drive-thru” cleaners a bit too literally and driven right into his storefront. No one was injured and, after taking stock, Reddish could see the dark humor in these “close encounters.”

People viewing the video of the event are inclined to say that Reddish, despite the uninvited misfortune, was lucky, and indeed he was. But it is not all about luck. No one can prepare for or prevent every bad thing that might happen and no one wants to live as if the worst thing were about to occur. But there are ways to prepare for the unexpected and to soften the blow when things take a sudden, unpleasant turn. In Reddish’s case, the first step was to have adequate insurance. Another step, likely to be taken after this third event, is to erect barriers that will keep cars from just popping in.

What would happen in your business if your quiet, routine day is suddenly interrupted by a nasty turn of events? Is your insurance coverage adequate? Are your computer files backed up off-site? Do you have emergency plans and supplies? Do you have contingency plans for business not as usual?

You can’t predict when it, whatever it is, will happen; but be assured, someday it will.



								National Clothesline






						New ways to achieve marketing goals Not too many business owners will be sad to see 2009 turn the page. For most of those who remain standing, it was an ongoing struggle for survival. If some of the experts are correct, then the new year will be about branching out instead of hunkering down. According to a forecast offered by Ad-ology Research, a company that analyzes marketing and advertising trends in over 440 industries, small business owners will look to engage customers in new ways in 2010. During a recent survey of 1,100 U.S. business owners with fewer than 100 employees, 25 percent said they plan on spending more on social networking including using tools such as: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, Flickr and YouTube. Overall, more than one-third of those surveyed plan to spend more time writing white papers and e-articles and 28 percent will spend more on creating online video. Clearly, more business owners have become aware of the advantages of incorporating social media outlets into their marketing plans. Of course, there are still many who are in denial about it, too. In the Ad-ology study, 31 percent responded that they do not currently use social media because they believe their customers don’t use it. They couldn’t be more wrong. In a poll from 2008 (the Cone Business in Social Media Study), a whopping 93 percent of Americans believed that a company should have a presence on social media sites and 85 percent believed the companies should use these services to interact with customers. There were other findings of note in the Ad-ology report, as well: 42 percent of respondents planned to participate in trade shows or conferences and the percentage of those planning on spending money on trade publications jumped up 18 percent from the previous year. Such numbers indicate a stronger future for the landscape of business in 2010. Drycleaning will be no different. According to columnist Dennis McCrory (see page 10), at the top of any plant owner’s resolution list should be a “focussed and strategically crafted marketing plan.” That plan should certainly include branching out to social media marketing, but be careful how you incorporate it. If you are going to do it, do it right. The most important thing is to clearly define your overall marketing objectives and strictly adhere to them in every facet of your plan. By doing so, you can make 2010 the year your business thrives instead of simply survives. Expect the unexpected So you’re sitting there quietly taking care of routine business when — WHAM! — your day is interrupted by an unexpected intrusion that demands your full attention. Everyone has had days and moments like this. For Dave Reddish it was a quiet Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. He was working at his desk at Regal Discount Cleaners in Phoenix when a car came crashing though the wall, stopping just short of where was sitting. For Reddish, it was déjà vu all over again, the third time someone had taken “drive-thru” cleaners a bit too literally and driven right into his storefront. No one was injured and, after taking stock, Reddish could see the dark humor in these “close encounters.” People viewing the video of the event are inclined to say that Reddish, despite the uninvited misfortune, was lucky, and indeed he was. But it is not all about luck. No one can prepare for or prevent every bad thing that might happen and no one wants to live as if the worst thing were about to occur. But there are ways to prepare for the unexpected and to soften the blow when things take a sudden, unpleasant turn. In Reddish’s case, the first step was to have adequate insurance. Another step, likely to be taken after this third event, is to erect barriers that will keep cars from just popping in. What would happen in your business if your quiet, routine day is suddenly interrupted by a nasty turn of events? Is your insurance coverage adequate? Are your computer files backed up off-site? Do you have emergency plans and supplies? Do you have contingency plans for business not as usual? You can’t predict when it, whatever it is, will happen; but be assured, someday it will.