Is it time to return to “snail mail”?

At the COSE Small Business Conference last week I led a workshop titled “You have the business card, what do you do now?”, where we discussed techniques for follow-up after getting business cards at networking events, trade shows, and conferences.

Among the techniques we discussed was sending notes, letters, brochures, and postcards by regular mail. The rationale is that today people are so bombarded with e-mail that they are more likely to pay attention to a physical paper that gets delivered to their desks. Who can resist opening a hand-addressed note card envelope? Then opening the card with an attractive, yet appropriate, picture on the front? A simple message inside can be very powerful.

A young lady, in the generation that considers no media valid if not electronic, approached me after the workshop. She said at first she thought I was nuts to suggest snail-mail – but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how powerful it can be to send out appropriate mailings, and that she would be trying snail-mail in her business.

Sometimes the old becomes new again!

Will Limkemann

Help for small businesses

If you are a small business owner intent on implementing best practices that will improve your income, don’t miss out on the once-a-year opportunity to mingle with other like-minded people and learn from some of the best people in Northeast Ohio. Where? The Council for Smaller Enterprises (COSE) annual small business conference at the IX center next to Cleveland Hopkins Airport. When? Wednesday and Thursday, October 21 and 22.

I will be leading a seminar titled “I got the business card – now what do I do with it?” On Thursday morning.

The past three conferences have been outstanding and have each drawn well over 1,000 small business owners from around the region. I understand this year has three keynote speakers, an exhibition with 75 exhibitors, and countless learning opportunities.

For more information, visit: http://my.cose.org/sbc/index2.asp

Will Limkemann

Buying locally

A program called I Buy NEO was started by Cleveland’s Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) some time ago and is gaining traction in helping and encouraging consumers to buy from locally owned and operated businesses. In fact, COSE has designated July 4 – 11 as buy local week.

John Hughes, a deterimined young Detroit entrepreneur, is starting a for-profit business to provide incentives to Detroit citizens to buy from local merchants. He is hoping his plan will have at least a small role in turning around a decaying city. Read and hear an NPR review called The Entrepreneurial Spirit Burns Bright in Detroit.

Will Limkemann
www.siqualtd.com

Buy Local

While I have previously addressed the benefits of buying local rather than from chains which remove the profits from the community, media activity in the past two days prompts me to revisit the issue.

Yesterday NPR’s Talk of the Nation Program interviewed Maggie Anderson, of Chicago, who is on a year-long experiment  buy only from black-owned businesses. It is her intent to keep profits in the pockets of her fellow African-Americans in Chicago. She drives up to 20 miles out of her way to buy products from locally owned (not franchised) businesses. While she regrets the fuel she uses driving, she not only is helping and encouraging the local black-owned businesses, but she is also saving money! That is no surprise (to me), as the national chains have perpetuated a myth that they always have lower prices. I applaud Maggie.

This morning I opened an e-mail from COSE (Cleveland’s Council of Smaller Enterprises) with the subject: “Are you keeping our local economy healthy?”. It is touting July 4 – 11 as the regional buy local week. Sponsored by COSE’s I Buy NEO initiative, “This program is designed to engage, educate and empower people to take action in their communities by spending locally whenever possible. Now more than ever, it is critical that people understand the impact of purchases as simple as buying fruit, ordering pizza, or getting their hair done. Our local businesses are what drive jobs, economic growth and income for a stable tax-base. Keeping our local businesses healthy is what will keep our economy healthy. And if everyone does their part, significant impacts can be made.”–quotes are from the e-mail.

The e-mail goes on to say: “If everyone in Northeast Ohio (NEO) pledges to redirect $100 of planned spending to locally owned businesses during Buy Local Week July 4th through July 11th, we can make a significant difference – an amazing additional $48 million dollars will be pumped into the local economy.”

I’m delighted that spring is here and farmer’s markets are back in business, as I love not only the fresh locally owned food, but also helping out the local businesses.

What are you doing to help your local businesses survive and thrive?

Will Limkemann
www.siqualtd.com

VOIP (Voice over IP) phone service

Here is a tip I picked up at a COSE “Technology for Home-based business” workshop led by Joel H Rathbone yesterday.

If you’re a solo business person a great primary business telephone option is neither a cell phone or a land line – but rather VOIP (voice over IP) Internet phone service. It’s inexpensive, generally provides free calling all over North America, often offers free or inexpensive calling to popular overseas locations, and has quality of sound comparable to land lines and much better than cell phones. Get a good head set to plug into your computer and you can recieve and initiate phone calls no matter where you are.

For true mobility, and for redundancy in case your Internet connection gets interrupted, Joel suggests getting a mobile broadband card for your laptop. You’ll not only have continuing VOIP phone service whereever there is a good signal, but you will also have continual access to the Internet on your computer without having to find a Starbucks with Wi-Fi.

Will Limkemann
www.siqualtd.com

Buy Local

The vital core of our economy is comprised of small businesses. Most new jobs are created by small businesses. Small businesses provide personal service with competitive pricing and are there when we need them.There is hardly a product or a service that is not of equal or better quality found in a large chain stores that is not available from a local merchant, warehouse, or manufacturer.

Why then do we insist on shopping at the big-box stores, or even on the Internet? While big box stores pay taxes, profits are sent away to fat cats who care not about our local economy. Internet sites don’t even pay local taxes!

If you own a business, you count on local people to purchase your goods and services. Do you return the favor?

Do you seek out the many wonderful locally owned restaurants in your community, or do you take your family to national chains? Do you retain a far-off consultant instead of finding an equally competent person in your own back yard? Do you purchase hardware or lumber from local merchants or do you go to the big box stores?

My wife and I buy groceries exclusively from local chain markets, notably Heinens. Friends have often commented that this is a luxury as we are paying too much for our groceries. This is a myth perpetuated by the large chains. My wife has comparison shopped on more that one occasion and has found Heinens prices to be competitive, and in some cases lower, than the Giant Eagle chain stores nearby.

In Nothern Ohio COSE is sponsoring a campaign to encourage people to buy locally. I encourage you to visit www.ibuyneo.com to check it out.

It may be convenient to purchase on-line or at a big-box store. But, is it the right thing to do? Is it really helping the local economy? Do the right thing. Support your local businesses.

Small Business Conference

I am using today’s post to shamelessly plug the third annual COSE Small Business Conference. While this is an event of the Council Of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), I say shamelessly because I am chairing the conference this year. The Small Business Conference is a conference actually designed by small business owners for small business owners, and will be held October 22 and 23 at Cleveland’s IX Center.

The conference is a wonderful opportunity to network with other business owners (about 1500 are expected); to hear inspiring keynote talks by Michael Simon – noted Cleveland chef, Debbie Fields – of Mrs. Fields Cookies, and John Moore – mastermind behind the marketing of Starbucks; to learn about almost any business issue at over 45 workshops; and to see the latest in small business products and services among the 75 exhibitors.

Best of all, the conference is free – to COSE members. Others are welcome to attend for the bargain price of $495. For more information, please click on www.cose.org/sbc.

To end my shameless plug, I will be leading a workshop called “Protecting Yourself From Employee Fraud and Theft”.

Will Limkemann
Limkemann Business Advisors
440-871-0976
www.neobizadvisor.com
will@limkemann.net