1. Growing Your Business © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved

2. Introductions Jim Smith Business Advisor and Instructor @ MHCC, SBDC Experience (503) 922-0784 jsmith@ychange.com © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 2

3. 7 Steps To Grow Your Business Your Favorite Customer The Message or Value Proposition Communicating The Message Your Competition Your Cash Flow The Planning Process Your Network © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 3

4. Step 1 – Your Favorite Customer The spoken and unspoken customer PAIN and what they value most are understood in part by the answers to a particular set of questions. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 4

5. Understanding Your Customers What do these CUSTOMERS need? What is their pain? Do they even know their needs? Do they really understand their pain? What does your Competition offer them? What can YOU offer these customers? What do they THINK YOU offer them? How do they describe your offerings? © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 5

6. Geographic Variables Potential customers are in the following kind of marketplace: Local State Regional, or National International © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 6

7. Demographic Variables Potential Customers are identified by criteria such as: Age Race Religion Gender Family size Occupation Income Level Education level Marital status Slide 7 © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved

8. Psychographic Variables Lifestyle: conservative, exciting, trendy, economical Social class: lower, middle, upper Opinion: easily led or opinionated Activities and interests: sports, physical fitness, shopping, books Attitudes and beliefs: environmentalist, security conscious. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 8

9. Behavioristic Variables Products and services are purchased for a variety of reasons: Brand Loyalty Cost Frequency of purchase Amount of purchase Time of Year Time involved in purchasing decision Where customer purchases the product © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved

10. Linguistic Variables Products and services are described by a variety of words and phrases Keywords Key phrases Misspellings Geographic dependencies © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved

11. Your Customer Segment Who is the favorite customer What is their pain How do they describe it in their words Listen to your customers Learn to think inside their box Learn their language Learn to walk in their shoes © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 11

12. Step 2 - The Marketing Message Using what you learned about your customers and the language they use to describe your offerings….how you describe what you do to them. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 12

13. It Explains Your Business Who you are targeting? What they are looking for? What you are offering? Why it is so very special? How it is unlike others?

14. Step 3 - Communicate The Message Via The Different Media Classical Media Digital/Electronic Media © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 14

15. Media Broadcast Print Conversation Mail PR Web Sites Social Media © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 15

16. The Web’s Impact on Customers. Communication habits are changing Most of your future customers will be coming from a digital generation iPhone & iPad Instant Messaging Web searching Social Media & Networking Digital Readers & Meters © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 16

17. A Website Is… …Just a location You have to make it into a destination. Your Customers Use It – not to find you – But To Check You Out! © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 17

18. Content The most important part of your site Speak to your target market/visitor’s true need You need to listen to them to understand the language You write differently for the Web than you do for anything else Establish credibility © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 18

19. Social Media Social media use rising: More than 500 million people on Facebook and more than 1 billion Twitter updates per week or 140 million per day, 460,000 new accounts sign up daily. More than 71% of businesses plan on increasing their use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs in 2011 Small businesses are dominant players: Small businesses are cashing in quickly on social media. The increase in use over the past year is up from 12% to 24 %. Mass consumer adoption of social media: 93% of social media users say your company should have a social media presence. 56% of users feel both more closely connected with and better served by companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment Social media drives search engine optimization: improving search engine rankings © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 19

20. Social Media Tools RSS Blogs Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Yelp, Foursquare SocialMention Twubs To listen to your customers © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 20

21. RSS © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 21

22. Why blog? The hub of your social media marketing. You become the expert. Connect to a wider audience. Grow your brand. Gives you material to distribute. SEO. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 22

23. Facebook More than 500M active users. 100M in US Each has on average 130 friends Fastest growing demographic is 35+ Clients are there. They’ll spread the word. You have friends on Facebook to start a network. Integrates easily with other social media platforms You can advertise on Facebook © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 23

24. What is Twitter? Microblogging platform composed entirely of 140 character answers to 1 simple question: “What are you doing?” or rather, “What are you interested in right now?” HootSuite Tweetdeck © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 24

25. Hootsuite © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 25

26. LinkedIn World’s largest professional network with over 60 million members Draw up a professional profile or resume Make professional connections: employers, consultants, group members, etc Collaborate, post/distribute jobs listings © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 26

27. Social Media Tools RSS Blogs Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Yelp, Foursquare SocialMention Twubs To listen to your customers © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 27

28. RE-THINKING “social” Networking By 2010, Gen Y will outnumber Baby Boomers using Social Networking Technologies 96% have joined a social network 1 out of 8 couples married last year met online Radio 50 million users = 38 years facebook reached 100 million in 9 months! facebook “country,” fourth largest in the world Twitter – 75 million visitors in January Twitter – 50 million tweets per day © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 28

29. RE-THINKING “social” Networking Word of Mouth has become World of Mouth 25% search results (Top 20 brands) linked to user-generated content 34% of bloggers post opinions about products & brands Do you know what they are saying about you or your competitors? © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 29

30. Step 4 – YourCompetition Who is in YOUR market? What do they offer? How different? What is unique? Why do people use them? What do they communicate? Copies of brochures, Web, Ads, etc. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 30

31. What To Look For Battles chosen Comparisons made Claims made Areas ignored Keep your friends close and your competitors closer. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 31

32. Step 5 – The Planning Process 1 Plan 6 Evaluate Prepare for the future explain variances from the plan Act implement the plan 2 5 Analyze compare results to the plan Results something happens 3 Record 4 measure the results © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 32

34. The Company

35. Products and Services

36. Market Analysis

37. Competition

40. Supporting Documentation© 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 33

41. Step 6 – Cash Flow the Secret… Did you know? Managing Cash Flowis the most important financial process you have to master… And, it’s NOTthat difficult! © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 34

43. Negative when cash payments exceed cash receipts – YOU HAVE TO BORROW TO PAY BILLS © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 35

44. Cash Flow Rules Rule Nº 1:Cash is the most important resource you have… More cash is better than less cash Collect Cash now is better than later Pay out Cash later is better than now Rule Nº 2: Focus on Cash Flow rather than Operating Statement (P&L) profits © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 36

45. Cash Flow - Stop the Bleeding Review top 5 company expenditures Monitor all employees expenses Which service offerings generate revenue Extended payment terms from suppliers Purchasing via company credit card. This may give you 15-25 days of extended terms © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 37

46. Cash Flow – Stop the Bleeding If practical, use early pay discounts Consider a twice monthly pay schedule Reduce employees hours versus layoff. Consider using contract labor (know IRS rules) Short focused office meetings early in the day Secure line of credit for unforeseen expenses © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 38

47. Step 7 - Advisory Board 4 Reasons Networking Potential Industry Trends Business Advice Emotional Support © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 39

48. Advisory Boards - Who Business Customers Small Business Peers Consultants – SBDC/SCORE Suppliers Banker – CPA Insurance Brokers Lawyers In the counsel of many there is wisdom. © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 40

49. 3/20/7 Final Thoughts Jim Smith (503) 922-0784 jsmith@ychange.com www.ychange.com www.twitter.com/ychange/ www.facebook.com/ychange/ © 2011 YCHANGE International LLC. All rights reserved Slide 41