Local merchants who are looking for a powerful way to attract more customers must consider using video content on the Web.  No one can deny the fact that video content is more compelling that written articles and blog content alone, and advances in technology have made it easy and affordable for virtually anyone who considers themselves to be serious business owners.  For less than a couple hundred dollars you can produce high quality video for posting to your website or a Youtube account.

You would be surprised how many people will watch simple videos of you simply doing what you do for a living, or talking to your audience about a topic that interests them.  Restaurant chefs, real estate agents, attorneys, dry cleaners, tailors, virtually anyone in business can tell the story of what they do and why using short, simple videos.

As you create your videos, keep in mind that Youtube gets more views than the top 10 TV networks, so there are lots of folks looking for content that is educational, entertaining, and timely.  If you can be the source of that content, you can certainly attract viewers to become your customer.

If you have questions about using video content to promote your business please contact me.  I have a local connection who can help you map out a strategy and help you get it done.

Believe it or not, the holidays are just around the corner, and now is the time to plan if you are a merchant! Gift cards have become the number one gift for the holidays, outselling gift certificates by a 10 to 1 margin. Gift cards also offer many benefits to the merchants that offer them:

• The initial sale of a gift card is an immediate source of revenue for a merchant.
• The card acts as an advertisement for the merchant.
• Gift cards encourage repeat visits by customers who don’t use the entire value of the card on the first visit.
• Some cards can be recharged after the initial value is depleted, bringing customers back into the business to make additional purchases.
• There is a high potential for increased sales above the value of the gift card amount from customers who purchase items higher than the value of the card.
• Merchants offering gift cards typically realize an increase in overall sales and cash flow, sometimes as much as 30 percent or more.
• Gift cards are easy to issue, and transactions using gift cards are fast and efficient because no change is issued when a gift card is redeemed.
• Statistically speaking, merchants can realize an average of 15 to 20 percent pure profit on cards that are issued but never redeemed.

To realize the advantages of gift cards and grab your portion of the market, please contact us for more information – so that we can get you set up in time for the holidays!

As a business owner, it’s highly likely that you own a cell phone – maybe even a smart phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA for short).  These little mobile devices make it convenient for us to place phone calls, send texts and emails, surf, browse, and post from wherever we are. However, all good things come to an end, and inevitably you will find yourself preparing to upgrade your phone.  What do you plan to do with the old one?

There are plenty of options: recycling, reselling, and donating are the most common choices for most people.  Before you do any of these things, be sure that you know how to dispose of the data on your old device properly so that you are not exposing sensitive business or personal information to the wrong eyes!  Removing personal information includes removing the memory or SIM card and following manufacturer’s instructions to wipe the data from the device.  Be sure to remove your phone book, contact lists, list of calls made and received, voicemails, photos, and all email, both sent and received. Also remove text messages, web search history and folders.  For additional advice on how to properly remove your data, contact your cellular service provider or refer to the owner’s manual for your device.

Once you have removed all of your data from your device, you have several options for its disposal.  If your device still has some usable life in it, you may consider selling it.  If you have more than one device to sell, you might be able to bring a little bit of money back into your business. Organizations exist that will buy your old device from you – but it’s best not to just choose one from a list that you find online. Be sure to thoroughly check out the business that you choose to deal with, working with a local business where you can visit and talk to the owner or manager.

If you choose to recycle your phone, the government has some options for you.  The Environmental Protection Agency’s web site provides information on recycling programs (www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm) and the US Postal Service has a free “Mail Back” program that allows you to recycle small electronics (www.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/green/report/2010/ourpeople-cust-exp-2.htm).

Whatever you do, please consider the environmental impact of just throwing your phone into the trash.  Batteries in cell phones and small electronic devices should not be put into landfills because the heavy metals can contaminate the earth.  Check with your local health and sanitation agency for additional suggestions on disposing of these devices.

Source: www.ftc.gov.

Most people on the Internet are looking for a combination of three things:  Communication, information, and entertainment.  It’s pretty simple to position yourself to be the source of information, especially in your area of expertise, if you will take the time to produce content that people can use to get their questions answered.

Taking the time to create quality content is a strong investment in your business, because if you create the content one time, you can have thousands of people who get exposure to it and become a potential client or referral source for you.

People also love to share content and it’s easy for them since it only takes a few button clicks to post a link to your article on their social networking profiles or to send it to their mailing list.  I watched a Youtube video featuring a cute little skit where the author was talking to his dog and the dog was talking back.  It was very entertaining, but the kicker is that the video has gotten over 44 million views in just over 2 months!  Can you believe that?

I’m not saying that your videos and content will duplicate that success, but even if they got a thousand views or a hundred views, that’s one hundred or more people who now know you exist and now know how you can help them.  If all you did was produce a quality article or video once a week and encouraged people you know to share it with their friends, you’d reach more people than you typically reach through a coupon circular or newspaper ad.

Consider making a small investment of time and effort to share a few tidbits of wisdom consistently.  It’s free to post on social media networks, so your only real investment is a little time on your end.

Many merchants are satisfied to simply advertise to their clients rather than investing in relationships with them.  It’s easy to take out an ad as long as you have the budget for it, but it takes a little more commitment to invest your time in getting to know your customers.  I’m pretty sure that extra commitment is why more merchants don’t calculate into their marketing budget an amount of time each month that they will invest in relationship building with customers and referral sources.

The problem with relying exclusively on advertising is that if you stop advertising customers stop coming in, since their only motivation is typically whatever deal you are currently promoting.  When people come to you because of a referral, or because of their relationship with them, they return frequently without the need for you to always have a discount offered.

Initially, it takes a little more time to build that relationship, but it’s truly an investment that pays future dividends when the majority of business comes to you from referral sources and repeat customers who enjoy their relationship with you.

As you consider your marketing budget, consider budgeting a certain amount of time each week that you will spend connecting with your customers and with potential referral sources.  Make those connections count by following our advice in previous articles about acting with a “servant’s heart” in your dealings with people, and you will see people respond to the opportunity to get to know you better and enjoy shopping with you as much as knowing you.

Cash Flow Plus, Inc. is sponsoring the Ultimate Marketing Plan Workshop, presented by Glenn K. Garnes, founder of the Village Connector Community News, on Thursday, November 11, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Hall at Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department, 4030 Old Town Road, Huntingtown, MD, 20639.  Tim Manley, the owner of Cash Flow Plus, has invited Mr. Garnes to share this marketing plan workshop with local merchants in the area.  The things you will learn will save your business money in this difficult economy while gaining you greater access to a larger number of customers.  You will learn how to leverage your marketing efforts by creating an effective marketing plan that will attract local consumers to your local business!

Attendees who take part in the workshop will be given an opportunity to test-drive the Village Connector Community Marketing System at NO CHARGE ($900 value) for 6 months – it’s our way of thanking you for sharing your evening with us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how you can increase your business at no cost even in a sputtering economy. Space is limited and you must register in advance to attend. If you are interested in learning more, contact Tim Manley via email at sales@cashfloplus.com or call 877-876-3791.

Directions to the Hall at Huntingtown:

From points north (Washington D.C., Prince Georges County) take Maryland Route 4 South to Huntingtown.  At intersection of Route 4 & Old Town Road make right turn onto Old Town Road, continue to 4030 Old Town Road on the left.  Take access road between Huntingtown Post Office and Huntingtown VFD.  Event parking is located in the rear of the building.

From Annapolis, take Maryland Route 2 to Maryland Route 4 and follow directions above.

From points south (Solomon’s, Prince Frederick) take Maryland Route 4 North to Huntingtown.  At intersection of Route 4 & Old Town Road make left turn onto Old Town Road continue to 4030 Old Town Road on the left.  Take access road between Huntingtown Post Office and Huntingtown VFD.  Event parking is located in the rear of the building.

Enter through the door at the brick archway.

Cash Flow Plus is excited to announce that we have paired up with Street Savings Mobile Coupons and Rewards to offer you, our family of merchants, an additional way to market your business and build customer loyalty in real-time!  Use the hottest communication medium available today to drive customers to your business: text messaging!

In today’s mobile world, almost 90% of the people in the United States own mobile phones; 200 million people use their cell phones to send and receive text messages, and almost 40% of those texting are 35 years of age or older. We can help you capitalize on this electronic traffic with low-cost, high-impact, real-time messages to your customers.  Messages can announce specials and coupons that you know your customers will always receive. You can also initiate a customer rewards and loyalty program that uses your customer’s cell phone as their card – they will always have their card with them as long as they have their phone in hand!

Both the mobile coupon and mobile rewards programs are affordable (even in this economy) and are currently producing a return on investment for participating merchants of over 200%. The system is easy to use, too: you can “set and forget” messages and campaigns, create instant offers, even configure messages to be sent during specific weather conditions!  Customers will always have your coupons with them, so they’ll be more inclined to visit your business on a regular basis – and you can use the program to reward your best customers.

It’s time to get ahead of your competition and enhance your existing marketing plan with mobile coupons and rewards.  Contact Cash Flow Plus today for more information.

ATTENTION SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS:

Cash Flow Plus, Inc. is sponsoring the Ultimate Marketing Plan Workshop, presented by Glenn K. Garnes, founder of the Village Connector Community News, on Wednesday, October 27, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Saucy Salamander, 2661 Riva Road, Annapolis.  Tim Manley, the owner of Cash Flow Plus, has invited Mr. Garnes to share this marketing plan workshop with local merchants in the area.  The things you will learn  will save your business money in this difficult economy while gaining you greater access to a larger number of customers.  You will learn how to leverage your marketing efforts by creating an effective marketing plan that will attract local consumers to your local business!

Attendees who take part in the workshop will be given an opportunity to test-drive the Village Connector Community Marketing System at NO CHARGE ($900 value) for an entire year – it’s our way of thanking you for sharing your evening with us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how you can increase your business at no cost even in a sputtering economy. Space is limited and you must register in advance to attend. If you are interested in learning more, contact Tim Manley via email at sales@cashfloplus.com or call 877-876-3791.

Cash Flow Plus, Inc., is happy to announce that Brian Brown is on board and will be in charge of the IT Division!  Brian will be focusing on information technology solutions for electronic payment processing, including software-based programs, point-of-sale systems, and inventory systems.

A native of Pennsylvania, Brian attended Penn State University and majored in electrical engineering.  His career has spanned sales and business development positions with Cingular Wireless, service management with Heartland Payment Systems, and installation and maintenance of Bluetooth systems for automobiles under his own company. Brian is an avid sailor and lives on his boat in the Federal Hill area of Baltimore. Welcome, Brian!

Cash Flow Plus is currently offering the opportunity to use the iPhone as a mobile credit card terminal!  Coupled with a Verifone card reader, the iPhone 3G is the ultimate mobile processing solution.  With wide-ranging and reliable reception and a sleek design, the iPhone keeps you in touch with your employees, gives them access to applications that can make them more productive on the road, and – best of all – it provides you with a way to accept credit card payments AT ANY TIME.  It turns your cell phone into a true multi-tasker for your business! With this device you’ll receive qualified rates and obtain immediate authorizations.

For a limited time, Cash Flow Plus will set you up with an iPhone 3G and a Verifone card reader for a three-month trial period!  See how it works for your business and if it’s a good fit for you.  If you’re not satisfied, return the phone and card reader to us with no further obligation.   It’s that simple.  Contact us at 877-876-3791 for more information or to start using the iPhone 3G to accept payments today!