Orange County's Small Business Growth Advisor

Face to face marketing traditionally known as networking has always been an integral part of a successful small business marketing strategy. But, with the increase of people starting businesses as an alternative to going back into the job market, networking events have taken on more of a ‘swap meet’ atmosphere as business owners and entrepreneurs attempt to find buyers and collect business cards to use for future email campaigns.

If networking is done right, it can fuel a continuous stream of q… Continue

This week, many in business throughout the United States and around the world will be celebrating the 100th birthday of history’s most influential business thinker- Peter F. Drucker. Drucker, now deceased, was lauded as the father of modern management and published 39 books on a whole range of topics and principles that he saw as essential to the greater role of business in society. His first rule of thumb was his version of medicine’s Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm. Leave the marketplace, the wor… Continue

What determines how big things should be? As Americans, we tend to think that bigger is better in most cases. Until recently, the SUV market was based on this principle. In contact sports, bigger certainly has its advantages. And don’t forget about all the restaurants who serve more food that most people can eat in one sitting.

On the other end of the size continuum is the idea that smaller is where it’s at. This has certainly been the case for cell phones, computers and cameras. In fact, techn… Continue

If you own a small business, networking should be a key component of your overall marketing strategy. Networking is the best way to build relationships with people in your community at a personal level. It’s the only way to convey who you are in real life; something that will earn a tremendous amount of trust, confidence and credibility if done properly.

Networking can be very intimidating for some business owners. It requires being able to walk into rooms full of people you don’t know and feel… Continue

Every time I see an ad in a news paper or on a flyer, I’m reminded of marketing at its most basic level: [What you do or have that’s unique + who the people are who want what you have = all the sales you can handle]. Now, explaining this concept is much easier than it is to implement. Still, there are things you can do to get a better understanding of whether or not you’re properly focused on the customers you want.

In today’s struggle to find the best way to grow and sustain businesses, many s… Continue