Avoid the clutter - Save your budget

Christmas used to be a sacred time of the year. While now it has become bargain hunters’ heaven. What does your company do to stand out from the lot in this advertising clutter?


Christmas used to be a sacred time of the year. While now it has become bargain hunters’ heaven. There is nothing wrong with this. Everyone is free to spend the holidays the way they find most appropriate. At the end of the day, this is good stimulus for the economy. 

Add colours to your brand personality! But what does your company do to stand out from the lot in this advertising clutter?

Let’s see what the possible answers are. Plan their Christmas campaign early in the year. Spend massively on advertising. Promote heavily their 75% off sales. Send mail to all their customers...

Yes, all of these are possible choices but none of them will make you stand out.

Everyone can promote for Christmas. It take some more to be different! What we suggest this year is: ‘Save your budget’! Unless your product makes the best Christmas present for your customers, any marketing effort is pointless. Your customers will not even notice if you promote now because they are preoccupied with handling the Christmas lists.

12 Trends of 2012 - What will we see?

In 2012, much as in previous years, some brands may be staring into the abyss, while others will do exuberantly well. We, as the amazing professionals at TrendWatching.com, do believe that there are more opportunities than ever for creative brands and entrepreneurs to deliver on changing consumer needs. Hence this overview of 12 must-know consumer trends (in random order) for you to run within the next 12 months. Onwards and upwards

1. Red Carpet

In 2012, department stores, airlines, hotels, theme parks, museums, if not entire cities and nations around the world will roll out the red carpet for the new emperors, showering Chinese visitors and customers with tailored services and perks, and in general, lavish attention and respect.Get your head around how to make your customers feel like stars. They will not make do without the opportunity to customise their products and that special feeling of being appreciated.

Spark of Genius

Series Presented by Microsoft BizSpark

We decided to introduce you to Microsoft BizSpark. This is a  global program that helps software start-ups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and providing marketing visibility to help entrepreneurs starting a business.

The Series...

Microsoft BizSpark sponsors Mashable’s series Spark of Genius are proud partners. Each week day they cover a promising new start-up. Each post showcases a promising new software company, and finds the unique feature that separates it from the competition. Full list of coverage can be found on our “Spark of Genius” channel.

Benefits...

Pitching for success - How do you get the money?

Getting an external investor is a dream for many people. Dragons’ Den, Sharks’ Tank, The Apprenticeare all about the perfect pitch and the right presentation. ‘Get to the benefits and do this fast’ is what any investor will tell you if you ask.

How to do this

Sure we all think we have unique selling points, better software, a better price, a more enticing deal and so on, but in truth, no one has to buy from us. Therefore, we must create empathy between us and the panel. People buy from people. And what the investors will buy is you.

Preparation and practice are critical in all of these stages. While it is true that your business is unique and thereby the pitch for it will be unique, there are areas you as an entrepreneur must address.

1. Show passion.

Leave the panel with the impression that you will move mountains to make it happen. Your passion is reflected by your energy, your personal stories, and the words you use.

5 Critical Tips for Start-ups

1. Strong business model and good technology 

Green Business of 2011

Startups must have a strong business model and core fundamentals, in addition to great technology. It is only when all three are put into place that a business could consider itself sustainable, robust and resilient.

Let’s take all those dot-com businesses. How many of them made it through to their third, fifth or tenth year? They might have had the technology and knowledge how to operate it but only those with good business model and strong vision for the future are still on the market.

For example, eBay, Netflix and Shutterfly are still in the news when you open the newspaper, although they have to compete with far more popular Facebook or GroupOn. The reason for this is that they did not only fulfilled a real need but also because they took a long-term view of their business and did not pursued "short-term profits" is key to longevity.

Top money mistakes made by young entrepreneurs

Have you been there?

Being young entrepreneur is attractive and exciting if you are smart and creative. It could be quite glamorous as well. But there are times when it looks as a daunting task.

What are the top money mistakes made by young entrepreneurs and how to avoid them? Amber Cameron, Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2011 Moose Jaw Business Excellence Awards shares her experience.

Firstly, who is she?

Ms. Cameron opened the Radiant Skin Clinic in Moose Jaw in March of last year treating 300 clients by the end of the first year. The clinic offers several treatments, ranging from chemical peels to hair removal to Botox. Now its customers have topped the 1,000 mark.

While Radiant Skin is a success, Ms. Cameron knows all about the financial mistakes young entrepreneurs can make. And her opinion is shared by a number of experts.

1. ‘However much money you think you need, you need more than that.’ Undercapitalizing your business is a big issue.” 

Old? No, That's Not Me!

What’s the trend?
Actually, retro is so in right now.

Act your age?
Hardly.


The changes that we see in consumer behaviour have made demographic segmentation based on age almost useless. Any assumptions associated with age can pretty much be thrown out the window.
Today’s seniors are living and working longer than any before them, while looking like much their younger colleagues and associates. The Boomer generation has refused to let go the trend of young-as-cool and by doing so it has changed the market in two key ways:

• They redefined what getting older means or doesn’t mean.

• They brought up the next generation as free-thinkers, who act as adults before even being able to vote and never actually growing up. 

In a nutshell, be aware that modern consumers have become simultaneously more diverse, more open and less bound by convention – especially age.

More Young Entrepreneurs Needed

"Entrepreneurs are the engine room of the economy and crucial to a sustained recovery... but more needs to be done at an earlier stage to nurture new business talent in the education system.

"Too much emphasis is placed on academic achievement and not enough on encouraging new ideas and enterprise... We need to help young people become more employable and develop the practical skills," says Sir Brian Souter, chief executive of transport giant Stagecoach Group.

Beyond common rules

Beyond common rules of successful businesses

Start-ups guru, Eric Ries, says that entrepreneurship is the management discipline with highest uncertainty because you don’t yet know what the product is, you don’t yet know who the customer is, and you don’t yet know if we’re on a path to a sustainable business.

Numbers can easily prove this. There are 4.5million firms in the UK private sector and 48 000 of them were established last year. Less than 1∕3 will survive to their third year.

So how do you get there?


The answer is simple. It is important to go beyond the common tips for running a successful business. Money is not the only currency you need. You need knowledge and head for business. Give your business an edge. Here is how you can do this:

■ Turn waste into value.
 If you measure how much you lose from waste you will have a sufficient reason to reduce it. For example, City Group found that every employee saves one sheet of paper a day they will save £452,000 a year. Of course, there is no start-up which operates on City Group’s scale but start-ups do not have their resources, too. Cost reduction of carbon footprint could bring additional benefits. Communicating socially responsible and environmentally friendly image can gain the company support from pressure groups and local community.