Advertising

If you’ve walked into a store lately, it certainly feels like the holidays are right around the corner – and this year’s promotions are in full swing. It seems like the ads for special seasonal offerings and the hottest toys start earlier and earlier each year. There are even entire days dedicated to saving money on holiday items – Black Friday and Cyber Monday! But how do small businesses stand out from the crowd during the holidays, especially with so much big competition? ...read more

Whether you own a bakery or an online boutique, you’ve probably put a lot of thought into building your brand. From designing the logo to setting up a perfect website or storefront signage, the visual impact of your brand is usually the first interaction customers have with your company.

Almost everyone I know is in the middle of their Christmas shopping. One trend I’m seeing from my friends is that they are trying to shop locally to support businesses in their neighborhood during the holiday season. It got me thinking that this is probably happening in neighborhoods across the country – and I’m sure stores are really enjoying the extra foot traffic!

Hopefully if you own or help run a business, you’re seeing this trend of new customers buying products or services for the holidays. So after they’ve stopped in once, how do you get them to return? ...read more

Back in June, I shared some news from the annual FedEx Office Signs of the Times survey with our Out of Office readers. Our poll found that small business owners believed marketing and advertising were both key to driving business in 2010. And when it comes to attracting potential customers or promoting your products and services to current customers, signage can be a helpful way to share information quickly. Colorful graphics, bold fonts and catchy prose can help to draw attention to important information in an easy-to-read format. ...read more

Being a former manager of a FedEx Office center, I can tell you that the team members working behind the counters really know small businesses. And not just because our company once was a small business (did you know the first Kinko’s was just one copy machine located on the sidewalk next to a taco stand in California?). No, it’s because small businesses are in our centers each and every day, working with team members to find the solutions that help them build business. And for the last three years we’ve done a nationwide survey of entrepreneurs just like them to see how they’re feeling about things – their business, their customers, the economy and more. 

This year, the results told us that things are looking up for small businesses…that they feel poised to help drive the U.S. economy out of its rut. I thought that was great news, and definitely worth spreading the word about! ...read more

One of my favorite local cafés here in Dallas keeps me coming back for more with frightening regularity. It might be that the food and coffee is awesome when I’m in need of a quick pick-me-up, but I’m sure it also has something to do with the “buy five coffees, get one free” loyalty card they stamp for me every time I visit. And while there are certainly plenty of other eateries in the area I could visit, that one free meal sure is a good incentive to keep coming back to this one. And with that one simple punch card – and some great food – this café has built a seriously devoted, repeat customer.

So why aren’t more businesses doing it? Good question, I thought. And while I really don’t have the answer to it, I do know that these cards are just as easy to make as business cards. In fact, for most businesses I’ve seen use them, the cards double as both. 

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Guest Blogger Stephanie Buttrill is an account supervisor at Ketchum, the public relations agency for FedEx Office. Like many New Yorkers, Stephanie is long-term apartment dweller, but she said she just had to share some tips for a springtime passion developed growing up in the suburbs of Chicago – garage sales!

It’s springtime, and to me that means just one thing – garage sale season! Walking through yard sales in my parents’ neighborhood and nearby suburban subdivisions was as common a weekend activity growing up as trips to the town pool or library. For me, every stop along a garage-sale route was like an adventure trying to find something extraordinary amidst piles of the merely ordinary (or worse!) items being discarded by their once-proud owners.  ...read more

Riddle me this, small business owners: What stays in one place but moves all over? A promotional vehicle magnet, of course! With this mobile advertisement, you can keep your company name top of mind and get exposure as you drive each day. This type of signage can serve you in ways that static advertising can’t, so consider adding them to your marketing strategy to pique the interest of potential customers. 

The best part is that the magnets are removable, so you can change them out and replace as often as you like! Or, if your personal car doubles as your company car, you can remove them when you’re off the clock. Depending on your business, you could even do something seasonally or offer special discounts to customers who mention seeing the promotional magnet. ...read more

Recently, my cousin asked for help proofing a brochure she created, and as a student of journalism, I was happy to help. Upon first review, I noticed several layout and design elements that needed improvement. And that got me to thinking — I bet a lot of small businesses face the same issues. Making custom brochures is a surefire way to promote and grow your business, and with so many resources available, it has never been easier or more cost-effective.

The vast array of design and printing options available at retailers like FedEx Office and on the Internet give you more flexibility than ever to create professional brochures in no time. You can choose bi-fold, tri-fold, full-color, black and white, glossy finish, premium papers, colored papers…the list goes on and on. If you prefer to produce them yourself, check out the Web and Microsoft Word for free templates to get you started. 

Following are some tips I gathered to help our small business readers create a captivating brochure:  ...read more

My refrigerator is littered with sticky fingerprints, photos, sporting tickets that I don’t want to lose, emergency numbers, and yes, magnets. Every time the appliance repair company pays us a visit, they leave with us a magnet with their number. They’re quite handy and I’m sure they are a great business builder – we see them every time we reach for the ice cream. 

Businesses of all sizes can keep their name and number visible with these magnets. You can even pick a shape that fits your business – our realtor has a house-shaped magnet, and our emergency vet has a magnet that is shaped like a heart, but that’s a number I hope I don’t have to call! 

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