There were about 146,000 business startups a year, and an average of 12,000 business bankruptcies per year from 1994 to 2004 in Canada. A 2004 Statistics Canada study on small business failure rates Key Small Business Statistics January 2005: How Long Do Small Businesses Survive? found that the first few years were critical. While almost three quarters of small business startups survive the first year, less than one third of micro companies (less than five employees) were in business after five years.

These statistics by themselves may be of little value to you directly. We know how many small businesses survive and for how long, but its far more important to know why some survive and others do not. There are a lot of studies on small business failure. Searching reasons for small business failure with quotations on Google will give you almost 700 results (about 38 million without!). Why small businesses fail will give you almost a thousand.

The 1997 study by Statistics Canada Failing Concerns: Business Bankruptcies in Canada found major internal factors of small business failure was management deficiency, financial management problems and poor marketing.

The Small Business Administration study Financial Difficulties of Small Businesses and Reasons for Their Failure in 1998 found several causes of small business bankruptcy: outside business conditions (38.5%), financing (28%), inside business conditions (27.1%), taxes (20%), disputes (18.8%), personal calamities and other (32.9%).

There is a wealth of information on this subject, but what are the common factors? There are four basic areas:

External factors

External factors include new competition, your major client moving out of town, poor weather if youre a seasonal business, or economic downturns. Theyre often largely out of our control, and may be unique to your particular company, but there are often ways to mitigate them. For example, if you have a seasonal business, such as a landscaping company (at least up here in the cold north its seasonal) you could buy a bobcat to provide income during your off-season with snow removal. The bottom line is, have a contingency plan for external factors that could have a negative impact on your small business success.

Lack of management

Big companies have the luxury of being able to hire several people to get all the jobs done that need to be done, but chances are youre going to have to do it all yourself, at least for awhile. That means youre not only going to have to develop your product or service, youre also going to have to make financial, accounting, legal, marketing, human resources, and purchasing decisions.

You may do some of these tasks very well, but its unlikely that you do all these tasks well, and even if you do, you might want to contact a lawyer and an accountant at the very least. And, research, research, and research some more, and when youre done researching, find an expert or two bounce ideas off and give you solid advice.

Lack of planning

Small businesses often fail because of lack of planning. Let me make a bold statement: the single-most vital part of your business success is your business plan. Why? Simply put, your business plan specifically and concretely lists your goals for the next few years. It spells out, step by step, how youre going to meet those goals, and gives you something to measure your performance against at the end of your business year. Finally, a complete business plan helps you get financing and includes a marketing plan.

I have one more thing to say about business plans. It does very little good to write a business plan, put it in a drawer and never look at it again. That same 1997 Statistics Canada study we talked about earlier found that successful small business owners refer to and revise their business plans often.

Lack of marketing

Most small businesses seem to think it takes a lot of money to market their product or service effectively. Thats simply not true. There are many ways to market inexpensively. You could use direct mail marketing which is as cheap as a stamp, or email marketing, which costs nothing. The point is, you need to get your product or service out there somehow. You may have the best product or service out there, something completely unique from anything else, but what good does that do if nobody knows about it?

So there you have itmy thoughts on the main reasons why small businesses fail, and how you can avoid becoming a small business failure statistic by developing a contingency plan, consulting with experts, and developing and using a business and marketing plan.

If you are thinking of starting a small business, trust me, Im not trying to discourage you. I sincerely believe being in business for yourself may possibly be the most rewarding career there is, but a little knowledge can go a long way towards arming you against small business failure.

To be a successful entrepreneur you are going to have to learn to deal with failure. There is no way around it. Thomas Edison tried over ten thousand different experiments before he finally demonstrated the first incandescent light bulb on October 21, 1879. Bill Gates’ first company, Traf-O-Data, was a failure. Michael Jordan was once quoted as saying: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot; And missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

In my short stint as an entrepreneur I’ve failed more times than I can count. I have also had my share of success, but its not even close to equal. The failures far outweigh the successes, and Im sure I have a lot more failure ahead of me. Im OK with that because I know that as soon as I stop failing, I have stopped trying to innovate. It’s the nature of the business of being an entrepreneur, and of success in general.

If it were easy, everyone would do it. It is naive to think that every good idea that you have will result in a successful business venture. I have yet to hear an entrepreneur say “every single idea I come up with seems to work.” More likely, you hear something like “I failed at my first five businesses before this one took off.”

Think about that for a second. Five businesses. Sometimes the number is three, sometimes it’s 20, but the important point is that most entrepreneurs don’t hit a home-run with their first company. It really does amaze me – how many people have the stones to fail five times and still start a sixth business? You have to be supremely confident and treat those previous five times as a learning experience for the sixth. And if number six fails, you have to do the same and move on to number seven.

In my opinion, the most important thing is how you deal with failure. Once you accept that it’s inevitable, you are able to learn from your mistakes and move on. It’s easy to let the failure consume you – not so much because you are pessimistic, but more so because it is hard to see something that you poured your heart and soul into be ignored or rejected. As soon as possible you need to come to the realization that your business is what they are ignoring or rejecting, NOT you. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can objectively analyze why you failed and learn the things necessary for improvement in the future.

Failure isn’t easy and is extremely frustrating, but it’s a necessary part of success. Don’t believe me? Ask Thomas Edison, Bill Gates or Michael Jordan! Ok, asking Thomas Edison might be a little tough, but you get the idea

Running a small business requires accurate and detail records. This can be accomplished by using a business credit card. Using a business credit card will provide the small business owner with a monthly statement, listing all business transactions in detail. This is very beneficial because it separates business expenses from personnel expenses. Business owners do not need to sort out personal expenses from business expenses or worry about losing receipts or making reimbursement errors. With such categorized statement, the business owner is able to spend more time analyzing and monitoring expenses to decrease cost where needed. This business credit card statement simplifies the process of filing a business income tax.

Using a personal credit card to make purchases will cause errors and inaccurate reporting and poor business management. To manage your business wisely, it is advisable to use a business credit card because it eliminate the mixing up of personal expenses with business expenses. The statement produced from the business credit card gives a true picture of all transactions made. With this information, business owners can have more time to analyze the statement and adjust expenses to increase profitability.

Tracking your business overhead is accomplished quite easily with the monthly small business statement. With this detailed statement, business owners are able to analyze business expenses and cut cost where needed. Staying in business and making a profit is the main concern of small business owners. Business owners who utilize the monthly statement reports know where monies are spent. They are able to make wise decisions in cutting expenses where needed.

Event though standard business credit cards have comparable features as a business credit card, 0% Apr, no annual fees, balance transfer option, cash back and rewards and more. The main difference for business credit cards is they offer a higher credit limit and is designed and developed to benefit the small business owner. Business owners are able to leverage their buying power because they usually purchase in bulk, as a group which adds up to big savings for the small business owner.

Some features of a small business credit card include, online account management, higher credit limit, itemized employees statement, personalized credit card and more. Business owners love the higher credit limit because it allows them to have a liquid cash flow to make purchases for airline tickets, gasoline, and office supply etc. and avoid undercapitalization. Maintain good credit because the small business owner is liable for any defaults associated with the business credit card. Credit card activities are reported to the main credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union.

Educate yourself about the features of the business credit cards since there are differences between business credit cards and personal credit cards. Apply for the business credit card that will offer the most savings and benefits for your particular company. For example, if you have a fleet of cars then apply for the business credit card that offers the most cash back and rewards. Small business owners are generally a sole proprietorship and are personally liable for the business credit card debt. Read the terms and conditions to have a good understanding about the features offered, penalties for late payment, charging over credit limit, defaults on credit-card payments and knowing who is responsible if the credit card is lost or stolen.

iCreditOnline.com is the webs leading credit card resource site. Customers are able to compare credit card offers and apply for the card that meets their needs. This article is free to publish in its entirety and must include all links: http:www.icreditonline.com

Awareness and Mastery -Two Essential Keys To a Successful Small Business

At the heart of it, mastery is practice. Mastery is staying on the path.”
~ George Leonard
US pioneer in human potential

We often hear managers complaining that their employees arent productive, dont listen and just cant consistently get the job done. As a youth sports coach, I hear coaches with similar complaintsthe kids dont listen, dont know where to go and dont try very hard. I cant relate. The boys on my team are usually focused, do what I ask of them, and work hard. As a business owner, my employees are focused, do what I ask of them and work hard. What am I doing that is different from the rest? And what can this teach you about running a successful small business?

As a coach, I make my boys jobs very simple. I ask only two things of them. I ask them to master one shot and I ask them to be aware of what is going on around them. Of course we work on defensive and offensive strategy, but both of those revolve around the two keys that I gave them for successawareness and mastery.

I teach awareness by constantly asking them to be aware of where the ball is and at the same time to be aware of their teammates are and where their opponents are. I teach them how to see the ball and their opponent when he doesnt have the ball. Sounds simple, but for ten year olds this is work.

I teach mastery by assigning homework to each boy. The second week of practice, they have to show me a spot on the court from which they can make a shot every time. I dont care if it is from just two feet under the basket. I want them to know they can make it every single time. As the season progresses, they may gradually move their spot further and further out, but I still ask that they be able to make their shot every time unguarded in practice.

These two simple concepts have a tremendous effect on the boys during their games. They have incredible confidence in their ability to make shots because they know that they will always make it. I dont need to yell at them like other coaches about where they should be on the court because they have developed awareness of what they are doing and seeing. Now lets see how you can use this in your successful small business.

As a business owner, I put these two key principles to work in training my employees. From the first day on the job, I work with them to be aware of what tasks are needed, what I expect of them, how I want customers treated, etc. And I ask them to master tasks and customer scripts. Once they are mastered, I open it up for them to adlib just like with my players. When correction is needed, it is usually in one of these two areas. They are either unaware of what is needed or they havent mastered the task at hand.

Not only does following these two concepts make it easy for me to get results with my players and employees, it also brings incredible results. My first team lost only one game all season and my employees rarely lose a sale. My businesses and products win awards earned by my employees. And, as a bonus, everyone enjoys themselves with this simple structure. I knew I was doing it right when the father of one of my boys told me that his boy enjoyed practice so much that he chose to come to practice instead of going to see our professional basketball team play one night. And I know it works with my employees because they show up on time happy, focused and ready to work. Remember, awareness and mastery are two essential keys to a successful small business.

For more tips on creating a successful small business, visit http:www.biznbeyond.com and get your free copy of From Vision to Action –A Five Step Process For Getting Started, Getting Unstuck, and Eliminating Overwhelm

Awareness And Mastery Two Essential Keys To A Successful Small Business

At the heart of it, mastery is practice. Mastery is staying on the path.”
~ George Leonard
US pioneer in human potential

We often hear managers complaining that their employees arent productive, dont listen and just cant consistently get the job done. As a youth sports coach, I hear coaches with similar complaintsthe kids dont listen, dont know where to go and dont try very hard. I cant relate. The boys on my team are usually focused, do what I ask of them, and work hard. As a business owner, my employees are focused, do what I ask of them and work hard. What am I doing that is different from the rest? And what can this teach you about running a successful small business?

As a coach, I make my boys jobs very simple. I ask only two things of them. I ask them to master one shot and I ask them to be aware of what is going on around them. Of course we work on defensive and offensive strategy, but both of those revolve around the two keys that I gave them for successawareness and mastery.

I teach awareness by constantly asking them to be aware of where the ball is and at the same time to be aware of their teammates are and where their opponents are. I teach them how to see the ball and their opponent when he doesnt have the ball. Sounds simple, but for ten year olds this is work.

I teach mastery by assigning homework to each boy. The second week of practice, they have to show me a spot on the court from which they can make a shot every time. I dont care if it is from just two feet under the basket. I want them to know they can make it every single time. As the season progresses, they may gradually move their spot further and further out, but I still ask that they be able to make their shot every time unguarded in practice.

These two simple concepts have a tremendous effect on the boys during their games. They have incredible confidence in their ability to make shots because they know that they will always make it. I dont need to yell at them like other coaches about where they should be on the court because they have developed awareness of what they are doing and seeing. Now lets see how you can use this in your successful small business.

As a business owner, I put these two key principles to work in training my employees. From the first day on the job, I work with them to be aware of what tasks are needed, what I expect of them, how I want customers treated, etc. And I ask them to master tasks and customer scripts. Once they are mastered, I open it up for them to adlib just like with my players. When correction is needed, it is usually in one of these two areas. They are either unaware of what is needed or they havent mastered the task at hand.

Not only does following these two concepts make it easy for me to get results with my players and employees, it also brings incredible results. My first team lost only one game all season and my employees rarely lose a sale. My businesses and products win awards earned by my employees. And, as a bonus, everyone enjoys themselves with this simple structure. I knew I was doing it right when the father of one of my boys told me that his boy enjoyed practice so much that he chose to come to practice instead of going to see our professional basketball team play one night. And I know it works with my employees because they show up on time happy, focused and ready to work. Remember, awareness and mastery are two essential keys to a successful small business.

Awareness and Mastery -Two Essential Keys To a Successful Small Business

At the heart of it, mastery is practice. Mastery is staying on the path.”
~ George Leonard
US pioneer in human potential

We often hear managers complaining that their employees arent productive, dont listen and just cant consistently get the job done. As a youth sports coach, I hear coaches with similar complaintsthe kids dont listen, dont know where to go and dont try very hard. I cant relate. The boys on my team are usually focused, do what I ask of them, and work hard. As a business owner, my employees are focused, do what I ask of them and work hard. What am I doing that is different from the rest? And what can this teach you about running a successful small business?

As a coach, I make my boys jobs very simple. I ask only two things of them. I ask them to master one shot and I ask them to be aware of what is going on around them. Of course we work on defensive and offensive strategy, but both of those revolve around the two keys that I gave them for successawareness and mastery.

I teach awareness by constantly asking them to be aware of where the ball is and at the same time to be aware of their teammates are and where their opponents are. I teach them how to see the ball and their opponent when he doesnt have the ball. Sounds simple, but for ten year olds this is work.

I teach mastery by assigning homework to each boy. The second week of practice, they have to show me a spot on the court from which they can make a shot every time. I dont care if it is from just two feet under the basket. I want them to know they can make it every single time. As the season progresses, they may gradually move their spot further and further out, but I still ask that they be able to make their shot every time unguarded in practice.

These two simple concepts have a tremendous effect on the boys during their games. They have incredible confidence in their ability to make shots because they know that they will always make it. I dont need to yell at them like other coaches about where they should be on the court because they have developed awareness of what they are doing and seeing. Now lets see how you can use this in your successful small business.

As a business owner, I put these two key principles to work in training my employees. From the first day on the job, I work with them to be aware of what tasks are needed, what I expect of them, how I want customers treated, etc. And I ask them to master tasks and customer scripts. Once they are mastered, I open it up for them to adlib just like with my players. When correction is needed, it is usually in one of these two areas. They are either unaware of what is needed or they havent mastered the task at hand.

Not only does following these two concepts make it easy for me to get results with my players and employees, it also brings incredible results. My first team lost only one game all season and my employees rarely lose a sale. My businesses and products win awards earned by my employees. And, as a bonus, everyone enjoys themselves with this simple structure. I knew I was doing it right when the father of one of my boys told me that his boy enjoyed practice so much that he chose to come to practice instead of going to see our professional basketball team play one night. And I know it works with my employees because they show up on time happy, focused and ready to work. Remember, awareness and mastery are two essential keys to a successful small business.

For more tips on creating a successful small business, visit http:www.biznbeyond.com and get your free copy of From Vision to Action –A Five Step Process For Getting Started, Getting Unstuck, and Eliminating Overwhelm

One of the hardest presentations to make is the entrepreneurial pitch. You have a great idea for a business and you want someone to give you money to make it happen. The problem is that venture capitalists, angel investors, and even rich uncles are heavily predisposed against you. Why? Because 99% of the pitches they hear sound like sure-fire prescriptions to lose money!

If you are pitching investors to give you money for a new venture, you should subscribe to the following rules:

1. Explain exactly what your business is within the first thirty seconds. Many entrepreneurs waste valuable time giving loads of data, background and other infoall the while investors are left scratching their heads thinking What does this business actually DO?

2. Tell your audience who your customers will be. Paint a vivid, specific picture of these people.

3. Explain why your customers going to give you there hard-earned money.

4. Explain who your competitors are. (And if you say you have no competitors, that is a certain sign you are unsophisticated and deserve no investment money!)

5. Explain why you are the ONE to make this happen.

6. Give your presentation with confidence and enthusiasm. Investors want a founderCEO to be a chief salesperson; they want to see that you can convince the world of your dreamnot just them.

7. Explain what star you can hitch a ride to. Has Best Buy or Radio Shack agreed to distribute your new product? Investors feel much more comfortable knowing you have an established player willing to distribute your wares.

8. Ask for a specific amount of money. If all you do is ask for money, then you cant complain if an investor gives you 3.25 for a cup of Starbucks coffee.

9. Tell prospects exactly what you are going to spend the money on (hint:a trip to Maui for you and your friends will not impress)

10. Dress well, act confident, and put on the air that you dont really need their money, but would be willing to accept it if they bring enough to the table to be a strategic partner for you. Sad but true regarding human nature, but people are much more likely to give you money if they feel you dont really need it.

Finally, make each pitch presentation serve as a focus group for your next presentation. When one group of investors asks you a series of questions after you pitch, write down all of those questions and make sure most of them are answered in your next pitch so that the next group doesnt have to ask them. Keep pitching and keep improving your pitch and eventually you may get funded.

Opening a new business in the real world or online in cyberspace requires thinking beyond all the money you will make. Most small business owners are clear on their ultimate goal, yet often many fail to spend time planning their marketing image. To succeed, first impressions are critical, or you may violate what I call My 5 Second Rule:

When a new prospect finds your web site, you have 5 seconds to convince them to stay.

The rule applies in the physical world, also. Your printed materials may be dumped in the trash just as quickly, or a visitor to your company may browse briefly while in fact the no sale decision was made in those critical first few seconds.

Regardless of your business, your image as a professional and credible source for a product or service depends on making a positive first impression. While most people don’t realize the subconscious dynamics that occur during an introduction, how you are perceived is clouded with prejudice.

In a face to face meeting, subconsciously your prospect will categorize you immediately by sex, age, and race. This fact may be hard to believe, however, individual life experiences connect your combination of these 3 characteristics into a fixed profile based on past encounters. Overcoming any negatives begins when you speak. A warm and friendly approach while being prepared to offer the benefits of doing business will help you succeed.

In print, your business card, ad, or brochure tells a similar story without the subconscious human preconceptions. The message will still elicit a reaction, good or bad, so how you present your company in print needs to get past My 5 Second Rule. This is equally true for the home page of your web site. Here’s some advice.

Customers have a need (problem), and you provide a product or service (solution). Matching these 2 for a successful sale is easier than most people realize. Front door selling, printed ads, or online web offers should all address the benefits (solution, again) and not the features (it’s about the customer, not about you).

Your marketing materials need to project a mental image in the mind of the viewer. Stimulate their imagination so they picture themselves enjoying the benefits of your offer, and you can overcome My 5 Second Rule. Here’s an example that was created for a used car dealer. How do you glamorize a business that is the subject of so many disparaging jokes?

This client had a featured monthly special vehicle that they wanted to promote on their web site. The photos taken in a chain link enclosed parking lot didn’t convey the excitement or mental picture necessary to stimulate the viewer. The chosen vehicle was an upscale Jeep, and the client specialized in exports to Puerto Rico. To add pizzazz, I did an edit of the photo to remove the background, and placed 2 views of the monthly special on a bluff overlooking a gorgeous beach in Puerto Rico. If my descriptions succeeded creating your mental image referring to the chain link and gorgeous beach, the subtle difference in presentation should be apparent.

Bonus Tip: What to Say When a Customer is Wrong
As a small business owner, you know your business and as an expert, reacting to an email or face to face comment that you know is absolutely wrong will work wonders if you answer with two magic words: “You’re right!”. This works for several reasons. Most importantly, your customer may be expecting an argument, so they will only hear half of what you have to say if you reply saying they are wrong. The listener will be busy mentally sorting comebacks and supporting evidence, and may not hear any of your expert advice.

Telling someone “You’re right” will have them on the edge of their chair waiting for your next comment. Shifting your argument to what you know to be the truth is easy. With a brief pause after your magic two words, continue with “…and there are many people who feel the same way. From years of experience, I’ve found that in fact (insert the truth based on your expertise here)… etc.” and you give them the opportunity to accept your slant on the subject without having their opinion challenged. It works. For those concerned about ethics, the phrase “You’re right!” is simply an acknowledgement that they have one view, and it is valid because that’s how they feel.

In summary, a professional image includes a wide range of materials for making a positive first impression. Consider the feelings of your prospect and how your product or service will benefit them, and you’ll do well in converting first introductions into sales.

How Your Small Business Can Benefit from Custom Screen Printed T-Shirts

America is the land of opportunity and with that the land of small businesses. The U.S. has made it easy for just about anyone to work up the courage and capital and start up their own business. Having realized that you can do it, one arrives at the paradox that so can everyone else. How do you make your small business stand out and rise above the competition? One way is to use custom screen printed t-shirts as a way of looking more professional and as advertising.
When it comes to looking professional the importance cannot be stressed enough. People are very hesitant to trust a company or individual who doesnt look like heshe is capable. In a sense the clothes make the man here. Those who appear qualified will have a much easier time attracting customers, employees, and even be courted by vendorssuppliers. People are by their very nature timid and worrisome. If you can appear professional and legitimate it appeals to primal urge to feel secure and that will make people instantly feel more comfortable with you and your business. Screen printed t-shirts do just that by making you appear like you have it all together. Think about the following two scenarios. In the first a people from you firm show up to do a job in a hodgepodge of random and assorted clothing. They look, although are not, unprofessional because they offer no sense of order and thought. In the second scenario, the crew arrives wearing the same t-shirts with bear your logo and demonstrate the legitimacy of your business. If I had to guess, the second scenario is how you as the owner of a small business would like to present your business. If you do nothing more than have the appearance of thought before hand, your business appears to be professional and inspires confidence.
The second way custom screen printed t-shirts can help out your small business is through the wonder of advertising. Custom printed t-shirts are among the best ways to advertise for small businesses. Think about your target audience and it is easy to see that small businesses benefit exceptionally well. Small businesses more than likely want to target people in your area. That is what custom printed t-shirts do. They walk around and give you unlimited advertising in your own local area. Give the t-shirts to your friends and family and they can wear them around and advertise for nothing more than the cost of the t-shirt. Another idea I find often works is giving a t-shirt to people for whom you do a job. These people will unlikely make it their favorite piece of apparel, but even if they wear it to the gym then they offer advertisement and can offer their own form of advertising. Consider if you will Ralph as he stands outside washing his car one Saturday morning. His neighbor Jim walks by and sees Ralphs shirts offering services that Jim is looking for himself. Ralph now has advertised for you and can do even more by saying that he loved your services and describe the great job you did. This strategy offers both printed advertisement as well as word of mouth advertising. My company keeps the images that you used on file, so ordering more t-shirts down the road is a snap.
I hope have found this article to be somewhat informative and thought provoking. Small business are the majority of my clients and Im always happy to help come up with design ideas and ways to improve not only their t-shirts but promotional products as well, all with the same idea of advertising and looking professional. After all those two key points can really set you own small business above the completion. Isnt that what you want?

How Your Small Business Can Benefit from Custom Screen Printed T-Shirts

America is the land of opportunity and with that the land of small businesses. The U.S. has made it easy for just about anyone to work up the courage and capital and start up their own business. Having realized that you can do it, one arrives at the paradox that so can everyone else. How do you make your small business stand out and rise above the competition? One way is to use custom screen printed t-shirts as a way of looking more professional and as advertising.
When it comes to looking professional the importance cannot be stressed enough. People are very hesitant to trust a company or individual who doesnt look like heshe is capable. In a sense the clothes make the man here. Those who appear qualified will have a much easier time attracting customers, employees, and even be courted by vendorssuppliers. People are by their very nature timid and worrisome. If you can appear professional and legitimate it appeals to primal urge to feel secure and that will make people instantly feel more comfortable with you and your business. Screen printed t-shirts do just that by making you appear like you have it all together. Think about the following two scenarios. In the first a people from you firm show up to do a job in a hodgepodge of random and assorted clothing. They look, although are not, unprofessional because they offer no sense of order and thought. In the second scenario, the crew arrives wearing the same t-shirts with bear your logo and demonstrate the legitimacy of your business. If I had to guess, the second scenario is how you as the owner of a small business would like to present your business. If you do nothing more than have the appearance of thought before hand, your business appears to be professional and inspires confidence.
The second way custom screen printed t-shirts can help out your small business is through the wonder of advertising. Custom printed t-shirts are among the best ways to advertise for small businesses. Think about your target audience and it is easy to see that small businesses benefit exceptionally well. Small businesses more than likely want to target people in your area. That is what custom printed t-shirts do. They walk around and give you unlimited advertising in your own local area. Give the t-shirts to your friends and family and they can wear them around and advertise for nothing more than the cost of the t-shirt. Another idea I find often works is giving a t-shirt to people for whom you do a job. These people will unlikely make it their favorite piece of apparel, but even if they wear it to the gym then they offer advertisement and can offer their own form of advertising. Consider if you will Ralph as he stands outside washing his car one Saturday morning. His neighbor Jim walks by and sees Ralphs shirts offering services that Jim is looking for himself. Ralph now has advertised for you and can do even more by saying that he loved your services and describe the great job you did. This strategy offers both printed advertisement as well as word of mouth advertising. My company keeps the images that you used on file, so ordering more t-shirts down the road is a snap.
I hope have found this article to be somewhat informative and thought provoking. Small business are the majority of my clients and Im always happy to help come up with design ideas and ways to improve not only their t-shirts but promotional products as well, all with the same idea of advertising and looking professional. After all those two key points can really set you own small business above the completion. Isnt that what you want?