Small Business Marketing

Raising small business finance isn’t an easy process, particularly in light of the recent credit crunch and the liquidity problems experienced across global financial markets. Of course, that’s now filtering down to small business loans, which are much less easy to come by, particularly at start-up stage. Yet, ironically, getting any business off the ground requires money and a bit of faith from those with the resources to spare.

The Banks

Raising small business finance from a bank is still most likely the path of least resistance to raising funds. Your alternatives are to find a private investor or investors, who will almost certainly be looking for an equity stake in return for their input, and will be far more discerning that the bank in choosing to whom they give their financial backing. This second route is immensely difficult, unless you have a rich family member willing to step in and foot the bill on favourable terms.

Business Plan

If you do intend to raise your small business finance from your bank, you should initially prepare a business plan documenting the fundamentals of your idea, how your business will be run, and how much money you think it will make in the form of cash flow projections, profit and loss statements and other accounting documentation.

Assume Ignorance

Take care to explain every aspect of your business in your plan, and make sure to include conservative estimates on your figures. After all, chances are you’ll start as a small business, and the banks will realise this if you project over ambitious or unrealistic figures. Likewise in covering the details of your business, don’t presume knowledge – the bank manager / investor might not necessarily understand why there’s a need for your particular idea / piece of technology or why it’s any different to what’s currently on the market.

Utilise Your Personal Funds

It is advisable where possible that you make use of any savings or personal funds you may have available. This is not only good to give your business the funding it needs, but also as a sign to potential lenders and investors that you are fully committed to making your idea into a success, given the extent of your personal liability. What’s more, you might also find you already have much of your essential start-up capital available in overdrafts, savings accounts and credit cards. While a risky tactic, it can pay off big time if you’re looking to attract serious financial help for your business.

Private Investors

Finding a private investor is difficult for any small business, and if you’re committed about raising money this way, you’re going to have to do some serious leg work and be prepared to surrender a large slice of your potential business profits. It’s also important to make sure both you and your potential investor know on what terms the partnership between you may come to an end, so the investor can realise his investment and you can continue running your business. Thus it takes planning and hard work, not to mention a great, relevant pitch, if you’re looking to secure funding for your small business from a private investor.

By: Nazir Daud

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Ask 10 people what they think about multi-level marketing, and you will get some very strong opinions.

You will probably find that most people have a very low view of MLM (or network marketing). At your next big family event, stand up and announce that you have just joined the fastest-growing MLM opportunity on the planet, and see how your loved ones react.

Why? Why does a simple business model for product distribution garner so much criticism? Why is there some much negativity associated with MLM? Why are there consumer advocacy groups that actively protest the entire idea of multi-level marketing?

Is all multi-level marketing a scam? What is the real problem with multi-level marketing?

It is not the multi-level aspect. Taking royalties and generating residual income is common practice in the insurance and financial service industries.

It is not the direct-to-consumer distribution model. Many successful companies (such as Dell computers, Sara Lee, and other famous brands) use direct-to-consumer models to sell their products and services.

It is not the concept of paying for the opportunity to distribute a product. MLM critics might knock companies for charging to become a distributor, but this is the same concept that a standard franchise uses. The only difference is that you can get set up with an MLM program for $200 – $500, where getting started with a franchise will begin at $250,000.

So why does MLM have such a bad reputation?

Most of the time, it is because of the second “M”.

Marketing

Most MLM distributors are taught to leverage their “warm markets” to grow their businesses. They are taught to try and sell their friends and families products, and try to recruit them as distributors.

Why? For two reasons:

It Used to Work For The Average Distributor


Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, when multi-level marketing first became known, people had much larger warm markets. They lived in suburbs, and had neighborhood picnics. Everyone knew everyone else. Our society was very close-knit, we truly lived in communities. Not only that, but multi-level marketing was barely known then. It was a novel concept – make money in your spare time by telling other people in your neighborhood to stop buying from the department store and start buy your products from an MLM company.

Fast-forward to today, and the picture is very different. People barely know their neighbors next door, much less throughout an entire neighborhood. These days, everyone has heard about some sort of “make money from home” scheme. Today we live in a society of guarded skeptics, and we do not want to be sold stuff from our friends and families. Leveraging our personal relationships for financial gain can be interpreted as insulting, and can seriously damage relations with those we most care about.

It Still Works Quite Well…For The Parent Company


The average MLM distributor will stay with a business 3-4 months before giving up. During that time, if they are chasing their friends and family, they will probably sign up 1 or 2 people and spend a few hundred dollars. From a distributor standpoint, it’s peanuts. But from a company standpoint, it’s great! They continuously have new recruits joining the business, and they pass on all the costs of marketing on to the distributors.

They can get away with making it sound like growing a business is a piece of cake by communicating the message that all you have to do to make a significant income is talk to a few friends and family, hand out some flyers and product samples, and you will wake up one morning with a gigantic business.

So can the average person make money in a home-based business? Absolutely. But they can’t rely on their warm market for sustained profitability. A distributor will eventually have to find their target market, and use sound marketing strategies and techniques to target people that are already looking for their products and services.

There are many different marketing tools that a distributor can use to grow a business. However, the reason that most MLM’ers get involved with a business is because they do not have tons of money to spend on their businesses. The three most cost-effective, best-bang-for-your-buck marketing tools that the average distributor can use to find their target market is:

- The Telephone

- The Internet

- The Written Word

When used properly, these tools allow a distributor to leverage their time and their marketing efforts with relatively little investment. They can combine these tools to create effective direct-response campaigns that allow a distributor to see a faster return on their investment. And best of all…they can leave their friends and family members alone, and simply enjoy their relationships for what they are without trying to “pitch” them on their product, service, and opportunity.

If you want to make money in MLM, then learn how to become a good marketer. It is only with good, respectful, effective, target marketing that a person can build a strong downline. MLM is not a “get rich quick” type of program. It pays out via residual income, which means that you get paid tomorrow and the work you do today. It is a legitimate business only if treated like a legitimate business, and that means it takes time, effort, energy, and investment to make it work.

Leave the get rich quick mentality for the lottery. If you want to make money in network marketing, then learn how to market effectively.

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it is not modified in any way including the author bylines and active hyperlinks.

By: Joshua Fuson

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