Now that you have built that great new product, you have to figure out how to market and sell it. This section contains content to help the entrepreneur do that.
Summary: Going international requires careful thought and planning. This article poses a set of questions (by category) for entrepreneurs to answer to prepare them for going abroad for customers and sales. Questions include market and channel issues, product translation and localization, and IP protection.
Summary: The impact of social media is increasingly becoming a part of entrepreneurial strategies for growth. The "Word of Mouth Marketing Association" cautions that disclosure of the firm's relationship with its bloggers should be transparent so that an opinion expressed might be judged more appropriately. Marketers are encouraged to demonstrate honesty of relationship, opinion and identity, as well as to take responsibility for the acts of recruited agents or volunteers.
Summary: Google Analytics is a free service that shows you how visitors found your Web site and how they interact with it. This information is useful especially for online marketers who want to focus their limited marketing resources and get the most value from their online advertising.
Summary: The foundation of your company's brand is its logo. John Williams, creator of the original "do-it-yourself" logo Web site, explains how to create online a quality logo that can help build your brand quickly and inexpensively.
Summary: Many forms of advertising can be used by companies today but the only effective form of advertising is the one that reaches the eyes and ears of your intended audience.
- Author: Gabriel Goncalves
Summary: An entrepreneurial company just past the start up stage faces the issue of how to find customers for its product or service, price it right and get the word out, writes the founder of a software company and also a previous business. Meeting the challenges of phase two sets the stage for substantial growth, the author says.
- Author: William Lieberman
Summary: This veteran entrepreneur recommends a top-down approach to ensure a company's overall strategic goals drive the compensation plan. When clear objectives (including revenue targets) are defined for the business, entrepreneurs can better determine sales targets as well as how sales reps can help grow the company.
- Author: Robert L. Johnson
Summary: Niche companies needn't be intimidated by their large corporate competitors because even the biggest companies must be adept at marketing differently to discreet audiences, writes the author, who founded the country's leading black-owned media concern. The solution is to stick to your specialty, maintain excitement with new ideas, and commit resources to expanding the brand.
Summary: Using barbers to promote prostate cancer treatments? Giving cabbies free rooms to boost occupancy rates at a hotel? These ideas are word-of-mouth marketing at its best. And there are plenty more, including ones you dream up for your company.
Summary: This all-inclusive Trade Guide, created by the U.S. Small Business Administration and AT&T, is a must-read if you are considering a global sales strategy.