Monthly Archives: July 2009

Want to Start a Business? JUST DO IT

Posted by HayzelCriollo on

Right now we are bombarded daily with companies going bankrupt, no one is hiring and people are losing their jobs. My advice: start a business. Yes, this is contrary to traditional thinking but truth is a lot of great successful businesses where started during a recession. Here are some examples.

* 16 of the 30 corporations that make up the Dow Jones industrial average got their starts during recessions.
* Disney began during the recession of 1923-24.
* Hewlett-Packard was begun during the Great Depression (in 1938).
* Microsoft began during the 1975 recession.*

Of course this isn’t sufficient reason for you to go start a business so here are a few: icon start business blog

1. Job Security? No such thing anymore. Truth is the only way to have some sense of security is to own your own business because in a company everyone is dispensable. There is no guarantee as a business owner but if you have a strong business plan, a solid product/service the benefits outweigh the risks.

2. New Opportunities . You no longer need to have a location to have a business. The web provides an array of opportunities for entrepreneurs as a result funding for online businesses will be much lower then businesses that require a location. Don’t feel discouraged if you do. A strong business plan is key.

3. Things are cheaper. There are deals everywhere so that means that you can get everything you need to start your business for less, minimizing expenses. Investing with minimal expenses allows you to get to profitability faster!

4. Power Team (Now available) . Since everyone is getting laid off it’s a good time to capture  those talented individuals and (after some evaluation) you might consider making them your co-founder. Lets face it a lot of talented people are currently out of work and there knowledge could be the final touch to make your plan perfect.

5. Take RISKS. It’s scary but the time to take the leap is now. In today’s economy taking risks is more important that stability. Taking risks will allow you to see profit. You need to secure your future and the future of  your  family.

The fact is that for many the fall to the bottom isn’t that far so “Why not?”

*http://bit.ly/3u9pep

Pitchman Billy Mays: Marketing Lessons

Posted by HayzelCriollo on

billy maysLets face it Billy Mays knew how to catch your attention even if you didn’t care about OxiClean, Orange Glo or any cleaning product for that matter, his loud sales pitches prevented you from switching the channel and ignoring the ad. I truly enjoyed his big well groomed bread, loud voice, and high energy level. I recall when Billy first came out with the OxiClean product. I called my mom and told her to look at this guy screaming and full of energy we were both drawn to the ad. Yes, she brought OxiClean and the product worked. When he pitched Orange Glo my mother trusted him and brought that product as well. Clearly Billy Mays marketing was effective.

Billy Mays later went on to air the show “Pitchman” on the discovery channel which followed Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan as they attempted to sell various inventions through direct-response marketing.

So what marketing lessons can we learn from Billy Mays?

Have a product that works. The problem with selling a product that is junk is that you will lose credibility and you don’t want that. Make sure your product does what your claiming. Your brand/product= trustworthy/reliable

Research consumers response to your product. Go out and find out what consumers are saying and feeling about your product. These are the people, consumers, who will be buying your product so get some feedback.

Be able to answer “How will (insert product/brand) make my life easier?” For example I love the Swiffer Why? Because I do not need to grab a mop and bucket and get my hands all dirty. Or why do I like my electric toothbrush because I do not need to shake my hand vigorously to brush my teeth. It makes my life easier. (I have cleaner teeth in the morning.)

Test your campaign on a small scale before doing it big and WATCH YOUR COMPETITION. Don’t but your feet up and call it a day. Always continue optimizing and seeing where improvements can a be made, “what else can you do to increase sales, etc?”

If i missed something please let me know! Thanks

Billy Mays passed away on June 28, 2009.

Nike Sneakers Are Greener, Same Performance. Do you mind?

Posted by HayzelCriollo on

I’m akin to eco-friendly products and take the opportunity whenever possible to transcend into a greener lifestyle.  So when I came across an article by Business Week “Nike Goes Green. Very Quietly” I was intrigued. Quietly? Then I remembered that Nike customers don’t care much about being eco-chic. Of course this is not everyone but a good majority enough to highly impact sales.

It makes sense to go greener because of the environmental benefits as well as the financial ones. So Nike is making this transitioning by making its supply chain and products greener. Although Nike does not give specific numbers about the financial benefits, they do state that the amount of material they waste will be reduced by 17% over the next decade. The Air Jordan XX3 an eco-friendly sneaker was designed to fit together like a puzzle eliminating any excess plastic. The company invented a sewing machine that speeds up the assembly line in turn saving electricity.

A good question asked by Dean Crutchfield is “How is sustainability relevant to its brand(Nike)?” Nothing. Which is why there first line of environmentally friendly shoes called Considered in 2005 were off the shelves within a year of their debut.

The Air Jordan’s have sold well because performance continues to meet the customers standards.  So the fact that they are eco-friendly is on a need to know basis.  Everyone wins!

Currently Nike’s line up includes eco-friendly football, basketball, soccer, tennis and running shoes.  I want  greener sneakers so I did a Google search to find as many eco-friendly Nike sneakers as possible but continued to come across only these sneakers:

NIke 1nike 2

nike 3