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Hello Alaska,
TO GROUPON, OR NOT TO GROUPON, THAT IS THE QUESTION!
There are obvious benefits to interacting with Programs like Groupon, Alaska Rewards and others. For many businesses the exposure, additional customers and income produces a windfall, but not everyone should jump on this wagon. A daily special may be the right move for you to generate income and increase your customer base, but make certain that your company has the infrastructure in place to handle the extra business. The deep discounts over regular prices (in Groupon's case no less than 50% off) that are required and the fact that fees often amount to 50% of your gross sales, usually make coupon specials components of a marketing strategy, rather than income producing business transactions. As such they are better suited for larger corporations that have the ability to sacrifice income for exposure, rather than a small business that needs to maximize every customer's income potential. But the greater problem is that many small businesses aren't well enough prepared to dive into the "daily special" pool and the customer influx that a one-day promotion can bring is often more than a small company is able to handle. Especially those of you that need to accommodate the extra business on the coupon buyer's schedule, rather than yours. As an example, a landscaper that has 50 contract customers and sells 50 Groupon packages at the start of the summer is now faced with the reality of doubling the company's business and doing half the work at a financial loss. That work can't be pushed off 2 months, because all of the Groupon customers want their lawn mowed in the next couple of weeks. That's a tough nut to crack for a little guy. In order to accommodate the new customers and maintain the same level of service for the old ones, the landscaper has to add equipment and manpower, which can bring human resources issues. Promotional sales are rarely sustainable, so while the contractor's investment in mowers and labor solves his short-term problem of fulfilling his obligations to his clients, most of those customers will not be around the following year, while the extra equipment will be. That scenario reminded me of a construction company in which I was a partner 20 years ago (yes, I rock a tool belt). My brother (this is Fritz, not Hans) and I usually had enough work for the two of us, exclusively through word of mouth referrals. But we had ideas of growing and dreams of a fleet of trucks all over Anchorage. What we lacked in strategic planning we more than made up for with a shortage of business experience, so we decided to take out a half page yellow page add. On the day the books came out, the phone began to ring with potential customers, but they didn't call to hire us, they called for free estimates for work that often times was minor. The steady flow of inquiries was overwhelming and relegated one of us to create cost estimates almost exclusively, cutting our income producing jobsite workforce in half. We got a few jobs from the ad, but our profit margin had decreased, because we competed against other contractors for the work. In a stroke of genius we hired a couple of carpenters to complete the various small jobs, adding to our financial burden. When we were unable to consistently secure enough work to support both of us in addition to the employees, we let them go one by one. Eventually it was just Fritz and I again, but by that time we had incurred too much debt to sustain the business and we dissolved the company one month later. Unless money is no object, small business growth needs to be a slow process, because new opportunities always have challenges and potential problems attached to them. There is a reason they call it growing pains. A one-day promotion can do wonders for the bottom line and attract an entirely new set of customers, just be certain that the cost of those new patrons isn't too high and that your current business structure will be able to support the increased traffic -------------------------------------------------------- Businesses have long been using Facebook to promote their brands and interact with customers. But now the social-networking giant is formalizing the relationship with the introduction of Facebook for Business. Unveiled Tuesday, Facebook for Business is a webpage that gives directions on everything from how to create a profile to how to communicate effectively with customers. The Facebook page seems to target small businesses especially, since they don't have the marketing budgets to outsource the social-media function. The suggestions range from the obvious, like how to choose a photo to represent the business: "Use an eye-catching, recognizable photo of your business's name, storefront, or popular product," to the more complicated, like how to build up a community or develop a strategy for your page.
Read more: http://www.portfolio.com
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Visit the SBDC Facebook page to find an event, or class in your area!
I'm always happy to share good news. This item is no different! GUSTAVUS INN AT GLACIER BAY has been named as a FODOR'S CHOICE 2011 DISTINCTION Selection For 75 years Fodor's has presented travelers with the very top recommendations from hidden-away restaurants to can't-miss museums, to make sure they're making the most of their travels. The 2011 Fodor's Choice recipients are the best of the best, providing a remarkable experience in their price range or category. As a 2011 Fodor's Choice property Gustavus Inn at Glacier Bay will receive special recognition in the next Fodor's guidebook to this area and on www.Fodors.com. Gustavus Inn at Glacier Bay, a 14 room full service hotel that serves 3 meals daily, is located in Gustavus, Alaska, only 20 minutes by air or 4 1/2 hours by Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Juneau. Dave and JoAnn Lesh host their guests with ocean, wild and garden harvest dining, full tour planning and all transportation. Gustavus is surrounded by Glacier Bay National Park and visitors can take a guided walk, visit the Interpretive center or take an all day boat tour to see the glaciers. Visit www.gustavusinn.com, or contact JoAnn at joann@gustavusinn.com to book your stay, or for more information! ------------------------------------------------------------ Vendors Sought for Annual Food Festival in Juneau The annual Local Food Festival is coming up on August 28 and organizers are seeking: Community members to sell freshly harvested produce, fruit or herbs, eggs, cut flowers, jams and jellies, or shelf-stable baked goods with locally grown ingredients. Commercial vendors to sell artisan and specialty foods produced locally. Fish vendors to sell fresh, locally caught seafood. Register at JEDC.org or contact sustainablejuneau@gmail.com, (586-2787) for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------ Plastic Garden Pot Recycling One-Day Event in Anchorage
Saturday, August 20 - 10 AM to 5 PM Alaska Botanical Garden Parking Lot / off Campbell Airstrip Road Plastic Garden Pots, Trays and Cell Packs will be recycled:
(Please sort pots for 2 separate drop off bins) - #2 HDPE pots
- #5 PP, #6PS and #7 (Other) pots, cells packs and trays
Note: Some pots are not marked - sort with similar pots.
Important Tips: Rinse or remove all soil Remove metal hangers Stack pots, trays and cell packs to save space Pre-sort pots before arriving (there will be 2 bins at the event) ONLY bring pots during the event. No pre or post event drop off, please. Recyclers are welcome to take pots home for reuse! Nurseries and Greenhouses: This event for residents only: Special drop off for businesses August 15-19 at RockTenn's Anchorage Recycling Center at 6161 Rosewood (off Dowling Rd.)
RockTenn Recycling will bale the pots and ship them to market in Seattle.
Pots are then recycled into plastic lumber and more!
For more information call Mary Fisher, ALPAR @ 644-7968 or alpar@gci.net
------------------------------------------------------------ ALASKA HUMANITIES FORUM GENERAL GRANTS PROGRAM 2012 Funding media, oral history, public meetings/exhibits, research, and planning projects for up to $10,000. Humanities projects may include topics of archaeology, comparative religions, cultural anthropology, ethics, folklore, geography, history, languages, literature, philosophy, political science, and others. The Alaska Humanities Forum welcomes project proposals that meet our mission to "enrich the civic, intellectual and cultural life of all Alaskans." APPLICATIONS DUE OCTOBER 3, 2011 www.akhf.org for grant guidelines and how to apply ------------------------------------------------------------- PRSA Alaska Webinar: Crystallizing Public Opinion Community Relations That Build the Bottom Line Explore and enhance your efforts to develop these crucial relationships, and discover how to build and strengthen your organization's position and image in your community. Learn what community relations are and are not, along with proven strategies for using community relations as an effective force in your organization's success, including tips and tactics for: · Gauging public perception and opinion. · Targeting discrete sections of an increasingly diverse society. · Using media to reach your collective community audience. · Maximizing social media in community relations. Thursday, August 18, 2011 11AM - 12PM Wells Fargo / Fifth-floor Board Room, 301 W. Northern Lights Blvd Member fee $25.00 Non-member fee $30.00 For more information and to RSVP please visit: http://www.prsaalaska.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Alaska State Chamber - Champions For Alaska's Future, 52nd Annual Trade Conference & Trade Show September 19-21 Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge Register now by visiting: https://www.ApprovedEvents.com
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