Marketing with Magnets

To All Business Owners - A Letter from the Boss

If you haven't read this, it's a great read. It came across my email today and just had to share. It's a little long but well worth the read. Leave comments and let me know what you think, but I completely agree with this letter:

To All My Valued Employees, 
 


There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. 
 
However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests. 
 
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last year’s Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. 
 
However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY: 
 
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. 
 
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. 
 
 Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had. 
 
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made. 
 
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. 
 
Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. 
 
Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why: 
 
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero.. Nada. Zilch. 
 
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. 
 
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. 
 
Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now. 
 
When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. 
 
So where am I going with all this? 
 
It's quite simple. 
 
If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem anymore. 
 
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship. 
 
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.... 



Signed,

THE BOSS

The New Facebook

I just don't get it. Why in the world does Facebook want to change things up when they have a good thing going? I got on Facebook back in '04 before it was the cool thing to do. Since then they have changed their site up so many times I can't even count. I know, I know, they are just trying to customize their site and translate what they believe their subscribers want, but I think they missed it on this one. I just joined Twitter in January. Until then I knew little about it. After about a month on Twitter I loved it and began using it more than Facebook. But the thing is this, I use the 2 sites for 2 completely different things. Facebook is what I use to stay in contact with friends and people I actually know. I use Twitter to build relationships with people I may not know or ever even meet, but that have common interests with me.

With the new Facebook update, they are trying to take what Twitter has and become the dominant social networking site. I get what they are trying to do, but not everyone on Facebook has a Twitter account. So why throw this new monster at them, especially the new users that are still getting used to using Facebook. Either way, I will now use Facebook even less after the change of their site. I prefer Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and information as well as conversing with others.

Facebook, please do us all a favor and go back to your old ways. It worked. Why change a good thing?

How Much Are You Spending on Traditional Advertising?

Times they are a changin'. In the old days, traditional media like TV, print, radio, and billboard advertising were the norm. Promotional products were simply known as the cheap giveaways or the lesser term, "trinkets & trash". I have seen over the past year, especially with the state of the economy where it is, that this norm is shifting dramatically.

By using one of the traditional avenues of advertising it is like using a shotgun approach with buckshot. You shoot at a target and your message is spread across a wide audience and not really focused at any one particular place. That is why this form of media is called "broadcasting", it is broad.

When advertising with promotional products it is like using a sniper rifle instead of a shotgun. You figure out what your target market is and you shoot directly at them. This is the main reason that promotional products are one of the only mediums of advertising that can guarantee ROI (Return on Investment).

Let's take an example of a mid-sized company that is spending $100,000 on print media per year. They have a newspaper campaign as well as advertisements on a few billboards around town. Now when I go in and ask them what their ROI is on that $100,000 spent, 9 times out of 10 they cannot give me a solid figure. Most of the time they look at me and have that "aha" moment where they realize they are just throwing money out the window.

I would challenge that same company to spend $100,000 on promotional products directed towards their specific target market. Not only can we come up with a promotional campaign and plan that is specific, but we can guarantee ROI.

How is that possible you might ask? Well, let's say that the customer knows their target audience enjoys outdoor activities such as golf. We can do a few very nice products such as a divot tool, sleeve of golf balls, and hat with that customers logo on it, and mail it directly to their target audience. By using FedEx and UPS to ship these items out the recipient must sign for them, which ensures that they received the products. Now that's marketing power, when you can guarantee that a prospect is receiving your marketing piece.

This is just 1 example of advertising and getting ROI with your marketing campaign. For more great product ideas check out our website at Art Promotional Services.

Here are a few questions to ask about measuring ROI:

1. What problems do you face when marketing to your current customers/prospects?

2. What is your desired outcome of the marketing campaign or promotion?

3. What is the objective of this campaign?

4. What are you willing to spend to make the problem in question 1 go away?

5. What are you willing to spend for every extra $5,000 earned?

6. What is the action that you want your recipients to take once they receive your product? (There must be an action for this to work)

7. If there a theme that needs to be reinforced? (eco-friendly company, customer service, etc.)

8. Who is your target audience? (If you don't know you need to find out and specifically target them.)

9. Will you need different products for different audiences you are targetings? Different price points, etc.