Small Business Success Strategies

Marketing Mythology: It's Like Putting Lipstick on a Pig

Terri Zwierzynski, our official Solo Entrepreneur Expert

When I first started my career as a solo entrepreneur, I hired a web designer to create my website for me. He was awesome, and I loved his work. When I received my first bill, it included a contact email address for his "support department" and "billing department." I was a little curious about who those other people were! Later I found out it was just him...he was ALL of those departments -- design, support, billing, the works! A true case of putting lipstick on the pig. Even though he attempted to "paint" his business with these additional departments, underneath it all, he was still simply a solo entrepreneur.

You Can't Contrive Credibility It was amusing to me at the time...but now I see it for what it was: someone trying to be or look like something they aren't in a misguided attempt to add credibility. This web designer was worried that clients wouldn't take him seriously as a professional if they knew it was just him. So he created the illusion of these additional departments, presumably staffed by other employees. It wasn't what I would call dishonest, more of a stretching of the truth. He delivered on his promises and had the needed expertise; none of his clients received anything less than was promised (and he was actually quite good at over-delivering).

The Risk of Dressing Up as Something You're Not I knew this designer well enough and trusted him so it didn't really bother me much, although it was somewhat of a revelation when I discovered he was a solo entrepreneur just like me! His other clients, however, expecting a bigger enterprise, might not have been as forgiving of the pretense. They may have felt deceived, suddenly unsure if they made the right choice. Future work and referrals were put in jeopardy simply because the vendor set an expectation that wasn't exactly true.

Read Terri's entire article Marketing Mythology: Putting Lipstick on a Pig

5 Tips for Entrepreneurs: How to Monetize Your Wild Ideas

By Nancy Marmolejo, Guest Blogger (sponsored post)

By nature, entrepreneurs are highly creative thinkers. Every aspect of a business- from filling a need, to solving a problem, to marketing, to selling, to serving customers - is an expression of creativity.

But for every great idea that gets launched, millions more go the wayside because entrepreneurs simply don't know how to take action, how to decide if something's worth pursuing, or if the time is right.

Wild ideas are GREAT for business...  and now more than ever is the time to take action. Why? Because so many people are playing it safe, the playing field is wide open for wild ideas.

This is the time to be bold and brave, to lean out instead of leaning in, to move into the unknown rather than stay in the familiar.

But how do you do that without losing your shirt? Follow these tips, inspired by real-life success stories, and see your wild ideas pay off!

Don't wait until you know everything

The time it takes to become perfect at something is a surefire way to miss an opportunity. Never stop learning, but at some point you must take action before- even before you know all the details. Entrepreneurs are fast learners- never underestimate your ability to learn on your feet while you're taking action. As Michael Port shares in "The Wild Idea That Paid Off" virtual chat series, "Be a blank piece of paper with a beginner's mind." Let the knowledge fill you as you go along.

Turn past failures into future successes

Thomas Edison took over 1000 tries to invent the lightbulb. You might fail at something too...  but that failure could be the path to your next big success. Branding expert Kim Castle turned a disastrous financial situation into multi-million dollar business by simply plucking out the lessons and spinning them into gold. (Kim shares her entire story in an interview we did). Where there's failure, there's opportunity!

Step out of the safe and familiar

Trailblazer coach Shawn Driscoll hung out mostly in the background until one day she decided to break out and fully express her talents through her business. It frightened people around her, but the bold steps have paid off. Productive Flourishing's Charlie Gilkey walked away from an established career and doctoral program to begin a business that served the needs of creative entrepreneurs.  Social media pioneer Jack Humphrey gave away an extremely valuable product for free at the risk of losing $100,000 in sales. Marketing expert Ellen Britt chose to brand her business with an unconventional, regional twist. They each were told not to take the risk but they did... and it paid off. Get out of the safe and familiar and take bold steps into the unknown. 

Live a creative life

Creative people don't just summon up their creative juices when needed. They show curiosity, try new things, and embark on new adventures. Business coach Andrea Lee views life as a  creative adventure and puts what she learns into her business and live events. Author and coach Pamela Slim is drawn to great ideas in all aspects of her business and life. The creative life is a way of seeing possibilities and taking action on them.

Make a plan

Taking risks and being spontaneous can still follow a plan, which is what 9 innovative thinkers all agreed was the key to success in these conversations on creativity and innovation.  Being able to put your creative ideas into action is what separates wild ideas that go nowhere from wild ideas that pay off. Look at the big picture. Chunk it down into action steps. Map out the details and set deadlines. Stay accountable to yourself and someone else so things get done. This is where the rubber hits the road and where the success stories are born.

There's a big difference between a wild idea that pays off  and a distracting bright shiny object. Follow these tips to turn your wild ideas into profitable paths to happiness, prosperity, and innovation.

About the Author:

Nancy Marmolejo is an award winning business owner who teaches entrepreneurs how to stand out as experts in their fields. The founder of the highly successful Viva Visibility, Nancy recently launched a free virtual chat series "The Wild Idea That Paid Off" to encourage entrepreneurs to think broadly and to encourage curiosity. With 8 forward thinkers joining her, this series is designed to give concrete steps to turning your wild ideas into profitable, lucrative payoffs. Sign up here.

How This One Change In Customer Service Will Make Fans For Life

Michael Gilbert, Our official Sales and Marketing Expert says:

It's September. For us Texan's it means cooler weather and we can hang outside more. I take full advantage of this.

I'm sitting outside in my back yard with my laptop, a good Kinky Friedman book and one of my sinful passions, a great Partagas Black cigar. 

Read Michael's entire article How This One Change In Customer Service Will Make Fans For Life

Overcoming Objections

Michael Gilbert, Our official Sales and Marketing Expert says:

As business owners our main objective is for sales to exceed expenses. In order for us to do that we must learn how to sell.

For most of us, selling isn't a six-letter word, it's a four-letter word. That word is FEAR.

Read Michael's entire article Overcoming Objections

Stupid People Shouldn't Breed

Michael Gilbert, Our official Sales and Marketing Expert says:

I just left one of my businesses I consult. I like this guy a lot but he just doesn't get it. He hired me to help him increase sales but I learned something very important about him today; and even more about me.

Read Michael's article Stupid People Shouldn't Breed