AIM Custom Media | Greg Magnus

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Daimler’s interest in battery systems, electric drive systems and related vehicle projects leads to the automaker acquiring nearly 10 percent of one of the leading electric vehicle companies, Tesla Motors Inc. This investment deepens the relationship between the inventor of the automobile and the newest member of the global auto industry. Tesla is the only [...]

This is an article summary by AMG Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts – read the rest of the story at the AMG Market.

AMG Market/PR News/MARANELLO, Italy – May 17, 2009  (Source RM Auctions): RM Auctions, in association with Sothebys, made history at the Ferrari factory in Maranello today as a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, chassis no. 0714TR sold for $9,020,000 at the third annual Ferrari Leggenda e Passione event  to set a new world record for the [...]
This is an article summary by AMG Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts – read the rest of the story at the AMG Market.

Lack of capital can stymie an otherwise viable growing small business with excellent growth potential. Hence, the creation of SBA loans to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs with solid business acumen. And, certain banks welcome you at the door.

New York-based M&T Bank has purchased eight Richmond, VA, branches of Provident bank, which reportedly is one of the SBA friendly lenders. Richmond BizSense reports:

Eight local bank branches previously operated by Maryland-based Provident Bank are under new ownership.

Those banks are now run by New York-based M&T Bank and have been open under the new name for about two weeks. M&T, which also acquired three former Provident branches in Fredericksburg, has a reputation for being a big lender for SBA loans, which could be a welcome sight for local entrepreneurs.

The purchase was valued at 1 million, according to the Albany Business Review. M&T had .9 billion in assets as of March 31; Provident had .5 billion in assets at that time. << Full Richmondbizsense.com story here >>

So, what do you need to do to get an SBA loan to grow your business? Start with a complete and compelling business plan that includes solid financial and marketing plans. A bank’s first impression of your company is your business plan. Get it right the first time, get capital and grow your business.

Do you know the difference between brand awareness and brand engagement? Are you a small business owner that thinks branding is a marketing activity for only the large companies such as Mercedes-Benz or Sony? Branding is important for all companies, regardless of size and budget.

Consider these questions and answers provided to SCORE by Gemini Babla, Director of Creative Services who oversees branding initiatives for Sony Electronics Inc. in the USA:

Why Branding Is Important in a Tight Economy

Q: Is it important to continue brand building in a difficult economic climate? Why?

Babla: It pays off. Studies have shown that stocks of companies with both high brand awareness and high employee “brand engagement” return over 300% more than the S&P 500 and nearly twice as much as companies that just have high brand awareness.

Branding is often confused with advertising and marketing. That’s unfortunate, because understanding your brand is vital to the bottom line. Studies show that companies that market their product or services without first establishing their brand identity are not likely to achieve return on investment. If you’re spending money to advertise without being connected to a brand position, you may as well flush the money down the drain.

Q: What can a small business learn from Sony?

Babla: Large budgets aren’t the key to strong marketing. Instead, focus on your audience and provide quality, quality, quality in everything you do.

Q: What advice would you give a small business owner right now?

Babla: Do what you say you’re going to do. This may sound like common sense, but one of the primary drivers of brand loyalty is a consistent experience. If you say you are going to have the photographs ready on a set day, be sure they are ready. Positive experiences lead to good feelings, which lead to customers telling their friends. Don’t forget that bad experiences spread much faster and are harder to overcome…if you get a chance at all.

Also, your employees are the biggest stewards of your brand says Babla,

“Branding is as much about your people as anything else. The best interactions come from one-on-one conversations between executives, employees, suppliers and customers,” Babla says. “Employees who are engaged with your brand management philosophy will become brand ambassadors for your company.”

Low Cost Branding Tactics
By Greg Magnus, AIM Custom Media:

1. Email signature line: Basic tactic but how many emails are in your inbox right now without a signature line that includes a website link and/or tag line? I find it hard to believe many business colleagues have an AOL ad on the bottom of their signature line instead of a link to their own company website (again, common sense).
2. Social Networking Profiles: Again, adding a link to your own website takes a few minutes on LinkedIn, Facebook, twitter, etc. Also, review your bio as well as your employees’ bios on the social networking sites; do they include a consistent message? Your company’s tag line and keywords important to your target audience/industry?
3. Connect with your employees and customers online: Search social network sites and connect with your employees and customers. Do they understand your brand? Are they participating in conversations about your industry and your company? Join the conversation and be consistent with your brand message. Again, include a signature line and a link to relevant information that helps those in your industry find advice of value.
4. Blogs and Forums: Did you ever notice there are certain people on blogs and forums that you recognize? Why not be one of them? Consistently provide helpful information and answer questions of others; hundreds if not thousands of people might find your advice helpful and subsequently share it with others.

Additional Resources:

SCORE/SONY Branding Tips

For service providers, event marketing is a staple in today’s business environment. The face-to-face time with prospects in a setting that highlights your industry expertise carries excellent marketing value. But first, you need people to show up. How do you market events successfully using the Internet?

Social Networks

Sites such as LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com allow users to add event information to searchable calendars that are viewed by thousands, if not millions. Also, the technology allows you to promote your event to your network of contacts, which in turn can share the event info with business colleagues and friends. When you are building your social network online, focus on new contacts that are prospects – not just former colleagues at your last job or high school friends.

Landing Pages

Whether your online presence includes a website or a blog (better), create a landing page for your upcoming events; well in advance of the event. Just adding the date and venue is not enough; include bios of the speakers, photos, testimonials from previous events and the benefits of attending. Ask each of the speakers to write a blog post or topical summary for publishing on your website. Subsequently, add a link to the event landing page to your online profiles and ask your social network contacts to share the info with their networks: Linkedin.com, Plaxo.com, Facebook.com, twitter.com, etc.

Blog About It

Once you have your landing pages and profile links setup, go out and join the conversation. Add valuable content to industry blogs and forums. Discuss the topics that will be covered during your event and offer solutions – avoid sales pitches for the event.

Press Releases

Create a press release for your event and distribute it to your email list as well as media outlets that target your intended audience. There are several inexpensive and free press release outlets – a quick search will give you all that you need: PRweb.com, PRlog.com and so on.

These are just a few ways to promote your event online and there are numerous others (Videos, Podcasts, Webinars, Teleseminars, email marketing, etc.).

Congressman Eric Cantor (VA-07) & the U.S. Small Business Administration are presenting a workshop to help small businesses. How to gain access to less expensive loans is on the workshop agenda:

Helping Virginia Small Businesses Survive the Economic Downturn

This workshop will provide information to Virginia small businesses about:

• Less expensive and more accessible small business loans.
• Recent changes to tax rules affecting small businesses.
• Counseling and Training resources through SBA resource partners
• Recession-proofing your credit

When: April 29, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. to Noon
4201 Dominion Boulevard
Richmond, VA

To Register, call Ford Scott at (804) 771-2400, Ext. 153 or email: ford.scott@sba.gov

The U.S. Small Business Administration and its nationwide network of partners help millions of potential and current small business owners start, grow and succeed. Resources and programs targeting small businesses provide an advantage necessary to help small businesses effectively compete in the marketplace and strengthen the overall U.S. economy. SBA offers help in the following areas:

• Starting a Business
• Financing a Business
• Growing a Business
• Opportunities in Contracting
• Recovering From Disaster
• A Voice for Small Business in Government

Additional information as well as business news and training for entrepreneurs is available online at www.sba.gov or visit the Richmond, VA District office at:
400 N. 8th Street, Suite 1150, Richmond, VA 23219,
Phone: (804) 771-2400, Website: www.sba.gov/localresources/district/va 

Also, SCORE offers free advice to small business owners and entrepreneurs.
For marketing articles posted by Greg Magnus, visit SCORE’s Ask an Expert Blog or the national SCORE website.

As it turns out, there are some words that energize the reader, boost his or her confidence and instill hope. Great copy writers know that the right words invoke emotion and certain words definitely work better than others. That’s why experienced copy writers often keep a list of great words by their side when writing. Using the right words is especially important for your marketing copy when you intend to create a call to action. Just spend five minutes watching TV commercials and you’ll be inundated with words that invoke emotion. It is a common technique marketing professionals have used for years. And make no mistake, you too can use the technique for your blog content, articles and landing pages.

Earlier today I read a great article by Brian Clark on copy writing that I’d like to share with you. Here’s how Brian started the article,

Mark Twain said the difference between the right word and the almost right word is “the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Twain had an incredible knack for nicely summing it all up, didn’t he? The value of your content and/or your offer is what ultimately matters. And yet the words you use to demonstrate that value and present that offer will determine to what degree people take action. [Here's the link to , "50 Trigger Words and Phrases for Powerful Multimedia Content" by Brian Clark.]

Here’s a few words on my list intended to keep the reader’s attention:

• And in addition to that..
• And remember,
• As it turn out,
• But better yet…
• Make no mistake,
• Not many people know it but,
• Oddly enough,
• On the other hand,
• One more thing,
• Reality is…
• Simply stated
• So let me ask you…
• That’s why…
• Then again
• Trouble is,
• Seriously,
• What does all this mean to you? Better copy writing – enjoy!

SBA Warns of Fraudulent Attempts to Obtain Bank Account Information from Small Businesses

AIM Custom Media News: Small Business Association – SBA/Feb. 18, 2009/Press Release/WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration issued a scam alert today to small businesses, warning them not to respond to letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the SBA asking for bank account information in order to qualify them for federal tax rebates.

The fraudulent letters were sent out with what appears to be an SBA letterhead to small businesses across the country, advising recipients that they may be eligible for a tax rebate under the Economic Stimulus Act, and that SBA is assessing their eligibility for such a rebate. The letter asks the small business to provide the name of its bank and account number.

These letters have not been sent by or authorized by the SBA, and all small businesses are strongly advised not to respond to them.

The scheme is similar in many ways to e-mail scams often referred to as “phishing” that seek personal data and financial account information that enables another party to access and individual’s bank accounts or to engage in identity theft.

The SBA is working with the SBA Office of Inspector General to investigate this matter. The Office of Inspector General asks that anyone who receives such a letter report it to the OIG Fraud Line at 1 (800) 767-0385, or e-mail at OIGHotline@sba.gov.

You can also visit the U.S. Small Business Administration website for more info.