SOME BUSINESS INFORMATION ON MY BUSINESS

My Business Information:

I thought last night after I wrote my last blog that it would be helpful to some to see the kind of work I do put out. I do have a information website where a person can see samples of my work. I just have not put a link up to it, yet! I like to give some information about myself and what I do before I just flop out a website for someone to go to! When you build some creditability about yourself first before just throwing a business name or website page out, it seems to work much better with people over all.

If you read about me on the about page of the blog you will have some information but it does not cover it all. One thing that drove me to the engraving business was the fact that it allowed me to use some of the artistic back ground that I grew up with and studied in school. When I was a Sophomore in High School I was asked to join a class of advanced art students because the art teacher seen something in me that even I did not see myself. That class was one of the best classes I had ever taken and I really learned a lot. I was took that class my JR year and Senior year, as well! I learned things in that class that has brought me to the business that I love today.

It is all about DESIGN for me that drives me in the engraving business.

Take a look at the website: http://www.awardmirrors.com/

If you have any suggestions on the website please let me know. I am always willing to hear both pros and con's, so do not be afraid to say just what is on your mind.

Driving Potential Customers To Your Website.

The Potential Customer:

As a small business owner this is a task that can cost you lots of money if you do not do your research on this. Their is many companies out there that will drive traffic to your site but the amount of money this can cost you can be extreme. Owning a small business myself I don't have the funds to do this because most of the money I make goes right back into the business for supplies and materials.

The first thing you must figure out before you can even think about driving a POTENTIAL CUSTOMER is who is the POTENTIAL CUSTOMER. This will be different to each business, example: If you own a business that sells lumber then you would want to go after home repair people or home supply stores you wouldn't want a customer that needs make-up or hair products. When some of the companies say they can drive customers to your website they're doing just this driving everyone to your website not the real potential customers your company needs. So your reading this and wondering OK so how can I drive customers that would be most beneficial to my business?

Now this is where the fun begins! I recommend starting a SOCIAL SITE that will encourage people of the same interest as you or people that could become a customer of yours. There is a number of free sites like ning.com where you can start a social site and one of the ways to drive people to this site is by e-mails and putting up badges on your website. I have done this myself with four different social sites. My main passion is motorcycles and I do engrave mirrors for motorcycle clubs but I also engrave Mag lites for motorcycle clubs and car clubs. I started a social site for the motorcycling people with an add to the dating scene along with it. This has payed off greatly for my business. I have over 215 people on just one site and just under 50 on the other three sites. I had a dating site contact me and offer to pay me $30.00 a head for people that sign up to there site from my site. So with that in mind not only can you drive people to your website as POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS you can also make some extra money off of other peoples sites to drive your potential customers to other sites.

I would recommend a MYSPACE page as well and a FACEBOOK page, too! If you spend sometime on self promoting your business via the Internet it will pay off in the end. Figure it as a numbers game and try to get your business name out to everyone because you never know you knows who. Some businesses have the potential of having everyone as a POTENTIAL CUSTOMER while other businesses are limited to a certain base. A very important thing to remember is everyone has friends and some day there friend might use you.

Check out my number one social site at: http://bikernbabes.ning.com

BUSINESS AND BLOGGING

BUSINESS AND BLOGGING:

I have read in the most recent Entrepreneur Magazine 21 ways to advertise your business for low cost or no cost. The article was very interesting and I would say it was most enlightening in more ways than one.

One of the topic's they covered was business blogging and some of the free blog services on the Internet. Something that was interesting is what most of us all ready know, like blogging on like minded blogs to drive traffic to your blog. One thing they did mention that was something I myself have not thought of was hooking up with another business like a supplier or a business that benefits from your products. What about sharing a blog with one of these businesses to help promote both of your businesses? I think this could be a good joint venture that could payoff great dividends for both parties involved.

Business blogging is an art form in it's own right, you have to think of things to write about that concern your business but yet not boast to much about your business. This endeavor takes great for thought if you want to be considered creditable among the blogger world or even the business world.

I like to add blogs that can be helpful to the small business person but at the same time I want to promote my business. This is a challenge because of the business that I own. My business is an engraving business that specializes in mirror awards. The business is good for sport teams, car clubs, motorcycle clubs, executive businesses, and transportation. I have done some wholesale stuff for some local merchants. I would like to start a e-commerce site on the Internet but we specialize in one of a kind items and this makes it hard to do but I think in the near future I will have a site up and running. I have something in the works right now to make it happen.

I would encourage any new business owner to subscribe to the Entrepreneur Magazine. The magazine will help a small business person out quit a lot if you take time read it. I am sure that you as a small business person would take all the free help or even low cost help you can get. I know I do!

Preserving Your Memories

Preserving Your Memories

I have a business that preserves your favorite memories that can last a life-time.

Now that I have your interest, let me explain. In 2003 the wife, daughter, and I started a business together. We were looking for something different that would help people cherish the memories they make. Along our search we found a very interesting machine on the market and we decided to invest in it. It took us about a whole year to self teach our self how to operate this machine. The first year we lost lots of money between the loss of product due to mess ups and the lack of business. Because we just did not feel like we were good enough at that time to promote the growth of it. I also did not go after any business until I felt like I could put out real good work. At the time this seemed like a good choice and I found out it was as time has gone on.

I have seen others that invested in these machines put out some real bad work but they have to have income coming in to pay for the machine. It does take some time to get good at the operation of the machine and all of the different settings you can do with the software. The main thing is it does get much better with time and your work does show it.

We take a favorite picture and engrave it into the back of a mirror and add a color fill to it.

One of the things we do is take artwork for car shows and put it into the mirrors for awards. This endeavor has been a very good business move on our part we you consider how many car clubs and shows there is just in the United States alone.