Printing & Copying

Why are small businesses obsessing over brand management far too much when they can focus on a million other things like improving their services, or making their products better? I’m not talking about the inherent brand identity but rather the ones created in the drawing boards of the marketing offices.

They want to control how consumers think, and we can tell. Although there have is a long list brainwashing wonders in the history of advertising to present, they are mostly those with big budgets to spend and a lifetime’s worth of patience.

Small businesses though work on a tight cash flow of a few thousand dollars a month. They need immediate returns on their investment and marketing materials that can get places, are cheap to print, and  work fast, even instantly. Color business card printing double as flyers, brochures, calendars, anything to get their message stick.

It’s not that big companies simply can afford to spend on branding it’s that it is crucial to their survival. They need to earn the money to keep their big shots on the pay roll. They don’t need a million one-time-sale, they need millions of avid customers and regular consumers.

Back room businesses on the other hand simply need cheap advertising you can hand out with a sales pitch.  Winning one customer now, is considered a success. Getting that one customer to tell a friend is and get a subsequent purchase is heaven sent, and getting two regular customers is a bonanza.

Learn to act accordingly.

Large companies are backed by large corporations who spend other people’s investment. Their one big ideal can be matched with one big capital. As a sole proprietor, you use your own money as capital and have everything to lose. You will be answerable to any debts your business incurs. This should make you far more careful than large companies.

Slow but sure is the way to go.

Keep your day job and allocate a small capital while keeping some money for your personal use. Start with a small production: sell it to your friends, neighbors, and anyone you can get a hold of. From the profit you were able to generate, have a handful of marketing materials printed you can mail to certain people, or put up a website even.

The most important thing though is keep your day job until you have established customer loyalty and are sure your business is sustainable.