Mark Smiciklas Articles

Word of Mouth - Click To Read Article
Word of mouth (WOM) is an elusive form of marketing that has the ability to either build or erode your small business brand. What are some of the characteristics of WOM as a communication medium that make it such a powerful marketing tool? What can you do to try to develop positive word of mouth for your small business?

Why Are Strategic Alliances Important to Your Small Business - Click To Read Article
Global Edge defines a strategic alliance as a “collaborative agreement between two companies designed to achieve some strategic goal.” Traditionally, strategic alliances take place between larger companies and encompass formal arrangements such as “international licensing agreements, management contracts, and joint ventures” - but more and more small businesses are banding together in less formal ways to form strategic partnerships of their own. What are some of the benefits of forming small business strategic alliances? As a small business owner, how can you reach out to start conversations with potential allies and what should you look for in a strategic partner?

What is eDNA and How Can it Affect Your Brand? - Click To Read Article
Have you ever written anything online that might cause someone to question the integrity of your company or brand? Think about all the imprints you've left online over the last few years - emails, blog posts, forum comments, articles, etc., essentially an eDNA trail that leads back to your small business.

Using New Event Marketing to Promote Your Small Business - Click To Read Article
Organizing an educational event such as a seminar or conference is a great way to get out of the office and network with prospective clients and promote your small business within your community. However, a traditional event marketing format presents some challenges to small business owners, including the costs of putting on an event, creating buzz ("Not another breakfast speaker series"), being able to offer attendees value, etc. So how can your small business take advantage of the benefits of educational event marketing while minimizing some of the risks and pressures associated with putting on a successful seminar or conference?

Using Customer Service To Generate Incremental Revenue - Click To Read Article
In a recent strategy session, I had the opportunity to brainstorm ways to generate incremental revenue with the CEO of a small software company. We discussed how the customer service/client relationship may be well suited to creating new revenue streams. One idea that stood out was the perception your clients have towards sales vs. customer service.

Using FREE to Build Your Small Business Brand - Click To Read Article
I ended a recent article with the suggestion that all of your website content should be offered for free. I thought it would be a good idea to follow that statement up with some ideas and rationale on why free content helps create awareness and build brand equity.

Using the Phone to Gain a Competitive Edge - Click To Read Article
How well does your organization answer the phone? It may seem like an odd question, but it could be very relevant to the success of your small business.

Two Time Management Concepts That Will Help Grow Your Small Business - Click To Read Article
Time management is an important tool for small business owners - organizing your time and understanding its value to your small business is a great way to become more focused and successful.

The Steps to Brand Greatnessor Purgatory - Click To Read Article
The process of developing your small business brand is made up of a series of steps - interdependent and progressively connected. Each step requires cultivation over time; represents an important brand building opportunity; and needs to be achieved in the eyes of your customers before you can proceed "up the ladder".

The Science of Differentiation - Click To Read Article
There is enough evidence in the annals of branding to convince even the most skeptical small business owner that differentiation is a critical component of building a successful brand – yet there are very few that embrace the concept. For those of you that are not convinced, there is another way to look at differentiation - through brain science. The human brain, in its mysterious glory, thrives on differentiation.

The New Marketing - Click To Read Article
Before the web, companies had to either buy advertising or convince journalists to write about their products or services (many organizations still use this approach). One component of New Marketing focuses on brand journalism - the idea that creating great content will help your small business publish it's way to brand awareness.

The Importance of On Demand Customer Service - Click To Read Article
I am constantly amazed by the fact that some companies don’t bother to respond to website information requests…acknowledge voice mails…reply to emails, etc. It’s safe to say that being totally ignored represents the extreme end of the (bad) service spectrum and very few will argue that “indifference” is not a good customer service strategy. But what constitutes reasonable or excellent service in today’s marketplace? Are consumers more demanding today than in the past?

Telling an Authentic Story About Your Brand - Click To Read Article
Story telling can be a powerful marketing tool for your small business. Communicating stories about your company history, people, culture, services, etc helps customers identify with your brand. Seth Godin, a popular marketing author and blogger, made a great comment about story telling during a recent teleseminar - part of the virtual book tour for "Meatball Sundae - Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?". He said "telling an authentic story starts by living an authentic story." It seems like a simple concept...

The Fear of Differentiation - Click To Read Article
Building a unique small business brand requires some courage. Why are unique brands so scarce while middle of the road products, services, retail stores, etc dominate the business landscape? My theory is that it has something to do with an innate fear (we all have) of being different. In a branding context, this poses a problem because differentiation is one of the key elements in the development of a great brand. So how do small business owners face the fear of differentiation?

The Importance of Getting The Right People on the Bus - Click To Read Article
It's not a stretch to suggest that an organization has a greater chance of achieving success when it employs the right people. Obviously, the goal of any company is to hire well, but many small businesses mis-step during the process of seeking out the right employees. What are the characteristics of the "right" people? As a small business leader, what ideas do you need to understand and embrace in order to get the right people into your organization?

Small Business Change Management - Click To Read Article
Change is an ever-present component of small business ownership. The ability for small business owners to effectively manage change lays the groundwork for growth and helps build the foundation for the development of a positive corporate culture. What can small business owners do to make themselves better change leaders? What are the most important factors to consider when managing change?

Small Business Interview Series Employee Benefits - Click To Read Article
Employee benefits are an important topic for many small business owners and managers. In the first installment of an ongoing series, I speak with benefits specialist Rachel von Sturmer, Principal at True Benefits Financial, about employee benefits best practices, trends and challenges.

Small Business Interview Series – Executive Coaching, Team Building and Leadership Development - Click To Read Article
Coaching is a great way for small business owners to develop leadership skills, build strong teams and grow their organizations. In this installment of the small business interview series, I speak with leadership and learning specialist Tammy Dewar, Ph.D., Principal at Calliope Learning in Victoria, B.C.

Small Business Interview Series – Website Design and Development - Click To Read Article
Understanding the website development process is important for small business owners - a well designed and programmed website will add value to your bottom line by engaging your target audience and generating leads. In this edition of the small business interview series, I speak with Jordan Klassen, Vancouver Web Designer, about website design and strategy.

Shared Vision - Click To Read Article
As a small business leader, one of the most important things you can do is develop a mechanism to include all employees in the vision of your organization. Some of the benefits of a shared company vision include...

Reputation Management - Click To Read Article
One of the most important assets of any small business is its reputation – stakeholder opinion can be a driving force when it comes to establishing the value of your brand in the marketplace. As consumers continue to enjoy unlimited access to information and unprecedented freedom of expression online, it seems that Reputation Management has taken on a heightened level of importance for small business owners. What is “Reputation Management” and how important is it to your small business? What is involved and can small business owners manage the process themselves?

Monkey Management - Click To Read Article
We've all heard the expression "getting the monkey off your back". In a management context, the "monkey" is a metaphor for issues/projects that small business managers or owners take off the backs of their employees and place on their own.

Managing Small Business Growth by Balancing Big + Small - Click To Read Article
Growth presents a real challenge for many small businesses. As your organization grows, how do you avoid compromising the personality and characteristics that helped build your business in the first place?

Is Your Small Business Website Multi-Browser Compatible? - Click To Read Article
Most people still use Microsoft Explorer to browse the internet, but the landscape is definitely changing. As more web users switch to other internet browsers such as Firefox, it's important to make sure that your website's functionality and user experience remains intact across multiple browsers.

How Does Inertia Suck the Life Out of Your Small Business? - Click To Read Article
Sales are important to every business because revenue is the fuel that drives growth. But in the case of small businesses, there seems to be a greater sense of urgency when it comes to converting every individual sales opportunity. Due to the real or perceived pressure of closing a sale, small businesses sometimes fail to recognize when the grip of inertia has taken hold of a prospect. What is inertia and how does it affect your small business? Are there any strategies to deal with "Prospect Inertia"?

Hello, Is Anybody Home? - Click To Read Article
I wonder how many companies simply ignore inquiries that arrive via the "info@companyname.com" in-box? In an era of technology and connectivity, there should be no excuse for your small business to miss the opportunity to serve a customer.

Get Tuned In by Leaving the Office - Click To Read Article
I just started reading an advance copy of "Tuned In", a new book by David Meerman Scott, Craig Stull and Phil Myers that is due to hit stores in July. Tuned In offers up an in-depth six step process that helps businesses understand and connect with markets in order to provide products and services that customers really want. The first step in the process flushes out a point that I feel is very important to small business owners and managers: "The critical first step to becoming tuned in is to understand, in great detail, what existing market problems your organization could solve. The only way to accomplish this is to get out of your office."

Employee Retention Ideas - Click To Read Article
What can your small business do to help build a positive culture and create a workplace that attracts and retains employees? Here are a few cool ideas from a company I work with...

Coaching for Small Business Owners - Click To Read Article
Business coaching is a relatively new discipline. As a result, many small business owners are probably not aware of the coaching process and why they might consider coaching as a resource to fuel their business growth and personal leadership development. What benefits can a coach bring to you and your small business? Will a coach help you become more effective in the day to day management of your small business? What specific skills or experience should you look for in a business coach? How do you find a business coach?

Can Pricing Strategy Affect Your Brand - Click To Read Article
Can your pricing strategy affect how your clients perceive your small business brand? I read an article yesterday about soaring fuel costs in the travel sector and how Canada's much maligned national airline (Air Canada) will be implementing a series of fees to recoup costs. The problem with this type of pricing strategy is the effect it has on your ability to build brand equity.

5 Ways to Create Effective Website Content - Click To Read Article
In order to retain the attention of prospects and clients visiting your small business website, the content you present needs to be organized, easy to read and search engine compatible. Writing for the web is different - online reading is not the same as reading from print. Web users, particularly those performing website searches, have limited attention spans - they tend to scan pages for specific information rather than reading every single word of content.

7 Things You Need To Know About Selecting a Retail Location - Click To Read Article
It's very tempting to jump at a location you fall in love with - but just like in residential real estate, "head over heart" is the best approach when it comes to picking a retail location.

2.5 Ways to Improve Small Business Customer Service - Click To Read Article
Great customer service is one of of the pillars that supports a successful small business. Offering great service to your clients, prospects and vendors will help establish your reputation, build trust, create brand equity and fuel growth. What are the customer "pain points" when it comes to service? How can your small business become better at delivering a great service experience?


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