small business marketing

To Change or Not to Change, That is the Question

The New Year is almost here!   This is important, because the New Year represents a change where we leave the old year behind and swiftly move into a new year with new challenges.  It would be easy enough to declare “What’s behind us doesn’t matter!”  However, such change deserves reflection on what the passing year means to our business and what the New Year holds. Here are some questions to ponder when considering a new direction for the New Year:

 

  • What was our biggest accomplishment for 2012?
  • Did we meet our overall goals?
  • What mistakes did we make?
  • Did we track our progress regularly?
  • Were our customers satisfied?
  • What do our employees say we did well?

One of the biggest questions for the New Year will be, “Is it time to make a change”.    For the visionary in us, such a thought is invigorating!  Why, then, would we be reluctant?  For any experienced entrepreneur or executive, we know making a conscious effort to change takes time, energy, resources, and commitment.  It will reach into every component of the business, and may forever alter the course of the organization.

A review of the passing year should reveal whether change is needed.  Because we generally improve the things we measure, we need to have the pulse on our key metrics.  We should know, for instance whether or not we exceeded our customer’s expectations.  We should know if our team members and partners are happy, and if we did a good job with cost control, production, sales, and warranty.  Through our metrics, we’ll be able to determine if we have achieved what we set out to accomplish.  If we can’t readily assess the state of our business, then we know what the first “change” should be.  We need a dashboard that gives us a quick read on the key metrics in our business so that we can see at a glance where we are succeeding and where we are coming up short.  This is an important driver for success!

Let’s presume that we have such a dashboard.  Some of the metrics will be based on feedback from our customers that will help us gauge the effectiveness of our processes including customer service, product design, sales processes, pricing and warranty.  Interviews with our customers should give us information on how they perceive we performed in comparison to our competition and how well our team is performing at each level.   By having this important feedback from our customers, we can often see what is working and what is broken.  If we pay attention to our customer surveys, we can obtain some valuable feedback on what we need to do to move the needle in a positive direction.

Our customers are obviously key stake holders, and they are the ones we are all accountable to.  Team members are also key stakeholders because sound execution depends on them.  If we properly support and incentivize our teams and empower them to always do the right thing for our customers without delay, our customers will reward us for it.  At the same time, if our employees fully understand our value proposition and believe in the service and products we offer, they will become ‘walking billboards’ for our organization.   By measuring performance, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses in our culture and our team, and may also find weaknesses in our processes that need to be shored up. Ultimately, the feedback from our key stakeholders will lead us to answering the big question “To Change or not to Change!”

Let’s face it, some companies operate their business without reflecting on previous year’s accomplishments and mistakes, and some business leaders operate “by the seat of their pants” when it comes to processes.  Great companies have a defined mission and purpose, a clearly articulated set of core values and a firm commitment to excellence.   In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins writes this about the Culture of Discipline: “When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great results.”

The New Year presents a fresh opportunity to change the direction of your organization and infuse momentum into your company.   An objective review, assessment, and diagnosis will get the ball rolling.     It will involve a transition plan that is well orchestrated, and buy-in from everyone on your team.    In the end, your enterprise will be moving forward on a solid footing, prepared for sustainable success with the appropriate tools and the right team to get the job done.

If you are considering a new direction for your business in 2013 and are struggling to map it out, please feel free to contact us at 877.609.3840 or email us  – we would love to help!

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

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Your Brand Isn’t Just External

When it comes to leading brands, small and medium size businesses often look to replicate the success of companies like Apple, Google, or Zappos. They might wonder how to achieve that same level of brand fanaticism. Yes, these companies spend millions of dollars to build their brands. However, the truth is companies like Apple could not have achieved the level of success and brand loyalty they have without starting with internal branding.

Many people are not familiar with internal branding, or at least not with the specific terminology. Internal branding in the simplest terms is when a company uses the power of their organization’s culture to build a strong brand. It is aligning and engaging the employees to consistently deliver increased value to your customers.  It is also connecting employees with the company’s vision for delivering distinctive value to customers.

Your employees will express their perception of your brand by the way they do their jobs, the way they treat your customers, the way they interact with each other, and the way they embody the brand on their own accord.  You will always have a few people that just want to clock in (so to speak), do their job, and go home.  But, the majority of employees truly want to be a part of something bigger than them and are ready to get emotionally involved in their work.

As with your external brand, your internal brand will develop whether you deliberately define and shape it or not.  In fact, your internal brand is influencing your success, or lack of success, right now.  That’s why it we think it’s important that you put just as much effort into developing your internal brand as you do developing your external brand.  This is why at SunUp Group, we have built internal brand discovery into our core brand development methodology.  Interviewing employees and garnering their input as to the perceived strengths, weaknesses and daily performance of their organization can be an enlightening part of the brand development process.  We call this “brand truth”!

Customers are more likely to connect with your brand if they have a good understanding of what your company is about, what you value, and the experience delivered by your employees.  Companies like Starbucks, The Ritz-Carlton, Zappos and Southwest Airlines have dedicated time, resources, and attention to developing their internal brand so that their employees reflect the brand to the customer every day.

A side benefit, albeit a very important benefit of developing your internal brand, is that it can create a continuous cycle of improvement within your company. When your employees clearly understand your company’s orientation and intentions, they can address specific aspects of their jobs that are inconsistent or in conflict with those intentions.  This in turn will improve your product or service and create a better customer experience.

As you purposely set out to develop your internal brand, it is critical not to leave anyone out – everyone in your company plays an important role and can benefit from understanding and embodying your internal brand. Obviously it is probably most important for your employees that interface directly with customers, but the employees on the production line, in the warehouse, and in the shipping department will be able to do their job better and make the right decisions if they truly understand your internal brand.  Your employees should be a walking billboard for your brand – clearly demonstrating the ‘why’ behind your organization and the ‘what’ that makes you different.

We hope this brief introduction to internal branding helps you understand the need for an internal branding program. If you have questions or want to learn more about internal branding, please feel free to contact us or check out our webpage on brand development!

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5 in-Store event ideas to boost your small business

In our last blog, we talked about planning in-store events, and how to use them as part of your small business marketing strategy.  This time, we thought we would give you 5 in-store event ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  These types of in-store events can boost your small business by generating additional sales, bringing in new customers, and bringing back repeat customers.

The great thing about these types of events is that they don’t have to be elaborate, costly affairs. We have budget-friendly, creative ideas to help you decide what type of in-store event is appropriate for your small business.  Many small businesses host tasteful, creative, fun events on a shoestring budget.

Sidewalk sale. Sidewalk sales generate a lot of attention because of their venue – the sidewalk! People who may not have intended to shop in your store are often compelled to stop and browse, so it’s important to think about how you are displaying your sidewalk sale tables. Items in a sidewalk sale are usually compellingly priced, and the ultimate goal is to pique the customer’s interest enough with the items on sale, so they are drawn into the store, where they can shop your fabulous selection of merchandise!  One important note is to check with your local city authorities to see if a permit or license is required. Each city’s requirements are different and you want to make sure you have the proper approval in place!

Client appreciation event.  Client appreciation events are a little different, depending on the type of industry and/or the type of business.  For retail stores, client appreciation events can often revolve around the store’s anniversary, the unveiling of a new product/product line, or the celebration of a holiday.  One of the reasons client appreciation events can be so successful is the exclusivity of the event.  These types of in-store events are often held after normal business hours, and are invitation only events for current customers.  One of the secrets to retaining customers is to make them feel important; people like to be recognized. A special customer-only event will do just that!

Holiday Party. Most people are in a festive mood around  a holiday – it doesn’t have to be Christmas – the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween are all holidays that people love to celebrate.  A holiday gives people an excuse to celebrate a little bit more!  When hosting a holiday party in your retail store, there are a few key things to remember:

  1. Create a festive atmosphere – show your holiday spirit!
  2. Give people a reason to linger: food, drinks, and/or entertainment will do the trick
  3. Display your products prominently: make sure you have specific items on sale and make beautiful displays with them. You might also consider a raffle to generate excitement.

Gallery event.  Contact local artists to see if they are interested in contributing artwork for the event. Most artists will jump at the chance to get more publicity!  You can use the empty wall space in your store or rent/borrow some easels to place around your store.  Make sure you invite the artists to attend as well, and host refreshments, which will help people linger longer.

Demonstration/Fashion Show.  New product demonstrations are useful to customers, and can be a great incentive to get them into your store.  For retail clothing stores, a season-inspired fashion show can be a HUGE draw for both your repeat customers and new customers as well.  Also, don’t feel you have to go the literal route. For example, a store that sells cooking products could host a wine tasting. Partnering with a local wine merchant gives you the opportunity to cross-promote and gain new customers who may not have shopped your store before!

Hopefully these ideas will get your creative juices flowing. Don’t wait – start planning an in-store event for your small business now and boost your sales!

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4 Tips for Using In-Store Events as Part of Your Small Business Marketing Strategy

Many small business owners seem to shy away from event marketing, thinking it is too costly or takes too much time. However, when executed properly, event marketing for small businesses can be a very effective way to generate new customers, leads, and even strategic partners.

There are basically three types of event marketing: organizing your own event, sponsoring an event, or attending an existing event.  Today we are going to talk about organizing your own event, specifically an in-store event.

An in-store event can be used by retailers, or anyone with a storefront location, to drive traffic, sell old inventory, and build your customer database.  An event doesn’t have to be an overwhelmingly elaborate affair.  Many local business owners have found success planning simple, yet enticing events that don’t cost a lot of money. Here are our secrets to planning a successful in-store event:

Be creative.  Everyone, it seems, has a full calendar these days. So, capturing the attention of people and getting them to make time to come to your store or business, is probably the most important key to a successful in-store event. A “sale” these days, is normally not enough to generate a large amount of traffic. Try to think outside the box, and be creative. For example, a pet grooming business or a self-service dog wash could hold a “dirtiest pet contest”. The person who brings the dirtiest pet gets their dog washed and groomed for free while everyone else gets a special discount and goodie bags just for showing up.

Create a buzz. Your goal is to plan an event that people will not want to miss. The best attended events typically communicate a sense of prestige and/or excitement. If you can get a local celebrity or media person to attend your event, this can be a very effective way to create a buzz around your event.  An A-list celebrity will cost an arm and a leg, but a boutique, for example, could bring in a local stylist who dresses famous people. It is free publicity for them and will bring people into your store.

Spread the word! An event is probably not much fun for anyone if nobody shows up. One of the keys to getting people to your event is getting the word out early and frequently. Tell everyone you know, and use social media. Start creating teasers on Facebook and Twitter, and consider creating fun videos to post on YouTube. Using social media is the best way to spread the news of your event, along with a special invitation to your mailing list. Speaking of invitations, we recommend that you don’t skimp on your invitation, as it is a critical piece of creating a buzz around your event! On-line event invitations are cheap, fun, and an easy way to track registration and who is attending. Lastly, don’t forget to publicize the event to the local media such as community newspapers, websites and bloggers.

Follow-up.  Post-event follow-up is an often overlooked area by small business owners, yet is an area that can generate even further business if executed correctly! We happen to think that Thank you notes are a nice touch, and can be a very personal way of following up. Another idea is to set up a postcard program to invite attendees to the next event. Which reminds us; don’t forget to have people sign in at the event! You’ll want to capture their names, email addresses, along with mailing address and phone number if they’re willing to give it. This is a goldmine of information for your customer database! And, once you’ve gathered the customer’s contact information at the event, follow up within the next two weeks with a special offer or discount coupon, which is exclusive for the attendees of the event.

Next time, we’ll talk about some specific in-store event ideas to boost your small business, so stay tuned for more great ideas in our next blog post!

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The New Era of Branding: Building Relationships

There’s no question that successful branding has changed dramatically within the past 5 years. Why? The rapid advancement of technology and the rise of the digital age have shifted the power from the marketer to the consumer. Consumers have the ability to opt-out of receiving marketing messages, and they have the option to consume only the content they enjoy and want to receive.  Because consumers have changed, the old method of marketing no longer works…there is no more “making the sale”.

So, let’s talk about what successful marketers know and do in today’s world. Today, successful marketing is accomplished by creating meaningful consumer experiences that attract, build and retain brand loyalty. Conversion is not as much about hammering more frequent messages, but rather the quality of the engagement with consumers. Building relationships with consumers is similar to building a long term friendship in your personal life. Trust, loyalty, authenticity, and consistency are all important qualities in building relationships with consumers – these are all similar qualities we look for in friendships, too!

Consumers are hit with over 3,000 marketing messages a day, so it’s no surprise that consumers are looking for something a bit more when making buying decisions. Consumers want to buy from companies and people whom they like, and whom they believe can fulfill their needs. They want to connect with a brand. Establishing relationships of trust with consumers is critical and is accomplished by creating marketing that has intrinsic value to the consumer.

A great way to create meaningful experiences for consumers is to add something of value to the quality of people’s lives through listening to their needs, knowledge sharing, entertainment, or problem solving.  In other words, provide engaging experiences, richer connections, and a way to help them make a positive impact on the world at large.  A key point to this strategy is that it does not involve trying to sell something. Consumers will see through this right away and move on, likely never to return.

Most consumers’ basic needs are already satisfied with products and services they currently buy. Converting these consumers requires you to not only create meaningful experiences for these consumers, but also to transcend the competition’s, and “go the extra mile”.  One key way to do this is through unique differentiation.  What you don’t want to do is sound like all the rest of your competitors. Consumers want to know why they should buy from you and not your competitors. Competing on price is tough, and not very successful in today’s world, so a better strategy is to uncover your core competencies and the ‘why’ behind why you do what you do and how that is a direct benefit to the buyer.  You may offer similar products and services as your competition, but the reason behind your business may change the ‘how’ you deliver and this will likely be the main benefit your customer remembers about your company.

The methods and mediums marketers use today have changed drastically in a relatively short time, and as such the rules of marketing have changed. Brand recognition, trust and loyalty are more important for companies today than it has been in a long while.  Many marketers are being left behind, which creates an opportunity for you and your company to stand out!

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5 Tips for Utilizing the Power of Referrals for Your Small Business

The New Year is upon us, and hopefully you’ve been working on your game plan for 2012! (See our post Set a Small Business Game Plan for the New Year).  Part of your game plan should be setting goals, and at least one (or many) of these priorities is most likely related to business growth.  It is quite common that when we conduct our first strategy session with our client and discuss what they perceive to be their greatest need, it is almost inevitable that we hear from business owners that they “need to generate more new clients”.  Yes, generating new customers to ultimately increase revenue is a pressing issue these days.  And, if you’re like many small business owners, you probably have a limited marketing budget, so a key aspect of your marketing plan should be to leverage your existing relationships.  Yes, we are talking about referrals!  Referrals are still one of the most effective and least expensive ways of getting new customers.  According to Tom Hopkins, in “Sales Prospecting for Dummies”, the closing ratio for non-qualified leads is 10 percent versus a 60 percent close ratio with referred leads.  WOW!  This means it is six times more productive to work with referrals than a new marketing lead.  That is a great opportunity!

With this in mind, we suggest 2012 be a year to capitalize on the excellent products and services you have provided and set a game plan for increasing referral business:

  1. Give and you will receive. There are many ways to give; one of them is to give referrals generously for business associates that you know who have great products and customer service.  We suggest you personally provide the referral and contact your source directly to let them know who you have just referred to their business.  The point is to develop relationships and show that you are someone who cares about fellow small business owners and their success.  Chances are the referrals will come back to you twofold!
  2. Look for networking opportunities. Join your local business associations, industry associations, and attend local events.  Sometimes small business owners are so busy they don’t take the time to socialize and “get out there”.  We suggest that you set a minimum of two business development meetings per month and we guarantee, the more your business will be known, the greater the chance of referrals.
  3. Partner with other local small businesses. Co-marketing with local businesses that share your same prospect audience is an excellent way to leverage the return on your marketing investment.  Most small business owners enjoy working with other local small business owners to help them succeed, and benefit themselves by creating that working relationship, in the form of return referrals.
  4. Offer a rewards or incentive program. Giving your customers an incentive for offering referrals is a terrific way to generate more referrals than you can imagine!  Offering someone a special discount or credit is one of the best ways to motivate your customers to refer your small business.  Let your customers know that your business is built on referrals and you recognize the value of a referral, thus are offering and incentive in return.
  5. Ask! It may sound obvious, but we have found a lot of small business owners feel uncomfortable asking for referrals, or simply don’t take the time to ask for referrals.   If you have established the superior customer service and product quality that we talked about earlier, we absolutely recommend asking for referrals.  Family, friends, trusted business associates, and even customers are great people to ask for referrals.  Also, we suggest building the referral request into your sales process and once you have a satisfied customer you request them to share your service (or product) with a friend.

Now you should be all set to go out and conquer the New Year, starting with generating referrals for your small business!  Do you have other tips that have helped you generate referrals?  We would love to hear about them; please share in the comments section!

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3 Tips for Using a Customer Rewards Program for Your Small Business

Customer reward programs have become a competitive necessity in some industries.  Some popular examples of customer rewards programs today include Amazon Prime, special coupon prices at grocery chains, airline’s frequent flyer programs, and discount cards at retailers such as Barnes and Noble.   Overall, companies spend upwards of $2 billion dollars a year on rewards programs; they are big business!

That being said, does it make sense for you as a small business owner to start a rewards program for your customers?  Well, it depends on what industry you are in, first of all.  For restaurants and retail stores, it’s almost a necessity to have some sort of customer rewards program just to be competitive.  PLUS, statistics show it is six times less expensive to generate a sale from an existing customer vs. attempting to find new clients.

If your business deals with customers on an infrequent basis, such as a repair service or landscaper, it probably is not worth it to implement a customer rewards program.  However, it is important to keep in mind that the purpose of a rewards program can be to encourage customers and clients to refer others, and not just to gain repeat business.

The cost of customer rewards programs does not have to be exorbitant.  Small businesses can find creative ways to implement customer rewards programs, without greatly affecting their profitability.

Tip #1:  Use gift cards instead of holding a sale.

A sale will get people to buy, but doesn’t encourage them to return.  A free gift card, however, will typically have a much higher chance of boosting sales than just holding a traditional sale.

For example, the staff of a clothing boutique could ask people who come into the store if they have shopped there before.  If not, the sales person can offer them a gift card with a face value of $5. There is a high likelihood that people will begin to shop and more often than not, buy something with a higher value than the $5, due to the perception of having been given “free money”. That is the psychological effect of gift cards, coupons and rewards programs.

Tip #2:  Use social media.

Customer rewards programs have come a long way since punch cards.  While punch cards can still be an effective approach, designing a customer rewards program around social media is a cutting edge approach that you may want to try.  Foursquare is probably the primary social media platform that companies are currently using when designing customer rewards programs by offering special rewards to those who check-in to their business’s location.  We have also seen some companies give special rewards to the “Mayor” of their location on random days, which incentivizes customers to utilize social media.  The Brooklyn Museum, for example, offers a free yearlong membership to the “Mayor” on certain days.

Another option for using social media is to send coupons or offer a special reward to those people who mention your product in their tweets, using Twitter.  If your target customer base includes the 18-24 year old demographic, you must use social media in some aspect for your customer rewards program!

Tip #3:  Use your rewards data.

Rewards programs are gold mines of data, if they are designed to capture your customer data.  Tracking the buying habits of your customer base can give you a major leg up in shaping your business strategy.  Punch cards probably won’t help you gather loyalty data, but most e-commerce systems contain precious information on your customer’s buying habits that can help you design your promotional messages.  Larger companies like Amazon and Google have successfully adopted this strategy, and it’s one that is highly important for small businesses, who have limited funds to use for advertising and marketing.

Have you implemented a customer rewards program and found it effective?  Please share your story with us in the comments section!

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5 Small Business Marketing Ideas for the Holidays

The holidays are approaching quickly, and can be a fun, exciting time for small businesses to generate significant sales and revenues.  Many small retail businesses actually rely on the holiday season for a large part of their yearly sales.  However, a common mistake for many is not preparing their marketing plan for the holiday season until it is too late.  Or, doing no planning at all to maximize their holiday sales.  For optimum success, you should start your holiday business planning 2-3 months in advance; this enables you to be more effective and definitely makes the holidays less stressful for your business!  With that in mind, here are 5 holiday marketing ideas for your small business:

Develop special promotions. Create a special promotion from your selection of products and services that you don’t offer any other time of year.  Special discounts, or a package of goods/services will entice both new customers and existing customers who may purchase from you regularly and recognize the special values that you are offering with your promotion.

Create an email marketing campaign. The holidays are a great time to communicate with your current customers and to grow your email marketing list!  If you don’t normally utilize email marketing, there is no better time to start than the holidays.  This will get your small business in front of your valued customers and keep you “top of mind” for their holiday shopping.  Make sure you utlize your social media sites to invite people to sign up so they don’t miss out on your holiday promotions.   It can also be very effective to encourage people to share your holiday promotional emails; for example have a link like “share with a friend”.

Plan and organize events. In-store events are a great way to attract people to your small business!  They can be elaborate, or simple, and don’t necessarily need to cost a lot of money.  Some options to consider are opening early or staying open late for “preferred customers”, or choose a  day when you offer cookies and hot chocolate for your shoppers.  Whatever you choose to do, the critical part is publicizing it and letting your customers and the general public know in advance!

Partner with other local small businesses. As you probably know, we are big proponents of creating cross-promotions with other local small businesses, and the holidays are a great time to offer joint promotions or co-host an event!  Just remember to choose a small business that offers products and services that are complimentary to yours, for you both to get the maximum benefit from your joint efforts.

Offer gift wrapping services. You’ll need to have a little extra money in the budget for this option, but it is a great way to help you stand out from your competitors, and shoppers (especially men) LOVE to have their gifts wrapped for them.  Again, make sure you spread the word about your gift wrapping services on your social media sites and your email campaign.

We hope you found these tips useful for preparing your small business for the holiday season!

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How to Succeed Using Daily Deals in Your Small Business

New daily deal sites are popping up every day.  The early reaction from small businesses was overwhelmingly positive.  Where else could you get consumers to buy from your small business so easily and in such large numbers?  Then, as small businesses started to get experience with the deals, the sentiment changed.  Small businesses have lost money on deals, and didn’t have enough staff to accommodate all the new customers.  That being said, daily deals can be very beneficial for your small business, if you have a strategy to manage the increased volume and are careful to have a plan in place to achieve the proper pricing margins.  Here are our top 5 tips for how to succeed using daily deals in your small business.

Know what you’re getting into. There is a plethora of daily deal sites, and the terms do vary, so make sure you shop around and choose one that is a good fit for your small business.  You will need to ask a lot of questions to determine the best daily deal site for your small business. Choose a daily deal site that has an audience profile that fits your target market.

Make sure you know your ROI (return on investment) and analyze the data. Calculate your costs and base your deal on what you can afford to lose.  For instance, in some businesses, having a flood of new customers doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend more money.  Others, however, will need to calculate the additional staffing cost so a cost-benefit analysis will be important.  If you don’t know how to calculate your ROI, we suggest getting help from a professional.  In addition, make sure you keep track of who bought the daily deals, what they bought the day they redeemed their deal, and what they bought afterwards.

Have a goal and create a deal that will help you meet that goal. Do you just want “feet through the door”?  Meaning as much traffic as possible?  Or do you want to create a high quality experience that will appeal to a select few?  Both strategies can be effective, depending on your goals.

Plan for the surge. Poor planning can lead to failure, especially for daily deals.  It’s very important that you plan and staff your small business to support the number of daily deals sold.  One of your biggest goals for daily deals is to turn first time customers into repeat customers.  If you don’t staff accordingly to ensure a positive experience for these first time daily deal customers, you can be fairly certain they won’t be a repeat customer.

Connect with your customers. Give your customers a way to connect with you on social media sites and encourage them to interact with you.  Ask for their email addresses when they check out.  The more ways you can interact with them, the better!  You want to keep the relationship as “sticky” as possible.  After all the effort you’ve put out to get these new customers in the door via a daily deal, you of course want to keep them as repeat customers!

What is your experience with daily deals?  Have they been successful for your small business?  Tell us about it!

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