St. Louis Bi-State Region
Dec 2019
HOW SCORE CONNECTIONS FUELED JACKIE’S BUSINESS IDEA IN ZEROTIME “There were some key events that happened to me.” That’s how Jackie Richardson, founder and owner of Zero Time Systems, describes the pieces coming together to set her business idea in motion. Jackie, who has 20 years of experience as a hair designer and stylist, wondered for years why a larger, better color brush didn’t exist.After telling a client, Eva Murphy, about her idea to develop such a product, Eva gave her some simple advice:“Do it.” From there, Jackie set out to make the idea a reality. She reached out to her local Small Business Administration to talk about getting a loan, and though she didn’t qualify, they had a suggestion. “Out of the blue, they suggested SCORE,” Jackie says.“I had no idea what SCORE was at all.” Jackie looked us up, applied, and from there, was connected to a mentor. “I met with David Baker, whom I adore, at the very beginning stages of trying to get a patent for my product,” Jackie describes.“David was very patient. He helped me brainstorm and did a couple things that were huge: He brought in a former lawyer and SCORE mentor, and through him, I connected with his nephew, Brett Spencer, who manufactured and bought products from China.That’s how I found my China connection [for manufacturing] that I never would have found without SCORE.”
— she’s gone through a lot of painstaking processes on her own.”
When David eventually moved on from SCORE, Jackie was paired with another amazing mentor, Craig Goldford.“He’s a great sounding board. He’s dependable, kind, smart, and always has great advice,” Jackie says of Craig.“I was lucky when I found another great mentor. Craig is perfect for me.” Of her mentors and sounding boards at SCORE, Jackie says,“All of them were awesome. It would have taken me so much longer without them.” She adds,“SCORE has been priceless for me. I can’t say enough good things.” From Craig’s vantage point, he’s only been a small part of Jackie’s success. “She’s done this 90% on her own, all while continuing her work as an in-demand stylist,” Craig says. “You go through the mentoring process, and there are those who are very passionate and those who are just dipping their toes. If we have a scale of 1–10 for the level of passion, 10 being ‘I can’t wait for this to become a home run,’ Jackie is a 12. If you consider what she has taken on and the discipline she had to have
Joining us with a wealth of business knowledge, Craig found his way to SCORE after selling his own business and retiring, and he has been an integral part of the organization ever since.As Craig sums up his role,“Our job as mentors isn’t to run the business the way we would. Our job is to give them the information to run their own business.” After going through the process and working with SCORE, Jackie’s advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs is spot on: “Really, really pay attention. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t ever be afraid to ask.This is the time to let your pride go,” she says. It seems to be working very well for Jackie and for the future of Zero Time Systems. With SCORE, you’re never alone! Schedule an appointment to meet with a mentor today. Call 1-866-726-7340 or visit StLSCORE.org right now!
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1-866-726-7340
What Really Drives Sales Growth and Repeat Business?
now, that relationship is an asset that turns out money year after year.When you have 500, 1,000, 2,000, or 5,000 of those assets, you have an amazing business.
Why do we do all of this? Simply put — content equals relationships, and if your customer is looking to purchase anything of significant value from you, you will need a relationship to make that happen.
Have you ever analyzed what really drives sales in your business? Most people tie their answer to marketing or new leads.These are factors, but neither is the main driver for small businesses. What causes one person to shop with you for years and drive out of their way to get to you, while the guy across the street won’t step foot in your door? Typically, people answer with how great the products and service are.What about the guy across the street? Explanations typically fall back on a lack of need or ability to buy. All of these answers can be true, but that doesn’t make any of them correct. Surprisingly, the right answer is far easier to understand than you would think.
HOWTO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY
Once we have a relationship, what’s next?
Relationships build trust. Most people don’t fully trust someone they’ve just met, regardless of whether it is a business relationship or a personal one. Human nature is to give a little bit of trust and see if someone is worth giving more trust to. In other words, we make them earn it.This is when delivering what you said you would is so vitally important.This is when good customer service — the person who answers the phone or sits at the front desk — can make or break this new relationship. As the relationship continues positively, the amount of trust you receive grows.
The challenge with any idea is implementation, and the same goes for this one.The key is creating content that will build those relationships.To start this, you have four choices. 1. Do nothing. This is what most people do, which is good news for you because it is also what most of your competitors are doing.This makes it very easy to stand out. 2. Do it yourself. Content has to be created, and maybe you’re the best person to do that right now for your company. 3. Hire an employee to do it for you. If you do not want to create your own content, you can hire and train a content creation person for your business. don’t have the time or the resources to implement this strategy on your own, you can outsource your content creation to another company. Regardless of your decision, if you want to truly grow and beat the competitor down the street or if you want to increase the value of your company, it starts with this strategy. 4. Find an outside company. If you
THETRUTHANDTHE CORRECTANSWER
As the trust in you grows, what happens?
If you want to drive sales growth and repeat business, it boils down to understanding and implementing one strategy.
Trust equals sales. The more a person trusts you, the more they will buy from you.
Content builds relationships, relationships build trust, and trust equals sales.
One bit of good news with all the competition popping up is that it is super easy to stand out because there are so many poorly run companies and untrustworthy people in the world. All you have to do is do what you say you will when you say you’re going to do it. Also, treat people the way you’d want to be treated. Since so few do that, it is easy to stand out from the pack when you do.
Think about that statement for a minute. It’s true in both your personal and business life. Let’s break it down and talk about why. Content builds relationships. Since the dawn of man, how have we built relationships? We create content. If I found myself single tomorrow and on a date, I would work to build a relationship with the person I was dating by talking to them, or creating content. In B2B sales for many years, people created content by having all the knowledge and telling sales prospects about the great features and benefits of new, amazing machines. Today, we create content for our websites and e-books, as well as downloads and videos for YouTube.
Change is hard. Once you have a relationship with someone and always get what you
With SCORE, you’re never alone!We
expect, changing from that person or business is not easy or even desirable.
offer workshops and seminars each month to help you develop the skills you need to succeed. Visit StLouisSCORE. eventbrite.com today!
Because you gave good content, you created trust. From that trust, you worked hard and developed a relationship, and
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DON’T GET LOST INTHE BUSTLE 3 LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY MARKETING IDEAS
CREATE GIFT CARD GIVEAWAYS OR INCENTIVES. Gift cards, even digital ones, are more popular than ever around the holiday season. In one survey, 43% of respondents said they planned on giving gift cards or certificates in lieu of other holiday presents.With 1 in 4 gift cards sold in the last four days leading up to Christmas, these ideal presents make the perfect last-minute marketing tool. Offer gift card incentives or giveaways for your loyal customers.They can make the perfect present for them and, in turn, your business. With SCORE, you’re never alone! Schedule an appointment to meet with a mentor today. Call 1-866-726-7340 or visit StLSCORE.org right now!
SEND SEASON’S GREETINGS TO LOYAL CUSTOMERS.
You no longer have to waste time writing paragraphs in response. Instead, you can limit your responses to single words or short phrases.This is helpful when you need to send someone a quick answer to keep things moving but you’re not interested in getting into the details then and there. In other words, you can buy yourself time until you can focus on a more thought-out response. Leo Laporte, host of the “ThisWeek in Tech” (“TWiT”) podcast, has another suggestion:Tell people you don’t read emails. Of course, you do read emails, but the world doesn’t need to know it.This is a great way to cut down on the number of emails waiting in your inbox. Finally, set aside time to do an email purge. Look at the people and businesses that are sending you emails, decide which ones you don’t read anymore, and unsubscribe. Depending on the size of your inbox, this can take time, but it’s worth it.You’ll receive fewer Even if your Christmas or holiday-themed cards don’t mail on time, you can still send personalized emails or social media messages to let your customers know you’re thinking of them this holiday season. Established customers can be responsible for up to 40% of a business’s sales, and your unexpected holiday greeting could keep your business in mind as they go about their holiday shopping. Your customers are already in the holiday spirit, so why not indulge them with some seasonal trappings on your website? Festive holiday touches to your company logo or new webpages recommending holiday gift ideas can go a long way to attract customer attention. You don’t have to be the flashiest display on the block, but showing off your holiday spirit will spread cheer and goodwill. DECORATEYOURWEBSITE FORTHE SEASON.
If you haven’t capitalized on the holiday season for your business’s marketing campaign yet, don’t worry, because you still have time! Even if you’re still a long sleigh ride away from finishing your own holiday to-do list, you can ensure your business flourishes this season with a few last-minute marketing ideas for the holidays.
No More Spam Emails!
3 TIPS TO MAKE EMAILING A BREEZE
emails, which means you won’t spend hours scrolling through your inbox, and that can save you time and money in the long run. With SCORE, you’re never alone!We offer workshops and seminars each month to help you develop the skills you need to succeed.Visit StLouisSCORE.eventbrite.com today!
Emails are a time suck.As you read through the subject lines, you wonder how your time can be better spent. Kevin Rose, entrepreneur and founder of Digg.com, discovered an interesting way to limit the time he spends replying to emails, and it’s extremely simple. All you have to do is end all emails with “Sent from my smartphone.” Why does this make a difference? According to Rose, he found that people have different expectations based on whether emails are sent from mobile devices or computers. Presumably, any email that doesn’t include the tag “Sent from my smartphone” is sent from a computer with a full keyboard and your full attention. As it turns out, people don’t mind short, to- the-point emails if you reply on the go.The best part is that you can add the “Sent from my smartphone” from any device.You can add the signoff manually when you need a quick fix or add it to your signature.
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St. Louis Bi-State Region UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
DECEMBER 2019 Monday, Dec. 2 • Quickbooks Online - Advanced • How toWrite a Great Business Plan
JANUARY 2020 Saturday, Jan. 4 • How to Start and ManageYour Own Business Monday, Jan. 13 • How toWrite an Effective Business Plan • Understanding Financial Statements Monday, Jan. 27 • Buying a Franchise or existing Business • WBE Certifications
Saturday Dec. 7 • How to Start and ManageYour Own Business • Government Contracting Basics: How to Seek Government Contracts • FindingYourTarget Market
Monday, Dec. 9 • Hiring Made Simple
To register for an upcoming workshop, go to StLouisSCORE.eventbrite.com . *Workshop schedules are subject to change.
EXPERT LEADWORKSHOPS + MENTORSTO GUIDE YOU = THE SCORE ADVANTAGE
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SCORE is a resource partner of the Small Business Administration and provides mentoring services free of charge to all business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
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