With your target objective (mission) and goals in clearly defined, it's time to start planning, researching and taking action. With our planning for the National Main Street Conference, we really only had about two weeks of firm planning time.

Here is how I broke down the planning: logistics, action items tied to goals, contacts and packing.

For me, the list proved to be a bit daunting. I am a perfectionist, and on occasion bite off more than I can chew. This conference wasn't the only thing on my plate after all. I have small business owners that I consult each week and projects and other speaking engagements to manage. Knowing all of this, I must say I did a fine job of making my lists, then editing myself.

I cannot state this any more strongly for those planners among you: there are plans that will save the world – but require the moon's sacrifice in order to happen. And there are the plans that work, that achieve real, measurable results – because, quite simply, the plan was edited into reality.

I am a journalism student by training, so with list in hand, I took out my trusty red pen. I found it helpful to actually categorize my action items by those tactics that would produce the most bang for my buck with no regard to my personal comfort level. Some of the items would require me to get outside of my actual personality in order to produce the greatest results for the least effort. (Now that is what I call LEAN THINKING.) The categories led me to basically edit into oblivion every tactic that wasn't an all-star. What we ended up with, I believe (and I may be wrong), we've ended up with a more flexible schedule that will allow us to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves while securing PRE-conference certain appointments and plans that have us well on our way to achieving our target objective.

Let me explain:

Tactic that got the red ink:
- Drinks and appetizers for a large group of folks, many of whom we don't know. Would have required a fair amount of planning, organization and time spent inviting, etc.

Instead…
- Made lunch appointment with a state coordinator to discuss upcoming opportunity to speak for the first time in this state.

We did set some meet-ups and lunch dates in advance of the conference, all scheduled for the first two days. This leaves us time to build new relationships over a meal, coffee or drinks later in the conference schedule, if needed. We used the list that the conference provided of registered attendees as well as our existing contacts in order to schedule valuable encounters.

We also took the time pre-conference to promote our attendance at the conference on social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Twitter. We also offered some valuable information and information of our attendance via the Main Street members only listserv to which we are members. Even now, you can follow the conference at the Twitter hashtag we created at #MainStreet09.

We have an on-site goodie in store, too… stay tuned, so you don't miss valuable small business owner survey results that will be available to conference goes FIRST, before we post it on our web site.

Small business tip: Making plans BEFORE you get to the event in order to maximize your time AT the event.

P.S. For real live blogging of the actual conference sessions, etc.
check out the official conference blog which is very well done so far
at Main Street Live 09. You can get an insider's perspective as the staff of Michigan Main Street live blogs the conference on their blog (What can we say? They are our star student!). And you can follow the conference on Twitter at #MainStreet09.

Andy and I arrived in Chicago this morning to mix and mingle among the conference goers at the National Main Streets Conference happening now through Wednesday of next week. Notice, I didn't say that we came here to attend the conference. Because we really didn't.

Hopefully, that statement doesn't highly offend those of you reading this, but this is a key point to attending a conference, trade show, market, etc. where lots of folks you know or need to know are also attending. As we (Team HALO) live blog this event throughout the next few days, you'll hear us talk a bit about the content of the conference – mostly from interviews conducted from attendee viewpoints, some of our own application (it is our blog after all), and possibly some speaker interviews. However, most importantly – and of most value to you – our small business constituency – will be our play-by-play application of our success and failures as we seek to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves this week. It is our goal to do all we can to meet, greet, find follow-up opportunities, etc. so that we can most efficiently and effectively help you, the small businesses across America that call Main Street your home. Our live blogging will mostly consist of the steps we've taken to achieve our goals – and the steps you can also take to achieve yours in similar circumstances.

So, let's dive right in… what are our goals for this conference, after all? As with any business venture, great or small, we will never know if we've arrived or how best to get to our goals if we have no road map. Goals are specific and measurable and targeted – when accomplished, they add up to success. Let me put our strategic planning in perspective for you:

Context: For the first time in three years of attending this conference (I know, we're young tikes still at this Main Street stuff), we are not presenting. We originally had a scheduling conflict and were not planning to attend this year at all. Then, at the last minute, plans changed and opportunity availed itself. We had approximately two weeks to plan our trip and set our goals.

We could not set goals without admitting that for one year concluding about six months ago, our business suffered periods of inconsistency in service stemming from personal matters that are now resolved. Having taken steps to protect our business from these sorts of issues again, then restructuring our business entirely to meet the demands of a new economy and the budgets of small business owners, re-defining our mission with laser sharp precision and marking the past six months as evidence of the measurable results we provide (not to mention the other eight great years prior to the fumble), Andy and I confidently went about the business of setting goals and a budget for attending this conference. With no presentation to prepare and no scheduling limitations (I must admit this left me feeling quite liberated), we set a primary objective and five goals for our conference attendance.

Target objective (basically the same as our 2009 mission statement): Open doors that allow us to encourage and equip hundreds of Main Street businesses towards success and profitability in 2009-2010.

Here are a couple of our goals for achieving that outcome through conference attendance (we can't give away all our secrets, can we? Maybe later.):
1. Meet and secure follow-up opportunities for further discussion (relationships are all we are looking for – not business deals) with three targeted people of influence (we identified them and set a plan for meeting them).
2. Leverage our attendance at the conference to raise awareness for our work with Main Street businesses across social media networks and at the conference in general.

Small business tip: Both budget and goals should be well researched and
well defined prior to making any firm commitments like registration
fees, hotel reservations, etc. Wise business owners (and non-profit execs) test the waters as
much as possible PRIOR to spending any money. A target objective with 3-5 measurable goals sets the framework for success.

Stay Tuned: Next post will give you a sneak peak into our pre-conference planning.

P.S. For real live blogging of the actual conference sessions, etc. check out the official conference blog which is very well done so far at Main Street Live 09. You can get an insider's perspective as the staff of Michigan Main Street live blogs the conference on their blog (What can we say? They are our star student!). And you can follow the conference on Twitter at #MainStreet09.

We get this question a lot, so I thought I would post the question and answer here.

Question:
Which Facebook option is better for my business or organization? A PAGE or a GROUP?

Answer:
Facebook defines groups and pages differently, and upon reading their definition – and having intimately used both – our official position is to follow the Facebook rules for best success.

This means that if you are the official representative of your Main Street program or the owner of your business or the executive director of a non-profit organization, etc. then it is advisable that you start a PAGE that allows others to become FANS of your organization or business.

If you are a volunteer or individual seeking to raise awareness and support for an organization, topic, issue, etc., then you should start a GROUP page and invite folks to join your group if they are like minded.

To give an example of how to properly use GROUPS, a group of businesses or citizens could band together, name a leader and promote a GROUP on Facebook to rally citizens to participate in ongoing efforts to hold local officials accountable. This group of citizens is an UNofficial collection of like-minded people pursuing a goal. There could be many of the same sorts of GROUPS pop up, even within the same community, and that is allowable under Facebook rules. GROUPS are basically a free speech forum to meet and gather likeminded individuals.

As for PAGES, Facebook contends that they must be "official." Therefore, there will only be ONE Facebook PAGE for the Michigan Main Street Center, for instance, because they are the official organization and promoter for Michigan Main Street programs at the state level. Similarly, Swagger Gifts' Facebook PAGE will be the one and only because she is the official owner and promoter of Swagger Gifts in Cary, North Carolina. And there will only be one Team HALO Facebook PAGE, and we will administer it, because it is our official presence on Facebook.

Facebook PAGES provide a lot of promotional flexibility, professional image and communication features handy for those pursuing strategic marketing vs. the GROUPS option. But never fear, if you've made a GROUPS page but would now choose the PAGES option, Facebook will help you convert it, just ask them.

More information is available on this Facebook Help page under PAGES. (You will likely need to be logged in to Facebook to view any Facebook content including this and the links shown above.)

Small Business Marketing Tip: The bottom line is that you should be on Facebook with a personal profile and a PAGE for your official business or organization. Just get on there and start to learn the ropes. You should participate and encourage your employees to do the same (within reason of course). Your business will be better for it.

Soon, we'll address specific Facebook marketing tactics and strategies to give you an edge in your Facebook network. We also present this information in our small business seminar called Marketing Tactics that Will Work Right Now. 

A critical question came through on the National Main Street listserv today. I don't respond very often – when I do, it's a topic I feel passionately about. When the responses started rolling in to refer GoDaddy and Yahoo SiteBuilder as viable alternatives that will actually GROW a business… I am saddened that we don't cling in the bad times to the truths about business that we know in the good times… So, here's the questions – and my response follows.

QUESTION:

I’m writing an article for our newsletter and wondered if there are any cheap/free website services out there for small businesses that you would recommend?  Amazingly enough, only about half my merchants even have a presence on the web, and some of those are very amateurish. Any advice?

MY ANSWER:

Your community of businesses is not the exception – they are the rule. Please see this article posted last week by the Center for Media Research regarding poor online presence by small business:

http://adjix.com/ybb2

An excerpt that strikes me:

“Webvisible found that online search and e-mail newsletters are the only forms of traditional media that are growing among consumers who wish to locate local products or services. Compared with two years ago, respondents report they use search engines and email newsletters more, while they use newspapers, magazines, direct mail and radio less.”

The unfortunate truth is that those who do have a web site have a dated web site that they may not be able to edit for one of two reasons (in my experience).

• Their web guy doesn’t keep up with them or has disappeared
• Or they are frustrated by using a free/low cost tool like GoDaddy.com (not to pick on anyone in particular) that is a tool only – without any education or ongoing support or marketing advice.

Web sites are no longer optional for small business owners. As you can see from just this single article (there are more out there to reinforce this if you Google for the info), online spending is growing – and provides an avenue for growth for our downtown businesses. Not to mention the customer loyalty/retention, marketing outreach and other benefits a good web site provides.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS143830+02-Jan-2009+PRN20090102

Let me repeat myself: A GOOD Web Site.  The problem with many “do-it-yourself” web site products is that they don’t educate the builder – and so the business owner – not an expert at web useability or search engine optimization – does what looks good to them (not necessarily what may look good to the customer) – or what frustrates them the least – in their web building – and their business suffers for it. What would you think of your best downtown business if you walked in tomorrow and found it in complete disarray with mismatched signage, poor lighting, and unorganized displays and more? This, in essence, is what happens with most do-it-yourself tools that come without education, coaching or ongoing human expert support. It doesn’t matter how cheap it is if the money washes down the drain. The purpose of a web site in today’s economy is to be the centerpiece – not an afterthought – of a small business marketing plan that includes both online and offline marketing tools.

Please encourage your business owners to make sure they understand the implications if they choose a big-box web hosting solution. This is not to say every big box experience is bad…but well, around Main Street circles, I think we can be honest and admit the track record. It’s no different with web hosting and mass marketers of web site products.

JonI completely agree with, if the budget is unavailable to embark on a valuable web site development journey – then tools like Blogger, WordPress and Typepad provide a solid, respected alternative in the short term.

For higher end functionality, search engine optimization and strategically designed web sites, Fox Web co. offers a solution that starts at less than $1000. (Fox is our sister company who specializes in small business, having the heart of a teacher and works almost exclusively with Main Street businesses – sorry for the shameless self promotion.) Another option that is popular right now is retrofitting existing web sites to allow business owners to make updates themselves for much less regardless of the hosting company.

Hope this helps offer a different perspective into this very important conversation for the future economic stability of our downtowns.

I hope that you all were able to celebrate, relax and enjoy family and food this Thanksgiving holiday. Giving thanks is something we should all pause to do more often than once a year…yes, even in times like these we are a blessed group of folks here in America.

Which leads me to Black Friday…

The National Retail Federation says that things aren't so gloomy after all… Black Friday, of course, is traditionally more friendly to the big box retailers – and much more savvy independents might also catch a piece of the action (didn't catch it this year – ask me how to do better next year).

Black Friday, of course, gets its name from the hope that this shopping day will put retailers in the "black" for the year… For me, the big box advertising this year was more blah and uncreative than ever before with most boxes stooping to little more than a flat out, unremarkable gimmick to get shoppers in the door. Personally, I didn't step foot into a store on Black Friday due to my total disgust with the mentality that as a shopper, I was a mere commodity to the business on that day. I must say, deals are fantastic, but at the expense of my value as a human being…I doubt it. I'm certain that many of you do enjoy the thrill of the deal, and I don't deny you that experience. However, let me challenge you that the independent retailers of the world are much more interesting and will provide an experience (as a general rule) far beyond anything you could ask or expect in the corporate bureaucracy of big box land.

Which leads me to Cyber Monday…

I didn't get many offers from my big box e-commerce leaders this year that were different from what I receive every week. I noticed a significant increase in offers from Land's End and a discount and free shipping combo from The Gap and Target if I shopped online before midnight. Toys-R-Us did send an offer – but apparently the subject line was so unremarkable that I deleted it before I even read the offer.

Then I got a forwarded e-mail from Andy. What a breath of fresh air. Shop Local on Cyber Monday. A customer experience, a way to shop on-line, a great offer, and a personal message from a business owner. Andy even replied to the owner thanking him for the offer – AND got a personal response in the same day.

Of course, it didn't hurt that the offer came from Jeff Good, fine proprietor of my favorite restaurant in the metro-area, Bravo! But I get ahead of myself… here's what his e-mail said:

But, if we love the quirkiness, focus
and authenticity of "home grown" independent shops and restaurants,
we need to consider carving out a part of our budget for them… our neighbors
who work and give in the community in which we live.

So, as the holiday season launches into full
swing, Dan and I would like to offer an easy way to make a local purchase while
still getting the rush of an online click when buying today, on Cyber
Monday.

Buy a $60 gift card and get a $6 gift
card free… enough for breakfast at Broad Street or lunch at Sal &
Mookie's!

Like all "Cyber Monday" deals..
this offer is good for TODAY only and expires at midnight.

We all enjoy the endorphin release of a good
on-line purchase… get that "rush" AND help a local business at the
same time!

Thank you for your consideration, and your support,

Jeff Good – Dan Blumenthal

BRAVO! Italian Restaurant, Broad Street Baking Company, Sal & Mookie's New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint

There are so many things done right. Jeff didn't use a fancy HTML format. This didn't win points with me, but didn't necessarily take them away either. He definitely wrote this himself. Points for authentic. He appealed to the local emotion – the neighbors and community building aspects…something that those of us who want to enjoy our lives should be contributing towards. And frankly, the purpose of my life's work. Community building via successful independently owned small businesses. Jeff made an offer that was good – and he framed the offer to make it more appealing (spend $60, get $6 more – enough for a breakfast or lunch at one of his restaurants). He encouraged the thrill of the Cyber Monday shopping and even through in assurance to shoppers that his site was secure and reputable. He tells us what to expect, and he respectfully closed his letter.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that these three restaurants all have experiences that are worth the trip – over and over again. It's why I meet all of my clients for coffee at Broad Street and know I will impress at Bravo! (and my honey knows he can impress me by taking me there, too). It's why I don't miss a chance to chill at Sal & Mookie's – or let the kids enjoy the fun times there by our sides. It's just a great establishment – and it's a couple of owners with passion for both their product and their people. I've never even met Jeff – but I hope to one day soon. Because I think he's running a class act of an operation – and I think that any of you small business owners out there could stand to take a page from his playbook. Get in the game to win, folks. And don't sit back on big days like Cyber Monday while the big boxes continue to bore us with their business as usual offers.

Which leads me to…what? Mobile Tuesday?

Yep, that's right. There's a new game in the holiday shopping world… and this could be very interesting. If you're a small guy who hasn't even taken a piece of the Black Friday or Cyber Monday pie – get it in gear or lose out. Mobile Tuesday sounds like a marvelous opportunity for those independents in 2009 that are in gear to win.

Read all about this emerging idea… and start thinking ahead about how you'll win in 2009 with a 1,2,3 punch in the days following Thanksgiving.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/black_friday_cyber_monday_here_comes_mobile_tuesday

Technorati Tags: small business, marketing main street, HALO Business Advisors, Results Revolution Del.icio.us Tags: small business, marketing main street, HALO Business Advisors, Results Revolution Furl Tags: small business, marketing main street, HALO Business Advisors, Results Revolution

Here's the deal, fair small business owners of the world…niche businesses are the most successful right now. But what happens if someone steals your niche – or moves into your niche with you? Or turns your niche into a commodity (making it, uhm, totally no longer a niche?). Well, as usual, Jackie makes a fine point – you just find a new one. You can't sit around, glum and grumpy. You can't complain or point fingers. You must simply stand up, chin up and lead the way into a new niche with all the gusto with which you found your previous niche.

Whole Foods once owned the "organic grocer" category, but no more. Health Magazine's list of healthiest grocery stores now includes traditional chains like Safeway and Publix.

The niche is gone. Organic has gone mainstream.

When that happens, pricing advantage dissipates, as do margins, as Whole Foods announced some ugly profit results last week, including taking a big cash infusion
from an investor. With competitors hammering you on price and stealing
your market growth, do you compete on their playing field of lower
prices, or do you develop a new niche?

A new niche, of course. For Whole Foods, or a like-minded store, one
opportunity is "special diets," including those related to food
allergies.

Happy niche hunting!

http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/pic-family-business.html – photo taken at EAT Sandwich Store in Heathrow Airport near London. Everything about the label and box is customized with messages about food and eating.

Think about how often brown shipping boxes get re-used. Or left laying around the house. Or on the curb. Or moved around. And just plain LOOKED at while in use. And how about the people who see the box while it's in transport. It doesn't cost must to upgrade to a box that has some marketing on it. That extends your customer experience just a little more. Go all the way with it. This company did.

Technorati Tags: small business, marketing main street, HALO Business Advisors, Results Revolution Del.icio.us Tags: small business, marketing main street, HALO Business Advisors, Results Revolution Furl Tags: small business, marketing main street, HALO Business Advisors, Results Revolution