Conduct your own competitive analysis from your customers’ perspective. Knowing and understanding what the customer sees is the most important competitive anlaysis you can do.

One simple way for a small business to create a mailing list and print a database is by using Microsoft Excel. Here are some simple steps for building and printing your mailing list in Excel: Experian also has an easy-to-use small business mailing list builder tool. Once you've built your list, you can easily export it in Excel (or any other) format. Step 1: Open Excel Step 2: Type the names of your data labels in the first row (e.g. First Name, Last Name, Address 1, Address 2, City, State, and Zipcode): . Step 3: Type or paste in your customer or lead list directly into Excel. Step 4: Save your mailing list. Step 5: Open a MS Word document Step 6:Go to the Mailings Menu > Start Mail Merge >Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard If you have an older version of MS Excel, you can access a similar wizard with this by selecting:  Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge Step 7: Choose how you want to print your mailing list. You can choose to print letters, envelopes, directory, etc. In this example,  we will print address labels for a direct mail campaign so I'm selecting labels. After making a selection, click on "Next: Starting document" at the bottom. Step 8: Click on "Label Options" Step 8: Select the Label Vendor you will be using to print your labels. Step 9: Click on "Select Recipients"   Step 10:  Select "Browse" to find your mailing list excel spreadsheet. Step 11: Select "Ok" when you get the "Select Table" window. Step 12: You will get an option to remove anyone on your mailing list that you don't want to include — and then press OK. Step 13: Arrange your labels on the label or document you are working with. Step 14: Save, Update All Labels, and Print.

If you are trying to sell something you don’t always have to appeal to your customer’s logic. If you can play off of emotions, you can easily make a sale. In many cases actually appealing ot emotion is stronger than appealing to logic.

It doesn’t take a ton of money to market your small business. All it takes is determination, combined with a little strategy. In this, the first of a multipart series, I’ll walk you through basic, low-cost marketing techniques that any small business can use to boost their marketing to the next level. On the agenda today: Become an online expert. By showcasing your expertise, you’ll gain customers’ and prospects’ trust. They’ll see you as a credible authority on topics related to your products and services. And with repeated exposure to your brand, they’ll become loyal customers. The first step to becoming an expert is to research blogs, forums, email discussion lists, social media sites and other user-generated content relevant to your company. Start getting involved in these conversations. Offer insightful tips and advice that  solves problems and answers questions. You can carry these conversations into your email campaigns, too. Simply create e-newsletters with content that answers burning questions. For instance, if you own a bakery, you could write about the differences between baking soda and baking powder. Not only does this approach provide a valuable service to users, but it also casts you as the resident expert on the topic. With time and persistence, you’ll generate plenty of new and repeat business.

Simple tasks to take during the summer months to help your business stay on track.

Can you think of business to which you are regular, repeat customer?  Why?  What does that business do for you to make you loyal? Is it extraordinary customer service, quality product, personalized service, all of the above?  For me it’s Dick Ponds, my local running shoe store.  They understand my needs, have a great staff, extend special offers and keep me well informed on the latest trends and information on running.  For small businesses, building customer loyalty translates to big business. One of the keys to building customer loyalty is through consistent communication.   In my case, the running store keeps me informed through frequent, yet well-timed communications through both direct mail and email.  Regular communication with your clients and potential clients is an opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your field which helps people feel more comfortable spending money with you.  A recent study from Experian showed that email campaigns targeted to current loyalty program members have 40% higher open rates compared to bulk campaigns. No matter if you have an online business or a regular brick and mortar store, staying connecting with your existing and potential customers is a good approach to grow your business and develop loyalty. For more information on building customer loyalty in your small business, download Experian’s white paper, “The Loyalist: Leverage relationships with existing customers to increase return on investment.”