I have recently decided to start a small business in party/wedding favors and have been pondering over a suitable business name for months, everything i think of has been taken. I just cannot move on until i have a name. I am looking for something very classy and modern. I thought of bedazzled and savvy but this are in use, also occasional favours, again in use.

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Jay’s Answer:

• Favor It Weddings
• Favor It Parties
• Guest Gifts
• Wedding Guest Gifts
• Party Guest Gifts
• Wedding Guest Memories
• Party Guest Memories

Also – depending where in the world you’re located (take-away can connote eat-at-home food in some countries):

• Party Guest Take-aways

I’ve recently started a small business marketing company.My focus is to help small businesses in local markets reach more people and improve their brand. I’m located in Columbus,OH. I’ve put together a website (www.mentlowinc.com). I guess I’m at a point as to how I should present the company. I want to know what services should be offered compared to doing this for a large company. Mainly where should I start, I’m not very experienced so I’m aware that may not help. But I feel if I get one client right now I’ll learn under fire! How did you get it started?

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Jay’s Answer:

Let’s start with your website.

The first thing (viewing it on a Mac/Firefox) was that the clock in the upper left is underneath your logo.

Your tagline (“Where small businesses come to grow”) isn’t quite right: small businesses don’t necessarily want to grow – they may want more clients, more income, more reliable income, etc.
The first paragraph begins awkwardly (“What we at Mentlow Inc. want to do is provide marketing and promotion as well as business development”). Your prospective clients don’t care about what you want to provide – they only care about what problem of theirs you solve. Also, “want to” means that you’re not yet doing the work.

As a fellow marketer, you know that they key to finding clients is to focus on a specific niche and get to know it well. The services you should offer are those that your niche needs (and can’t get anywhere else). So, what’s your niche? Small business? Small local business? Small local business in a specific industry? The narrower you get, the more value you can potentially offer: people want to hire specialists that know their needs intimately (and can address them effectively).

Since you don’t have experience, get it. Volunteer with not-for-profits to get some experience (and help them out). Next, have a reason for people to connect with you – regularly publish a newsletter that’s full of useful information (either write it yourself, or republish other’s articles with permission).

Improve your website from a Yahoo standard template to something a little bit more professional (it’s just like dressing nicely for a party – you want to dress to impress). Get rid of the counter. Put your contact information prominently on your site: in your banner and/or footer.

That’s what I did to get it started. I also had to learn patience – not everyone will need your services the first time you meet them. The key is to be the name they think of when they need your services (or someone needs a referral).

We offer companies a benefit enhancement program in form of employee discounts & perks. Having formed unique partnerships with several dozen name brand merchants, in order to pass on to potential clients and their employees corporate discounts as if they are part of large purchasing group.

Company name is AffinityEngine. Few of the taglines i’ve come up with:

• powerful affinity engineering
• high-performance perks
• power-up your company perks
• your “perks” engine
• empower your employee perks

Some of the headline statements i’ve come up with are:

• “We handle, manage, and host your employee discount program. “
• “Simple,yet powerful employee savings programs for organizations.”
• “Give the gift of savings to your employees. We do all the work, you reap the benefits.”
• one of my competitors: “Providing employee discount & reward programs to corporations nationwide.”

Both the statement and tagline must communicate a powerful and extremely precise header statement that relays value, benefit to them and their staff, and ease of use of my solutions to their HR headaches.

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Jay’s Answer: Some tagline feedback: In general, you don’t want to repeat your business name and you do want it to focus on the key benefit to your customers:

• powerful affinity engineering (Don’t repeat your business name)
• high-performance perks (vague benefit)
• power-up your company perks (vague benefit)
• your “perks” engine (No key benefit)
• empower your employee perks (vague benefit)

Some headline feedback: It needs to clearly be talking to your prospects and about their needs.

• We handle, manage, and host your employee discount program. ” (It’s about you, not them)
• “Simple,yet powerful employee savings programs for organizations.” (Simple is good. What does “powerful” mean? What type of organization?)
• “Give the gift of savings to your employees. We do all the work, you reap the benefits.” (Too long. Your employees is vague – what type/size organization?)

Here are some ideas for your consideration:

• Inexpensively Enhance Your Employee Perks
• Help Your Employees Save Money With Our Perks

Headline:

• Add a wealth of employee perks to your corporate offering — easily and inexpensively.

I am in the process of opening a drop-in daycare center and am looking for a catchy name and tagline. A drop-in daycare center is a alternative to traditional daycare centers in the fact that it offers flexibility and does not require long term commitments….babysitter cancelled no problem, doctors appointment no problem, need a night out with the husband or a girls night out, never a problem. I will offer a safe, state of the art environment for the kids to have lots of fun. Sounds great..if I only had name to go along with my concept !!!

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Jay’s Answer: Why not “Drop In Day Care”? It says exactly what you’re selling.

Alternatively:

• The Babysitter Canceled
• Babysitter on a Whim
• No Problem Drop In Daycare

A friend of mine invented a printing process that 3 dimensionally replicates art. You can see and feel the brushstrokes, stippling, etc.

The thing that excites me the most about the idea of placing museum quality replicas on clothing is that it takes art out of the museums and onto the streets… where the everyday person gets to enjoy, participate in art.

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Jay’s Answer: Why not also work with local rising artists (as well as artists in vacation “destinations”) to get their artwork on other materials. This will allow you co-market with these artists instead of trying to do it all.

I work with life insurance agents. I teach them how to use direct mail, referrals, networking and web to get new clients and keep existing clients. I feel like I’m running out of things to tell them and have exhausted trying to get anyone excited about doing postcard marketing or newsletter marketing.

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Jay’s Answer: Have you researched what has worked? If you can show ROI of a specific technique, then you’ll get a lot of interest. Otherwise, your ideas aren’t any better than anyone else’s.

Life insurance doesn’t benefit the buyer – it benefits the buyer’s next of kin. Therefore, focus on major life events where the importance of family is highlighted: birth, start of school, graduation, marriage, divorce, and retirement. As appropriate, congratulate the achiever, and remind them to keep investing in their family’s future.

I need to come up with a very eye catching name for a asphalt sealing business that a very close friend of mine is starting. Do you have any creative names or even a catchy slogan? The owner’s last name is Wolcott, if interested.

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Jay’s Answer: I’m assuming that the owner wants a catchy name/tagline to attract customers. That’s not enough – they need a marketing strategy. Are they trying to attract residential or commercial? Big jobs or small? Any guarantees? Special techniques/materials?

If I’m looking for an asphalt sealer, I’m not looking for a cute name – I’m looking for quality at a good price.

Here are a couple of names for you:

• Sealed By Wolcott
• Asphalt Artistry

We have been in business for a few years and is looking for some new ways to expand our business. We do not have a store front and have done most of our business through word of mouth and show style events. However, we feel a need to grow into the area of online sells. What is the best way to begin doing business online?

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Jay’s Answer: Create a website. Take pictures (both low and high-resolution) of the things you want to sell and create great descriptions of them. Allow people to order things and ship them (charging appropriately based on distance, customs, etc.). Use the keywords in your site that people are searching for. Have other businesses (including online directories) link to your new site.

Looking for a new tagline for an event venue in Southern California. We are also a concert venue,and have headliner entertainment weekly, which is also part of the draw for event planners having private events.

We are marketing to corporate event planners who have a need for an event venue. Venues strengths are: In house catering, Built in turnkey production (full concert quality lighting, sound and video), Built in stage, Great location, larger groups (300 to 4000). It truly is one of the best event venues in the area. Our last tag was – Vibrant and Versatile.

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Jay’s Answer:

• Bring Your People. We’ll Do The Rest.
• The Easiest Event You’ll Ever Plan
• Your Planning+Our Venue=Easy Fun

I’m working on an ad for a company that installs complete home communications systems — entertainment, computing, security, etc. They want to say that they’re the “One Company” or “One Source” that can provide the homeowner with all of the technology needed to create the perfect home environment. These systems are customized to the owners’ specifications, and operate with just a touchpad. Very high tech! I’m looking for an idea that says “#1″ or “leading” or “one company.”

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Jay’s Answer: The problem is that the client doesn’t provide the various technologies, they provide the communication between the technology. Communication in itself isn’t a benefit – simplicity or efficiency is.

• One Home. Multiple Electronics. One Solution.
• Untangling Home Remotes Since XXXX
• Your Custom Home Technology Manager