Category Archives: Starting Out

Name My Travel Agency

What are a few suggestions for great names of a travel agency? What are some good ways and places to market on line to build travel clientele?

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Jay’s Answer: Instead of trying to start your business with a “great name” and some “good ways and places to market”, I suggest you focus first on your marketing/business strategy. A business doesn’t start with a name, it starts with a target market. Who specifically would want your services? Where are they located? Where are they likely to want to go? Why would they choose you over your competition? What can you offer that no one else can? Why should they trust you? What makes you different/better?

With the answers to these questions, you can begin to develop a name that would appeal to them, determine good ways to market to them, and build your clientele.

Health Coaching For Women & Children

I would like to combine two businesses. One is teaching sign language to 6 mo old infants to adults and health & wellness coaching to moms and their children. I would like to offer package deals for both or individual options for people who just want health coaching or those who just want sign language classes.

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Jay’s Answer:  What’s your thinking for combining these very different businesses? You’re likely to have a problem picking a name that works for both needs, and a bigger problem having your prospective customers “get it”. Instead, keeping them as 2 businesses might make much better sense – you would market them differently, each with their own different benefits/needs.

New Online Ad Agency Has Questions!

We are in the process of starting an online advertising agency that will develop/create our own ads. We would also like to hire a sales team to approach the advertisers and publishers for our ads. How do we approach the advertisers, and how much do we charge? We are contemplating on designing the ads for free. Just not sure on how to charge these Fortune 500 + companies. As well how or who pays the publishers for their “cut?”

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Jay’s Answer: You need to prove whatever value you offer, and the best way to do this is find a client (ideally, multiple clients) and create a white paper on the effectiveness of your advertising. With some data, you can start to make a good case to enlist new clients, and figure what it would be worth to them.

Finding Clients For My Reiki Practice

I run a small reiki practice in the UK. www.3candlesreiki.co.uk and am struggling with marketing over all. I’ve recently been poundng the streets leaving flyers and cards in shops library’seetc and hopefully this “scattergun approach” will pay dividends. Hoever my online marketing is restricted to trying to keep on page 1 of google, bing, yahoo etc. However i was thinking as a marketing novice I’m probably missing a trick with the online strategy ( or lack of ) ( the health system over here ( NHS ) is totally locked down as far as reaching people on or offline, for obvious reasons ). Any ideas appreciated!

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Jay’s Answer: Your scattergun approach is likely to leave you very tired and frustrated. Not everyone is likely to become your client nor will everyone be interested in your approach. So, I strongly suggest with focusing on those that are your clients first. How did they find out about you? Why did they choose you? What have they told their friends about you? Then, find more people like them, in similar situations and approach them (through seminars, demonstrations, special offers, etc.).

Name My Life Coaching Business

I need a business name, I am getting certified as a life coach. I want to specialize in helping people forgive their past, and start to appreciate all that is good in their life. I want to help them to dream again. To find their passion. Thank you so much

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Jay’s Answer:  As I’ve advised a number of life coaches, many people aren’t looking through the phone books for a life coach. They’re not looking for someone to forgive their past, etc. They are looking for: wealth, happiness, health, etc. So, your marketing needs to reflect what people are looking for. If your business name is too “new age-y”, then you’ll attract a certain type of clientele. Too “professional”, and you’ll attract a different type. While not a “wow”, why not use your name and a straightforward tagline?

Jane Smith
Certified Life Coach

or

Jane Smith
Let Coaching Bring More Joy Into Your Life

Also, here’s a response I gave a life coach asking a similar question to yours’ from a number of years ago:
http://www.manygoodideas.com/2007/11/23/what-is-a-good-name-for-a-life-coach/

Goodwill & Customer Satisfaction

 How to make goodwill in market and how to satisfy our customers?

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Jay’s Answer: You build goodwill by asking your prospective customers how you can be of service, and then doing the things they ask, without trying to sell them anything.

You satisfy your customers by exceeding their expectations – under-promise and over-deliver.

You begin both of these processes by creating a marketing strategy that not simply is focused on short-term sales, but long-term business relationships.

Starting a Woman Owned Construction Company

As a woman that owns a construction co. In a field dominated by men, what would be the best way to get an advantage by being a female in this field. Are there grants or any advantages to my favor, that I can use to get a leg up on the competition. How do I promote the fact that I am a woman in the field but also surrounded with great construction minded people? Starting up is very trying, do you have any suggestions to assist me in getting my co. rolling?

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Jay’s Answer: There are a number of directories you may choose to list your business in, for example: http://www.sba8a.com/, http://www.womanowned.com/, http://www.wbenc.org/, http://www.crainscleveland.com/section/wob, http://www.feminist.com/market/wombus/, etc.

But first consider what you want your primary benefit to be: a woman-owned business or a great construction company? Are the clients you’re trying to attract looking for a woman-owned business (because they’re women) or does your gender not really enter into their equation?

Finally, are all your employees women as well (so you can use a line like “Woman Know How To Build Homes Better”)?

Help For Starting Up My Design Firm

I have worked as Program Manager (read Client Servicing) before I became a mommy with RMG Connect (JWT). I do not have any formal degree in any creative field but I love designing just about anything (from cards to my hubby & kids to jewellery to logos).  I am now looking at setting up a design firm which can create logos, support with design ideas and also guide in marketing strategies. Please suggest some apt names & do guide me on my own logo design.

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Jay’s Answer: Since you’ll be setting up a design firm that’ll help with marketing strategies, what names are evocative of your target audience? Why would they want to purchase from you? How do you know? Likewise, I wouldn’t start on a logo until it’s clear you’ve developed your marketing strategy for the business. Otherwise, you’re creative work won’t be focused on a specific measurable goal.

Real Estate Team Looking For A Name And Tag Line

I share my real estate practice with another broker and want to brand ourselves. I am Latin with various professional degrees (Architect, BA Business). She is Anglo saxon. We are both 50+, Brokers, hold FRI designation (Fellow of Real Estate Institute), 50+ years combined residential real estate experience. We offer a very professional approach assisting clients in their lifestyle changes associated with their real estate needs. We focus on service and not on a transaction. As our names do not seem to rhyme or go together (Alex Pino & Veronica Lord) we thought having a Latin word to describe what we do, could help. Something like “Integritas”. We also tell our clients they get 2 for the price of 1 as we have different strengths. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

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Jay’s Answer: “Very professional approach” and “service, not a transaction” are phrases I often hear from Realtors. It doesn’t make you different. Your racial background isn’t important either. Neither are your various professional degrees. What is important is knowing that you get the best deals for clients quickly and perhaps specializing in a specific niche like no other team (empty nesters or LEED-certified buildings, etc.). For such an important transaction in people’s lives, cute isn’t really appropriate. What truly distinguishes you two from all the other teams in your area?