Promote Your Product

If you want to see your business grow, you are going to have to promote your product. While this may seem obvious to some, it's quite another problem to try to decide which ones to use. There are so many people reaching out to you to use their promotion techniques as you choose how you will do your own advertising. Some ideas may be more practical or appealing to you, deciding on how much time, money and effort you have to give to advertising.

One of the first things that you can do is to advertise your business and products is in the yellow pages. While many people now use electronic devices and the internet to find businesses, there are still those who refer to the yellow pages to find what they are looking for. One advantage of using this form of advertising is that it is not going to be as expensive as others. Get the largest advertisement that you can, as it will draw the attention of others more quickly.

The newspaper is another place where you can promote your products and advertise your business. You can take advantage of box ads and advertising inserts. Also, many local newspapers will run articles promoting businesses and products that may be of interest to their readers. There may also be special interest newspapers that may exist in your area, which will go directly to people who are interested in your product.

Of course, business cards and stationery are important ways to promote your business and let people know what types of products you have to offer. Every time you meet someone or have someone show an interest in your products, you need to give them a business card. Also, stationery needs to have the name of your business, along with phone numbers and a website address, so that you can easily be reached by someone who is interested in your products.

One thing that you can do is to take advantage of every single piece of paper and electronic documents that goes out into other businesses or the public. This includes business cards and stationery, which should include your business name, logo, contact information, and company's slogan. Every envelope should have your business name, return address, phone and fax numbers, your URL and anything else you can fit on there. Outgoing faxes, receipts, bill payments - any piece of paper can be used an advertising tool. Emails need to have your company's signature, which includes all of the information as listed above.

Another way to promote your product is to use a public relations agency. These agencies work specifically to help promote your business in new and unique ways. To do this more effectively, they will generally specialize in one or two specific areas so they can effectively do their job. You can look for a public relations agency that is able to effectively promote your products and business.

One other advertising method that you may want to consider is television advertising. While you probably won't be able to afford to run during the Super Bowl, you can still reach local households. Most television companies will offer various advertising ideas that appeal specifically to small businesses.

Another way to promote your business and products is to have an up-to-date website. If you can't afford to have someone build a website for you, then put up your own site by using one of the simple online web development programs. Most people are using websites to find more about products and businesses. They will also use your website to get your phone number and address.

If you have a website, it's as equally important to have search engines in place so that people can find it. It's not difficult to submit your website to search engines. Some search engines will cost you money, but many of them are free. The more search engines you use, the greater chances there are that people will be able to find your business online.

Be aware of any special events in your community where you can promote your business. County fairs, special events where you can set up a booth and even an open house are all events where you can promote your products. There are several ways that you can do that at these events. You can just be there to meet people and talk to them about your business. You can also have advertising papers with lots of information about your products. Lastly, you can have free items to give away that advertise your business, such as pencils, pens, notepads, etc. Also, you might want to consider a give-away, where people submit personal information in order to win a prize. This gives you an immediate list of possible customers.

Advertising can take on many shapes and forms. However, the most important thing is to do something. Don't expect your business to grow if people don't know that you are out there. Hopefully, you can use some of the ideas listed here to help promote your business and products as quickly as possible.

Occupational Fraud and Abuse Is Real

Occupational fraud and abuse is real even though we would like to believe otherwise.

Organizations incur costs to produce and sell their products or services; these costs run the gamut: labor, taxes, advertising, occupancy, raw materials, research and development-and, yes fraud and abuse. The latter expense of fraud and abuse, however, is fundamentally different from the former: The true expense of fraud and abuse is hidden, even if it is reflected in the profit and loss figures. The 2006 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse estimates that U.S organizations lose 5% of their annual revenues to fraud. Applied to the estimated 2006 US GDP (Gross Domestic Product), this figure would translate to approximately $652 billion in fraud losses. For closely held businesses the median loss suffered by organizations with fewer than 100 employees was $190,000 per scheme.

This is a subject that most business owners and managers would like to believe is not an expense to their business. Unfortunately it is a real possibility unless one is diligent, aware of the possibilities and a guardian against the environment that fosters behaviors far less than desired.

You may be asking yourself, "Why do I want to know about fraud and abuse in the work place." The answer is that good people need to be vigilant and vigilance requires knowledge. My hope is that these articles will be informative. Myself and a few of my partners are studying and working to becoming CFEs (Certified Fraud Examiners) to support our clients through good education and sound business controls. I hope you will not experience any occupational fraud or abuse in your business or professional careers. Let's get started.

What is occupational fraud and abuse?

Joseph T Wells, CFE CPA, defines "occupational fraud and abuse as "the use of one's occupation for personal enrichment through the deliberate misuse or misapplication of the employing organization's resources or assets." This involves a wide variety of conduct by any person in an organization ranging from sophisticated investment swindles to petty theft. Common violations include asset misappropriation, fraudulent statements, corruption, pilferage, false overtime, using company property for personal benefits and payroll and sick time abuses. The first Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, set forth in 1996, states, "The key is that activity (1) is clandestine, (2) violates the employee's fiduciary duties to the organization, (3) is committed for the purpose of direct or indirect financial benefit to the employee, and (4) costs the employing organization assets, revenues, or reserves."

Edward H Sutherland, a criminologist at Indian University (1883-1950), actually coined the phase "white collar crime" referring to the sharply pressed shirt collars found in the corporate world with their standard blue, red or black ties.

A brief example of "skimming." A cashier at a fast food restaurant receives an order for a hamburger, fries and a drink totaling $4.00. The server provides the food and takes the cash. But wait, the cashier didn't ring up the sale. Where did the money go? Into her pocket. What are lacking here are controls-one takes an order through the register requiring funds to close the order.

"We often find that many business owners unintentionally place their employees in a position to steal from the company" (The Danger Zone, Jerry L. Mills - CEO and Founder of B2B CFO®, page 180).

This article has been provided by a B2B CFO® partner.

Jerry L. Mills is and author, speaker, contributor, and founder of B2B CFO. He has more than 30 years of business experience. He is frequently quoted in various media outlets such as Fox Business, NY Times, Smart Money, Business Week, and Entrepreneur Magazine, among many others.