Tag: Business

A Practical Guide To Hosting A Trade Show

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending on which industry you’re in, you made need to get involved in trade shows. If you are hosting trade shows, there are several things you need to understand. The following contributed post is entitled, A Practical Guide To Hosting A Trade Show.

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If you want to become a leader in your business industry – consider hosting a trade show. A trade show connects you to similar businesses, positions you as a leader, and has the potential for profits.

Almost 80% of marketers use event marketing to make a sale. Trade shows are a great opportunity for your network and your business to grow together.

What is a Trade Show?

Image by purplegillian from Pixabay

A trade show is an event where businesses can show their goods and services to others. They are also a place for people to share insights and new information about an industry.

The event often includes business booths, entertainment, and refreshments. Giveaways and coupons are a great way to attract attendees.

The attendees will often buy tickets – which is where your profit comes in. You will also get a profit from businesses who rent a space at the show to share their goods and services.

5 Activities to Include at Your Trade Show

If you want your trade show to be successful, be sure to include these five activities.

1. Speakers
People attend events because of what they will see and who they will see. Adding a big name in your industry is sure to attract more attendees than only advertising goods and services being offered.

A good speaker will entertain, follow the theme of the show, tell their story, inspire others, and give new ideas in their industry.

2. Workshops
When people listen to speakers, they are part of a large group. Workshops are smaller and allow people to feel more included. Instead of being part of a crowd, they have the chance to interact with a speaker or group leader one-on-one.

People can practice what they learn through group activities and communication sessions. The personal format of smaller groups also allows for people to network with others they might not have encountered in a regular trade show setting.

3. Networking Opportunities
One of the greatest draws of trade shows is the opportunity to network with others in your industry. Don’t fill your event so full of activities that people don’t have time to walk around and talk to other leaders.

On the other hand, don’t go to the opposite extreme. People need more opportunities to network than simply walking around can offer. Small groups, workshops, and interactive activities let people mingle and break the ice with each other.

4. Awards and Incentives
People like to get free things. Having awards and giveaways is a proven way to gain a customer’s trust. Almost 83% of people who receive a gift have a positive impression of the business and want to connect with them in the future.

5. Entertainment
If people are bored, they won’t stay at your trade show. Some ways to keep your guests entertained while they wander about the booths, network with others, and listen to speakers is through:

● Food
● Music
● Games and Giveaways

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

Different Ways to Host a Trade Show
A trade show can vary from a large warehouse open to the general public to an intimate online event. You can also restrict access so only those in a specific industry can attend. How you host a trade show depends on your budget and what you expect in return.

Large open areas are ideal for trade shows where the main focus is meandering about and visiting booths. Meeting rooms and conference halls have smaller areas that allow for breakout groups and personal meetings.

You don’t even need to hold the trade show in person. If you host a virtual trade show you save on the costs of renting a space and have a broader audience as people around the world can attend.

At the end of the show, thank everyone who attended and provide a way for guests to follow up with you. Trade shows are just as much about expanding your network as those who attend the show.

The Case For Taking Your Business Online

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In modern times, a significant amount of business is conducted online. As such you need to be prepared to conduct your business this way. The following contributed post is entitled, The Case For Taking Your Business Online.

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Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Since its inception in the early 90s, the World Wide Web has completely changed the world. Once thought of as a simple communication platform for academics and nerds alike, the web has grown into a multimedia, multidimensional vehicle for information. In addition, improvements to internet speed technology, accessibility and availability, and the advent of smartphone technology with social media make the web a haven for business in the modern world.

Additionally, the inclusion of safe and secure transaction technologies such as PayPal and cryptocurrencies has facilitated international business on a massive scale. However, despite the helpful features of using the internet for business, most small to medium-sized enterprises don’t use it to its full advantage.

In the Palm of Your Hand

Just a few short years ago, to access the internet, you would have to purchase a bulky PC and dedicate a section of a room for its use. However, advancements in mobile phone technology, namely smartphones, have allowed internet access in the palm of your hand. Since then, businesses have embraced online assets such as digital marketing to operate their business online. As a result, over 50% of people now use their mobile devices for search.

There are various methods involved in digital marketing, such as social media campaigns that utilize multiple platforms for communication and engagement. Online agencies are also experts in developing creative assets such as logos and infographics. In addition, one of their primary tools is the use of search engine optimization for driving website traffic.

Local, National, and International Reach

SEO is a vital part of online business. You can develop a website for your business, but it’s no good if no one can find it. SEO is the art and science of using keywords and phrases related to your company and seeding them across the web using digital content. Such content includes blog posts, images, guest posts, and backlinks.

The purpose of SEO is to drive organic traffic from search engine results pages when a user searches for either your company directly or something related to your business. In principle, more traffic equals more potential business. However, SEO can also be configured for local results, known as local SEO. Local SEO displays your company concerning either a user’s query based on location or the actual location determined by their IP address.

Getting a Foothold

It’s never too late to embrace the online world as a business. Yet, surprisingly in 2021, 70% of small to medium businesses still don’t use any form of SEO. This includes local SEO. Therefore, by implementing a solid online marketing infrastructure such as video marketing, SEO, PPC ads, and earned media, you will be in an advantageous position to beat the competition.

Taking your business online also establishes your company as an authority in the field. As you generate more traffic to your site, search engines such as Google see it as relevant to your sector. This, in turn, increases the chances of your business appearing for more related broad-term searches. This can help drive even more traffic to your company and establish it among the best.

5 Tips To Manage A Construction Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Regardless of what’s happening in the world, there will always be the need for construction and likewise, construction businesses. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Tips To Manage A Construction Business.

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Managing a construction company is incredibly hard work. You’ll have plenty to focus on from finding talented staff to project budgets and time management. To help you to manage your construction company, pay attention to these five simple tips.

1 . Lead generation

To effectively manage a construction business it’s important to develop your leads pipeline. You need a steady flow of leads to ensure that you’ve always got new projects on the horizon. Lead generation is all about getting your business noticed. There are plenty of ways to generate leads such as:

● Boost local SEO.
● Revamp your website.
● Collect testimonials and reviews.
● Design quality content.
● Use social media.
● Work with a lead generation service.

2. Determine your niche

The construction industry is incredibly competitive, so how can you be sure that you stand out? Well, it’s a good idea to determine your niche, focusing on a specialist service. You might choose to focus on commercial construction, residential, or specific businesses like restaurant construction. Focusing on a specialist service can help you to remain competitive in a crowded market place.

If you don’t have an area of speciality, think about your unique selling point. What can you offer that other businesses can’t?

3. Project management software

Project management software helps businesses to organize their projects, and achieve the best project results. The software includes a wide range of features including quotes and billing, reports, Gantt charts, collaboration, scheduling and planning, team collaboration, and more.

In the construction industry there are specialist software tools that can support your project processes. For instance, construction document management software. The software can help you to share projects with ease. Construction companies use plenty of documents on a day to day basis, with the right software you can effectively manage your info.

4. Hire the right people

To develop a quality construction business, you need to focus on hiring the right people. From your contractors to your office staff, you’ll need to develop effective recruitment procedures. Conduct several stage interviews, obtain the correct references, and take advantage of digital hiring software.

Offer ongoing training, and help your team to learn and improve. Before you advertise your roles, think about your company culture. Consider the type of employees you are looking to attract, and what perks you could offer to attract them. When you keep your staff happy you’ll reduce costly turnover.

5. Improve your leadership skills

Running a construction business involves effective leadership. To lead your teams you’ll need to focus on organization, and assess your performance. Leadership means effective communication, from listening skills to strategic thinking. Strengthening your leadership skills takes practice, there are a number of leadership courses which can support your learning journey.

Managing a construction company is all about the customers, it’s about delivering the highest quality outcomes possible. To help you improve, ensure that you collect plenty of customer feedback. Your customers can provide lots of valuable info which can help you to improve.

How To Simplify Your Business & Grow As A Result

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Running a business can be complex at times. Simplifying it can actually increase your profits, productivity and results. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Simplify Your Business & Grow As A Result.

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When it comes to your business, you’re always going to want to do anything and everything that you can to grow and stand out. But that doesn’t always seem that easy to do. In short, you may find that you are constantly worrying and struggling about how you’re going to get to where you want to be, but really, you just need to have a plan and take action.

When you’ve spent some time working out what you want to do and what needs to be done, all you have to do is get started. Even if it seems like there’s a lot to take on, moving forward with your plan can revolutionize things. And really, you want to be sure that you can simplify your business and start to grow.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can do that.

Don’t Overcomplicate Things

Firstly, don’t overcomplicate things. It can be as simple as stripping things back and making the process of your customers finding you easier. Through one social platform or marketing tactic, you could master it and find growth rather than trying to stretch yourself too thin.

Offer Different Options

From here, you might also want to make sure that you’re thinking about your customer first. As much as simplifying your business seems like it will be streamlined, sometimes that means offering more to make things easier for your clients. From delivery to pickup in store to online downloads, be sure to give them what they need from you, so they can access what you have in a range of ways.

Get A VA To Help

If you’re trying to do everything, it can be super hard. Instead, think about getting a virtual assistant to help you. You’ll be stripping things back, getting expert help in, and allowing yourself to drive the business forward.

Stick To Your Niche

Above all else, you have to hone in on your niche. Don’t worry so much about trying to please anyone. Instead, when you can narrow down on things so much more, it’ll help you to serve your audience and start to get noticed so much more!

Always Go Back To Your Goals

Finally, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re always going back to your goals that you have in place. Whether we’re taking financial goals or overall objectives, your decisions should feed back into that. Simplifying your business should definitely make the idea of achieving your goals easier. So if you’re not sure what move to make next, refer back to your goals. This could inspire action in you and allow you to achieve what you want.

Why it’s important to incorporate technology into your business

No industry or business can survive the test of time without constantly adapting to market changes. One way for organizations to keep up with these changes is by implementing technology into their daily operations. Technology hones in on businesses’ strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to stay one step ahead of competitors. Not only do technological advancements benefit companies, but they also positively impact workers, making business more efficient and helping people perform better at work.

If you know that you want to streamline things with your business and be able to stand out in the right way, it’s time to do something about it. Thankfully, you should find that these tips help you to do exactly that in no time at all.

7 Creative Ways To Get Your Business Noticed In 2021

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When running a business, one of your goals is to get your business noticed and to keep it noticed. The following contributed, 7 Creative Ways To Get Your Business Noticed In 2021.

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No matter what business you are in, there are always bad days. Such a time is the perfect opportunity to review your strategies, and what better way than marketing. Regardless of the size, making your business get noticed is essential for its success. It makes people find and hire you. However, the current business environment is very competitive. So, how can you get your business noticed in 2021? Let’s dig in.

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Be Unique

If all businesses are going right, turn left. It is always advisable to find a unique niche and avoid copying what every person does. Being different is already a value proposition that every client would love. The best way to be different is by figuring out what other businesses are not providing. For instance, you can do your research to determine what customers want but missing in the market.

Start a Challenge

Do you know of a better way to interact with potential customers than to create an online challenge? You should consider a web challenge that gets people closer to your brand. The best way to do this is by finding out what customers love and using it for a challenge. For instance, if customers like a specific product, create some online quiz about that product and reward customers that get the questions right.

Create Social Media Profiles

Social media campaigns are an excellent marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes. However, you should ensure that you connect with potential customers the right way without bothering them with too many ads. You should also consider outsourcing services to experts like Unruly Agency to help you manage your social media campaigns with greater success.

Create a Newsletter

Publishing newsletters regularly is a great way to connect with customers. With their permission, you can constantly update your clients about new products and services. This is an excellent way to keep the business on customers’ radar.

Use Email Signature

Creating content that links to your web helps you drive traffic to your business. However, you can also add a signature to all your social media posts and emails. This allows customers to notice your company logo and business. This is an opportunity to remind potential customers what your brand is about.

Sponsor a Community Event

The easiest way to get your business noticed is by getting involved in community projects. Social work offers an opportunity to raise your profile and brand name.

You should consider sponsoring a sports tournament every year or a fundraiser to help develop the community. For instance, using a tournament to raise money for a community hospital makes you a darling in society. Customers are nowadays more aware of socially responsible brands than ever.

Create a Network

Partnering with other businesses can be the perfect way to promote your business. Networking helps you establish connections that raise your company profile in the market. Partnerships will also help you share your posts and links to your website using other businesses.

There are many ways of promoting your business regardless of its size. Implementing these tips will help your business get noticed and attract new clients. Additionally, you may need to invest in other marketing methods for better results.

3 Effective Ways To Encourage Customer Loyalty

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what you business is, you want to maximize your customer retention. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Effective Ways To Encourage Customer Loyalty.

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Image Credit: Free-Photos from Pixabay.

The goal of any business is to sell products and make money. Traditionally, that’s been done by selling to anybody willing to buy your products. Over the past few years, however, the concept of customer loyalty has become increasingly prominent.

That’s because focusing on it can reap quite a few benefits, notably increased business from repeat customers. As a result, an increasing number of companies have been focusing on it. Other firms are still on the fence, though, and aren’t completely convinced about it.

Should it be something you focus on and, how can you actually increase customer loyalty?

Why Is Customer Loyalty Important?

Customer loyalty improves the chances of customers coming back to your business. As a result, it could mean repeat sales over time as customers begin seeing you as a preferred brand. With that, you will generate more sales and make more profit over time.

How To Build Customer Loyalty

Have Loyalty & Referral Programs

As the name would suggest, customer loyalty programs are an effective way of encouraging repeat business. That’s also the case with referral programs, which can help build trust with your potential customers. There are quite a few customer loyalty solutions that you can use to that end.

These typically have a few terms and conditions attached. For example, customers might have to buy X number of products per month to qualify for a small prize. For the customer, they’ll be getting a surprise, while your company gets that increased spending.

Through this, your customers will also repeatedly come back as a force of habit. That will continue to encourage brand loyalty over time.

Play To Your Values

Customers gravitate to brands whose values reflect their own. That also means focusing on what makes your company stand out amongst its competitors. What makes it different, and why should potential customers pick it?

Play up these strengths while working on any weaknesses, and customers will start to see you as reliable and trustworthy. Over time, this opinion of your business will become increasingly more positive, especially if you keep to your word.

In turn, that means giving customers a positive experience each time they interact with your brand. That will then help convince customers to keep coming back.

Encourage Feedback

Your customers want to feel value. One of the easiest and most effective ways of doing this is by asking for their feedback. By listening to them and acting on their opinions, you show them that you care about them. There are a few ways that you can do this.

On your product’s packaging and website, for instance, you can provide directions on how customers can contact you. Explicitly ask them for their opinion. While not every customer will take you up on the offer, enough of them should so that you can find actionable improvements to your brand.

The practice also means that you can find areas of improvement that you might not have thought of before. It allows you to adapt to your customers’ needs.

By implementing the above, your company will be well on its way to developing a loyal and active customer base. The profits that this can generate will make the efforts well worth your while.

Cheap Ways To Market Your Company Right Now

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One the most important aspects of your business is its marketing. The following contributed post is entitled, Cheap Ways To Market Your Company Right Now.

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Marketing is something that is vital to your business. It allows people to see your brand, to see what you can offer, and know who you are. However, marketing can be expensive, and when you want to try and bring money in, you may be worried about how much you spend out.

The good news is that marketing your company doesn’t have to be that expensive; in fact, there are many ways that you can do marketing not only work for you but be as cheap as possible.

Make the most of SEO

SEO or search engine optimization is something that you will hear about as a business owner, it may seem like it is too good to be accurate, but we can promise you that it really does work. SEO allows you to look at the content you create for your company (across all platforms) and ensure that it is targeted to bring the most people in as possible and get your name out there to as many people as possible. Not only is it incredibly effective, but it is relatively low cost too and can really be a sound investment to make.

Sponsor a local sports team

Are you a fan of your local sports team? This could be football, baseball, or basketball. The choice is yours. The main thing is that you are sponsoring them by paying for a custom rugby kit or something else that you can put your logo on, for example; that you are showing that you support them and that you want them to achieve their goals. The bonus is that because your company name will be on their kit and on their signs around where they play, you will be getting constant promotion around your local area, which is excellent news for you.

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Master social media

You should never overlook social media if you want to get ahead with your business. It is easy to use, it is fast to get to grips with, and it is also incredibly, incredibly effective too. Especially if you are able to create posts and content that is shareable. That other people who may already be a part of your network, want to share on to their network. Best of all, if you use it in its most basic way, it can also be cheap to use too, even free, which means that you will be saving yourself a considerable amount of money, without worrying about it not giving you any return.

Use email

Email marketing is another form of marketing often overlooked and seen as a low-yield option. However, there is a reason that email marketing has been around for some time. It is not only simple to use, but it is also effective. Your message, whatever that is, goes directly into the inbox of your audience, crying out for them to read it, which means that you are increasing your chances of being seen and getting what you want to say out there.

Hopefully, we have inspired you to find cost-effective ways to market your company. To bring in those all-important clients and to ensure that you are a success, all whilst not having to invest too much money in the first place.

How To Keep Your Big Business Successful For Years To Come

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’ve started a successful business, you will eventually want to consider how to keep it successful for years down the road. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Keep Your Big Business Successful For Years To Come.

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If you have faced moments of doubt regarding your big business, then you have to remember that you are not alone with this. So many people are in the same situation as you are in, right now. Unfortunately, as your business gets bigger, so does your risk. If you want to make sure that you don’t end up falling behind, then this guide will help you to find out everything you need to know.

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Keep your Big Vision in Sight

A big vision will certainly take you far. It may not always be the course that you imagined originally, but your vision will be your north star. It will help you to navigate your way through the toughest of times and it will also give you the motivation to carry on when you truly need it. Your vision will be the foundation of your business and it will also be your compass when it comes to making decisions.

Fuel your Vision

With your vision, you also need to make sure that you have perseverance. You need to keep on moving forward and you also need to make sure that you use your wisdom to your advantage. Sometimes, as an entrepreneur, things get challenging. With that in mind, you have to challenge yourself to move forward, regardless of the fear or the discomfort that you feel.

Invest in your Company

One mistake that a lot of big business owners make is that they stop investing in their company. If you want to make sure that you do not end up making this mistake then you have to make sure that you are willing to continually fuel what you have worked for. If you have a parking lot, invest in parking lot maintenance or if you work in the tech sector, make sure that you are continually investing in the latest upgrades on the market. If you can do this then you will soon find that things become easier for you. Small business owners often inject a lot of cash into their idea, but when you hit the big leagues, you may find that this stops, because you are bringing in enough profit and you no longer need to. With this in mind, it’s vital that you don’t let this get in your way.

Don’t Overlook your Finances

Another thing that you have to do is make sure that your finances do not fall to the wayside. You have to ensure you do what you can to make sure that you are monitoring the money you have coming in and you also need to make sure that you are not overspending if possible. If you do overspend then you may not notice it right away, but eventually, it will catch up with you and this can put you in an incredibly bad situation. If you want to get around this, then you need to hire a good accountant, as well as monitoring your sales as much as you would if you owned a start-up. Only then can you guarantee success for your future.

How To Create A Business Plan

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the traditional components to starting a business is creating a formal business plan. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Create A Business Plan.

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If you want to start a business (or even if you already have, but you’re a little lost and don’t know what to do next), writing a business plan is something you will definitely need to do. A business plan will assist your business ambitions in a plethora of ways that range from securing the investment and funding you need to begin (or grow) to finding partners to work with to simply knowing what business decisions to make and when.

Yet despite how crucially important a business plan is, it’s not something that everyone does before they launch their company. This is likely to be because the very idea of writing a business plan is off-putting; it’s hard to know where to begin, and it’s easier to simply make a start and see what happens. However, it is always better to spend the time you need creating a business plan; it could be the difference between success and failure. Read on to find out how to get started and what you should be thinking about.

Image from Pixabay

Tailor It To Your Audience

Whatever the reason for writing a business plan might be, you must ensure that it is tailored to your audience. Think about who will be reading the plan and why they will be reading it. When you understand this, you can ensure that the plan meets their needs as well as your own. A business plan to attract an investor might be different from what a potential business partner wants to see. The information within each will be the same, however, each plan will have something different highlighted as being the most important aspect, the thing you want the reader to see first.

Be Realistic

There is no point in writing a business plan that is full of lofty ideals and huge figures that you’re not going to reach – at least not yet. Think instead about what you intend to achieve over the next 12 months. When you do this, you will still have plenty of goals to reach, but they are much more likely to be realistic ones. Not only will anyone reading through your business plan have more confidence that you can do what you set out to do, but you will be able to follow the plan more closely and ensure that you do reach the goals you have set for yourself.

You will also need to ensure you include all the details about what you want to spend any funding on. Again, this will help lenders make a decision, and it will show you what is most important in your own mind. It could be that payroll outsourcing is something you’re very keen to pay for right away, in which case that needs to be stated in the plan.

Do Your Research

When you write a business plan, you need to find out as much about the marketing you are working in as possible. That includes knowing your competitors, who your target audience is, what kind of marketing attracts the most customers, what price point is sensible when it comes to your goods and services, and even what obstacles you might come up against when you head toward your goals.

Understanding the different strengths and weaknesses of the business you’re building and including them in your business plan shows that you have thoroughly understood not just what you are doing, but how to become better.

Four Things You Need At Your Next Trade Show

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending on the industry that you are in, trade shows can be critical events to make positive impressions at. The following contributed post is entitled, Four Things You Need At Your Next Trade Show.

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There is so much that you have to get organized if you’re planning to be a part of your industry trade show this year. It’s a big job to prepare for a show because your business is going to be showcased in front of industry experts and others interested in what you have to offer, so you have to be on your A-game to show off in the right way. From the best trade show materials to show off your booth, to the funky lighting and stand-out decor, your booth has to be the best to capture the right people.

What is your aim for your booth this year? Are you looking to gain new customers? Are you hoping to gather information and email addresses from the people who stop by? No matter what it is that you are looking to achieve, you need to do all that you can to attract new people to your booth and get them interested in what you have to offer. So, with this in mind, here are four things that you need to have at your next tradeshow, so that you can get it right!

Image Source: Pexels

● You Need Banners. Even when you have the best sound system and the smartest light show powered by an app, you need to call the experts to help with your fabric graphic installation system. Yes, you need banners. People are attracted to large, colorful signage and fabric banners are the perfect addition to the booth to get the job done. They’re big enough for people to see across the exhibition floor, and they’re going to encourage a flock of potential customers.
● Pamphlets, Leaflets, Booklets – Oh My! While you may not be a fan of paperwork, pamphlets that you hand out will end up at the bottom of bags and in pockets. While this could sound like a waste, you have to consider the possibility that someone who shoved away a pamphlet will likely find it in a few days and remember that your business was exactly what they needed!
● Printed Business Cards. It’s nice to get people to sign up to a mailing list to allow you to send out digital business cards, but it won’t get you far if people have you on their junk mail list. Business cards still have a place in the world today and you can ensure that you are able to advertise your business to anyone who wants to know about it. A full box of cards should be brought along to any trade show and you can then give one away to every single person you meet. Pair it with a chocolate bar or a cookie to make it irresistible to take one!
● Product Information. Is there any point in being a part of a trade show if you’re not going to show off what your products can do? Whether you choose to give demonstrations or not, you need to give people product information and show off what you have to offer.