Gain the Mouth-Watering, Competitive Advantage
In 2011, Matt Salzberg was a restless associate at a Silicon Valley investment firm. He and his friend Ilia Papas wanted to create a business and were intrigued by food.
"We both loved food," Salzberg said. "We liked trying new ingredients, new recipes, new techniques, but we found it really inaccessible to cook at home. It was expensive, time-consuming and difficult to find recipes that we trusted."
The duo tried a few ideas before landing on the one that became Blue Apron: give people an easy way to make dinner using chef-recommended recipes and the fresh, precisely measured ingredients they'd need. With 20 friends beta-testing the product, Salzberg immediately realized they had a winner. Beyond rave reviews and contagious social media sharing, they had undeniable momentum:
"Pretty much from day one we've had steady exponential customer growth. I think the moment we did our first week of deliveries we sort of knew that we had a business that we thought would be really successful."
By August 2012 the team was shipping recipes to early testers, and three years later Blue Apron was delivering millions of meals to monthly subscribers, the company valued at a whopping $2 billion!
Find Your Competitive Advantage
Initially, some scoffed at the thought of paying restaurant prices for something you labored to cook at home.
But they overlooked Blue Apron’s unique advantage: appealing to “foodies” who loved high-end meals but relished the opportunity to cook them. Blue Apron found a niche in the market that catapulted them to exponential growth and national exposure.
Competitive advantage is that “special something” that draws customers and keeps them coming back.
Why do you buy a Ford versus Chevy? Why do you spend $80 on a certain brand of jeans? The answer lies in the competitive advantage, the unique set of features a product has that makes it superior in the eyes of a target audience.
Competitive advantages include niche strategies (like Blue Apron), cost advantages, and product or service differentiation. Consider these examples:
Cost Competitive Advantage
Companies can grab an edge when they control costs and efficiency in ways that create maximum value for consumers.
Walmart uses this advantage by providing a large selection combined with low prices through its retail size and strength. Some companies draw from years of experience, overseas production, or streamlined workflows to minimize expense.
As you brainstorm cost advantages for your customers, consider how you can improve productivity from your team, if your technology or equipment is cost-efficient or needs upgrading, or where you can give customers a cost break via delivery options, locked-in service rates, or freebies that come as a bonus for specific orders.
Product Differentiation
Another way to gain a competitive advantage is through product differentiation.
As you distinguish yourself in the marketplace, focus on the value you offer through your unique products. What makes your toothbrush one of a kind? How is your technology superior to other market options? How does your farmer’s market produce outclass the bounty of your competitors?
People love getting the best product for their penny, so work hard to highlight your advantage and shout it loud through print and digital pieces that spotlight your strengths.
Service Differentiation
While cost or product advantages can quickly disappear (or be duplicated), every company can offer one-of-a-kind service advantages.
Whether its bundled subscriptions, outstanding customer care, or unrivaled warranties, build a benefit that is exclusively yours. Consider bonus delivery features, apps that are user-friendly and easy to learn, terms that are simple and risk-free, or energizing ambiance (like funky décor or stellar store atmospheres). Make customers so spoiled they’d never consider your competitors! For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
The Print Cafe of LI, Inc. For All of Your Marketing Needs The Print Cafe of LI, Inc. is your Premier Long Island Printing Company. We provide Marketing Products and Services throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties, as well as the 5 Boroughs. We service areas such as Mineola, Garden City, Hempstead, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Westbury, Farmingdale, Manhasset. We are the Company that comes to You ! Call for an Appointment 516-561-1468
Print Cafe of LI, Inc
Showing posts with label #business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #business. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Start Mouth-Watering Conversations Through Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Start Mouth-Watering Conversations Through Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Karen Weber-Mendham was a part-time librarian and mother of three when she turned her family’s propensity for garlic cheesy bread into a cool million.
This northern Wisconsin family often ordered cheesy bread while waiting on pizza. Weber-Mendham said the kids’ appetizer passion was so strong “they would arm-wrestle each other for a piece!”
Cheesy fever inspired the family to enter the 2013 Lay’s potato chip competition, “Do Us a Flavor,” challenging customers to create a new chip flavor to hit store shelves that year. Lays was swamped with 3.8 million submissions as the contest winner was given the better of two options: $1 million or 1% of the flavor’s net sales over a year. Beyond fame and fortune, Weber-Mendham was given the opportunity to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and was flown to Los Angeles for the big reveal with Lay’s endorsement celebrity Eva Longoria.
“Eva was so genuine and happy for me when I won,” Weber-Mendham said. And yes, “She’s as beautiful in person as she looks on TV.”
Catalysts for a Great Conversation
What was Lays up to in this fun-loving campaign?
Were they desperate for creative ideas? Hungry for the inspiration only average citizens could bring? Or did they strike gold by tapping into a conversation with everyday Americans?
Word-of-mouth promotion has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing, tagged “the original social media.” According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising, and trusted referrals are most likely to drive sales for your company. But in an American Marketing Association survey, 64% of marketing executives say that, though they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing, only 6% have mastered it.
As you seek to generate good gossip about your company, here are three action points to keep in mind:
Engage
Make a commitment to listen.
What would that truly look like in your context? Allow your customers' space to be heard and to contribute to the company as a whole. Engage with clients through e-mail surveys, online question and answer boards, social media service options, or by highlighting customer success in your printed newsletters. When customers are heard, they feel connected and valued.
Encourage
Allow people reasons or avenues to talk to each other or to talk about you.
Like a common chalkboard with a fun question in your favorite coffee shop, invite clients into the conversation and give them tools to chat. Encourage people to talk about your services and products with you and with others by creating helpful, shareable content, including icons to your favorite apps that will make it easy for your fans to spread your name around!
Equip
Give your fan base tools to become brand advocates.
Let them know their opinions are important and look for fun ways to spread the word. To create buzz around the Ford Fiesta, Ford gave away a number of cars and asked ambassador “influencers” to test drive and share their experiences.
During “Do Us a Flavor,” Lays received over 1.4 million Facebook and Twitter votes, one of its biggest marketing campaigns ever. While you may not give away a car, give away tools to get your fans advocating: ask clients to pass coupons to five of their friends, to give you an online review, or be part of a fun selfie or Snapchat contest to boost your reputation.
Get the conversation started and pave the way for new growth!
For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Karen Weber-Mendham was a part-time librarian and mother of three when she turned her family’s propensity for garlic cheesy bread into a cool million.
This northern Wisconsin family often ordered cheesy bread while waiting on pizza. Weber-Mendham said the kids’ appetizer passion was so strong “they would arm-wrestle each other for a piece!”
Cheesy fever inspired the family to enter the 2013 Lay’s potato chip competition, “Do Us a Flavor,” challenging customers to create a new chip flavor to hit store shelves that year. Lays was swamped with 3.8 million submissions as the contest winner was given the better of two options: $1 million or 1% of the flavor’s net sales over a year. Beyond fame and fortune, Weber-Mendham was given the opportunity to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and was flown to Los Angeles for the big reveal with Lay’s endorsement celebrity Eva Longoria.
“Eva was so genuine and happy for me when I won,” Weber-Mendham said. And yes, “She’s as beautiful in person as she looks on TV.”
Catalysts for a Great Conversation
What was Lays up to in this fun-loving campaign?
Were they desperate for creative ideas? Hungry for the inspiration only average citizens could bring? Or did they strike gold by tapping into a conversation with everyday Americans?
Word-of-mouth promotion has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing, tagged “the original social media.” According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising, and trusted referrals are most likely to drive sales for your company. But in an American Marketing Association survey, 64% of marketing executives say that, though they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing, only 6% have mastered it.
As you seek to generate good gossip about your company, here are three action points to keep in mind:
Engage
Make a commitment to listen.
What would that truly look like in your context? Allow your customers' space to be heard and to contribute to the company as a whole. Engage with clients through e-mail surveys, online question and answer boards, social media service options, or by highlighting customer success in your printed newsletters. When customers are heard, they feel connected and valued.
Encourage
Allow people reasons or avenues to talk to each other or to talk about you.
Like a common chalkboard with a fun question in your favorite coffee shop, invite clients into the conversation and give them tools to chat. Encourage people to talk about your services and products with you and with others by creating helpful, shareable content, including icons to your favorite apps that will make it easy for your fans to spread your name around!
Equip
Give your fan base tools to become brand advocates.
Let them know their opinions are important and look for fun ways to spread the word. To create buzz around the Ford Fiesta, Ford gave away a number of cars and asked ambassador “influencers” to test drive and share their experiences.
During “Do Us a Flavor,” Lays received over 1.4 million Facebook and Twitter votes, one of its biggest marketing campaigns ever. While you may not give away a car, give away tools to get your fans advocating: ask clients to pass coupons to five of their friends, to give you an online review, or be part of a fun selfie or Snapchat contest to boost your reputation.
Get the conversation started and pave the way for new growth!
For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Friday, November 2, 2018
Customize Printed Mailings to Maximize Your Impact
Customize Printed Mailings to Maximize Your Impact
One of the best ways that brands can engage their customers is by making people feel valued and unique.
Brands that are able to provide their customers with this feeling of connection are going to be one step closer to creating true advocates for their brand. Perhaps one of the best ways that modern organizations can offer a customized experience is through meaningful personalization -- far beyond the "Dear Friend" found in some mass mailings.
See how businesses are using personalization in their printed materials to create an experience that customers will appreciate and remember.
Tailored Offers Drive Traffic
Grocery stores are able to effectively track a massive number of items and customers, including when and where they purchased specific products.
While your business may not be quite that complex, you can certainly track in a more simplistic way in order to offer timely and meaningful coupons to your customers. For instance, offering a discount card tied to someone's phone number allows you to discover which days of the week they are coming to see you and how often. Upsell your services by providing discounts on off-days when they may not visit or to shorten the time between services. This strategy works especially well for service-based businesses such as hair and nail salons.
Treating People Like Family
If you are able to capture additional information about your customers such as the age of children, this allows you a greater opportunity to customize your message.
Knowing the general age of your customers or whether they're empty-nesters, young parents, or an older retired couple provides you with the information that you need to create offers that are more compelling. One example would be a restaurant whose tables are nearly empty on a Wednesday night. Sending information to young families that Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays is likely to bring in a wealth of new business on that evening and keep your tables full.
Move-In Special
There are many businesses that thrive on new families moving into the area -- from retail establishments to grocery stores and everything in between.
Consider working with a few complimentary businesses in your region to create a move-in special: a package of offerings that can be mailed to families just as they move into the area. These hot new potential customers have not yet formed an opinion of the area and will need to create new shopping patterns. If your offer comes at the perfect time as they're moving in and purchasing new products for their home, they are likely to continue visiting your establishment over the years.
There are many different ways that your business can take advantage of a compelling, personalized offer in print.For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
One of the best ways that brands can engage their customers is by making people feel valued and unique.
Brands that are able to provide their customers with this feeling of connection are going to be one step closer to creating true advocates for their brand. Perhaps one of the best ways that modern organizations can offer a customized experience is through meaningful personalization -- far beyond the "Dear Friend" found in some mass mailings.
See how businesses are using personalization in their printed materials to create an experience that customers will appreciate and remember.
Tailored Offers Drive Traffic
Grocery stores are able to effectively track a massive number of items and customers, including when and where they purchased specific products.
While your business may not be quite that complex, you can certainly track in a more simplistic way in order to offer timely and meaningful coupons to your customers. For instance, offering a discount card tied to someone's phone number allows you to discover which days of the week they are coming to see you and how often. Upsell your services by providing discounts on off-days when they may not visit or to shorten the time between services. This strategy works especially well for service-based businesses such as hair and nail salons.
Treating People Like Family
If you are able to capture additional information about your customers such as the age of children, this allows you a greater opportunity to customize your message.
Knowing the general age of your customers or whether they're empty-nesters, young parents, or an older retired couple provides you with the information that you need to create offers that are more compelling. One example would be a restaurant whose tables are nearly empty on a Wednesday night. Sending information to young families that Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays is likely to bring in a wealth of new business on that evening and keep your tables full.
Move-In Special
There are many businesses that thrive on new families moving into the area -- from retail establishments to grocery stores and everything in between.
Consider working with a few complimentary businesses in your region to create a move-in special: a package of offerings that can be mailed to families just as they move into the area. These hot new potential customers have not yet formed an opinion of the area and will need to create new shopping patterns. If your offer comes at the perfect time as they're moving in and purchasing new products for their home, they are likely to continue visiting your establishment over the years.
There are many different ways that your business can take advantage of a compelling, personalized offer in print.For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Monday, October 22, 2018
How to Mobilize People Through Powerful Writing
How to Mobilize People Through Powerful Writing
“Darkest Hour,” a 2017 war drama film, devotes its narrative to the early days of British prime minister Winston Churchill, who rallied a nation against the merciless Nazi onslaught of World War II.The film chronicles Churchill’s authentic, soul-stirring speeches and the Shakespearean gusto with which he delivered words like these: "Let us, therefore, brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"
Though the world still heralds Churchill’s heroic statements, few people knew that Churchill overcame a lisp in his childhood by practicing his enunciation. Churchill understood the power of words early in life, and historians estimated that he spent one hour working on each individual minute of a speech he gave! Churchill sought to portray England’s struggle in a larger historical context: good outlasting evil, hope to overshadow the impossible, and perseverance overcoming persecution.
The result?
The entire fate of world history shifted through the hearts and hands of the people he inspired. President John F. Kennedy summed up Churchill’s influence like this: "In the dark days and darker nights when England stood alone — and most men... despaired of England's life — he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”
Writing: The Building Block of Success
What can we learn from Winston Churchill?
While not all of us have oratory giftings, be encouraged that Churchill was also a student of language, and he overcame his limitations with study, practice, and passion!
Would you like to be more successful in your personal and professional impact?
Writing is the foundation of modern education and fundamental to all business success. Whether you’re penning a quarterly report, crafting an in-house memo, giving a congratulatory speech, or even dashing a quick e-mail, here are some tips for writing in a professional, persuasive manner:
1. Grab them early.
Great writing doesn’t allow readers to look away! Use punchy headlines, riveting stories, or gripping questions to draw them in immediately.
2. Get to the point.
After you use that “luring” intro, don’t let them linger! Get to the point quickly and efficiently, without “burying the lead” too deep in the text. Eliminate unnecessary words and use language that is clear and efficient. An energetic, fast-paced tone will assure them that reading to the end is worth their time.
3. Be convincing but not too clever.
Persuade your readers with clarity but also with logic and facts. Providing evidence (or examples) for your premise will build momentum and increase authority. As you write, keep a personal tone that is warm but convincing. Ask yourself, “would this make sense if I was sharing it with a friend over coffee?” Phrases with an awkward, artificial ring should probably get the ax!
4. Keep it moving.
As you lead readers toward a closing statement or action step, take a broad glance at the entire piece. Does it flow smoothly with a directional movement that builds toward a thoughtful climax? Does it read well on the page with adequate breaks and subheadings? Consider adding skim layers or reducing the size of a document if you sense people will be bogged down in your thoughts.
5. Add depth and dimension.
As you seek to add that extravagant bow to your smartly wrapped package, review your piece and look for ways you can really make it “sing.” Consider colorful vocabulary, punchy alliteration, or rich rhythms as you vary the length of your paragraphs. As French writer Charles Baudelaire once said, “always be a poet, even in prose.”
For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Friday, October 19, 2018
Plug In to the Power of Personal Reflection
Plug In to the Power of Personal Reflection
Sometimes life is like a treadmill.Occasionally you’re on a calm jog and the belt speed never outpaces your strides. Sometimes, you push yourself to the limit but find the challenge ideal. But in certain seasons, the treadmill is moving too fast to handle. You long to step back from the grind, but this seems like an impossible luxury.
It’s ok to press pause. It’s actually GREAT to press pause. Often in our battle for success, we never stop to address broken systems in our home, health, or careers. Simple adjustments might bring substantially better output, but we rarely prioritize personal maintenance. The decision is yours: will you make time to reflect and adjust or continue relentlessly until life dumps you in a heap?
Take Time to Press Pause.
Once you’ve slowed down (yes, really slowed down!) what should you do?
Perhaps you should begin with a simple pleasure (a walk, coffee treat, or nap?) to allow your mind to unwind. Then consider an intentional approach to reflection.
Psychologist Robert Taibbi (author of “Boot Camp Therapy: Action Oriented Brief Approaches to Anxiety, Anger and Depression") suggests you begin by defining a problem area as concretely as possible. Avoid being vague or grouping several problems under one umbrella (i.e. “this house is a disaster!”). Instead, identify specific areas of struggle (“this coat closet is overcrowded”) and decide on a personal plan of action.
Don’t be overwhelmed by what you CAN’T do, instead focus on manageable steps that will move you forward (“lower coat hooks would be better”). Begin with a positive spirit and an intentional ownership of the solution. Make a plan, ask for help, or take action as soon as possible. As you make even tiny strides, you will be empowered to continue.
Find Tools for Growth.
Sometimes a perspective shift requires greater insight than we have on our own.
Consider some coaching, mentorship, or tools like workbooks or discussion groups. Clinical psychologist and professor Jordan Peterson has been fascinated by the therapeutic effects of writing for decades. Experiments dating back for decades show that writing can reduce depression, increase productivity, and even cut down on doctor visits.
Peterson and his team have recently rolled out several tools for self-reflection, including virtues and faults analysis, past and future writing exercises, or a full “self-authoring” suite that allows people to locate and resolve problem areas so they can better dream and achieve in the future. “The act of writing is more powerful than people think,” Peterson says. The decisive results of Peterson’s research prompted NPR to dub his reflection tool the “writing assignment that changes lives.”
Make a Plan.
They say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
What part of your week do you devote to reflecting on your goals or challenges? Do you take mini-retreats to refocus? What if you set this as a top priority and allowed your reflection time to dictate your schedule priorities in a given week, month, or year?
Look for natural cues in your seasonal schedule (i.e. Daylight Savings changes, pre-scheduled auto maintenance, your half birthday) and seek to align some intentional reflection with these cues. Add smaller goals (like a monthly “plan of action”) to put wheels on your long-term vision. Find a friend or mentor to keep you accountable or schedule regular check-ins (alone or with others) to get yourself back on track after a derailment.
Just as professional performance reviews are a priority, how much more essential is self-review? Make regular deposits into your own well-being and soon your bank account will grow!
For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Monday, October 8, 2018
Make a Big Impact with Foldable Printed Mailers
Make a Big Impact with Foldable Printed Mailers
Creating a printed mailer is one of the best ways to get your message across to a wide variety of individuals, but how can you be sure that your message isn't lost among the raft of bills and magazines that tend to litter every mailbox in America?Creating a unique design is great for a traditional message or a sale. Foldable printed mailers are a fun way to get your creative message out into the marketplace by designing something unexpected that will surprise and delight your audience.
Here are a few ways that you can create wonder and excitement with your next printed promotional mailing.
3D Folded Materials
Are you sending an open house announcement to a select few individuals and including the media?
Influencers such as bloggers and media personalities are a great way to get free promotion for your brand, but these people are also inundated with others who are also trying to recruit them.
An interactive 3D folded mailer can catch the eye of the most jaded recipient, encouraging them to open and play with your delivery. Don't think simply about a tri-fold brochure -- today's 3D mailers can be created in nearly any size, shape or design -- these are limited only by your imagination.
Creating Your Designs
You may already have an idea in mind, but if not, let us work with you to share some of the innovative new designs that are available.
You can start with a concept of what you're trying to accomplish. Perhaps you're launching a new product, introducing a sale on high-end goods and services or opening a new store. These are all ideal opportunities to create buzz and excitement in your audience with new textures, bright colors, and interesting shapes. Sketch out your ideas and see how we can partner with you to bring them to life in full, living three-dimensional color!
Creative Idea Starters
Looking for a creative way to package a sample product?
Three-dimensional folded mailers can be created and frame your product to allow it the impact that you need when the package is opened by your recipient. Nestle a business card or discount card within a mailer, or add an aura of intrigue by requiring the receiver to unwrap the "package" before discovering what is hiding within.
Foldable mailers can be made into the shape of your product, too, so you're essentially creating a 3D replica of your product with paper. Mailers can be printed with foil accents for added luster and shine, printed in single colors, or even printed in full color for a "living" design that will really make an impression.
Box it Up
Boxes in different shapes and sizes are another popular way to print and fold your message. Blank cardboard boxes with included materials are a waste of prime advertising real estate. When you use a box of an unusual shape or size, you intrigue the recipient and encourage them to take the few moments necessary to open the package. Then, the materials you've placed inside have a better chance of catching their eye and causing them to take action!
Foldable printed and three-dimensional mailers can be as simple or as complicated as you need them to be. When you work with us, you'll find the creativity and suggestions that you need to create the perfect promotional vehicle for your message!
For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Monday, September 24, 2018
How to Chart Your New Future (Part 1)
How to Chart Your New Future (Part 1)
Irene Obera is an 84-year-old southern California native who loves bowling, tennis, and educating others.
She also happens to be the fastest woman on earth for her age. Irene has been breaking records in Masters athletics for forty years, and her aging philosophies are captured in her own words:
“If you don’t move it, you lose it.”
And:
“A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits – and I want to be a winner.”
Irene is one of many “superagers,” a term for people in their 70s and 80s who have the mental or physical capability of their decades-younger counterparts. Irene serves as an inspiration, not only for the power of dedication but the promise of possibility when we harness our full potential. Living well is a goal we all desire and living fully alive is the essence of life. No matter what our strengths or sphere of influence, each of us has the potential for success and impact. This potential is a treasure that should be uncovered, protected, and stewarded!
Shake Off That Slump
Then what do you do when you’ve hit a slump? When complacency has settled like fog, or when you want to grow but feel stifled professionally (or personally) at almost every turn?
Maybe you’re satisfied, but not feeling sufficiently challenged in your daily tasks. What should you do?
Here’s the truth: small adjustments DO make an impact. But we tend to enjoy comfort and resist change, making it harder and harder to change gears.
So, how can we move forward in a positive way that will impact us for years to come?
It Starts with Education
An easy place to start is where many of us began: with education. Education is a gift! The opportunity to learn can unlock our potential, grow our social circle, reap financial rewards, and energize our mind, careers, and health! Consider this statistic:
The Rush Memory and Aging Project, conducted in 2012 in Chicago with more than 1,200 elders participating, showed that increased cognitive activity in older adults slowed their decline in cognitive function and decreased their risk of mild cognitive impairment. The study showed that cognitively active seniors, whose average age was 80, were 2.6 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia than seniors with less cognitive activity. Studies also show that educated people tend to enjoy better mental health, increased emotional well-being, and expanded opportunities.
Add Spring to Your Step
Whether you desire personal or professional development, growth of any kind has the potential to chart a new course for your future.
Ready to increase your mental capacity, improve your quality of life, and enrich your emotional health? In this two-part series, we’ll look at four avenues for gaining ground that will enrich your life and expand your opportunities.
1. Stretch Yourself.
The first step in continued growth is your own buy-in.
Take ownership over your desire to develop and look for new challenges, side projects, or free professional development opportunities offered in or outside your company. Seek out webinars and podcasts on a weekly basis or consider short online courses. Be curious about aspects of the workplace that don’t directly affect your job. Ask questions and get involved where you might not otherwise. When you show others that you are interested in learning, it communicates a proactive spirit and opens invisible doors to future opportunities.
Living fully engaged brings richness and reward. Join us for part two of this series, as we look at four more avenues for personal and professional development that can bring impact for decades to come!
For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
These Two Things are the Keys to a Successful Business
These Two Things are the Keys to a Successful Business
The physical and emotional abuse began when she was five years old.By the time she was 13, she was homeless and relying on the kindness of strangers to feed and house her. At 14, she gave birth to a son who died in infancy. Shortly afterward, she was sent to live with an uncle in whom she later referred to as her "father." Even though this teenager had suffered years of poverty and abuse, something fierce and fiery within her would not give up. She attended a Milwaukee high school and earned grades good enough to get her into the Upward Bound program, a federally funded program to help gifted students achieve academic success.
This determined, courageous young woman was later transferred to a suburban high school where she was picked on by her more affluent peers. After being caught stealing money to keep up with the lifestyle of her peers, she was once again sent to live with another relative in Nashville, TN. Here, she became an honors student and joined a speech/debate team that eventually took second place in a nation-wide dramatic interpretation contest.
After winning a college scholarship, working as a news reporter, and ultimately, landing her own TV show, Oprah Winfrey is now one of the world's most famous, most beloved, and most successful women in history.
Attitude is Motivation and Motivation is Attitude
Imagine you are the owner of a bakery that was handed down to you by your parents and grandparents.
One of the traditions you continue to keep as the owner is wearing a large pin on your uniform that says "Business is Awesome!" While all business have down times, the idea behind the pin is that, no matter how the business is doing, your attitude remains the same.
What do you tell customers who ask you what's so great about business? In most cases, people asking you this question are going through a rough time in their lives or may be coping with business problems themselves. You might tell them business is awesome because you love meeting new people every day or that business is great because you can work in an environment where everybody gets along and enjoys each other's company.
At the heart of this story lies the power of embracing a positive attitude. When you anticipate the good things and refuse to become a victim of negative thinking, the motivation to continue naturally emerges, sustained by your sense of renewal, hope and expectations.
Falling Down 10 Times Means You Have to Get Up 10 Times
"I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. Many times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I am not afraid to say that I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." -- Michael Jordan
You have to keep "getting up" (as Oprah Winfrey did) to take those next steps toward meeting or exceeding your goals.
The motivation for getting up and getting back on track is more powerful and rewarding if it is for personal rather than material gain. Keep reminding yourself that the most significant accomplishments in world history all started because someone fell down and got right back up again without even giving it a second thought.For more of our informative blogs go to: https://store.printcafeli.com/blog/Print_Cafe_Blog.html
Monday, August 20, 2018
Takeout Menus: Functional and Promotional
Takeout Menus: Functional and Promotional
Most restaurant owners know that their menu is one of their top selling tools.While this may surprise the average consumer, restaurant managers often use their menu to upsell pricey items such as appetizers, drinks, and side items. The placement of each item within the menu is of the utmost importance, and even small changes can cause a jump in sales of ten percent or greater -- or a similar-sized drop in sales if item placement doesn't work for buyers!
Printed takeout menus are still one of the best printed promotional tools that restaurants can use. Consumers are more interested in ordering food ahead of time for takeout, and having a menu visible when hunger hits really boosts your brand to the top of your consumer's mind. See how takeout menus are one of the most functional and valuable tools for your restaurant business.
Strategically Situated Items
Restaurant menus are highly tailored, and often tweaked multiple times a year by consultants or managers to ensure that consumers are selecting items that are the most profitable and pleasing to their tastes.
If a menu isn't easy to read, consumers can become confused and take additional time before placing their order, which may lead them to look elsewhere. Guests are easily confused and overwhelmed when there are too many choices presented. Restaurants often try to limit their choices to a maximum of seven options per food segment to reduce the chance that people will default to a known option that may be less expensive.
Shifting Consumer Habits
Rachel V. noticed that her restaurant was gaining significantly higher dollars from takeout orders than at any time in the past.
In order to capitalize on this trend, Rachel decided to work with her local print shop to create a friendly takeout menu that highlighted a variety of their in-house favorites that were less likely to lose quality if they were boxed and transported elsewhere.
While customers were welcome to order anything on the main restaurant's menu for takeout, the items the team added to the takeout menu were the "recommended" options. Rachel decided that not only could she use the menu as a functional piece that listed their phone number to call ahead for orders and the appetizers and entrees that they offered, but also as a promotional vehicle to offer seasonal discounts and special deals.
Smart Menu Design
Rachel knew that creating a takeout menu with enough food variety to interest her clientele was important.
With the limited amount of space available on the printed takeout menu, Rachel decided to leverage the space by putting visual cues around the most expensive items. This served to set these foods apart and draw the eye with small pockets of negative space.
She also decided to get a little creative with the descriptions of the food that she added to the menu. Oddly enough, she soon noticed that these menus were drawing in new customers -- customers who were purchasing some of the higher-priced options that her traditional visitors were not necessarily drawn to.
As time went on, Rachel continued playing with the options that were on her restaurant's takeout menu. Seasonal favorites were added, coupons made an appearance, and special items were a high point for returning customers who valued the convenience of being able to order their food ahead of time. The small print runs offered by her local print shop allowed her the flexibility that she needed to test, adjust and test again!
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