Savor the Success - Business Network for women entrepreneurs

In the five years since we have been in business, one thing I have learned (often the hard way) is to expect the unexpected. What happens when unexpected opportunities knock on your door? Do you scramble and spend a sleepless night in order to prepare for the opportunity? Or, do you have the tools and resources ready that will allow you to confidently and quickly respond? Having your marketing collateral ready can save you a lot of time and allow you to jump on unexpected opportunities.

So, are you prepared? Here are a few questions:

• Do you have a simple, concise one-page service, sales or media sheet ready if someone asks for a little more background on your company?
  
• If Real Simple calls and is interested in a featuring a product, do you have a media kit to send them?
  
• If you meet the perfect business contact will you be embarrassed when you hand over your business cards?

It is difficult to tackle all of these things at once (and budget is always a concern), so take it step-by-step. Organize and plan wisely.

• What marketing pieces are vital to your company? Start with these first, the rest can come later. Make a 3-month plan to get your marketing materials in order.
  
• What marketing pieces can you do without? Not every company needs a media kit or a service sheet. If budget is a factor really focus on those things that will generate the most revenue.
  
• Will an electronic version of your marketing piece do, or do you need a printed version?
  
• If you don’t have enough in your marketing budget to pay for professional design services, simple is the next best thing. If you are laying out your own collateral, choose an easy to read, professional looking font and keep the layout simple and concise. You can easily convert MS Word documents to a PDF that can be emailed or printed with a professional version of Adobe Acrobat or online.

The Result: If your marketing collateral is ready, you will feel confident in responding to unexpected opportunities.

The Lesson: Be prepared. Allocate some time each month to check in on your marketing collateral. Make sure everything is up-to-date and branded. You will be glad you did.