Starting a business of any size can be a daunting task. There are so many variables to consider, and as the owner of a new company, the prospect of failure is frightening when one considers the financial and emotional investment that goes into such a venture. When managing a small business, it is crucial to remember an important fact about every industry – there are ups and downs. This is particularly true for companies that have just started their ventures in any market.
According to a report by research group Accenture, it is important for investors and managers to take a wide look at the life of their business, Canada’s Globe and Mail reports. While a graph that is scaled over a long period of time may appear to denote a diagonal line going upwards, closer inspection reveals that there is always some back and forth. These are called s-curves, and they illustrate the concept that no idea, product or service is ever an instant or consistent success.
Something that may give hope to small business owners and marketers is the plausibility that promotional products can play a large role in enduring these variances. By their very nature, these marketing items are uniquely positioned to give confidence to company managers who worry about the growth rate of their business. Promotional products can be used to reach out to potential new customers, advertise a new service to existing clients, or simply remind the public of the company’s existence.
The cost-effective advertising and prospecting benefits of promotional products is partly due to their longevity. Unlike traditional media advertising, promotional products do not disappear once their message has been delivered. For example, promotional pens will constantly reappear in the home or office of a consumer and continually remind him about a product or service. This consistency can be of comfort to businesses, since the initial investment is bound to last for a much longer time than those of other marketing efforts.
Promotional products can also be quickly and easily varied. If a company is in the middle of a downward period of growth and it seems that nothing can be done to reverse course, an alternate promotional product campaign may be called for. Perhaps personalized mugs were part of an initial advertising attempt – renewed success may be found by using logo USB drives to raise brand awareness to a new target demographic or generation of clients. Regardless, the most important tactic for small business marketers and managers is to keep the faith and take the long view of things.