the best kijiji ad ever?

By: Tad | Published: May 6, 2011 · 4 Comments

This is a super funny example of being really clear on your ideal client and not settling for anything else.

1998 Subaru Impreza Wagon

OK, let me start off by saying this Impreza is only available for purchase by the manliest of men (or women). My friend, if it was possible for a vehicle to sprout chest hair and a five o’clock shadow, this Subaru would look like Tom Selleck. It is just that manly.

It was never intended to drive to the mall so you can pick up that adorable shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch that you had your eye on. It wasn’t meant to transport you to yoga class or Bed Bath and Beyond. No, that’s what your Prius is for. If that’s the kind of car you’re looking for, then just do us all a favor and stop reading right now. This car has been to hell and back, twice, and has the scars to prove it. So if you can’t handle being seen behind the wheel of this biblical, fire breathing, dragon slaying, nazi killing hero because it has a few purle hearts, move on.

This wagon was engineered by 3rd degree ninja pirate super-warriors in the highest mountains of Japan to serve the needs of the man that cheats death on a daily basis. They didn’t even consider superfluous nancy boy amenities like navigation systems (real men don’t get lost), heated leather seats (a real man doesn’t let anything warm his butt), or On Star (real men don’t even know what On Star is).

No, this brute comes with the things us testosterone-fueled super action junkies need. It has a 137 HP engine to outrun the cops and a 5 speed tranmission so you know grandma wont be taking off with it when your not looking. It’s saved my bacon more than once. It’s got special blood/gore resistant upholstery. It even has a first-aid kit in the back. You know what the first aid kit has in it? A pint of whiskey, a stitch-your-own-wound kit and a hunk of leather to bite down on when you’re operating on yourself.

My price on this bad boy is an incredibly low $2000 but I’ll entertain reasonable offers. And by reasonable, I mean don’t walk up and tell me you’ll give me $500 for it. That’s liable to earn you a Burmese-roundhouse-sphincter-kick with a follow up three fingered eye-jab. Would it hurt? Hell yeah. Let’s just say you won’t be the prettiest guy at the Coldplay concert anymore.

There’s only 183 000 km’s on this all-wheel drive hellcat from Planet Kickass. Trust me, it will outlive you and the offspring that will carry your name. It will live on as a monument to your machismo.

Now, go look in the mirror and tell me what you see. If it’s a rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double, then reply to this ad. I might be out hang-gliding or BASE jumping or just chilling with my lady, but leave a message and I’ll get back to you. And when I do, we’ll talk about a price over a nice glass of Schmidt while we listen to Johnny Cash.

It passed its last e-test and safety with flying colours but is being sold as-is.

God bless

If you’d like get cool posts like this in your inbox every few days CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog and you’ll also get a free copy of my fancy new ebook “Marketing for Hippies” when it’s done.

| Categories: Funny, Niche Marketing - Tags: authenticity, niche

part time entrepreneurs rejoice!

By: Tad | Published: April 30, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I just came across a very cool business network called IAMPTE that’s coming from a very different point of view in business – ‘it’s okay to be a part time entrepreneur!‘

As I learned about it from Calgary based founder Kim Page Gluckie (pictured right), it struck me the immense pressure most entrepreneurs feel to make it big, build their empire and go full time. As if to not do that would be to fail.

The main things I want you to focus on here is the text book example she’s giving you about niche marketing, becoming a hub.

We did a little interview and I think what she has to share has a lot of important things to say about quality of life for entrepreneurs.

What is IAMPTE?

IAMPTE is the world’s first (well, actually only) organization that champions, advocates and supports motivated part-time entrepreneurs. It is a hub that connects the right people and information suited specifically to those with limited time and limited funds because of their part-time status, but recognizing they are limited in their enthusiasm or opportunity.

How did it start? What was the need you saw in the world that spurned this?

It started as I recognized that work from home dads, soon-to-retire employees and students creating their own businesses had all the same challenges as mom entrepreneurs, but without a support system that really resonated.

It also came from many conversations with clients over how much time they wasted or money they wasted making really poor business decisions because they just didn’t know who to trust and they didn’t know who to ask – the need I saw was evident in the tears shed in these conversations and more times than I can count hearing the words “I didn’t know what to do until I met you, I was going to quit trying”.

They do trust me to give sensible, affordable advice. I attract other trustworthy experts and felt I needed to take a leap to bring the right information together with the right people into a hub of knowledge and information sharing that makes sense for people who are really motivated to succeed, even if they are growing their business “on the side” of the rest of their life.

The real clincher for me though was when I went to pay $700 to renew my annual membership in the recognized international association for my marketing communications discipline and just couldn’t do it. It was far too expensive for how little it resonated with my actual business life. At that moment I realized there is no structured, information based organization available to me at all. So I created one. At a price I could afford.

What’s your vision for your members? What is it you’re working to help them achieve?

My vision for members to help them create a realistic view of what success looks like for them individually based on a blend of what they want to achieve in their business and the reason they are choosing to be part-time – which is usually a values decision (other commitments they won’t give up). And then, my vision is to give them access to a very specific set of tools, information and practical steps to act on that make sense to the part-time entrepreneur who really has little time or money to make mistakes. I want them to stop wasting their money on programs and strategies suited to entrepreneurs who have committed full time to their pursuit, and to understand that profitability comes from not what they spend, but rather what they do that fits them and nobody else.

What makes this different from other business networks?

This is different from other networks because its core premise is teaching over networking – and I’ve spent time finding exactly the right experts with the exact right knowledge that PTEs need who are donating customized articles and information because they believe in this mission as much as I do. Networking and supporting each other is an organic side effect of IAMPTE that is already truly amazing… it is literally changing people’s business lives. But it stems from access to trusted advice that can be acted on immediately in any realm of online or traditional marketing.

How are you marketing this right now? What have you been finding works best?

While I am the founder and owner of IAMPTE, there are 16 other experts in the community donating their expertise with exclusive content and their time to promote the organization through their networks. Most of the sharing about our organization has been through social media, with equal response on Facebook (www.facebook.com/iampte) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/iampte).

We just launched in February so there are many marketing plans not yet rolled out, and evaluation that hasn’t happened yet. Part of our ongoing strategy will be traditional and grassroots. We will be launching chapters and holding live workshop-style meetings yet this Spring in three cities. I anticipate that our core membership will grow from the live communities, and those relationships will be nurtured in the online communities.

How do you make money at this? Or what’s the plan?

IAMPTE is a paid membership organization at an affordable $199, with an affiliate program of 5% for anyone who signs up and posts an attractive badge claiming to BE or SUPPORT PTEs on their website.

While this organization is part of my business, and it is intended to generate revenue for me personally, it is also an opportunity for me to align with charitable causes that have similar values such as Kiva.org, to which we’ve already topped up two loans, and Calgary’s Making Changes to which we are donating a special gift at YYCTwestival.

The plan is also to invite community leaders with business knowledge to become chapter leaders – those leaders have opportunity to earn 80% profits from events they run in their own cities. It’s a very sharing model. IAMPTE complements my core business at MPowered Marketing. As an expert, like the other experts, it is a platform to showcase my small business marketing talents to support my marketing training, speaking and consulting business.

What’s your take on why so many part-time entrepreneurs fail?

I’m not convinced more part-time entrepreneurs fail than full time.

In fact, when factoring the direct selling industries (I consider home party consultants who are earning a living to be entrepreneurial in their own success-driven ways), part-time entrepreneurs may be more successful as a category.

But I do have some ideas on where any entrepreneurial “failure” stems from.

First, they have a clever idea but didn’t realize they had to become sensible business people and smart marketers themselves in order to actually succeed.

Second, they compare themselves endlessly to the success of others or how successful they think they should be – without pausing to define what success actually looks like and the steps to get there.

Third, they waste so much money making poor decisions based on the wrong advice or by “winging it” that they end up heartbroken – and often scared to keep going because they used the grocery money as startup cash and can’t afford more mistakes. And finally, not unique to part-time entrepreneurs, they aren’t passionate enough about what they are doing to see it through.

It seems like a lot of people feel like they either need to be a FULL time entrepreneur or nothing. Like being part time = failure – what’s your take on that?

Nobody can define what failure is or success is but the person in their own shoes.

There are “business experts” who would say if you don’t go all in, you can’t win.

I started my first company the day after a female, childless media mogul who I’d previously admired told me in answer to a question “women running businesses while raising families cannot succeed”. It made me so angry I was shaking. I have been proving her wrong personally every day since then, and have found myself surrounded by men and women who are succeeding part-time like me. But again… define fail?

IAMPTE has a wholistic view of what success is. Making profit while also being a good employee, parent, volunteer or student is success. Part-time success simply takes longer for most… which actually has business advantages… if someone can envision their success on a 3 year or 5 year roadmap, it helps overlook the small ‘f’ failures or mistakes and build on them. Part-time in business = whole life success in my opinion. Also in my experience.

9) What are top three keys to success for part-time entrepreneurs?

First: Spending money with a trusted expert to create a professional presence. Even $500 on a great logo plus a Facebook page creates a professional presence over a DIY Blogger page. Ideally, spending $2500-$5000 on a brand development process + logo + web design is enough to look like the professional they intend to be. Often, that is all they need to spend for an entire year if they are savvy about building their business beyond that.

Second: Defining what success actually means in order to avoid becoming defeated by comparisons to full time entrepreneurs doing the same thing, and to be able to recognize success from a whole life point of view. Success for most part-time entrepreneurs has to have a monetary goal with it, but more so, it’s aligned with values – making a difference, role modeling, educating, having personal freedom, feeling joy in their work. Really taking time to review this frequently helps stay passionate and committed when business gets hard – and it does often when you are a PTE in the first 3 to 5 years.

Third: Becoming a business/marketing expert for their own business is essential. They must become confident in their ability to make good decisions for their business so they can be responsive to the right opportunities, create/seek out the right opportunities, and save money for when expert help is actually required. This is why I teach marketing, even while consulting. PTEs cannot and should not take every course available nor should they hire every recommended expert. Even if they have the cash flow to afford it, they don’t have the time. There is a time and a place for hiring expert help, and they need to be pragmatic about when and who that is (like professional visual brand)… but even when hiring help, they must approach it as if they are learning it to do the work themselves.

For more information on IAMPTE – check out their website at: http://iampte.com/

| Categories: becoming a hub, Case Studies of Inspiring Business, Niche Marketing, quality of life - Tags: becoming a hub, niche, real, relevance, trusted advisor

winnipeg, wounds and three lessons from my tour

By: Tad | Published: April 15, 2011 · 5 Comments

12:51pm: I’m sitting here in the Calgary airport on my way to Winnipeg where I’ll be leading a little workshop tonite for green and local businesses and a full weekend for holistic practitioners.

I’m sitting here because I missed my flight due to bad weather. Oh Alberta.

But WestJet reminded me of why I love them so much. I was feeling cranky about missing my flight and then I hear, “Theodore Hargrave? Theodore Hargrave?” I look up thinking maybe I’d left something on the plane. But it’s a cheerful WestJet lady coming to me with my next flight already booked and a $10 meal vouchure. Impressed. WestJet I love you for little touches like this.

Tour Lesson #1: Take good care of your clients. It feels good to not be forgotten – but remembered, valued and taken care of. It’s an awful feeling to feel like you slipped through the cracks.

12:31am – Twelve hours later here I am in Winnipeg. I’m staying in the apartment of a lady I’ve never met. She heard that I might not have enough people to justify the costs of the trip so she said, “You can stay at my place and I’ll stay with a friend this weekend if it helps your costs.”

It saved me $350 at the hostel. And I have a place to myself in Winnipeg. which. feels. amazing.

This trip has been such a funny thing.

Last Monday (10 days ago) there were three people registered in my weekend workshop and as of now there are 18 paid people (plus three guests).

And as near as I can figure it – here’s what turned it around . . .

I sent them this email:

hey there winnipeg friends,

okay. so here’s the important update . . .

at this moment I don’t have enough people to come out to lead my
weekend workshop – “Marketing 101 for Holistic Practitioners” (April
15-17th).

(and that’s alright – sometimes it’s just not the right timing).

but! the situation isn’t without hope.

I want to invite your support and give it one last, good old college
try this week for a few reasons:

- posters just went up last week
– myself and some others have worked really hard to pull this together
– I hear Winnipeg is a last minute town and I suspect there might be
some folks who are on the fence
– there’s still the ad in the Aquarian
– alex baisley was just in town and talking me up a bunch so that could help.

here are THREE ways you can help:

1) personally email your holistic practitioner friends (I’ve included
an email below you can send out)

2) spread the word via facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190533860968657

3) sign up if you’re on the fence or just haven’t gotten around to
RSVPing: http://www.marketing101forholisticpractitioners.com/weekend.php

I’m going to make the decision about whether or not to do it by friday
afternoon at 4pm MST – so the sooner I hear from you the better.

again – if the timing just isn’t right at this moment – that’s
wonderful. I’ll come back in the fall. If it comes together magically
– that’s also wonderful. There’s no pressure at all to attend or
spread the word – but there is a timeline on the decision and your
help could make a huge difference.

Thanks to all for the immense warmth and support I’ve received thus
far. And I hope you’re enjoying spring as much as I am. Fi.na.lly.

For more info or to register:

http://www.marketing101forholisticpractitioners.com/weekend.php

warmest
tad

p.s. Below is an email you can send to your friends. Thanks so much !

Hey there,

Just wanted to give you a heads up about a workshop happening in
Winnipeg the weekend of April 15th. It’s a weekend long marketing
workshop for holistic practitioners and life coaches. And it’s run
totally on a pay what you can basis. You attend the whole thing and
then pay whatever you want at the very end of it.

Thought it might be up your alley.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.marketing101forholisticpractitioners.com/weekend.php

And you might want to sign up asap because right now it’s on the fence
of whether there are enough people to make it work. He’s making his
decision Friday, April 8th at 5pm CST if there are enough people to
make it work.

Let me know if you decide to go!

And that seemed to make a big difference. Hooray for people really wanting me to come to Winnipeg.

Tour Lesson #2: Tell the truth. If you don’t have the numbers – just be honest and tell people and let go of it working out. People might just rally. And then hustle.

And then tonite, I led a little workshop at Hollow Reed here in Winnipeg. I was here leading a workshop last October and was completely charmed by the place and the people running it.

Tonite we had an intimate little group of seven people who were all just the cat’s pajamas.

A highlight of the evening for me was when we were talking about this whole question of niche.

Because it was a small group we could go around and have everyone share what niche they wanted to fiddle with. One woman – a spiritual counselor – shared that she felt kind of stuck.

winnipeg workshop 300x225 winnipeg, wounds and three lessons from my tour

participants of the winnipeg workshop

“I love to work with the entire family to help them resolve things. Get everyone together. But, I feel like a bit of a fraud because I wasn’t able to do that with my family. I’ve done all I can but they’re not wanting to fix things.”

I could feel where she was coming from. How can you promise to take someone on a journey you were unable to complete yourself. If you’ve ever tried to position yourself in that way – it’s really stressful.

“Well . . . maybe,” I offered. “Your best niche is to work with people who’ve been unable to heal the difficulties in their family and are now left with trying to heal themselves and deal with the realities of that. And maybe you might even end up working with the whole family down the road . . . but why not start with those people? That’s a path you’ve absolutely walked down yourself.”

Her eyes widened, “I could do that and feel so authentic about that . . .”

Tour Lesson #3: Your deepest wounds are your truest niche. I felt a bit like I was channeling my colleagues Alex Baisley or Jeffrey Van Dyk. Jeffrey often speaks about how your truest niche is often to be found in your deepest wounds (go watch the video!).

There’s a landscape each of us know intimately through our own life – and she knew this one. She’s the perfect guide for someone else’s journey because she’s already done it herself. When we’re in that sweet spot there’s no need to posture or feel scared of being found out. We’re standing firmly in the strength of our wounds. We’re authentic.

We’re offering our own experience and wisdom (gained from hard won experience) to the world.

What a beautiful thing.

| Categories: Niche Marketing, Tad's Travels - Tags: authenticity, niche

Is Yours a Niche …or a Pigeon-Hole?

By: Tad | Published: April 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Knowing who you’re trying to reach matters. And yet – there are so many ways it can go wrong. Here’s one way – the ‘arbitrary niche’.

Is Yours a Niche …or a Pigeon-Hole?

by Andy Andrews on November 4, 2010

from http://www.enlightenedmarketing.com

If you are a regular reader of the Enlightened Marketing blog, you have probably heard us talk about the importance of finding your niche. Indeed, a niche is really the heart of any strong brand.

After all, a brand – at its core – is a promise that you can solve a specific problem for a specific target audience, and a niche is a specific subsection of that audience. The more clearly the audience and the solution are defined, the easier your brand is to communicate. We all know that a clearly defined brand is at the core of successful marketing. So far, so good.

“Now,” I know you’re thinking, “A really specific, well-defined niche is the key to my brand and my business success!” Oops, hold on there just a second.

Not Just Any Niche Will Do

Let me start with an example, a niche that I heard of recently: “weight loss for female entrepreneurs.” At first blush, this sounds great. It targets a select group of people (female entrepreneurs) and a certain problem or desired solution (weight loss). Therein lies the problem, though. Notice, I said that this niche targets a specific group and a specific problem, not a specific group with a specific problem.

To read more of this article CLICK HERE.

| Categories: Niche Marketing - Tags: niche

yogi beans teaching yoga to kids

By: Tad | Published: February 5, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I’m sitting here in the Minneapolis Airport on my way to New York tonite.

And I get an email from my new friend and colleague Joe Noonan. He’s cc’d his friend Lauren to introduce us. He says,

I don’t know if Tad is coming to NYC to give a talk or workshop, but if he is, I encourage you to go and make a connection. The distinction between strategies of the old and new economies will inspire you.

Hilarious. I love it when this happens.

And Lauren’s business is a great example of a yoga business focusing on a niche marketing in action. If you live in Los Angeles or New York and know of some parents who’d like to see their kids get into this kind of positive and fun environment, I’d go check out their website now – http://www.yogibeans.com

Their website says . . .

Yogi Beans is a yoga-for-kids’ experience designed to help children develop better body awareness, coordination, flexibility and enhance self-confidence. Yoga is a wonderful way to introduce a physical activity that is both noncompetitive and nonjudgmental.

Through the physical movements, children are introduced to yoga’s true meaning: union, expression and honor for oneself. In addition to the physical poses, we explore the spirit of yoga where the significance of positive thinking and the maintenance of a healthy positive self-image are emphasized. Sprinkled with music, picture books and other age-appropriate props, children are introduced to the world of yoga and inspired to awaken their inner yogi and yogini!

I think my favourite bit was their point of view on the core elements of this work. If I had kids I would want all four of these things for my kids . . .

The Elements of Yogi Beans

Non-competitive physical exercise

Focus and concentration

Stillness and relaxation

Fun and playful class spirit!

If you’d like get cool posts like this in your inbox every few days CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog and you’ll also get a free copy of my fancy new ebook “Marketing for Hippies” when it’s done.

| Categories: Case Studies of Inspiring Business, Niche Marketing - Tags: niche, Yoga

the cool vegetarian blog

By: Tad | Published: February 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment

A nine minute video. I met Jeff Golfman almost 15 years ago in California.

We lost touch for a while but then got back in touch recently. He spoke about how he’d been raw vegan for so many years and I could feel his passion around it. He was looking to shift careeers but couldn’t figure out what or how. The threads he knew were fitness and the whole vegan and vegetarian world.

I suggested that he might start a blog and he made it clear that he didn’t want it to be another blog of recipes or the ‘science’ behind why a plant based, raw diet is better. The theme of having a great lifestyle kept coming through.

“So, create a blog about that.” I suggested. “And call it The Cool Vegetarian.” Watch the video below to see the results of this latest case study.

Jeff wasn’t sure exactly what a blog was or how to use it (if you need a primer on what a blog is just click here)

And, even better – go check out his site:

http://thecoolvegetarian.com/blog/home/

| Categories: becoming a hub, Branding, Case Studies of Inspiring Business, Niche Marketing, Social Media - Tags: becoming a hub, blogs, building trust, marketing 2.0, niche, online marketing, pink spoons, relevance, stories

jewelry marketing genius

By: Tad | Published: January 25, 2011 · 2 Comments

A few months back, when I was in Toronto, I met a woman named Jane Dallin (pictured right) who sold jewelry.

The more we spoke the more impressed I was with her marketing street smarts and hustle. Somehow, it came out, she’d managed to get the hosts of MTV’s shows to be wearing her stuff. Say what?

She also clearly had a very solid intuitive understanding of niche marketing based of the separate lines of jewelry that she sold.

I asked her some questions and she gave me some answers. And here it is.

company name?

SOOS Rocks

website?

www.soosrocks.com

what do you sell?

We sell hand-made designer fashion jewelry for men & women. Using stainless steel, vintage brasses, found objects, and semi-precious stones we create necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more.

SOOS Rocks has 3 main collections: House of Rock which is our unisex line that is geared towards men & women that are looking for slightly edgier pieces that are inspired by rock music, urban culture, and individuality.

Our Duchess collection is more girly and frivolous and is inspired by childhood keepsakes, and antiquities, and lastly our Believe line is based in world religions, spirituality, and what inspires people.

how did you market your jewelry when you first started?

When Bryn (Bryn Nihill) and I (Jane Dallin) first started out we marketed our jewelry quite literally at the base level. Making local appointments with small independent stores, showing them our wares, and growing the brand slowly. We made sure to be accommodating to buyer’s budgets, and didn’t have any minimum orders so that it would be easier on a retail store, allowing us to establish some initial roots.

how did you land the MTV gig? and what has resulted from that?

We heard through our friend that worked in the accounting department at MTV that the stylist for all the hosts of the shows were looking for a new accessories provider.

We packed up our samples and immediately headed over.

We armed ourselves with everything we thought would be perfect for the genre and managed to land a short meeting with the stylist. After showing our line, and chatting about how we thought that SOOS Rocks was a great fit for them, they agreed to use our jewelry!

We are also extremely flexible and made them aware of that. We then set up a time to go in and showcase our complete line to everyone there and have them select the looks that each host wanted. It was a great pairing, and we built a solid relationship with a lot of people at MTV as a whole.

This has allowed us access to a number of special events, and intern, we have met many celebrities and musicians that we have were able to get our jewelry on! This was especially great for our American customers who seem to be a bit more interested in celebrity culture, where “who’s wearing” your goods holds a lot more weight.

how do you get famous people, iinfluencers and hubs to wear your stuff? and what’s the impact of that?

I think the best way to get celebrities, and influencers to wear your product is to create as many relationships as you can.

When you have an opportunity to socialize and meet new people in design, media, film etc. you need to make sure that you take it, and don’t shy away. Be it going to certain galas held by art institutions, film events, launch parties, CD releases etc., and if you see someone that you consider to be an influencer, then you need to walk right up to them and introduce yourself and go from there! Also, I think it’s great to be involved with charities and special events.

Organizers and PR companies are always looking for ways to impress their clients, and if you become their “go to” resource for “gifting” the rewards can be colossal! We’ve met a lot of editors, actors, and people who are interested in new and exciting things by donating, participating, and contributing as individuals, and as designers.

Offer your product as a prize, an auction item, and always look the part too! If you are decked out in your goods people usually notice and want to inquire about who you are and what you do! It can result in magazine features, television appearances, and ultimately sales!

why do you think most jewelers struggle so much with marketing their stuff?

I think most jewelry designers struggle with marketing their work because they are used to operating behind the scenes for the most part.

When you have a passion that you would like to turn into a business you have to wear many “hats” and if you never fancied yourself an entrepreneur you may become overwhelmed by all the hoops you are finding yourself jumping through just to get things off the ground! A lot of designers love to design and wish they could leave the business side of things to someone else.

This might mean partnering up with someone that is excited to market your product, where you can create a successful business for the both of you. But, if it’s you, and you alone, just take things slow. Don’t get overwhelmed, and think of the top 5 things you can do get your goods out into the world, and put goals in place to make that happen. Slow and steady always wins the race.

what’s your take on Etsy?

I think Etsy is a great venue for people to sell their designs because it gets their work in front of a broader audience.

Etsy is especially great for one-of-a-kind pieces, or vintage findings, and is a relatively seamless way to show as much work as possible! It is also a great space for designers who sell a niche product. For example if your designs are more eccentric and you are unsure of where your product fits in a traditional retail environment, Etsy allows you an entrance into a huge marketplace, and the possibility to make some great money!

I think designers could definitely benefit from taking some time to comb through all the intricacies of the site, as there is a lot of information on there about how to become a top seller!

any other advice for other jewelry makers and crafters?

I think the best advice I could give to artisans and designers is to keep creating what you love, be as proud as a peacock for taking the road less traveled, and start getting the word out as best you can! Create an on-line presence for yourself, keep getting your goods in front of as many people as possible, and continue making as many connections as you can.

It will pay off in the end, as everyone loves to brag about the amazing things they’ve found, and the cool people who are making them.

If you’d like get cool posts like this in your inbox every few days CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog and you’ll also get a free copy of my fancy new ebook “Marketing for Hippies” when it’s done.

| Categories: Arts Marketing, becoming a hub, Case Studies of Inspiring Business, Networking, Niche Marketing - Tags: becoming a hub, niche

Big Circle, Little Circles

By: Tad | Published: December 21, 2010 · 31 Comments

Niching.

Gah.

This is the toughest nut to crack.

It can feel a bit like this picture – “So. Many. Blueberries. Which do I pick?“

If we think of just picking one – we feel this sense of, “Oh no! I’m missing out on all the others! I’m limiting myself.” but if we try to go after all of them at once – our mouth isn’t that big. And that feels overwhelming. “Where do I start?“

Luckily, there’s another way forward.

There’s a lot to it but, over the past few months I’ve come up with a process and structure that seems to be helping a lot of people work through it all a bit more easily.

And I wanted to share it with you as my holiday gift. Just watch the seven minute or so video below (and there are funny jokes at the very end too!). It was made by my new pals from Ottawa at Bindu Productions. Check out their stuff – they can help you create a kick ass video like this – or also a super affordable and gorgeous website.

So . . . Big Circle, Little Circle.

Here are a bunch more examples as a scanned hand drawn image in this free PDF . . .

FREE & CHARMING PDF: Big & Little Circles

Two things I’d love to get from you:

1) Feedback: Does the make sense? I would love your feedback and questions here – this is a new thing I’m working out and I want to make sure it’s clear.

2) What are your circles? Leave them in the comment box below with your website. Who knows? You might just get a clients out of it …

| Categories: marketing strategy, Niche Marketing - Tags: niche

Specialization: The Next Step for Chinese Medicine in the West

By: Tad | Published: October 8, 2010 · 2 Comments

I just hung out with Rob Helmer. He’s practitioner of Chinese medicine based out of Toronto. He mentioned he’d written an article about the importance of specialization. I said to him, “Rob,” I said. “Could I post this on my blog?” And here we are.

Over the past thirty years, the practice of Chinese Medicine [CM] outside of China has been increasing by leaps and bounds! I’m sure those of you who have been in the profession for a while have witnessed this exciting progression.

Moreover, professional development opportunities and materials have had no choice but to follow the same pattern. For example, Chinese medical literature in Western languages including standardized translations of common CM terms have improved in quality and increased in number.

As well, the quality of education in CM schools has evolved from weekend courses to full-time programs of four years in length and doctorate programs. Ultimately, high quality post-graduate courses are becoming more accessible to today’s CM practitioner.

It is indeed fantastic that we have come so far.

The logical next question we may ask is, “What is the next step for CM in the West?”

Without a doubt, the short answer to this question is “specialization.” Unlike most other forms of alternative medicine, CM has a long history of specializations in various areas including traumatology, pediatrics, dermatology, and gynecology, just to name a few.

To date, however, the notion of specializing in one discipline within CM has yet to be widely accepted and embraced by practitioners in the Western world. Seven years ago, I chose to specialize in CM pediatrics and haven’t looked back. This article discusses both the why’s and how’s of becoming a CM specialist.

“It is much better to have one sharp knife than nine dull ones”

Originally, I chose to practice CM because I wanted to offer a form of medicine to the public that was effective in treating many different illnesses using several modalities. Much to my surprise, while studying in China for the first time, I discovered that most doctors are trained in a specialized branch of CM and use only one form of treatment with great expertise.

“It is much better to have one sharp knife than nine dull ones” is a poignant saying what one of my first CM teachers shared with me in response to my question “Why specialize?” Then the simple truth dawned on me…expertly using only one modality or treating only one group of diseases allows a Chinese medical practitioner to be better able to evaluate a potential patient and treat them quickly and effectively.

My Top Ten Benefits of Having a Chinese Medical Specialty…

The practitioner is better able to understand and treat a specific condition.

Patients improve faster which leads to more referrals.

The general public is more confident when under the care of a specialist and you gain better credibility from other health care providers.

Specializing allows you to attract the population of patients you truly enjoy treating.

Being unique allows you to separate yourself from others in your profession and you will actually receive referrals from other acupuncturists and herbalists.

Your target population increases in number because patients will travel from a distance to see you.

You become able to develop unique treatment approaches that will help further generations.

It’s easier to market yourself to the media and the general public.

Specializing allows you to focus your energy and time into one area of expertise; it also allows you to be more confident in your treatments and therefore under less stress.

Special knowledge is always more highly valued than general knowledge, which means you can charge what you are really worth for your time.

How do I become a specialist?

Good question! Below are what I consider to be the five most important steps in successfully making the transition from general practitioner to CM specialist.

a) Passion for the Subject – this is first on my list for a reason. You should choose a subject that you are passionate about. I love kids! Furthermore, helping children is a topic of interest that has always been close to my heart. As a result, when I decided to specialize, pediatrics was an easy and natural choice for me. Your decision to specialize in a particular area of CM is likely to be based on your personal experience and/or the influence of an inspiring teacher.

b) Logic – The yin side of passion is logic and together, these two entities create balance. It’s a wise decision to specialize in an area where modern medicine has experienced limited success. Logically, if you focus on the diseases that modern medicine treats effectively fewer patients will seek out alternative healthcare providers such as yourself. The manifestation of this basic logic has resulted in some of the pioneers of CM specialties.

Logic would also require you to specialize in treating a disease that taps into a large patient population. For example, 25% of people suffer from a skin problem making dermatology an excellent option for specialization.

Remember, from a patient’s perspective CM isn’t always the easiest course of treatment; so it is important to choose conditions which the sufferers are determined to seek help for. Infertility is a promising option because many patients are willing to spend the money and commit to the treatment if it will enhance their ability to conceive.

Fortunately, options for CM practitioners are virtually open when choosing a specialty because modern medicine has fallen short in the area of effectively treating modern medical (especially chronic) diseases.

c) Post-graduate studies: Find books, journal articles, or courses that discuss the subject you are interested in from a CM perspective. In addition, search or study the subject from a modern medical point of view so that you can discuss the disease(s) with other health professionals (who are possible referral sources).

A vast knowledge base will also come in handy when discussing with the patient past, present and future treatments options. It may also be wise to speak with other alternative medicine practitioners to find out if they treat these disorders and how effective the treatment is.

d) Clinical Practice with Various Specialists – For those of you seeking specialist training, the information gold mine can be found in China. But be forewarned… not all doctors in China are created equal and many are more interested in modern medicine rather than traditional Chinese medicine.

Another advantage of China is the vast number of patients a doctor can see on any given day resulting in the ability to more readily discover effective treatments. I recommend that you study with multiple specialists and from this experience, develop your own unique approach. Most importantly, this potpourri of clinical experience will instill your confidence in CM as being able to effectively treat the conditions you are choosing to specialize in.

e) Learn to Read Chinese – In modern medicine, doctors are responsible for reviewing current medical journals in order to keep their knowledge base up to date. The same principal applies for the informed practice Chinese medicine.

This means reading the medical journals written in China and other parts of Asia where CM is more widely accepted and there is extensive periodical literature and research. The good news – there are thousands of research articles written every year on each specialty. The bad news – these articles are written in Chinese.

Therefore, if you can’t read Chinese, you can’t tap into this plethora of information. Take it from someone who has learned to translate Chinese medical literature – it’s not has hard as you think and it does not take as long as you think. I took a night course on Basic Chinese for six months at the local university and independently studied the language an additional two hours per day.

After this time, I was able to translate my first CM article into English. This article took me two weeks to translate (in my spare time) and definitely needed editing. Dedicating the time to learning Chinese allowed me to instantly access useful information that had previously been unavailable.

The experience of translating my first article convinced me to begin working on another. My second article on the same subject took half the time to translate and every article since is progressively easier. Remember, choosing to specialize in a specific area of CM dramatically limits the number of characters you will need to learn.

For those of you interested in learning to read medical Chinese, there is a wide variety of resources available today that will take years off this once rigorous process. These resources include books, classes and computer programs.

I highly recommend Nigel Wiseman’s books and recently purchased the Wenlin program which is a computerized dictionary that makes translating much more efficient. Other translating programs are available that literally translate scanned articles for you, but you will need a sufficient language base in order to use these programs to avoid mistranslation.

Upon completing these five steps, you will need to develop promotional materials such as a website, written articles for relevant publications, and brochures to name a few. You may also want to become involved in organizations or support groups that assist the patient demographic you have chosen to serve.

Ultimately, choosing to specialize in CM pediatrics is the best career decision I have made.

By specializing in this particular area, I have experienced both professional and financial gains. My practice continues to grow every year and Blue Poppy Press has published my journal translations as well as my first book, Treatment of Pediatric Bed-wetting with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

In addition to sharing the knowledge I have gained with others through written media, I have also began teaching post-graduate courses on the treatment of children with Chinese herbal medicine. Ultimately, my personal drive is based on one simple revelation… the knowledge that is gained today will affect the state of Chinese medicine tomorrow and for many years to come.

Rob Helmer lives and practices in Toronto and is the author of The Treatment of Pediatric Enuresis with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, from Blue Poppy Press. In it, you will find over 150 clinically implemented CM treatments proven to be effective. For more information visit his website www.roberthelmer.ca. Meet Rob at our Toronto clinic.

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| Categories: Niche Marketing - Tags: niche

Tour Stop #2: Winnipeg (Day One)

By: Tad | Published: October 1, 2010 · 3 Comments

Thursday Night:

I am in love with Winnipeg.

My old friend Jeff Golfman picked me up at the airport today (arriving from Tour Stop #1 in Calgary yesterday.

And he drove me straight to Woolsley.

IMG 0455 Tour Stop #2: Winnipeg (Day One)

My friend Jeff's loft.

Woolsley is the cool, hippy neighbourhood in town. It’s full of old quaint houses and big old trees that are covering the streets and yards with their beautiful autumn leaves.

I am completely charmed.

Winnipeg: will you marry me?

But, it gets better.

I’m staying at Jeff’s 5000 sq ft. office and loft apartment (pictured on the left). It’s gorgeous and the perfect space in which to relax and catch up on emails. And Saturday night we’re having a secret party here! Woot.

Tonite I led my first workshop at the incredible holistic center that is Hollow Reed Holistic (pictured here). The Hollow Reed started five years ago as an herbal apothecary. It’s run by Chad Cornell (a Master Herbalist) and his wife Nancy Hall and overflows with the best and most welcoming community vibes. Two months ago they opened up a broader holistic center with a group of other practitioners and they’ve got this neat little workshop space.

They’ve clearly become a hub in Winnipeg for cool, holistic things.

Chad Cornell

I showed up earlier today to check out the space and make sure everything was okay – only to be warmly welcomed by Kalee who worked there. And then Chad (pictured to the left) came out of his session and made me some amazing tea blend to help with my cough. Plus this incredibly bitter root to chew. It’s terrible tasting so it must be good medicine!

And then at I led my ‘Marketing 101 for Green and Local Businesses‘ workshop to a packed crowd. We got 30 people in the space – and I don’t think we could have fit too many more folks in there.

I talked about Niche Marketing, coming up with Irresistible Offers, Hub Marketing and Word of Mouth.

Part way through, I invited Chad to come up to the front to be ‘hot seated’.

I asked him to share his ‘top three target markets’ he’d come up with during an exercise before the break. They were:

1) People really into natural medicine.

2) People who are ready to do the work.

3) People willing to pay for the work.

I asked the group, “Which of those is the clearest?“

They unanimously voted for #1 – people into natural medicine.

11winnipeg2 Tour Stop #2: Winnipeg (Day One)

Presenting at Hollow Reed in Winnipeg on Thursday Night

“Numbers two and three,” I pointed out. “Are great as criteria of your ideal client. They’re qualities you’d want in any client. But they’re not ‘target markets’. They’re not communities with shared needs or experiences.”

This is a huge distinction that most people fail to make – they confuse the ‘best client criteria’ with what a ‘niche’ is.

Your best client criteria are things like: they show up on time, they pay on time, they refer people, they do their homework, they refer people, they are open to feedback etc. It’s all the things you expect of your clients.

A niche is something like: doctors, lawyers, backpackers, vegans, Doctor Who fans, Buddhists, Burners, Crafters etc.

Big difference.

A niche is a tribe. The rest are the things you’d want in any client.

So, then we explored the first group: people interested in natural health using my philosophy of ‘Big Circle: Little Circles’ (which I promise to write about soon). I asked the crowd gathered to list all the specific groups that would be into natural healing. And the group delivered: holistic practitioners, yoga students, meditators, folks in the native community, folks in the Indian community etc.

I asked Chad to pick one of those more specific groups. He picked Yoga Studios.

So, we started to explore what kinds of ‘Offers’ he could make to connect more deeply with that crowd.

11winnipeg3 223x300 Tour Stop #2: Winnipeg (Day One)

Presenting at Hollow Reed Thursday night.

Jackie Avent, a friend of mine there, came up with a great idea of him going to Yoga studios to offer workshops on ‘cleansing’ since he works so deeply with herbs. I thought that was a great idea. If he even did one presentation per year at every yoga studio in town – he’d be connecting with a whole new crowd of people. And, if he came up with some sort of ‘next step’ offer for people after the workshop that could get them into his studio that would be great.

That ‘next step’ could be as simple as inviting them to join his email list, or offering them all a free 30 minute consult with him (and the chance to upgrade when they book), or perhaps it would be an invite to another workshop at his space.

And, on the theme of ‘becoming a hub‘ I also offered the idea of his hosting a gathering for all of the yoga studio owners and teachers in town to come to his space for a party or an intentional conversation around ‘how do we get more people in Winnipeg doing yoga?‘. And he could be honest about his intentions, ‘Yoga students are great clients for us – so, the better the yoga scene is doing – the better we will do.’

It was a beautiful night.