According to the most recent information supplied by Shane McMurray with The Wedding Report, the cost of weddings has risen 34% in Q3 over Q2 2009. That is good news. How about where you live? Do you see the wedding market in your area improving?
Go to http://www.theweddingreport.com for more information.
If you are feeling a little alone and wondering whether the slow sales you might be experiencing are unique to you and your business…the answer is: no. Many of us are experiencing slow sales. The reason can be found, in part, in the wedding statistics the Wedding Report has to offer. According to http://www.theweddingreport.com, wedding costs have dropped another 14%. What this means for the wedding industry is that couples are clutching their wedding dollars even tighter than before.
What is a small business to do in these tough economic times to combat this? We will be exploring this over the next several week in a series called: SBS (Small Business Survival)
Cheers!
~R~
By now, you have heard many times that you should protect your passwords. Old news, right? But…did you know that you should also put some thought into the password itself?
Passwords ought not to simply be keywords you know, they should be difficult to guess. Passwords that are birthdays, spouse/children names, birth cities, are too easy guess. Especially, if someone knows you or gains access to your computer via spyware technologies.
When setting your passwords, one best practice is to include characters, uppercase letters and numbers. Make your passwords at least nine (9) characters long with some combination above the aforementioned. It is very important that you do not store your passwords on your computer, or in your calendar interface. Do keep your passwords in a safe place in your home/office. Preferably, locked in a file drawer. Some websites do not allow password retention so take care to keep up the ones you create.
Another protection technique is to password protect the actual login onto your computer. This adds yet another layer to encryption and hinders any hackers efforts.
Passwords are the keys to your personal and financial information. Protect yourself as diligently as possible.
Are you looking to improve your website results? Think you have to pay a lot for it? Try these five tips now, for free, to gain better conversion results.
1. Make sure your contact information is located on each, and every, page. I have heard many customers complain about how hard it was to find contact information for wedding professionals.
2. Do not let email be your only source of contact. Potential clients want to know that they can call and talk to a live person.
3. Add something to your site that potential customers can take away. It does not have to cost a lot but it does have to be useful such as a budget breakdown sheet, or a free wedding report or timeline.
4. Be sure to show testimonials from previous clients and wedding professionals. Potential clients want to know that others have found your service/product valuable. Testimonials also help your potential business to feel trust toward your company.
5. Add a short contact form that collects potential client information and make it visible and easy to complete. Brides love this! Be sure to follow up quickly, preferrably within two hours if possible.
Are you using Facebook? Twitter? If not, you will want to change that.
Social networking has become the fabric that is keeping our clients, both current and future, informed both online, and offline. If you do not have a presence, your business is possibly falling behind, significantly.
From all indications, big businesses see real benefit in Web 2.0 marketing (that is what it is called) and are investing a lot into understanding its pursuasiveness with customers. The good news is that smaller businesses too can position themselves in the social networking arena and do not have to spend a lot of money to do so. What you will spend is a lot time and energy. But the rewards could be great. The key will be to grasp the concept of these mediums and abide by their rules. Yes, there are rules.
Last week, I read these articles that I believe help us to better understand the governing principles, from a business standpoint, of how to utilize Facebook and Twitter. By rules, not only am I talking about the TOS (Terms of Service) that are conditional to participate on Facebook and Twitter, but also those that users of these forums have to come to expect. These articles were from PC World.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161688/ten_facebook_tips_for_power_users.html
In closing, I would like add two caveats that I believe are very important to businesses that are integrating Facebook and Twitter into their overall marketing strategies.
One, in this time of speed and technology information exchange, be careful about what you send in your Twitter messages, as well as what you post on your Facebook Profile and Facebook Pages. The internet is vast, wide and unlimitless. You will not be able to completely control the dissemination of the information you share. Thus, take care not want to send, or post any statement, photo, article, etc. that could be detrimental to your business revenue growth, reputation or be perceived, or expressly defamatory to another business.
Two, social networking is just that – social networking. The end users of these popular mediums do not like to be blatantly “sold” to. Therefore, you will need to be particularly mindful of how your message is received and refrain from having them be too promotional. Think social, conversational, engaging.
It will take a little work and getting used to. But master the technique, and your business could quite possibly reach new levels never before achieved.
Photo Courtesy Images by N'neka
At the beginning of every year, we wedding planners gleefully watch for what types of wedding trends will emerge. For 2009, we happily find that there are many from which we may draw inspiration. However, we will exercise some restraint and focus on presenting trends to you…one at a time:-) So…colors trends is where this series of top ten wedding trend alerts begins.
There are two popular pairings of this hot and citrus sweet hue.
Orange and Red
Perfect for Spring and Summer, this combination makes a bold statement that will liven up any wedding decor.
Neon Orange
Great for the Summer, this color is wonderful for setting a fresh, lively feel. Having a fall wedding? As a dominant wedding color, you can add softer shades of it for a monochromatic look, or pair it with auburn or light brown for a more rustic look.
Either way, your wedding ambiance will feel alive and vibrant.
Cheers!
Here is a great example of how wedding planners can help couples to memorialize the love and gratitude they feel for their parents. Thank you Lynette for sharing your experience with us.
Enjoy!
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“Letters to Parents: A Treasured Remembrance”
By Lynette M. Smith
Our son, Byron, married Rachael last November. At the rehearsal dinner, they each surprised their own parents with a plaque containing letters they had written to describe what they had learned from us, growing up. This was their original idea; nobody had prompted them or suggested it. They had their best man and maid of honor read the letters aloud, because Byron and Rachael knew they’d break down if reading them personally. Everyone was touched.
Here’s how Byron’s letter to Ben and me read:
To my Mom and Dad . . .
Growing up in our household has been a priceless experience. I remember taking many vacations and spending many hours in a car as just the three of us (sometimes four). I recently learned that while the destination may instigate the journey; it is, in fact, the journey itself that is the cause of personal growth. In the broader sense, life itself is about the journey, not the destination. All the past experiences of my life have cultivated me to be the man I am today.
Dad . . .
You are an intelligent man with an unmatched ability to solve all of your own problems. I have learned many things about how to be a good man from you. I have inherited your knowledge and love of machines. I have also inherited your unmatched need to understand the workings of the world around you.
Mom . . .
You are an intellectual with a zest for life and compassion for all those around you. You have the gift of empathy. You have served as mediator more times than I care to count. Your attention to detail is legendary (no doubt you will find several flaws within this letter). I have inherited your spiritualism. You have taught me how to take pleasure in helping others. I also find myself paying too much attention to detail.
There are far too many experiences in our lives to share in this short letter. I understand it has been at times difficult to raise me. I will always be eternally grateful for the experience I have had with such wonderful parents. I have tried to highlight a few things I have learned. I will continue to try to be a good person (and now a good husband). One chapter of my life now comes to an end; and I will now embark on the next leg of our journey with my wife Rachael riding shotgun.
Love,
Byron
Our plaque will remain proudly displayed. Had this letter been handwritten and unframed, we’d still have saved it forever.
Wedding planners can bring greater value to the wedding experience by suggesting that their clients write such letters. Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to consider what, in their upbringing, made them who they are today, and what values they have learned that they will apply in their own marriage; but these letters acknowledge and express gratitude to parents for a job well done.
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Besides being the proud mother of Byron and mother-in-law of Rachael, Lynette is also owner/copyeditor of ALL MY BEST Business and Nonfiction Copyediting in Yorba Linda, California. She can be reached at SmithLynetteM@earthlink.net. The letter from her son was reprinted with his permission. Copyright © 2009, All Rights Reserved.
