Here at allaboutbusiness.ie we felt that the first blog post of the New Year should be a collection of some useful articles for a fresh start to the year.

1. New Years Resolution for your Business by Veronica Canning

2. Why the New Year is a perfect time to revisit your Business Plan by Alan Gleeson

3. New year, New Energy, New Opportunity by Johnny Beirne

4. New Years resolutions… You and Your Business by Gillian Horan

5. The Winter of our Discontent by Liz Barron

These articles should help get you on your way and kick start the New Year into action.

Innovative and attention grabbing, guerrilla marketing can make a big difference to your business.

The term was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson with SMEs in mind and is defined as an unconventional method of promotion that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing spend.

Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional; potentially interactive; and consumers are targeted in unexpected places. The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral. …

Across Ireland communities are seeing small local businesses struggling to remain competitive against larger chain stores that are popping up everywhere. While many are lamenting the loss of local businesses few are doing anything about it.

However, independent businesses in Carrigaline, Co. Cork have decided to group together and do something to keep the local economy thriving.

Businesses have taken the initiative to launch Ireland’s first town-wide Loyalty Card. Cardholders can use one card to collect points in multiple local businesses and redeem them for a range of rewards.

The more the customer uses the card the more points they earn and the greater the reward they get. As the business is not giving a discount to every one-time visitor who walks through the door they can give bigger rewards to their most regular customers.
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Ok, so you have found that great business idea – you’ve researched the market and written your business plan – but what are you going to name your company?

Some Irish companies name their business after the founder’s surname, e.g. O’Doherty Meats or Ryanair. Often people use the initials of their name or the type of business that it is, i.e. CRH stands for Cement Roadstone Ireland.

Here are some examples of interesting company names and the backstories behind them.

1. Google: The name started as a joke about the amount of information the search engine could search, or a “Googol” of information. (A googol is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.) When founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin gave a presentation to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to “Google.”

2. Reebok: Reebok is simply an alternate spelling of “rhebok,” an African antelope. The company founders found the word in a South African edition of a dictionary won by Joe Foster, son of the Reebok founder J.W. Foster.

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Today’s customers have more choice, are better informed and are more demanding of value when they are spending their hard earned cash. They look not only for the products and services that meet their needs at the price they are willing to pay, but for the merchant that recognizes, appreciates and rewards their custom. So what is beyond price, convenience and service?

If you put on your consumer hat, you’ll understand that it’s the little things that matter most. Little things like looking a customer in the eye, greeting them, smiling, and carrying on a human conversation go a long way towards marketing a company as friendly and welcoming. Even thanking people for their business is something that doesn’t cost the business owner and is valued by the customer.

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