Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 163
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| Thought for the week: "People with clear, written goals accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine." Brian Tracy |
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In this week's issue:
If
you have any questions about your business idea or target market, or need help tracking down a grant, subsidy or business support
in your local area, then send an e-mail with your query to the EnterQuest
information team and we'll do our best to help.
Send
your question to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.
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The key to successful ads and sales letters
One of the biggest mysteries that faces the new and inexperienced business owner is why they don't seem to be able to write copy for an advert or sales letter that will result in sales.
No matter what they try or how many times they change the words they use, the ad still just won't sell.
So where is it that they go wrong, and what's the mystery and secret to writing good sales copy?
When ads and sales letters aren't selling, you may be surprised to learn that this is usually not just down to the copy you've written. And that's because what you say in your ads is only a part of the sales equation.
In fact, a badly written ad or sales letter sent to the right mailing list or aimed at the right target audience will almost always out-perform an exceptionally written letter or ad that is sent to the wrong list or is aimed at the wrong audience.
Now this doesn't mean that if you've written sales copy that's lacking the basics of salesmanship or just totally sucks it will sell by simply targeting the right list. Not at all. But good copy used with the right list will dramatically increase your success rate.
Now that seems like total common sense, doesn't it?
Well, perhaps not, because it's more common for business owners to get this wrong than it is for them to get it right, and there's also another important part of the equation to consider.
For example, it might be the case that you buy a mailing list - the hottest, most up-to-date list around - but the people on this list don't have the slightest interest in what you're trying to sell them.
In a situation like this, it doesn't matter how brilliant your sales copy is because the people on this list will never buy from you as long as they live.
Just think about your own situation when you receive spam e-mail you never asked for or you get junk mail in the post. You'd hate it if your marketing campaign was instantly binned like that, wouldn't you?
And just to complicate things even more, there's another scenario to consider. This is where business owners buy the right mailing list or advertise in the right place in front of the right target audience, and use the most brilliantly written sales copy...but the ad or sales letter just bombs yet again.
Why does this happen?
Well, even if you manage to reach the right target audience with well-written copy, if you make the wrong offer or make an offer at the wrong time, your campaign will almost certainly under-perform again.
So let's just summarise the three key parts of the process when creating an effective ad or sales letter.
1) You need to select the right list or target audience to aim your product or service at.
2) You need to devise the right offer that will interest or benefit your target audience.
3) You need to write compelling sales copy that articulates your offer to them.
What often happens in marketing is that a badly written ad which is aimed at the right list and with the right offer can be accepted by a market and produce decent enough results.
However, using the wrong list or making the wrong offer using your greatest copywriting masterpiece will almost certainly be a complete waste of your time and effort.
And often without you ever understanding why.
What we're saying here is that successful advertising and sales letters are not achieved by just concentrating on the words in your ad or letter.
Yes, the words and copy you use are important, but you must always make sure you're targeting the right people with the right offer and at the right time.
We're not saying that you'd be able to sell sand in the desert, but get all three parts of the equation right and then you'll begin to see the fruits of your efforts and will be maximising your marketing potential.
For more information about building and using an effective mailing list, see our practical factsheet. And our factsheet on writing effective sales letters takes you step-by-step through the process of creating compelling sales copy.
Questions to help you choose a business idea
Struggling to think of that perfect business idea? Here are a few suggestions to inspire you to find a niche that will suit you.
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If you're a parent and tied to home, could you set aside space to run a business from home? With broadband improving, there are increasing opportunities for people to work from home - see the Internet Homeworking Directory and Powerhomebiz.com for a digest of ideas.
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Look around in your own backyard. Think of the problems you've experienced in getting things for your home, or at work, or in your leisure activities. Is there any way of providing a local service or product that somebody will pay for?
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Many new firms start off by selling goods that somebody else makes. A number of opportunities exist to distribute foreign goods in Britain. For example, the US Department of Commerce publishes a regular magazine listing companies looking for facilities and distributors (this is available from the US embassy in the UK).
For more questions to help prompt inspiration for a business idea, see our practical factsheet.
First aid at work - what does the law say?
Although the law doesn't expect you to be able to mend broken arms or perform medical operations at work, the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1991 do require you to ensure that you have "adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel" to deal with emergencies.
The important thing to note is the word "adequate". The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which polices the law in this area, will apply higher standards to hazardous work than to more everyday office work. So a business using a lot of machinery will need to be better prepared for accidents than a shop, for example.
Finally, check out our factsheet on first aid requirements for business owners for a detailed explanation of the law.
Dealing with ransomware
Businesses are being warned to back up their files and keep their eyes peeled for a new computer nasty known as 'ransomware'.
The bug is basically a Trojan Horse virus which locks up all the documents in your 'My Computer' files and demands cash in return for the complex password needed to access them.
The latest piece of ransomware to be discovered is called Archiveus. It tells the victim to go to one of three Russian online pharmacies to buy goods. In return they will receive the password to unlock their files.
Sophos, the security software maker, has identified a number of different ransomware types:
The good news is that Sophos has cracked the Archiveus code - the password is a rather convoluted: mf2lro8sw03ufvnsq034jfowr18f3cszc20vmw.
It's thought that victims have been caught by ransomware after clicking on fake virus warnings that appeared on their computer.
Experts say the best way to avoid this scam is to ensure that you back up your work frequently, and update your anti-virus software frequently too. Check out our factsheet on PC and Internet security for more tips.
Each
week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business
ideas in the UK.
Here
is this week's idea:
Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.
Do you know what 'nescient' means?
a) negotiable or flexible
b) immature or inexperienced
c) negligent or neglectful of duties
d) lacking knowledge or ignorant
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
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Yorkshire Forward
(www.yorkshire-forward.com)
Continuing our theme of reviewing Regional Development Agency (RDA) websites, this week we're looking at Yorkshire Forward, the organisation responsible for overseeing economic development and business support in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. How user-friendly and accessible is its website? |
Navigation
and presentation - the heavy use of local images on the homepage makes this site resemble a local news portal rather than a Government body. However, the site is clearly laid out, and the homepage is kept fresh through the addition of breaking news alerts.
 
Accessibility - you can opt to change the size of the text on the site, and information is available in eight European languages, as well as English. The site also boasts its compliance with W3C standards - although we spotted a few missing image tags on our trawl through the pages.
Content
and usefulness - the site features a rather snazzy 'downloads' section where users can access video broadcasts. However, the impressive technology is at the expense of useful content - most of the downloads are tourism-oriented videos about how great Yorkshire is - which, one would imagine, the businesses operating there already know. There's a distinct lack of anything practical or helpful for business owners.
Relevance - the site is kept refreshingly up to date, with frequent press releases, newsletters, an events calendar and a range of options for news alerts. In another technological coup, news is even available via podcast.
Over-emphasis on clever design and technology has made this site attractive but disappointingly empty in terms of practical guidance for business owners. The vital sections of interest for firms - such as those tackling finance and funding - are sparsely populated and consist mainly of links and signposting to other sites.
Our rating - 11/20
Acas tackles World Cup
The conciliation service Acas is attempting to stop friction during this summer's World Cup by producing legal guidance for businesses and employees. It has dedicated a page of its website to frequently asked questions covering subjects such as discrimination and dealing with unscheduled absences. It is advising firms to be flexible wherever possible, but to ensure that staff are aware of their official policies on absence, alcohol consumption and Internet use.
Robot seeks out eBay tax cheats
eBay traders who sell vast quantities of goods via the online auction site, but don't declare their earnings to the taxman, are being tracked by a 'web robot'. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is using a search engine device to identify large-scale sellers who aren't VAT-registered. It expects the initiative to earn an additional £1 million in VAT annually. People selling second-hand goods are only liable for VAT on profits. It is believed that around 70,000 people earn a quarter of their annual income by trading on eBay.
Safer searching tool
Scandoo.com is a free website that claims to "take the risk out of searching online". The service alerts you to problems relating to viruses, malware, spyware and other unsavoury content on sites listed within your search results, by means of a traffic light system. The tool works with all the major search engines, meaning that you can continue to search via your preferred engine and still benefit from using the tool.
Guidance for small food retailers
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced a 'Safer food, better business' advice pack for small retail enterprises that sell food, such as convenience stores, confectioners, newsagents and tobacconists. The guidance pack aims to help firms comply with the new European Food Hygiene Regulations, and covers issues such as how to avoid cross-contamination.
This book takes a practical and well-illustrated approach to forecasting the effectiveness of sales and marketing activities. It is aimed at readers who already have some knowledge of the processes involved, but provides step-by-step instructions for sales forecasting, with a good level of detail. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is d).
Nescient means ignorant or lacking knowledge.
If you are nescient about your chosen market sector, you will need to carry out thorough market research to develop your understanding. |
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Good luck
The EnterQuest Team
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate. |
