Charles Perkins

Is Your Packaging Helping to Sell your Product or Service?

Most of us are quite aware how important packaging is when selling a product. Not too many of us would get excited about a product sold in a plain brown cardboard box even if it was touted as the best of its kind. Some might buy it if the price was very good, but even bargain hunters may shy away from a poorly packaged product.

The packaging might have little to do with the actual value of the product, but a well packaged product has a greater perceived value.

Services come in many packages as well. Some of the packaging may be less obvious, but it is still there. I think of packaging as the first things consumers see. This could be a website, advertising, brochures, literature or other print materials. Packaging might also be considered the first impressions left when meeting a potential client. Packaging might be simple or complex.

A service provider would not want to be perceived as ordinary or indistinguishable. Your services must be packaged well.

Marketing materials

These can be distributed in many ways. They give a first impression and help differentiate your service from those provided by others. A website that is easy to navigate, pleasing to the eye, and full of helpful information about services and other pertinent information. Brochures that highlight how your services might more than fit their needs and wants. Literature might be used to help inform and educate potential clients giving your company perceived expertise and a level of professionalism.

First Contact

Your first contact will leave an impression. You want it to be a very good impression that promotes the image of your company. A strong positive experience could be the insurance that insures their business. This first contact is part of the packaging suggesting plain vanilla or something exceptional.

Level of Service

You will want to do more than what is necessary to get the job done. Under promising and over delivering will leave a lasting impression that is quite likely to secure a long term relationship and future referrals.

Gathering some information before the first meeting can give you a leg up. It is then possible to have some preliminary samples of what you can do for a client. Making the client feel special throughout the process may not always be easy, but is just one more way of providing an exceptional package.

Surprise the client with more than they asked. It may take some creativity, but doing business the way everyone else does will not leave a lasting impression. In time you may be forgotten even though your business is next door.

Once the client gets past the packaging and buys your service, you want to be sure that the client is well pleased with the purchase. If you are selling knowledge then you better be knowledgeable. If you are selling industry experience then it needs to shine. If you are selling efficiency, then you better produce. Quality packaging is essential and quality service in that package will insure many clients in the coming years.

Why are some businesses more successful than Others

Part 1 - Examples of Successful companies

In spite of this economy some businesses are doing quite well. Have you ever considered why that is? Is it only luck that makes one business successful while another fails? You probably are aware of some businesses that are thriving and perhaps even growing in this current economy.

Why are these businesses succeeding when other businesses are failing? In this series of articles, we are going to take a look at various characteristics of successful companies. At first let’s look at one company that is succeeding in this down economy.

Shelly Investments owns several businesses which include two Californian car dealerships. I don’t know how well car dealerships are doing in your areas, but many dealerships around the Seattle, WA area have closed. These two dealerships are doing well while other dealerships are failing.

When the economy showed signs of failing the ownership sought ways to continue to survive. They went to Pepperdine University and consulted with MBA students to come up with a solution. Read the Newsweek article to find out more.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/may2009/sb2009058_718661.htm

Is this an isolated example of success? No, there are other companies doing well and many of you probably are aware of other companies succeeding in spite of the economy.

Some other success stories

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/successstories/

Some are taking the first time home buyer credit when they don’t qualify

Some will debate the merits of the first time home buyers tax credit, but one thing is not up for debate. Any preparer or taxpayer that decides to fraudulently take the credit is risking an IRS audit. The IRS has implemented several programs that will assist them in determining if the credit filed for are legitimate.

More than a million claims for the credit have been processed, quite significant number. There currently have been 100,000 claims identified as suspicious and open for review. There also are 167 claims currently being look at for criminal prosecution.

For more information

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125599683058895389.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kill-the-wasteful-home-buyer-tax-credit-2009-10-20

State tax survey shows New Jersey as least business friendly

The tax foundation recently completed a survey ranking states based on the amount of tax that businesses pay. This survey doesn’t take into consideration non tax factors or quality of life factors. Businesses sometimes do take this in consideration and in recent years we have seen many businesses move out of the state of California.

While the New Jersey business taxes are ranked as the worst, New Jersey is closely followed by New York and California. These three states have been had the worst rankings for the last several years according to the tax foundation.

Ranking the various tax systems is quite a challenge because state business taxes vary considerably from state to state.

Rankings (Most Favorable to Least Favorable):

1. South Dakota

2. Wyoming

3. Alaska

4. Nevada

5. Florida

6. Montana

7. New Hampshire

8. Delaware

9. Washington

10. Utah

11. Texas

12. Indiana

13. Colorado

14. Oregon

15. Virginia

16. Missouri

17. Michigan

18. Idaho

19. Alabama

20. Kentucky

21. Mississippi

22. Tennessee

23. New Mexico

24. Hawaii

25. North Dakota

26. South Carolina

27. Pennsylvania

28. Arizona

29. Georgia

30. Illinois

31. Oklahoma

32. Kansas

33. Nebraska

34. Maine

35. Louisiana

36. Massachusetts

37. West Virginia

38. Connecticut

39. North Carolina

40. Arkansas

41. Vermont

42. Wisconsin

43. Minnesota

44. Rhode Island

45. Maryland

46. Iowa

47. Ohio

48. California

49. New York

50. New Jersey

Source:

Tax Foundation Background Paper – Sept 2009

2010 State Business Tax Climate Index

http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/bp59.pdf

Seattle Waterfront from Aboard the Argosy Harbor Cruise ship.

Recently we attended a birthday party for a friend. His party was aboard an Argosy harbor cruise ship that regularly has lunch and dinner sailings. We had a wonderful time and took some pictures of the Seattle waterfront.

We normally do these kind of activities when out-of-town guests come. This time was a special event. I always enjoy the sea breeze and the smell of salt water.