The goWholesale Blog

Anti-Valentine’s Day - Trend Alert

February 13th, 2008

There’s a tradition in my family that for any occasion that warrants a card, especially birthdays, the meaner the card is the better. We often try to out do the other contenders and the result is often big laughs. The more insulting the card, the more you’re loved–we have an understanding.

We’re not the only people who share this fun, albeit unusual, tradition and with Valentine’s Day upon us, it appears that businesses are beginning to cash in on this quirky trend. For example, American Greetings Corp. has an entire category of “Anti-Valentine’s Day” cards.

And they’re not the only ones capitalizing on the anti-Valentine’s Day theme. Other businesses are coming up with unique ways to promote their businesses such as a bowling alley in Cleveland hosting a “Love…Spare Me!” event and clothing and merchandise stores selling t-shirts and stickers promoting “single awareness.”

So the next time a popular holiday rolls around, try a variation on the theme…you might even start a new trend!

Posted in Generating More Sales, Marketing Your Business | 1 Comment »

The online rental strategy

February 12th, 2008

I read an article this morning about a mom who started an online business renting toys out to parents (and of course their children). The idea falls along the same lines as Netflix where parents can rent 4 to 6 toys a month which come straight to their doorstep completely assembled and ready for play time. How brilliant! You’ve heard it from parents over and over about how many toys their children have and how shortly after they buy them, the novelty wears off and they are never picked up again. The accumulation of toys over time becomes a burden as well. With this rental system, the kids are happy, they can play with the latest and greatest without parents worrying if their money is well spent, and there’s no hassle of having to get rid of toys the children grow out of!

The idea is so simple, yet very effective. You’d think there’d be more like them but in fact, this is only the third type of business I’ve come across that uses this technique (first Netflix and of course their rival, Blockbuster, then BagBorroworSteal.com a designer purse rental site, and now Baby Plays, unless it’s just still too early for my brain to recall any more).

If you are trying to start a business you may want to brainstorm some ideas such as these. I believe there is a huge market for people wanting to rent things as opposed to buying them especially those in their 20s and 30s. Put your thinking cap on because if you can find the right product, this strategy just might be what you were looking for!

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Starting a Business | 1 Comment »

Yahoo says “no thanks”

February 11th, 2008

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We have a saying around here that goes a little something like this: Google is God.

And in terms of internet, I don’t think we’re too far off. Google is the most powerful entity on the internet right now and as it continues to expand and develop, it’s leaving its competitors further and further behind. Microsoft came to Yahoo a year ago suggesting a partnership to combine their resources so that together, they might give Google a run for its money. A year ago, Yahoo declined. Upon noticing no improvement in the field of competition as well as in Yahoo’s overall business success, Microsoft offered again last week.

But today Yahoo rejected their offer to buy the company for nearly 45 billion dollars. A statement released by the company claims that Microsoft has undervalued Yahoo. Now as shocking as it sounds to say that 45 BILLION dollars is undervaluing something, what further confounds me is why Yahoo isn’t so keen on forming a partnership/merging with Microsoft.

Perhaps someone more business savvy than I understands the intricacies of what’s going on here, but from a daily internet user’s perspective, and one who deals directly with the “internet gods,” I think Google could use a little more stiff competition. Not to say that the products and services they offer aren’t adequate enough, but if Google were able to pull so far ahead of their competition, who’s to say their standard of customer service not to mention the cost of doing business with them wouldn’t get out of hand?

What do you think? Should Microsoft and Yahoo team up to take on Google? How do you think it would affect businesses who advertise and compete with these search engines? Would there be any consequences to such a partnership/merger?

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Marketing Your Business | No Comments »

What’s up with VoIP?

February 8th, 2008

If you’re starting a new business you are going to want to consider VoIP as an option for your business communications. But what exactly is it? I mean, how do you even pronounce it?!

Paraphrasing my good friend Wikipedia, VoIp is short for “voice over internet protocol” and is pronounced “voyp.” So what does that mean? In the simplest of terms it means talking through your computer. Companies such as Vonage and Skype are probably the most common examples of providers of this service. It is a service that has pros for both the home and office including the fact that you can save money by centralizing your voice (aka phone) and data (aka internet) needs into one server. Also, it makes international calls a snap! (VoIP to VoIp calls are free and VoIP to regular phone lines have a small charge usually incurred by the VoIP caller.)

Other pros include that it’s accessible through any broadband internet connection, it’s easier to make secure phone calls (because the data can be encrypted), and now they’ve got programs that allow for video conferencing (great for doing business!).

There are some cons however. It can eat up some of your bandwidth and make your internet run slower. You run the risk of getting cut off if your internet cuts out unexpectedly and for some reason, there is often a delay and/or echo when making calls (likely due to the way the computer must break apart your voice and then put it back together on the other end?).

There is a wealth of information available on the internet and as with anything, you need to thoroughly research your options before you sign up. Keep in mind the needs of your business as you review the choices as you may find a regular phone network and internet provider will be suitable. Not everyone is on the “VoIP bandwagon ” but it’s definitely something to consider.

Posted in Starting a Business | No Comments »

Content Marketing

February 7th, 2008

So you’ve got your web page squared away. It’s up and running and you’ve been getting decent traffic. But now you want to start getting noticed more. The best way to do this is to either hire a Search Engine Optimizer or invest some time and resources into learning yourself.

Once you’ve got the basics down, you’ll inevitably need to start focusing on the content of your pages. Content is crucial for anyone trying to increase their organic search results. While there are many books on the topic (and more coming as SEO evolves) the internet is also a great place to get tips and advice. One fairly comprehensive website is called Content Marketing Today.

This website offers basic content marketing information for both on and offline businesses as well as book recommendations, news, a knowledge center and a helpful links section. I recommend you check this site out if you get stuck with your current content situation or if you don’t even know where to start!

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Marketing Your Business | 1 Comment »

Tax Breaks for Small Businesses…whew!

February 5th, 2008

Here’s a quick run down of some tax breaks small businesses may be eligible for (courtesy CNNMoney.com):

1. File as a shareholder/owner–Available to LLCs and corporations with S-status, this federal tax break keeps the small business from having to file as a corporation thus, avoiding a double tax situation (since they would have to file as a shareholder/owner level in addition, otherwise.)

2. Section 179 small business expensing–Allows a business to take a current deduction up to $125,000 for the cost of assets placed in service during the year for use in the business, not including real estate. Without this benefit, the business owner would need to capitalize the asset and deduct the cost over many years through a depreciation deduction. For example: if a small business purchased a copy machine for $2,000, the entire amount could be deductible in the first year. A larger business would be required to deduct the cost over five years, which is what the IRS considers the life of the asset.

3. Home office deduction–Provides some savings if you legitimately qualify as a home based business. (read more on this in Tax Write-Offs for the Home-Based Business)

4. Retirement plans/commuter benefits/educational assistance–payments are non taxable for employees and deductible for employers.

5. Charitable contributions of inventory–depending on the type of business you own these might be deductible. The major stipulation is that what you donate must be used by the charity specifically for it’s charitable function (ie. food for a food bank).

For more information please read:

4 Easy Steps To Getting Your Business Ready For Tax Season

Small Business Tax Write-Offs You Need to Know About

Posted in Finance and Accounting | No Comments »

Giving Time vs. Money

February 4th, 2008

We’ve all seen it. At sports tournaments, concerts, fund raising events…advertisements.

Many businesses incorporate their local communities into their marketing plans. Whether that be by hosting events themselves or sponsoring events alongside other local businesses. This is a great way to get your name out into the community and improve your reputation among consumers. You’d be a foolish business owner if you didn’t do this.

This is all fine and dandy, but do businesses have an obligation to their communities when it comes to giving back? What about sending employees to do volunteer work? The company could pay them as if it were a regular day, but the charity/community would benefit from the “free” services.

Some will say that businesses who donate money to charities and communities are doing their part, but to me, there doesn’t seem to be a way to donate money without something in my brain going off saying “they’re just doing it for the good PR!”

What do you think? How often do businesses give their time, instead of money? And is this something communities expect or should expect from them?

Posted in Marketing Your Business | No Comments »

eBay fee hike…

February 1st, 2008

EBay’s announcement that seller fees are increasing February 20th is not going over well. The new rules go a little something like this:

“It reduces upfront costs such as listing fees, which will drop from a starting price of $0.20 to $0.15 for traditional auction listings, and makes gallery photos free. However, eBay is adding more costs to the back end for many sellers with higher final-value fees, the commission eBay takes after a sale. Top sellers will be rewarded with greater visibility and protections, but - in perhaps the most controversial aspect of the shake-up - sellers will no longer be able to leave negative feedback for buyers. ” (from CNNMoney.com)

I myself have only participated in eBay as a buyer but I can’t quite see how this is supposed to help…well…anything? eBay is claiming top sellers will see more savings but some sellers who’ve run the numbers say it’s going to cost them more.

What are your thoughts?

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business | 2 Comments »

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