Wealthy Bag Lady Blog

Are You More Likely to Buy Pink Products?

I've seen everything from blenders to tweezers, even this Special K cereal box, with the pink ribbon on it, which means that the companies donate a portion of their proceeds to breast cancer research. It's a great example of cause-related marketing.

Does it Work?

Are you more likely to buy from companies that give back to help important causes?

Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

Best Advice I Ever Got

As an author, I've had the chance to interview some of the world's top business experts. As a seminar leader, I've had them on the stage at the Women's Small Business Expo.

I started thinking about some of the best advice I ever received and wanted to share it with you.

1. Be careful who you tell about your business. Sara Blakeley, the founder of Spanx, which now grosses over $100 million dollars a year, told me that she didn't tell anyone, except a few close friends and confidantes, about her business for the first year. The dangers to your business are not outside forces like the economy. The villains may be much closer to home: negative people who want to crush your spirit and tell you why your business won't work .
2. Customers need to know there is a person behind the company. Lillian Vernon, the catalog queen, puts her name on everything. She knows that people don't do business with faceless corporations. People do business with people.
3. People don't buy products and services. They buy experiences. According to Tom Peters, Harley Davidson is not a motorcycle company. They're a lifestyle company. They give a 43 year old accountant a chance to be a rebel on the weekends.
4. Your company's most valuable asset is how it is known to its customers. When a customer calls, it's not an interruption to your day, it's a chance to provide quality and value. According to Brian Tracy, customers are your reason for being. Got it?
5. Integrity is part of your brand. According to Shel Horowitz of Principled Profit, your brand is more than a slogan, a logo or a cute character. Clients need to know that your word is your bond. Always do what you say and be on time. In a world of flakiness, when you keep your promises, you'll rise above the mediocrity.
6. Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, 'Make me feel important.' According to Mary Kay Ash, People work for emotional rewards as well as financial rewards. Every day is a chance to make someone feel appreciated.
7. People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. According to Zig Ziglar, that's why      you need to feed your brain constantly with great inspiration.
8. Don't ask someone to sign a contract. According to Elinor Stutz, author of Nice Girls Do Get the Sale, When you say "sign" people think they're signing their lives away. Instead, ask them to "authorize the agreement". If you want to have fun, ask them to autograph it.
9. Me-too businesses will never be great businesses. According to Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO of SBTV.com, you need to tell people how your business is different from other businesses, especially your competitors.
10. If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. According to Jim Rohn, Most people are living by rules they didn't create. Plan your success journey, value people more than money and give from the heart.

What's the Best Advice You Ever Got?

Please feel free to comment.