PR : Often Neglected It Can Make A Business Soar!

You have been toiling for weeks in an effort to launch your new business. You are more than excited. It's your dream come true.
Then..... launch comes and goes. Now, one month later, you've run out of social media marketing ploys and the excitement is over ..... now what?

Could you have gone down another path? One key marketing element that many entrepreneurs overlook is a public relations strategy.  Fact is, many business people don't know or have an understanding of PR and its critical value.

PR is how your business is portrayed to the consuming public and is interwoven with your brand - it matters, Big Time.

Hiring a good PR person or firm (also known as a publicist) can be the make or break of many businesses and must be considered particularly when launching a new business, product, or service.

Why PR Matters

- 'Our Team'  'About Me'  'Our Mission'       'Our Vision'  these buttons appear on very website and lead you to a            narrative (hopefully a compelling one) that may never be read and              therefore never connect with customers. You need to get your WHY            out to the public - it needs to get displayed! That's where PR comes in.

- Market-reach is significantly increased with the right PR strategy: TV and radio shows, broadcast streaming (live and recorded), podcasts, magazines, print media, etc. can be of great influence when placed in front of the right audience.

- PR can have tremendous impact on the public perception of your brand. The more positive exposure and news about you and your company from a variety of sources the greater your importance in the marketplace.

Memberships Start in December 2019

PR is the icing on the cake. It's about exhibiting the positives. Good things happen to good companies and PR is the extra marketing element that will place your business above the fray.

By: Jim Lavorato, Founder/Principal
Fund-House Ventures / 4M Performance

How Does Your Website Stack-up

From start-ups to multinationals - websites are requisite. The all important link between the 'business' and the world. Websites are as varied as the businesses they represent - some are very nicely constructed, while others are poorly conceived and displayed.  How does yours stack-up?

Websites are portals for the world to look through and be informed as to the Why, What, and How of the business. In addition, they must be engaging, customer-centric marketing and sales vehicles. Following are some issues/questions developed by 4M Performance that you can use to compare your site against the norm.

•  Putting up a static website does nothing for the business - it must be active. 
•  Companies running online marketing campaigns get 4X more traffic and 6X more leads.
•  The most clicked-on pages are 'About' and 'Contact'. 
•  Look closely at your Conversion Rate. What is your site's ratio of contact form submissions   vs. site visits. Hopefully it is in the 2% or higher range.
•  How hard is it NOT to submit a lead form?  Make sure your contact page is appealing by:          - Putting it on the Home page                                                                                                          - Putting it on VERY page                                                                                                              - Attach a compelling offer to it         
•   Get more 'qualified' leads. At 100 site visits per month you can expect 1-3 leads. With 600 -      1,000 visits you'll get a healthy flow of leads and a higher conversion rate.
•   Focus on the pages that get the most traffic. Review your site's stats. Note which pages get        the most visits and make sure lead/contact buttons are on these pages along with compelling      offers.

• 

  4M Performance Memberships Available in December

 A website must be viewed as part of the business' larger branding and marketing effort. A great site needs to be marketed (consumers must find it) and marketing needs an amazing site.

Jim Lavorato
Founder/Principal
Fund-House Ventures / 4M Performance

      

Look To Airports When Thinking Retail

                                                       

According to the International Air Transport Association 4.4 billion people took an airplane in 2018 - this figure is expected to grow to 8.2 billion by 2037.  Airports are a great place to open a business and getting better all the time.

Airport Retail on the Rise Worldwide

A properly designed and executed airport retail strategy can result in huge success. Why are airports exception to the retail rule? Because foot traffic is never going to be a problem in this space. And this is the reason why top luxury brands are popping up and placing great emphasis on airport retail. In fact, these brands are realizing more success in airports than traditional retail environments, such as stand-alone shops in malls or in department stores.

4M Performance - Accepting Memberships in December

Very few sales channels have guaranteed traffic and certainly not ones that are growing at the rate  airports are. Anyone looking to open a store, shop, or food establishment of any sort must include airports on their list of where to locate. Airports present a unique opportunity to take advantage of a captive customer sales strategy - go for it.

Jim Lavorato
Principal/Founder
Fund-House Ventures & 4M Performance

Startups ..... Juggling Bowling Balls

There are lots of things to consider when launching a business and the process, for many, is overwhelming.

The failure rate for startups averages 50% - but this doesn't account for the ones that start but never reach the launch point. Here are some tips to assist in getting your 'rocket' off the launch pad.

Have a Plan

What, When, How, and How Much are the bowling balls you'll be juggling and that the Plan should answer. Spend the time thinking and developing the Plan which must include benchmarks and goals to be reached over specific time periods.

Money, Money, Money

Make sure you have the funds necessary to launch your new venture. This is a must. If you don't have the money - don't start until you do! That includes all the funds relevant to the kind of business you are contemplating and is enough to cover all of the anticipated expenses.

Marketing The New Venture

There are only two endeavors that generate sales for any business: marketing and innovation - everything else is an expense. You must have a marketing budget and it should be one of the more significant expenditures in your Plan.

Spend your marketing dollars wisely and track the return value of each promotion dollar. Use both online marketing and traditional media. Segment and pin-point your target market.

Create An Identity

You are the protector of your company's brand. Every business, no matter size, must have a brand and that brand needs to be forged and nurtured. The Brand is the Business - they are one in the same.

You must create an identity for your new business and that identity is market driven. It is based upon a promise you are giving to new customers that your business well perform and 'serve up' exactly what you are marketing.

     Only two actions generate revenue:         Marketing and Innovation -                     everything  else is an expense!





Use Technology to Increase Productivity

Make sure you are using all of the latest technology in building and operating your new business. Only purchase what is needed to manage the business in a efficient and productive way. If necessary  (I say necessary because many of the business apps available come with free tutorials and/or host assistance) seek professional help. Keep in mind that what cost thousands just a few years ago can now be had for hundreds.

CX

The most important task required for a startup is making sure your business is providing a great Customer Experience. This is crucial. Place yourself in your  customers' shoes to ensure that they are receiving what you would require as a customer. The experience must be honest, engaging, easy, and complete.

These startup tips are the ones you'll need to juggle. They are hard. They take time. They demand effort and thought. And they are essential to success.

James Lavorato
Founder & Principal
Fund-House Ventures and 4M Performance

Jim Lavorato Bio

I've been authoring this blog for almost two years and several readers have requested I post my bio, here it is:

Mr. Lavorato is currently President of Entertainment Equipment Corp., which he launched in 1988. EEC sells, installs, and services projection, sound and related equipment to motion picture theaters and educational institutions.

Throughout his career he has been at the forefront of cinema technology - working, for example, with the major Hollywood studios and the Texas Instruments Corp. to spearhead the movie industry's transition to digital presentation and distribution with the development of digital cinema and was instrumental in the success of the first commercial release of a digitally screened feature film ('Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' 2001).

In May of 2000, he founded Cinema Training Central, which offered the first training programs devoted to the cinema exhibition industry.  Further expanding EEC's scope, in 2009 he co-founded the Arboreal Group - an environmental consultancy which transforms existing movie theaters into sustainable structures through the implementation of a compliance and certification process.  Arboreal was conceived and developed based upon the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating System.

Over his career he gained extensive domestic and international experience, living and working in Boston, Buffalo, Los Angeles, New York City. Phoenix, and Pittsburgh, and holding assignments in Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Singapore, Tokyo, and throughout Central America.

Prior to launching EEC he had a successful career at the Mellon Bank  where he attained the position of Senior Vice President. He also functioned as the Chief Financial Officer of Mellon International, being responsible for all financial activities at the Bank's Wall Street operations.

Previous to Mellon Bank he worked as a Corporate Analyst for the Itek Corp. which developed and manufactured high-tech optical systems and products used by the U.S. Air Force and NASA. Prior to Itek he worked as a Financial Analyst for the United Brands Company in their Chiquita Food Division.

He has authored numerous articles on the entertainment and media industries. His works have appeared in Film Journal International, Boxoffice Magazine, Theatre World, and is currently a contributing editor to ScreenTrade Magazine. He also authors two blogs - Cinema Mucho Gusto, which provides news, information, and commentary on the cinema industry and Launch Pad, a business advisory provided by Fund-House Ventures/4M Performance - cinemamuchogusto.blogspot.com, fhventures.blogspot.com

In 1978 he earned a Masters in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Phoenix, AZ. In 1973 a Masters in Business Administration from Suffolk University, Boston, MA and in 1971 a BA in Accounting from Suffolk University.

Currently he is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. A certified SCORE Mentor, and a past director of the International Cinema Technology Association.

He resides in Scottsdale, AZ.

The Launching of 4M Performance

4M Performance will be launching shortly. An adjacent product to Fund-House Ventures, the investment and coaching company for emerging and established small businesses, 4MP is an online subscription- based business accelerant. 

As the name implies 4MP will center around the four basic growth factors required by any business, of any size: Management, Marketing, Money, and Momentum. All of 4MP's web-based services will focus upon these four determinants and will ignite very member's business revenue generation and market-reach.

Look for more on 4MP in the coming weeks. Its official launch date has not been as yet set but that doesn't mean you can't have a headstart on obtaining pertinent and useful information about managing your business. Just by reading the posts on Launch Pad (the name of this blog) you'll gain specific and solid information about the current business landscape and how to transverse its many perils and pitfalls.

You will be receiving upcoming news and the official 4MP launch party date/timing shortly. 

Best,
Jim Lavorato, Principal & Founder
Fund-House Ventures & 4M Performance.
James@4MPerformance.com

The Customer Quadrant

The above graphic is called the Customer Quadrants Determinant and is used by businesses in planning how to assess and attack adjacent markets, introducing new products, or launching a new promotional campaign, among other things.

The #1 quadrant is the easiest to market to, which is selling a current/existing product/service to a current customer base.

The #2 quadrant is next, and a bit more difficult to attack. That is, selling a new product/service to a current customer base.

#3 is again more difficult. Marketing an existing product/service to a new customer base.

And lastly, the #4 quadrant - the most difficult and expensive. Marketing a new product/service to a new customer base.

Each quadrant demands a different marketing and sales approach to be successful and a different level of funding and staff to succeed. However, revenue growth and profitability is commensurate as the quadrant number increases.

Jim Lavorato, Principal & Founder
Fund-House Ventures, LLC and 4M Performance
www.fundhouse.us
James@4MPerformance.com

4M Performance : Goes Live Online You'll WANT THIS!

           

    Is Growing Your Business             Worth $7 A Day?  

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HOW: Become A Member Of 4M Performance 

WHY: Your Competitor Is Only a Click Away               

4M Performance is a one-of-a-kind management tool conceived to assist businesses in accelerating their revenue growth and market-reach via an online, low cost membership platform. 

Mission: to ensure that your business prospers through the use of the four cornerstones of business success: Management - Marketing - Money - Momentum.

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You will receive solid, relevant, information and takeaways which are practical, doable, and financially feasible via:

•  Podcasts
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This chart illustrates the average fees charged by business consultants/coaches on a per project basis for 2018. 
  

            
Our response: why pay thousands for 'cookie-cutter' consulting when you can receive pertinent and specific expert advice from 4MP at a fraction of the cost! 



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What's My Background

Jim Lavorato

I've been lucky enough to have had a very successful business career with broad domestic and international experience.

I've worked for a Fortune 50 consumer goods corporation, a high-tech company, a money-center bank, and founded two successful businesses: one in the entertainment industry, the other an angel investment firm both of which are profitable and growing businesses.

I'm a writer and have published articles for  BoxOffice Magazine, Film Journal International, and Theater World. Currently I'm a contributing editor to ScreenTrade. I also actively participate as a mentor/coach for several non-profit groups, aiding start-ups in launching their businesses. 

I have a Masters in International Management, a Masters in Business Administration, and majored in accounting undergrad.


Currently there is great opportunity for success but the business environment is fraught with intense competition and demanding, less-loyal consumers.

That's where 4MP comes in. It provides start-ups and small/medium sized businesses the edge they need to compete and accelerate growth.  

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