Non-profit? Oh come on please!
Some non-profit organizations truly are non-profit, they collect funds for a purpose, put those funds to good use for those they target and do it over again and again in usually a transparent fashion. Then there are those who claim to be non-profit, but end up with so much money at the end of each year that it’s insane. But when you think it can’t get anymore ridiculous they continue to fund raise….why!!??
Read moreBranding, it’s very simple!
Forget all the idiocy of marketing companies in their main push around your logo, your name, etc. as the means to create a brand. Those things, ie brand recognition, come AFTER the most important thing you provide; service and/or products. THEN they will care about your brand…but not the way you think. Read the following article which was well written by Geoffrey James. He’s a straight shooter and I like what he says. Branding is very simple.
Getting your email opened and read…it’s a big deal!
Not sure how many of you have tried email marketing before, but it’s a difficult thing to execute. Namely, you can send millions of emails out, but if nobody reads them, then you’ve failed. The trick is getting your target audience to not only open it, but to read it and if the planets align, to consider the offer you’ve put in front of them.
Geoffrey James from CBS’s “bNet” site has a great article about this and is very concise. It’s easy to see the necessary elements as Geoffrey lays then out; now all one has to do is put some real thought into it 
Vetting your ideas day after day
When I was 15 I worked as a book keeper for a local youth symphony. It was a non-profit organization and I played the trombone on the side; so I earned money and kept up on my musical skills. I really enjoyed the experience. One of the directors of the symphony worked as the primary sales director for the largest musical instrument wholesaler west of the Mississippi. He taught me more about the world of business in my youth than anyone or any other experience combined.
With him I traveled Europe purchasing stringed instruments. It was fantastic. Along the way I was exposed to many business people who, through observation, taught me how business was conducted but more importantly, how business ideas were vetted. From those early years I began to hone my skills in vetting ideas I had everyday as to whether they were viable and if so, to what degree.
Read more