• BRANDING: 5 Surefire Ways Into Your Customer's Hearts



• HOLIDAY: Forget Back to School: Plan Holiday Marketing NOW



• LEADERSHIP: Sustainable Leadership, The Spiritual Facet



• MANAGEMENT: 10 Ways to Get Employees Motivated and Moving



• MANAGEMENT: A New School on Hiring, Prescreen with a Click



• MARKETING: Back to School Promotions for Students, Moms and More



• MARKETING: Xers Marketing, Worlds Away from Boomers



• PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Power of No, 8 Steps to Getting What You Want



• RETAIL: Drop the Dollar Sign to Raise Sales



• STRATEGY: Horizonal Marketing, There's Power in Numbers



• TECHNOLOGY: Build Word of Mouth Business with a Click



• TRENDS: Where the Mommies Are



• Inspiration: "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."
  Colin Powell (1937 - ) Former U.S. secretary of state

August 22, 2008

BRANDING:  5 Surefire Ways Into Your Customer's Heart
- marketingprofs.com
 
More than 50 years of consumer research suggests that when dealing with product types that consumers really care about, there are at least 5 ways marketers can encourage customers to develop favorable attitudes toward their specific products.

HOLIDAY:  Forget Back to School - Plan Holiday Marketing NOW
- imediaconnection.com
 
Why start so early? Coordinating communications requires solid planning. Moreover, the nature of the commerce year means that marketing heats up starting in August and continues unabated until January. That means that if you don't give in-depth thought to holiday marketing now, there's a good chance you never will.

LEADERSHIP:  Sustainable Leadership, The Spiritual Facet
- fastcompany.com
 
Executive coach Zach Smith advocates for a commitment to self-development that transcends the individual. "The deeper we dive, the broader we roam, the richer our understanding of our place and purpose," he says.

MANAGEMENT:  10 Ways to Get Employees Motivated and Moving
- managesmarter.com
 
A company that aims to be a market leader needs to ensure its staff members are in alignment and eager and motivated to work. A list of steps to generate a motivated office culture includes starting with a solid plan, making sure strategies are coordinated across the organization and clarifying exactly what staff members should be doing.
 
 
MANAGEMENT:  A New School on Hiring, Pre-Screen with a Click
- snowmagazine.com
 
Businesses are utilizing social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace to find the best and brightest employees. Internet search tools are free; however, companies can access prospective employees' criminal records, address history, sex offenses and marriage records through the Internet for a fee.

MARKETING:  Back to School Promotions for Students, Moms, and More - salontoday.com
 
A way to stand out among competitors is to continuously refine both your product and service offerings to diverse buyer groups. Here are some tips to build your business with teens, moms-to-be, mature clients and men—just some of the niche markets that your salon can attract and retain.
 
 
MARKETING: Xers Marketing, Worlds Away from Boomers
- businessweek.com
 
Don't expect that the same approaches that worked well with a boomer workforce will work equally well with Xers. And don't assume that Xers will come to value the same things boomers did "when they grow up." Xers are grown up—and they don't think like boomers.
 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:  The Power of No, 8 Steps to Getting What You Want - amanet.org
 
If your goal this year is to be more assertive, reach and surpass career objectives, stand up for your beliefs, gain more influence on the job, and win the respect of coworkers, colleagues, and clients, the “no” system of negotiating is a great way to achieve these goals.

RETAIL:  Drop the Dollar Sign to Raise Sales - canada.com
 
Avoiding the dollar sign on menus leads to higher sales, according to research. Menus that listed numerical prices without the "$" symbol yielded an average of $5.55 more in spending.

STRATEGY:  Horizontal Marketing, There's Power in Numbers
- entrepreneur.com
 
Horizontal marketing -- two businesses with different products but similar clientele join marketing efforts -- is a smart way to increase your customer base without increasing your marketing budget. "Horizontal marketing is easier and cheaper than just about any other form of marketing," says Shel Horowitz, author of Principled Profit. According to Horowitz, competitors can become some of your best allies.

TECHNOLOGY:  Build Word of Mouth Business with a Click
- businessweek.com
 
To get the most out of social networking sites, small companies should look past the hype, set concrete business goals, then start experimenting. The question for entrepreneurs is how to tap into this trend as a business opportunity, rather than simply a way to connect—or reconnect—with people, says Peter Delgrosso, strategic vice-president for corporate communications with Web.com. "For the most part, these social networking sites should be viewed as complementary to your online presence. When used properly, it is something that can gain your business some attention. However, you need to realize it shouldn't be seen as a replacement to your traditional online presence."

TRENDS:  Where the Mommies Are - nytimes.com
 
Sites aimed primarily at women, from “mommy blogs” to makeup and fashion sites, grew 35 percent last year — faster than every other category on the Web except politics, according to comScore, an Internet traffic measurement company. Women’s sites had 84 million visitors in July, 27 percent more than the same month last year, comScore said.
 

GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY:  PBA Tax Alert for Businesses on Stimulus Package - Professional Beauty Association
 
There is more to the Economic Stimulus Act than the rebates that most of us will be receiving this summer. Included in the Economic Stimulus Act are two provisions to help small businesses. These opportunities are only available in 2008, so if you want to take advantage you must act quickly. These provisions have not received as much press as the rebates have. But, overlooking these provisions could be a costly mistake. Here is what you need to know to take advantage of the new law.
 

August Promotions are online NOW!
Download a FREE COPY of our Magazine! [click here].
 
Ready to order? Call 800-251-4247, fax to 425-251-5202,
or visit your closest Salon Services Showroom today!

Make a Difference! Salon Services has partnered with David Hanen, Founder and Owner of LOMA-Pearatin, to donate a dollar for each bottle of "Pink Bow" Fortifying Repairative Serum that you purchase between now and October 2008. Proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation's annual 3-Day Walk - our own Stacy Kurtz is walking! Read about her story or make a donation online [click here].