Though advertising can bring shoppers into a store, product packaging is often what causes them to purchase one item instead of another. When operating a business online, packaging can be even more valuable. As a small business startup consulting firm, Illumination Consulting has valuable advice to offer regarding product packaging based on experiences with previous…
There are many things to consider when marketing a business and the competition is one of them. Being aware of how competitors are marketing themselves can provide insight and ideas that help a company jump ahead. A small skin care business may have limited resources to analyze the packaging, promotion, advertising, and online activities of…
According to the most recent quarterly ecommerce survey released by developer Tom Robertshaw, more companies in the Alexa top one million are using the Magento ecommerce platform. Alexa, a company owned by Amazon, developed a list of the top one million websites. The survey analyzed the home page HTML document against a library that included…
Most website owners recognize the importance of improving their search engine rankings and making their sites more popular and authoritative. Link building is one way to do this and it requires some help from other website owners. Email boxes fill up quickly so it is important to make link request emails stand out from junk…
Every day, new businesses get off the ground in this country. All companies, regardless of size, should have a business plan in place before opening their doors. Small business start up consulting firms help new entrepreneurs create business plans designed for success. Many business owners find it challenging to create a business plan because stakeholders…
Social media is a low-cost online marketing channel that has proven effective for many skin care businesses. Before advertising skin care products through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms, marketers should understand how each gender uses social media. Male and female behavior differs and skin care advertisers should tailor their presence and messages accordingly.…
Reacting in real-time to major events has become an effective marketing tool. According to a new report from eMarketer, more than 72 percent of businesses believe that real-time marketing is effective for both a company and its brand. Oreo is a prime example of the power of real-time marketing, as its single tweet during the…
It takes much more than a well-designed, accessible website to develop a global brand. Since it can be easy to make a mistake, many entrepreneurs retain the services of an international business consultant before they take their companies global. The international experts at Illumination Consulting suggest several strategies for avoiding common errors when building a…
Businesses come in all types and sizes and small businesses are the lifeblood of America. When starting a skin care business, the owner must decide whether to establish it as a sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), or a corporation. LLCs and corporations offer business owners several important advantages and benefits that sole proprietorships and…
In the U.S., approximately 99.7 percent of firms are businesses with fewer than 500 employees. These businesses represent 49.2 percent of private sector employers and account for 64 percent of net new jobs created from 1993 to 2011. Many people think that every small business is alike. However, startups are as different as they are…
