qprev_HBB Manual 2.qxd - Small Business BC

3How Will You ReachBuyers?Fabulous Fabric Actby Devon L. MuhlertSusan McCormick stays in business by playing.Her creations, on the other hand, work hard – asadvertising for her clients.Her company Fabulous Fabric Act, Banner andInflatable Design Company has a name that saysit all – she creates large-scale inflatablecreatures, for clients who want theiradvertisements to stand out from the crowd.“We’re geared to screening out huge visualadvertising,” Susan explains. “But when peoplesee playful figures, they look twice. They perkup.”When Susan breezed into her vocation, it neveroccurred to her to research potential markets,because producing 50-foot creatures inflated bycold-air fans had never figured in her wildestdreams. Friends volunteered Susan to work oninflatables for the university games in Edmonton.More contracts followed and Susan realized sheneeded a marketing portfolio with photos ofsample products. She approached prospectiveclients armed with a unique concept and asketch. Some years ago, she suggested the use ofa semi-cartoon character to advertise a localwinter carnival. Organizers recognized itspotential for promotion, and Susan pursued hervision. It hovered over many parades beforeSusan sold the inflatable to a bank forsponsorship.“It always gets front-page exposure and bothgroups benefit. How else could a bank getcoverage in such a playful way?” she says.With her specialty business, Susan competes ina global marketplace. For greater exposure,she built a Web page but continues to sell herwork outright rather than create a large-scalerental business. She’s sticking to her niche.Making sales is crucial to any business. Thepeople who buy a product or service are calledconsumers, customers, buyers, or simply “themarket.” Marketing is a general name givento the steps you use to get your product orservice into the hands of people who are ready tobuy. It may sound simple but marketingis a weak area for many new small businesseseverywhere, including home-based ones.Entire workshops, courses and books are devotedto explaining the mysteries and skills ofmarketing. This introductory guide can only offersome marketing basics, enough to get youstarted.Target the MarketMarketing involves all the different stages fromdeveloping an idea for a product or service todelivering it to paying customers.These include:• Finding out what the market wants, whatit will buy, when, and how much it will pay.• Designing products or services to meetthose wants.solutions for small business home-based business 33