Take a Chance—10 Ways to Run a Risky Business
Got this article from Entrepreneur.com from a co-worker today and thought I’d share. It’s kind of like life’s little instruction book for product development and marketing. Often times I find myself and those around me getting stuck in a rut. I think keeping these key points in mind can help one to let go and innovate and become more productive.
Here is also the link to Studio 7 Media’s website—very nice clean design.
10 Ways to Run a Risky Business
Cyndee Sugra, 30, started her digital design and marketing firm, Studio 7 Media (studio7media.com), in the middle of the dotcom crash. Last year, her Los Angeles-based company hit sales of $8 million.
By Cyndee Sugra | Entrepreneur Magazine – February 20091. Take a chance. The riskiest decision you make can be the most rewarding and gratifying.
2. There’s no crystal ball. Take big leaps to learn about yourself as an entrepreneur and a decision-maker.
3. Once you make a decision, be confident with it and move forward. Don’t look back.
4. Stop worrying. You can’t take risks confidently if you’re constantly worrying about the outcome or the future.
5. Remember that there are no mistakes. If you fail after taking a risk, the lessons learned are invaluable.
6. Ask yourself, what’s the worst that can happen?
7. Keep stepping out of your comfort zone. The more success you experience through your risk-taking, the more you’ll allow yourself to branch out.
8. Don’t let perfectionism get in the way of taking risks. Accept that as an entrepreneur, learning is never-ending.
9. Evaluate what you’re really risking. It might not be as scary as you originally thought.
10. Don’t stress about coming up with that “big idea.” Big ideas don’t come easily–a small idea may actually be the big prize.
Rock, Paper, Packaging?
From Global Packaging Minute Newsletter…
Rock, paper, packaging?
A British firm hopes to sell limestone-derived paper—called EnPlus Rock Paper—into the UK and Irish packaging industry. The paper “offers food manufacturers an environmentally-responsible packaging material for a range of products.” The paper can be recycled with traditional paper or plastic recycling methods, “and will degrade to dust in a landfill situation within three years.” Food packaging such as cartons, sandwich wedges, sleeves and labels can be made from the paper, but can perform almost as well as plastic. Food packaging such as cartons, sandwich wedges, sleeves and labels can be made from the limestone paper, but can perform almost as well as plastic. The paper offers moisture-barrier properties, is waterproof, and can be folded and creased just like paper.
This is pretty cool! I wonder if you could make displays out of this stuff?
Sustainable Packaging Coalition
http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/ Came across this today in a Pack World Article.
Free Online Conferencing
Came across this today in a magazine, it’s online conferencing and it’s free! Kind of neat so thought I’d pass it on, check out the demo below.
http://vyew.com/site/product/vyew-in-action/
Five principles for packaging new products…
This is a great article from Brand Packaging. It talks about what is essential in rolling out a new product. It’s a good guideline to use to increase your odds of success at the shelf level.
Grocery Buying Habits
Again from Global Packaging Newsletter…
Who shops where and why…
The economy is shaping the way ALL consumers are shopping these days. According to one report, “one-fifth of shoppers altered their grocery shopping behavior due to economic conditions.” Lower-income consumers are moving to even lower-cost retailers—especially “dollar” stores, and extreme-value supermarkets (Cub Food, Save-A-Lot). And the average and above-average income shopper is hitting the likes of Wal-Mart and Target more than they used to. Which retailers are suffering most? According to the study, higher-priced specialty food retailers (Trader Joe’s, The Fresh Market) and health/natural-food supermarkets (Whole Foods, Wild Oats) are struggling to retain their customer base. Still, conventional supermarkets remain stable—shoppers hit these stores to start or finish their shopping duties. Interestingly, “upscale shoppers rationalize spending more on organic and natural products if they fill their pantries affordably by buying some goods in bulk,” from warehouse clubs and extreme-value supermarkets.
Source: www.progressivegrocer.com
I shop at Whole Foods, and as a consumer I am using coupons more these days and really watching what I spend. Buying meat on sale and buying seasonal items in produce (they tend to be cheaper).
Smell Ya Later…
Another cool little tidbit from Global Packaging Minute Newsletter…
Makes sense with the citrus as it’s suppose to be invigorating, maybe it gives one more energy to shop?
Ah, the sweet smell of sales…
Research is showing that “sellers can actually increase both sales and the perception that they’re selling quality goods” when they manipulate scents in their stores. Two kinds of odors are being looked at, the kind that come from the products themselves, and the unrelated odors that surround a buyer—intentional or not. A Canadian researcher and his team found that citrus smells increased sales, as well as the perception that the store’s products were high quality. Coach (handbags) and Sony are both said to be experimenting with sensory branding in their stores. The researcher warns, however, that it’s a complex equation of layering, which can backfire if a scent clashes with other scents in the retail environment.
Source: www.theprovince.com
Dark Green to Light Green
Swiss researcher finds consumers “green-ness” goes from light to dark…
After conducting interviews and monitoring focus groups, researcher Rolf Wustenhagen has determined that there are at least two types of “green” consumers: “dark green” and “light green. ‘Dark greens’ value environmental aspects of products more than any other attribute” and “express a high willingness to pay a premium” when it comes to environmentally-conscious purchasing decisions. They also consider what Wustenhagen calls “deep green” solutions—well-thought-out strategies to lighten their “footstep.” “Light greens,” however, “perceive a trade-off between environmental aspects and other product attributes—notably price.” They are more likely to consider convenience, comfort and low maintenance when it comes to environmental concerns and their purchasing decisions. “Light greens” are less-likely to take a risk, he found, and are more concerned with the notion of reliability when it comes to purchases. The professor’s aim was to understand buying habits when it comes to home-heating alternatives. But the information learned should be considered when marketing to consumers in general—there’s no simple solution, and one-size doesn’t fit all “green” customers.
Source: Greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com
Thought this was interesting marketing information, from Packaging World’s Global Packaging Minute Newsletter
Sustainable Office Supplies
Very cool! Sustainable office supplies. This place does custom printed 3 ring binders. Cool!
Check it out!
Packaging Fruit?
With the green movement underway in design I find packaging fruit highly comical. This little snippet from the Global Packaging Minute describes how Disney is putting characters on packaging of oranges to appeal more to kids. It just seems pretty silly that we require advertising on oranges. Good news for my industry, it pays the bills, but still der! It just seems lazy and silly to me. I mean how is an orange in a package different from one you pick off a tree? Except that it has packaging to tell the consumer the story of an orange and fills up more landfills?
Orange you glad…
A large percentage of oranges are now sold pre-packaged in the United States. Consumers prefer picking up a bag of this much-loved fruit rather than picking out individual pieces of fruit and bagging it themselves. This is good news for packagers. While most pre-packaged oranges are sold in bags, some are contained in boxes, bins or reusable plastic. One citrus producer uses packages that feature Disney characters. Nemo, and other Disney stars decorate packages of clementines, navels and cara caras—making it a desirable selection for tots—and so too their moms and dads.
