The Martha Rules: Rule #5

Rule #5: Use smart, cost-effective promotional techniques that will arrest the eye, tug at the heart, and convey what is unique and special about your business or service.

 

According to Martha the two most important keys to successful promotion of your business is to be creative and use common sense.

 

Martha also wants you to remember to position your product or service. You need to figure out exactly what you are trying to accomplish and how your product/service is going to stand out!

 

In figuring out exactly how to advertise Martha wants you to appeal to your customer’s wants and needs. In the interior design world if you placing an ad in paper you must make sure that it very stylish and appealing to the eye. Have some sort of image and not just copy to catch a clients eye.

Another crucial key to promoting yourself is the publicity game. Hiring a publicist is going to be hard on the wallet, but in return you are going to have some one in corner. A constant cheerleader that is reaching out to all of their media contacts and sharing how fab you  are! What could be better. I would die if I had enough funds to hire Ruby Press . There work is beyond amazing! If a publicist is not in the cards then you must become the publicist. Martha recommends sending out letters to local media outlets offering your services as an expert in your field. You just need to make one connection to get your foot in the door.

 

Once you get the attention of a media outlet Martha’s tips are easy. Get personal. Share something that people might find out of character for you. Get people to want to know more. When you are in the public eye it is also important to tell your story well. Practice is key!

 

Martha also believe it’s important to be consistent in your message. She loves her sayings such as, “It’s a good thing,” and Learn something new every day,” and If I can do it, you can do it.” Her sayings are a constant reminder to everyone of what her company stands for.

 

* It’s not a secret that I’m a complete marketers dream. Make it pink and sparkly and I’m sold! One company that I think hits it out of the park every time is my favorite, Kate Spade. They not only make me want to purchase everything I see, but they help me dream, give me inspiration and make me what to be a little more unique and original in my own life. I sprinkled this post with some of my favorite KS ads.

 

FYI: Winner of the $100 shop bop gift card for most creative answer is MATAANDCONNIE! Please email me with your information! I can be reached at cpavone0107@gmail.com. Can’t wait to see what you pick out!

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The Martha Rules: Rule #4

Rule #4: By sharing your knowledge about your product or service with your customers, you create a deep connection that will help you learn how best to build and manage your business.

 

 

When I got to this rule a big smile formed on my face, because I think I do a pretty good job of doing this already and with the help of this blog I am able to share my knowledge, tricks, and tips with all!

 

 

Martha recommends to extend the connections. What she means by this is to get constant feedback from her clients/customers. She always wants to know what she did right, what she did wrong and what she could have done better.

 

Another key to rule #4 is making sure that love and concern is returned. I find myself doing this with all of my clients. Decorating is such a personal thing that it is only normal that you are going to form a strong bond with your clients. Many of my clients turn into friends during the process and that is just the icing on the cake.

 

I found myself nodding in agreement again when Martha mentioned the importance of developing the appropriate attitude. I find this to be true not only in business, but in life. I use to be a very negative person. I was constantly complaining about things and it got to the point where it was driving me crazy. One day I just decided to put a stop to it. I know try to deal with every situation with a smile on my face and take a deep breath before I freak out. I also treat everyone how I want to be treated from a client  to a family member to the check out person at a store I’m always super friendly and respectful.

 

Martha also had some gems that deal specifically with clients. She wants you to remember that customers are your best consultants, to think like a customer and see beyond the initial transaction.  I have to totally agree with Martha on all counts. A new client or customer is a great resource of information. They can help you come up with something new that you never thought of incorporating to your business like adding organization packages to your design business.

 

This  by far has been my favorite chapter. Perhaps because I feel like I already do many of things that she recommends and feel a bit ahead of the game. Then I have to remind myself that I started my business without a business plan (ah bad business owner) so I must get to work on that!

 

Of course I needed to add some pictures and decided to sprinkle this post with some projects I worked on. To see more of the black and white bathroom above head over to Plush Palate where I am guest hosting today!

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Vintage meets Modern

To me the perfect mix in a room is when vintage meets modern. It doesn’t have to go totally one way or another, but it’s nice when their is a touch of either.

I absolutely adore telling someone something in my house is vintage instead of saying Pottery Barn. Don’t you worry though I do have some Pottery Barn thrown in for good measure as well. Like I say it’s all about the balance.

 

I know not everyone thinks the way that I do, which is why I find it so special when I connect with someone that does.

 

 

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to meet up with Caitlin of Caitlin Creers Interiors. I’m so happy that we got to be ladies that lunched for a day and enjoyed some shopping as well. We are kindred spirits in both life and design.

 

She shares my love for Kate Spade, color, pattern, etc and most importantly vintage finds!

 

If you haven’t already head on over to her site and check out her Old is New series this week. She is filled with lots of great ideas to inject a little vintage vibe into your home on a budget!

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The Martha Rules: Rule #3

Rule #3: Create a business plan that allows you to stay true to your big idea but helps you focus on the details. Then remain flexible enough to zoom in or out on the vital aspects of your enterprise as your business grows.

 

Well after reading that I’m not going to lie my initial intake of information was, blah, blah ,blah. I had to re-read the chapter a couple of times to fully grasp the concept.

 

I have always understood the importance of needing a business plan for a business such as a store. It’s necessary in order to get a loan from a bank or investors. Since I was starting a service business and didn’t need $$$ from investors/bank to start out I truthfully didn’t think about doing a business plan.

 

I’m now thinking that perhaps I should free up some time and try to get some basics down on paper. A sort of business map for me so that I know how to stay on course.

 

The basic concept in Chapter 3 is to make sure that as an entrepreneur you see outside the big picture and make sure no mistakes are made in aspects of your business that you may find boring. For me that would be book-keeping. A total snooze, but it must be done.

 

Martha is a big believer in hiring professionals to help you aspects of your business that you are not strong in.

 

Since I haven’t done  a business plan yet I don’t have much of my own experience to add to this rule. Any other interior decorators/designers out have a business plan or are you like me and need to get in gear and write one up?

 

All images via Decor Pad

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She bop he bop a we bop

Every time I think about my latest Shop Bop give away I have Cyndi Lauper’s She bop running on a loop in my head!

If I was able to enter the contest I would itching to win the $100 gift card and get my hands on some of their fab finds.

 

Loving these astrology charm necklaces:

It’s been freezing in my house lately these UGG Slippers would totally fit the bill and warm up my toes.

Love, love these pockets!

How chic is this case for my business cards?

All of my picks are under $100 and could be purchased if you win the card!

 

You have until Wednesday at midnight to enter!

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The Martha Rules: Rule 2

Rule #2: Focus your attention and creativity on basic things, things that people need and want. Then look for ways to enlarge, improve, and enhance your big idea.

I think this is great rule to think about when you are trying to start a business. Many times in my life I have come up with many, many, many business plans and because my plans are so massive and in a way vague nothing comes of it. In order to truly get the ball rolling on a business idea you really need to think about what it is you want to sell.

 

Do you want to sell an actual item? Will you sell it in shops or online? Will you have sales reps? What makes your products unique in the market?

 

Or do you want to sell a service. For a small business owner selling a service is a great way to start because there is not a lot of start-up costs. No need to get inventory on items, etc. You do need a presence though to let the world know you are out there. Whether it be a blog, twitter account or website. In most cases all 3 are a good idea.

 

Whether you are selling a service or a product you really need to sit down and take a moment to figure out what it is that makes you stand out. Why hire you instead of the person down the road?

 

This has been something that I have had to struggle with in my own business. I love budget design, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to be pigeon holed into it. After a lot of thought I decided that I wanted to offer a mix. I didn’t want to be the interior designer that charged 40,000 per room and a 35% mark-up on items, but I didn’t want to offer room packages for $100. This is a business after all and you hire a professional to help you achieve the look you want. It doesn’t seem right to have the designer end up making $2 an hour once all is said and done.

 

 

So while my counterparts in the NY area charge around $150-$350 an hour and around 25-35% mark-up on to the trade items. I charge less an hour to help the everyday person achieve a beautiful look to their home. For me it is exciting to mix some designer fabric in toss pillows with a thrift store lamp find that I scored for pennies that helps me achieve the perfect vintage meets modern look and doesn’t break the bank. I’m also full of DIY solutions that I offer my clients that enjoy hands on work. They get the idea and steps from me and then execute it on their own making both parties happy.

 

 

Some other tips for Rule #2 are the Seven necessities for assessing your business idea.

 

1. Is your idea better than alternatives on the market.

2. Is your idea simple for you to develop and simple for customers to understand.

3. Are you in a geographic location where your idea will work?

4. Is your idea affordable?

5. Is your idea too big?

6. Can you expand and extend your idea?

7.Does your idea make the world better?

 

I have to say that I’m really enjoying this book. It’s great to follow all of the steps that it took Martha to reach her massive success. Instead of being overwhelming it’s a helpful book that has been reassuring me being a small business owner is a dream job.

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Weekend Recap: The Martha Rules

Hi loves,

Wouldn’t it be great if this recap was about finishing everything off of my to-do list?

I’m certain that it would be a fab recap, but it so didn’t happen!

-I did end up cleaning the house. I actually got into a huge cleaning fit and rearranged most of the kitchen and put the Roomba to work in the living room! So yay for that!

-Finished and put away the laundry so that was also progress.

-Went out and got the supplies to make the pillows. I just never got around to starting them. Hoping to work on that this week.

- Helped Watched Jon rake up all the leaves in the front and back yards.

No home design projects got done, but I did get to work on a pretty big project that I’ll be revealing soonish! It kept me busy most of the weekend.

When I had some down time I settled in to read The Martha Rules. Since you all showed such interest in the book I figured I would  share one of her rules a day.

Rule #1: Build your business success around something that you love- Something that is inherently and endlessly interesting to you.

This rule is something that I have always believed to be true, but didn’t always use the advice on myself. I fought my love for interior design for a long time. When I was searching for my perfect college my first search lead me to art schools in order to major in interior design, but I kept thinking that it wasn’t a professional career just a hobby and went against my better judgement and majored in business and then communications.

After college I continued to resist my love for design and went into retail buying. I job hopped a lot searching for that perfect fit. I never felt like I was being creative enough in any of the jobs I encountered. I would tackle decorating and event design projects in my free time and started to be known as the Martha Stewart in my circle of family and friends.

Finally I reached a point in my life where I knew I didn’t want a job. A wanted a career, a life, something that would have me exciting to wake up every morning, something that was totally and completely me! With the support of friends and family I eventually took that leap and did my schooling for interior decorating and set up my own business.

It hasn’t been easy. Many days have been spent in tears. I have days were I’m convinced I’m totally horrible and have no talent. Days were I don’t feel a creative bone in my body. I then need to give myself a little pep talk, go out and clear my head and then inspiration will hit me and my brain starts working on overdrive with design ideas and I’m reminded of why I do design for a living. It’s a good thing.

If you were to start your own business what would it be? What is that thing that you totally love?

* Since everything looks better with pictures I used some images of one of Martha’s home to sprinkle throughout the post!

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