Posts Tagged ‘trust’

KikScore's New Look: Don't Go Changin' Unless It's A Lot Better

So we launched KikScore a few months ago and we had, in our minds, a pretty good marketing site.  But in our own echo-chamber, all of our ideas sound great.  We then did something that was truly smart — we started listening to people outside our own company.  We asked for feedback from friends and family, customers and industry professionals.  We even used a cool site called usertesting.com — which allows you to watch strangers review your site (you hear their comments and see how they navigate the pages).

We gathered up the feedback and the trends were eye-opening.  They broke out along the general categories of: (a) how is your product different; (b) where do you sign up; and (c) what exactly does the service work.  So we went back to the drawing board (and when I say we, I mean our partner, Joel, went spent countless hours on the re-design).

Our new marketing site is out (www.KikScore.com).  In a post coming soon, Joel will provide his thoughts on design and the evolution of messaging.  But until then, we’re going to continue to solicit feedback…as we can always get better.  Please take a look at our new site and provide us your thoughts.

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

Top 5 (and a half) Reasons You Should Attend the Social Commerce Camp

Do you love lists?  Do you want to learn more about the Social Commerce Camp (February 20th) in D.C.?  Do you wish Steven Segal would do another Hard to Kill movie (not related to this post, but I really miss those awesome Steven Segal movies).  Well do I have something for you…here are the Top Five (and a half) reasons you need to come to the Social Commerce Camp (sponsored by Network Solutions, Mayer Brown, KikScore and MyBusinessAssistant):

5.  Learn the Social Commerce landscape and trends from Shashi B. — a top mover and shaker in D.C.’s tech community (and social guru for Network Solutions);

4.  Let Steven Fisher walk you through how to set up website for your business — and ask him about his movie (at www.browncoatsmovie.com)

3.  Wondering how to get some positive publicity?  That’s Shonali Burke’s specialty, as she’s a  leadingPR professional and editor of WomenGrowBusiness.com  . 

2. Did we mention free breakfast pastries and coffee?

1.  Network with similarly minded small business owners looking to  tap into social commerce to start and/or grow their business. 

1A.  Sign a petition to Steven Segal and implore him to begin working on a new karate movie.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Social Commerce Camp — I know it’s a Saturday morning, but if you stay up all night, it will feel like the middle of the afternoon.

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

Is There Brand Loyalty In A Recession?

There are no atheists in a foxhole, but is there brand loyalty in a recession?  In our household, the answer is…nope.  I’ve been noticing this past year the slow emergence of generic groceries cropping up in our cabinets.  Generics?  Dear Lord, the last time I was subjected to generic groceries was growing up with my frugal parents.  Instead of Fruit Loops, we got those Fruity O’s…you know the similarly colored, fruit-flavored cereal that comes in a bag.  Yum.  But my wife insists that times have changed and store-label food products are just as good.  So instead of Irish Spring, we now use Up And Up (Target’s generic brand of green soap).  It’s not bad.  Instead of NyQuil, another Target brand (we love Target).  Instead of Cinnamon Toast Crunch…we continue to get Cinnamon Toast Crunch (you don’t skimp on the important things).  But our household isn’t alone.  It appears that in 2009 there was a surge of generic and store label brands in grocery stores.

But besides my Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I did notice that our household isn’t going generic on clothing…specifically my wife’s boots and jeans.  And she is making the point to go to her favorite small business boutique to get these items (Garbarini, just in case you’re looking to do some shopping in Denver).  When I asked why, the reason she said 1)  because Garbarini has a much better selection than the department stores; and 2) she wants to make sure her favorites stores survive the Recession.

So this Recession may be an opportunity for small and online businesses for a couple of reasons.  First, shoppers are obviously looking to save money and don’t really care where they buy their Sony Bravia — obviously an advantage for online sellers with no overhead cost.  However, ther may also be some brand loyalty to stores and business that specialize on certain product lines and/or customer service.

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

Small Biz Interview with Tufted Topper owner Madalyn Duerr

It’s a busy week for Tufted Topperand owner Madalyn Duerr as she excitedly prepares for the Strictly Sail show at Navy Pier in Chicago this coming weekend. Tufted Topper isn’t just for avid boaters, it is a unique custom mattress pad that can be created for any mattress. Tufted Topper was one of our first KikScorebeta customers and has been a great partner in providing feedback and suggestions not only on the KikScore products but also on small business ventures and various other tidbits. Thanks Madalyn and Tufted Topper – best of luck in the show this weekend!

1. Tell us about Tufted Topper and who you focus on serving?
‘Tufted Topper’ is a custom-made pillow top pad to make any sleeping area more comfortable, giving you mattress comfort without the mattress price. We focus on the marine industry but a topper can be used in campers, on hide-a-beds, or on your own uncomfortable mattress at home.

2. What prompted the launch of Tufted Topper?
The idea for ‘Tufted Topper’ came out of our own need. We were avid sailors spending long weekends on our boat. Sleeping quarters on boats are notoriously uncomfortable and custom mattresses are a very expensive luxury. We had a friend in the mattress business who agreed to make us a topper for our v-berth. It made a world of difference. Once others on our dock heard about the comfortable pad, they wanted one too. A new business was born. However, our friend did not have the equipment needed to make all the intricate cuts and corners found on most boats. After an intense six-month search, we found the perfect vendor and began exhibiting our product at several boat shows but it soon became apparent that we needed more visibility and an easier way for customers to purchase our toppers.

3. How did you get started selling online?
We quickly realized that a website was in order and that a ‘safe’ ordering process was not only important but necessary. Today, more than 85% of our business comes through online sales. Our customers want easy access to product information and simple ordering procedures . . . simple but succinct . . . a challenge when you want to attract customers and provide all the information you can without being overwhelming.

4. Where will Tufted Topper focus most of its energy in 2010?
In 2010, much of our energy will be focused on improving the website and making sure our customers have confidence in shopping with us. KikScore is a great tool that helps us demonstrate that trust online.

5. As 2010 begins, what trends do you see in your business this year?
Slowly coming out of a recession, we look to this year as a ‘retrofit’ year . . . . people remodeling their homes instead of purchasing new ones, getting new tires and brake jobs instead of buying new cars, adding a few small luxuries to their current boats instead of trading up. If that rings true, it should be a good year for ‘Tufted Topper’ . . . . a terrific and affordable upgrade for a boat, camper or home.

If you are out in Chicago this weekend, head to Navy Pier for the show and stop by booth 453 to say Hi to Madalyn and explore having a Tufted Topper custom fit for you!

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

Are Successful Entrepreneurs Really Risk Takers? Malcom Gladwell Doesn't Think So

By nature, I’m a contrarian.  It could be that I just like to argue, but if the conventional wisdom is one way, I’m inclined to believe the opposite.  Since “Blink” and “Tipping Point” became the reference points for almost everyone in the business world, I started to heavily discount any theory or research posited by Malcom Gladwell.  The great thing about being a contrarian, you don’t even need to read the work or understand the position that you’re disagreeing with — you just take the opposite side.  So, of course, I had a very good handle on Mr. Gladwell’s work without actually reading it.  Unfortunately, my intentional ignorance didn’t last long.  As a reader of the The New Yorker, I kept coming across articles that I really enjoyed.  The problem: these articles were written by Malcom Gladwell.  When does this guys sleep?  He’s everywhere.  I wouldn’t be surprised if shows up on Sesame Street, explaining  supply side economics in a child-friendly way. 

Why this long explanation?  Because I’ve completely abandoned by dim view of Mr. Gladwell, and repeat every single thing he writes as gospel.  I sicken myself.  Today will be no different.  In a recent New Yorker article, Malcom takes on the widely held belief that successful entrepreneurs are risk takers and mavericks.  In his view, that may be true for many entrepreneurs, it just isn’t so for successful ones.

Instead of being risk-takers, successful entrepreneurs are those with unique insight or information that see the value in something that others do not, and strike.  These individuals don’t risk their own money (or if they do, very little of it) and act more as predators than as free-wheeling mavericks.  He profiles Ted Turner and John Paulson to make these points.  And ends the with the results of a survey of individual business owners — where it establishes that this group is much more willing to settle for less monetary compensation so long as it is more certain.

So what’s your view?  Do you agree with Malcom, or are entrepreneurs risk takers?

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Small Biz interview with Little Duck Organics owner Zak Normandin

Today’s KikScore interview is with Zak Normandin, owner of Little Duck Organicsa unique and tasty organic snack food for infants and toddlers – and adults too!  We came across Zak and Little Duck Organics on Twitter where Zak and team are actively promoting their yummy organic treats.  Little Duck Organics is relatively new to the online community and shares a passion for the world of small business and bringing a much needed product to the organic conscious community.  I had the pleasure of talking for awhile with Zak and sharing startup ideas and promotional concepts.  Thanks for your insight Zak and for being a KikScore customer!

1. Tell us about Little Duck Organics and who you focus on serving?

Little Duck Organics is a business that I started developing in February of 2009. My wife and I have always been a fan of all natural/organic/locally produced products, and when we went food shopping for our daughters we really didn’t see anything like that available in the baby aisle. Most of the products that were available contained added sugars, artificial flavors, and preservatives which we preferred not to feed to our kids. When we talked to other parents, they agreed that there was definitely a lack of wholesome, nutritious products available for babies. At the time, I was looking for a new venture to invest in, so I started researching what it would take to bring an organic line of baby products to market. It took me about 10 months to design our first line of products and arrange to have it manufactured and packaged. In December of 2009, we formally launched on Amazon.com and at independent grocery stores in New Hampshire.

2. How did you get started with selling online?

One of our first customers was Amazon.com. They started buying products from us in December to sell through their online grocery division. This was the first experience that we had with selling products online. At the beginning of this month (January), we set up our own online store to begin selling Little Duck snacks directly to customers through our website. This allowed us to have a little bit more control over product placement, descriptions, Etc. Overall, the experience has been great. We’re focusing now on increasing our conversion rate and finding new ways to advertise to potential customers.

3. Where will Little Duck Organics focus most of its energy in 2010?

In 2010, our goals will be to expand our retail and online distribution channels and develop the Little Duck Organics brand. One of our main focuses will be to build customer loyalty and awareness within the baby products niche. We will be working closely with the blogging community, and plan to do a lot of traveling to sample our products at retail stores. In addition, we’re planning on introducing two new products later this year that will compliment our current line of products.

4. If you had 1 lesson that you learned from your business that you could pass on to others about selling online, what would it be?

The biggest lesson that I have learned so far since we set up our online store is that you need to be very aware and organized with all of the external costs associated with selling a product through a website. Credit card fees, boxes, packing materials & shipping costs all add up with you are selling a product with a low retail price. You need to keep these things in mind and adjust your prices accordingly so that what you are offering to customers is still attractively priced.

5. As 2010 begins, what trends do you see in your business this year?

As far as trending goes in the organic baby sector, I think that there will be more of a shift from the conventional baby food companies to upgrade their product lines to incorporate more natural/organic options. Fortunately for us, Gerber will always be Gerber and Beech-Nut will always be Beech-Nut. No matter how they market their products, they will always have the same brand-association in the mind of most consumers. Our advantage is that we were able to start from ground zero and build a brand around a mindset (Creating delicious organic baby snacks with no preservatives or additives).

6. If your business could be any movie or movie character, what movie/movie character would it be and why?

I’ve always loved the movie “Click” with Adam Sandler. I really relate to his character, and although the movie does not directly relate to Little Duck Organics, I can see a lot of similarities between the story-line and our business. For anyone who has not seen the film, the main character is an architect who has the ability to fast forward his life to critical points of success. Basically, he does not want to have to go through the mundane and only wants to experience the promotions, bonuses, success Etc. I don’t want to ruin the movie for anyone who has not seen it, but at the end Sandler learns to appreciate his family, friends, and the journey of life more than he previously had. I’m making a big effort to do the same in my life and at Little Duck Organics this year. I need to enjoy the process of building the business and everything that comes along with it. We’re doing something that most people only dream of , and that in itself should be viewed as an accomplishment.

7. If Little Duck Organics could have a dream spokesperson for your company who would it be and why?

I can’t think of anyone specific off the top of my head, but it would have to be a celebrity or someone famous who has the same mindset as our company. I would prefer a mom who understands the value in feeding wholesome organic foods to their children.

8. How do the folks at Little Duck Organics let loose after a busy day working?

Although most of my time is spent building the business, It is nice to wind down after a long day at work. At home, I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughters. We love trying out new foods and traveling. In the summer, we usually go for a walk every night with our dog. My older daughter loves helping me cook, so I try to do that with her whenever I can. At three years old, she can already make a mean Alfredo sauce 🙂

9. Do you have any parting thoughts for our readers and the small business community?

Know your competition, Work your butt off, Pray for luck.  Cheers!

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

My Favorite iPhone Apps: Business Related (generally)

I won’t get into the Smart Phone wars…Google vs. Sprint vs. Apple.  I own an iPhone.  The phone aspect is truly horrible…unless you enjoy the excitement of wondering whether you’ll get through an entire conversation without have the call drop on you.  But the Apps on the iPhone are great.  As I was on a business trip, I was noticing how often I used certain Apps to get through the day. 

There are plenty of other reviews of Apps for business uses.  A good one is the one done by Inc. — they list out 10 very good business Apps, inlcuding Jott (which transcribes your notes that you verbally take).  Thought there are other lists, that shouldn’t stop me from sharing.  And as you’ll see, mine include some fun ones (as all business and now play make Jack…wealthy, but really no fun).  Here we go.  My favorite (mostly business related) Apps:

1.  WSJ/CNBC — This is a bit of a cop-out…having a tie on the first choice.  But there is a reason.  The Wall Street Journal is a great App, but you have to be a subscriber to access it.  So if you don’t subscribe, CNBC’s App is a great alternative.  Of course, they both keep you up on the latest business news.

2.  WordPress:  A great App for mobile blogging.  I don’t mobile blog as much as I should, but I’ve done it a few times on this App and it is really slick.

3.  Touchlytics:  This App lets you track your site traffic/visits…just ties into your Google analytics account.  They have a good lite version of this App.

4.  iVideoCamera:  I was going to buy a iPhone 3GS — mainly for the video capability.  But then the new iPhone comes out later this year…what to do?  I found this App and for $.99, I have video capability and can instantly share it on our blog, YouTube and Twitter.

5.  AroundMe:  I have the Chipotle, Starbucks, and Target Apps, but if you need to find other stores (it’s hard to imagine that you would need to) you can find it easily on AroundMe.  You can also find a Chipotle on AroundMe.

6.  RingCentral:  Once you have a RingCentral account, you can manage your calls and call out from your RingCentral 800 number. 

7.  TweetDeck:  There are a lot of Twitter Apps, but this one, in my opinion, is the best.

8.  TextsFromLastNight:  Not a lot of business function, but it makes any meeting very tolerable.

Send us your favorite and we’ll reconsider this list.

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

What Sparks a Small Business Venture?

When starting a small business, what drives and motivates you? Is it passion for a cause or the imminent proof that there is a vacancy for a certain need? In talking with a variety of small business owners for our KikScore blog, the desires and drive to start their own venture vary as much as the different products and services they offer such as KKBB and SimplyAstro

If I were to have followed true passion in where I could be doing the daily equivalent of a comforting and true cause past time, I would have opened a No-Kill Cat shelter… however, this was a very difficult venture to get past my husband Lou, who has more of a passion for golfthan rescuing cats. Add the fact that neither of us has the building space or other means to house so many furry friends. Plus the overhead of running a shelter can be very costly and you need to ensure you have ample vet care on site and plenty of other key resources.

The general thought is you will find happiness doing what you love, it takes the ‘work’ out of ‘work’.   So what you need to find is a viable product, service, or solution that people need — or something that you can convince the general populous they can’t live without.

So how did my KikScore business partners and I end up here?

Another key element in launching a successful start up is to tap into the inner expertise of yourself to uncover a passion that had been slighted due to mundane day job activities, or inability (not to mention lack of desire) to climb the corporate ladder.   All of us at KikScore have vastly different backgrounds, yet a strong desire to not only be our own bosses eventually, but also to provide a product that is cutting edge.

Technology became a strong passion of mine, having launched my career shortly after college working for one of the most accredited entrepreneurs out there, Bob Parsons at Parsons Technology.  As technology and the Internet have migrated over time, running in stride and identifying the gaps are what caused KikScore to come to fruition.

How do I feed that need to own a cat shelter someday? Well… we do have multipe cats running about our home which reminds me I’ve saved some great lives. I frequently volunteer at the local shelter to share the warmth and experience some excess purring.

Back to the original question, when starting a small business, what drives and motivates you? Share your stories and ideas with us. We’d love to showcase your small business story for the next KikScore blog!

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Diary of a Start-Up: Is this Business Making Me Fat?

Most of us on the KikScore team work day-time jobs. Working on nights and weekends is very reminiscent of grad school — your days are filled up and then you do your homework at night. Not a big deal. We are all thankful for our jobs as well as having a growing side business.

But this weekend, after watching Brett Favre put a hurt on the Dallas Cowboys, I thought about working out. Now mind you, I’m not a fitness buff (Raj, please stop laughing). It doesn’t take much to convince me to put off a work out — I just thought about some KikScore business that needed attention and that was that. It did get me to think about other small business owners, however, who have an erratic schedule. Does owning your own business make you fat(ter)?

Take my Dad…please. No, I’m kidding. He’s a great guy and has owned his own businesses for 30 years. But exercise came after raising a family and bulding a business. So, in other words, he could drop some pounds. Of course, there are plenty of examples of successful small owners who are in terrific shape. But are they the except to the rule? Most Americans are heavy by definition. But controlling for other factors, are small business owners in worse shape than most? After spending some time Googling some rather offensive search queries (‘are small business owners fat’, ‘are entrepreneurs in worse shape?’) I still can’t find a good answer. I did see that most small business owners are against the latest health care bill — but that has to do with the fatness of their wallets, not waistline.

So, any anectodal information or actual research on this would be appreciated. My wife is particularly interested in any information you may have.

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Posts Tagged ‘trust’

Do You Protect Your Business Brand From Your Personal Brand?

Small and start-up businesses need to build an identity in the marketplace.  With or without using our KikScore service, a newer or lesser-known business needs to establish a brand that is recognized and trusted.  But newer and smaller businesses are often just the reflection of the individual owners, so what do you do as a business owner so as to not offend a possible customer or partner?

As most bloggers, I have a personal example to share.  Of the KikScore team, I think I’m the only one to have voted for McCain…I know how to pick a winner (I hated Palin, but would have loved to see Johnny Mac in the White House).  But when we officially launched KikScore, as I was putting on the business bumper sticker, I removed the “John McCain 2008”.  Why?  Because as an entrepreneur, I don’t want to offend a potential customer and I don’t want to link the KikScore brand with my personal ideology.  In other words, I’d rather have a successful business than let the world know my political leanings.  But does it matter?  Maybe it could help your business, as your personal beliefs could align your business with customers with similar positions. 

Right or wrong, the marketplace assigns values to businesses that may or may not be intended by the owners.  Think about Walmart and Costco. Each provide a bulk/warehouse shopping experience, located in the suburbs.  But Walmart is deemed to be “Republican” and Costco is “Democrat”.  I seriously doubt either business wants to cater only to half of voting public, but some people will only shop at the bulk warehouse that is more in line with their political affiliation.

The question now remains is do you tone down your personal activities to avoid turning off your customers, continue as-is, or assign you personal affiliations to business in an effort to win business?

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