Marketing 101

Marketing is crucial for any business. In a nutshell, marketing is how a business communicates their value of their products and services to potential clients. In order to fine tune your business marketing strategies you must determine the target audience you wish to reach. The last thing you want to do is take a shot in the dark! Once you know your business goals, you can begin implementing your marketing strategy. In today’s day and age, we all understand how beneficial social media is for any business. It allows us to connect with our customers as well as attract potential clients. Needless to say, when it comes to marketing, get online and start mingling with your audience however, this is not the end-all way to marketing. Let’s dive deeper and start thinking outside of the box.

If you want to make the most out of your marketing techniques, begin to think community. How and what can make you stand out and become a prominent member of your community. Local festivals, charities, and fundraisers are great ways to market, network, and get more foot traffic into your business. These kinds of events also are great for corporate sponsorship. As a corporate sponsor, you are likely to see your name and logo around the event and can potentially earn special recognition.



There are many ways to market your business. The idea is to think outside of the norm, doing so helps you stand out and gives you that crucial differential advantage.

Dirk Kettlewell: Creating a Successful Business Plan

According to Dirk Kettlewell, the business plan is a starting point for any business. It plays a crucial role for success in any business. If your business plan is doesn’t flow or is inconsistent, then lenders are likely to pass you up. Think of your business plan as the first step for business. It is the solid foundation that your business sits on. Solid business plans don’t always mean success, but it acts as a reference of what should be done and what you want to avoid. Your business plan is a dry run of your business, and a map for your future success. Your business plan should accomplish important key tasks. Firstly, it should align the management team toward a common set of goals. Ideally, you want to have three short term goals and three long term goals. Once this vision is on paper, it helps the team to better understand the feasibility of the business goals. Another tip according to Dirk Kettlewell is the summary of your business. Start with a clear and concise executive summary of your business. Be sure to communicate your value proposition. This consists of what your business will do, how it will make money, and why customers will want to pay for your product or service. If you are planning on sending your business plan to investors, include the amount of money you need, how you are prepared spend that money, and how you plan on paying off the loan.

Consider how you will work on your marketing opportunities. How large is your target market? How fast is it growing? Where are opportunities and threats, and how will you handle these issues? These are all important factors to consider when building a successful business plan. Your business plan is the rough draft to your success, as found out by Dirk Kettlewell.

Dirk Kettlewell, from OfficeMax to Charitable Organizations

Dirk Kettlewell spent seven years as the Senior Vice President of Technology for OfficeMax, where he was responsible for over $3.0 Billion in annual sales. During his tenure at OfficeMax, he was presented with both the Senior Category Manager and GMM of the year awards by the corporations Chairman & CEO. In 2003, Dealerscope Magazine named Kettlewell, one of the top 40 executives under 40 years of age. In a subsequent start-up venture, Kettlewell directed the successful launch of over 160 stores around the United States within the first three years of operations. He was also responsible for over 500 associates, with six direct reports including the CFO, CIO, Senior Vice Presidents (2), and Vice Presidents (2). His expertise and vast experience includes shareholder value appreciation, merchandising management, sales and marketing leadership, corporate vision and strategic planning, global sourcing and procurement, and much more. Dirk Kettlewell is actively involved in a number of charitable organizations including the Boomer Esiason Foundation. He utilized his business and personal relationships to bring in many corporate endorsements for the foundation, while raising over $2.0 million to help fight and find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Starting a Business

Starting a business is not like playing a child’s game where you can stop in the middle when you get tired. You can’t run any trade without knowing a single thing about it. Dirk Kettlewell is acquainted with these facts for he is aware of handling any type of business due to his years of experiences.

When establishing business, there are many risks to consider. You cannot just throw your money anywhere especially when you have no idea how to get it back. All kinds of business promise great profits but you should be aware which one fits your character and ability. Having the right amount of money is not enough unless you have the capacity run. To generate good income, there are many factors that are helpful for beginners such as asking what type of business does he needs? What are the target customers? Where is the best location? Are customers found in the specific place of where the store is to be built? When is the service most convenient? After giving probable answers to these statements, you can then proceed to prospect workers. 

Building Your Customer Base

Customers are the key ingredient to any successful business. They are the backbone that holds us together. Throughout the years, Dirk Kettlewell has picked up a few tips on building a business customer base. With a little work, you can begin to build a strong customer base which means a bigger bottom line.

Any business wants to have loyal customers because they of course are ideal customers. Loyal customers will often refer other to your business and act as a valuable asset because they are active advocates. It is as if they are free marketing tools. Always keep your loyal customers happy. Some of the best customers a business can make are those that get so excited about the level of service they receive that they cannot stop telling others about it. These types of customers are golden assets and can make for a tremendous source of new customers. It is a good idea for any business to pinpoint these type of customers and then offer them extremely exceptional service. They will then become your biggest fans and assets. Referral programs work wonders for a business and customers love them.

Referral programs act as a win win situations. Referral programs that offer rewards to customers for bringing others into the customer base can be in the form of discounts, gifts, invitations to special events, or closed door sales events. Many of your customers have family, friends and coworkers who require the same products and services, so referral is just part of the process of expanding the customer base. Consider partnering with other businesses who have a common customer demographic but no direct competition. This can help expand its customer base quickly and easily. Try locating relative businesses that share the same philosophy, style, and corporate culture or personality.

Sales and Marketing Tips For Todays Economy

For any business, in order to be successful, it is imperative to have an effective sales and marketing practice in place. In todays economy, this can prove to be quite challenging however, if done correctly can be quite rewarding. With the right strategies in place, you can overcome the hardships that the economy is faced with. Although the economy may prove to be a challenge, businesses should continue to market during both good and bad times. During the difficult times of the economy, businesses simply have to take different approaches to remain successful. It is important to keep track of your return on investment when marketing, especially so during a difficult economy. This allows for businesses to repeat what is working and avoid what did not work in the past. This will ensure that marketing dollars are going to the best uses possible. During a tough economy, focus on your existing customers. This will help encourage repeat business and boost sales. Consider offering your existing customers to determine the characteristics they share. This will also help anchor in and attract new customers. Consider both online and offline marketing efforts. Don’t limit yourself to just one type. This can help reach customers in a cost efficient way.

About Dirk Kettlewell

Dirk Kettlewell: His Career

Dirk Kettlewell is well known throughout the business community. From a young age, Dirk has continuously proven that hard work and dedication pay off. As a teenager, Dirk began his working career working in a stockroom at a local Sears store. Little did he know that this would be the beginning to many successful endeavors throughout his career. Dirk Kettlewell has worked for many world retail giants including Officemax, Sears, Circuit City, and Montgomery Ward. Today, Dirk is a successful International Retail Consultant and works with many retailers around the world in order to execute higher revenues. Dirk Kettlewell was name one of the “Top 40 Executives Under 40” by Dealerscope Magazine. This title was earned through Dirk’s devotion to the industry.

Dirk Kettlewell: His Contributions

Dirk Kettlewell has been actively involved in a number of charitable organizations, one of which is the Boomer Esiason Foundation. In 2001, Dirk was fortunate enough to meet Boomer Esiason at a Super Bowl event. That year, Dirk attended the Booming Celebration and at that point significantly increased his commitment to the fight against cystic fibrosis. Since then, Dirk has played a key role in fundraising for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. During the unfortunate events that took place on 9/11, the Boomer Esiason Foundation offices were lost in the World Trade Center attacks. Dirk Kettlewell again contributed what he could in order to help the foundation. Kettlewell quickly responded by providing laptops, printers, and a host of other supplies for the Foundation’s new offices in Long Island and Manhattan. Kettlewell’s commitment to the fight against cystic fibrosis holds strong as he has raised well over $2 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

Dirk Kettlewell: Family

Dirk Kettlewell is married to Dawn Callahan-Kettlewell. They are the proud parents of three boys ages 17, 20, 24. Although work and and charity are very important to Dirk Kettlewell, he loves spending time with his wife and children. Together as a family, they enjoy attending sporting events such as football and baseball. Dirks favorite teams are the Oakland Raiders and the Oakland Athletics.