How to Pick a Designer’s Brain for Free

Have you been using the same marketing for years and been expecting different results? Then it is time to re-think your strategy! Hot Pyjama Productions is offering you a FREE no obligation 45 minute ‘Think Tank’ to help get your marketing out of the doldrums. Come and join us at Hot PJ HQ for a [...]

How to claim your Google Maps Listing

In an earlier post I talked about how to set up your profile in Google Maps. But what happens if someone has beaten you to it? We’ve had a few clients who have discovered there are already listings in Google Maps for their business and they don’t know how they got there, who added them [...]

How to secure your place in Google – even when you don’t have a website

Google is a wonderful thing – I am constantly amazed at how many freebies Google offers that are great tools for: businesses schools clubs not-for-profits If you haven’t yet discovered ‘Google Places’ then read on to find out how easy it is to profile your business or organisation in Google even when you haven’t got [...]

Who Owns Your Logo? (and how to make sure you do)

You may think you own your logo – after all your company has paid for it! But you may find differently when you decide to move design studios and the incumbent designer says they ‘own’ the copyright. Perhaps you think this sounds like a tall story? If only… but it continues to happen when some [...]

Writing promotional emails – what not to do

Not long ago I received a very long self promotion email from someone I had meet at a networking event. Somehow they are more annoying than the usual spam because I had actually meet the sender. After making my way to the 6th sentence of this 732 word e-monstrosity, a pattern was emerging; every sentence [...]

Thinking of joining a Business Network Group? – Beware the fine print.

Word of mouth and referrals are often a good way to get new business. But relying on them as the sole long term strategy for gaining new customers (as many small businesses do) is a risky strategy that has not born out for many in difficult times. Joining a business network group can be a [...]

Pick a Designer’s Brain for Free

At Hot PJ we are about boosting the profitability of our clients’ businesses by strategically improving how they communicate with their clients and prospects. It’s not possible to do this by just designing pretty brochures and websites. We take the time to get to know as much about our client’s business as we can; their [...]

Fab or Fail – does your business card cut the mustard?

Business Card Warrant of Fitness: Your business card is often the only tangible thing a prospect or new contact goes away with after having meet you. What is it going to tell them about you and your business long after the memory of your meeting has faded? If you belong to a networking group or [...]

Marketing Planning for Professional Service Providers

When business is brisk it is tempting to put aside business planning and marketing as you focus on meeting the demands of your clients. When boom times turn to bust (as we’ve seen recently) and you haven’t got a plan in place for positioning your company ahead of your competitors, you could pay a hefty [...]

Review your marketing tools to maximise return!

Part 1: Websites If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to be planning your marketing projects for 2010. But the very first thing you should do is review your existing tools and find out: Which tools can be improved Which need to be replaced Which need to be written off All too [...]