Brazz Specialties» Small Business Owners Forum

LED Signs Can Be a Tax Break

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:10:50 +0000

Energy Resources and Incentive Programs

Energy Policy Act 2005 and Tax CreditsThe Energy Policy Act of 2005 became available to homeowners, businesses, and manufacturers on January 1, 2006. It provides a variety of tax credits for the purchase of energy efficient buildings and improvements to existing buildings. More information can be found on the Building Energy Codes Resource Center site.

Additional Resources

Incentive Programs

DSIRE – Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency
BC Hydro LED product incentive program
Pacific Gas and Electric Company lighting incentive program

To Market… or Not To Market… In a Recession

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:23:10 +0000

Whether a slowdown in the economy has affected your business or not, it’s generally not a good idea to slow down your marketing efforts in a recession. In fact, we have found it is very productive to be more aggressive when others are “cutting back.” But, when sales slump and business owners look for ways to cut expenses, many businesses slash spending on marketing until the economy “gets better.” It is important to remember the main purpose of marketing is to generate qualified leads, and it may be necessary to spend more money, not less, to generate the leads you need. Therefore, it is essential to be consistent in your marketing efforts.

Remember, a good marketing program accomplishes the following:

1. Identifies your target market- who are you selling to?
2. Develops your unique message- what sets you apart from your competition.
3. Delivers the message- gets the word out in an effective manner.
4. Tracks results- what is working well, what could work better.

An effective marketing program does not cost anything net of the business it generates. If you are creative and focused, you can have a good marketing program on any budget. Keep in mind the four components above, and find ways to tweak existing programs or develop new programs to continually keep your marketing machine fine-tuned through good times and bad.

Don’t Pay Too Little

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:19:48 +0000

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better. – John Ruskin 1819-1900