March 2007
Success Stories
George Schwarz
George Schwarz came to the SBDC more than a year ago with the dream of starting an independent newspaper in Amarillo. We assisted him with market research of the benchmarks established by independent newspapers and with financial projections. The paper will celebrate it's first anniversary on April 20th and currently prints 5,000 copies delivered to 80 distribution points around Amarillo.
Business
- The Amarillo Independent, LLC
Publisher
- George Schwarz
Location
- 301 S Polk Street, Ste. 320, Amarillo
Phone
- 806-331-5056
Employs
4 FT, 4 PT
Contact Us
SBDC
701 S Taylor Suite L118
Amarillo, TX 79101
806-372-5151
Sponsors
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Affiliations
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
WTAMU Small Business Development Center is a member of the
Northwest Texas SBDC Region Network.
Accredited by the Association of Small Business Development Centers
Marketing
How Effective are Your Efforts?
The
SBDC offers a "Mini-Marketing Plan" which helps our clients develop a simple
and usable plan to increase sales. It helps a business determine their
message, market, and media by offering a checklist of potential activities.
A recent marketing article offers additional advice, including:
-
Focus on your customers' needs, not your needs: You must know what your customers want, not what you think they want.
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Do the research: To create a solid marketing plan you must be able to define the specific demographics of your typical customer.
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Get the word out: Once you know what your customers want and you know how to find them, focus your advertising efforts on where your customers are most likely to be. Don't forget to court existing customers and get them and their friends coming back to you.
Read the full article
For assistance in creating your own Mini Marketing Plan, contact the SBDC for an appointment. All consulting services are free and confidential.
SBA Names District Director
Herb
Johnston
LUBBOCK – U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Steven Preston announced the appointment of Herbert Johnston as District Director of the West Texas District Office. As such, he will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of SBA’s many services and programs to 71 counties in West Texas which spans from the Panhandle to the Permian Basin and eastward to Abilene.
“Herbert Johnston has fifteen years of experience working with the small business community as a member of the SBA team,” Preston said. “He is uniquely qualified to provide the quality of leadership the West Texas business community expects from an SBA District Director.”
Johnston started his SBA career in 1992 at the Disaster Area Office 4 in Sacramento, CA. From 2001 to 2002 he served as Finance Chief in the Oklahoma District Office and was then promoted to Deputy District Director of the Atlanta, GA District Office.
Prior to SBA, Johnston had a twenty-year career in banking and finance in California and the Midwest.
“I am delighted to have been selected as the District Director. I look forward to working with our District staff, partners, lenders and community organizations to assist small businesses succeed in their business endeavors,” said Mr. Johnston.
The Amarillo SBDC will hold a reception for Mr. Johnson Tuesday, March 27th from 4 to 5 pm. An open invitation is extended to the public.
Quote of the Month
"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it”
- Thomas Jefferson
END
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