Houston, TX-News agencies continue to report that we are in economic recovery and that commerce is booming. As a business owner, I’m still uncertain it’s going to stay the course. A recent survey conducted by CNN-Manta polled 1,500 small business owners nationwide and the economy remains the number one concern (28%)

It’s hard not to be a bit skeptical however, we are seeing some very positive trends. Many of our clients & partners businesses have grown this year. We too have enjoyed growth in our business for 2014.

21% of participants of The CNN-Manta survey said that growing sales is their number one concern. As a full service marketing production company, we appreciate that concern. The questions surrounding how exactly a company goes about growing sales is daunting. Hiring additional sales people, adding expensive equipment or investing in expanding your marketing strategy are all viable options.

Marketing to grow sales has changed so radically over the past 5-years and it continues to evolve. Data is crucial to the success of any marketing strategy and data compilation is one of our core competencies. As many of you may remember, we compiled the Harris, Travis, Dallas and Tarrant County Business Guides for over 30 years.

Today, we are one of the largest Consumer Banktruptcy Data compilers in the United States. Our over 20 million record database contains information on the chapter, filings and discharges. We gather data directly from courthouses across the nation daily, then enhance the data using the USPS Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) Software.

We also offer consumer, business, and residential data and provide an amazing tool called The Snapshot. It is a comprehensive data analysis used to identify trends within your customer base. It will help to identify criteria that will allow you to search for more new clients, and ensure your marketing messages “speak” to your audience. Read more about our data expertise in this issue.

Over the summer we conducted a Seminar Series on how to market your business. We held four, 1 hour classes that educated participants on blogging, social media, search engine optimization and the two mails, direct mail & e-mail. Each of the classes sold out quickly. We received tremendous reviews and have been asked to offer the classes again. We listened. Details about Fall seminars can be found by clicking here.

We hope that the economic recovery continues for the long haul and we are thankful to our clients and partners for their business. Have a great fall season!
Sincerely,

Ron Royall
President, CEO
BEB-Business Extension Bureau