Basic Steps To Start Your Ice Cream Business – Part 3

by | Oct 26, 2016 | Ice Cream Consulting

Part 1 – Business Plan

Part 2 – Making It Legal

Part 3 – Marketing Plan 

You’re starting a business. You have a crystal clear understanding of the way you see yourself operating it and are well-received in the community… but does anyone other than you understand the purpose of your business?

Before we get too far into things, let’s make sure you understand the difference between these two terms: Marketing and Sales.

These two concepts are somewhat similar in outcome, but are very different in effort and mission.

Wikipedia defines Marketing as a widely used term to describe the communication between a company and the consumer audience that aims to increase the value of the company or its merchandise or, at its simplest, raises the profile of the company and its products in the public mind. The purpose of marketing is to induce behavioral change in the receptive audience and Sales as the exchange of a commodity or money as the price of a good or a service. 

Sales (plural only) is an activity related to selling or the amount of goods or services sold in a given time period.

The fact that “Marketing” and “Sales” have different meanings may be surprising to you, especially when job postings for “Marketing and Sales” positions are abundant. On a side-note, if you do see a “Marketing and Sales” position posted, I suggest you don’t apply; the employer is totally clueless on the merits of the tasks and responsibility. Asking a person to fill a “Marketing and Sales” position would be like asking a person to fill a position to make ice cream and beer (ok I’ll get back on track).

How to market your brand

It is important to properly market your brand to create an environment of understanding and excitement. For example, in the case of an upcoming movie, you will see a trailer promoting it before it is released. The intention of the trailer is to create excitement and spike interest for the moviegoer.

The same applies to your product and business brand. Many start-ups create hype and excitement using Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other social media  forums.  SCORE.org offers excellent detailed information and breaks down the steps of Marketing Your Business.

How to make your product and services stand out from the competition

    • Special Benefits – how your product and services fill a need or solve a problem.
    • Unique Features – physical attributes of the product or service.
    • Limits and Liabilities – what kind of guarantee or satisfaction policy do you offer.
    • Product and Delivery Method – one day delivery? Handmade product?
    • Suppliers – are you the authorized reseller of a well known brand?
    • Intellectual Property – is your product or service one-of-a-kind?

Darryl is not a marketing strategist, but can help keep you on track to effectively market your brand and selling your product or service.  

Sales and marketing is part of the basic formula of a successful business. Contact Darryl today.

Darryl David
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