QUOTE(awir2core @ Oct 13 2016, 09:23 PM)
Thanks for ur feedback later
I believe
I owe you this reply weeks back.
I apologize due to the hectic schedule I got myself into in our company restructuring, have taken most of my time off the net.
Now, there can be hundreds of marketing style where one can dwell into but the fundamental behind this business is clear.
1.
It’s saturated, – there’s many other there that could mimic or setup similar services with minimal setup cost.
2.
It’s price competitive – with companies that’s willing to bulk up on their capital with stock purchases would have better discounts and penetration in the eyes of consumer/users. They can have better price, newer tech, but the issue of having to push their stocks out before rendering them obsolete can be a mess. But in this industry, technology development moves quite slowly. Until today, we still see installations which are sub-par in quality and to make matters worse, no one really cares what brand CCTV that you carry and to some, technical superiority is not a concern.
3.
It’s limited market penetration – targeting institutions would run you out faster compared to the ever developing construction market. Although not many houses bother with one, especially with the development of high-rise housing complex, CCTV requirements are minimal to the users but more to the management company. Then again, less market penetration.
Off-Script – Uncharted Territories – May not be you but I’m trying to Conceptualize I’m trying to put myself in your shoes. With statement like unable to expand or hire and with break-even net. It won’t be long before it starts burning into your pockets just to keep it running. This is just not the way how business should run. If one foresee going into this trend with no plans in place to turn it over, rest assured it’s better to cut your losses and bail out.
Most probably, what’s keeping you here is just the customer loyalty, passed down from one generation to another, the satisfaction of users compliments and the thought of not betraying their trust when someone else appear in behalf of your company and do a sub-par job. The reputation. The very same customer that have come over-again recommending and at some point assist in the sales and growth of your company.
But, irrespective of all this. One of the reason why you have not bail-out from this industry is because you just don’t know where to go. What to do next. You know it’s not going to last. You know it’s causing financial stress. But, you’re still here. So here’s the thing. Perseverance may look all nice in “quotes” and “motivation class”, but in reality. It can break family. It can get people killed.
Let’s break it down. Quick Wins Strategy.Some may look into the product that they carry and see which is marketable. But we’re going to do this in reverse. Since I do not know in detail of the product that you carry. But from a general standpoint, we could all roughly classify which industry and areas of market penetration you and jump into fast.
From the information given, I assume you’re running this business marketing independently. Basically, no formal partnership established as in “alliance” with other businesses to help carry your products. Bundle it with theirs and market as an “alliance” rather “individually”.
Let me run one example:
1. Website – Make sure you have one. Doesn’t have to be updated frequently, but with tech nowadays, they will always reference back to something. And this can be a good platform to have further details explained or FAQ addressed. It’s almost a no-brainer that is it needed as a fundamental support platform.
2. Established marketing partners – Until today, most companies carrying similar product segments tends to “brute force” their marketing and have it spammed across the board through flyers. Housing areas, offices, etc... We get hundreds of these papers all over the place and rest assured most of us tend to throw it upon getting it. It’s at the back of the head when we need it, why not just look up the net for suppliers. Although some number of sales can derive from these method, but considering your financial stand-point, it is not a luxury we can afford now.
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A. Hostels, Offices come and go. People rent and leave. The turnover exist quite frequently now with markets tightening. However, these equipments are still niche and is something in demand for these groups. Many new tenant may install new equipments and this is where you need to penetrate.
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I. Bundle your packages (make sure your brochures, flyers when handed out are interesting, straight forward highlighting the thing they want to see the most, cost-savings and value-add). Don’t just go for one time sales and expect maintenance to kick-in for supporting income. Come up with a yearly plan. Thus, giving the consumer the value-add that they need. E.g. Access System may cost 400+ with installation with a bunch of cards and if you need attendance added in, the charge is more, additional cards? Charge per card, added access control for other doors, more charge…. In total, a sum of 1000-2000 may be something a new office under renovation is willing to consider since they have allocated some budget for it, but throwing in a 1200 a year subscription (all support inclusive) can lock them in for a longer term. Also, once they leave, these equipments are re-usable rather one off. Imagine throwing these subscriptions to an office that last only 6-12 months? What if the equipments you give are part of the re-cycled installations (taken from past-subscription)? It’s almost no cost there with immediate profit. After amortization, you can immediately package the deal cheaper across the board and have stronger referrals anywhere.
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II. Talk to the Management Office. Get them on your side. If they allow you to place a banner/bunting at strategic location (preferably near the management office itself or entry-exit point), that would be awesome. People will always walk to the management office, either to complaint, pay monthly service fees, parking rental, etc.…there will always be audience at such location. Split some profit to them. Keep in mind, if you’re going into subscription services, make sure they get a slice of the pie (monthly) as well. As they start getting these supplementary incomes and it steadily growing by the month, they indirectly become your aggressive marketers without you knowing it. Be generous. It’s a number game. Each management office may be in-charge of tens to hundreds of tenants. This easily hats-off “brute-force” marketing with flyers anytime.
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III. Partner with Interior Designers/Architect/Construction Firm. These group of people are always on the lookout. They work almost in the same market/client-zone as you but from a different perspective. The new trend for ID are to partner with owners that’s on the lookout to have their property leased or rented out. They could furnish the entire house and have the rental doubled compared to an empty unit. This also applies to offices and with trends of small offices on the rise, they have stronger market penetration where your equipments can be part of their package. This will passively push your products leveraging on alliances business customer.
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IV. Get it on the net. Mudah. Lelong. Lowyat. Etc... Make sure it's out there where people can find you when they need one. There's a lot of free-options available on the net. Don't pay for advertising yet. Start small.
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B. Again, bundle-value-add-subscription. Come up with an attractive plan. Look into your numbers seriously and do some projections.
3. The Fundamentals_____
A. I don’t have the resources for the website, flyers, brochures. Tight budget. No Budget. Can’t do it myself either. How?_________
I. We’re blessed with this forum. Find someone that could help you design one. Discuss with them on how you can reimburse when the business kicks in. Work out a package. To the expert, it’s just a matter of hours to have it done. It’s not even a pinch on their life. By giving them your products and information, they would have some ideas how to put it together.
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II. But, as much as we think people are nice, sometimes, or in most cases, It’s impossible to find them nowadays. They rather nag and spam on forums for hours. We’re living in a more selfish environment whether we like it or not. It’s all about what is it in for us?
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III. Well, if you’ve tried and have seriously tried and there’s no one here nice enough to assist, buzz me up. I’ll have my graphic designer help you on these one. They’re already tight up to their nose but I’m sure they can find a little time if they eat faster or sleep less (

I dunno…).
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B. How do I establish marketing partners and alliances?_________
I. The hard way. Look it up. Go out and meet people. Talk to companies. Talk to management offices. There’s no shortcut to relationship.
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C. Might need some capital to restructure my business?_________
I. Come up with a plan. I'm sure there's some investors lurking around this place. Post it up and keep me in the loop. I'll definitely consider if your plans are serious.
This post has been edited by Splynncryth: Nov 12 2016, 01:09 PM