1. Mountain
news Sheryl Rebisz
Mountain Broadcasting Group
Cell: (406) 544-2977 Email: sherylr@mtnbdc.com www.moclub.com January 2012
It’s a New Year! Time to set business goals
The 5 Steps to Setting SMART Business Goals
By Darrell Zahorsky, About.com
Every athlete and large corporation have clearly set and articulated goals to attain specific objectives. Yet, in
the world of small business, many businesses lack a focused goal. “Get more business” is a typical reply of
small business owners when asked of future plans. Any self-respecting CEO would be tossed out of a
shareholder meeting for uttering a vague response.
Whether you have a 50-employee company or an empire of one, your business success depends on your ability
to set and achieve goals. Put your business on the fast-track by applying the principles of SMART goal setting.
What are Smart Goals?
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the 5 steps of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals.
It’s a simple tool used by businesses to go beyond the realm of fuzzy goal-setting into an actionable plan for
results.
Specific: Great goals are well-defined and focused. “Obtain 2 new billion dollar corporate clients in the
Boston property insurance market” is more meaningful to mobilize your team than “Get more business.” Ryan
Blair, The Goals Guy eloquently states, "Focus creates a powerful force: goal power. The moment you focus on
a goal, your goal becomes a magnet, pulling you and your resources toward it. The more focused your energies,
the more power you generate."
Measurable: A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or
scorekeeper. Numbers are an essential part of business. Put concrete numbers in your goals to know if you’re
on track. A goal white board posted in your office can help as a daily reminder to keep yourself and your
employee focused on the targeted results you want to attain.
Attainable: Far too often, small businesses can set goals beyond reach. No one has ever built a billion dollar
business overnight. Venture capitalists and angel investors discard countless business plans of companies with
outlandish goals. Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. Check with your
industry association to get a handle on realistic growth in your industry to set smart goals.
Relevant: Achievable business goals are based on the current conditions and realities of the business climate.
You may desire to have your best year in business or increase revenue by 50%, but if a recession is looming and
3 new competitors opened in your market, then your goals aren’t relevant to the realities of the market.
Time-Based: Business goals and objectives just don’t get done when there's no time frame tied to the goal-
setting process. Whether your business goal is to increase revenue by 20% or find 5 new clients, choose a time-
frame to accomplish your goal.

2. Mountain
news
Continues…
Ready for Radio?
By Apryl Duncan, About.com
In your car. At home. At work. We all listen to the
radio.
Is your ad campaign ready to hit the airwaves? Radio
advertising has the potential to reach a lot of people
every week. There are over 20 defined radio formats Focus on Business
designed to attract a wide variety of demographics.
And since people listen to the radio an average of
three hours a day, you have the opportunity to make
lots of money at a relatively low cost. But you have to
make sure you have a suitable product for radio. If
your product requires a visual demonstration, then
radio's not the best choice for you. Consider a Got IRA?
television commercial or print ad. If your product Call Jane or Al at Foster &
can be conveyed effectively without sight and
motion, then radio's the way to go. Your offer has to
Foster Financial Services
be simple. Most products require more explanation (406) 777-2280
than a simple :30 or :60 commercial has to offer, so
don't confuse the listener with too many details.
Radio should be used as a lead-generation
mechanism. Give listeners some perks for
responding such as free information, a free estimate
or a free product sample. That way, they'll be ready
when you give out your phone number and other
contact information at the end of your commercial.
The basic rules of advertising still apply. You need a
strong introduction, good offer, solid approach to
the benefits of your product and a call to action. And
when your radio commercial is ready to go, be sure it
hits the air more than the typical 12 to 18 times a
week. It's just not enough to get your message out
there. Some listeners need to hear your message a
couple of times before they respond. This ensures
they'll get that chance. Think of how often you use Plant the Seeds! And Grow
radio...in your home, car and at work. Your
customers probably listen to the radio as much or In other words, a seed with the appropriate
more than you. If you have a hard-hitting, well- purpose structure, when planted in the right type
written commercial, then radio can be a great of land (Media) is what yields the fruit; it was
addition to your advertising campaign. intended to produce.

3. Mountain
news
The 6 Laws of Small Business Advertising Success
From Darrell Zahorsky, former About.com Guide
Small business advertising is a science and an art. Companies often miss the fundamentals of advertising.
Regardless of the size of your business an understanding of the laws of advertising can reap huge rewards.
My understanding of these fundamental laws came years ago when I had the privilege of working for one of
the all-time advertising success stories; NordicTrack. NordicTrack's advertising was based on flawless
execution of fundamentals.
According to Small Business Administration, 5% of an entrepreneur's gross sales should be budgeted for
advertising. A 5% small business advertising budget can only help if you understand the laws of advertising.
1. Use One Message: A high response rate ad usually conveys a single message. NordicTrack's message
of the "World's Best Aerobic Exerciser" was simple and compelling. Your small business advertising needs
to quickly communicate its core message in 3 seconds or less. If you are fearful and overwhelmed by
technology, which computer book do you buy? "DOS for Dummies" began a best-selling phenomena
because its message was easily understood and to the point.
2. Add Credibility: It has become human nature to distrust advertising. Claims need to be real and credible.
Roy H. Williams, best-selling author of the "Wizard of Ads" says, "Any claim made in your advertising which
your customer does not perceive as the truth is a horrible waste of ad dollars."
NordicTrack added enormous credibility from a University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse research study, ranking
the cross-country ski exerciser first in the areas of weight loss, body fat reduction, and cardiovascular
fitness. Ivory soap's advertising success was attributed to its credible statement that ivory soap is the 99-
44/100% pure.
3. Test Everything: Large businesses have a greater margin to waste capital and resources without testing
advertising. Small businesses do not have the luxury. Use coupons, codes, and specials to measure the
headline, timing, and placement of your ad. Test only one item at a time and one medium. Testing can be as
simple as asking every customer for several weeks how they heard of your business.
4. Be Easy to Contact: Every single brochure, box, email and all company literature should have full
contact information including: website and email address, phone and fax numbers, and company address. It
seems simple but is forgotten by most companies. At NordicTrack, every box a ski machine went into had
full contact information and the "World's Best Aerobic Exerciser" tagline. Be everywhere.
5. Match Ads to Target: Successful business advertising speaks to one target market only. At NordicTrack,
the ads were tailored to each market. An ad in a medical publication preached the cardio-vascular benefits
of cross-country skiing to heart patients. Ads in women's magazines discussed the weight-loss and calorie
burn from cross-country skiing. Focus the message to the target group.
6. Create Curiosity: Successful business advertising does not sell a product or service. NordicTrack's ads
sold the free video. Once a potential customer watched the video, they contacted the company for more
information. The end result, millions of dollars of sales. Create ads that generate interest and make the
customer want more information.
Having a poor response is not the medium's fault. Often the problem is the message. Small business
advertising is not a quick fix solution to marketing your company. It takes planning, testing and constant
exposure to have an impact on your small business. Done correctly, small business advertising can be a
winning strategy.