I was doing a search on iTunes for small business podcasts and came across Startupnation.com. After further investigation, I've found that they are a great resource for small business owners and potential entrepreneurs. Look through their website, especially the "Step-by-Step Advice" tab - great stuff!

Anyway, I subscribed to one of their podcasts about marketing, which got me interested in small business marketing. Our business (Athletic Nation in Cary, NC) has gotten through the start-up phase, so our biggest issue by far is marketing. How do we get potential customers to look at what we have to offer, to see the value we feel we have? Its the same issue for any new business. How do you market most effectively?

The podcasts were very good but they led me to another website, Ducttape Marketing, a site designed to create a complete marketing strategy for small businesses by a guy named John Jantsch. I've decided to invest in their Ducttape Marketing System for a few reasons. Although our franchise's training provides great marketing tools, I can't keep flying back to San Jose to keep my marketing on task. Also, my brain works best in a very systematic approach. I am not a marketer (doctors don't have to be, usually, and when we try to do it, we do it poorly), so I want the system that teaches me everything, basics to advanced. I want to have a framework to fall back on in situations of confusion (which are getting more and more frequent). Another reason is that, as an Area Developer for the Nation, I need to be able to give sound advice to my local franchisees in all areas of small business in general and Athletic Nation specifically. Right now, I feel weak in marketing. Marketing is so essential to us and to other AN franchises. If we can attract only 50 satisfied customers, our gym is a big success. We have to get to those 50, though, and convince them of what we have to offer.

I downloaded the system two days ago. It includes multiple pdf documents which I'm about to start looking at, but it also has mp3 copies of webinars that Mr. Jantsch has given on this system. I listened to the first two yesterday on our drive from Raleigh to Kiawah Island for my son's golf tournament - I didn't force him to listen, he had his own iPod firmly locked in. I have really enjoyed it so far, primarily because it starts at the first thing and seems to progress very logically; at least in my mind.

The first topic John addresses is identifying your ideal customer. A lot of the people in this webinar apparently have fairly established businesses, so he looks at it from that standpoint. But as a startup, I think we have to have a crystal-clear idea of who our sweet-spot customer will be. For Athletic Nation, it is a 40-55 year old man, married with kids, with disposable income, successful in his business and family career, but who has lost his way in his fitness. He was a former athlete in high school or college, but life has gotten in the way of his conditioning. He's embarrassed by the shape he's in, doesn't like to go to the beach and when he does, he wears teeshirts. Embarrassment isn't all though - in the back of his mind, he is very worried that his health may prevent him from enjoying his life the way he has envisioned. Heart problems, diabetes - these are little monsters in the closet he worries about. But he needs help to get back on track in fitness and nutrition.

So, I think we see our ideal customer. None of our first few customers meet that mold exactly, but I think we need to keep reminding ourselves of who we consider ideal. Jantsch divides customers into four categories, based on whether they are "profitable" or not and whether they will refer others to your business. The worst customer is a revenue loser who doesn't refer; the best is the profitable customer who loves you so much, he brings you more customers. That is the ideal customer for us and for any business. And that is the guy we should be marketing to.

Good stuff. I'm very excited to get into the rest of it and see what happens.