Entrepreneur Provides Insights and Benefits of Starting a Business with Students in Two KSU Classes

HUDSON, OHIO (September 15, 2011) – Since our current economical struggles began at the end of 2008, it has been the vision and hard work of entrepreneurs and small business owners across the United States that have helped to create new jobs and new opportunities.  On Tuesday, September 6, 2011, students at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (CEBI) at Kent State University heard from a local, award winning business owner and entrepreneur on the value of owning your own business.

“I didn’t plan to start my own business after I graduated from Kent,” said Chris Brown, owner of Marketing Results and Results, Inc. and member of the CEBI Advisory Board. “But after seventeen years of working in large companies in the corporate world, I decided to tap into my entrepreneurial spirit and open my own branding and marketing firm.”

During her presentation, Brown shared the story of transitioning from a successful career in the corporate world to opening a small marketing firm and growing her business to become one of the most respected branding firms in Northeast Ohio.

“Kent State offers a wonderful opportunity for students in any course of study to obtain a minor in Entrepreneurship,” said Brown. “Students today need to be prepared for the fact that obtaining their college degree does not guarantee a job. By learning how to develop, operate and build a business they can be more prepared to create their own. 

The CEBI supports students in their efforts to develop and operate their own company. Several student-run businesses are currently in operation including the café at the Kent Library, a laundry service and a company distributing biodegradable bottles.

Chris Brown presented to two entrepreneurship classes, including the Introduction to Entrepreneurship and the Speakers Series Entrepreneurship Class. After sharing her story she answered questions from the students about the struggles and challenges of owning a business.

For more information about the CEBI, visit http://www.kent.edu/cebi.

About Marketing Resources & Results
Founded in 1998, Marketing Resources & Results, Inc. companies nationwide in developing strategic marketing plans and provides market research, graphic design, website development, press releases and other marketing tactics designed to help companies achieve their sales and marketing goals. For more information call 330-656-9793, or visit www.Resources-Results.com.

Northeast Ohio Business Professionals Learn 12 Tips from Sales and Marketing Experts to Increase Profits at Annual Profit Factor Conference

Chris Brown (left) and Jeanne Bluffstone presented Marketing and Sales: The Winning Combination for Profit, a workshop for business professionals at the Profit Factor annual conference

CLEVELAND, OH (Aug. 25, 2011) – Business professionals, company owners and organizational executive directors will benefit from the one hour Sales and Marketing workshop entitled “Marketing and Sales: The Winning Combination for Profit” as part of the annual Profit Factor Conference on Thursday, August 25, 2011.

Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc., and Jeanne Bluffstone of Bluffstone Public Relations will offer the presentation from 10 am to 11:15 am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Conference Center in Cleveland.

“Marketing and sales go hand-in-hand.  When you apply key tools to your process, you will improve your sales and marketing results which lead to higher profitability,” said Chris Brown. “We will help attendees understand how to create brand awareness, increase qualified leads, and apply sales closing techniques to improve the close rate.”

Participants attending the marketing and sales workshop will learn about the five “must have” strategies to for a strong marketing plan that will improve lead generation and they will receive seven sales tools specifically designed to improve the close rate. The combination of an effective marketing plan and strong sales skills will turn prospects into customers faster and easier.

“Marketing creates awareness, uncovers needs and helps drive traffic to a business location or an online web presence,” said Brown. “The sales function presents choices to the potential customer, overcomes objections and helps them justify the cost of the new product or project.  Attendees will receive the tools necessary to attract and convert target prospects into paying customers.”

The 5th Annual “Profit Factor: Maximizing Your Business Potential” day-long conference, exhibit hall, and workshops prove a forum for business growth while promoting diversity, cooperation and innovation. For more information about the Profit Factor Conference, please call 1-800-900-7735. 

About Marketing Resources & Results

Founded in 1998, Marketing Resources & Results, Inc. companies nationwide in developing strategic marketing plans and provides market research, graphic design, website development, press releases and other marketing tactics designed to help companies achieve their sales and marketing goals. For more information call 330-656-9793, or visit www.Resources-Results.com.

International Landscape Design Conference Features Business Workshops to Help Business Owners Create a Brand Strategy to Grow Their Businesses

CLEVELAND, OHIO (June 13, 2011) – Chris Brown, President of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc. will present a Branding and Marketing workshop at the upcoming International Conference of the Professional Landscape Designers.

“Branding and marketing are both important for business owners to get and keep their name in front of prospects to grow their business,” said Brown. “In this workshop, participants will receive the tools necessary to effectively create a brand strategy for their landscape design business.”

Participants in the Branding and Marketing workshop will learn the four most important ways to accomplish their branding program.

“Each branding program can be customized with actionable tactics to fit the specific business goals and marketing budget,” said Brown. “Regardless of the business owner’s level of marketing expertise; novice beginner, intermediate level marketer or advanced expert, this workshop will provide specific initiatives to improve brand awareness and marketing effectiveness.”

Chris Brown offers participants a variety of tactics, tools and techniques for creating a powerful marketing program. Attendees will learn five easy lessons for using social media for branding and marketing a business. Attendees will also learn how to measure the effectiveness of their branding and marketing program.

The Branding and Marketing workshop is entitled How to Brand and Market your Landscape Design Business: Creating a Marketing Program Designed to Build Awareness, Brand your Company and Attract New Customers. It will be presented as part of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers week-long 2011 International Design Conference.

The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) is holding their International Design Conference from June 13 through 17, 2011 at the Marriot in Cleveland, Ohio. Landscape design professionals from around the world will gather for educational seminars and 24 garden tours including the Stan Hywet garden and Salsbury-Schweyer garden in Akron.  

Brown publishes the award-winning blog Branding & Marketing for business professionals with an interest in improving their branding and marketing results. The online publication has over 900 articles and a subscriber base of almost 10,000 readers. More marketing tools are available at Branding and Marketing. http://brandandmarket.com. For more information about branding and marketing or to have Chris Brown present a workshop to your annual conference contact her directly 330-656-9793.

Deborah Chaddock Brown Presents at Small Business Symposium’s Road to Success
LAKELAND, OHIO (May 31, 2011) –The Lakeland Community College Workforce Development & Continuing Education division recently held their annual Small Business Symposium entitled Road to Success. For the third year in a row Deborah Chaddock Brown, owner of AllWrite Ink, was a presenter for the Marketing Track.

“The Road to Success Small Business Symposium is a wonderful half day event with a variety of sessions designed to assist the business owner in achieving a more successful and profitable business,” said Brown. “My sessions focused on standing out from the competition by understanding and exceeding customer expectations. Over the last few years there has been a marked decline in the customer experience. Business owners who strive to understand what is important to their customer and then consistently deliver, will stand out from the competition. An improved customer experience leads to referrals and repeat business.”

The breakout session entitled Repeat Customers – Customer Loyalty, focused on three main points in the customer experience; understanding and exceeding customer expectations, making it easy to do business with and being a visible and available choice.

“Consumers have way too many choices when it comes to making buying decisions,” said Brown. “For a company to stand out and be the ultimate choice for a particular product or service, the business owners need to be in communication on a regular basis; and not always with a sales message. Social media and e-newsletters are a great way to stay connected and provide value.”

More than one hundred and forty business owners attended the half day event. Participants had a variety of workshops available in four categories, Marketing, Social Media, Business, and Entrepreneurial Launch. A total of 16 workshops were available as well as a variety of small business focused vendors.

“Deborah’s sessions are always well attended,” said Cathie Moss, Administrative Services Coordinator for the Workforce Development & Continuing Education department. “We invite her back each year because she brings a great energy and passion for her topic and attendees always walk away motivated and armed with specific tactics they can implement to grow their business.”

Deborah is the author of several books, e-books and video training guides geared toward the small business owner and is a sought after speaker in the area of customer service and using social media to connect with customers. She has also written a Policy for Social Media manual that gives business owners a written document defining acceptable and not acceptable social media behavior for on and off the job. For more information or to hire Deborah as a speaker for your upcoming meeting, visit www.customerrelationshipspeaker.com.

About AllWrite Ink
AllWrite Ink writes Words People Read® helping companies communicate their message in a clear, concise manner that inspires the reader to take notice and take ACTION. Good writing doesn’t just happen – it takes active listening, research and extra effort to find just the right words. Located in Hudson, Ohio, AllWrite Ink specializes in providing content for websites, e-newsletters and a variety of social media vehicles. For more information, call 330-414-8792, email: Deborah@allwriteink.com or visit the website at www.allwriteink.com.

Two Hour Workshop Helps with the Use of Public Relations in Marketing

 AKRON, OH (April 25, 2011) – Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc., shared the latest information on effectively using Public Relations to brand and market a business and improve awareness with 21 business owners from throughout Northeast Ohio.

 “Creating a strong brand and strategically marketing to their target prospects is critically important for business owners,” said Chris Brown.  “Developing a strong PR strategy is an effective way to build awareness without a large marketing budget.”

 In the two-hour workshop, entitled “How to Use PR to Promote Your Business”, Brown talked about the advantages of public relations over advertising, offered concrete examples with instruction on how to create an effective PR strategy, and helped the workshop participants create a distribution plan.

 Attendees learned the power of a compelling press release and how to use the information to connect with customers, drive additional website traffic and improve their website’s search engine optimization on the Internet.

 During a brainstorming session, attendees worked together to outline topics and to create a distribution listing of newspapers, magazines and online resources. Brown offered suggestions for the many ways of effectively using press releases to promote a business.

 Brown’s presentation was held Thursday in Akron at the Akron Urban League at the Partnership for Minority Business Accelerator headquarters.

 With many years of Public Relations experience, both traditional and online Web 2.0, Brown is a marketing expert who helps companies attract potential customers with their target market through Public Relations. She is the author of “Press Release Power,” a 20-page step-by-step workbook on how to write, distribute and use press releases to attract customers and grow business.

 Marketing Resources & Results, founded in 1998, works with client companies in consumer products, medical professional firms, and contract manufacturing companies, among others.

 The marketing consulting services firm, located south of Cleveland and north of Akron in Hudson, Ohio, serves companies nationwide in developing strategic marketing plans. They provide market research, graphic design, website development, press releases and other marketing tactics designed to help companies achieve their sales and marketing goals. For more information call 330-656-9793, or visit www.Resources-Results.com.

 Brown publishes Branding & Marketing for business professionals with an interest in improving their branding and marketing results. The online publication has over 850 articles and a subscriber base of over  9,000 readers. Read more about marketing tools at the Branding and Marketing website, http://brandandmarket.com.

 For more information about this PR workshop or other marketing seminars or to book a workshop leader for your organization, call 330-656-9793.

COLUMBUS OHIO (March 17, 2011) – Chris Brown, President of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc. and publisher of the award winning blog Branding and Marketing, presented three Internet marketing workshops at the Annual Conference of the National Network of Embroidery Professionals (NNEP) in Columbus this past month.

“Online videos, blogging and social media offer new effective marketing tools that can really help build awareness for a small business with very little additional cost,” explained Brown. “To be most effective, business owners need to develop a strategy for their participation so that they are able to connect with prospects and realize sales growth for their company.”

The three workshops were “How to Use Your Blog to Attract New Customers,” “Social Media Strategies that Market Your Business” and “Use Video to Improve Your Marketing Results.” Each 90-minute session offered concrete tips and take away tools that attendees could quickly use to understand and participate in social media marketing for their business.

Chris Brown and Jennifer Cox

Chris Brown, workshop leader with Jennifer Cox, president of NNEP “Our participants were thrilled to have Chris Brown as a presenter and I’m still hearing wonderful feedback about all they learned,” said Jennifer Cox, NNEP President and conference organizer. One workshop attendee from Michigan had this to say: “I attended two of Chris Brown’s workshops and I learned a lot. Now I just have to go home and start to practice.” In the blogging workshop Brown explained how blogs allow a business owner to connect with their readers. A business blog provides the opportunity to tell a story, incorporate video and photos to demonstrate a point, and invite readers to share in the discussion or offer their opinion. Brown suggested that attendees start by reading blogs and joining in the discussion via the comment section. When a business professional is ready to start their own blog, is in important to determine their primary topic and the target audience they hope to engage. Many business owners find blogging to be an inexpensive, effective way to interact with potential customers or clients.

The video marketing workshop included six ways business owners use video to improve their marketing efforts. It included a hands-on session where owners created their own video for posting on the Internet. Attendees also learned about creating a YouTube channel for their business, incorporating a live link back to the primary company website and using key word phrases to assist with search engine results.

Creating a strategy for online marketing participation starts with determining what the business professional wants to accomplish. Once a goal is determined, the social media vehicles that will best achieve those goals are the ones to participate in regularly.

“Marketing is such an important part of our members’ business and Internet marketing is a complex topic,” said Cox. “I know our members that attended these marketing workshops left with a better understanding.”

Most annual conferences invite speakers from within their industry to present topics that impact their members’ business. However, marketing on the Internet is now recognized as a valuable and powerful vehicle; regardless of industry and therefore, more and more conference organizers find value in offering Internet marketing workshops.

“An annual conference is a great place for learning about emerging marketing tactics,” explained Brown. “Often members of an association or organization don’t have the time away from work to hear about these new tools. At a trade show or business conference, they have time to invest on their business for growth. It is a great place to learn from marketing experts about how to use the latest marketing tools.”

Brown publishes Branding & Marketing for business professionals with an interest in improving their branding and marketing results. The online publication has over 850 articles and a subscriber base of almost 9,000 readers. Read more about marketing tools at the Branding and Marketing website, http://brandandmarket.com. For more information about the three Internet marketing workshops that Chris Brown presented or to contact her to speak at your next annual conference, call 330-656-9793.

Marketing Specialist Chris Brown Presents Marketing Workshop Designed to help Business Owners Capitalize on Social Media Marketing Tools

CLEVELAND, OHIO (August 25, 2010) –  Marketing consultant Chris Brown will present a marketing workshop to small business owners at the 2010 Profit Factor conference on September 23, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Cleveland.

This program will help small business owners more effectively market their business using some of the new social media and social networking tools available.  The business owners need to be able to make sense out of the social networking sites and wisely use them to promote their products and services.

Social networking offers new ways to network, collaborate, and grow a business. Participants will learn how to make the most of it, while minimizing their time and learning curve.  The workshop will focus on blogging, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

The marketing workshop is one of seven seminars presented business owners at the 2010 Profit Factor, an annual conference presented by the BlackPagesOhio organization.  It is sponsored by WEWS 5 ABC, Huntington Bank, PNC, Fifth Third Bank, Key Bank, American Family Insurance, Nationwide, Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Department of Administrative Services, State of Ohio Department of Transportation among others, as well as several higher education facilities including The University of Akron, Kent State University, Cuyahoga Community College and Youngstown State University.

Those interested can register by calling 1-800-900-7735 for more information.

The keynote speaker, Christine Brown, is president of Marketing Resources & Results, a full service, outsourced marketing firm that helps companies profitably build their brands, launch new products and services to increase their sales revenues.  Her full service marketing firm works for companies in Cleveland, Akron, Canton as well as nationwide and is located in Hudson, Ohio.  For additional information, visit the company web site at www.resources-results.com, or the award-winning Branding & Marketing blog at www.BrandAndMarket.com.

Akron Canton Area Marketing Professionals for the Health Care and Retirement Community Businesses Learn from Local Marketing Expert

May 7, 2010 — STOW, OH — Local marketing expert will offer insights into networking, referrals and marketing with new media on May 12 at the Senior Services and Marketing Associates (SSAMA) meeting at the Cardinal Retirement Village in Stow.

Chris Brown, the president of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc., a strategic marketing firm, located in neighboring Hudson, will share a variety of marketing techniques with healthcare marketing professionals.

“Marketing professionals in the health care services are always looking for new wyas to market their services,” explained Brown. “Many home health care providers want to market to retirement facilities or senior apartments, while the retirement facilities want to gain referrals from hospitals, doctors offices and social workers.”

The marketing presentation will provide insights into new media marketing on Facebook and the internet as well as touch on more traditional referral techniques.

Brown owns and operates her marketing agency to provide marketing consulting and marketing services to businesses in Northeast Ohio in the Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Lorian areas.

Marketing Resources & Results has helped companies profitably grow their sales by providing marketing programs since 1998 . The company specializes in developing customized strategic marketing programs and providing the tools to implement those marketing plans. For more information contact the marketing consulting company at 330-656-9793 or visit the marketing firm’s website at www.resources-results.com.

AKRON, OHIO (April 21, 2010) –– Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, spoke to 25 area business owners and entrepreneurs during a two hour Public Relations workshop today.

“Business owners need a cost effective way to reach their target audience to tell their story,” explained Chris Brown. “Public relations and specifically a strong press release program, can very effectively help build awareness, increase search engine ranking, and communicate your product or service’s benefits to your public.”

The workshop, called “PR: How To Use Press Releases to Promote your Product, Service or Business”, covered the ins and outs of how to use PR to build their business. Participants discovered how to write a press release that will help them to promote their business, product or service. They learned how to re-purpose a press release in 5 ways to get more mileage out of the press release that they have written.

Each entrepreneur brainstormed different topics to write a press release about and created a mini-media list with 10 places to send their press release.

Brown also explained the difference between advertising and PR and when to use which technique to achieve the company’s goals.

Her presentation was held in Akron at the Akron Urban League at the Partnership for the Minority Business Accelerator.

About Marketing Resources & Results

Marketing Resources & Results helps Northeast Ohio companies build strong marketing programs that help companies attract new customers. Founded in 1998, the marketing firm develops and executes strategic marketing plans for small and medium-sized businesses and other organizations, including website development, SEO, graphic design and public relations. Brown also offers custom marketing workshops and seminars for business organizations and companies.

For more information, call 330-656-9793, or visit www.resources-results.com.

Social Media Marketing Specialist Chris Brown Offers Workshop to Chamber to Help Business Owners Understand How to Use Social Networking

WILLOUGHBY HILLS, OHIO (April 2, 2010) –  Join the Willoughby Chamber of Commerce for our “Understanding Social Networking and How it Can Help Your Business” session to be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Willoughby Hills Community Center.

This program will help you make sense out of these three social networking sites and provide insight on how you can wisely use them to promote your products and services.

We’ll take a closer look at Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook so that you can:

• Develop a better understanding of how they work
• Learn what NOT to do when using these tools
• Pick up tips and insight to put into practice immediately
• Understand the growing impact that social networking is having on small businesses today
• Gain insights into what social networking plan of action makes sense for you

During this session, we’ll also hear from some chamber members that are actively using these sites to promote their businesses right now. You will learn first-hand some of the successes (and surprises) these members have had. 

Networking and Continental Breakfast: 8am. Presentation: 8:30am – 10:30am. Cost: Members – $20. Non-members: $30. Pre-registration is required.  Sign up today by using this event link http://bbb510.eventbrite.com.

 The keynote speaker, Christine Brown, is president of Marketing Resources & Results, a full service, outsourced marketing firm that helps companies profitably build their brands, launch new products and services to increase their sales revenues.  Her full service marketing firm is located in Hudson, Ohio. 

For additional information, visit the company web site at www.resources-results.com, or the blog at www.BrandandMarket.com.