Adding Value to Any Business

Some say they have nothing to sell.  They say there’s so much free online information in their niche that no one is going to buy from them.

I say, “Hogwash!”

Here’s a secret that can make you very wealthy:  people buy products for their value and they don’t much care where it comes from.  It’s true!

Case in point:  Alex, a college student, needed some financial help to continue his schooling. Without too much online searching he came across a free pdf guide on how to find and qualify for government grants in education.  He studied the well-written guide, followed its instructions, and secured the money he needed.  Some friends found out what he had done and decided they wanted Uncle Sam’s help in paying for their education too.

Alex got an idea. He began selling the guide to everyone that wanted a copy for $15.  Then he put up a web site, advertised in his college newspaper’s classifieds, and grew a small business with that one freely available product.  He expanded his marketing, got some glowing testimonials, and sold that same product for $37.  Averaging 8-10 sales a day, Alex had a six-figure business in no time.  (Note: “Public domain” material, like the guide Alex found, is put out by the federal government and is free to use, modify, give away and even sell – but that’s not the point of this post)

Alex stumbled upon a secret – people will pay you to sell them information (products) that they could find freely online but they don’t want to spend the time hunting for that information … or they don’t even realize the information is available. Let’s call this:

Added Value #1 – Ease – Save someone the work and hassle of discovery, finding something on their own, of aggregating information and they will pay you nicely so they can do other things with their time.  Niche portals, hubs, and aggregators are proven business models because they ease the prospect’s pain of hunting down information from multiple sources.

Here are nine more ways to add money generating value to any business.

Added Value #2 – Exclusive – People will buy from you if you can offer them something that only they can have.  Why do rare coins, vintage cars, and Elvis’s underwear sell for so much?  Ownership of exclusive items is highly valued by many.  Cater to the exclusive minded – to the fact that things which are scarce are often highly prized.

Added Value #3 – The Real Deal – Create a brand and position in your business that you are “the real deal,” the original ____ , or the one and only authorized authority.  The same could be said for your product or service.  Value can be added to any business that is able to position itself as “authentic” or that the brand is the “gotta have” choice.

Added Value #4 – Readily Available – Make your business product or service easy to find, always available, easily utilized and with few (if any) ownership restrictions.  Simple.  Convenient.  There when you need it.  Anybody can do this.  It’s one of the attractions of PLR information for online marketers.  There are few ownership restrictions and it’s there to use whenever and however you need it.

Added Value #5 – Instant – People pay handsomely for instant solutions, instant access, and instant gratification.  Your product can arrive with free shipping in 5-7 days so why would anyone pay extra for overnight access?  Plenty do.  The same camera will be $300 less in two years. Why do you want it right now?  People want instant solutions.  Any time you can incorporate this concept into your business or product you will be paid handsomely.

Added Value #6 – Engagement – Customers want to be engaged with business owners; especially if the owner is a recognized authority or talent.  Clients like to connect with and acknowledge writers, artists, successful people … and yes, “gurus.”  Sometimes they will decide to do business with you simply because you are approachable and willing to engage on a personal level with your customers.  Always keep in mind that folks do business with those they know, like, and trust.

Added Value #7 – Premium – There will always be customers that want the premium or luxury version of whatever they’re buying.  Why not offer it to them?  Why do people pay hundreds more to fly 1st class?  Why do they pay extra for leather seats?  Why do they buy the ice cream that is twice the price of the “generic” version?  Any product or service can be upgraded to the “deluxe version” and sold right along side the regular version.  It’s all about perceived added value!

Added Value #8 – Analysis – Most people don’t want just the cold hard facts.  They will pay something extra for expert analysis and commentary.  Your business may sell exactly the same service or product that many others have, but yours can be differentiated by the addition of your own opinions, views, and analysis that you provide above and beyond what is customary in your marketplace.  The “curation” model depends upon the expertise and insight of the curator to add value to the news in a niche.  With this added value, your customers and prospects will begin to recognize you as the niche authority.

Added Value #9 – Done For You – As most product creators understand, “done for you” (DFY) solutions are extremely popular as opposed to DIY (do it yourself).  Why go to the effort to build backlinks when you can pay a backlinking service to do it for you? Why set up a niche web site when there are plenty of talented people who have created DFY solutions?  There are all kinds of ways any business can incorporate DFY into a product or service.  When I was a kid, we regularly washed and waxed our car in the driveway.  So did all of our neighbors.  You don’t see that much today. It’s too much work and too inconvenient.  People want others to do the work which saves them time, hassle and effort.

Added Value #10 – Customization – Would you pay extra for a service customized to your exact needs?  Many people will.  Do you think dentists would pay extra for the “Top Ten Most Effective Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Dental Practice” vs. the “Top Ten Most Effective Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Business”?  You bet they would.  Any product or service can be customized to appeal directly and pointedly to a specific niche or target audience.  Sure, it takes a little extra effort by the product creator to make it happen … but the rewards can be very much worth the little extra effort.  “Repurposing” information products is a secret that has made some folks a lot of money.

There you have it – ten ways to add value to your business – any business.  Yes, there is definitely some work involved in adding value – I make no bones about that! That’s why it will differentiate and cause your business to rise above the others – your competition won’t do what you can do, and therein lies the secret recipe for adding value to, and standing out from the crowd in, your business.

To your online marketing success!

Steve Browne

www.stevebrownedirect.com

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