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Recyclers News Press
Advertising Survival Guidelines Include:
Monitor your competitors' advertising. If they're cut-
ting down, seriously consider increasing your ad
budget and hitting harder. This will provide a
great opportunity to capture -- and retain -- a
larger share of the market.
Avoid gimmicky and clever advertising. Center your
message on the benefits and
advantages of your product or service -- such as
convenience or energy efficiency –
rather than making emotional appeals.
Use direct-response advertising techniques. Use
hard-hitting copy with simple but
convincing language, a special of-
fer the prospect will find hard to
pass up, and a strong
call to action.
Avoid ads that look like ads. Make
them appear to be vital messages
to the consumer
offering them the most for their
money.
Stress quality and durability. Consumers are looking
for as much value as possible in a
weak economy. But don't actually use the words
"quality" and “durability," as they have
degenerated into advertising cliches. Show,
don't tell.
Study advertising research thoroughly. Know which
page positions pull best, which copy
factors work effectively, which colors do the job,
and so on. Spend every ad dollar carefully.
Re-examine your marketing mix to ensure it is the
most cost effective.
Keep in mind that perceptions play a major role in a
weak economy. If people believe money is going to
be tight, they will behave as if it is -- even if they
have money to spend. Your ads have to convince
prospective customers that your product or service
is a wise investment.
While economic downturns are admittedly difficult,
and increase the obstacles small businesses
face in trying to survive and grow, it
is not axiomatic that companies
have to slash earnings and
compress market share. That re-
course befalls firms that take too
long to realize what must be
done, or which resist change. Re-
sourceful entrepreneurs capture the
available opportunities, and take
steps during today's hard times to lay the ground-
work for tomorrow's prosperity.
*Adapted from "Small Business Success" magazine,
Volume 4, by the U.S. Small Business Administra-
tion and the Partners for Small Business Excel-
lence. Read the entire article at
content/survival-tips-managing-during-economic-
downturn
Survival Tips for Managing During an
Economic Downturn*
Advertising Survival Guidelines
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Recyclers News Press
In a recent issue of The Environmental Forum, Cyn-
thia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, provides a
breakdown of what the future may hold in her article
titled “Next Generation Compliance.” According to
Giles, while the past impetus on enforcement will con-
tinue, today’s advances in technology may help mini-
mize the need for enforcement by making it easier
and smarter to simply comply in the first place. “We
are moving toward a world in which states, EPA, citi-
zens, and industry will have
real-time electronic informa-
tion regarding environmental
conditions, emissions, and
compliance and we are using
what we have learned about
compliance to make it easier
to comply than to violate.”
Making it easier to comply will
serve two obvious purposes:
better compliance rates and
less pollution. However, it will also address the fact
that the EPA and the states simply do not have the
enforcement resources to keep up with violators and
that thus, it is much more intelligent to craft rules “with
compliance built in.” To illustrate this, Giles cited how
the agency addressed the cumulative effect of auto
emissions in the United States. Rather than requiring
each car owner to comply with requirements, “we re-
quire auto manufacturers to install pollution controls
… and certify cars as meeting that standard.”
So what does all this mean to small business
owners operating an automotive salvage facility?
It means that the focus will continue on storm water
compliance with the increased inspection level we’ve
been experiencing. So keep your storm water permit
current with your state agency, conduct sampling on
an annual basis (or frequency per your state regula-
tions outside of Iowa) and maintain the commitments
made in your Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan
(SWPPP) best management practices (BMPs) such
as keeping hoods closed and providing covered sec-
ondary containment on outside storage of fluids.
Continued on next page...
What’s in Store for Inspections?
EPA Will Maintain Enforcement Initiatives
