Search Results for: blog do you know the competitors prices

5 Savings Questions Ask Your Store Manger

The next time that you go out to shop, you can use that time to “earn” extra coupons and discounts. It is all a matter of simply asking your store manager certain questions. Jot down the answers and then take advantage of the bounty of coupons that you will get. 1. Do you have a loyalty program? Loyalty programs allow shoppers to earn points or even cash back on their purchases. Most stores have some sort of loyalty program, although many don’t advertise this. Even thrift stores, such as GoodWill often have loyalty programs. You can also earn free products … Continue reading →

Competitive Pricing: Are You Offering Comparable Products and Services?

Earlier today, I wrote an article about how to research your competition and compare various pricing structures. It is important to keep in mind that when you are looking at what other businesses in your industry are up to, that you truthfully consider what products and services you are offering and whether they are comparable. If you are going to charge comparable prices, you really need to be offering comparable services. For example, if you offer housecleaning and maid services, look at your competitors—not just at their prices but the value of the service that a consumer gets for the … Continue reading →

Should You Charge More for Last Minute or Past a Deadline?

Increasingly it seems, everything is done last minute. People tend to treat deadlines as though they were a “suggestion” and not the last date for making a payment, a purchase, or filling out an application. Some businesses choose to just let all this last minute business slide and make accommodations, while others are finding that it is necessary and reasonable to charge fee for things that come in late. You may notice that if you attend a conference or purchase tickets to something, there is often a “price break” if you order or apply early. Of course, this is to … Continue reading →

Do You Know the Competitors’ Prices?

Pricing can be one of the big challenges in any business. For many of us who are just starting out with our home-based businesses, this can be one of the areas where we feel the most discomfort—have we set competitive prices? Are they reasonable? Will our prospective customers pay that much? AND, once we do set our prices, we may not remember that we do need to constantly re-evaluate and make sure that our prices stay effective and competitive. A good place to start is to keep an eye on what our competitors’ prices actually are. So, how can you … Continue reading →

Researching Competitive Pricing

As small business owners, we know intellectually that we need to set our prices in such a manner as to be competitive with other businesses in our industry and area, but figuring out how to go about that can be another matter. The first step in establishing competitive pricing for your products or services is to do some research to find out what is going on in your market. Initially, you need to define what your market is and who your competitors actually are. In this day and age, that can definitely go beyond geography. For example, if you are … Continue reading →

Coupon Dictionary (Part 2)

Insert Coupons ~ Insert coupons are manufacturer coupons found in the Sunday paper. They are usually one of the three main booklets of coupons, Smart Source, Valassis and Proctor & Gamble. Internet Printed Coupon (IP) ~ A manufacturer coupon in which you can print from your computer. Newbie ~ Someone who is new to the world of coupons and trying to learn the ropes. Non Insert Coupons ~ Non Insert Coupons are any coupon not found in the Sunday paper. Example: Peelies, Blinkies and Tearpads. Peelies ~ Peelies are coupons which are attached to a specific product. You can peel … Continue reading →

Purchasing electronics online – Closeout sites

Closeout sites sometimes offer great prices on great products, but you’ll probably have to look hard to find them. Products on closeouts sites are often refurbished, which means they have been returned by customers and fixed by manufacturers for resale. If you know the product you’re looking for and an estimate of how much it should cost, you may be able to find good deals using closeout sites. I’ll review two of the better closeout sites here today. This is part of a series of blogs covering online electronics retailers. Take a look at a few reviews of comparison sites … Continue reading →