Pop-up business opportunities at SunRail stations?

Imagine getting a nice shoe shine in the morning before boarding a SunRail commuter train, or picking-up dinner from a food truck in the evening when you step off the train.

Those are just a couple of ways that pop-up businesses could cash in on SunRail when the Central Florida commuter train begins operations in May.

During a briefing recently at the South Orange Chamber of Commerce, a SunRail representative was asked about pop-up business opportunities. See the video for his response.

===================================================

For more information that can help small businesses in Central Florida make more money, be sure to visit www.B2BFlorida.com

 

Ready for Earth Hour?

 

Earth Hour will be observed this coming Saturday, March 29.

Earth Hour was launched in 2007 by the World Wide Fund for Nature as a global event to focus on the environment and conservation issues.

Sounds like a tree-hugger thing? Really, though, it’s a money thing that’s critically important to all businesses – both large and small.

Saturday is a great time to spend time focusing on conservation! When businesses conserve they save money and that improves the bottom line.

Here are some conservation ideas to consider:

Go paperless.  Every business uses computers, but do you really have to print out everything you type? The fewer things you print, the less money you’re spending on paper. And when you print, use recycled paper.

Plan you errands. When you drive to handle errands, plan your route so you can accomplish several tasks during one car trip. With a little planning you can save lots of time and gasoline. Through efficient route planning United Parcel Service saved 10 million gallons of gas.

Change your light bulbs. Replace some of your old-school incandescent light bulbs (patented by Edison in 1878) with those new spiral CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs. The CFL bulbs cost three times more than the traditional bulbs, but they last years and can save you more than $500 over the 5-year life of the bulb.

So how will your business observe Earth Hour?

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.

Free publicity for your small business?

Get a free listing for your business in the B2B Florida business directory. The listing is seen by other business owners and consumers throughout Florida. Whether you own a civil engineering firm, or a landscaping service, there’s a place for your business in the directory on the www.B2BFlorida.com website.

To get your free listing, call us at 407-965-0800, or send your information to info@DavidPorterCommunications.com.

We need your name and e-mail address, the company’s name and a description of the business, the phone number and the address.

http://www.b2bflorida.com/business-directory.html

Pass the "cheese sticks"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U0B53YxcAU

Small businesses that want to make a big splash in the marketplace can learn a major lesson from the “cheese sticks” lady in the TV commercial promoting Central Florida’s new SunRail commuter train system.

In the ad, the young lady riding SunRail sits listening to her music while repeatedly singing “like cheese sticks.” Many viewers complain that her off-key singing is weird and irritating.

However, the “cheese sticks” lady commercial has successfully disrupted the marketplace of media messages and made people curious about the SunRail commuter train.

During an Orlando transportation forum last week, a SunRail consultant said interest in SunRail has been soaring, thanks to the “cheese sticks” ad.

Mark Calvert, CEO of Evolve Design Group, said before the ad debuted earlier this month, the SunRail website was getting 900 new visitors per week. Since the ad launched, the site has been getting 2,700 new visitors EVERY day. Before the ad, the new visitors looked at one or two pages. Now they’re looking at 4 or 5 pages.

The big take away for businesses: If you want more customers don’t waste time whispering. You need to shout!

Please pass the cheese sticks!

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, an Orlando-based consulting firm that helps small businesses get more customers. The company also produces www.B2BFlorida.com, a website that provides information to help small businesses overcome challenges and meet their goals.

SunRail "cheese sticks" commercial

All aboard for SunRail!

OK small business owners and entrepreneurs, are you ready for SunRail?

In case you’ve been living under a rock, SunRail is Central Florida’s first commuter train service and it begins operations on May 1^st.

I guarantee that SunRail will improve life in ways that none of us can imagine. Today someone who lives in the Deltona area might not consider applying for a job in downtown Orlando because it’s too far to drive. After May 1^st that Deltona resident can take a stress-free train ride to downtown Orlando.

That convenience will work both ways. I’ve never been to DeBary, but I live about a mile from the South Orange County SunRail station. I plan to ride SunRail to DeBary to check it out. I encourage all fellow small business owners to make plans to capitalize on SunRail.

Here are some ideas:

 

• Choose a location near to SunRail: If you’re planning to open a new store, find a location very close to a SunRail station. SunRail is projected to carry 4,300 a day when it opens.

• Offer a service that compliments the SunRail: Do you have a taxi service? Maybe you could offer shuttle services from subdivisions to the closest SunRail service.
• Make sure your website is configured for mobile devices: The trains will offer free Wi-Fi so riders will have time to peruse the Internet while riding to and from work.
• Give SunRail riders a discount: Offer discounts to customers who present their SunCard (the fare card for SunRail) at the register.

 

Time to get busy and jump on this business opportunity!

This post was written by David D. Porter, owner and principal at www.DavidPorterCommunications.com, which produces the www.B2BFlorida.com website. David Porter Communications provides video production and marketing services for small business in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida.