LotusJump Blog

A special thanks to BarStoolsandChairs.com for letting us get to know you a little better on this week’s Friday Spotlight.  BarStoolsandChairs.com specializes in custom upholstered commercial furniture - take a look at their site, their stuff is pretty awesome!

1. What was the inspiration behind your company?We come from a background in commercial furniture.  We believe that commercial furniture is far superior to residential furniture.  We decided to team up with manufactures of commercial furniture and sell it online to the general public.  We offer items like custom logo bar stools and floor mounted bar stools that can be hard to find for the typical residential consumer.

2. What company achievement are you most proud of?
We sold 500 logo bar stools to a manufacturer of high end acoustic guitars.  I am really into music so it was a real treat working with one of America’s greatest guitar companies.

3. Why do you think internet marketing for your business is so important?
About 80% of our order come over the Internet.  We don’t believe in waiting for people to come to our website.  We do everything we can to make sure that we are found when people are looking.  Without Intenet maketing, we would have no customers.

4. Would you like to share a creative marketing tip for other small business owners?
I have found that creating blogs and linking blog entries to the products in my retail site really helps my organic rankings.

Thanks BarStoolsandChairs.com for letting us spotlight you this week! Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

We’re excited this week to spotlight perhaps our most delicious LotusJump user,  Brady’s Beef!  Located in a small mountain valley in the Southeastern corner of Idaho, John Brady and his wife Karen are now the fourth generation of Brady’s on the farm and pride themselves on the superior quality and distinct flavor of their naturally raised grass-fed beef.

What was the inspiration behind your company?
The Brady family has been raising livestock in southeastern Idaho for four generations. Animals raised naturally, grazing in open pastures produce healthier meat. BradysBeef.com was started to help us reach urban and suburban consumers looking to improve their diets with healthier food.

What company achievement are you most proud of?
We take pride in educating consumers about the health benefits of grass-finished beef as well as hearing our customers rave about the improved flavor.

Why do you think internet marketing for your business is so important?
Many consumers are looking for healthier options in their diet at an affordable price. Buying direct from the producer provides better prices and consumers can trust their food because they know where and how it was raised.

Would you like to share a creative marketing tip for other small business owners?
With grass-fed beef we have found that beef tasting events (similar to a wine tasting) allow us to showcase the different flavor exhibited by Brady’s Beef versus grocery store products. With product on hand customers can buy right away.

Thanks Brady’s Beef for letting us get to know you a little better and leaving us a little hungrier!   Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

We’re excited about this week’s LotusJump spotlight because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love free things? Check out ILoveFreeThings.com for this week’s loot of free things!

We asked I Love Free Things what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

I Love Free Things was always a hobby to me. The real inspiration began last year when I received feedback from my subscribers saying that they like what I do and my service helps them, especially during an economic depression. It gave me a boost and some new ideas to grow my service into something bigger. ILoveFreeThings.com is still a growing baby to me.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, I Love Free Things said:

At some point I realized that I was really helping people who wanted to save money or who were going through a financial crisis. Helping others is a great feeling and achievement for I Love Free Things.

We asked I Love Free Things why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

Internet marketing is very important not only for I Love Free Things, but for any offline or online company. The wheel will not start spinning without the first push, you’ll also need to constantly give it a small pushes to keep it spinning. Without internet marketing, less people would know about I Love Free Things.

We gave I Love Free Things a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

If you want your business to grow online, then you must use every social networking tool to connect with your customers. For instance, Mr. Bob is always on Facebook, but he just doesn’t get the twitter thing. If your business is on twitter and not on the Facebook, then Mr. Bob will probably never know about your company and/or would not be able to share it with his friends. Talk to your visitors using tools they use.

Thanks I Love Free Things for letting us get to know you a little more! Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

After doing a little research on OnlineChineseAstrology.com I discovered that LotusJump, launched in 2008, was “born” in the year of the Earth Rat.  The Earth Rat you say? This is what Online Chinese Astrology has to say about the Earth Rat, “The combination of Earth and Rat is extremely positive when it comes to achieving results. The Rat tends to take a lot of risks, while Earth is associated with practicality and stability. This creates balance and can lead to good profits, increased productivity and all sorts of accomplishments.”

So, here’s to LotusJump, the year of the Earth Rat, and our LotusJump spotlight of the week OnlineChineseAstrology.com:

We asked Online Chinese Astrology what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

My father, Bill Hajdu, began learning about Chinese Astrology 20 years ago on a trip to Korea.  Since then he has devoted a lot of time studying the practice. As the internet came about, he registered as an expert on AllExperts.com where he is currently the top rated astrology expert. When I started looking at what he was doing by hand in creating and calculating charts I realized I could help him a lot by building some computer applications.  We built our first site, www.firepig.com and then subsequently, www.onlinechineseastrology.com.
When asked what achievement they were most proud of, Online Chinese Astrology said:

Two years ago we signed a deal with www.ivillage.com and now provide reports and horoscopes to ivillage, astrology.com, yahoo, and friendster China.

We asked Online Chinese Astrology why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

We are purely internet based so getting found by curious internet browsers is critical to us continuing to grow our own traffic and sales. We have a mix of internet marketing and affiliate marketing where we sell through other companies.

We gave Online Chinese Astrology a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

Avoid too much creativity!  It’s important that your messages are clear and consistent.  Every now and then you hit a home run with a quirky idea, but, more often than not, you end up confusing the typical internet customer who’s attention span is low. Use landing pages to convey a clear message and call to action off of every email blast and internet ad you buy.

Thanks Online Chinese Astrology for letting us get to know you a little more and giving us some insight into LotusJump’s exciting future!  Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

Today we’re spotlighting the LotusJumper Dynamic Data Design, a small business and non-profit web design company located in Boston:

We asked Dynamic Data Design what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

Helping other small businesses. There are a lot of designers and web developers out there, but there seems to be a disconnect between the services available and the small business owners who need the services. Many small business owners believe they can’t afford to hire a professional designer. It may not be cheap but it’s affordable, and in today’s competitive marketplace, it is a necessity.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, Dynamic Data Design said:

Though I have been consulting for years, I took Dynamic Data Design full time in January 2008. I have learned so much over this past year. I would say my most important achievement is the relationships I have developed with clients. Clients aren’t just a paycheck to me, I have become a sort of business partner with many of my clients. In this relationship, we both put our best efforts together to improve their business. I would never attempt to sell my customers products or services that would not benefit them. They know this and therefore have come to trust my advice. At the same time, I couldn’t possibly know everything about their businesses so I must listen to their advice. The result of this is something both me and my clients can be proud of.

We asked Dynamic Data Design why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

Internet marketing provides unique opportunities when it comes to tracking and tweaking. No other form of marketing provides the ability to track and tweak so quickly. This makes it easy to see what is working and what is not. You can test just about anything over the internet.  People have tested book titles using pay-per-click ads. It makes it very easy to test what words appeal to people and what doesn’t work and what converts and doesn’t convert.

We gave Dynamic Data Design a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

Track everything you do! The days of throwing dollar after dollar at your online marketing and hoping it works are over. Track results, tweak, keep what works and throw the rest away. Keep in mind that your marketing campaigns may not be successful the first go-round, but don’t give up. Use the advantages of the web: speed, traffic and statistics.

Thank you Dynamic Data Design for giving us the opportunity to learn more about your company.  Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

Today we’re spotlighting the LotusJumper Cindy King from www.cindyking.biz and www.getinternationalclients.com who specializes in cross-cultural and international marketing:

We asked Cindy what the inspiration was behind her company, this is what she had to say:

I created my company to help business owners get international clients, through both a simple international marketing strategy and real tools to find the right cross-cultural positioning to enter a new market.

What got me here in the first place?  Well, I have held a variety of positions in sales and marketing to develop businesses internationally for over 25 years.  And, I live in an area just south of Paris, France, densely populated with small to mid-sized companies.  I simply met too many dynamic business owners who did not know how to take their companies international.  Also, I have been interested in cross-cultural communication all my life.  Cross-cultural communication and international sales fit together well.

When asked what achievement she was most proud of, Cindy said:

Generating qualified international leads within 3 months of being online and… that these leads were 100% on target.  Yes, I got the international positioning right the first time for my own business.

We asked Cindy why Internet marketing is so important for her company, this is what she had to say:

Internet marketing is important to me for two reasons:

First, I show my clients how to use culture-customized content to get more international clients… using the internet.  And second, I live in France and target North American clients interested in expanding into other countries.  So, I use internet marketing throughout many aspects of my business.

We gave Cindy a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what she said:

Well, I see American marketers using testimonials very strongly in their online promotions.  If you are targeting international audiences, you should rethink how you use them.

Around me here in France, American-style testimonials produce the opposite effect.  Instead of building trust, they often create barriers of mistrust.  People ask why someone would say that; put their name there, and their photo.  Why does the company need to do this?  How much did they pay to have these testimonials?

Thank you Cindy for giving us the opportunity to learn more about you and your company.  Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

Today we’re spotlighting the LotusJumper PersonalTrainerU.com, an awesome company that teaches personal trainers the business of fitness:

We asked Personal Trainer University what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

After being in the fitness industry for several years we noticed that, just like many other professions, personal trainers were missing one big thing – business coaching. There was so much information available on training but very little on how to run a fitness business. With so many trainers working 40-60 hours a week yet barely making enough to pay their bills we knew that we could help.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, Personal Trainer University said:

I wouldn’t say there was one thing we are most proud of. Getting to work with hundreds of personal trainers everyday and turning their businesses around makes us very proud. We have had several people who were literally on the verge of closing the doors flip things around in less than a month.

We asked Personal Trainer University why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

With more and more people logging into the Internet daily searching for information we know the importance of Internet marketing.

It also allows us to reach out to a bigger audience, as personal trainers from all over the world who are searching fitness business help will be able to find us.

We gave Personal Trainer University a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

Work 5% harder than your competition.

Don’t sit back and expect your business to just grow as if you allow your competition to out work you then more than likely you will end up closing your doors.

We have seen small private fitness facilities dominate there local areas over the big chain franchises due to them putting in more effort. You too can do the same.

Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday Spotlight!

Today we’re spotlighting the LotusJumper SMP Advance Funding:

We asked SMP Advance what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

As attorneys my partner and I saw firsthand the financial difficulty many people experienced as a result of a significant personal injury or work injuries.   Oftentimes, they would be unable to work for a period of time or unable to pay their growing medical bills as a result of their injuries.   Some faced eviction or were about to lose their house because they could not make their mortgage payments.  Obviously, these scenarios have worsened given our present economy.  It became obvious that from a financial perspective, many could not afford to wait until their pending personal injury or workers’ compensation claim settled and many had poor credit and lacked the ability to obtain any type of short term financing.   We therefore had formed our company to help provide interim funding for those that had viable pending lawsuits and were in need of quick financial relief.   Essentially our company provides cash advances against  a small portion of the overall value of a person’s claim.  The advance is paid back at the time the case resolves (settlement or judgment).    The potential value of the claim is what is important and therefore poor credit and employment status are of no concern.   For those who have chosen to use our services, they have not only been able to obtain necessary and immediate funding, but in many cases allowed their attorneys the time to achieve full resolution of their claim without the financial pressures to settle for short or less money than what their case is actually worth.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, SMP Advance said:

We are most proud of our growth rate combined with providing a much needed service to our clients.  Since our company inception in late 2005, our annual growth rate, using cases funded as a basis, has grown by almost 100% per year.  We are obviously very pleased to increase our revenue but also very happy we can do it while providing a positive experience for our clients.  We often hear our clients tell us how much they appreciate everything we do.  We treat each client with dignity and respect.  Additionally, we never judge our clients for needing funds.  Our rates are reasonable considering the risk and in fact we have some of the lowest rates in the industry.  We don’t try to gouge clients like some companies or treat them disrespectfully.  We truly believe that in addition to having the best rates in the industry, we also have the best customer service.  This doesn’t just come from us but from the feedback we receive from clients who have also dealt with our local and national competitors.  We may not be the biggest funding company out there, but we do believe we are the best.

We asked SMP Advance why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

Internet marketing is important because it allows us to reach a large audience.  Moreover, it allows us to target certain markets that would otherwise be much more challenging or difficult to reach.  Many people are unaware of the pre-settlement funding industry, and internet marketing not only provides a mechanism for reaching out to these people but also allows us to educate them and provide them financial options that they otherwise would not know they have.

We gave SMP Advance a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

We like to try to think outside of the box as much as possible when it comes to marketing.   While we certainly engage in the standard mediums of advertising, there are always a multiple of other ways to reach your potential clientele and we try to find as many of them as we can.  My advice is to not stay content with what you are doing even if it appears to be working.  Instead, keep challenging yourself and always strive to try a different approach.

Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

Today we’re spotlighting the LotusJumper The Jazz Cat:

We asked The Jazz Cat what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

I have loved jazz and created artwork related to Jazz music for the last 12 years. Jazz has been very very good to me and I want to return the favor to Jazz and get more people excited about the history of this American Art Form!

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, The Jazz Cat said:

I created the cover artwork for 15 Jazz  cd covers for a European jazz music label last year!

We asked The Jazz Cat why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

It is the best way for me to reach a global audience and much cheaper than direct mail.

We gaveThe Jazz Cat a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

“Play” with all the newest internet technologies so you do not become afraid of it.

Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

Today we’re spotlighting the LotusJumper MonoMachines:

We asked Mono Machines what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

Back in early 2006 while in grad school, I was tasked with the job of purchasing a shredder for a small office.  As I searched the web for potential products I quickly and painfully became aware of the web un-friendliness that came along with an old, brick-and-mortar industry.  I had no idea what I was looking for and a flat 2×3 image of a machine that looked like it came straight from That 70’s Show neither appealed to me nor gave me any tangible grasp (or remote hint for that matter) of the capabilities of the machine.  It was like trying to buy a new car without getting to take it for a test drive or even kick the tires.  I wanted to see multiple photos of the machines.  I wanted to see the machine in action.  I wanted to hear what it sounds like to shred a piece of paper into 3/8″ x 1/16″.  Aside from a few poorly lit, dialogue-heavy, machine-centric 10-minute videos, I was left to purchasing a machine with very limited information and I ultimately made a bad decision.  Mono Machines was formed not too long after this moment with the drive to provide the customer with as much pertinent information as humanly possible along with an actual live human being that had previously used the machine.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, Mono Machines said:

We are proud to say that we have made a commitment to provide video “tours”, “introductions”, and reviews for EVERY product that we sell.  2008 marked the first round of manufacturer videos and 2009 is slated for hundreds more.  We travel throughout the US to manufacturer locations and produce product videos.  If you’d like to see what our videos look like, you can check out the link and then click on the “product video” tab located above the product image.

We asked Mono Machines why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

Internet Marketing is not important FOR our business, it IS our business.  As a newcomer to an old game, we have to rely on our net visibility to sell products.  With Walmart down the road and Staples importing cheap knock-offs from China, we must find new and interesting ways to get in front of our potential customers and provide them with a service that they cannot find elsewhere.

We gave Mono Machines a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

Although this is nothing new and most likely why most of you are on LotusJump, I’d say to harness the power of the authorities within your industry.  We all know that Google has turned into a popularity contest and I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but Yahoo Answers, Slate.com and LinkedIn are more popular than you are.  Although blogging may seem like what everyone is doing, spend those precious hours spreading your expertise across the web to sources that will actually be seen rather than laboring away at crafting the perfect blog post for your site that receives 1/10,000 of the exposure of the “expert” site

Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!