Your Team and Your Competitors 

In the third of this three-part article, we will discuss the last two resources that will make successful marketing possible for your business, no matter the size of your budget.

Resource 4. Your Team

In your company, who is responsible for marketing? If you think "the Marketing Department," I couldn't disagree more. The truth is: No matter how big or small your company, every single person that has the ability to impact your brand or business is in "marketing." Learning how to enlist that team of people can help grow your business exponentially, and it doesn't have to cost you much.

Do your employees know the full extent of your company's offerings and your desired positioning so that they can be your company's biggest cheerleaders? Each member of your team represents a walking/talking potential billboard for your company and even more so for women owned businesses. They are literally "free media" for you, providing on-demand marketing for women business owners every time they shake someone's hand and introduce themselves.

Who Is Sending Christmas Cards This Year? Fewer than Last Year 

Marketers can expect a tough year in sales of cards as demand for greeting cards in general, and Christmas cards in particular, continues to dwindle.

Marketers need to find future direction and opportunity as cultural trends push consumers away from greeting cards -- Unity Marketing plans a new study of the greeting card, stationery and paper products market.

Stevens, PA December 7, 2011 - With less than three weeks before Christmas, how many holiday cards have you received in the mail this year?  Fewer than last year, Unity Marketing predicts.

The market for greeting cards is a tough one in today's environment with consumers having so many faster, easier and in many cases cheaper ways to send a greeting. Times have gotten even tougher as a result of the recession, with many consumers looking to cut spending anywhere they can. 

And now with the U.S.P.S. slowing the pace of first class mail and making 'snail mail' even less convenient, consumers are being encouraged - even driven - to alternatives to the traditional greeting card.

What is behind this declining demand for greeting cards?  "Many cultural trends are afoot that are changing consumers' demand for greeting cards, but one thing is for certain. The business of selling traditional greeting cards is only going to get harder as consumers turn to newer, faster and better communications alternatives," says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Putting the Luxe Back in Luxury.