Small Businesses PR

contractThe one thing all of our potential clients, large and small, want to know when they’re considering hiring us is, “How does it work?” Hiring any consultant is an investment so it’s important to be prepared before jumping in. We can’t tell you how all consultants work, but we can give you an overview of what happens before we sign a contract with a client.
One thing’s for sure, you realize how important timing is when it’s bad. Like when you have a nine-pound fully-cooked ham and you think it’ll only take 15 minutes to warm up until you realize the directions say 15 minutes per pound. Or when you buy a load of stock and the next day the price falls $10 per share and isn’t expected to recover for the next few years.  Well, it’s the same thing in PR. Timing is critical.
A few weeks ago, Fujita & Miura Public Relations celebrated its 10th anniversary. We can’t believe 10 years passed so quickly.  We’d like to extend a big mahalo to all of our clients, `ohana, friends, and mentors who helped us survive and thrive through the years. We’d also like to consider the PR opportunities that anniversaries offer.
The holidays are not only a time for food and festivities, but they also present excellent public relations (PR) opportunities for businesses. Now is the perfect time to focus on your business relationships with employees, customers, shareholders, vendors, legislators or other local businesses; thank those who've helped your company run smoothly throughout the year; and spread the holiday cheer. The following are a few ways to put a little PR spice into your business' holiday strategy:
Press ReleaseHow do reporters know about all the important things happening in the community? One of the most common ways news stories are generated is through press releases. A press, or news, release is a document that is issued to the media and highlights a newsworthy topic about an organization or individual, in hopes that the media will print or broadcast the story. While social media and other emerging methods of pitching stories to reporters are increasingly available, the traditional press release can go a long way for many businesses. 
Do you know what the first rule is of getting what you want? Ask. Yes, that’s it. We have been intrigued over the years at how often nonprofits simply forget to ask for a donation. By the same token, prior to the recent election, many candidates whom we know, some very well, never asked directly for our vote. Whether it’s fundraising, political campaigning, or selling a product or service, you must connect with your potential donors, voters, or consumers and ask them to do what you want them to. The PR key is asking the right people in a gracious and effective way, at the right time.
We’ve all seen those promotions that companies use to try and attract new customers – gifts, cut rates, special offers, etc.  Those kinds of efforts are great and there is a place for recruiting new business, for sure. But what about your current customers, those folks that have stuck with you through all the economic ups and downs, those donors who give a little each year? They are your most valuable assets, and they deserve stewarding and attention.
We recently had the good fortune to attend a scholarship luncheon where we met scholarship recipients and their parents. It was interesting to hear the stories of how parents raised these achievers, and what the students’ future plans were.  We made some striking observations.
hurricane preparednessKauai, Florida, and Louisiana (to name a few) businesses have learned from past experiences that one can never be too prepared for a hurricane or other natural disaster. Especially since each business has a base of people for whom it is responsible, whether it's employees, vendors, customers, or the public at large. As we enter the heart of our hurricane season, we bring you these seven helpful tips to help your business prepare for a hurricane from a public relations angle.
Many think that successful public relations (PR) efforts are solely the result of ingenious strategy and perfectly timed implementation. While that's partially true, your outward appearance has a considerable effect on PR. We all have bad days when we're running late, and once we finally get to work, realize that we forgot some documents at home, or even worse, didn't brush our teeth! But one bad day can create a nearly permanent bad image of your company. You know the basics of presenting yourself well: have good hygiene, dress appropriately, and be neat. Here are a few "advanced" tips to making stunning impressions: