Last week we visited RISE and I took away a lot of valuable information. We’ve learned a lot about creating a product that there is a market for and RISE demonstrated that perfectly. There was a need for organic natural teas and thus Bailey Tea Blends was created.

Another aspect that MSU professor Dr. Laurie Thorp discussed was how networking brought success of Bailey Tea Blends. Originally she knew that MSU wanted to invest in a student-run business but never thought that RISE would be it. However, the connections she had helped pave the way for the opportunity not only to become the one student- run business, but it also helped the tea blends get into the Kellogg Hotel.

It was interesting to see a business that is doing so well that they realized they either have to expand or scale back because the demand is so high. It illustrated what so many entrepreneurs have talked about in that you have to adapt and be prepared to handle the success of your business.

The 4 Ways to Create a Marketing Strategy For Your Small Business article brought up some important parts. My biggest takeaway was to “work smarter, not harder.” I have heard many entrepreneurs talk about learning how to do everything yourself but if you don’t have the resources nor the time, rather than learning something, sometimes it’s smarter to just hire someone.

I learned a lot from the Kissmetrics: How Marketing Funnels Work that I didn’t know before. I had never even heard of the term funnel until I read this article but I gained a better understanding of marketing.

Obviously the end goal of a website weather its an e-commerce site or a blog, is to get people to take a call of action. There are certain steps that people go through before they take that call. I’ve started a blog and realized I’m missing a call to action, which is a key part in gaining a following. As of now, the people who view my site are simply just browsing which is not a good marketing strategy.