A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of Greater     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News October 27, 2004 By Colin Atagi, Daily Tribune Staff Knowing customers is one of the most important things companies can do to promote their products, a consultant told local business leaders Tuesday. Leon Ostrowski, a business consultant from Plover, gave people who attended the session at River Cities Bank a lesson on the importance of technology in today's workplace. During the presentation - the latest in the Community Progress Initiative's New Ideas speaker series - Ostrowski also talked about how important it is to find the right product for the right audience. Although technology is important, it's even more important to know the market. That knowledge will help a business owner avoid spending time and money on something that won't produce positive results, Ostrowski said. "If you don't really understand your customers, you're destined to fail," he said. An inadequate market analysis, a lack of effective marketing and product problems or defects are the three biggest reasons for new product failures, he said. It was advice Rome resident Meera Deshpande intends to utilize. She recently opened Kumon Math and Reading Centers in Wisconsin Rapids and attended the presentation to receive more advice on how to run her business. "He said you have to find the right person to talk to, which I have not done yet," she said. "I've not yet gone to the school board to tell them about my program. I have to be more active than passive." Monitoring changes in industries or customer preferences is also necessary for success. Business owners need to keep track of technical, economic, social, demographic and political trends to fit their product - or risk falling behind, Ostrowski said. "Trends are important, because they're our eyes and ears into the future," he said. Although the crowd of 14 was smaller than those that attended previous Community Progress gatherings, it was the right size for the presentation, said Nan Taylor, business manager for the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance, which organized the initiative with the Community Foundation of South Wood County. "That's the number you want, because it gives (Ostrowski) the chance to speak to everyone in an individual manner," she said. The majority of the New Ideas speakers will appeal to a broader audience, but occasionally speakers will focus on specific groups. You can reach Colin Atagi at 422-6728 or at catagi@wisconsinrapidstribune.com.
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