Hosted by Michael Houlihan, Co-Founder of Barefoot Cellars wines, the upcoming webinar is poised to deliver vital information on establishing a profitable ‘Cause Marketing’ strategy for any start-up or small business.

Minooka, IL -- (SBWire) -- 08/07/2012 --The post-recession business climate has left many small businesses lacking vital marketing funds. Now required to grow their businesses on a shoestring, entrepreneurs across the nation are looking for ways to enjoy steady growth without risking more than they can afford. Thankfully, one globally-successful entrepreneur is proving that it can be done.

In 1986, Michael Houlihan and his wife Bonny Harvey started the Barefoot Cellars wine brand. Strapped for cash and lacking resources, the couple knew that they had to find a way to develop steady growth with little outlay.

Having always supported local charities, the couple was honored to be asked to donate their product to non-profits that represented a variety of worthy causes. Before they knew it, their products started to sell in the areas these organizations were located in.

“We began to realize that, for us, this was far more effective than advertising. Through our business, we were able to support the worthy causes that were important to us. We used our marketing and distribution channels to promote, and even solicit funds for small non-profits in our marketing communities. We termed it Worthy Cause Marketing,” Houlihan explains.

Using this method alone, the company grew to become one of the most successful wine brands in the world. Since its sale in 2005, Michael and Bonny have dedicated their time to teaching others how to use Worthy Cause Marketing within their own businesses.

Now, for the first time ever, Houlihan is hosting a webinar to spill his secrets to business and entrepreneurs. The ‘Cause Marketing for Small Business’ webinar, taking place on August 21st, will focus on the details of Worthy Cause Marketing and demonstrate how it can be applied successfully by any business.

“We will give you tools you can use and practical real world examples of how non-profits and small businesses can build their positions by working together. We will give you examples of what your small and medium size company can do on a limited budget that will make a big difference to the NPOs, and what the NPOs can do that cost them nothing to help you get your word out,” Houlihan adds.

The webinar is being organized in conjunction with TheBrandAuthority.net, a website co-owned by Houlihan, which provides a wealth of tried and tested marketing tips to those who want to grow their business on a budget.

TheBrandAuthority.net boasts a myriad of articles and resources pertaining to branding, brand building, positioning, sales, worthy cause marketing and tool & resources.

One of the site’s most recent resources to go viral is their ‘Ten Steps to Make a Branding Splash” infographic. The visually-engaging branding tips graphic lists the most valuable branding foundational steps, backed up by five top tips to gaining traction.

“The infographic displays a wealth of branding information in a simple and compelling form. We’ve already seen it go viral and we hope that entrepreneurs around the world will put the information to good use,” says Houlihan.

The site is also a mecca for all things Worthy Cause Marketing. In fact, Houlihan and Harvey are adding new information to the website on a weekly basis. Therefore, users are urged to check back frequently to discover new and exciting ways to grow their business while helping others.

The site’s updates can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and the site’s RSS Feed.

For more information, please visit: http://www.thebrandauthority.net

Details about the upcoming webinar can be found here: http://www.thebrandauthority.net/cause-marketing-is-not-just-for-big-business/

About Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey
Having built and sold a best-selling national brand, Houlihan and Harvey appreciate the value of brands and everything it takes to make them successful. Companies are valued by their brand equity.

Starting in their laundry room with no money and no knowledge of the industry, the couple built the famous Barefoot Wine brand. They learned many lessons not taught in school, and much of it the hard way. Although their success was in consumer products, their real world experience will be helpful to anyone looking for information and advice about brands.

At TheBrandAuthority.net users will find a blog and many other contributions, interviews, and helpful info-graphics, which will help with the design, development, and monetization of their brands.

Today, Houlihan and Harvey serve on boards as advisors, produce several blogs, teach branding, and offer public speaking on the subject throughout the country. Their new book, “The Barefoot Spirit,” chronicles the history of the Barefoot Wine brand and lessons learned from inception through acquisition. The pre-release download will be available in October 2012 with final print version available in February.

They seek to provide inspiration and encouragement to all those contemplating starting a brand or wanting to improve their existing brand.