Small Business Information
Consistency Builds Trust
You know your prospects need what you sell. You know they want what you sell.
Fire the CEO
If you are the boss and you think your job is to run the business, you are dead wrong. Your job, the most important job in any business, is to market the business.
Are You Making These Mistakes In Your Business?
You've probably heard the statistic that 95% of small businesses fail in the first five years. That's not a very encouraging number! Although being part of the 5% that succeed is not easy, it's definitely possible.
Shocking Experienced Copywriter Reveals Little-known Secrets To Closing BIG Ticket Deals!
Hogwash!That's what I say to people who tell me that their business is purely and solely a "cheapest price business."People who stubbornly insist that "MY business is different" are right, but not in a good way.
Virtual Assistance for Healthcare Professionals
Administrative and clerical tasks are the bane of every industry. No matter how small or large your business is, you will eventually find yourself with stacks of paperwork that need your attention and phone calls that need to be made.
Marketing - The Way To Make What Youre Really Worth
You only have so much time in a day right?So wouldn't it make sense to focus as much of your time as possible on the things that produce the highest payoff.I don't know about you but most small business owners are do-it-yourself types and get sucked into doing the littlest silly work faster than you can say "Oh look, the copier is jammed again.
The Single Most Powerful Small Business Marketing Tool On The Planet
Let me get right to the point. The single most powerful small business marketing tool on the planet is a marketing plan.
The Virtual Assistant
As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants is fast becoming a popular and intelligent decision. The business owner saves enormous amounts of money by cutting the costs of offices and equipment overhead as well as expensive benefits packages.
Venus Transit - and Small Business?
On June 8, 2004, the world witnessed what no one living today had ever seen..
Are You a Small Business Casualty?
When a person knows and knows not that he knows. Teach him.
10 Filler Activities for the Summer Business Slowdown
Summer is a time for the outdoors, for that well-deserved vacation, and with everyone out and about, it's also a time that you may notice a slowdown in demand for your products and services. So what can you do during this summer slowdown? Well, it's a great time to do the work that otherwise never gets done during the busy business year.
Simple Business Tactics Are Your Key To Success
In a world full of complications sometimes we overlook the simple things in life. We are so busy trying to work out our twisted problems that we miss out on the simple secrets to success.
Hone Your Edge, Stay Focused
A common hazard faced by new entrepreneurs is a lack of faith in the power of their offer. Many business people lose focus because they are worried they wont generate enough cash flow from their core product.
Joint Venture Your Way to Extraordinary Sales!
You know what makes me really happy? Drinking a Starbucks latte while doing my grocery shopping at Safeway. Getting my Godiva fix at Barnes & Noble.
Speed Kills on the Web!
I only have to point to the 555 plus failed .com companies (according to Web Mergers) as the poster children of the "speed at any cost" business mantra that clearly doesn't work.
Small Business Marketing, According to Seinfeld
What could Seinfeld possibly have to do with marketing a small business? As it turns out, all small business owners could take a few lessons from the show that brought us such popular phrases as "Man Hands" and "master of your domain".The Coffee Shop - Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine spent countless hours in the coffee shop, talking about "nothing.
Share Ad Expenses to Boost Profits
The challenges of the small business owner are well documented. They must battle for market share against larger competitors, run all aspects of their business, and even pay higher rates for advertising and other marketing related expenses.
Direct Mail - For Small Businesses
We hear a lot of talk about junk mail nowadays. Many peoplewill tell you that they dump it straight in the trash.
Small Business - A Thing Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Badly
A thing worth doing is worth doing badly. Yes I know that it should be 'well'.
Do You Really Need a Toll-Free Number for Your Business?
Do You Really Need a Toll-Free Number for Your Business? The answer is YES! If you run a home business, whether it's a direct sales business, a part-time venture, or if you work full-time from home, if you don't have a toll-free number, you could be leaving money on the table.Studies show that a potential client is 50% more likely to contact a business who has a toll-free number.
Its Spring - Time For A Compensation Program Tune Up
Now that winter has passed, the annual ritual of spring cleaning is in full swing. Spring cleaning is more than cleaning the windows and clearing the cobwebs that hid in the corners during the winter.
The Key to Small Business Growth? Buyer Alignment
Unfortunately for all buyers, each selling organization and their individual sales professionals are unique and often require immense amounts of energy to build a relationship with. This keeps buyers guessing, which in turn keeps the sales organization guessing.
Maintaining Your Carpet Extractor in Your Auto Detail Shop
Auto Detailing: Maintaining A Commercial Carpet ExtractorYou should drain your carpet extractor at the end of each use or at least by the end of the day. Do not dump the excess dirty water or soap into a storm drain.
How to Promote Your Business by Entering Contests
You are probably hard at work promoting your business (and if you're not, you should be!), but if you haven't submitted your profile to any contests yet, you may be missing a golden opportunity.Receiving an award for your business can increase your company's credibility.
Alliances: What works, what does not
Why Alliances FailWhen do you know an alliance is falling apart?An alliance will surely fail without good communication on both sides. It will also fail if the alliance partner is not capable of completing the tasks set out in the service level agreement.
Alliances: Drawing The Line
How far can you go based on your relationship with an alliance partner?The imaginary line you draw in the sand will let you know when an alliance is getting close to failing. I would suggest setting the line a little higher than the disaster point.
Keep TRACK of your Business Relationships and Gain Profits
How do you know when an alliance needs to be monitored and tracked?More often than not, an alliance needs to be monitored and tracked. If you ignore your alliance partner at all, you will be losing ground and your business relationship will not be what you expect.
Making Your Product Desirable For Alliance Partners
How do you make sure you have the business solutions or services that your alliance partner needs?You can only make sure that what you have to offer a company fits into their goals and mission if you do your research on what drives that business. If you go in "cold" you are not likely to win any business as you do not know enough about the company and they certainly do not know enough about you.
Leveraging Business Relationships for more Profits
When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative connotation to the mix. It does not have to be that way.
How to Create an Employee Manual
Large corporations use employee manuals to both educate employees about policies and protect themselves legally. Whether or not you need an employee manual is your decision, though it can be a great tool for keeping your policies consistent.
Become The Squeaky Wheel and Watch Your Business Skyrocket!
Providing high quality customer service is a must for any business to survive.Following up on all contacts and leads is also crucial in order to increase your sales and client base.
Keeping a Partnership ALIVE and THRIVING
What are the best methods for keeping a good business relationship?Once you have a business relationship in place, you need to work on that relationship to keep it intact. As a matter of fact, people nurture their business relationships more than they do their families! The first and most obvious method is to follow up with questions and requests in a timely manner.
Finding the PERFECT Alliance Partner
Where do you look for the appropriate alliance?One of the most asked question is "Where do you find a good alliance partner?" It is actually fairly easy. You can find potential alliances by taking some time to research potential partners.
Who Makes the BEST Alliance
What types of companies do you want to align yourself with?What is the best company to align with? It is a company that does not quite compete with your core business. By this we mean that the company has offerings that dovetail into what you have to offer.
A Small Business Consultant Can Help in Many Ways... But One Thing He Can't Provide
A consultant must remember that the business belongs to the client. There is always a danger that the consultant will take a dominant position to the detriment of both of them.
Advertising - For Small Businesses (Part 2)
How to do itPeople skim through newspapers and magazines and they aren'tnecessarily looking for information on products or services(unless they're reading the classifieds) It's thereforeabsolutely vital that your advertisement grabs theirattention and encourages them to read more. Many ads aredesigned merely to create awareness of a product or service,however, small to medium size businesses need a result.
Advertising - For Small Businesses (Part 1)
Is it right for you?If you decide to advertise your productor service then you must ask yourself - "Will potentialcustomers read this publication and will they take actionhaving read my ad?"National newspapers - Read by a huge cross section of thepopulation. If you're inserting a display ad then it wouldneed to be professionally designed and you'd need to be init for the long run.
When to Say NO!
When is it a good thing to say no to a request?Balance in one's life is perhaps the most important goal for busy people. They can take on many more projects that most others.
Chamber Membership will BOOST your Business
When is the Chamber ideal for your business?Joining a Chamber of Commerce is likely the best thing any business or individual can do. Chambers provide many benefits to members.
What are the COSTS Associated with joining Leads Groups?
When it comes to cost, how much can you afford or not afford?When it comes to cost, the first thing that comes to mind is money, the cost of membership. Although this may be a consideration, you should also look at the cost as part of the investment you need to make in order to improve the bottom-line.