Which customers do you most value? One business guru suggests the real path to marketing success is to limit the number of customers you target. You’re used to trying to provide value for them. Now perhaps it’s time for you to decide who gives the best value back.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Is your business in need of acceleration?
Is your business in need of acceleration? In this post, business expert Rieva Lesonky has a look at what accelerators can do for small business startup and growth. There are new trends emerging in the world of small business acceleration and some may prove helpful to your business.
New small business loans approved in minutes
SBA puts small biz lending into overdrive. It’s debatable whether small business lending should truly be the main priority when it comes to stimulating small business growth. But clearly, the U.S. Small Business Administration thinks so and is pushing through initiatives with less paperwork and red tape than usual to lend more money to the small business sector.
Launching a business with multiple partners
Launching a business with multiple partners. There may be many reasons for creating a business involving more than one owner including different levels of expertise, different contributions to the business etc. One thing is certain, however, says small business legal expert Jeff Fabian. A formal business agreement will be needed to decide upon the roles and status of each member in order to make your small business partnership a success.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
4 Great Places to Find Investment Without Having To Give Away Equity
Hey, if you really need money… There are other places to get it besides the SBA. There are, of course, legitimate reasons you might need some financing along the way as your small business grows. Just remember, though, there are many ways to get the cash you need WITHOUT a bank loan (and without giving away equity.) We know you’ve heard some of these before, but the post adds a bit of perspective you may find helpful.
Creating an Ideal Client Profile
Who is your ideal client? As suggested above, finding the ideal customer for your product your service can be the key to success in your marketing efforts and way to grow your business exponentially. But the key step, says business coach John Assaraf, is to figure out who those customers are first.
The Power Of Passive Investing
The Power Of Passive Investing: "Richard Ferri on his book and tips for investing."
You Can’t Control Your Brand, But a Strong Brand Identity Helps
Who’s in control of your brand message? Did you know that few businesses take the comprehensive approach to branding that they should? Maybe it’s because they never fully realize the role that creating a strong brand identity can play in shaping not only messages your company sends about itself, but the messages about your company, products or services that are completely beyond your control.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
How to Stop Talking Yourself out of Good Ideas...
Stop ignoring those good ideas. Some people may say that ideas aren’t the most important part of business, but truth be told most business start with one. This said, Scott has an inspiring video about trying not to ignore your best ideas and challenging you to find ways of making them happen. Ideas can be powerful. How can you make yours a reality?
Is Your Small Business at Risk for Cybercrime?
When paranoia is a good thing. Hey, but don’t get too festive. There are some increasing dangers for your small business too this holiday season, and they go way beyond choosing the wrong gift for Joan in accounting.
Pillars Of Investing
Pillars Of Investing: "Mike Koza explains his investing strategy and thoughts on China."
How to Influence People through Marketing
The art of influence. Marketing means influencing others and this in turn means getting their attention. But with all the information and messages bombarding us daily, how do you get yours to stick? Maybe the secret is not in your message at all. Maybe it has to do with the person for whom that message was intended. What are their thoughts, concerns or feelings? Do you know? You should.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
10 Things You Can Do in the Next 60 Days to Market Your Business
10 Things You Can Do in the Next 60 Days to Market Your Business Travis, the Marketing Professor, filled this one up with powerful solutions. Read it and grab at least a couple ideas to implement for your business as soon as possible. This article is a game changer.
How to Be a Greener Business for the Holidays
How to Be a Greener Business for the Holidays Are your gifts already wrapped and you missed the chance to go green? If that’s you, then check out these tips and plan ahead for next year. Besides, many of the go-green holiday tools that you need are on sale right now.
How Luxury Goods Affect the Brain And Drive More Purchases
The science behind luxury marketing. Use this information as you see fit if applicable in your business. A new study in neuromarketing suggests purchase of luxury items spurs…well, more purchase of luxury items. Are sales in this case a form of marketing? Yes, the research seems to suggest.
7 Ways to Clean Up Your Site for the New Year
7 Ways to Clean Up Your Site for the New Year You know you’ll be sleeping late on January 1, after that New Year’s Eve party. So, get your website ready now! This way, when you wake up for business on January the 2nd or so, you can relish your New Year’s tweaks, remove the holiday remnants and dive into the heart of your marketing strategy (because you have already taken care of your website housekeeping).
Monday, December 27, 2010
See The World On Your Boss' Dime
See The World On Your Boss' Dime: "Want to get paid to travel abroad? Learn a language, develop cultural skills, apply for a government job or just go."
Small Businesses Should Focus on Exports
Small Businesses Should Focus on Exports: "Although exporting is traditionally considered the domain of multinationals, Kathleen Brush says small and midsized companies have plenty to gain from selling overseas"
Financial Tips For Those Who Hate Investing
Financial Tips For Those Who Hate Investing: "Even if you don't like finance, there are a few key moves you should make."
Friday, December 24, 2010
It Passes the Mom Test
It Passes the Mom Test: "A former law student develops an online business that lets anyone -- even his tech-challenged mother -- create a website."
How To Make The Most Of The Job You're Stuck In
How To Make The Most Of The Job You're Stuck In: "Feeling trapped in your career? Use the next year to develop fresh skills to land something new."
The Right Way To Sell Yourself At Work
The Right Way To Sell Yourself At Work: "How to self-promote without sounding like a braggart."
Money From the Masses
Money From the Masses: "Crowdfunding sites let entrepreneurs leverage the power of peer persuasion."
Thursday, December 23, 2010
How To Stop Procrastinating
How To Stop Procrastinating: "Do you keep putting off things you should be getting behind you? Here's what to do about it."
How to Name Your Business
How to Name Your Business: "What's in a business name? Plenty. Follow this guide to choose a memorable name that will best represent your brand."
Pillars Of Investing
Pillars Of Investing: "Mike Koza explains his investing strategy and thoughts on China."
What Companies Get Wrong When Marketing to Minorities
What Companies Get Wrong When Marketing to Minorities: "Instead of using focus groups, conduct your own research. Then focus on a few well-connected individuals to get the word out, says DLB Group's CEO"
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Don't Rush To Recognize Capital Gains Or Losses
Don't Rush To Recognize Capital Gains Or Losses: "With two-year extension of Bush tax cuts, there's no need to sell solely for tax reasons."
Starting a Part-Time Vs. Full-Time Business
Starting a Part-Time Vs. Full-Time Business: "Here's what to consider when choosing the right path for your business."
How To Buy Life Insurance
How To Buy Life Insurance: "The right policy depends on your age and your family's needs."
Evaluate workers and reward performance, even in lean years
Keep evaluating and rewarding good performance.Hard economic times are NOT an excuse to stop looking for ways to reward your best employees. Nor is it a good reason to stop doing the evaluations upon which you make the decision of who you reward. Your employees can be your greatest asset. Fail to invest in them and you may see economic troubles descend upon you as well.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Social Entrepreneurship
What social entrepreneurship holds for us all.Once thought of as a purely an altruistic venture outside the realm of true business, social entrepreneurship may be growing up and coming into its own. For a look at past, present and future, one post will bring you up to speed.
Entrepreneurs Must Separate Ownership and Employment
The difference between ownership and employment. Do you know the difference between ownership and employment in your business? You should. How much would it cost to hire someone to do what you do? Is that the amount you’re making? Are you taking home something extra as the owner? Answer these questions and become a better entrepreneur.
Management Training: Overcoming the fear of failure
Facing up to the fear of failure. If you’re afraid of failure than moving your business forward and facing the uncertainties ahead becomes an unbearable task. Facing that fear involves the realization that your ultimate goal is to improve your business not to achieve perfection.
Why Your Business Needs a Big Idea
Turns out it is about ideas. You’ve heard before that small business and entrepreneurship isn’t just about the “i” word but about execution and the hard work and determination needed to see a product or service to completion. Maybe, but Carmine Gallo insists to survive and thrive, your company needs another “i” word, “inspiration.” And that takes us back to ideas.
Monday, December 20, 2010
How to Make Freemium Work For You
The secret of freemium. Aaron Levie’s company Box.net started giving away their software for free and saw an amazing 1,822 percent spike in sales over the next three years. It’s called freemium and is not a new idea. Give away a basic product and make your sales on features and services. If you haven’t figured out how to make this concept work for you, read on.
Create Loyalty By Sharing The Wealth
Creating new incentives for top performers.Retaining the best talent in your business has always been desirable especially for small business owners and entrepreneurs, but how best to do so has not always been clear. A new trend is a twist on the old idea of profit sharing but with more control for a business’s owner.
To create a successful business, simply find a need and fill it
To create a successful business, simply find a need and fill it. It’s a basic concept behind most successful startups, but how well we think outside the box to create really innovative solutions is what seperates successful from less successful business models. Here’s a profile of one business idea that certainly seems to fit the bill by addressing a problem in a very unique way.
How Entrepreneurs Can Fill the GAAP
Prepare to profit.What if every one’s advice on how to calculate a successful business’s financial health were wrong and the only right way was to do something everyone else thought was a mistake? Want to figure out how profitable your business really is? Well, first try deducting your profit. That’s right. Your profit.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Are your networking skills going global?
Are your networking skills going global? In this interesting post, business coach Elli St.George Godfrey looks at the differences between cultures when it comes to networking and how or if these differences may impact their marketability in an increasingly global world.
4 Cool Ways To Stay Motivated As An Entrepreneur
How entrepreneurs can stay motivated.Nigerian blogger Samuel Ayodele has some inspiring suggestions for those with an entrepreneurial spirit. How do you get motivated and stay motivated to make your dreams come true. How do you get motivated and stay motivated to change the world.
SMBs Warm Marketing Budgets Up to Social Media
SMBs Warm Marketing Budgets Up to Social Media: "
What do small business owners view as the most important promotion tool for their small business? Sorry, social networks. It’s not you–yet. According to a Fall survey from Constant Contact, small business owners look primarily to their website (93 percent) and e-mail marketing (92 percent) campaigns to get the word out about their businesses, with more than 90 percent of SMBs saying they use both. The news wasn’t all grim for social networks, however. Facebook took the third spot with 63 percent, while other social media like blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn came in at 33 percent, 31 percent and 29 percent, respectively.
Here’s a look at how the numbers panned out.
Co-Creation: The Key To The Best Innovation
Co-Creation: The Key To The Best Innovation: "It is how all corporate innovation must happen in the future."
To Encourage Small Business, Learn from Europe
To Encourage Small Business, Learn from Europe: "When it comes to taxes, regulations, and access to capital, European policymakers could teach us a thing or two, says Scott Shane
Where Aspiring Franchisees Wash the Toilets
Where Aspiring Franchisees Wash the Toilets: "Paul Damico of Moe's Southwest Grill explains why would-be franchisees must undergo a monthlong unpaid internship for 10 hours a day, six days a week
How Sustainability Fuels Design Innovation
How Sustainability Fuels Design Innovation: "The link between sustainability and innovation is commonly mentioned but not commonly made. Here, new-product design guru Steven Eppinger describes the practice that breeds discovery."
New small business loans approved in 'minutes'
New small business loans approved in 'minutes': "The Small Business Administration announced two new lending initiatives on Wednesday aimed at getting relatively modest loans to small businesses quickly."
How to Keep Your Password Safe on the Web
How to Keep Your Password Safe on the Web
Online security is something a lot of small business owners take for granted. They don’t pay much attention to the passwords they’re creating for their accounts and, in the end, wind up exposing themselves to potential hacks and identify theft. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Below are a few things small business owners can do to protect their passwords, and themselves, online.
Don’t use the same password for everything.
Use one password, customized for each site.
Use a password manager.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Whistle-Blowing Is The Best Way To Fight Corporate Fraud
Whistle-Blowing Is The Best Way To Fight Corporate Fraud: "Companies have proven incapable of policing themselves."
How To REALLY Alienate A Customer
A crash course in world class small business service. Seizing responsibility when something goes wrong is the best way to deliver world class customer service no matter how large or small your company might be. You may not think of a mistake as the best opportunity to display customer service. But responding incorrectly is the best way to fail in a big way.
Marketplace replaces chain locations with mom and pops
Marketplace replaces chain locations with mom and pops. What a great new trend transforming malls from a marketplace for chain stores to champions of small business. This trend is likely to increase the influence of small business in the retail sector. As big retail moves to the Web could a new opportunity for small business retail be created.
Google Wants to Help Your Business Go Global
Google will help you reach the world. There was a time when no business without offices around the world, a global staff and a gigantic marketing budget could ever be considered global. Now, that has changed. No matter who you are, what you sell, where you are or how large or small your business is, you can go global too.
Can you sell your brain on the Internet?
Can you sell your brain on the Internet? Yes, we know this sounds like some really weird eBay auction but what Matt Mansfield is actually talking about in this post is selling your expertise. Selling your expertise to clients is probably the one of the least expensive businesses to start. Overhead is low when you carry your product around in your head.
4 lessons in innovation
What can a submarine sandwich teach entrepreneurs about innovation? Small Business Trends executive editor Anita Campbell gives us four important lessons from the world of big sandwiches that will transform the way you run your business today.
Managing In The New World Of Gen Y
Managing In The New World Of Gen Y: "You've got to respect the demands of your youngest employees."
10 Trends That Could Change Your Business
10 Trends That Could Change Your Business: "From crowdsourced shopping to mancessories to new ways to get green: The 10 trends that will define opportunity next year."
It's never too early to teach your children the value of money
It's never too early to teach your children the value of money: "On his son's 14th birthday in October Brad Shyba gave his child a 10-ounce bar of silver."
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Best Holiday Gifts For The Boss
The Best Holiday Gifts For The Boss: "Keep it not too personal and not too expensive."
Resume don'ts: 'Team player' is one of them
Resume don'ts: 'Team player' is one of them: "When I applied for my first real job (as an articling student) I read articles on how to write the perfect resume. And in law, it was as one would expect - short, sweet and to the point.
Dealing with the office superstar
Dealing with the office superstar. You know the type. His or her performance is off the charts but he or she sport that “diva” attitude that’s demoralizing your team. Do you get rid of your office superstar and deal with a drop in performance or keep your dva and watch as the rest of your staff is adversely effected? Here’s one perspective on the dilema.
A non-techie guide to leveraging technology
A non-techie guide to leveraging technology. Not everyone can be up on all the latest gadgets, but being technology challenged doesn’t have to be a handicap when leveraging technology to grow your business. Don’t believe us? Then listen to the interview with Adrian Miller of Adrian Miller Sales on how this busy entrepreneur and non-techie uses technology to grow her business.
Guidance on Deducting Home Office Expenses
Home business tax deductions. One of the best reasons to operate your business from home is low overhead. And one of the best ways to improve on low operating costs is to claim tax deductions where they apply for your home business. One of the places this is particularly true is in the area of tax deductions for your home office.
The Need for Budgeting
Why your company really needs budgeting. If you think the budget your business currently works to maintain is pretty much just to see how much you made this year and how much you owe in taxes, you are definitely missing the boat as far as what a proper small business budget can do for you. Small business budgeting is about survival but it is also about growth. Brad Jones has more.
Landing small business contracts shouldn’t be a mystery
Landing small business contracts shouldn’t be a mystery. Government contracting can be a boon for small businesses if the product and price are right. And landing one need not be limited to larger or better connected businesses if you know what’s involved in gettingone. Want to learn more? Than study this post by Small Business Trends executive editor Anita Campbell and learn how government contracting can work for you.
Why some entrepreneurs fail and others succeed
Why some entrepreneurs fail and others succeed.This and nine other burning questions of the ages are answered in a series that may hold some surprises. Test your entrepreneurial knowledge with this series of questions and answers. You’ll grow your knowledge of entrepreneurship as you move forward and probably learn more about where you fit in to the equation as well.
In search of a business model
In search of a business model.Business schools do a great job of managing an already existing business model. But what about the skills used in the start up phase of a business (the entrepreneurial phase) to search for a repeatable and scalable business model from which a successful business can be built? A new class at Stanford will aim to enhance these skills as well. Stay tuned! Steve Blank
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Modern-Day Woman: How Entrepreneurship Is Saving Us From Ourselves
Entrepreneurship or salvation? Believe it or not, entrepreneurship, with all of its challenges and trials, can be a great relief to some. And especially to women entrepreneurs for which the latest age of entrepreneurship sees many coming into their own. What’s so special about building something of your own? Read Ashley Ambirge’s post for a whole new perspective.
Ten Top Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship
If you want to be an entrepreneur, remember these ten things. We know. We know. There’s more to starting your own company than a top 10 list, but the ideas here are a great place to start. Remember there are a couple of things all or most entrepreneurs have in common…and there’s plenty out there to learn. Here are some basics that come with the territory.
Could the economic downturn usher in a new kind of entrepreneurship?
Could the economic downturn usher in a new kind of entrepreneurship? Rod Schwartz sure hopes so. The downturn, argues Schwartz, ended a business trend that focused on maximizing profits only. Surely you don’t need to be a social entrepreneur to see the value of this perspective. Did you get into entrepreneurship only as a way to make huge amounts of money? Is this the best motivation for an entrepreneur? Certainly, ventures must be profitable, but is there another side to the equation?
Shady Landlord Schemes And How To Fight Back
Shady Landlord Schemes And How To Fight Back: "Don't fall prey to these nasty maneuvers."
How To Get Paid To Do Nothing
How To Get Paid To Do Nothing: "A Columbia Business School professor says organizations could be more productive if they understood these clever ways employees avoid work."
Borrowing from Avon and Dell to Sell Shirts
Borrowing from Avon and Dell to Sell Shirts: "Dallas shirtmaker J. Hilburn combines direct sales with custom tailoring, and reaches out to an untapped male market"
The Myths Behind Microfinance
The Myths Behind Microfinance: "Debate over the value of microfinance in the developing world appears to be long overdue."
Why Marketing Is Like Giving
Why Marketing Is Like Giving: "Advertisers can learn from how sincere people give presents, says Steve McKee. Businesses should start by limiting their sales efforts to customers and prospects they value most"
Monday, December 13, 2010
7 Reasons Why Social Landing Pages Increase Business
7 reasons why a social landing page is critical to your social media campaign. So, you’re using social media but do you have a social landing page? If you don’t know what this is, why it’s important or how to get one, you’ll need to check out the link above. Don’t neglect this basic idea when marketing to clients through your social media channels.
6 Business Uses for the iPad
Six business uses for the iPad.Check out this slide show with photos and summaries showing six ways businesses are using the iPad, including customer service applications. These innovative ideas for using the popular new device may get you thinking creatively about how best to put the iPad and other new tech trends to work for your small business.
Google PageRank Done
The changing face of Google PageRank? For a while now the basic rules governing Google PageRank have been a basic part of the system. The impact of keywords, inbound links etc. upon the ranking of a given blog or Website has thus been fairly well know. But one small business consultant thinks all of that may be changing…soon.
Manage your company's reputation
Managing reputation in the age of social media.Managing a companies reputation and by extension the reputation of its brand remains a critical part of marketing and PR but with an ever growing number of social media channels, the fact remains that protecting a brand requires careful monitoring, vigilance and an ability to embrace social media to create the right impression for your company and brand.
The Repercussions Of Not Responding Back To Someone Online
Do you respond? If not, be aware there may be a price to pay. The fact is that social media is social and when you behave in a less than social manner you are making a definite statement about your brand. Imagine if you never answered phone calls, or didn’t talk to someone when they came to your office to see you. Jason Kienbaum has some further thoughts on the repercussions of being unresponsive in social media.
Would your business ue Groupon
Would you use Groupon again?The online service provides small businesses of all kinds with the opportunity of offering local customers online coupons in the hopes of luring them into visiting your business. But how has it worked and how happy are its customers? Since a recent study indicates these online coupons may not be as popularity with businesses the second time around. The New York Times wants to hear what the small business community thinks. Participate at the link above.
Media On Twitter – Another Great Free PR Resource
Are you using social media for PR?If not, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Tools like Twitter offer a way to manage your business’s image quickly and easily with a minimum of effort and a series of new tools usable with the Twitter platform now offer the opportunity for even greater reach.
Number One Reason For Selling Your Business
What are the reasons for a business owner to sell? There may be a couple of reasons why owners may wish to sell their business, but according to business broker Scott Messinger, one stands out above all others. If you think he’s being overly simplistic, just take a look at his guest post and judge for yourself. Noobpreneur.com
A strategy for building content that works
A strategy for building content that works. If the key to great social media branding is creating content that suits your customer’s or viewer’s needs, than the system by which you develop that content is also important. Enter John Jantsch’s suggestions for creating a “content lead generation system” as an important step toward creating and sharing not just any content but the content that really matters.
Friday, December 10, 2010
How to use blogs to boost your brand
How to use blogs to boost your brand. As mentioned earlier, blogs can be a wonderful SEO tool, but the versatility of these awesome tools certainly doesn’t end there. Blogs can also be an important component of building a personal or business brand, something that at one time only large corporations were easily able to do. Want to start on the road toward developing a blog for your small business brand? Get started today!
Are you working on your business or just looking busy?
Are you working on your business or just looking busy? Many of the things start up entrepreneurs may think are important–liability insurance, LLC registration etc.–should wait until work is done on your core business. If you are launching an online store, for example, building the site, getting your domain name, products and hosting squared away should all come first. Tackle the most important jobs to get your business up and running first.
How to find your community
How to find your community. OK, it may seem really obvious, but, in order for social media to work effectively for your business or brand, you need to find the right community. Let’s face it. If you are posting and sharing content on a topic those following your network do not care about, you are essentially wasting your time. Here’s a better way to make sure you connect with the right audience instead.
Social media must be part of your marketing plan in 2011
Social media must be part of your marketing plan in 2011.If you’re still holding out on making social media channels a part of marketing your Website or Web presence, it’s high time to get involved. Scope out Ann Donnelly’s check list for online marketing and you’ll see an evaluation and implementation of social media is a critical part of both parts one and two of her 2011 marketing plan.
How To Make Being Your Own Boss Less Taxing
How To Make Being Your Own Boss Less Taxing: "The tax code offers numerous breaks for the newly (and the veteran) self-employed."
Resolve an Ownership Dispute in a Family Business
Resolve an Ownership Dispute in a Family Business: "To avoid disagreements among family members, experts suggest meeting regularly, putting agreements in writing, and bringing in an independent adviser"
Advice from the rich
Advice from the rich: "Lessons in the way millionaires make (and sometimes lose) their money"
Collaboration Is Key To Success
Collaboration Is Key To Success: "Why Yammer, Salesforce and CloudFlower are great tools for small businesses."
How To Deal With That Hole In Your Resume
How To Deal With That Hole In Your Resume: "Seven ways to handle a gap in employment when you're looking for work."
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The gardener’s guide to social media
The gardener’s guide to social media. How is creating a thriving social media community for your small business like planting a beautiful garden? We’re so glad you asked. And, as it happens, there are quite a few similarities. It’s time to dig in and get your hands dirty as you plant the seeds in anticipation for the flowering of your own social media presence.
10 tools to manage online presence
10 tools to manage online presence. Ryan Hanley, an insurance broker from Albany, is quick to point out he’s not a social media expert, but we think his list of tools for building brand online are really worth a look. As Ryan points out, there are tons of tools available to create your online presence and the key is to select the right ones for you.
What does your branding say about you?
What does your branding say about you? Your brand is important especially in terms of how it communicates to your target market or audience. Does your brand really say what you intend or are you unintentionally communicating a message that does not portray you in the best possible light. Urbane Technology Solutions.
Evaluate Your Suppliers for Sustainability
Evaluate Your Suppliers for Sustainability: "
Sustainability is about more than marketing and communicating, of course. It starts with your company’s values.
Today, an increasing number of businesses not only are adopting sustainable practices internally, but they take it a step further. They’re also demanding their suppliers be committed to sustainable and responsible business processes.
But if you’re going to demand that your suppliers adhere to sustainable business practices, just how do you assess their practices and commitment level?
(1) Ask – the obvious place to start is to ask your suppliers and prospective supplies about sustainability. Ask, “Do you have a sustainability program in your company?” or “What sustainability and environmental responsibility practices do you follow?” If you get a blank look or a verbal “duh?” you’ll know the answer to your question.
(2) Create a questionnaire or scorecard – Asking verbally during a sales presentation is all well and good. But you’re more likely going to be able to evaluate the level of commitment if you have a written questionnaire that you ask suppliers to fill out.
(3) Tailor your questionnaire to the size of your suppliers – Sustainability scorecards are hot right now, but most of the ones you find on the Web are designed by large multinational corporations for other large multinational corporations. It would be overkill, an exercise in frustration, and perhaps a deal killer to give the same questionnaire designed for a Fortune 500 company to a business with 3 employees. So while it makes sense to use examples of scorecards (see Proctor & Gamble’s scorecard) when you compose your own, adjust the questions to fit your supplier’s size. The Energy Star website has good information for small businesses that can serve as a guide for what to ask.
(4) Send your questionnaire out annually – The chairman of the Board of a company I worked for in my corporate career had a saying: “Inspect what you expect.” Those words could be applied to suppliers. It says a lot about your commitment to sustainability simply by asking about it, because it says you consider sustainability important. So ask suppliers to complete it annually.
(5) Collaborate and offer suggestions — View your suppliers as partners working with you to achieve joint success. If you see opportunities to improve practices, offer them as suggestions. For instance, if you see an opportunity for your supplier’s packaging to become more “green” for inventory that they deliver to you, then suggest it. And then offer to help — perhaps making an introduction to a new packaging company your supplier could use. This is particularly important for small suppliers. They may have the desire and willingness to be more green, but not have the internal resources to evaluate new packaging options.
Creating businesses that solve problems
Creating businesses that solve problems.This article looks at how small businesses the world over have grown by using conservation as their product or service. Green start ups are all the rage in the U.S. today,k but some lessons could be learned from these international start ups about how to find a niche in solving problems including scarcity of water or more abundant cleaner power.
How is social media like dating?
How is social media like dating? Oh, you might be surprised. In fact, it could be argued that the way most online relationships are formed is similar to the process of courtship leading up to and beyond marriage. If you want a really unique way of looking at the social media marketing process. Here are the basics.
Social Media: A Business Strategy that Accomplishes More Results!
Do you have a strategy for your social media branding? If so, what is it and how does it apply to targeting the audience and customers you’re after? Ann Evanston suggests an approach that builds networks, adds value, and creates your brand in the social media space. Ignore strategy at your own peril. Take a conscious look at how to use social media to build the brand you want.
An Alternative Financing Option for Start-ups
One alternative to small business loans. The lack of access to easy lending continues to be a challenge for many small businesses, but one innovative approach seems to be turning the whole concept of financing small businesses on its head. Try a royalty model where a share of revenue is used to pay back lenders. Read more about this unique approach and learn whether it may work for you.
How To Stay Motivated & Stress Free During The Holidays
How To Stay Motivated & Stress Free During The Holidays: "
1. Plan Ahead
2. Keep To Your Schedule
3. Create Rewards
4. Alter Expectations
5. Find Sources That Motivate You
1. Plan Ahead
2. Keep To Your Schedule
3. Create Rewards
4. Alter Expectations
5. Find Sources That Motivate You
Those are five things that help me to stay motivated and stress free during the busy holiday season. What works for you?
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Reviving a Stalled Patent Application
Reviving a Stalled Patent Application: "Getting a patent approved isn't easy. If you get stuck, lawyers suggest working with an intellectual property attorney with experience in your industry
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Multimillionaires Without High School Diplomas
Multimillionaires Without High School Diplomas: "For a talented few, the school of hard knocks offers a substantially higher return than time spent in the classroom."
The One-Paragraph Start-Up Plan
The One-Paragraph Start-Up Plan: "Use these five steps to write a practical business plan to launch a new company quickly."
Cultivating Innovation Globally
Cultivating Innovation Globally: "Ernst & Young's CEO on building an entrepreneurial culture inside a corporation"
How To Avoid Overspending At Christmas
How To Avoid Overspending At Christmas: "The best gift you can give your family is often sound finances for the new year."
Office Gift Giving: Proceed With Caution
Office Gift Giving: Proceed With Caution: "Sometimes the best gift is no gift at all."
Investing Books To Give This Holiday
Investing Books To Give This Holiday: "For under $20, you can help put a friend or family member on the path to financial success."
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Nine Tips For Tax-Smart Charitable Giving
Nine Tips For Tax-Smart Charitable Giving: "Keep good records, donate appreciated stock, and don't expect a tax deduction for volunteer work."
How Not To Behave At The Office Party
How Not To Behave At The Office Party: "After a long, difficult year, we all want to let our hair down. Don't do it at the office party."
How to Stay in Front of Your Referral Network
How to Stay in Front of Your Referral Network: "Online social networking is a great way to reconnect with your top contacts, and to make many more."
How To Stay Optimistic
How To Stay Optimistic: "Benjamin Franklin encouraged us all to ''keep in the sunlight.'' Here are a few tricks."
How to monetize your blog
How to monetize your blog. Small Business Trends founder Anita Campbell talks about how to create, grow and eventually monetize a Web business with WebProNews reporter Abby Prince Johnson. Amongst the most important steps? Don’t go overboard with your mix of monetization strategies. Understand you may not make much money at first. There is no such thing as overnight success.
Creativity! The Best Social Media-Marketing Secret Going Forward Into 2011
Regardless of strategy, creativity is the key.You can worry about when the time is right for any new direction but the key to any great innovation is to do something that sets your brand apart. In this post, Jason Kienbaum talks about creativity as the best ingredient for a social media campaign. Indeed, creativity is the next great step in any innovation in your business. What’s next? You decide.
When even blogging gets old
When even blogging gets old. If innovation is about doing something different and starting down a new path with your business, why shouldn’t that include abandoning even the latest trend when the time is right? In this post about quitting blogging we look at the possibility that even the latest strategies may be wrong for you if they just don’t advance your brand anymore. The best innovation? Find something that works.
P2P Lending: Invest in Entrepreneurship with a Microloan
Micro Investments: A new trend in the small business ecosystem?Just as VCs have been a big part of larger scale start up, P2P and micro loans may be a growing part of a new kind of small business investment not just in underdeveloped countries but in small businesses just around the corner. The new investment system promotes loaning on a new and smaller scale but what will it mean to the small business market as a whole?
Innovations in social media management
Innovations in social media management.Pierre DeBois takes a peak inside Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business, a new book by Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler about following up the social media revolution with a new discipline for managing employees who use it. How can you manage your employees to maximize the use of new social media tools. This book may present some answers.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Why can’t we treat our employees better?
Why can’t we treat our employees better?We know, of course, that a substantial part of our revenue is based on their commitment and effort. And yet at small businesses like restaurants, places where customer service matters the most, engagement with employees is low. This leads to low retention rates not a better product or service. Is there a better way?
5 Ways to Keep Your Legal Costs Under Control
Keeping a lid on your legal expenses. Oh, you may not want to think about it, but occasional legal issues will be part of the game when it comes to small business. Rest assured that in the fullness of time you will be calling a lawyer for something or other connected to your small business venture. But this doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank if you follow some simple guidelines about how to reasonable contain those legal costs.
Investing: the fear factor
Investing: the fear factor: "Anxiety is getting the better of savvy investors in the wake of the Great Recession
10 Easy Innovative Ideas to Implement In The New Year
Innovative ideas for the New Year. Hey, what are your plans? Don’t make a bunch of resolutions you are unable or have no intention to keep. Are you intending to make some big changes in your business? Good. Just be sure they are the right ones. Innovation can occur in small steps. Here are 10 to get you started.
Keeping an EBay Competitor Honest
Keeping an EBay Competitor Honest: "When another business rips off your listing on the auction site, here's what you can do
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14 Tips From the Pubcon Experts About Landing Page Optimization
14 Tips From the Pubcon Experts About Landing Page Optimization: "
I recently had the good fortune to attend a session on landing page optimization at the annual conference about search, social media, Internet marketing and website operation. I learned a lot, so I thought I’d share the 14 top takeaways from the session with Small Business Trends’ readers.
4 Ways to Get More From Your Google Place Page
4 Ways to Get More From Your Google Place Page
If you’re a small business owner, you can’t go anywhere on the Web without hearing about Google Places. Google is certainly making a hard push toward local with the back-to-back launches of Place Pages, Place Search, Google Hotpot and a seemingly never-ending list of local announcements. If you’re a small business owner, it’s not always an easy job to keep up. But it’s really important that you do. To help you find some of the signal in all the noise, here are four tips to help you optimize your Google Place Page to make sure that you’re found.
1. Claim your listing, completely.
2. Be smart about keywords.
3. Add images.
4. Start heavily encouraging reviews.
Run More Effective Meetings
Run More Effective Meetings: "By making basics clear and emphasizing clear communication, you and your employees will get more accomplished and cut the time you spend discussing what you need to do
How To Pick And Stick To Career Goals
How To Pick And Stick To Career Goals: "A medical school dean offers solid advice about getting ahead."
Friday, December 3, 2010
Gen Y Really Is Different
Gen Y Really Is Different: "Leadership and managing will never be the same again."
5 business killers
5 business killers: "How to stop doing everything that sucks the life out of your company so you can focus on growth instead
The Biggest CEO Screw-Ups Of 2010
The Biggest CEO Screw-Ups Of 2010: "Tony Hayward takes the prize--but he was hardly alone in the realm of dumb executive behavior."
Alternatives to big bank loaning. So you’ve decided you’ll need some funding to start that new business or to take an existing business to the next level. Understand first that a big bank loan is not your only option. Monica Mehta offers three other options you may want to consider.
5 Quick Tips for Boosting Your Small Business’s Holiday Retail Sales
Tips for boosting holiday small business sales. These are easy tips most small businesses can implement easily. These ideas for boosting holiday sales are something any small business could come up with on their own, but sometimes with the rush of the holiday season, we ignore the opportunity to take advantage of the one of the best sales boosting ideas available all year long.
How to Protect Trade Secrets, Customer Lists and other Confidential Information
Protecting your confidential stuff while doing business. In an economy driven by information and ideas, how do you protect yours if they are the essence of your business? In short, when information an innovative ideas are the basis for your business, how to protect these ideas from theft. Jeffrey Fabian offers some ideas in this guest post.
Four Growing Biz That Are Leading Paper-Less Solutions
Document management tips: it’s not just for big businesses. If you think your small business can’t benefit from efficient document management or that worrying about issues like document management is something only the big guys do, think again. Here’s an overview of how small businesses can use document management to enhance their business efforts along with some who are already using the technique effectively.
Early Adopters Distract You From the Real Market
Beware the early adopters. It’s telling that Marty Zwilling’s post begins with a photo of “Mr. Early Adopter” himself Robert Scoble. But wait. Aren’t early adopters supposed to be your target audience? Well, Marty has two major concerns about this approach. While niche marketing can be a good place to start, be sure your niche is big enough. It’s a critical distinction to be sure your business is not ignoring an even bigger market elsewhere.
Build A Website In Under An Hour
A quick guide to online small business presence. How quick? Try under an hour. Not just hype, this guide to the resources you need to put your business online or establish an online business quickly should not be underestimated. And it is useful to much more than simply the blog’s target audience. The post is full of awesome resources (with links to recommended sites) can takes much of the time and learning curve out of creating a Website for your business.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Beyond Paid Media: Marketing's New Vocabulary
Beyond Paid Media: Marketing's New Vocabulary: "Changes to the way consumers perceive and absorb marketing messages will force marketers to change not only their thinking but also the way they allocate spending and organize operations."
A marketing mistake that can drive you crazy
Know how to read your marketing results. Make sure to determine from the beginning how to read your marketing results. Figure out how to determine whether or not your marketing efforts are effective. When starting a new business, marketing must be a huge part of your consideration. Be sure early on how to determine whether your marketing is succeeding.
Two Basic Business Functions: Innovation and Marketing
Why the best product doesn’t always win. Ken Kauffman argues that if the innovation of your product isn’t enough to win customers away from your competitor, than it’s time to go back to the category above: marketing. An important thing to consider, however, is that good marketing should adequately communicate the innovation of your product. The question is, do customers really care? In the end, Ken’s most important advice is to solve the customer’s problem. That’s the innovation they want.
With a Microbusiness, You Can Skip the Investor
When your business needs no investors at all. On the other hand, Marty Zwilling gives us a birds-eye view of an emerging business type many of us are already aware of: the microbusiness. Owner operated, with five or fewer employees and a low, low startup cost, these businesses are for DIY entrepreneurs but on the plus side are contributing mightily to economy. No investors needed.
How to Avoid Doing Bad VC Deals
Best advice when seeking investors. It may seem a bit obvious to start a conversation about funding for your business with a caution that you should only ask for money when you absolutely need it. After all, who would approach investors seeking funds they didn’t really need to get their business up and running? But there-in lies the problem, as Tony Johnston explains.
Practical Business Planning – Create a Goal
One more look at comprehensive planning. And we do mean comprehensive. John Wheeler starts with a practical planning guide and then moves on to the value in having a plan and a list of business goals and income goals. We saved this link for last because it is some of the most detailed information we’ve seen recently on the Web about what’s needed.
How To Write A Winning Business Plan: 8 Tips
The perfect business plan is not always about format. To create a plan that will not only capture the interest of investors but also serve as a road map for your company, here are eight tips that should provide invaluable guidance when creating a successful venture and when helping it grow.
Why Startups Must Think Lean -- Or Else
Why Startups Must Think Lean -- Or Else: "Eric Ries says in a soft economy and Web-enabled world, the lean startup is a concept whose time has come."
Developing Personas for Better Social Media Marketing
Developing Personas for Better Social Media Marketing
Demystifying better social media marketing often starts with doing a better job of connecting with customers. But how can you connect with customers if you don’t know who they are?
Do you know who your customers are? Do you know what they search for and talk about on social networks? What influences them to buy or to recommend things to others?
To start, here are some considerations:
- What are your customers content preferences?
- How do they discover, consume & share content?
- What are they looking for on search engines and discussing on the social web?
The answers to questions like these can help marketers make important decisions about content marketing strategy, social media channels of focus and measurement via social monitoring and web analytics.
Developing a profile involves collecting data, aggregating and analyzing it into profiles and maintaining the personas based on ongoing measurement and analysis.
Starting point: Getting data to develop personas. Here are a few ideas on where to get the information from which you can aggregate profiles representing customer segments you’re trying to engage:
- Survey existing customers aka “Ask them”
- Web analytics & conversion data
- Social media listening tools
- Demographic info from Quantcast, Compete
- Keyword info SEMRush, Google
- Engagement info from PostRank
- Aggregate social network information from Flowtown, Rapleaf (assuming you have an email list)
The data you collect can be compiled and analyzed to reveal common characteristics for persona development. Then that persona can guide everything from the kind of content planned on landing pages, blogs and social media. It can also guide engagement via social channels.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Marketing Success Stories and Tips from Real Small Businesses, Courtesy of Yellowbook 360
Marketing Success Stories and Tips from Real Small Businesses, Courtesy of Yellowbook 360: "
As small business owners we are always looking for ways to maximize our business efforts. But I have discovered, like most of us, that the best investment is in the small business owner herself/himself. In that vein, learning from others is priceless.
Ten Things To Know Before Trading Futures
Ten Things To Know Before Trading Futures: "Increasingly, traders are looking for stock market alternatives. Many are turning to futures trading. Before you do the same, here's what you need to know."
How to Make Your Business Dream a Reality
How to Make Your Business Dream a Reality: "Coming up with ideas is easy. Executing on them is the hard part. These tips from Scott Belsky can help get you started."
The coffee shop hackers
The coffee shop hackers: "Going online in a public place is becoming increasingly risky
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How to Grow a Business Organically
How to Grow a Business Organically: "The founder of The Marketing Zen Group talks about giving customers what they wanted and scaling growth to meet demand."
What Does Real Social Media Success Look Like?
What Does Real Social Media Success Look Like?: "
As I’ve been able to travel and meet marketers all over the U.S. and in other countries, I am always interested in learning how companies are viewing the value of their social media efforts.
Marketing investments should be predicated by more than chasing the competition, satisfying someone’s ego or acting solely on a gut feeling. A good handle on goals, resources and target audience help determine strategy and tactics as well as how outcomes are measured. This is the case with even the most fundamental of marketing programs. With that kind of basic framework, implementing and measuring value from social media shouldn’t be that different.
Because so much actual marketing is tactical, many companies see social media simply as another of those tactics and evaluate one-off promotional efforts for ROI without considering the bigger picture. It’s very much a situation of not seeing the forest for the trees.
Instead of the simple math of calculating cost per views, comments, Tweets, Likes, links, visits, mentions etc, I think there are some important questions to consider:
- What was the business goal for the video?
- Did the video reach influencers of customers?
- Did the video reach customers?
- Did the video influence behaviors that could result in business outcomes?
- How does the video fit within other social media communications?
- Will there be more than just one video?
How to Test Your Business Idea
How to Test Your Business Idea: "Four ways to prove there's a market for your product."
Are You Ready to Launch?
Are You Ready to Launch?: "Three key questions to ask yourself before you start your own business"
Home is where the money is for 'MOMpreneurs'
Home is where the money is for 'MOMpreneurs': "One of the best things about Julie Kelly's job has only a little to do with the job itself. In between, that's where she really gets down to business."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Young Entrepreneur's Generation Gap Challenge
The Young Entrepreneur's Generation Gap Challenge: "Here are three tips that will serve you well when dealing with an age bully."
The Startup Visa: a Boost for Small Business?
The Startup Visa: a Boost for Small Business?: "Proposed legislation could make it easier for entrepreneurs from other countries to start their businesses in the U.S."
Turn Leadership Boundaries Into Frontiers
Turn Leadership Boundaries Into Frontiers: "Frontiers are where all innovation happens, so you've got to open the way to them in your organization."
5 Tips for Working With Outsourced Designers
5 Tips for Working With Outsourced Designers: "
Your small business relies on a professional and consistent look and feel. But how do you achieve this when you don’t have the resources to have an in-house marketing design team? Print design, Web design and advertising copy – all of this can be quite complicated. Outsourced designers are a great way to bring in design expertise when you need it… but managing creative professionals has its own set of unique challenges...
Selling To Many Cultures--Within The U.S.
Selling To Many Cultures--Within The U.S.: "Too many companies fail to effectively target growing ethnic and immigrant markets within the U.S."
Matt Mickiewicz: How I Started 99designs
Matt Mickiewicz: How I Started 99designs: "The 27-year-old entrepreneur discusses trusting his instincts, scaling growth online and driving revenue with user feedback."
The Two Worst Pitching Mistakes
The Two Worst Pitching Mistakes: "Understanding the medium and the context is key to making a compelling pitch."
Selling Equity: A High-Stakes Game
Selling Equity: A High-Stakes Game: "Sidestepping the traps of equity fund-raising"
Small Business News: The Best Laid Plans
Small Business News: The Best Laid Plans: "
Successful small businesses are based, in part, on good planning whether this involves a formal business plan, good financial planning, marketing plan, whatever. Never fail to adequately plan where your business is headed, no matter how formal that plan may be. The type of plan is less important than having the right plan in place for your business...
Monday, November 29, 2010
How To Survive A Demotion
How To Survive A Demotion: "Stay put, adjust your attitude, set new goals, and network from within."
Hire your own overseas worker
Hire your own overseas worker: "I have always had trouble delegating. Even as a manager in corporate America, I had a tendency to do all my work myself -- everything from scheduling meetings, to reserving conference rooms, to ordering lunch for guests and sending faxes. I was convinced I was the best person to complete these tasks."
How to Identify and Reach Underserved Markets
How to Identify and Reach Underserved Markets: "So, you think you have all your online marketing bases covered? Sure, you may be reaching moms over 40 with your super smoothie maker ad and men between 30 and 60 with your online golf resale marketplace offer, but reaching potential customers online should be more than simply broadcasting ads to..."
The Voices of Venture Capital
The Voices of Venture Capital: "If your business plan is to start fast, grow big and sell or go public, then venture capital might be the way to fund that plan. In addition to an infusion of capital, you usually get access to the brain trust and contacts at the VC firm, providing experience and leverage for your fledgling enter..."
Are You Giving Your Web Customers What They Need?
Are You Giving Your Web Customers What They Need?: "How do your customers use the web? It's a simple question, but a question many small-business owners forget to discuss when working on their website. Frequently, small businesses get focused on their own technology and not the tools of their customers. From iPads and smartphones to oversized..."
How to Practice Safe Online Banking
How to Practice Safe Online Banking: "Online banking is a double-edged sword for small businesses: It's easy and convenient, and yet it makes them vulnerable targets for cybercriminals. There are a lot of small businesses out there, and they don't all have the big budgets for IT resources or a large staff."
Let Testimonials Do the Talking for You
Let Testimonials Do the Talking for You: "Increasingly,consumers are searching for reviews before they commit their dollars to buying products, booking services or donating to a charity. They want to read a positive review or comment, expressed in your customers' own words."
Hire Now, Save Later
Hire Now, Save Later: "The cautious whispers about economic recovery keep coming, and if your business is starting to pick up, you may be thinking about adding to your staff. The timing could not be better. In March, President Obama signed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act into law. This new law offers..."
Firm that sells home security systems started with a domain name
Firm that sells home security systems started with a domain name: "More than a decade ago, MicroStrategy acquired the domain name www.alarm.com because it saw potential in such a short, pithy piece of Internet real estate. But the software maker, based in Tysons Corner, did not know what it wanted to do with the name."
Friday, November 26, 2010
Is Your Business Killing You?
Is Your Business Killing You?: "A sudden feeling of nausea, shortness of breath and massive head pain had me leaping from my theater seat and rushing to the restroom. The producer, a good friend, had invited me to sit in on a rehearsal to provide feedback. The outing ended when I suffered a minor stroke--and started a journey that..."
I started a business in paradise!
I started a business in paradise!: "From an event planner in Puerto Vallarta to the owner of a white-water rafting firm in the Colorado mountains, these folks launched businesses in their dream destinations."
10 Ways to Deny the Recession
10 Ways to Deny the Recession: "I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said 'Refuse to Participate in the Recession.' I have no idea if that driver had a job or was looking for one, but he was obviously electing to make the most of the challenges he faced."
10 Things Customers Want on a Website
10 Things Customers Want on a Website: "By Monte Enbysk So you want your website to make you look big. More power to you."
Inside the mind of America's suit guy
Inside the mind of America's suit guy: "I never considered the clothing business in college. But my father was a manufacturer of men's wear in the Northeast and wanted to investigate manufacturing in Asia. In 1972 he sent me to Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for four months. I'm convinced it was his way of getting me into business, rather than letting me be a hippie."
China's 5 best new cities for business
China's 5 best new cities for business: "Want to start a venture in China? Here are the five places Chinese managers think have the most potential.
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How I raised $24,000 on Kickstarter
How I raised $24,000 on Kickstarter: "Andrew Plotkin is a programmer and game developer whose works include So Far, Spider and Web and The Dreamhold.
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Are you in one of the top jobs for 2011?
Are you in one of the top jobs for 2011?: "If you're just entering the job market in 2011 -- or are hoping to retrain for a new job -- an international staffing services firm has some guidance on what sectors might be looking to hire.
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Interest in learning about wine turned her into the Wine Coach
Interest in learning about wine turned her into the Wine Coach: "On her cross-country travels as a software saleswoman, Laurie Forster often froze whenever she had to confront a long list of fancy wines at business dinners with clients. Her knowledge of ordering drinks largely had been confined to her beverage of choice -- a glass of Yuengling Lager, which..."
Thursday, November 25, 2010
WePay is the anti-PayPal
WePay is the anti-PayPal: "Look out, PayPal. Two young entrepreneurs are gunning for you."
How debt led to sales of $1 million
How debt led to sales of $1 million: "For 12 years, Andrea Herrera played it safe and stayed out of debt."
Best Practices for Landing Impact Investment
Best Practices for Landing Impact Investment: "Stephanie Bernstein calls herself an accidental entrepreneur. Even with years of experience working in sales and education in the natural products market, the founder of To-Go Ware confesses she struggled with one of the most basic and necessary pieces of the startup equation: the search for...
Is Your Money Mindset Crippling Your Company?
Is Your Money Mindset Crippling Your Company?: "The latest statistics from the Small Business Administration show that new businesses have a 50 percent chance of surviving five years or more. While this dispels some longstanding beliefs that 95 percent of businesses fail within five years, the odds of success are still a coin toss."
What It Takes: Desire to help others guided successful career change
What It Takes: Desire to help others guided successful career change: "Toni Reinhart was working as an information technology manager 10 years ago when she decided she wanted to shift to a career that would give her the opportunity to help others. She was researching businesses to open when she came upon a Web site for a national agency that provides in-home health..."
9 ways your money is going sci-fi
9 ways your money is going sci-fi: "At Finovate two dozen companies vied to be the next big thing in personal finance. From pay-by-smartphone to smarter banking, here's what was new and cool.
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Keep Your Credit Clean
Keep Your Credit Clean: "When it comes to managing your money, three little digits wield tremendous power over your future--and as with your cholesterol and your weight, you ignore them at your peril."
Accounting tools for a growing business
Accounting tools for a growing business: "Question: I recently purchased a small medical supply business. The business is both a retail store and a business-to-business distributor; we are also planning to add e-commerce.
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Where entrepreneurs need nerves of steel
Where entrepreneurs need nerves of steel: "For Glenn Oliver , it took a certain amount of faith in the unseen to launch a business in Detroit, the poorest major city in America. Oliver is a lawyer, not a businessman, whose experience included clerking for a Michigan Supreme Court justice and approving utility contracts. But an entrepreneurial streak that runs in his family emerged when Oliver began to ponder the potential of a resource the Great Lake State has in abundance: water. Rising demand has spurred a global boom in water-supply projects. So why not create a marketplace for all the new business, where contractors and suppliers can bid on projects around the world? The result of Oliver's inspiration is a website he spent nine months building, H2bid.com, which charges $450 a year for a membership and bills itself as the 'largest clearinghouse' for water contracts. Oliver's venture isn't profitable yet, but he's confident that his startup will help the battered city. 'Entrepreneurship,' he notes, 'is the largest creator of wealth.'
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Owning Emerging Markets The Smart Way
Owning Emerging Markets The Smart Way: "Buy U.S. stocks that do big business abroad."
How To Use A Financial Adviser
How To Use A Financial Adviser: "Yes, financial advisers do dump clients."
Create Loyalty By Sharing The Wealth
Create Loyalty By Sharing The Wealth: "Keeping talented employees happy doesn't have to be financially excruciating. Try this strategy."
Marketing Content During the Customer Lifecycle
Marketing Content During the Customer Lifecycle
Here are a few types of content and methods of communication to consider:
Awareness:
- Public Relations
- Advertising
- Word of Mouth
- Social Media
Consideration:
- Search Marketing
- Advertising
- Social Media
- Webinars
- Product/Service Reviews
- Blogs
- Direct Response
Purchase:
- Website
- Social Commerce
Service:
- Social Media (ASB Virtual Branch is a great example)
- Social CRM
- Online Messaging (LivePerson)
- Search – After the sale queries on FAQ, Knowledge-base content
Loyalty:
- Email Newsletter
- Webinars
- Blog
- Social Network, Forum – community
How To Give Difficult Feedback
How To Give Difficult Feedback: "An expert who has studied the matter for decades says you must make it timely, direct and focused on behavior."
Tracking Your Health Bills Online
Tracking Your Health Bills Online: "A guide to services that offer Web-based health records."
Now Is The Time To Gift Assets To Heirs
Now Is The Time To Gift Assets To Heirs: "Low gift tax rates and weak asset values make 2010 an ideal time to transfer real estate and family businesses."
5 Ways to Win More Business with Google Places
5 Ways to Win More Business with Google Places: "
With the rise of smart phone use in the US, (Google Android and iPhone are currently reporting roughly 500,000 activations a day ) it’s more important than ever to have your Google places listing up to speed because when people use voice search on Android phones, the first results they see are from Google local.
Why do we trust certain people instantly?
Why do we trust certain people instantly?: "It comes down to five elements, what he calls the SPICE model."
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
How To Avoid Becoming The Next Genzyme, Toyota Or BP
How To Avoid Becoming The Next Genzyme, Toyota Or BP: "You must learn to see crises coming and prevent them."
Three Big Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make In A Recession
Three Big Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make In A Recession: "My company stayed alive by avoiding them all."
How To Communicate Better At Work
How To Communicate Better At Work: "Start with a headline, keep it short and cut the bull."
Monday, November 22, 2010
Seven Auto Insurance Buying Tips
Seven Auto Insurance Buying Tips: "Seven smart tips for buying car insurance."
Should You Move Your Company Into The Cloud?
Should You Move Your Company Into The Cloud?: "Five criteria to consider."
How To Do Estate Planning On The Cheap
How To Do Estate Planning On The Cheap: "You could use software to write your own will, but here's a safer alternative."
10 Ways To Let People Down Easy
10 Ways To Let People Down Easy: "Thoughtful scripts for uncomfortable occasions."
Google opens online boutique for stylish women
Google opens online boutique for stylish women: "Google sauntered into the world of haute couture on Wednesday with the launch of boutiques.com, an online shop that matches hot fashions to women's tastes.
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Facebook’s best friend
Facebook’s best friend: "Sheryl Sandberg has bold plans to transform the social networking site into an advertising juggernaut
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Asset Allocation For Your Whole Life
Asset Allocation For Your Whole Life: "When planning investments, consider your entire life."
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Value of Storytelling & Persuasion in Content Marketing
The Value of Storytelling & Persuasion in Content Marketing: "
In every marketplace, when something new like technology comes along that requires a change in behavior, there’s a fairly predictable range of responses.
Overloading the Internet
Overloading the Internet: "10 per cent of all Internet users in Canada had visited Netflix
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Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
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