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Small Business Success: Thriving During Change (And Landing On Your Feet!)

If I had $1.00 every time I heard someone say " I don't like change or, change makes me uncomfortable" I'd be a millionaire. Some people thrive on change ? they love it and even create more of it. Others view change with anxiety and resistance. So often, we don't associate potential, excitement and wonder with change. Instead, we react to it; we try to control it; we create situations and problems to avoid dealing with it. We experience change daily in many forms ? the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the conversations we have, traffic patterns, the... Read More

Small Business Marketing Secrets: Look Like Sizzle, Be The Steak

You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." Advertising initiatives best reach their target audience with benefits and the "wow" effect, not the value or features of their product or service. This may work well to get customers in the door. But once they're in, you better have some substance. How can you ensure you uphold the integrity of your business and still maintain the "Wow Effect"? It just takes well executed strategic steps for business AND personal development:1. It's Already DoneAct like the goals you are working so diligently to achieve have already been... Read More

6 Ways Small Businesses Can Survive In A Crazy Economy

Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy economy by taking some proactive steps. Provide spectacular customer service -- every time. Have a friend or colleague visit your business and provide feedback from a customer's perspective. This person should be unknown by your staff and willing to provide a candid assessment. Make sure your front and back office work like a well-oiled machine. Are the front line and the back office telling your customers the same thing? Manage your customer relationships -- return customers take the least amount of effort -- use that to your advantage. Keep in... Read More

Local Search and Internet Yellow Pages - A Whole NewVocabulary for Small Businesss

Buyers want both online and local information about where to buy Most small businesses are local in nature, serving people who live nearby. Their customers found them through traditional methods like the Yellow Pages or newspaper ads. So far, the Internet hasn't figured prominently in their marketing efforts. That's about to change, as Local Search methods become more widespread. Even for buyers expecting to spend their money close to home, more and more of them go to the Internet to locate desired products and services. They rely on search engines to find suitable vendors in the fastest, easiest way. Local... Read More

Why Do Most Online Small Businesses Fail?

Search Engines account for almost 90% of all web traffic!In the Offline world its all about "location, location, location."Put your business were people crowd around and your set. Have your products ready and benefit the rewards.Online, small businesses fail to act on the fact that the fundamental reality of how people use the Web is totally different. No one "passes by".People are searching for information that you know.To build an Online Business, give them the answere...Yes, Start where they start...Build Content. Turn your knowledge into revenue.The biggest mistake people make in life is not making a living at doing what... Read More

Three Big Barriers To Small Business Marketing Success

When you feel like you're always busy working on your business, but not getting where you want to go, it can be frustrating trying to figure out how to get your marketing on track. It can easily become a "not seeing the forest for the trees" feeling.Here are three big barriers I regularly come across with business owners and how you can avoid them.1. No Clear Definition Of SuccessFor some, the word Success brings thoughts of fame and fortune to mind. But for small businesses, I'd caution against this definition being your guiding light. When clarifying your own definition of... Read More

Women and Small Business

In the book Women and Small Business author gives all the guidelines and tools need to start, operate and succeed in a business of their own. In the mentioned book she tried in the fist part to explain how has changed the role of women in the world along centuries. In the second part she researched all neccesary abbilities of women who like to start up their own business,make differences among women and men owners and gave advices to them.Additionaly, she made some very important questions which need answers for all prospective owners,as following:What is my reason for starting a... Read More

Organizing Tips for Small Business Success

If you discovered the bottom line in your business depended on the organization in your office, your reaction could range from complete composure to sheer terror. Organization certainly has an effect on your bottom line ? and just as significantly ? on your peace of mind. For the small business or home office professional, effective organizing can mean the difference between business failure and success. For the 11.1 million workers who have their offices at home, organization skills can have a significant impact on their personal lives as well.At no time in history has there been a greater need for... Read More

Small Business Marketing: Specialize or Generalize?

There have been many great points raised on both sides of this discussion. In order to make a final decision, we must look at how the business world is moving and at the purchasing patterns of the consumers who will be utilizing your services.The Internet has changed the way people look for services (personal and professional). For example: · If you do a search in Yahoo for a Personal Coach you will get 1.4 million matches. · If you refine your search to Personal Life Coach you will get 760,000 matches. · If you refine your search to Personal Career... Read More

Small Business Survival Tips

No matter what kind of small business you have, you need read these "small business survival tips" which will help you to succeed. You may be in Internet business, traditional business, or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees; whichever, however or whatever--you've got to know how to keep your business alive during economic recessions. Anytime the cash flow in a business, large or small, starts to tighten up, the money management of that business has to be run as a "tight ship." Some of the things you can and should do include protecting yourself from... Read More

Dig Deep for Small Business Ideas Before You Start the Wrong Business

If you're serious about wanting to start a business, the first thing you want to do is take the time to understand what really makes you tick. Where do you get your drive? What gets you in a "zone?"However, there's a lot more to figuring out the BEST business idea that will make you more money and give you more freedom to enjoy more success in your life.And success to you may be different than success to someone else. It may not be all about money at all. It may not be about finding something you are completely passionate about.... Read More

How Small Business And Nonprofits Can Afford Multimedia For The Web

Multimedia is everywhere on the Internet, whether in the form of floating ads at major websites, streaming video or animated presentations. Of course, there is a good reason why multimedia has become such an integral part of the web experience: it's an effective tool for capturing attention or provoking visitors to buy or contact the site owner. For these reasons, many educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations desire multimedia presentations. Unfortunately, at first glance multimedia, often appears prohibitively expensive for small businesses and non-profits. The following represent a number of ways to control the high cost that typically accompanies multimedia... Read More

Your Ideal Client ? A Key Concept for Solo and Small Business Marketing

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."--Bill CosbyHave you ever had clients that were more trouble than they were worth? Maybe they were always late to pay, or didn't do what they said they'd do. Maybe you just had a personality clash, or they expected more than you were able to offer. Whatever the situation, chances are you had an inkling when you first met that client...a tiny voice that you didn't listen to, that was probably overshadowed by the bigger voice that said, "Hey, it's business; I'll take it!"Drawing... Read More

The Inside-Out Business Plan? -- Your Small Business Plan in 10 Easy Questions

Writing a business plan for your Solo Entrepreneur business doesn't have to be a daunting project. If you can answer 10 straightforward questions about your business, you can be ready to go.The key to success is to answer all of the questions in enough depth that if a friend asked you to invest in this business, you'd say yes. Most importantly, make sure you record your business plan somehow...whether you write it by hand, type it into your computer, or put it on stickie notes on your wall. Keep it someplace handy where you can refer to it when you... Read More

How Your Habits Control Your Small Business Success

Habit: A consistent behavior you perform so frequently that it is automatic. For example, if you learned to drive a car with a standard transmission, the first few lessons were pretty jerky while you learned to synchronize the clutch with the accelerator pedal. If you released the clutch too fast, the car would stall. If you pressed the accelerator too fast without releasing the clutch, you raced the engine ­ but you and the car were still sitting there! However, with practice, practice, and more practice, you learned to synchronize control of the clutch with control of the accelerator so... Read More

Avoiding the Small Business Cash Flow Roller Coaster

A solopreneur I know disappears from my radar screen for weeks on end when she's actively engaged on a project for a client. During this time she is heads down, totally focused, and immersed in delivering her service to her current client. She works long hours each week, sacrificing her personal life, relationships, and self-care to meet her commitments to her client.Laudable, but a destructive way to run her business.After working all hours of the day and night to complete her project, she'll hand in the final deliverables and suddenly find she doesn't have another client lined up. Then she... Read More

Operating Your Small Business ? Everything Really Is a Project

Do you operate your business as a series of projects, using project management tools and skills to advance your projects from conception to completion? Or perhaps you're new to project management tools and skills and haven't considered applying them to your own business? Most of us fall somewhere in between.Running a productive and efficient business, whether for one person or for 500, is a series of projects of various sizes and complexity.For example, here are some projects a typical solopreneur may have:-- Creating/upgrading your business identity (logo, stationery, biz cards, etc)-- Creating/upgrading your web site-- Setting up or upgrading your... Read More

5 Small Business Management Questions to Help Choose Marketing Programs

As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a quest for success. To an extent, when we focus on success in one area we forego attention elsewhere. Limited money and time mean we must choose from seemingly endless -- and often conflicting -- advice and recommendations from marketing service providers; management and marketing consultants; and internal experts. This creates a dilemma. How do you choose which recommendations to embrace and which to pass by?Consultants, marketing service providers, and/or other departments within your company will eagerly give advice from their viewpoints. You will hear the benefits of focusing on "___"... Read More

7 Cash Flow Secrets Your Accountant Never Told You

Looking for ways to boost your cash flow? As a small business consultant, I make these recommendations to my cash strapped small business clients:1. Shoeboxes are for shoes, not business records.Pardon my candor but, you will never have a successful business if you don't systematically track your income and expenses, who owes you money, and who you owe money to. This is absolutely crucial. You don't have to have a big expensive computerized system, although a computer program like QuickBooks certainly does a beautiful job. You can keep track of everything with a pencil and paper if you like. But,... Read More

Build Your Small Business by Building Relationships

-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --People do business with people that they know and trust. As a solo entrepreneur, your goals will be to make yourself known to your target market and then elevate the relationship to the trust level. This process of building relationships can take many forms. Take a few minutes to review what is working for you in this area. Then consider these ideas to add to your relationship building toolkit.30 Second IntroductionHave you upgraded your 30 second introduction lately? If you haven't revised it in the past year chances are the impact may be stale.... Read More