Archive of "Small Business" Category
February 23, 2010
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Today’s economy is hitting small businesses hard. It’s dog eat dog out there and if you want to survive, your business has to stand out. Taking into consideration cutting overhead, laying off employees, doing more work yourself and the pressures of everyday life, you may be thinking that it’s easier to close up shop. Wrong. There are people still spending money out there, you just have to get noticed so they are spending it with you.
Set Goals
I don’t know how many times I’ve read or heard the phrase “set goals for yourself”. Most people shrug it off, but if you are going to run a business you can’t afford to. One of the most important things you will do is set goals for your business. Start simple, goal number one should be your start date. Sounds easy and it may be, but keep setting goals and they will get harder and harder to reach, the satisfaction and profits will be well worth the effort.
A System
One major thing small business owners forget to do or get so busy they forget they did it, is implement a system. Many small business owners, even big business owners don’t have a business or accounting degree. What they have is determination and that’s great, but if that determination doesn’t have a goal or a road to follow on the pursuit of that goal, then it’s wasted. Get a system in place, stick to it and keep track of what you’ve accomplished. If you’ve set the goals this is the map of how to reach them.
Partner with a non-profit
Locate a local non profit in your area, for example find your local Breast Cancer awareness group and ask what kind of events they have going on in your area. Depending on your business you could increase sales by offering up a pledge for certain items sold, this not only raises money for the cause it also gets more people through the door. It’s never a bad thing to be socially conscious or donate to a cause.
Press Releases
Send a press release to your local newspaper about special events, business news or anything exciting you have planned. Starting with a grand opening or even a re-grand opening, don’t stop there, keep going with employees of the month, anniversaries, sales or new products. Your community won’t know what you’re up to unless you tell them.
Website
The internet has put small businesses on the map, saved many from ruin and it can help you too. Create a dynamic and informative website, put your products online, hit the free advertising sites and springboard into the world wide web. Get on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and the dozens more networking sites out there. With the potential to reach millions versus hundreds, creating a website is a no-brainer.
Posted in
Clients, Marketing, Small Business
November 9, 2009
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Is your in box a nightmare? Do you have a desk full of papers? What about a to do list that is longer than your arm? Well you are not alone. Managing your own business, clients, home and a life can be tough when you have too much work bogging you down. Make the time now to save time later by using these simple steps to tame the anarchy:
*Take 15 minutes a day to wade through your desk
Yes, just 15 minutes a day can make a big difference. Throw away unimportant papers; put away manuals or books you are not using, file bills and other important documents. Binders and cabinets are an organizers best friend. Put important loose papers in a binder for safe keeping and put notebooks and books in cabinets so they are out of the way and off your desk.
*Keep a disciplined email system
An entrepreneur’s email can get up to a hundred emails a day or more! Who has time for that? Start bulking down by unsubscribing all that “junk” that you just thought you would read but has been sitting in your inbox for 2 months. Color code clients and make separate folders to put “to do’s” in. Try out an email management program like Outlook or Windows Mail to keep your emails in check. Using a Virtual Assistant to manage your daily in box is easy and can save you hours!
*Return calls in batches. Leave specific messages and the time you called if the person you’re trying to reach isn’t available.
*Have a master to-do list for each day at your desk. As simple and as obvious as it sounds, just by doing this you will be able to focus on exactly what the priorites are for the day. It also helps to give a sense of accomplishment, nothing feels better than crossing off one of those tasks!
So in the morning before you do anything else, spend 15 minutes today and get to work. I also recommend also a great book called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity by David Allen that is a great resource for your office. Now get started!
Posted in
Resources, Small Business
September 28, 2009
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Are you missing out on one of the best marketing tools out there because you think it’s going to be hard to set up? It couldn’t be easier to set up and send out an email newsletter campaign. Here are some tips on getting your message out there and getting readers to come back. Exposure to your target audience helps to establish your brand and increase sales.
Have a Great Format
Making your newsletter look good is easy today with the different programs that are out there to help you build and send out your newsletter. With programs such as iContact, Aweber, 1 Shopping Cart and Constant Contact it couldn’t be easier.
Create Readable Content
We’ve all done it, you sign up for a newsletter and then inevitably you read it once and then either unsubscribe from the newsletter or you just delete as soon as you receive it. To make sure that you keep readers and grow your list make sure your write about what your target audience is interested in, make sure it’s fun and informational and make it personable so that readers can connect with you and your brand.
Leave Your Calling Card
At the bottom of each article make sure that you offer readers a short biography, your website address and all contact information. This way you can make sure that if they like your stuff they can contact you.
Let Readers Be Heard
Make sure you let your readers let you know what they think. Making sure that your readers know that they are valued for their opinion is a great way to keep loyal followers.
Offer The Reader Something
Leave the reader with something, a coupon, a discount or a promotion. No matter how small the offer, you will be surprised how many readers will save your email and actually use it! You can also track how well certain coupons an promotions do and improve or change future newsletters.
If you aren’t doing a newsletter and would like too but too busy, you can always turn to a virtual assistant to set up, maintain and even write them for you. So what are you waiting for?
Posted in
Marketing, Small Business
August 5, 2009
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It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over! How did you manage work and home life with the kids out of school this summer? With school starting soon there will be more challenges when it comes to balancing the time you spend on your business and school activities. While there is no magic wand that can make things run smoothly for everyone, there are a few tips you can follow to try to keep your sanity!
Keep a Calendar
You are probably implementing this in your business but how about for your life outside of work? Have 4 different people going in four different directions can be confusing so keep track of activities with a calendar. Try using different color pens for different people so you can just take a quick glance to see what you’re looking for.
Make Lists
A calendar can keep track of your kids but who keeps track of the “to do’s”? A list is a great way to keep way to make sure that everything gets done, purchased, completed, or dropped off. You can use a small pocket sized notebook or your PDA. Whatever you choose make sure it works for you.
Keep Work Time-Work Time
When you work from home it is already a challenge to separate your business from your family because there is no “daily commute” and “working late” probably means you fire up your computer after dinner (don’t get me wrong these are great things) but when there are little ones lurking around all the time it’s probably seems more like Chucky Cheese than My Business, Inc. Structure your day so that when you are at work you are working and when you’re at home you are at home, not both jumbled together.
Hopefully using these little tips will help your family and business run smoother and let you enjoy it to it’s fullest.
Posted in
Small Business
June 29, 2009
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Is your company looking for a way to find out what your customers are interested in? Do you have an idea for a new product but not sure many people would be interested in it? Then a survey may be the best way to find out. Here are a couple things you may need to know when shopping for survey software and setting up your message.
These are just some of the survey software options out there. Make sure you do your own search to find the right one for your company. Most sites have a features page or video demo that you can use to see available services and how easy the software is to use.
Survey Monkey. Their site is not only easy to use but it is easily customizable too. You can add your own logo and specify what type of responses can be given for each question. Once your survey has been sent out and replied to by candidates you can analyze the responses in several different ways. You can get updates in real time which allows you to view the results as soon as they are collected. At the end of the survey a download spreadsheet is available also with all the raw data from the survey. Pricing ranges from free for the basic package to a yearly pro service that is $200 a year.
WorldApp Key Survey. This survey offers both customer and employee surveys but they go way beyond that. You can choose from a customized survey that you build yourself or make one from their over 200 templates. The software can also send out email reminders to surveyors who have yet to complete the survey. Also, whatever your company size they have solutions for everyone from individual professionals to enterprises. This company offers a 30 day free trial which can give you enough time to see if you like the software before committing to it. You can also request a demo by one of their customer service agents who can help you with any questions you may have before signing up.
PollDaddy. This is a free way to create surveys and polls for your website, blog and social. This survey feature is added directly to your site to give customer and clients a way to give feedback. This is a great way to get “voluntary” feedback because you aren’t targeting surveyors or giving them anything in return. If a customer likes or dislikes your service or you are thinking about adding a product or feature they can give their feedback if they want, not feeling pressured to do so. PollDaddy free service has limited features but they do offer two Pro accounts that you can pay for. PollDaddyPro and PollDaddy 2 which range from $200 to $899 a year. Check out their account comparison page to see the difference in features.
Not many people have can take time out of their busy day to answer questions, let alone do it for nothing. It is a good idea to, in the opening statement for your survey offer the surveyor something a free gift, a coupon for a percent off services or products. Anything to make them feel like you are making it worth their while. The average survey is between 10- 20 questions so try to stick with that. Any more than that and the surveyor may not likely feel impelled to spend time taking it and if it’s too short you may not find all the information you’re looking for.
Finding out your key demographic information is easier than ever using survey software. Most programs are easy to use and can add great benefit to your business and how it promotes its services it customer or sells its products in the future.
Posted in
Small Business, Software As A Service-(SAS)
