Search
Trying to grow your business, but thwarted at every turn by problems within your own organization or by external factors such as broken supply chains? For many businesses, the biggest obstacle to growth isn’t poor sales, financing or tough competition; it’s often the business itself! So, if you find yourself operationally ill prepared to grow, what can you do about it? Here are some strategies that can help you break through some of the common barriers to growth that many small businesses experience. 1. Watch the indicators...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, February 14, 2013 - 07:21
As business owners, we’d all like to think of ourselves as providers of great customer service. As small business owners in particular, it’s quite possibly your biggest differentiator. After all, how often is it that you walk into a national chain restaurant and are greeted by name, handed your favorite drink and made to feel like part of the family? But great customer service is also about knowing how to handle problems, responding to and resolving issues—something at which agile small businesses can often excel. If customer...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, February 7, 2013 - 06:31
Late last year, I hosted a web chat with the SBA offering holiday marketing tips and ideas to small business owners. And while many business owners submitted questions relating specifically to the holidays, a large percentage of the questions centered on that age-old question: “How do I get more foot traffic to my store?” Here are seven tried and tested steps you might want to consider: 1. Start from the outside and look in If you are in a pedestrianized area, get to know who passes by your store. Literally, sit outside or...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 07:21
Are you a veteran-owned small business and thinking of selling to your former boss – the U.S. federal government? Part of the mission of the SBA is to provide assistance to veterans and service-disabled veterans who return home to start, resume or grow their businesses. In addition to supporting veteran business owners through entrepreneurial training, and providing access to capital, the SBA also provides resources, tools and support to help veterans start and grow businesses through government contracting. If you are a veteran-...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, January 24, 2013 - 08:30
Thinking of becoming a freelancer or hoping to make this year’s freelancing more fiscally fruitful than last? Freelancing is a money game and cash flow is king. And while there may be times when your cup runs over, there will no doubt be other times when it looks ominously dry. To be a successful freelancer—in addition to being good at what you do—you need to be agile, tenacious, a consummate planner and equipped to deal with fiscal downtimes. Here are some money-saving and business growth strategies that you can use to...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 07:35
Do all your sales reps sing off the same hymn sheet? Are they all equally knowledgeable about your products and services? If you’ve ever worked in retail sales, you’ll know how difficult it is to remember your training and apply it in critical moments. After all, products are constantly evolving and inventory is always shifting. This is why it’s critical that small business owners ensure their sales teams are well trained and knowledgeable. It can make the difference between winning and losing a sale. Thanks to the Internet...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, January 10, 2013 - 07:44
Are you doing enough to safeguard and protect your small business data? Small businesses are widely adopting data back-up practices to ensure data is retrievable should a disaster occur, but gaps remain. According to a July 2012 study by accounting software company Sage, the bulk of small businesses are backing up key data such as financial information, but most businesses back up that data on-site only. Furthermore, the study found that only 38 percent of surveyed small businesses have a formal emergency or disaster preparedness plan. Given...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, January 3, 2013 - 07:53
There’s no doubt that social media marketing is a proven and established platform for connecting with customers, building a community and generating business. Yet, despite the evidence of its effectiveness as a marketing tool, surveys and studies say few small businesses are making active use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to promote products and services. A report by eMarketer found that just 24 percent of small businesses have integrated social media in a structured way in their businesses. The report also...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, December 27, 2012 - 07:44
Want to secure your first million-dollar deal in 2013? Crossing that threshold will probably mean that you'll have to start selling to large corporate clients for the first time. It can be tough for small businesses, but not impossible. So what does it take? Here are some tips for upping your ante and selling to big, corporate customers. Do Your Homework Breaking into a new market or new client base requires planning. Start with identifying your new target market and then defining the value your small business can offer them. Use online...
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, December 20, 2012 - 07:14
The federal government offers many tools to help small business owners understand their markets, but where do go to find that data, and how do you use it once you’ve got your hands on it? First, conducting market research doesn’t always have to involve hiring a research firm or commissioning focus groups; much of the information you need may be at your fingertips. This research can impact and inform all areas of your business, from where you locate your business to the color of your logo. Even a small amount of analysis can...
Contributors
Top Rated Articles
Community Help
About This Blog
General small business tips and tricks.
Archive
- February 2013 (20)
- January 2013 (31)
- December 2012 (24)
- November 2012 (29)
- October 2012 (26)
- September 2012 (29)
- August 2012 (26)
- July 2012 (29)
- June 2012 (25)
- May 2012 (33)
- April 2012 (35)
- March 2012 (36)
- February 2012 (35)
- January 2012 (30)
by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 07:37