Finding the money to grow your business can be a challenge for sure. We have discussed bank financing and borrowing from relatives, but what other options are there? In some states such as Connecticut, there are programs that will loan or grant you money for creating new jobs in the state. While these job creation Read more about What other options are there for business growth financing?[…]
In most small businesses, there are a handful of people outside of the business owners who become key to the success of the business. You can picture these people who are always going above and beyond, making sure the customers are happy, and treating it like their own business even if they don’t own a Read more about Don’t let your stars become shooting stars[…]
While United Airlines has recently given us a clinic on how -not- to treat your customers, there are far less obvious ways that you can abuse your customers without even realizing it. We have discussed how important it is to simply recognize your clients on a regular basis and that can cure a lot of Read more about Bad customer service isn’t limited to assaulting your customers[…]
Think about how many telephone calls you receive in a day, how many emails you respond to or simply delete, and how much junk snail mail you receive. Now try to remember a single one of those from more than a week ago. Any luck? For most the answer is likely no. However, can you Read more about Break out your No. 2 pencil to make a memorable statement[…]
When business is going well and customers return time after time to buy from you, its easy to lose focus on some of the things you used to do when building up your initial book of business. Before you had clients, you likely had to do things to let prospects know that you existed and Read more about Be top of mind for your prospects and clients[…]
Running a business is hard enough when things are going well and you are selling all you could hope to sell. Regardless of whether you sell a product or service, and even if you were first to market, if it’s worth selling there will be competition because others will want to get a piece of Read more about How do I eliminate my business competition?[…]
Technology is great. Without some of the tools we have today such as smart phones, tablets and laptops, we couldn’t do half of the things we do everyday or be able to do them at our own leisure. However, even though we are all aware of the presence of technology while in meetings and while Read more about Disconnect to build better work relationships[…]
QuickBooks can be a great accounting tool for a small business. It quickly allows you to get started up for tracking your income and expenses without having to be an expert in accounting. It even allows you to start with template charts of accounts for different types of businesses so that you don’t have Read more about How do I get the information I need out of Quickbooks?[…]
Even in a work environment with open communication and lots of transparency, there are some times that it is difficult for an employee to bring up a difficult conversation with their leader who they love working for or who is under stress of their own. The employee might feel like they are complaining too much Read more about How to use a lollipop to keep a key employee happy[…]
Financing a small business can be very difficult and very stressful. When you have a great idea and want to get started, you need to determine how much startup capital you will need, and you will likely need more than you anticipate. It you have family members with financial means, it can be tempting to Read more about Should I ask my family to make an investment in my business?[…]