Caring for a Cause can be Good for your Business

Many business owners I encounter say they want to "give back" and will start doing so after they ...hit it big. I'm sure many of them mean what they say and I'm equally sure that many, many of them will never get to the point where what they've achieved is enough to start "giving back".

Should You make A Charitable Cause Part of Your Business Model Instead of Just a Part of Your Hopes?

There are many benefits to a business if they make a serious and genuine effort to support a charitable cause on a consistent and ongoing basis. A few well known businesses do this and many other lesser known companies do as well. Business charity is not only good for your communities..it's good for your business. Never underestimate the power of a good business plan.

Build Your Small Business Brand without a Big Advertising Budget

Here's a good article on low cost strategies that are highly effective.

Interesting Article on Small Business........ Cold Hard Facts

Why do businesses fail? How many businesses are there? Where do businesses succeed?

Click here for the article.

Time to Look at Smart Growth for Your Small Business?

Business owners often get caught in the squeeze between seeing opportunity to grow but not having the resources to hire people or get more space. Managing a small business needs to be a creative process.

If you find yourself in this position (and if not now you certainly will if you grow) spend a few minutes looking at a 3rd party fulfillment service. Think of it as an expansion that you can make without hiring people or signing a big lease.

Take a look here. 

What is CRM and does my small business need it?

Hard as it is to imagine, there was a time not terribly long ago when a sales or service person for a small business would go out into the field without a PDA or Smart Phone—or any phone at all. The reason for the current ubiquity of the communication devices in small business is obvious: it makes customer service or the new term, Customer Relationship Management  (CRM), easier and more effective. The success of any small business is built around this engine and the latest innovation in the field of CRM is also the most powerful yet seen, primarily because it is among the simplest-to-implement of all emerging information technologies. We speak, of course, of Cloud-Based Solutions.

Until recently any information gathered by, say, a serviceman sent into the field would have to be relayed through a series of data channels, each administered by an individual working within his or her own cataloging system, until it eventually found its way to the appropriate sales rep who is ultimately responsible for the client's satisfaction and continuing patronage of the business. Meanwhile, the client is already calling the rep and asking about progress on the issue. And the rep has no idea there was an issue to begin with.

Is the small business owner world upside down?

This post falls under the category of "what the heck is going on"!

The following is from a small business consultant who talks to small business owners several times a week and has done so for about 10 years. Their name is being with held for obvious reasons.

They say, many of the following are found to be true for abut 75% of small business owners:

• Business owners who sleep very well ....probably shouldn't.
• Business owners think because their employees don't complain the employees are happy
• Business owners whose employees complain blame it on the government
• Business owners personal spending is often unrelated to their personal income, some spend a lot more than they make and some spend a lot less.....very few are break-even
• Business owners who are chronically behind in paying suppliers are often right on time replacing their boat.
• For every one minute a business owner spends talking to an employee (shouting instructions doesn't count) they spend 54 minutes talking to sales people about a new copier.
• Whenever a customer says "your price is too high" the business owner believes it.
• Whenever a customer says "your price is too high" the business owner grumbles about how his competitors are losing money.
• A business owner would rather pay 5% more to a vendor than lose his invitation to the vendor's hunting trip.
• For every one minute a business owner spends getting expert advice they spend 92 hours giving it.

Ouch..................

Don't Let the Doom and Gloom in the Media Distract You!

If you are a small business owner the "psychology" of the day-to-day these days can be discouraging. Don't let the doom & gloom specialists get you down. Here are a few things to keep in mind that might help you get your mojo back:

• If your business is down don't be lulled into thinking that every business like yours is down. There is opportunity in more places that you might be currently considering.
• If the "economy" is down 10%, so what? If your biz has 1% share of market then you only need to get .2% of the other 99% to be back to even. If your small business is off you can do something about it.
• Down markets are GREAT times to expand. If your competitors are hiding in a bunker there is a lot of room to grow.
• Want to be more optimistic? Then stop watching the news or reading the newspaper. Instead study up on marketing....especially new ways to market. Believe it or not........ every business owner can be a better business owner but only if we let someone teach you something.

You can make your business better, more fun, more profitable and more valuable. Get to work.