Let me guess, when it comes to your small business, you hate selling. Just the idea of it makes your stomach turn a bit. It seems dishonest and dirty. And you've convinced yourself that it's pretty much unnecessary to sell. Somehow you can get more clients and customers without having to deal with … Read more about Hate Selling? Well, You're Doing It All The Time
In Troubled Economic Times, Be Smart & Be Bold
Let's face it, our economy here in the U.S. is in trouble. As a nation, and as individuals, we've out-spent our means and overextended our lives while saving less than ever before in history. And after decades of being inflated, it appears our economy is entering a readjustment period. This isn't, … Read more about In Troubled Economic Times, Be Smart & Be Bold
The Absolute, #1 Reason Small Business Owners Should Be Blogging
Poke around the web and you'll find numerous opinions on why, as a small business owner, you should be blogging. Some say you should blog to increase your reach. Blogs can certainly help you reach a larger audience faster, and often cheaper, than your usual website. Toss in social media and you can … Read more about The Absolute, #1 Reason Small Business Owners Should Be Blogging
How Could Someone Think That?
Is it wise to use your business to hurt people? You'd probably agree with me that it's certainly not wise to hurt your customers or potential customers. That seems pretty clear, doesn't it? But what about the people you work with or who work for you? Is it okay - is it appropriate - to hurt, abuse … Read more about How Could Someone Think That?
Small Business Advice: Consider The Quality of Your Work
I have a friend, Larry, who's a pretty amazing woodworker. Larry apprenticed with a woodworker in Seattle for seven years and then struck out on his own. As Larry had an eye for detail the master woodworker he apprenticed with convinced him that he should build highly customized, one-of-a-kind … Read more about Small Business Advice: Consider The Quality of Your Work
Consumer Choice: Give Small Business Customers Simple Choices
Is choice a good thing? Walk through any supermarket here in the U.S and you'll find tons of choices. Want a simple can of soup, you have to wade through 15 different brands of chicken noodle. Or toothpaste, or cereal, or ice cream. Heck, we even have to make a choice between ketchup … Read more about Consumer Choice: Give Small Business Customers Simple Choices
Small Business Marketing: Why the Market Decides Your Success
If you run a small business you're likely making decisions all the time. If it's not what product to develop it's where to publicize your business. Or perhaps you're considering hiring a virtual assistant or looking for a joint venture partner. Either way, you're business is forcing you to make … Read more about Small Business Marketing: Why the Market Decides Your Success
Successful Business Advice: Love Your Customers
Business is not just about what you do. Yet, as business owners, we spend so much of our time focusing on how to do what we do better. We read, we blog, we train, we attend workshops and conferences, go to events, network and so on. All under the guise that we can gain some edge in how we do what … Read more about Successful Business Advice: Love Your Customers
Can Your Audience Tell You What You Do?
How well can your clients, customers and prospects explain what you do? This is one of the questions that every business owner needs to be asking themselves all the time. Too often, we focus so much on developing our business that we forget why we're developing our business in first place. Sure, … Read more about Can Your Audience Tell You What You Do?
Do You Make This Marketing (and Blogging) Mistake?
Or do you get that it's not about you? That's right. If you're the business owner - it's not about you. So, then, who is it about? It's about me - the client, the customer, the patron, the prospect - whatever term we want to use to mean, "who you're in business for." If you're blogging, it's who … Read more about Do You Make This Marketing (and Blogging) Mistake?
7 Ways To Make Your Clients Fall In Love With You
Would you like your customers and clients to promote your business for you? Of course you do, right? Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, states that around 80% of online shopping time is spent researching products (and services) rather than … Read more about 7 Ways To Make Your Clients Fall In Love With You
Why Seth Feels That "May I Help You?" Is Useless
As he does often, Seth Godin grabbed my attention yesterday with his post titled, May I Help You?. It's short, sweet and to the point. So� here it is in� its entirety. "May I help you?" ... is almost a useless thing to say. If you want to end a conversation with a teenager, just ask, "How … Read more about Why Seth Feels That "May I Help You?" Is Useless
