Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." But when you're starting your own business, there's no guarantee that your "mousetrap" is going to survive, especially in today's fast-paced business world. Nearly half of all small businesses fail within the first two ...
Do you ever wonder if you will really succeed with your small business? You may have a number of special traits, but how well developed are they? There are qualities of endeavor and achievement that are common to successful business owners. Ask yourself these questions to see if you have ...
The secret to successful communication in business and in everyday life is asking the right questions. Understanding the value of effective questioning is probably the single most dominant factor in achieving business success. The way to learn about what people need is to ask a question and then listen carefully ...
Your lunchtime thoughts are comprised of brilliant marketing strategies and anxiety over bill payments. You’re the CEO, human resources director, janitor, and administrative assistant all wrapped up into one. You open the doors at dawn and lockup when it’s time to wrap up for the day. Welcome to the world of ...
Your lunchtime thoughts are comprised of brilliant marketing strategies and anxiety over bill payments. You’re the CEO, human resources director, janitor, and administrative assistant all wrapped up into one. You open the doors at dawn and lockup when it’s time to wrap up for the day. Welcome to the world of ...
Starting a business can be overwhelming enough trying to get up and running but when you think about all the tax requirements, your cup may runneth over. Here is what you must know in order to start your own business on the right foot and avoid paying penalties and interest ...
A good salesman is born that way; it is not a learned behavior. End of story. Go solve another mystery. This one is over. Crack any sales help book and you'll find all of the traits the author says a good salesman must have. He must be an early riser, well-organized, ...
It's tough out there, particularly because of layoffs and our sluggish economy. So what's a small business entrepreneur trying to make a living to do? Try these low-cost pricing strategies to keep sales moving. TACTIC #1 -- Never simply slash your prices, unless you're trying to empty obsolete inventory. Instead, try ...
Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners -- working without a plan? Here are three myths that need to be dispelled about strategic planning for small business. 1. It has to be formal -- Not so. The value of a strategic plan for your small business is in putting ...
A small business merchant account may be just what your company needs to edge out the competition. If your customer base is growing or they are asking increasingly for credit payment options as well as for information about your products and services, a merchant account can answer their questions and ...
State laws have been relaxed to make it easier for small business to raise start-up and growth financing from the public. Many investors view this as an opportunity to “get in on the ground floor†of an emerging business and to “hit it big†as the small businesses grow into ...
Writing a debt collection letter is one of the most important skills of any small business owner. Do you have what it takes to get the money you’ve earned? I have a confession: I'm a business writer who's let clients get away with not paying me--a huge sign of failure of ...
In your small business debt collection laws will eventually become important, as your debt grows and some clients do not pay. To collect small business debts legally, you must first send a written notice that collections have begun, within five days of first contacting the debtor for collections (for instance, within ...
If you ask most small business owners what priority CRM has in their short-term business plans, chances are you’ll get more than one blank stare. The fact is that most small business owners don’t even know what CRM is not to mention how significantly it can benefit their growing company. ...
If you're like many small business owners, the mountain of debt you accumulated during startup might have been enough to make you worry about collection agencies every time you answered the phone. But your feelings toward collection agencies are eventually going to change, if they haven’t already. Small Business Collection Agency ...
American small business is again in transition. Many employees, now working from home, are no longer tied to a geographic office and the woes of commuting. This is a relatively new phenomenon with hints of explosive sector growth in the days ahead. As this turbulent economy has forced downsizing, offshore ...
It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six Sigma as being only for large corporations. Major corporations such as Allied Signal, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, Sony, and Toshiba have all rolled out Six Sigma efforts and achieved ...
Introduction: Strategies are strategies. Dismiss for a moment from your mind what some people are saying about Bill Gates's offensive practices he used to transform himself from a small business entrepreneur to a titan in the business world. There are yet honest-to-goodness strategies we can glean from his sleeves. We ...
Q: A friend told me that as a woman of Native American descent I might be eligible for a special SBA program that will help me start a small business. He said I could compete for government contracts through this program. Can you tell me what SBA program he's referring ...
The SIMPLE retirement account is awesome if you own your own business. Any family business applies such as a home based or “brick and mortar” real estate rental and investment business, car-wash, gas station, restaurant, etcetera, can sponsor the SIMPLE IRA. Like the SEP-IRA, the SIMPLE IRA is company-sponsored. As ...