Small Business Articles and Resources
Starting a Business
How Home Office Design Affects Productivity
Posted on May 9, 2008
Having an office at home is wonderful. You can be around your family more and you won't have to travel back and forth, to and from work, especially with gas prices being so high these days. Here's how to make the most of it! Read More »
Posted on May 9, 2008
We all think that "it couldn't happen to me" but we all KNOW that's not true. Steve Strauss addresses what to do to prevent excess loss in case disaster strikes. Read More »
Health Insurance for the Self-Employed
Posted on May 7, 2008
Although being self-employed offers many advantages - being your own boss, enjoying all the profits, etc - there are also some downsides. For example, you no longer receive sick pay from your employers should you fall ill. Obviously this can pose problems, especially if you have mortgage payments to meet and other monthly outgoings, since without any sick pay, you don't have any income when not working. Thankfully, there are options to take out health insurance if you're self-employed. Read More »
Finance and Accounting
How to Get Start Up Capital for Your New Green Business
Posted on May 7, 2008
Wondering how to get that startup cash for your new green business? Small business expert Steve Strauss outlines how you should go about doing so. Read More »
Staying Afloat During the Storm of an Economic Downturn
Posted on May 7, 2008
With financial giants toppling, and the word recession becoming more prominent, what does that mean for your small business? If you are like many companies, you're already looking for ways to trim off a little fat. As a matter of fact, many small business owners are already in a panic, with doomsday visions in their heads. It's time to stop and take a deep breath. Read More »
The REAL Truth about Credit Cards
Posted on May 2, 2008
While the concept of having a credit card may be great, once you try to take advantage of a card with all the perks and extras, you may notice that it feels more like a ripoff than a good deal. Here's what to look out for. Read More »
Hiring and Human Resources
A Primer on Finding Good Employees for Your Small Business
Posted on April 24, 2008
All my life, I have heard people say that good help is hard to find. Why is that? Actually, there are several reasons that increasing numbers of small businesses are turning to spouses and other family members to help them fill their staffing holes. Let's take a look at a few of them. Read More »
Use a Professional Employment Organization and Save on Recruitment Costs
Posted on April 18, 2008
If your business is successful enough to have numerous employees, then you'll be aware of how costly it can be to administer. Whether it's employee benefits, health plans, simple payroll details or more, the costs to maintain your employee base can soon mount up. If you're finding that it's a cost that's draining your finances, then you may want to consider using a Professional Employment Organization, or PEO. Read More »
Non-Compete Contracts and Whether or Not You Should Use Them
Posted on April 17, 2008
With businesses constantly wary of losing staff to rival companies, many are now enforcing what's known as non-compete contracts. This is where new employees sign a contract that states they cannot contact a client of their old company to take them to their new place of work. It usually applies for anywhere between 2-3 years from the date the ex-employee leaves the company. However, whilst it's an excellent way for business owners to protect not only their clients but also their intellectual property, it can also have its negative sides. Read More »
Doing Business Internationally
Avoid Being Taken When Selling Internationally
Posted on February 19, 2008
Any number of seemingly perfect international sales opportunities could very well be scams in disguise. As you consider selling internationally, there are some precautions you need to take to make sure you don't end up the next victim. Read More »
How Value-Added Taxes Effect U.S. Exporters
Posted on February 15, 2008
The Value-Added Tax (VAT) was created in the 1950s by French economist Maurice Laur. It is a government tax that is charged at each stage of production. Here's what you should know about it. Read More »
How to Create an Export Plan to Sell Internationally
Posted on February 15, 2008
Once you have decided to sell your company's products overseas, it's crucial that an export plan is developed. When preparing your export plan, you'll be able to research and carefully examine your potential export markets, develop company goals, and determine what (if any) limitations exist. The result: a custom-designed strategy that prepares your company, products, and promotional efforts to succeed in the export business. Read More »
Marketing
The Do's and Don'ts of Word Of Mouth Marketing
Posted on May 9, 2008
When you see how effective word of mouth advertising can be, you should begin to look for more people to tell about your business. The more people you tell, the better your chance of having a successful business. But there are things to do, and there are things not to do. Read More »
How to Compel People to Open and Read Your Marketing Emails
Posted on May 2, 2008
Anyone with an email address knows how overwhelming and annoying all those junk emails can be. It's no wonder that click rates are down - consumers have grown tired of the same old subject lines and have become programmed over time to delete, delete, delete. But don't worry, Incorporating some of these tips into your next email campaign can help to increase both your click rate and your response rate! Read More »
Tips for Creating Word of Mouth Buzz About Your New Business
Posted on May 1, 2008
Congratulations! You have started your own business. Now you may be thinking about ways to get the word out about your products. If you're like most small business owners, you've already checked into advertising and now you realize that it can cost a lot of money. As with most new businesses, you are likely on a tight budget and looking for affordable solutions. Think about generating word of mouth buzz, where you're only limited by your imagination and creativity. Read More »
Sales
How to Zero In On High Probability Clients
Posted on May 9, 2008
When it comes to your business, time is your most valuable resource. The last thing you want to do is waste time on prospects that are not really interested in what you have to sell. Here's how to weed out the serious prospects. Read More »
How to Design Your Floor Space and Get Customers in the Mood to Shop
Posted on April 25, 2008
If your store sells a variety of merchandise and you find that certain types of products bring in "browser shoppers" and others, "mission shoppers", then you can design your store's floor plan around this. Here's why and how you should do this. Read More »
How to Make the Most of Customer Testimonials
Posted on April 18, 2008
When it comes to getting customers to come to your company and trust you before they know you, customer testimonials are the way to go. Read More »
Product Sourcing
How to Cope with Seasonal Product Demand
Posted on April 4, 2008
The old adage says 'variety is the spice of life' - but if you are in business, you know that variety in customer purchasing patterns can be an extremely stressful issue to deal with. Some seasons will see a trend to fewer purchases - other months, everything you have on the shelves will be selling. While you can't change your customers' buying patterns or convince them to buy what they don't want, you can use a little logic, research and planning to try and get a better picture of when they are going to want things, what they may want and then prepare accordingly. Read More »
How to Track Market Tends in Order to Spot New Products Early
Posted on April 4, 2008
Whether you own a brick-and-mortar store or a website, continuously finding new and interesting products is crucial for any store's success. With so much competition it the retail arena, it's important that product sourcing is thought of as ongoing process, rather than something that is done just a couple times a year. Staying on top of industry trends and the newest products requires time and effort but, as a bonus, it can be fun too! Read More »
Tips for Renegotiating Prices and Terms With Your Suppliers
Posted on March 27, 2008
Most business owners just accept their vendors' prices, payment terms, shipping terms, etc. as is, without ever questioning them or trying to renegotiate better terms. But the truth is, as a buyer, you have the leverage to get better pricing and terms - and it's all just a phone call away. Here's how. Read More »
E-Commerce and E-Business
How Well does eBay's Best Match Feature Stack Up?
Posted on May 9, 2008
On March 3rd Ebay launched a few new features. One of these was Best Match. Has this addition helped or hurt their business? Let's take a look and find out. Read More »
Why it Pays to Pick a Strong Domain Name
Posted on April 24, 2008
With e-commerce playing such an important role in today's business marketplace, making sure you're set up to maximize your company's potential is crucial. This includes having a strong web presence and online marketing team. However, another key area of your online success is your website's domain name - pick the wrong one and it could be disastrous for your fledgling online business. Here are some tips. Read More »
Using Your Website to Increase Customer Loyalty
Posted on April 22, 2008
One of the best ways for any business to maximize their profits is to keep their customers happy - after all, happy customers usually mean loyal customers, and loyal customers mean sales. For small businesses in particular, though, keeping your customers happy can often mean the difference between your business surviving, or falling prey to the larger companies in your niche. There are many ways to keep your customers happy and coming back to you, but one of the most useful and cost-effective methods is by using your company website. Read More »
Growing Your Business
For Small Businesses, It's The Small Things That Count
Posted on May 9, 2008
As a small business owner of a product-based company, it is your job to give the people what they want. If yours is like many small businesses, you don't have the funds needed to have a market research department. Here's what you can do instead. Read More »
The Importance of Managing your Business Plan
Posted on April 30, 2008
One of the key points in any new business is having a business plan to get your company started. However, once your business is established, you shouldn't just forget about your original business plan - indeed, you should continue to refer to it and change as necessary. Read More »
Business Travel: Not All Seats Are Created Equal
Posted on April 22, 2008
Many entrepreneurs have to travel for business. If this means you, you'll want to check out what small business expert Steve Strauss has to say about doing it right. Read More »
