Five Holiday Season Marketing Tips to Help your Small Business Stay Profitable & Top of Mind this Year!
November 05, 2009, 6:25 AM
Whether your business depends on the fall/winter holiday season for a substantial part of your annual revenues or you find it to be a slow time of year - remaining engaged and connected with your prospect and customer base is ...

Thinking of Starting a Blog? Tips to Help You Start, Maintain & Grow a Successful Small Business Blog!
November 03, 2009, 6:55 AM
The online social media revolution that has bought us Facebook and Twitter actually started back in the late 90’s when the term “blog”, short for “weblog”, entered the lexicon. Blogs provide business owners with unprecedented ways of reaching and engaging ...

Why Your Business Needs an Elevator Pitch (and Tips on How to Target it to your Audience)
October 29, 2009, 6:55 AM
Whether you are on a trade show floor, making a sales pitch, or seeking investment, perfecting your elevator pitch can be one of the most important things your business can do. From the moment you start-up (when no one has ...

Need Help Starting a Business? Tips for Getting the Right Kind of Advice and Taking Control of Your Start-Up!
October 27, 2009, 7:10 AM
“I need help starting my business!” – is a common cry from many budding small business owners. And it’s no wonder. Starting a business is a huge step for any entrepreneur to undertake, and requires careful planning as well as ...

Surviving the Recession and Planning for a Rebound – How Small Businesses are Doing It!
October 22, 2009, 7:10 AM
No doubt about it, the current economic recession has hurt small businesses as well as the people they employ. But despite the reduction in consumer spending, dried up credit, ongoing debt and continued uncertainty about the timing of a bounce ...

Developing a Marketing Budget for your Small Business – Going Beyond the Spreadsheet
October 20, 2009, 6:55 AM
Starting and growing a business presents many strategic planning challenges, not least of which is knowing how much to spend on marketing. Many businesses assume the traditional premise that your marketing budget should be a percentage of actual or projected ...

Taking the Plunge – Tips for Getting over the Fear of Starting a Business
October 15, 2009, 7:10 AM
Starting your own business may be one of the biggest risks you will take in your life - and the statistics confirm it. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), two-thirds of new businesses survive for a minimum of two ...

Changing Business Direction – Four Steps to Consider as you Chart a New Course
October 13, 2009, 7:05 AM
Changing the direction of your business - including altering your product or service offering, selling to a new market, or opting for new distribution channels - is no mean feat and requires significant planning and organizational buy in. As I ...

How to Start a Retail Business – A Step-by-Step Guide
October 08, 2009, 6:45 AM
"Main Street" has now become a generic term synonymous with U.S. small business in general. But for many entrepreneurs, the prospect of joining Main Street in its more literal meaning - i.e. the primary retail street of a village or ...

Selling to the Government: Five Tips for Becoming a Subcontractor and Getting Your Foot in the Door
October 06, 2009, 7:15 AM
Whatever your product or service, and whatever the market - whether it be federal, state or local government - winning a share of government business can be a complex and time-consuming process. And no matter how lucrative government contracting can ...