What Type of Website is Right for Your Business?

“A great business website is one that accomplishes a primary goal.” Hopefully, you realize how important it is to have a website for your business—and if you need convincing, check out our post from last week, Why Your Business Needs a Great Website. Just like the front window in a store is used to encourage walk-in traffic, a website is your virtual window and front door. For some businesses, this is the only front door that they will ever have. The key to making your site effective is to take a look at the needs of your business, and decide which of the various types will help you meet those needs. A great business website is one that accomplishes a primary goal. This may be getting customers to sign up for your service, selling products online, or merely providing your customers with a window into who you are and what …

5 Ways to Efficiently Run Your Business Out of Your Home

“Working from a home office can be great, but it can also test your sanity, at times.” So you are pretty sure you have all your ducks in a row, and you feel ready to push out of your home and into a separate space. Though having a professional, dedicated space is usually better for business, it is not the only way to do business. Consider this move carefully. There are certainly advantages to securing a conventional, brick-and-mortar office. You can comfortably entertain and meet with clients in-house; your wife, husband, kids, and roommates are not there to take away from your focus; and you will not be distracted with household projects while at work. At the same time, office expenses can really cut into the budget. If you are a new business with high growth potential, you could end up signing a lease on a space that you outgrow …

Why Your Business Needs a Great Website

“Web sales have increased by an average of 15% for the past 5 years, and at the end of 2014, consumers in the U.S. spent $304.91 billion online.” In this article, we will introduce and define the nature of good web design and why now, at the precipice of the digital age, entering the online space is absolutely necessary to reclaiming all the customers whom you would otherwise alienate forever. Not to worry; this is merely the first in a series of following articles, in which we will walk through various essential elements of web design, such as: conversion rate optimization (CRO) and call-to-action (CTA), effective landing pages, domain names and types, color and site aesthetics, and A/B testing. Hopefully this discussion will paint for you a clearer picture of the importance of internet presence, and how to make it work for your business. The New World of Online Business …

Promote Your Small Business with a Company T-shirt

“…95% of all Americans wear T-shirts.” No matter what service a business provides, it needs to get the word out and show the public that it exists. Whether it be a franchise, community group, charitable foundation, small business, or even a single or recurring event, there is good reason why every sort of organization uses T-shirts to promote themselves. According to a survey conducted by CustomInk, a company producing custom designs for T-shirts, 95% of all Americans wear T-shirts. The survey also revealed that 76% of Americans derive “a stronger emotional connection with a shirt that they or someone they knew custom-designed.” This is a simple way to advertise your company, inspire conversations about what you are offering, and visually connect with customers. Advertise with Little Effort Whoever first decided to print a few words or graphics on a T-shirt and pass it around to promote their business was on …

find co founder

Finding the Right Co-Founder & Business Partner

“You want a partner who is forward-thinking—not one who is just looking for a meal ticket, or otherwise not overly concerned with achieving greater success.” Finding a good partner is one of the most propitious and profitable moves you can make for your business. Of the few basic types of people in the world, there are those who have the motivation, wherewithal, and even resources to help you get to where you are going. Others only excel at pointing you in the right direction by lending advice and insight, and the fact of it is that some will not even be able to wrap their heads around the idea behind your business venture. The road to bringing your vision into tangible reality is a complete mystery to this kind of person, which means that they cannot be an asset to your business. Your ability to discern who is who and …

small business funding

What Type of Small Business Funding is Right for You?

“The key is to find an investor that is on the same page as you, who will work with you, and who will not take away from the direction you have in mind for your business.” There is one persistent question on the mind of any small business owner: Where is the money coming from? Whether your new business requires that initial chunk of capital to get things started, or you are simply looking for a little extra money to maintain smooth operations, it is good to have reliable resources for funding when the need arises. You have a variety of options to consider when looking for working capital or startup funding. Being a small business like any other, Talkroute is sympathetic to the concerns of companies who are driven to be successful. This blog exists to provide sound advice and to promote the highest standard of business for startups, …

talkroute incorporate business

Why You Should Incorporate Your Business

“Having corporate status implies credit worthiness, reliability, and longevity.” In this day and age, when technology and information are readily available and accessible, the prospect of running a home-based business is well within reach. A growing number of small businesses are opening every day, and many of the people running them are deciding to operate out of their homes. You may be doing just fine as a sole proprietor, but incorporating your business offers advantages and protections which you may not even know are available to you. With the proper guidance, becoming a corporate entity can open the door to a new level of success and allow you to expand farther than you previously could. A Corporation Protects You from Personal Liability A “corporation”, as defined by Merriam Webster, is “a body formed and authorized by law to act as a single person”. No matter what sort of business you …

Business Mistakes

10 Mistakes to Avoid when Starting a New Business

“As an entrepreneur, you may have to completely rewire your brain until your process becomes deliberate, studious, and efficient.” #1 Don’t Fly Solo: The Value of a Partner First off, understand that you do not have to do this alone. Of course, we all want to take control (especially sole proprietor types) and do everything ourselves because we feel this is the only way things will be properly executed. Going it alone requires that you carry the full workload of your company, which means that you also must maintain the energy and charisma that is necessary for wearing all the different hats which could be worn by others who would probably do it better than you (this is discussed in the next point). Very few people can handle the daily grind of starting a business by themselves, which is why most investors, banks—even accelerators and incubators—consider solo entrepreneurs to be …

competition is good

Why Competition is Good News for Your Business

“First mover isn’t what’s important—it’s the last mover. Microsoft was the last operating system, and Google was the last search engine.” Contrary to the belief of the vast majority of those who seek to be successful in business, competition is actually a great benefit to any company. Average entrepreneurs value their competition about as much as they value their in-laws, while experienced entrepreneurs understand that the competition is not the enemy. If you have a viable business, then you can assume that you have one, if not multiple competitors. If you have a promising idea for a business, then someone else has probably already thought of it. When you find another company doing the same thing you are doing, don’t panic. This does not seal the fate of your ambitious venture—in fact, exactly the opposite is true. Competition is Market Validation The first thing to recognize is this: The fact …

customer service

3 Principles That Will Win Customers for Life

“70% of buying decisions are based on how a customer feels they were treated.”   It may sound obvious but if you treat a customer well, you will have a customer for life. So why do so many businesses fail at basic customer service? Sure, there are some truly terrible businesses out there that really don’t care about their customers. But I choose to believe that the majority of businesses that failed, did so unintentionally.    It’s easy as business owners to get wrapped up in the importance of your product or service. Don’t get me wrong, your product is extremely important. However, it is still not as important as how you take care of your customers. In fact, a recent study shows that 70% of buying decisions are based on how a customer feels they were treated. That is a staggering number and one that must not be ignored. …