Category Archive

  The need for a brick-and-mortar office is far less than it used to be, with the advent of online business. Many businesses still need an office to operate, but the nature of ecommerce affords you certain advantages, including the opportunity to avoid the cost of maintaining a free-standing office. And that’s the bottom line—keeping it open costs money, which a lot of small businesses simply cannot afford to needlessly spend.   1. Product Presentation If you’re running a web-based business, then your customers can easily view all products, or information about your service, online. In fact, that’s how most consumers prefer to look at a product, especially in the case of a company that mainly processes its transactions online. Have you ever visited an office for Amazon? They are doing very well without any walk-in traffic, whatsoever, and if you have an e-business, then you probably don’t need it, …

  1. Get Up Early Any small business owner quickly learns that they wouldn’t get very much accomplished by getting up at the crack of noon every day. Aside from the fact that getting an early start gives you time to get more work done, you will be forced to play catch-up when you get started later because all of your partners and colleagues have probably already been going strong for hours.   2. Don’t Skip Breakfast You’re not like other people—you’re a business owner. You’ve got an insane schedule, constant daily stresses, and a team to look out for. That means you need to eat your Wheaties. Ok, you don’t have to eat Wheaties, but before the work starts, make sure you get a good breakfast that will build up your energy stores. Complex carbs like whole grains are good for sustained energy, and so is a vegetable juice …

  6. Awaken the Giant Within—Anthony Robbins Tony Robbins, everybody! Contrary to popular belief, Robbins is more than an eccentric guru; his teachings give practical insight into the science behind tapping into our innate power as individuals. The book opens with a quote from Orison Swett Marden: “Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him,” setting the stage for deeply-informed counsel from an author who seems to sit down with you like a wise father. This selection utilizes a guided progression based partially on formula; however, when it comes to Tony Robbins, you know you can expect an introspective and spiritual journey that cuts right to the core of improving the human experience.   5. The Analects—Confucius Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Everyone is familiar with the name, Confucius, but very few have read him, first-hand. Your first thought might be, understandably, “How in …

“You have to first understand the underlying idea that to be transparent, everything about the way you do business has to be on the up-and-up.”   There is a lot to be said for showing your face in business. Many have a taciturn attitude towards customers—understandably so because confidentiality is a necessary measure—but it can be misconstrued as an attempt to deceive or mislead. Chances are, you have no intention of deceiving anyone; even so, you have to be conscious of the public’s perception of your business. That is the purpose of this article: A reminder of how important it is for a business to be honest about how and what it does. Let’s Be Honest Getting down to brass tacks: You have to first understand the underlying idea that to be transparent, everything about the way you do business has to be on the up-and-up. None of this applies …

“In the same way that your business cannot exist without customers, your business will strain without a great team.”   What is the most indispensable element to creating a business that works? People. While you are spending all your time making sure you are producing a quality product, lining up customers to buy it, tweaking your website, and organizing your schedule, your staff is the variable most easily overlooked. Of course you are going to choose the best staff you can find to make your goals a reality—but now that you employ them, are you giving them what they need to operate at their full potential?     Training It is your responsibility, as a business owner, to make sure your team is qualified, knowledgeable, and well-trained. The sphere in which your staff operates may be within a typical office setting or otherwise, such as remotely from home; either way, …

Pop quiz: What do you do when there is no money in your business’ budget for advertising? You get creative. Obviously, you would not have any customers at all if you never let the world know that your company exists, and you should not rely solely on word-of-mouth to spread the news. It’s good that your company’s name is listed in the phone book—well done—but you cannot stop there. Referrals passed from person to person is free and arguably the most effective kind of advertising, but you will also have to consider other avenues if you want to maximize your exposure to the market. Though you will have to spend some money for supplemental advertising, these are a few solutions that will help you get it done. Crowdfunding Everyone has heard of Kickstarter, and there are other sites that provide basically the same service. There have been countless success stories …

“An effective domain name must be clear, simple, directed, and intuitively applicable to your business.” Choosing a domain name for your website should take some careful consideration. To be sure, you would probably not decide to use a non-specific title for your website, even without knowing the science behind this, but it is more important than business owners realize. An effective domain name must be clear, simple, directed, and intuitively applicable to your business. .Com, and The Other Guys Of course, .com is the most recognized, and this is the extension you need. Speaking of the consumer’s instinct, you want a web address that people automatically expect to see: www.yourbusiness.com. The .net or .org extensions (and there are many more) are okay, as long as you have a good name; however, we all generally assume that a web address will have .com on the end of it. If it comes …

“If you are going to work smart, and not hard, these tools are a step in the right direction.”   A wise man once said, “If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” You may have no trouble setting up shop in your bedroom, but effectively running a business out of your home is about more than putting in a desk and buying some pens and sticky notes. Here are some very helpful tips for those of you who are striving to improve on your home business.   Intuit QuickBooks QuickBooks is one of the most indispensable tools for any business. The software includes comprehensive features that give you solutions to all of your bookkeeping needs. You can connect your bank accounts and company credit cards to track income and expenses, create professional invoices, view various reports such as balance sheets or profit and loss, sync to your PayPal …

“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 …