Start, Run, & Grow Your Business

15 Strategizing Tips to Prep Your Business for the Coming Year

Close to a third of adults set New Year’s resolutions, but only about one in ten is actually likely to follow through on them. I’m sure that isn’t a shock to most of us who are professional procrastinators, though. Businesses should also make it a priority to set goals for the coming year to make sure you are setting yourself and your business up for success. However, if you want to increase your odds of reaching your objectives, you need to start strategizing now before the year is over. Here are 15 quick tips that may help you with prepping your business for the new year: 1. Analyze Successes and Failures from the Past Year The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on your successes and failures. Think about what went right and also what went wrong with your business. You can …

How Long Does it Take to Transfer My Number to a New Provider?

You would think that transferring your phone number to a new carrier would be instantaneous, but due to the nature of the telecom infrastructure, it does take a little time. There are a few things that have to happen to move your number from one carrier to another (this is called a port), and the elapsed time may vary depending on how quickly your current provider processes the port. On average, ports take 7-10 days to complete; however, they can take up to 4 weeks in rare cases. This is contingent on a few things, and for the remainder of this article, we will look into what can cause delays. It helps when you know a bit about to expect throughout the process. Your new provider does not respond to your request right away. The first thing that can delay the porting process is when your …

What Happens While Your Number is Being Ported?

What’s the first concern you have when switching phone service providers? It probably won’t take you very long to answer. You’re probably going to be worried about what is going on with your long-held business phone number while your new provider is porting it into the service. It can be confusing and a bit “unknown” as to what you should expect during the process. But there is actually nothing to worry about, and in this article we will go into what you need to know about porting your phone number. Your Number is Still Your Phone Number One of the more common misconceptions about porting a phone number is that the new provider takes ownership of the number. You absolutely retain ownership of your number, and the FCC guarantees that your provider will allow you to transfer your number out if you decide to switch again to another service …

Need Cash for a Small Business? Learn About Loans and Grants

Owning any type of small business requires a sufficient amount of financial capital to cover orders, payroll, and many other expenses. Unfortunately, many business owners are unsure about how they can get enough cash to make ends meet until the profits can pay for the debt and all those operating costs. That’s why some may turn to things such as small business loans or grants to help lighten the burden. But where do you even begin with all that? What options are out there? AND How do you know which option is best for you and your small business? Two of the most common solutions involve applying for either loans or grants. Of course, it can be difficult to navigate this process, especially for entrepreneurs who have not had a lot of experience with either. Deciding which is most appropriate for your situation involves developing a thorough understanding of …

CMS Requiring Medicare Agents to Record Calls in October

Working in any healthcare field, such as Medicare Advantage services, comes with its own separate challenges. These challenges won’t get any easier, it seems—new rules will now require agents making calls related to Medicare Advantage and Part D to record their calls starting on October 1st. The rules apply to calls with existing patients as well as prospective clients, which will require a pretty big shift for telecommunications centers. However, adjusting to these changes will be easy enough with the right tools, even for agents who rely on cellular phones to make these calls. But First.. Who Made This Rule and Why? This new rule came from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The new ruling comes after CMS reclassified Medicare Advantage agents and brokers as “third-party marketing organizations,” or TPMOs. This means that the agents are not directly affiliated with Medicare but engage in …

12 Tips From Experts on How to Grow Your Home Business

There will likely be plenty of people telling you what they think is the ultimate secret to grow your home business, making it tough to discern who you should listen to. So, instead of giving you our opinion of what we believe you should do, this post includes 12 pieces of valuable advice from veterans of business. When you want to give yourself an edge & improve your ability to operate in any area, you go to the ones who have come before you that learned how to solve some of the problems that you’re going to face. There are also some things that could trip you up as a business owner which you may have never even thought of. You can decide which of these tips you should keep, and which ones you should throw away. In any case, you’ll find some great wisdom among them that you …

Using CRM to Improve Customer Service for Your Business

In the modern business world, two factors drive success. One is customer service. The other is technology. CRM plays a huge role in both. Excellent customer service is paramount to growing a business of any size in any industry. According to Microsoft’s research, 96% of consumers name customer service as an important factor when determining their loyalty to a brand. People who leave business relationships usually do so because of poor customer service. As Gary V says, “The customer is always right as long as you expect and want their money.” Entrepreneurs and small business owners generally agree that customer service is a key building block of commerce. But more than a few might take issue with the idea that technology is the other major driver of success. After all, any great product sold by helpful people at an affordable price point should succeed whether technology is part of …

Recognizing the Warning Signs of Business Burnout

Business Burnout. This condition affects so many business owners that it almost goes without saying that you’ll experience it or be in danger of experiencing it when you run a business. Unfortunately, burnout is misunderstood by most people, whether you’re an entrepreneur or not, and it’s usually not taken very seriously. In this article, we’ll provide you with the real facts about burnout, as we dispel the myths that can be just as harmful as the condition, itself. At the same time, Respect for it is paramount because if you’re not careful, it’s something that has the potential to put you right out of commission before you even know what hit you. Today, we’re starting with some good advice for recognizing the symptoms of burnout, so that you’ll be able to address it before it starts to overwhelm you. Not to worry; there are effective measures that you can take if you already …

Business Owner’s Guide: Get Organic Traffic to Your Website

In today’s increasingly connected world, your online presence is more important than ever. Having a website & organic traffic flowing to it is key to attracting potential new customers and building a relationship with them—most American consumers are more likely to think that a business is trustworthy if it has a website than if it doesn’t. However, you probably already know that. You’re a savvy business owner ready to conquer the modern market, of course you have your own website! The problem is getting people to see it when they are flooded with billions of Internet pages. Even though paid advertising can get your website in front of more eyeballs, organic traffic is the best way to increase visits to your website without spending too much money. Optimizing your SEO results will help you rank higher on Google’s search engines, which in turn will help you get your website …

Why Entrepreneurs Have to Continually Improve Themselves

As an entrepreneur, most of us are aware that when we put in the effort to improve by forcing ourselves to grow and learn in new and different ways, you will certainly see the benefits. There’s actually nothing very mystical about it because the more you work to change & grow, the better equipped you will be to handle the various challenges presented in life and work. Therefore the more able you will be to have success in your pursuits. As an entrepreneur, self-improvement can benefit you even more than others because constantly learning new skills and innovating for your business is part of the job description. If you’re one who is somewhat resistant to change or who doesn’t have a particularly strong thirst for knowledge, then this article is for you, too. Consider these reasons why continually improving yourself gives you a unique advantage for building a better …

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