Be Transparent and Build a Company People Can Trust

“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 …

Grow Your Business through Symbiotic Partnerships

“Finding an established business to hook up with may be exactly what you need to really get off the ground.”   The idea is basic; it is ubiquitous in every area of business and even the larger, global economy because business is about more than buying something for a dollar and selling it for two. The appeal of a mutually beneficial business arrangement is self-evident, but what you stand to gain from it may not necessarily be a huge increase in your profit margin, but instead your gain may simply be something like exposure. And this may hold more value than making a huge profit right off the bat because, especially for a burgeoning startup, maximizing the reach of your business could mean greater profit in the long run. About symbiosis… Yes, this concept is derived from a naturally occurring phenomenon, but I will not be hosting another nature special …

Carry Yourself as Wildly Successful, Even If You’re Not—Yet

“When you see yourself as successful, you will automatically produce responses that move you towards actually becoming the highly successful entrepreneur that you see yourself to be.” They say that you should dress for the job that you want, not for the one you have. Of course in this case, we are not just talking about switching out the jeans and T-shirt for a suit and tie. Conveying an attitude of professionalism and success comes from a deep belief that you are doing something truly important. Even if your business has not quite arrived at the level that you aspire to be, carrying yourself as a success will help to bring your vision into real-life fruition. What Does Your Business Look Like? Many business owners seem to take it for granted that their office or store will automatically exude a professional image simply because business is being conducted there, without …

7 Tips for Reducing Stress at Work

“Have you ever felt so overwhelmed at work that you thought you might completely flip out, if you took one more phone call?” You are not alone. The American Psychological Association found, in their annual Stress in America Survey, that 65 percent of Americans say work is “a top source of stress.” That was in 2012; we can surmise that this number has only gotten worse. The APA reminds us, however, that though we cannot avoid at least some work-related stress—it is manageable. Don’t stress yourself out about being stressed out because there are simple measures you can take every day to keep calm and carry on. 1. Create a Relaxed Work Environment One of the first things you can address is your work environment. Take a look around and check it out. Look at the atmosphere of your office, the people around you at work, and even the neighborhood …

How to Handle a Bad Review on Yelp

“A negative review from a Yelp user can certainly impact your business, but if you prepare yourself and respond well to it, you can get past a bad review, unscathed.”   Even if you have the perfect business with outstanding customer service, you will encounter less-than-complimentary reviews from time to time. Sometimes you deserve the negative feedback; other times, you don’t. The fact is that some people just want to complain. There is no reason why you cannot maintain a good attitude, while saving face at the same time—even in the face of a bad review. The key is to handle it productively and constructively.   Since its inception in 2004, Yelp has grown from a simple platform—not unlike the Yellow Pages we used to see in old-school, ink-and-paper phone books—to one of the top websites of all time, said to have the ability to “make or break” a small …

Your Business Needs A Top-Notch Team

“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, …

Top Ten Tips for Doing Good Business: What We’ve Covered

“The path to success can feel like a labyrinth for a small business owner, but with some good direction, your choices become a lot clearer.” While the avenues, strategies, and tools will be different for every business, you can put yourself ahead of the game by making use of simple, useful methods. The following are some great topics that we have covered in the past few months, which are imminently relevant and applicable to the efforts of every entrepreneur. 1. Running an Efficient Home Business Too many new business owners stepped out a little too early, being overzealous and eager to slap their name on a new building. Don’t be a casualty. —-from, “5 Ways to Efficiently Run Your Business Out of Your Home” 2. Startup Funding and Working Capital There is one persistent question on the mind of any small business owner: Where is the money coming from? Whether …

content marketing

What is Content Marketing & Can it Grow Your Business?

“There are plenty of ways to motivate people to use your product or service, but there are few that work as powerfully or consistently as content marketing.”   Content marketing. What is this growing trend, and what does it mean for you, the business owner? The idea behind web searching is actually older than Google, itself; however, businesses can now use content marketing to adapt and utilize web searching and bring in new business through channels which would otherwise be left undiscovered.     They Are Already Looking For You Imagine, for a moment, millions of people sitting at their computers and typing a few words into that little white search box, attempting to find information about every subject under the sun. Now, imagine the staggering number of these who search for information related to business. You can tap into this massive collection of potential clients by using content marketing. …

ab testing

What Is A/B Testing and Do I Really Need It?

“This single practice could mean the difference between gaining one new client, and gaining a hundred.” The short answer is yes—A/B testing is absolutely essential if you want to gain more conversions. By calling every element of your website design into question through these tests, you can know exactly what visitors respond to positively, and which parts they do not. As we have stressed in previous articles of this series, the goal is to make informed decisions concerning every detail of your design. You cannot optimize the function of your site by guessing your way through it. The Test: Revelation Over Intuition The jargon associated with A/B testing (also called split testing) sound like sports metaphors, which is appropriate because it is basically a competition between the two or more designs to be considered for your final version; there will be 1 winner. It may sound like some complicated operation …

No Money for Advertising? Get the Word Out Anyway!

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 …