The Talkroute Blog

“Doing business locally can be more convenient, cost effective, and attractive to customers.”   We are living in an age of the buyer’s market. These days, customers are far more discriminating than they have ever been, and it is no wonder because they have more choices to make than ever before, in the market today. As a result of this trending phenomenon, working in the marketplace means adapting to an increasingly demanding public because what used to be mere details, like environmental responsibility and local sourcing, are being scrutinized and favored more and more by consumers. They are looking for the products and services they buy to be closer to home, as it were. Doing business locally can be more convenient, cost effective, and attractive to customers. Community Relationships to Establish Loyalty When quality businesses in the same community get together to achieve mutual benefit, or for any reason, the …

“When it comes down to a Pepsi Challenge with your competitor, the business who is involved with charity is likely to taste a little better than the alternative.” Put yourself in the shoes of an onlooker, and imagine seeing two companies that provide the same thing—except one of them gives to charity. It may not be the defining factor in a customer’s decision-making process, but to be sure, philanthropy reflects positively on your business. It demonstrates that you have a financial structure solid enough to give some away, as well as showing that you are about more than just turning a profit. And if you are giving to charity, then make sure you tell people about it. It looks good. Cross-Advertising Opportunities Getting involved with a charity is not a completely selfless endeavor because you can benefit from it as well; the collaboration can fill a need for both parties. …

“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 …

“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 …

“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 …

“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 …

“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. …