As we all rush out to do some holiday shopping and retailers put their best foot forward, as a small business owner you want to be sure that your sales don’t cripple your business. Attracting new customers is great, but what you want is repeat business and customer loyalty. Stick with these tips and build a relationship, not a sale. Listen to your customers While it is … [Read more...]
The Capable Employee
As a modern business owner, I’ve caught the fever to rely on gadgets and depend on electronic communication in lieu of actually picking up the phone; but I wonder, have I done my company a disservice? As I visit client sites and assess the challenges they face, it becomes clear that sometimes the culprit is not the employee, it’s the technology. Excessive reliance on … [Read more...]
The Leper in the Room: Workplace Violence
As a business owner I have noticed that entrepreneurs talk about a range of topics and we share some pretty personal details; what doesn’t happen is the talk about violence. We speak about managing teams and dealing with problem performers, but we very rarely speak about what happens when those situations go horribly wrong. To get to the bottom of this I got some advice from … [Read more...]
Increasing Market Profile With Women’s Initiatives
Women's Initiatives Focused on Business Growth Due to the challenging economy and increased focus on revenue generation and business growth the timing is right for women’s leadership initiatives to be a catalyst for increasing organizational market visibility. All corporate initiatives are called to directly support business strategy in the best of times and these are not … [Read more...]
How to be seen as an expert
If you are are new to your business or just looking for a way to gain visibility, then being seen as an expert in your field is an invaluable way to earn trust, gain respect and increase attention to your business. Before I tackle the "how" to be seen as an expert, I have to first say this very, very important thing: You can not be seen as an expert if you are not already an … [Read more...]
Nine steps to developing a social media plan
Social media is not longer an option for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is a must. Just as having a website establishes credibility and provides information to potential clients, social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn do the same thing, as well as show you are in touch with the latest technology and coolest tools. How does an already overwhelmed business owner … [Read more...]
What’s all the chatter?
One of my favorite things about Twitter are the chat groups. On any given night, you can join dozens, or even hundreds, of other Twitterers in a lively discussion about a specific topic. Not only can you learn from others in the field, but you can establish yourself as a leader and expert while gaining new followers. How does a Twitter chat work? The moderator of the group … [Read more...]
Who is telling your story?
Whether you realize it or not, you are telling a story about your business in every thing you do. Question is, does that story accurately reflect who you are, what you do and the clients you serve? Every page on your website, every sales letter, every elevator speech, even every tweet you send - all of these communications tell the world about your values, attitudes and … [Read more...]
What are you worth? The cost of branding you.
“The cost of doing business” speaks for itself. You have to put money out to make money; feed the investment so that it grows becoming lucrative and prosperous. A fundamental basic that business leaders process regularly, right? Absolutely! Why then do many business professionals treat themselves and their own career marketing tools with substandard expectations? As a … [Read more...]
Get over it! (…the fear of being your own boss, that is)
Lately I’ve been experiencing higher than normal anxiety, the fear that maybe it won’t all work out and heavy reliance on emotional support from friends and family. The reason for acting this way, and being totally uncool, is that I have finally decided to follow my dream of being my own boss. That’s right, after several years of working for others while wishing I was … [Read more...]