Don’t let the heat of new attraction dim; nurture the relationship with your customers. In February, love is in the air. After all, February contains Valentine’s Day, American Heart Month, even Love Your Pet Day. But for small-business owners and entrepreneurs, I’m declaring February as Love Your Customers Month. Getting and keeping customers is like …
How PR Is Done—The Judgment of Paris
It started as a publicity stunt. It created an industry—an industry dominated by small businesses and entrepreneurs. And it revolutionized the wine world, changing forever the quality and cost of the next glass of wine you’ll drink. This year is the 40th anniversary of the “Judgment of Paris” in which the best French wines were …
Would You Want Donald Trump as a Client?
In four months, Americans will decide whether they want Donald Trump to be their President. For small business owners, however, it’s customers who affect their daily lives far more than Washington politicians. So before you consider what Trump would be like as your President, consider this: what would Donald Trump be like as a client …
8 Can’t Lose Sales Strategies
If you own a small business, you may think of yourself as a baker, graphic designer, technologist, or whatever industry you’re in. But if you hope to succeed, there’s one title you better add: salesperson. Every small business owner and entrepreneur needs to get out there and make sales. Of course, many small business owners …
7 Small Business Marketing Tricks for Busy People
As a small business owner you have a lot on your plate — creating your product or delivering your service, managing your money, motivating your employees, ensuring operations run smoothly. Phew! How do you find time to actually attract customers? For an overwhelmed small business owner, how do you manage to take care of one …
Small Business Depends on Silicon Valley
What’s Silicon Valley cooking up now to help small businesses? I had a chance to find out when I arranged an “Insider’s Tour of Silicon Valley” to celebrate the 35th anniversary of America’s Small Business Development Center network (ASBDC). On Sept 9, I took approximately 70 small business consultants on a tour of three companies dramatically affecting …
5 Benefits of a Great Company Culture
Recently, I had lunch with a friend, I’ll call him Ryan, who’s launched a high-tech start-up. Most of us would envy Ryan’s success. He easily raised nearly two million dollars in funding. He’s attracted a small team of outstanding employees. He’s landed a couple of major customers. But he confided to me that his biggest …
Entrepreneurs Preventing the Next Katrina
When people envision entrepreneurs working to save the world, it’s not likely they picture someone like Sarah Mack, Ph.D. A fast-talking farm-raised gal who fishes and hunts (including alligators), Mack’s a whip-smart scientist determined to help save the Gulf Coast from the devastation of another hurricane like Katrina. Mack is one of the new breed of New Orleans-based …
5 Things Entrepreneurs Do Before 9 a.m. Each Morning
Small business owners and entrepreneurs must be productive. We need to squeeze value out of every minute. For most of us, our most energetic and constructive time is first thing in the morning. Do we use those precious morning hours well? I recently asked readers of my free monthly small business tips newsletter, PlanningShop Report, …
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