Few things in life beat the excitement of starting a new business or launching a new product. Creating a startup is thrilling. Sure, there’s risk—but risk can be exciting. There’s also challenge and creativity—figuring out how to build something from nothing, finding money, solving problems. But what happens when the startup is started? You built …
Instagram, It’s Not Just for Pics Anymore
Want a sell-out crowd of small business owners at your next Chamber of Commerce meeting? Then invite a speaker on the topic of “How to Increase Sales Using Social Media.” Small businesses are excited about, but challenged, when it comes to using social media for actually conducting business. Now, there’s a newly expanded tool they …
50 Shades of Green
Wish lists aren’t just for boys and girls. We small businesses have them too. What tops yours? More customers? More sales? More money? Here’s a list of ideas to help bring in more customers, more sales, and more money this holiday season. Email newsletters with a holiday theme Customer appreciation events Extended holiday hours 2018 …
12 Absurdly Easy Ways to Make More Money
Want to make more money in your small business? Who doesn’t? Usually, when small business owners think of ways to make more money, they consider things that are pretty tough, like developing new products or services, opening new locations, or adding an eighth day of the week so they can work 24/8 instead of just …
Time to Get Ready for Small Business Saturday
It’s not yet Halloween, but for many small businesses, planning for the holiday season has started in full force. If you own a small business, it’s time to start getting ready for one of the most important days of the year: Small Business Saturday. In all my years working with and writing about small businesses, …
6 Ways to Make the Most of Fall in Your Small Biz
The weather is suddenly cooler. Leaves are changing color. Halloween decorations fill store shelves. Suddenly, business is picking up in your small business. Welcome to Fall—for many small businesses, the busiest, most hectic, and important time of the year. How will you make the most of Fall in your small business? Fall is the time …
Make Sales, Not Tweets
Our new President, Donald Trump, spends a lot of time on Twitter. He’s tweeted almost 35,000 times and often tweets many times a day. But is all that time on social media well spent? Whether you have one of the world’s largest enterprises to run – let’s say one directly affecting 330 million of your …
6 Sure-Fire Tips to Increase Sales by 12/31
Yes, Virginia, there is a small business Santa Claus. “Santa” comes in the form of customers with money burning a hole in their pockets. They have funds they want to, or need to, spend before midnight December 31. These customers are ripe for the picking, so hurry and make those all-important, highly lucrative, sales calls …
Nine Secrets to Small Business Holiday Success
Starting Thanksgiving weekend, holiday shoppers get serious, really serious. There’s Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. And that’s just one weekend. Consumers are expected to spend $655 billion shopping in November and December. That’s a lot of money. How will you make sure your small business gets your piece of the pie during …
