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Small Business Matters
To the outside world your website is the equivalent of your storefront, and your customers expect it to be eye-catching, well-maintained, and always offering something new. However, when yo;re on the inside and are caught up in the day-to-day operations of your business, finding the time to focus on your website is easier said than done. And, like a neglected storefront, it can quickly become out-of-date, unappealing and, at worst, ignored. Here are some tips to help you keep your website up-to-date, relevant and attracting customers. 1. Does...
It's that time of year again -- annual employee performance review season! And with employee reviews comes the inevitable question of how do you reward high-performing employees? Do you give them a wage increase, hand-out a one-time bonus, or both? In a tough economy, are there other ways to reward employees, without breaking the bank? Here are some tips for assessing the best ways to reward your employees based on a strong performance review. Assessing Performance When it comes to reviewing employee performance and...
Ho! Ho! Ho! It's holiday season once more and the malls and stores are strewn with festive décor and are aloud with the piped tunes of Bing Crosby! But what if the holiday season is not your big selling season? For many service-based businesses and retail stores, the holidays can bring a sales blip, and at worst, cash flow issues. This is why i;s more important than ever to use this time to stay engaged with your customer base, while keeping your business in good management and fiscal shape. Here are four tips for making the most of...
If your sales are struggling and revenues are falling, it's essential to conduct a full review of your business to understand where things have gone wrong and where the opportunity lies for turning things around. If yo;re a fan of reality TV business makeover shows, i-s a formula you see all the time, from Gordon Ramsay to Tabatha Coffey, conducting a full review of your business is essential to understanding where things have gone wrong and where the opportunity lies for turning things around. This is, of course, easier said than done when...
How do you staff a new or growing business? Knowing who to turn to can be a bit of a conundrum. Do you dive right in and hire full-time or part-time employees? What if your success doesn't last and you are stuck with a team of employees with the associated payroll and benefit expenses? What about turning to friends and family or a staffing agency for help? It might not be something you thought about too much about when you started your business, but having a staffing plan can help your business prepare for success and ensure you have the...
It doesn't matter what type of business you operate, making sure you get paid on time and as seamlessly as possible (for both you and your client) is critical to your success and survival. But knowing how to get paid is-t as easy as it sounds. The payment options that work for one business, may not work for another. Likewise, getting paid on time requires you put the right pre-emptive measures in place for collecting what yo-re owed and managing past-due payments. To help you make the right decisions for your business, here are some...
Did you know that all the net new jobs in the U.S. over the past 25 years came from firms less than five years old? (source*). This calls for a celebration! And tha;s exactly what Global Entrepreneurship Week* (GEW) is all about - a celebration of entrepreneurship- on a global scale. But i-s not just one big party. From November 15-21, millions of people around the globe will participate in thousands of events and competitions to celebrate innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and generate new ideas! Many of these events will take...
'I need help starting my business!' - is a common cry from many budding small business owners. And it's no wonder. Starting a business is a huge step for any entrepreneur to undertake, and requires careful planning as well as business smarts and the right advice. While there are many useful online resources for businesses to help with start-up planning, preparation and management - including this one from Business.gov, '10 Steps to Starting a Business' - there is nothing quite as valuable as in-person assistance. This can...
It's doubtful that no two words in an entrepreneur's vocabulary are procrastinated over more than these two: Business Planning This simple phrase can conjure up visions of being hunkered down over a desk trying to justify, forecast, number-crunch and ultimately wrestle with the current state of your business compared with where you want it to be five or ten years down the line. But the business planning process does't have to start and end this way. If you really want to succeed in business, as in life, planning should be part...
As a small business owner you are dependent on cash flow - and making sure that your customer payments transact seamlessly, securely and reliably are critical to that cash flow. Her;s an overview of the payment options you may want to extend to your customers as well as the best practices and self-protection tactics you should employ when accepting customer payments. Which Customer Payment Options are Best for You? Identifying which payment methods are best for you depends on the type of company you run and how you conduct business. For...
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by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 - 05:00