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Software is now officially approaching its 60th birthday – did you know that? Software got its start in the 1950s. And computers have had a place in the small business workplace for decades, especially starting in the1980s with the advent of Apple computers and the IBM personal computer. With software and hardware being around for so long, you'd think we business owners would know all the benefits of technology in our businesses, right? But here's the rub. A lot of technology change has occurred in just the past...
All prospective franchisees have one thing in common: curiosity. They’re all curious about income. They all want to know how much they’re going to make. It’s to be expected. After all, if one is going to invest their own money into a franchise business start-up, they should be able to get their salary range, right? If you’re looking to become the owner of a franchise, it’s important that you know some basics, up-front. One of them concerns your salary. That’s what this post is about. First off, I hope that...
One the most difficult challenges when you’re growing your business is morphing from a fledging startup to a more established, mature organization. Many entrepreneurs who want to grow their firms stumble because they can't adjust their business operations appropriately. I think it’s a lot like going through puberty. It can be awkward, confusing, and frustrating, but it's all part of growing up. If you’re like most business owners, you feel as though no one in your...
What format do you use for a trip plan, vacation plan, construction plan, or a game plan? Whatever works, right? The travel plans are probably a combination of reservations and confirmations, additional information, in a variety of different modes. The game plan is something verbal, in many cases, or maybe some bullet points, or a detailed listing of specific plays. The construction plans are probably blueprints, very carefully drawn and measured, full of specific details. Like so much of the things we do, the form of these plans...
With an economy that’s struggling, every small business owner is looking for ways to increase profits, save money and improve efficiency. The good news is there are plenty of ideas that you can find in books and articles. But rather than cover the obvious ones, in today’s tough economy you need new and creative ways to save. Consider the following ten cost-saving ideas for your small business: Go paperless– You can lower storage costs, printing costs and improve overall efficiency by running a paperless office. By...
For the last six weeks, I’ve been working on a course for American Express OPEN Forum’s new Crash Course series. While I don’t claim to be an online video marketing guru, I learned a lot in helping them build this course on YouTube Marketing. Here is a bit of what I shared there: Always title your video properly That is, edit the actual filename with keywords and the name of your company or brand. Don’t leave it as those random numbers and letters that your video camera assigns to each video, such as,...
The world of business is changing at the speed of light these days. That means that your business’s brand can become outdated faster than ever – whether your company is new or time-tested. Your brand is your business’s image—the first thing that customers or potential customers think of when they see your company name, logo or products. A strong brand identity is crucial to successful marketing, because without it, your business won’t stand out from the pack. How can you tell if your brand needs a refresh?...
If Starbucks is your headquarters and you spend much or most of your time out and about, you may be part of a growing group of business owners who work on a mobile basis. A laptop, tablet, and Smartphone enable you to set up an office just about anywhere. Certainly, not having to pay office rent cuts your overhead substantially. Being mobile also gives you more flexibility in scheduling and running your business. But you still have costs for working on a mobile basis. Here are the tax rules you need to know. Home office deduction Even if you...
Last month, I flew out to San Diego to attend the Small Business Development Centers’ national conference. While I was planning what to pack… swimsuit, sunscreen, beach shoes; my thoughts turned to how to gain the most benefit and make the best connections from the trade show, presenters and other attendees I would meet from around the country. This is something I have to put some effort into because although it may come as a surprise, networking hasn’t always been my “thing”. I wouldn’t go as far as...
Any time a well-known social site changes, we’ve come to expect an immediate backlash against the changes. Facebook, the mega social networking site, is no exception*, as USA Today reports. In September 2011, Facebook unveiled upcoming changes to its site. Those changes include an image-intensive new layout for personal profile pages, a scrolling status ticker of your friends on the right column of the page, and a feature called “Timeline” that will let you display images from your entire life....
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by smallbiztrends, Guest Blogger on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - 13:08