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Have you all but given up on publicizing your small business to newspapers, TV, magazines and radio, instead focusing all your efforts on social media marketing? You could be making a big mistake. A study done this summer showed that despite the prevalence of social media, blogs and websites, Americans still find traditional media the most trustworthy source of information. Here’s what you need to know to get publicity in traditional media. 1. Find the right media outlets to target....
Every year, countless businesses across the country experience hurricanes, blizzards, power outages, fires, tornados, and other events that can temporarily disrupt activities and, in some cases, put them out of business. For instance, in *2010, there were 98,000 fires to nonresidential structures, resulting in $2.6 billion in property damage. Hopefully, business owners are smart enough to carry adequate insurance to offset their property losses and have business recovery plans that enable them to function again. But despite all the planning,...
Small businesses and big brands have used a variety of ways to grow their networks on sites like Facebook. Using images and videos to engage followers, running contests, offering discounts in exchange for Liking a page and engaging in active discussion are all some ways that businesses have built their followings on Facebook. Unfortunately, not all strategies are worthwhile or even permitted. It’s a dirty little secret that some businesses have resorted to “buying Likes” of their business Pages. But that could...
If you’re thinking about becoming your own boss, and the business model of franchising sounds attractive, there are several things you need to do before you even look at a franchise business opportunity. Even though you probably can’t wait to jump in that nice, warm franchise opportunity pool, I want you to force yourself to hold back. Read my tips below first; they’ll help you prepare for your jump. 1. Talk To Your Family If you think for one minute that becoming the owner of a business will...
Online buzz about social media for business owners seems to be moving from “Should I” to “How do I?” I’ve been working on this a lot lately as part of my work on planning, and I’ve developed this process for a specific social media plan for small business: Start with strategy Define how your social media serves your business. Usually that’s in the marketing area of the business related to branding and awareness at the top of the marketing funnel, but it can also be focused on other business functions...
Once you have completed all the steps necessary for your business to be lender compliant, you can begin establishing credit. You may have jumped ahead of yourself and already applied for one or two business credit cards using your personal credit. Not to worry-the purpose of this article is to share with you the best way to build credit for your company so you can stop relying on your personal credit to secure the financing for your company. During the early stages of the business credit building process, you probably heard about applying for...
Is August a slow season for your small business? For many of us, business slows down as the days heat up. Fortunately, that makes the rest of this month the ideal time to use your downtime productively by reassessing your marketing strategy. Determine what’s working and what isn’t, and revamp your approach for the rest of the year. Here are some areas to consider: Has your target market changed? Maybe your customers are getting older, moving out of your area or spending less on what you sell. Is there a new target market you...
The quotation I keep on my desk from Benjamin Franklin says, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Savvy business owners know that learning is a lifetime affair. Fortunately, there are many federal income tax breaks to help defray the cost of your ongoing education. Lifetime learning credit If you continue to pursue formal education beyond the undergraduate level, you may be eligible to claim a tax credit for tuition, fees, and certain other qualified expenses. Each dollar of the tax credit reduces your tax bill by...
In my role as a franchise advisor, I’ve been able to work with a lot of really smart people over the years. I’m talking MBA’s, PhD’s-even a rocket scientist from NASA. I would guess that some of them were qualified to be members of MENSA.* But, even smart people make mistakes, and I’ve seen some real whoppers take place at various stages of the franchise buying cycle. Some of them include: · Not calling 10-15 current and former franchisees to ask about their...
One of the most important benefits of good business planning is strategic positioning. Especially as technology advances and markets grow constantly more narrow and more defined, positioning is vital. You can use your business plan, with regular review and revisions, to keep steering towards the right positioning. The change in segmentation and strategy is remarkable. Take television sports as an example. We started with sports programs on network television. Now we have several mainstream sports channels, and separate channels for pro...
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by Rieva Lesonsky, Guest Blogger on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 11:39