Hiring the first employee is a huge step for a small business. If your small business has reached the point where you need help because the assistance of family and friends no longer covers the gaps, you may have reached the point where you need bring paid staff on board. (A previous Small Biz Survival…
A great deal of information about starting a business is available. Some of the information is accurate and helpful. Other information is best called a myth, although it may hold a grain of truth. Probably the biggest myth is that of “free money” available for starting a business. The reality is that there is little…
The small town business owner today has lots of new channels available to use in getting their marketing message out. Yet that very factor, since many of these channels are using online media tools, makes business owners nervous on which channel to use and how to use it effectively. The reality is that the choice…
Your small business has launched. Things are going well. Your day is spent working with your customers or restocking shelves. Yet you have so many other things to do. Nights and weekends are your time for ordering, recordkeeping and planning. Family members, who you hoped to spend more time with, see less and less of…
If you operate a small business of any type–product or service, home-based, Main Street, on the outskirts or outside of town, new or old–you have a common bond with all other small business owners. Your common bond is the close linkages between your family and your business. Actions taken in one easily can affect the…
If no one knows about your business, the odds are it won’t be successful. Getting visible today is harder than ever before. The traditional marketing tools are still used, plus now online tools just add to the clutter that prevents your business from being noticed. This is certainly true for new businesses, but even existing…
Whether your business is just starting or it has been around for 100 years, the need to remain visible is constant. You need to give today’s consumer a reason to stop at your business. Some have forgotten you exist, others get busy and still others may not realize what changes you may have made, such…
What makes us make a purchase? The answer is not entirely clear. Yet we do know that six behaviors are part of the buying decision process. Knowing the behaviors is a good first step in helping small-business owners develop a business strategy. However, business owners also must understand that for each person, the behaviors are not linear but…
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