(And that’s why women are better at business than we get credit for!) Business is relationship building. What brought this on? Two articles. One posed the question, are you treating your customers as guests, or as friends? The second asked whether you are capturing your website visitors’ emails so you can continue to build a…
Kellogg Foundation’s Routes of Change Focuses on Rural EntrepreneurshipThe Kellogg Foundation’s electronic newsletter, Routes of Change, highlights several ways in which rural communities are using entrepreneurship as a revitalization strategy. From Michigan to Louisiana to West Virginia, the newsletter shows communities using enterprise development and their natural and agricultural resources to create sustainable development strategies….
If you ever wished you could beat the local authorities over the head with a 2×4 until they understood “business,” here’s an idea that might help you. Georia’s Department of Economic Development is designating “Entrepreneur-Friendly Communities.” “Designated communites have sent their community leaders through a training process, and have established a system that allows them…
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship is a terrific resource, and growing better with time. They publish an email newsletter, the Rural E-News that I subscribe to. Highly recommended. They provide training on Home Town Competitiveness, E2 – Energizing Entrepreneurship, and CORE FOUR Business Planning. They maintain a Rural Eship Library, with links to websites and…
In my recent post on Small Business Branding, I promoted you as your brand. And, in a very real way you are. BUT….here are a couple of cautions about using your own name as your brand. George E. Failing Company. A well known maker of Failing-Speedstar equipment. Do you really want Failing equipment? Glitsch Construction….
Aaron Dwyer, an Australian web hosting provider, is holding a very smart contest to build his business. He’s looking for the worst business website in Australia and offering it a free renovation. He is receiving tons of publicity, the businesses are receiving publicity, and he is positioning himself as a terrific expert. The key is…
This advice from Colin Bates’ BuildingBrands newsletter could be a mantra for small biz survival. Of course, he offers huge business examples, so let’s add some small biz perspective. “Cooperate on product design.”Everything you do is your product. How you do it is design. (see Tom Peters) Can you design your product work with someone…
If you are going to try to compete with the world for online sales, consider this interesting article on live chat for sales websites. On an average website, only 2% of visits result in actual sales. You can do better, maybe up to 25%, by adding a live chat feature.“‘”People like to buy from people,’”…
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