How can local businesses build more sales through social media? Just ask for requests, then answer them. Your fellow reader Julie Barr wrote in with this example she spotted: Hi Becky, I knew you would appreciate how our local liquor store took to social media to increase their business! Here’s what they did: The…
Building a small business and developing an invention take different skills. I was reminded of this when I read David McCullough’s book, “The Wright Brothers.” Inventors are interested in the development of the idea. They are not put off by trial and error. Business owners are focused on solving a consumer’s problem and doing so…
Small businesses must think big. I suspect that I am telling you something you aren’t already planning. Owners are always thinking of how to add more staff, sell more, increase the size of your store and, the ultimate, increase the number of locations you have, and make more money. All of those are certainly worthy…
Do you steer away from the competition? Or do you embrace the opportunity and locate beside your competitors? Often small-business owners will tell you that they would be happy if they had no competition. Yet having no competition may mean you are selling something that no one wants. Given that thought, the same owner may…
“There never is enough time.” You probably would agree with me that we hear this phrase repeated over and over by people everywhere. Because time is a limited resource and we feel we never have enough, we’ve been bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of suggestions on how to make the most of the time…
Have you ever had a customer waiting for something? How did you respond? Did you provide an answer based on your work schedule, or did you respond quickly, without any thought of whether you could deliver as promised? Making promises is easy. Keeping those commitments is much harder. Your response puts you on a slippery…
The day is nearly here for you to open the doors of your new business. What a great feeling! Have you thought about who might be your first customer? Might I suggest that the first person should be your worst critic, or might I even say nightmare? That comment probably dampened your enthusiasm. Why start…
Disasters happen. If you are a business owner, you can count on having a disaster in your business. It may be a major event such as a flood, thunderstorm or tornado, but more likely, it will be something smaller, such as a water leak over your computers, an electrical outage or even the street being…
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