Have you ever just felt that your business and what you do is nothing special? No matter what you sell or where you are located or even where you market, your business faces lots of competition. And as you dig deeper into who your competition is and what they are doing, your feel nothing distinguishes your…
Successful small businesses depend on customers who return. Such customers form your core audience. They buy regularly and as research notes, they buy more than the more casual customer or the one-time customer. Yes, their regular purchase may be less but, over time, they are your stars. Second, your returning customers are most likely be…
Many small-business owners fear that an increase in prices will drive customers away. This idea made the headlines in 2016 when New Jersey implemented a substantial gas tax increase making prices jump 10% or more overnight. Gas station owners were concerned that people will go somewhere else for cheaper prices or to other transportation alternatives….
I have had the opportunity to work with the small-business community over the last twenty years. That community includes people looking to start a business, those in the start-up stage, others growing to the next stage, and a cadre of people dedicated to support these folks. I have seen businesses start but also shut down….
While you form the cornerstone of your business, employees make up the foundation. As the owner, your name and personality are key to identifying and branding your business. Yet, you are not always there to interact with each and every customer. Plus you can’t be an expert at all of the skills required to build…
At some point, you will need the support and expertise of an attorney as you operate your small business. Often, though, owners delay adding that member to your business team. The thought is that you, the owner, will know when you need such help. But that line of thought has two major issues. First, you…
Want to have a successful small business? Then build your network. Comments like this are not uncommon. Good networking is one factor in building a successful, sustainable small-business. Both anecdotal information and research supports such claims. We have written about it previously in this blog when discussing “Networking for Business Success.” Most articles, like this…
I am not a regular television watcher but happened to catch a “60 Minutes” episode recently (http://tinyurl.com/60Minutes-socialmedia). The episode focused on how influencers are marketing using social media. Although I follow and use several social media platforms to help reach small-business owners, most of this information was new to me. But it was not surprising….
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