The Difference Between Mediocre and Great in Customer Service
Paying attention to small details can be what makes the difference between a great service experience and a mediocre one. When you observe your customers and pick up on the subtle cues and messages—both words and body language, things said and things unsaid—you can take advantage of the moment to deliver a better customer experience.…
Read More4 Reasons to Love Complaints
We all know that one person who loves to complain. It feels as though they always have something negative to say about the food, or the service, or whatever they deem sub-par that evening. As much as this type of person may annoy you personally, small business owners should love the complainer. In fact, embracing…
Read More22 Good Reasons to Write a Business Plan
Question: What are some of the main arguments for writing a business plan? Here are 20 good reasons to write a business plan. Please note, however, that a business plan is not necessarily a traditional formal business plan. It ought to be a LEAN BUSINESS PLAN that gets reviewed and revised often. It ought not to be…
Read More6 Tips to Create and Publish a Killer Article on LinkedIn
In February last year, LinkedIn gave every member in the U.S. the ability to publish posts on LinkedIn – and the response was swift and enthusiastic. In fact just recently, LinkedIn reached more than one million posts. Now since LinkedIn wants each one of more than 330 million members to be able to share their…
Read More4 Essentials Every Employee Needs to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
This is the first in a series of six articles that will examine different aspects of delivering exceptional customer service and how it leads to increased overall profitability. Over the 6 part series, we’ll discuss techniques that you can implement to improve the performance of your employees—always with an eye firmly fixed on improved profitability…
Read More5 Ways You Could Be Damaging Your Company’s Credit Score
Almost every small company needs to borrow at one point or another, and ideally sooner than later. And when you do, your credit score will dictate who does business with you and at what interest rate. So it’s in your interest to keep your score as high as possible. Here are a few common pitfalls…
Read More2017 Year-End Tax Savings Tips Not to Overlook
With the possibility that tax law changes could go into effect next year that would significantly reduce income tax rates for many businesses, 2017 may be an especially good year to accelerate deductible expenses. Why? Deductions save more tax when rates are higher. Timing income and expenses can be a little more challenging for accrual-basis…
Read MoreAvoid These 3 Frustrating Marketing Errors
I collect marketing boo-boos like some people collect stamps or rare coins. Yes, I save marketing emails and other marketing communications from vendors that are either frustrating, demonstrate poor customer experience, or make no sense. I thought I’d share some recent examples, so you can see what to avoid! Example #1 As a Starwood Preferred and…
Read MorePayroll and Tax Issues to Be Aware of at Year-End
With an overhaul of the nation’s tax system in full swing, it can be difficult for small businesses to know what to expect when it comes to tax laws and regulations next year. But, if you manage a business, you know you still need to take care of the current year’s payroll and tax issues…
Read More10 Best Apps to Make Driving Safer, Easier, and More Fun
If you’re like most small business owners or entrepreneurs, you do a lot more driving than average. If you are not using an app to make your driving safer, easier, or even more fun, then you are missing out on some of the greatest conveniences modern technology has awarded today’s drivers. Planning your journey, finding…
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