The Courage to Commit and Execute
Developing new strategies and new programs is exciting. The problem is committing to the execution of the programs. It’s no longer about powerful ideas, but it’s the tough work of making it happen.
Read More The Loyal Bird Catches the Worm: Rewarding Your Repeat Customers
The great thing about being a small business owner is getting to know your customers. The folks who come into your shop frequently or contact you on a regular basis are the ones whose stories you remember and whose favorite brand of leather boots you keep in stock.
Read More Get Your Small Business Growing: Get Creative
As a history major, I understand the past is a great teacher. We learn from our experiences and they can serve as a solid base upon which to build. However, as they say, “If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results.” And in today’s dynamic, rapidly changing marketplace, you’ve got to be willing to shake things up a bit.
Read More The Grinch and Me
‘Twas the night before Christmas / The store had just closed / I tallied receipts / Adding to my woes
Read More Tell a Story to Build Your Brand
Gone are the days when brands could just broadcast their message and reach their audience. They now need a good story to break through the noise.
Read More How to Make Sure Your Work Aligns with Your Values
A mentor once told me that the only way you truly know what your values are are when they are violated. When you betray your values, you feel awkward, uneasy, and even sick.
Read More New Freemium Formula Pits Revenue Against User Satisfaction
What would you think of a restaurant that offered really good food, but the salad is free and the dressing is extra? The potatoes are free but the sour cream is extra. The soup is free but heating it costs extra. And table service is free if you wait two hours, but table service in 20 minutes costs extra.
Read More Does a Low-Cost Franchise Mean a Low Return?
With a low cost franchise, you will typically be looking at the opposite end of cost factors than the higher-priced category. Items such as less employees, less physical space needed (sometimes none at all!) and less overhead to get started are all valued features of lower-cost franchises.
Read More Steps to Getting Your Small Business on the Cloud
The popularity of cloud computing for small business continues to boom. To attach some numbers to this claim, only five percent of small businesses used the cloud in 2010, whereas 43 percent of small businesses use the cloud in 2013.
Read More Target Personas: Content Marketing’s New Buzzword
An old marketing adage states that trying to attract customers without first drawing a picture of your target demographic is analogous to attempting to kill a fly with a cannon. The fly will most likely continue to drive you to the edge of crazy, and your wall will be in ruins. A no-win situation for all, right?
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