Boy! If I Had Only Learned This Before Spending a Million!
Know your market and competition, or don’t spend a dime on anything else. I love absolutes—statements with no wiggle room for gray-area responses. Well, here is one of those, and it deals with market research first and foremost. Let me tell you a short story at my own expense. In 1994, (I know a long…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Being Hampered by the Pursuit of Perfection
The tendency to aim for perfection in all aspects of our work is a recurring theme in our company that’s likely familiar at yours, too. Striving for perfection is difficult for any organization placing an emphasis on high-quality deliverables, but even more so if one of your corporate values is “excellence,” or some derivative thereof.…
Read More7 Tips to Crush Your Deadlines
Time is money, especially in business. When you’re able to crush your deadlines you can take on more projects than ever before to earn yourself promotions and an ultimately higher income. I wanted to talk to people who deal with deadlines on a daily basis (and where time is literal money) so I headed to…
Read MoreHire Your First Employee—But Make Sure You Follow IRS Standards
So, you’re seeing some success with your one-man band. Business is looking up, and it’s time to hire some help. We know it can be both exciting and scary to take that next step, so it’s important to keep certain things in mind as you hire your first employee. The IRS has specific requirements to…
Read More5 Ways Business Owners Can Profit from the Stock Market
Small business owners are always looking for investments. They want to put their money in places that will come back to them in profits. Some do this through investing in their local community. They purchase their supplies only from local merchants instead of chains or they buy things from those with whom they network. This…
Read MoreMay I Ask You a Question?
One of the biggest issues marketing and sales folks face is just getting on the radar screen of their prospects. Even when you have something of incredible value and you genuinely know the prospect needs what you have to sell, it’s tough to get their attention long enough to ask a question or even be…
Read MoreHow Startup Accelerator DesignX Turns Architecture Students into Entrepreneurs
Outdated teaching practices at architecture schools are finally giving way to a modern, tech-savvy approach to architectural education. MIT’s new DesignX accelerator helps architecture students become archipreneurs while still at school by providing a platform for developing business models and pitching and funding projects. One of the main reasons why architects lack business skills is the fact…
Read MorePersonal Branding Basics: The Content Question
“When you come to a fork in the road – take it.” – Yogi Berra While it may seem nonsensical from a logical point of view, Yogi’s advice applies exactly to the content you must create for a successful personal brand. Your content must focus on two areas (although not in equal proportions): Your profession,…
Read More4 Features Every Entrepreneur Must Look for in Expense Report Software
As technology continues to change every business process, so does the user expectation. User expectations have increased in terms of Travel & Expense (T & E) management solutions they use. Today’s organizations demand best-in-class features in T & E travel and expense management solutions such as: Intelligent capabilities to eliminate manual expense management activities An…
Read More7 Social Listening Hacks to Boost Customer Loyalty
The importance of customer loyalty is unquestionable. Making every customer a satisfied, regular customer is an ultimate goal for business owners. However, fostering true customer retention is as far from easy work. You need to be smart, patient and use all those tools out there like a pro. In this digital age of ours, social media…
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