A Riddle: Why Explain Why?
In my early journalism classes, I was taught the five “W’s” of good news stories, and that most should be in the first paragraph at that. Who, what, when, where and why are the five, with sometimes a “how” thrown in for those followers of the macabre. But of the five, “why” is by far the most important for business…
Read MoreDoing Business in Another State: Foreign Qualification
To be successful and generate a profit in today’s business world, many business owners are finding that it is important to conduct business outside of their local vicinity. In fact, many businesses that are located in one state are doing business in a number of other states. When a company is doing business in a…
Read MoreWhat the Color of Your Brand Says About Your Business
Color psychology may not be a topic you have come across much, neither will you have thought about the impact of colors—until now. When it comes to branding your business, the color or colors you choose for logos and other materials send an important message. At its most basic, the right color can attract the…
Read MoreWhat is the Barbell Effect and How Does It Work?
Do you work out with free weights? If you do, where do you grab the barbells? In the middle, right? In business, as in barbells, it’s the middle that gets squeezed and this has given rise to the phenomenon known as “the barbell effect.” The idea is that businesses on either extreme in a given…
Read MoreHow to Take Your Idea from a Hobby to a Business
As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return…
Read MoreEmployees vs. Contractors: What’s the Difference?
Picture this: You’re a successful small business owner with a growing venture. You’ve reached the point where you simply can no longer handle everything on your to-do list each day. You’re now ready to hire some help. But should you hire talent as employees? Or, should you make your team members independent contractors? It’s a…
Read MoreCombining IN and OUT Marketing Proven the Best Choice
A new study says that neither inbound nor outbound marketing tactics alone are adequate to drive a business. What it takes is a combination of both. According to the Inbound Marketing Effectiveness Benchmark Study Report – Q2 2016 from Demand Metric and Act-On Software, most study participants agreed that a blend of tactics drives their businesses. What’s interesting…
Read MoreHow to Work with Difficult But Important Business Clients
All small business owners have had experiences with difficult clients. It’s a fact of life when you run your own company. Whether these clients are slow with payments, criticize your work, or simply give you a headache, it’s important to know how to deal with them. This is especially true when you’re just starting out.…
Read MoreHow to Plan a Successful Media Buying Strategy
In order for your media buying strategy to be successful, you need to identify your target demographic, and then place the right ad in the right place at the right time. Seems simple on paper, right? In practice, it’s not that straightforward. Of course, what works for one company isn’t always ideal for another, so…
Read MoreIncrease Conversion Rate Right Now with These 5 Tactics
Converting prospects to customers is part art and part science. As consumers are fickle, what they want or need to make a purchase today may be dramatically different tomorrow. Therefore, it is critical that you know what it takes to respond to consumer needs if you want to turn site or landing page traffic into…
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