It’s only natural that we have the holidays on our minds this time of year, but I’ll admit the event I’m thinking of most may not be the same one you’re focused on. November is National Entrepreneurship Month and, as someone who works with small business owners on a daily basis and knows how hard it is to grow a business, I can’t overstate how much I appreciate the creativity, innovation and hard work of today’s entrepreneur. For me, November is synonymous with these self-starters who are following their dreams and doing business their own way. There are plenty of ways we can celebrate these entrepreneurial risk takers, and I think the best way I can show my appreciation is to provide a few tips for developing sustainable customer relationships that are critical to long-term small business success.

Running a business can and typically does take up much of one’s daily time.

From overseeing a budget and employees (where applicable) to promoting your brand on a daily basis, time can seem like there is never enough of it. As a result, your business can end up missing out on adding new revenue streams.

So, what are some of the ways you can bring more business through your doors or online network if you sell products and services via the Internet?

Are You the Content King or Queen?

Well not a whole lot has happened with Living the Dream Alpaca Farm in the last two weeks.  We have our web-site up live and have started to receive on-line E-commerce orders.  I have fine tuned the site and the on line store.  Most of the Alpaca Clothing that we bring to shows is featured on the web-site.  We invite you to view the site at www.livingthedreamalpacafarm.com.  With the help from Idea Café grant monies it has made it possible for us to host an e-commerce site.  We believe this is going to be a huge part of the business revenue, with Christmas right around the corner and more people doing on-line shopping than ever. 

The Kauffman Index reported that startup business activity rose in 2015, signaling a positive indicator of job creation, innovation, and economic advancement. 
While the economic prospects for new entrepreneurs increase the attractiveness of being your own boss, many entrepreneurs are drawn in by the prospects of setting your own hours, and the potential for higher financial returns than are possible from a 9 to 5 job. Making the right investments is a good way to ensure your business has the highest chances for success. In this article we discuss different investments entrepreneurs shouldn't be afraid to make.

Running a successful business means using the right tools and applications, a main reason why application monitoring is such an important part of any business.

With that said, there are a number of best practices to keep in mind when monitoring and managing your business applications.

The trend of business loans has become very popular, as most of the organizations spanning from small and medium to large ones have developed their business by availing fund from banks and other capital investment firms.

However, if you want to establish yourself as a lender for any business, you need to know that banks are the major players in this sector and many organizations always prefer banks as their first choice. Along with this, several investment companies are doing business in the market by offering fund to needy business owners.

Outsourcing may seem like a great way for your business to save money. However, if not deployed strategically, outsourcing can actually be counter-productive and have a negative effect on your competitiveness and bottom line. With that in mind, you can use these seven tips to make your outsourcing better managed.

Outsource for the Right Things
You should never outsource your core business functions. It would be like a director of a movie subcontracting another person to direct in his place. You would be giving up control of what you do best, since any core function you actually advertise or produce needs to be a part of the overall process. Instead, only outsource things that are supplemental to the creation of your product or service.

The costs of time management, payroll and accounting are among the largest expenses facing any business. Whether your company employs ten or ten thousand, the expense of handling time sheets, payroll, workflow and job outlays significantly impacts your revenue stream. Most importantly, those costs have a direct effect on your bottom line.

Losing Customers Hurts More Than Your Feelings

Just about any C-suite executive would like to get a favorable feature story about the company from a major news outlet, and it wouldn’t hurt for said executive to be highlighted as a “game changer” or “innovator.” But are you ready for a PR agency to take up your cause?

Here are five tips to consider if the time is right for a public relations firm.

While nearly everyone has seen television shows or documentaries about people who go a bit too far with couponing, you don't need to spend hours a week chasing deals to enjoy some major savings. Andrea Woroch of the Promotion Marketing Association states in US News & World Report that an average coupon user can save up to a thousand dollars per year. Here are some strategies to save money without a huge time commitment to couponing.