April, 2018

What to DIY and What to Outsource as a Small Business Owner

Small business owners in the modern world can make things happen for themselves and their businesses that never would have been within reach of their predecessors. Today, there is virtually nothing that a small business owner can’t do for themselves.

But, just because you can DIY a component of your business doesn’t always mean you should. There are times when the expertise of others will be a priceless investment. It can be tempting to believe that your passion for the business should count more than skills or experience in specific areas, but sometimes your care for the company means you will need to outsource.

Improving the Communications Systems in Your Business

The key to effective business, all businesspeople will know, is all about communication. It’s what will win you clients and broker your deals. It will increase your exposure and get things done internally in efficient and timely manner. So having the best-possible communications systems at your disposal, with an efficient organizational structure and policy with which to run them, will ensure that your business (large or small) is running at a competitive and lucrative level. From phones to emails and beyond, here are some methods to increase the efficiency of your communications systems.

Are You Selling The Wrong Thing?

Have you ever aerated a lawn? I do it every year.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, an aerator is a gasoline-powered machine equipped with a spiked metal roller on the bottom. It weighs about a billion pounds (I’m guessing) and its function is to poke finger-sized holes in your lawn, thereby “aerating” it and making it healthier.

Preliminary Results for Selecting the Winner: The Companies At The Top Are Very Close

Final Voting days. Only one day left before the final voting ends and the ultimate grant winner is selected.

The finalists voting round closes this Thursday (April 4th), and I want to draw your attention to this important countdown.

Tax Strategies for Small Business and Personal Tax Savings in 2018 and Beyond

Small-business owners and self-employed people: consider converting company type, changing withholding and quarterly tax payments, and other tax-smart strategies

Your 2017 tax return provides valuable clues for planning for your 2018 taxes, says Paul Jacobs, Certified Financial Planner and Enrolled Agent with Palisades Hudson Financial Group. But with tax reform, the exercise is more complicated this year. 

Improving Your Small Biz Brand Visibility And Reputation

Over 50% of businesses close their doors within their first 5 years of existing. Competition is fierce in the global marketplace, and small businesses often have a hard time adjusting to these conditions. What is needed to achieve any measure of success is to set your business apart from all the rest in some way. Without a unique selling point, the odds of developing a reliable customer-base are fairly low, even if the products and services you're offering are on par with your competitors.

High Tech Products Depend on Highly Effective Marketing

While effective marketing is essential in any situation where one entity attempts to encourage another to make a purchase, it’s especially critical when it comes to selling high tech products. Simply put, the pressure to market the latest tech to consumers inundated with options is just too high to ignore. Tiny tech startups, huge technology firms, and everyone in between all have an incentive to invest in an array of optimized marketing techniques in order to successfully convince potential buyers of the benefits of their product.

How to Improve Communication with Customers Online

The way customers communicate with businesses has changed dramatically. Customers no longer want to just email or call to reach you — they want to be able to find you through a variety of online channels. To avoid frustrating your customers, there are a few tactics you need to use to enhance communication online.

How Small Businesses Can Improve Communication Effectiveness

As a small business or startup grows it operations, the lines of communications change along with the organizational structure. From the business owner to the newest hire, there are many channels of communication that can facilitate growth and solve problems. Unfortunately, the majority of small businesses take too long to improve their communication effectiveness and become great listeners of their people. In turn, they miss out on growth opportunity or solutions that could have been solved much quicker. To avoid these challenges for your small business, read about the following communication improvements for a growing company.

5 Ways Trump’s Presidency Has Impacted Small Businesses

A new presidency will always attract change; either good or bad, itstill remains to be seen as the new president implements new policies. As the 45th president of the United States of America,DonaldTrump was inauguratedinto office on Friday, 20thJanuary 2017. The administration that President Trump has put in officehas implemented many changes and is proposing many more.