Latest Tips, Tools, & Technology to Build Your Business
Posts tagged avoiding disaster
So Your Ad Flopped
Oct 6th
It can be disconcerting, and even downright distressing, to have invested hundreds to thousands of dollars on an ad campaign to find it does a huge belly-flop. Often times we make huge blunders in our ad presentation, whether it is print or media, and don’t even know what it was. Below is a short list of some of the major faux pas business owners make when preparing ad copy.
Predictable Ads
Why would anyone take the time to read or listen to your ad, if it mimics all the others out there? Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech More >
Making Lemons Into Lemonade
Oct 6th
In this day and age we all rely heavily on our cars. Because the US is not a very pedestrian friendly country, sometimes even getting a gallon of milk requires a trip in the car. Almost everyone drives to and from work on a daily basis. Then there are children’s activities, household errands, etc., that require a reliable vehicle.
In today’s business scene, many people travel extensively. Not only sales people, but project managers, construction workers, etc., are on the road regularly. When your car doesn’t work then, it costs you time and, more importantly, money.
Being stuck by the side of More >
New Ways To Capture Depositions
Sep 8th
The USA is known as a litigious country. Some of the largest settlements have been made here. So, being prepared with your own legal counsel is a smart move for any business, no matter how large or small.
One job that has had a lot of advances in it, due to the rapid changes in technology is deposition reporters. You are no longer held back by the stenograph. Huseby Inc, a court reporting company, is using the latest technology to do court reporting and deposition accumulation. Their state and nationally certified reporters are up to date on all the latest advances More >
Are Your Customers Satisfied?
Sep 1st
Business had been really great, but suddenly you’ve seen a big drop-off in return customers. You’ve changed your menu and want to check with your regular customers to see if they like it. You’ve implemented some new policies in your office and want to know how employees are coping with the change. There are many reasons that you might want to take a survey of customers or employees.
The most often used polls are customer satisfaction surveys. With the advent of the Internet it is easier than ever to keep track of your customer’s likes and dislikes. You no longer have More >
Buyer Beware: Franchise Warning Signs
Aug 30th
Recently I wrote about how to buy a franchise. Mostly I covered the steps that are usually required before both parties make the final decision. Here are some warning signs that purchasing a particular franchise may not be in your best interest. Remember buying a name should mean that everything is in place for you to step in and make money. You shouldn’t have to start from scratch in planning how to run your business. That’s what independent business owners are up against – starting from scratch.
Avoid this sign, by making a good franchise purchase decision.
Scrutinize the financial end of More >
Protecting Your Business Financially
Aug 13th
If you are a sole propietorship, keeping yourself and your business solvent are always at the forefront. One glitch in your credit score and you could have difficulties getting loans at a critical time in your business’ growth.
Unfortunately many people put themselves in personal financial jeopardy, in order to make their business look good. However, in the long run it will catch up with you and could harm your credit rating for many years to come.
It’s imperative that you keep tabs on your debt level and try to keep your spending in line with the businesses cash flow. This is not More >
When Injuries Happen
Jul 28th
None of us like to think about it, but injuries don’t just happen outside of work. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions and stringent policies, someone gets hurt on the job. It is not always our fault either. For instance, one of your salespeople is in an auto accident that wasn’t their fault, or a piece of equipment breaks causing injury. Sometimes, you do everything right on your end and the doctor makes a serious mistake leading to a loss of quality of life. If you have a relationship established with a quality firm then you can help your More >
Understanding SEO
Jul 25th
What is SEO? It is search engine optimization.
What importance does it play in your business? A lot, if you have a web presence. You see, Google goes out and looks at all the sites on the Internet and assesses them by certain criteria – how much activity there is on your site; how frequently you change or add content; do you have a blog; how many links do you have into your site; do you have video or photo content, etc.
So these days it’s not enough to have a great web site, Google has to think it’s great, too. Why? More >
What To Include In A Business Plan
Jul 12th
As mentioned earlier you don’t have to have a flashy business plan with charts and bullet points, etc., in order to get a business off the ground. You may need a complete plan if you’re looking for funding from a bank or financial institution. However, if you’re starting the business with your own funds you can just do a simple list of the key point of your business, or flesh it out a little more completely by answering the below listed questions:
- What are your business ideas and goals?
- What type of business are you?
- What location do you plan to use?
- Why is More >
Getting Your Project Under Control
Jun 23rd
Sometimes when you start into a project you realize it’s way bigger than you originally realized. Over time important tasks start to slip through the cracks and deadlines are missed.
Most businesses need a project manager for large tasks, but many small to mid-sized businesses can’t afford them. If that’s your case, and even if you’re a large company, you might want to take a look at a web-based project management application.
Project Management software can help you organize and keep track of all aspects of your project. This includes task dependencies; document management; expense reports; collaborations; reports; time sheets; human resources, More >