As everyone has noticed the market is down. This is obviously effecting your business just like everyone else. But what can you do to help your business stumble through this recession? There are two ideas I have for you to think about. One is in regards to your marketing concepts and the other is in regards to typical economics. 

First, just has everyone has stated in the news, try extending your sales period. I would say not only extend your sales period, but try to capitalize on customers returning items. You already have them in your store so now it is your time to convert them into another sale. Where do you advertise to them? Use the Internet to your advantage! Start your gorilla marketing campaign now!

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As you have noticed it has been a while since there has been some activity on this site, which is because I have been on the run quite a bit lately. I apologize and if you would like to see more topics discussed please feel free to email me. Anyway, lately I have been running numerous consulting jobs and helping certain companies learn how to utilize social media. This helped spur a pumpkin patch of ideas on what you as a business can do to help promote your business over the Internet. Here are some of my ideas and I would enjoy hearing some of your thoughts on how to market your business. (more…)

This past week I had the opportunity to meet various business owners. Most of them were selling a product or service which was typical, but while all of them were approaching me I started to prejudge each of them before they even opened there mouth to present their product. Is this wrong of me or is this a natural human tendency? It appeared to me that this is just nature, but if you know this is natural then why aren’t some business owners trying to avoid immediate stereotypes or judgments? Why does this happen?  After much deliberation within myself I decided to come up with some guidelines that may help small business owners stand out from their competitors. (more…)

After a long and much needed vacation from thinking I have come back with a new view on running a small business. As a small business owner what do you do to find the time to not only take care of your clients but also your family? Over the past few months my experiences have provided some interesting results about some issues. (more…)

To all those small business owners trying to get a little more attention here is a tip for you! Have you uploaded a video about your business lately? Or have tried to start a viral video about a product or service you have to offer? If you start to use video you are expanding your channels of visibility which is a huge plus, but there are many numerous reasons well beyond this topic.

A big plus is the social media optimization you get out of using video. After doing some consulting for some clients I have been able to get many of my clients onto the first page of Google within hours of submitting videos and content for them. Is this magic? To some extent it is know which buttons to push and realizing which keywords will help you reach that status. A good place to start is uploading video to YouTube. (more…)

At the very beginning of your new business you had to create a business plan to show off to the bank or investors to prove that you could maintain an income stream that would pay the bills. The question is have you kept your information up to date since then? I guess the real question is did you even create a business plan to begin with? When I first began in business this was probably my biggest challenge, which was keeping things organized and putting my business plan together. To help you I have devised a 5 step plan to helping you get on your way.

First step, brainstorm and map out all of your thoughts by using mind mapping software. A software called Free Mind works very well, but there is also MindMapper which also works well. Mind Mapping will open up your eyes to more opportunities and will allow you to move your thoughts around very easily. You can even set alarms of when you want to work on a particular item. As time progresses you can continue to branch off of your mind map. (more…)

How many times have you stepped into an old “mom and pop” shops where the technology is outdated and they don’t even take credit cards? How many times have you worked for someone that is still doing inventory without a point of sale system? These are obvious examples of managers or business owners stuck in their own ways, but many managers are stuck in their old ways on many different accounts. Here are a few ideas on how to get out of your typical routine.

First Idea, checkout local seminars on what small businesses are doing to survive in your vicinity. Better yet go to a conference out of your area to see what other regions are doing to keep their competitive edge. Many corporations do the same for their employees to help them develop. This same concept should be considered for your business. (more…)

After numerous bank closings and watching the Fed cut rates down to 2.0% the signs of a recession are getting stronger. The market is hitting a five year low while oil prices continue to rise as the US dollar falls. So, what are you doing to keep the “Open” sign in front of your business? As a student in economics and being the frugal person I am here are some ideas on how to help your business cut cost on numerous fronts. Please be in mind that you want to cut fixed cost as low as possible while limiting the usage on anything that is a variable cost. This tip alone should help you save a few bucks.

First Tip, cut the power usage in your business! How do you do this? Start by installing fluorescent light bulbs in all light fixtures. Another way to cut electricity is turning up the thermostat during the summer or having it automated to fluctuate during certain periods of the day. If you own your own building look into getting a soy roof or a green roof. This should help the longevity of your roof and help reflect the light during the summer which will help your building stay cooler. With this in mind look into getting an awning for your front windows to help reflect the sun off the front of your store to help save some cost. Lastly, shut off the lights in rooms that are not being used frequently. This was always drilled into every child’s head while growing up. (more…)

This week gas has hit an average of $4.00 a gallon for gas in the USA. As many people are surprised by this astonishing price tag many others have been preparing for this day years ago. I so happen to be one of these annoying people stating that gas would go up and people with an SUV would cry about it. Let me go over a few steps I took to analyze why this time would come and how you as an individual can approach rising energy prices.

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