When to Hire a Business Coach
LOU CHEEK, AN AUDIOLOGIST in Tucson, Ariz., had been working at a large medical clinic for nine years when it filed for bankruptcy. Instead of scanning the want ads, she decided to open her own practice. Branching out on her own was exciting at first. Her clinic, the Adobe Hearing Center, would test patient’s hearing and fit them for hearing aides. But after signing a lease and setting up her office, Cheek became beset with uncertainty.
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Watch Your Word-of-Mouth
You may be thinking: Since I’m not asking anybody to refer me, word-of-mouth marketing isn’t something I need to concern myself with. If I provide good products or services and my customer service is up to par, I’ll naturally get more customers by word-of-mouth. Why bother with plans and strategies? Why spend all that extra effort on getting referrals? I’m getting word-of-mouth every day, and it’s not costing me any time or effort.
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Affiliate Marketing – A Great Home Based Business Opportunity for Women
With the advent of the Internet, it has now become simpler and easier to carry on a home based business. The internet is certainly a boon to women who cannot afford or don’t want to leave their homes and children in search of better employment options.
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Using The Media Effectively For Tradeshows
The media has the power to influence your tradeshow efforts whether it be in television, radio or print. Your job is to target your endeavors to create a positive company image and brand awareness of your products/services. How do you do that? Outlined below are 27 important points to help maximize your tradeshow effort.
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Serving Big Clients
Maybe you’ve read about those $20,000 government trash bins and thought, “Gee, I wish I could sell wastebaskets to Uncle Sam.”
There’s a good chance you can — although probably at market prices rather than mega-markups. Many government agencies, as well as large corporations, are eager to buy from small businesses.
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10 Tips for Selling on eBay
Halloween is coming, so we’ve got a treat for you: 10 eBay business tips excerpted from the book “Tricks of the eBay Masters,” (Que Publishing, 0-7897-3699-3; $22.99) by auction guru Michael Miller.
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Starting Up: Drop Shipping Can Relieve Inventory Headaches
WHEN JUDY AND RONALD Smelser of Arvada, Colo., started selling items on eBay two years ago, their business was a far cry from the well-trafficked “Power Seller” eBay store that it is today.
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Strategies to Make Your Pitch Perfect
“Even if you’re pitching the best idea on earth, if you don’t come across as confident and knowledgeable, you won’t get heard. On the flip side, sometimes an idea that’s not so hot—or one that’s easy to poke holes in—will likely be considered because you connected personally with the people you were pitching. Don’t underestimate the power and importance of these soft skills.”
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The Power of Personalization
Marketers have found a new opportunity for more intimate and direct communication with consumers. Not so long ago, families gathered around the TV; now individuals surf the web and watch video on personal, handheld devices. Consumers have grown comfortable with–and even come to expect–a one-on-one dialogue with marketers. And personalized marketing messages are a smart way to get customers’ attention and deliver communications that increase sales.
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Best Practices for Small Businesses
Small business entrepreneurs can try adopting and incorporating the following business practices into their business cultures. Borrow Ideas - Borrowing ideas from other successful and established companies can prove to be very beneficial for small businesses. It is not only cost effective, but also time saving and eliminates incidences of wastage and rework.