The holidays are when everything can seem like it is spinning out of control for small businesses. Everyone wants to spend time with their family, but you still need to keep your customers happy while getting everything at the office finished by the end of the year. On top of all that, you should already be thinking ahead about the upcoming new year. By making some plans right now, you can get ahead of the game for your business and know exactly where you want to head starting January 1st. Here are a few ideas of things you can do…
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Boy, I remember my first few years of business… When I think back, I kind of cringe at some of the mistakes that I made in my first few years as a small business owner. Now, sixteen years later, I simply can’t believe that I ever made those silly errors. But the reason that I am still in business is because I learned from them. Every single mistake I ever made, I learned from. That’s how you make a small business thrive. December is the perfect time to take a good look back at your year, figure out what worked…
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Is there anything worse than having a bad customer service experience during the holidays? The holidays are packed with stressful situations. You need to get everything at work finished before the holidays start. You need to buy presents. You need to decorate. And you need to go to all of those wonderful social occasions you’re invited to! Earlier this week, I got a quick reminder of how important good customer service is over the holidays. I had ordered a very special holiday gift for my husband that was supposed to arrive on Monday. Wednesday morning, two days later, I awoke…
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There is nothing like shopping for gifts to make the holiday stresses pile up! Even though Black Friday is behind us, the malls are still packed with folks trying to find the right gifts for their family and friends. You’re probably one of them (if you can find the time…). Gifts are more than just objects; they show someone how much we care about them. And who does a small business care about more than their clients? Small client holiday gifts or gestures can be a great way to reinforce current client relationships while also reviving old ones. These don’t…
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Have you ever heard the old saying, “Show, don’t tell”? Visual and graphic design is an absolutely essential part of any company’s branding. Without an attractive visual element, a brand is simply words on a page. With great graphic design, a brand can pop and get into the minds of potential clients and customers alike. Unfortunately, many companies tend to put the importance of graphic design on the back burner, either believing it doesn’t makes a huge difference or feeling that they can do just as good a job themselves. This kind of thinking can make or break a business.…
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As an entrepreneur, you know that the overall goal is to reach a steady flow of business. Amazing marketing techniques can help you have a steady stream of high-paying clients. There are quite a few marketing mistakes that many small business owners and entrepreneurs make, even if they are in-the-know. Here are a few of the most common marketing mistakes small businesses can make. Along with tips on how a Virtual Assistant can help you correct them: #1: Not Updating Your Weekly Blog There are so many reasons to have a blog post on your website on a weekly basis.…
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If you do a search online, you will find that there are countless Virtual Assistant companies out there, each with their own specialties and strengths. There are Virtual Assistant firms that cater to huge, multi-national corporations and ones that specialize in specific industries like finance. When you are looking for a Virtual Assistant company as a small business entrepreneur, you need to make sure that you are getting one that can handle all of your business’ needs, has a solid amount of experience, and charges a reasonable price. You also want to make sure that they are flexible enough to…
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Get contacted by any Nigerian princes lately? How about being sent an exclusive offer for cheap Canadian drugs? Or a free trip to Jamaica if you just fill out a survey? Spam email is an epidemic that has existed since the earliest days of the internet, and, despite promises every few years, it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. There are few things more annoying than spam email filling your inbox with unsolicited offers or attempts to scam you. As an entrepreneur, there is a good chance you know the frustration of your carefully crafted, targeted emails being…
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Have you ever wondered what makes the difference between a great email marketing campaign and an unsuccessful one? A successful email marketing campaign depends on many factors, from the size of your email list, to the products or services you are promoting, to the service you use to send them out (I use Mad Mimi, for the record). Designing a great email marketing campaign isn’t easy! But one of the most important parts is the content that you include in it. We aren’t just talking about advertisements here, we are talking about genuine and interesting content that will get your…
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