For a small business, building up a large mailing list of people interested in your products and services is one of the best marketing tactics you can invest your time in. An email list can consist of current and previous clients, but the majority of it should be made up of prospective clients. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways of reaching a targeted audience, because potential clients will only sign up if they’re interested in something you’re offering. [Tweet “For small businesses, email marketing is a high-impact, low-cost way of getting your message heard.”] I know when…
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Probably the single most helpful tool any entrepreneur can use to ensure the success of their venture is a business plan. Think of it as your road map to successfully running a small business. It will help you clearly envision your goals, and show you how to reach them from where you are. A business plan is essential for those starting a new business, but it is also helpful for established businesses to make one. You may gain new insights into how your business is running, and where you can make changes to improve efficiency and make more room for…
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Do you have the right team in place to support your business? Your goals probably involve the growth of your business, taking on new clients, expanding your services or product line, tackling more and larger projects, etc. No small business owner wants to get stuck in a rut or have their business stagnate. However, growth means more work. A lot of small business owners view hiring an additional person to work on their business as a scary prospect. They worry about paying a salary, whether their need for support will remain consistent enough to warrant the commitment of a new…
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It’s Thanksgiving week, which means it’s a good time to focus on the things in our lives that we’re grateful for. Owning and running a small business can sometimes be challenging or draining, but there are so many wonderful things about it that make the trials worthwhile. I always try to remember to think on all the parts of running my own business that fill me with gratitude and appreciation for the work I do and the people I work with. Especially around holiday time, when the themes of thankfulness and love are so prevalent, I find it makes me happy…
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Clients are the heart of your business, and you can’t afford to take them for granted. Without your clients, your business wouldn’t exist, so you always need to be considerate of their needs and appreciative for their patronage. The benefit to showing clients your appreciation is that it builds a strong connection with them, encouraging return business and making it more likely that they will refer others to you. Good client care is fundamental to the success of every business! While there are actions you can take year-round to let clients know how much you appreciate their business, the holidays…
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Planning ahead of time is one of the most important skills for a business owner to develop, because the success of any small business depends on how well it flows. Unfortunately, most people are only good at planning a day or two in advance, or for the very long term—setting goals for the year or beyond. It is merging the two, and sticking to a plan for the week or month where most people get tripped up in their calendaring and organization. Successfully planning ahead and maintaining business flow becomes even more difficult around the holidays, where clients and collaborators…
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Being an entrepreneur and a parent is always a balancing act! I know this well. my business and my son both turned fifteen this summer. Yesterday was the first day of his sophomore year, so finding my work/life balance just got real! Since most businesses start booming again in the fall (mine included), the best way to handle this change of season and workload is to alter the way you work. If you want to be around for dinner, to help with homework, and be there to listen to your kids talk about their day at school, getting up early might…
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