7 Productive Tools for Small Business
The highly competitive market of today demands that new and upcoming small businesses put in twice as much effort as they did a decade ago in order to stay afloat. However, on the bright side, they also have twice as many business tools available to help them succeed. This will be the topic of today’s post in which we will highlight 7 extremely useful and productive tools that any business can use regardless of industry.
Batch Book
Batch Books is very handy cloud-based contact management system for sales and social media. Its sole purpose is to allow you to keep track of all your communications within the company and with your clients. It can create contact lists and also manage to-do lists. Users also have the ability to customize data for their reports.
MailChimp
Does your business send out regular newsletters to current and prospective clients? If so, then give MailChimp a try. It can create professional email newsletters in no time. Users can chose from a list of templates, create their own, integrate everything with their social networks and track results. It has everything under one platform and best of all it is not that expensive.
Drop Box
I can’t stress the importance of drop box. In a nutshell, you can practically carry and file, videos, images or a project with you at all times. This software can be downloaded on any machine and synched to store all your relevant files. You can be in an internet café at the airport or in a hotel in another country and access all of your data online at any time from any place. It’s a free service that also connects with your Smartphone.
Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus & LinkedIn
Yes there are four social media platforms in one heading but I believe they should be covered together instead of separately. Most people regard them are social media platform but to small businesses, these are some of the most productive, and lucrative business tools they will ever get their hands on. All four are great ways to reach your target audience, interact with them, keep them up-to-date on the latest company news and also get their feedback on services and products. Best of all, they are completely free to use!
Skype
Staying in touch with customers, clients and even office employees has never been easier than with Skype. With an extremely user friendly UI, Skype enables companies to chat and video chat with people at any time around the world. It is a must have for any small business.
Square
Setting up a credit card payment system for small businesses can be a tedious task, not to mention expensive. However with Square, things are much simpler, faster and easier on your wallet. You can take or make payments anywhere and at any time and since all the payments are electronically tracked, you don’t have to re-enter the information every time you wish to make an online payment. This service is available on all mobile phones and Smart phones.
Evernote
If a big part of your job involves coming up with creative ideas from online resources, then Evernote would be perfect for your business. It allows users the ability to save sentences and paragraphs they see online and even entire web pages. You can also type in random thoughts, and record your ideas using their audio recording feature. This tool is invaluable for managers and think tanks.
The one thing that readers should take from this post is that unlike a decade ago, there is an abundance of innovative tools available today that are specifically designed to make start-ups and small businesses become more efficient, competitive and profitable. This is great news for small business owners because in today’s highly competitive job market, they are very keen on getting all the help they can get and tools like the ones mentioned above are invaluable in terms of communication, productivity and revenue.
About the Author: Alex Finlay is a design consultant with 10+ years of marketing experience, mostly with start-up companies. He helps start-ups create a brand image and grow their online presence. Alex has been working with LogoDesignGuru on many online marketing projects, providing brand identity solutions for small businesses.
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How to Run Your Small Business (Instead of Having Your Small Business Run You)
Owning your own business is like going on a new adventure every day, without knowing where it will take you, what dangers you’ll face along the way, or even whether you’ll make it out alive. That last part depends mostly on the business you’re in, but hey, it can certainly feel like your small business is going to kill you, or at least get the better of you on any given day.
A very close friend of mine, who happens to own his own apparel company, came to me recently, shaken, unshaven, and obviously stressed. He began telling me how he was missing meetings, losing track of time, neglecting personal relationships, and generally forming more bad habits than he could keep up with, on account of his business was taking over his life.
I definitely related to his situation, and then started thinking about ways to help him (and other small business owner like him, myself included).
Here’s what I came up with:
Know How (and When) to Say No
Small business owners should have four legs, we scramble so much. And while the world appreciates our hustle, we often agree very hastily to much more than we can actually take on, in the hopes that we can cut a better deal here, or get more funding there.
Much of this hustle is necessary, but much of it is not. Yes, it is important to make contacts, to pitch your product, and to get funding, but missing meetings because you have too much on your plate is much more damaging to your reputation than saying no ahead of time. If you are feeling like your business is running you instead of the other way around, than examine your current commitments to see which are essential, acknowledge to yourself that it is OK to say no, and then, in the future, say no to the things that aren’t.
Plan Every Second of Your Life
No, I’m not exaggerating. What kills many small business owners is ambiguity in their schedules. Don’t allow this to happen. Get a planner, a journal, a piece of notebook paper, or a napkin — whatever it takes — and write down exactly what you have to do that week, and when you will be doing it. Zero in as microscopically as possible, to the point that you include such details as “eating ham sandwich alone at 12:05,” or “meeting with (x) investor at Starbucks on 1234 Main at 1:39pm.” Specificity in activity and time count. Don’t leave any “wiggle room”; free time is time that is unaccounted for, unless, that is, you schedule it in. See how that works? You can’t feel guilty about free time if you knew you were taking it.
This should go without saying, but often we small business owners need to hear what goes without saying, so: DO NOT VARY FROM THE SCHEDULE. Once it is written, DO IT.
Take Free Time
This is extremely important. There’s a reason the normal work week is only Monday to Friday: Neither the human body nor the human mind were designed to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With that in mind, plan some free time, and even some vacation time, into your week. You will be able to focus better, and will feel more in control of your life if you do things outside of running your business, and, best of all, you will be able to run your business better when you are refreshed and thinking clearly.
By the way, after I presented my friend with these strategies, he adopted them, and while I can’t vouch for his business, I can vouch for his health and happiness, and I can say that after following my advice for a few weeks, he looked like a million dollars, and felt like it, too. And you can’t run a business if you feel like anything less.
About the Author: This is a guest post by Eliza Morgan who is a full time blogger. She specializes in writing about business credit cards. You can reach her at: elizamorgan856 at gmail dot com.
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5 Tweaks for Small Business Web Content
Google has once again tweaked its search engine functionality to put renewed stress on quality sites – and one of the criteria for quality is content that has been recently posted. If you’re a small business you aren’t going to out-design larger competitors but you can make your site more compelling with a few personalized steps. You can also bring more immediacy to your product lineup by changing the focus of your front page or your blog section on a regular basis.
1. Make your words count
By now every business professional understands that people read web pages differently than they read printed documents. It’s more accurate to say that the typical web surfer scans rather than reads. That’s why a few sentences or a brief paragraph accompanied by an image of some sort is far more effective than a page of detailed information. Brief statements that cause a site visitor to click over to a more detailed description or illustration are proven tools on a website; but you want your visitors to seek out that sort of detail rather than have no other visual introduction to your site.
2. Make your blog a promotional tool
This is not as easy as it sounds, but the idea is to have your blogger write occasionally about actual cases of product usage where the product was purchased through your site and perhaps the client received some support on putting that product to use. A few elements have to come together here: you need either someone in-house that can write or a blogger that is familiar with your market niche.
3. Put video to work
You can provide video shots of a product on display or in use. A video insert can also feature a satisfied customer, if you have local sales where you can tape customers who are a car ride away. It shouldn’t take your marketing person long to learn how to hold a camera steady and how to edit a piece so that conveys the message you want. You can use video for a knowledgeable presentation on a product as well from you or one of your employees, but stay away from the “talking head” shot. Your presenter should be working with a product or with a graphic aid of some sort.
4. Customer testimonials never hurt
Quotes from a customer who has had a positive experience are even better if they are accompanied by a visual of some sort – photo or video – illustrating your product as it has been installed or put to use. If your customer is a few states away, find one that is supportive and ask for a photo or two. Many people can take decent snapshots today with their phones.
5. Focus on quality and experience
If your business has been open for a while, you can talk about your successful growth and steady expansion of your customer base. If it’s a new business, provide some evidence of related experience so that potential customers understand your depth of knowledge in your particular commercial field.
About the author: Bob Hartzell has been writing for five years about education, business and other life essentials on a variety of websites. Much of his recent work has been about the online master’s degree and its value in career enhancement, for those who are not yet working for themselves. He lives in Maine where many a small business operates out of a converted barn or farmhouse.
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3 No Brainer (But Often Forgotten) Leadership Tips for Small Businesses
Strong leadership is important for all business owners, regardless of the size of business. However, since small business owners often have many responsibilities, effective leadership is especially important. While leadership may come easy for some, many individuals have to work hard to develop into a good leader. Fortunately, leadership can be improved upon with some hard work. Below are some tips to help you are become the best leader possible while growing a successful business.
1. Make Specific Plans
Drop your ego at the door and get to work. Don’t assume that you know everything. Having an organized plan is a smart first move. Unless a plan is in place, how can you truly budget your time effectively? Laying out procedures and identifying specific roles for each person in the business provides clarity and increased productivity for everyone involved. Since small businesses often have their employee’s working on multiple things at a time, it is important to delegate properly.
You should have both short and long-term goals that address daily, monthly and yearly aspects of running the business. Also, remember that as you business grows and changes, so too should your plans. If you’re taking a “one size fits all” approach to your business, you’re doomed to fail.
It should go without saying, but if you’re putting all this work into developing your plans, make sure you follow through with them. Too often, plans get laid out and then filed away, only to be discovered a few years later as a failed business is cleaning out its offices.
2. Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon
Thinking forward is a key characteristic of good leaders. While the day-to-day operations of the business will often consume the majority of your time, you shouldn’t lose sight of the plans you’ve outlined. The future may seem far away, but ignoring it will certainly hinder your growth. Forward-thinking can help small businesses develop longevity.
Consider creating a mission statement for the business. Such a statement is a quick reference and reminder to you and your employees of why you’re working so hard. If employees have a reason to believe in the company they work for, they’ll put out a better product with a focus on good customer relations. And speaking of customers – they’ll continue to value your business as they notice your commitment to the future. Customers want to support businesses that have a passion for what they do. Your passion is directly related to thinking forward.
3. Invest in Your Employees
While a good business starts with a passionate owner, its success depends on talented employees who will represent the business to the masses. Employees are your best resources, not only in the daily operations, but also in the promotion and growth of your company.
A good employee will be able to do his or her job with very little help from anyone. A great employee will do the job while seeking new ways to make it better and more efficient. Training your employees on proper procedures is vital. A customer’s experience will be so much better if the representative of your business appears to be competent.
There may be times when problems arise. Your relationship with your employees will determine how quickly an issue can escalate. Having an open-door policy promotes dialogue between the business owner, managers and employees. If employees are comfortable in speaking to superiors when something happens, they’ll be more likely to work through a problem rather than just blowing up.
Make sure the open door swings both ways. Seek feedback from employees and let them know that their input is valued and considered. Working together to fix problems and grow the company makes everyone invested in the business.
Following these tips will help make you a good leader while helping your small business to become successful. People want to follow good leaders, so improving upon your skills can help build your business.
About the Author: Don’t forget to invest in yourself and education like you should with your business plan. Villanova University’s online programs provide small business owners and professionals the chance to learn without having to miss work. Villanova offers leadership courses, project management courses, and other professional training programs.
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A Sunny Spot for Small Business [INFOGRAPHIC]
There’s good news on the small business front. After several months of less-than-hopeful jobs reports and economic forecasts, small businesses were looking up in September. Employment, compensation, and hours worked have all grown since August.
Employment in small business is up. More than 50,000 jobs were added since August with growth in nearly all regions of the country.
There was good news for employees too as compensation was also up. Average compensation for hourly small business employees has risen since August.
And lastly employee work hours were up in September. This is a welcome sign for the many small business employees who have seen their hours shrink during the recession.
Take a closer look…
Click for larger image
Image by: http://www.intuit.com/
Google’s Social Media For Business Draws Ever Closer But What Will it Look Like?
Facebook has been an important part of many business’ SEO and client outreach for a couple of years now.
Anyone ‘on the inside’ knows that there’s an industry expectation that your business has a Facebook profile, indeed, many TV advertising and marketing campaigns use “visit us on Facebook” rather than using their own website as the platform is ubiquitous, user friendly and the API divulges a great deal of information about the consumer which wouldn’t necessarily be available if they went directly to the web1 address. Read more
Why Your Small Business Should Not Try to Be Something it Isn’t
If you listen to the advice that many experts in small business management and marketing are preaching these days, you would have little choice but to believe that it’s a dog-eat-dog world. Small business owners trying to make a buck in this difficult economy are being encouraged to go guerrilla in their marketing, implement a host of the latest killer apps or strategies, aggressively reign in their expenses, and put up a professional, polished front that will make potential customers think they are working with one of the Big Boys, and not some unknown little pipsqueak.
Reality Lost
While it may be true that the current economic climate has made running a small business more challenging, many of these “essential” strategies, techniques, and technologies designed to beat out the next guy may be missing the mark when it comes to how they are being implemented and what the expected return will be.
But in an effort to save their companies, countless small business owners have jumped in anyway. The result: an army of almost robotic social media business profiles and activity, “professional” websites sporting the latest trends in web design and lathered with prolific professional-speak and equally professional stock photos of good-looking employees who seem a bit too happy to be at work.
Who Are You?
The problem with this is that while the unique flavor of the business ends up getting lost underneath all the “professionalism” and social media “hipness,”potential customers have quickly learned to shut out these cookie-cutter efforts. So what we have here folks is a no-win situation. Businesses aren’t attracting customers, and customers are not being allowed to see what makes a particular company a suitable match for their specific needs.
Let Your True Colors Show
Though there is certainly a time and place for making a small business appear bigger or more established then it is, such as by hiring a virtual receptionist or operating out of a business center, all these strategies should be done carefully and sparingly. Moreover, there is much to be gained by leveraging your true colors and your smallness including:
- You make your company appear more genuine
- You can more easily show off what makes your company unique
- It may be easier to attract specific market segments who will identify with your company’s image or employee makeup
- You will be more at ease since you do not have to worry as much about “slipping up” with customers
In short, though there are times to think big while running a small business, sometimes it just pays to be the small fish in the pond.
Author Bio: Adam Gottlieb is a small business owner, freelance writer, and small business consultant with over ten years experience helping small and home-based businesses improve their image, increase sales and better manage their resources (both the animate and inanimate ones). He is currently the owner and senior editor of the The Frugal Entrepreneur Small Business Blog providing frugal business tips, tools, and resources to small and home-based business owners.
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12 Ways to Determine Costs for Your Startup
If you’re starting a company of your own, what methods would you use to define how much your initial investment should be? Read more
Five Regulations Entrepreneurs and New Business Owners Should Review
With a seemingly infinite number of legal regulations to abide by, starting up a new business for the first time can be daunting for entrepreneurs. Federal, state, and local government agencies set certain requirements so that they can regulate professional industries to protect consumers and prevent fraud. The more you know about the process before you begin, the better prepared you will be to jump through all those legal hoops. A number of these legally enforced regulations require the business owner to pay additional fees that will need to be budgeted into opening expenses.
- Application for Registration of Name
Chances are one of the first things you thought about when planning your new enterprise was what you would call it. You’ll need to reserve and register your name with the state(s) in which you plan to do business so that it can be recognized officially. In some states, such as New Jersey, applicants must list three potential names in case another entity has already registered their top choice. Whoever submits and signs the application will have ownership of the reserved name. These applications are also used to transfer business names to new owners or enterprises. The exact fee varies, but is oftentimes around $25 to $50. - Seller’s Permit
States require any individuals or businesses to obtain a seller’s permit if they intend to sell or lease merchandise, cars, or any other tangible personal property. The permit allows the entity to sell items as retail or wholesale. Those applying for a withstanding business should apply for a regular permit whereas those planning to operate a seasonal business, like a fireworks stand, can apply for a temporary permit that will be valid for 90 days. - Request for Tax Clearance
A tax clearance is a review of financial records to determine if an entity is compliant with all state tax laws. If your enterprise will have employees that require you to withhold taxes, you will have to request a tax clearance to ensure you are trustworthy enough to submit the necessary financial reports accurately. Business owners must meet certain obligations under state law that require them to file tax returns on time and with the correct payment amount, and tax clearances help ensure this in advance. - Surety Bonds
Virtually all industries require new professionals to purchase a surety bond before issuing them a business license to operate within the state. Surety bonds act as a preventative measure to ensure that professionals will follow all licensing and industry regulations applicable to their positions. There are thousands of surety bonds available, and their costs vary based on the state’s regulations for the industry and specific profession. For example, due to the nature of their work, a contractor getting a surety bond in California for a multi-million dollar construction project will pay a much higher fee than used auto dealer in Missouri who doesn’t do high volume sales. - Partnership Registrations
If you’re going into business with a friend or other industry professional, there are a number of steps that you will need to complete in order to operate legally within any given state. Depending on the nature of your partnership, i.e. limited partnership or limited liability partnership, you will need to meet different requirements. Establishing a partnership for your business can be beneficial, but only if you do so in congruence with the law.
This article was written by Kristen Bradley from SuretyBonds.com, an agency that provides surety bonds to professionals across the nation. SuretyBonds.com helps entrepreneurs meet licensing requirements every day. The agency offers advice to new business owners to help them open their business as soon as possible.
Photo Credit: robnguyen01
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Top Ten Teamwork Tips
Whatever the business you run and whatever position you currently occupy, you should always keep in mind that you are working in a team. Teamwork is one of the keys to success in any kind of business and there is a lot to learn. Looking back at my 2,5 year experience of work in Customer Service at one web-hosting company I now clearly realize many things, some of which I would like to share with you.
1. Start With Yourself
When you are being criticized by your management or just see that something is going wrong about the business you are working in – try to think what you can personally do to make the things better. Sure, you should not blame yourself for all the problems, but there is always room for improvement.
2. No “I” or “Me” – Just “We” and “Us”
There is no place for egoism in any team. Overestimated ambitions and selfish approach may ruin everything. Therefore, any time some organizational questions are being discussed, you should first think what profit it might bring to your team, not to you personally – even if it is not going to coincide with your own interests.
3. Your Team is Wider Than You Think
Sometimes people, who work in a big company, forget about other departments. They consider their home department to be their only team and work within it only. This is a mistake, no one should make – the Team is always wider – it involves everyone and makes everyone take as much care as possible of their business. You should communicate and co-operate with other departments members actively, since it is a common responsibility and success you share.
4. Gain Knowledge – Share Knowledge
If the company’s policy gets changed overnight – I’m not sure each team member will learn it at once. If you find out anything new regarding your company, your target market, your competitors – share this knowledge, so that there were no surprises. Such fast propagation of news may very well encourage new ideas – isn’t it what you need?
5. Do Not Hide Your Mistakes
To err is completely human, so you should not be afraid of the mistakes you may make and of course, you should never hide them. Each mistake you make saves everyone else from repeating it – this is the very case, when you should consider team profit higher than yours. Such lessons do improve team knowledgebase and highlight weak points.
6. Impersonalize
Whatever your relationship with colleagues is, you should always take everything impersonal. Being good or not that good person and being good or not that good worker are different things – and you should always keep this difference in mind. When a worker makes a mistake, you shouldn’t think of what a nice guy he is – there was an issue and you have to make sure it will not reoccur… and vice versa – if a person you do not like much deserves appreciation – you should appreciate him or her – because you appreciate the work your colleague did.
7. Go Informal
Schools, colleges, offices… people express themselves only partially in such formal places. If you want to co-operate with your colleagues more tightly and productively, you should understand each other better. This is where corporate parties come in handy – informal atmosphere makes its business – you start feeling more open and see others feeling the same – perfect time for making friends and learning each other closer… Next day is not the hangover, what you are going to feel – you are going to feel trusting others more and being more trusted.
8. Build Your Own Team Within The Team
This may sound funny, but this is exactly what you should do. Many minor tasks require sub-grouping. Do not wait for someone to choose you – be a volunteer and pick your own A Team, you are going to trust most and be proud of. Your leadership will be noticed and who knows… maybe one day you get your promotion.
9. Stay Protective
If you are fine with acknowledging your own mistake, try yourself out in taking the team’s blame on you solely. And it is not acting like a hero – if you a capable of doing it, it means that your conscious is team-oriented, that you will never hide behind the new guy’s back or assign someone else’s achievements.
10. Run a “Turn a Blind Eye” Test
A team is then perfectly built, when each its member can carry out the assigned tasks without delays, being under no control. If you are a manager, a team leader, or just one of the most active workers, you can temporarily step aside to watch the things being done without supervision. If everything is fine and your team does what you expected from each of its member, you will see problems being solved on their own – isn’t it a miracle? No, it is your achievement – the result of your brilliant work, which you should keep up.
About the Author: Arkadij Shkolnik is the current administrator and author of SiteValley.com. SiteValley.com is a reliable Cheap Web Hosting provider that can help you meet your online business challenges. They exist to provide the highest levels of quality and service in the highly specialized area of Internet hosting and deliver value and performance to our customers.
Photo Credit: psd
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