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Will 2017 be better than last year for your business? Take our survey and tell us your expectations.
Think you can't afford to promote your business the way you'd hoped to? Don't let money hold you back. Use these 7 cost-free online marketing strategies to attract customers this year.
The secret to getting through your to-do list, as well as accomplishing those less than pleasant tasks in your business, can be found in this one adage.
Working on your business goals for 2017? All too often resolutions don't pan out, but it doesn't have to be that way. Follow these seven steps to succeed in reaching your goals for the New Year.
Now that the holiday shopping season is over, what can you do to help your business thrive? Here are five areas you should evaluate and tips for keeping your business healthy during the slow season.
Misunderstandings and miscommunication are bound to happen with clients, but it's how you handle them that's important. No matter who's at fault, these are the three areas you should address when clearing up a problem with your client.
Sales funnels are large at the top and narrow at the bottom, right? Not anymore, according to the author of Digital Selling. Here's how a sales funnel works in today's digital age.
Are your employees stealing from your business? How can you tell? Here are 12 signs that you have some sticky fingers on your payroll.
For your business to be successful, your online presence needs to be strong and healthy. Even if you aren't an expert, you can use these 8 tips to build your online presence.
The Internet has made it possible for businesses to sell globally, dealing with customers in different time zones is challenging. Here are seven tips to make it easier to communicate with and serve customers in other parts of the country or world.
Being able to make better decisions is important for your business to succeed. Being able to make them quickly is important as well. These six steps can help you make better decisions.
Getting paid when you work for yourself isn't as simple as it may seem. Sole proprietors should follow these guidelines for paying themselves in a way they don't get in trouble with the IRS or other government agencies.
Don't limit your business' offerings to only tasks that are within your comfort zone. If you stretch yourself a little, you might find you've opened up a whole new market and revenue stream.
Creating your business' brand is one of the most important steps in starting a business. It's how customers will remember you and how you'll stand out from the competition. Put these strategies to work when crafting your brand.
The new overtime rule is about to go into effect. Many small businesses that never had to worry about nonexempt employees will now be faced with the issue. Is your business prepared? Here's what you need to know about the new overtime exemption rules.
Sometimes consulting prospects just need an extra push to get them to sign on for your services. Here are four things you can try to quickly turn prospects into paying customers.
There is tons of advice telling entrepreneurs to use in-person networking to build their businesses. But, in many cases, for one reason or another, owners make a hash of it. This article shares a surprising and effective networking technique used by 7-figure entrepreneur and co-founder of Examine.com, Sol Orwell.
Small business owners who struggle with marketing can improve their results by learning the top two reasons marketing efforts fail--and developing a plan to address both.
What causes consulting clients to fail to commit - and more importantly, what can you do about it? Some clients will always be wishy washy, but take these five steps and they will be more likely to move forward with their project.
Choosing a business location and signing the lease is a big decision that has a huge impact on your business' success. Here are 14 questions you should ask to be sure you choose the best location and lease terms you can get.
Confidence is vital in business. Henry Ford said it best, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t - you’re right.” This article explains 6 simple tips to boost your confidence and help you achieve your goals.
As a freelancer, you want work. But not all freelance gigs are good. Here are 7 situations when you should turn down freelance work to avoid unprofitable or time-wasting assignments.
When you find new avenues to reach customers, you gain exposure to a whole new market you might have otherwise missed. Here are six places you can sell your products or services that you may not have thought of before.
What should you do when your client or boss asks you to do something that's illegal or unethical? Here's what to do and why.
You may not need a business attorney often, but at some point you will and it will likely be over a very important issue. Here are eight questions you should ask when trying to choose the right attorney to help your business.
Frustrated by clients who try to tell you how to do the job they hired you for? Or worse, are slow to pay when the job's done? Freelancing comes with new challenges you didn't face as an employee. Here are the top 6 and tips for handling them.
Wondering how to get lost customers to come back to your website? Retargeting is the solution, and using it on Facebook is especially effective. Here's a step-by-step guide for how to set up a Facebook retargeting campaign.
At some point in the life of your business you will probably need an attorney's expertise. Here are ways to manage your legal expenses and keep attorney's fees under control.
Why do you need a call to action and how do you write one that gets more of your customers to click, call or buy? Here's how to get customers to act now.
You know you need to email to your subscribers regularly, but coming up with new things to send them can be difficult. So just what should you send to your email list that will keep your subscribers interested? Here are five ideas.
Self-publishing is a way for authors to get their work published without using a traditional book publisher. In some ways it is even better than traditional publishing, but it has downsides, too. Learn the pros and cons of self-publishing here.
In very small businesses the owner and business are one and the same. So, when you're marketing your business, you're really marketing yourself - but that isn't easy for everyone. Here's advice for getting better at selling yourself and your business.
Will you be looking to friends and family to help fund your startup? Be sure you do these four things if you accept their investment in your business.
Owning a business doesn't make you a natural salesperson, yet selling is the most important thing you'll do in your business. Here are tips to improve your selling skills.
Your personal brand - whether you realize you have one or not - has an effect on your success. Here are 6 personal branding lessons you can learn from the 2016 US presidential candidates.
Want to keep tabs on your competitors? Wish you could spy on them legally to find out what they're planning? You can. Learn what your competition is up to with these tips.
Price is often the primary consideration when customers make a purchase, but cutting prices isn't the best way to compete. Here's how you can add value to your products so you can avoid discounting.
As a consultant, what you sell is your knowledge, but clients don't always fully value your expertise. Follow these three tips to be sure you don't end up working for free.
Do you sell on eBay? Whether you're just selling a few things you no longer need or are running a full-time eBay store, these tips can help you be more successful and sell more.
While it's true that women have made great strides in business ownership equality, they still face challenges not as common among their male counterparts. Here are four of those challenges and the solutions for overcoming them.
Creating content to attract customers is expensive and time consuming - but it works. Here are five different ways you can repurpose and reuse content to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Getting customers is expensive, so once you've won them, you want to be sure you keep them for the long haul. Keep an eye out for these seven tell-tale signs that a customer is about to leave so you can resolve their problem before it's too late.
Your business' recurring expenses add up to a significant chunk of your budget. You can permanently lower some of those costs by negotiating discounts and lower rates with the companies you buy from.
Hashtags can help more people find your content on social media. Learn when to use hashtags and how to know which ones are most likely to give your posts a boost.
Festivals, business expos, health fairs, and other community events are all good opportunities to promote your business locally. These tips will help you make the most of your booth or table.
Don't let the inevitable conflicts between family members get in the way of your family-run business' success. Follow these tips to keep the peace and avoid problems caused by working with relatives.
Selling is difficult enough, but you can't even start selling until you're talking to the right person. So how do you connect to decision makers? How can you get in touch with people who have the authority to make purchases? These ideas can help.
Should you start a consulting business? Do you have a marketable expertise? Do you have the other skills necessary for running a successful business? Consider these questions before launching your consultancy.
Once you get good testimonials from satisfied customers, you need to put them to work. Here are the best places to use testimonials so potential customers will be assured that your business is one they can trust.
Testimonials from happy customers can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. Testimonials give prospects reassurance that your company is the one they should buy from. This article shows you how to get those testimonials so you can put them to work.
Working for yourself as an independent contractor gives you the freedom you always wanted when you were an employee, and possibly even the chance to earn more money. However, being your own boss can have downsides, too. Here are the pros and cons of independent contracting.
As the boss, should you have your desk out in the open with your employees or should you have your own private office? Both have benefits and disadvantages. Get help deciding which office setup is right for your business here.
Do you dream of starting your own business? Before you take the plunge, be sure business ownership is right for you by analyzing these five key areas.
Online shoppers can't look at your product in person, so they depend on your product descriptions to help them decide if they want to make a purchase. This advice will help you write product descriptions that inform customers of your product's benefits and persuade them to buy.