Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Managing a business is an art, not a science. You can use inputs from science and technology, but how you put it all together is unique to you.
It is a high wire act and you are juggling limited funding with marketplace realities. You must like this balancing act to be successful in building and operating a business.
Artists who live by their creations, alternative health practitioners, technology businesses, restauranteurs and every other small business owner must tackle each day with gusto, choose among the many possibilities, and enjoy the process.
Managing involves many pieces. You motivate yourself and your employees. You watch the bottom line. You prepare for emergencies. You stay on top of technology. You stay alert to market opportunities. And, most importantly, you listen to your clients/customers.
Example: Alex is an artist who paints in oils. His abstracts attract attention, but sales are not enough to support him and his family. He began doing portraits, but commissions are few and far between. At a show where Alex was displaying his works, he overheard someone say that there was nothing available priced low enough to be considered as gifts to friends. It gave him an idea. Today, Alex turns out many small paintings, quickly done, and reasonably priced. He frames them himself and sells them on his website, in high-end gift shops, and at shows. He has found a way to make ends meet.
Listen to the marketplace. You gotta give 'em what they want.
Example: Mary is an expert Reiki practitioner. She works from home, seeing clients at their place. Mary was approached by a wellness center to join the group. For a reasonable monthly payment, she would have her own room to see clients. With her certifications, Mary could now offer to teach others. And by being part of the wellness center, she is attracting more clients. It was a good directional choice for her business.
Joining with compatible business partners can solve growth problems.
Example: Sue runs a small printing operation. She stays on top of the technology that has revolutionized the printing industry. Instead of listening to salespeople trying to sell her bigger presses, Sue opted for a newer, smaller, cheaper, technologically advanced press that could turn out short-run color work. She chose a direction that has propelled her into a narrow, but very profitable, market segment.
Technology changes everything. All businesses are affected.
Managing a small business means you stay on top of everything. You make all the decisions. Then you take out the trash and turn off the lights.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Promoting beyond
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Promoting your small business is an everyday activity. When holidays approach, businesses tend to shift promoting into high gear. But you need to think beyond the holidays.
In today's world, promoting your business is easier than ever. Social media promotions offer pathways to success that are quick and cheap.
It is now October, and many business owners are already snapping pictures and posting them on Facebook and other platforms. They are anticipating the spending that goes on in November and December.
Example: Ella runs a high end gift shop. She specializes in offering hand made items by artists and artisans. Beginning in mid-November, Ella begins putting up pictures on Facebook--every day. Pictures are meant to attract attention to her website and to her store. They show jewelry in all lines, items in leather and wood, ceramics, glass and other unusual and one-of-a-kind creations. Ella's promotions work for the holidays, but what about January, February and March?
Example: Pepe is a floral designer. His shop attracts and serves clients from a wide area. As with all florists, Mother's Day is the biggest day of the year for Pepe. He begins in March promoting the big day, and the orders begin coming in ahead of time. But what about June and the summer months?
Example: Myra runs a bakery. She offers all sorts of concoctions--specialty cakes, breads, cookies and others goodies. Her clientele includes businesses, corporations, private parties and others. They depend on Myra for the bakery items for holidays, birthdays, parties, meetings and other gatherings. To expand, Myra began offering to ship brownies anywhere to customers who placed orders on her website. This has considerably expanded her operation--accessing a much wider geographical area, but serving the same types of meetings and gatherings far beyond her town.
Of course, you promote for holidays. But don't neglect the rest of the year. With social media, every business can build by promoting year round.
And when you've exhausted your immediate area, put on your thinking cap. How can you use social media and shipping to serve a wider area?
Promoting beyond the holidays and beyond your immediate geographical area is key to building your business. Get with it.
to help you better manage your small business
Promoting your small business is an everyday activity. When holidays approach, businesses tend to shift promoting into high gear. But you need to think beyond the holidays.
In today's world, promoting your business is easier than ever. Social media promotions offer pathways to success that are quick and cheap.
It is now October, and many business owners are already snapping pictures and posting them on Facebook and other platforms. They are anticipating the spending that goes on in November and December.
Example: Ella runs a high end gift shop. She specializes in offering hand made items by artists and artisans. Beginning in mid-November, Ella begins putting up pictures on Facebook--every day. Pictures are meant to attract attention to her website and to her store. They show jewelry in all lines, items in leather and wood, ceramics, glass and other unusual and one-of-a-kind creations. Ella's promotions work for the holidays, but what about January, February and March?
Example: Pepe is a floral designer. His shop attracts and serves clients from a wide area. As with all florists, Mother's Day is the biggest day of the year for Pepe. He begins in March promoting the big day, and the orders begin coming in ahead of time. But what about June and the summer months?
Example: Myra runs a bakery. She offers all sorts of concoctions--specialty cakes, breads, cookies and others goodies. Her clientele includes businesses, corporations, private parties and others. They depend on Myra for the bakery items for holidays, birthdays, parties, meetings and other gatherings. To expand, Myra began offering to ship brownies anywhere to customers who placed orders on her website. This has considerably expanded her operation--accessing a much wider geographical area, but serving the same types of meetings and gatherings far beyond her town.
Of course, you promote for holidays. But don't neglect the rest of the year. With social media, every business can build by promoting year round.
And when you've exhausted your immediate area, put on your thinking cap. How can you use social media and shipping to serve a wider area?
Promoting beyond the holidays and beyond your immediate geographical area is key to building your business. Get with it.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Social media promotions
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
If you don't use Facebook and other social media to promote your business, you are missing opportunities that are easy and quick.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other platforms are useful additions to your marketing toolbox. Everyone who runs a small business deserves to make use of them.
First, it's easy to set up your business on social media. Even if you are not computer-savvy, you can follow simple directions and be up to speed and running smoothly very quickly. Just go to the site, and they lead you through it. You can buy an ad, but start out with the freebie route.
Second, social media pages put a friendly face on your business. Everyone snaps digital pictures these days. Photos are easily uploaded to your Facebook page, for example. Social media platforms are different in their requirements, but I recommend beginning with Facebook. Get your feet wet and then check out other platforms
Third, social media platforms make maintenance easy and cheap. You don't need an expert, like you might if you are developing your website. With Facebook, for example, you simply check in, post one of those photos you've taken, say a few words (the fewer, the better), and you are done with your promotion for the day.
Fourth, social media platforms bring you new clients/customers. Social media spreads the word and brings in referrals. People tend to pass your photos around, getting your business in front of more eyeballs.
Keep in mind that social media is not a brochure. It's not an ad--although they will sell you one if you like. Social media is more like a scroll--unfolding day by day or week by week. It's not static, it changes as you put more input up. And you are making the changes yourself.
Photos are the key. Bakers photograph every cake made. Florists show every arrangement before it goes out the door. A massage therapist photographs hands working on a subject. A landscaper show one beautiful blooming plant after another. Pest exterminators show endless pictures of bugs. Mechanics at repair shops show hands fiddling with something under the vehicle hood.
Don't try to be professional. Aim for being informative, humorous with a little craziness thrown in for good measure. You're having fun, not taking photos to be displayed in an art gallery.
You can promote your business in many ways. Almost all cost dollars. But social media opportunities reach far beyond others and they can be free.
to help you better manage your small business
If you don't use Facebook and other social media to promote your business, you are missing opportunities that are easy and quick.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other platforms are useful additions to your marketing toolbox. Everyone who runs a small business deserves to make use of them.
First, it's easy to set up your business on social media. Even if you are not computer-savvy, you can follow simple directions and be up to speed and running smoothly very quickly. Just go to the site, and they lead you through it. You can buy an ad, but start out with the freebie route.
Second, social media pages put a friendly face on your business. Everyone snaps digital pictures these days. Photos are easily uploaded to your Facebook page, for example. Social media platforms are different in their requirements, but I recommend beginning with Facebook. Get your feet wet and then check out other platforms
Third, social media platforms make maintenance easy and cheap. You don't need an expert, like you might if you are developing your website. With Facebook, for example, you simply check in, post one of those photos you've taken, say a few words (the fewer, the better), and you are done with your promotion for the day.
Fourth, social media platforms bring you new clients/customers. Social media spreads the word and brings in referrals. People tend to pass your photos around, getting your business in front of more eyeballs.
Keep in mind that social media is not a brochure. It's not an ad--although they will sell you one if you like. Social media is more like a scroll--unfolding day by day or week by week. It's not static, it changes as you put more input up. And you are making the changes yourself.
Photos are the key. Bakers photograph every cake made. Florists show every arrangement before it goes out the door. A massage therapist photographs hands working on a subject. A landscaper show one beautiful blooming plant after another. Pest exterminators show endless pictures of bugs. Mechanics at repair shops show hands fiddling with something under the vehicle hood.
Don't try to be professional. Aim for being informative, humorous with a little craziness thrown in for good measure. You're having fun, not taking photos to be displayed in an art gallery.
You can promote your business in many ways. Almost all cost dollars. But social media opportunities reach far beyond others and they can be free.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Changing business direction
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Businesses change directions in two ways. They can drift into new markets or they can deliberately strike off down another road.
When you spot your business drifting, it's time to evaluate whether or not you want to follow the drift. It might be the future, or it might be a dead end. Remember the video store?
On the other hand, when you spot a new market opportunity, it can represent a direction you might want to check out. It might work, or it might not.
Example: A small machine shop was a family operation for many years. The shop had long ago installed the computer-driven machines to serve customers in aerospace, medical, and other corporate fields. Then, along came 3-D printing. This new technology could produce parts in plastics and metals. The machine shop owner was reluctant in the beginning to jump into the new field too quickly. But 3-D printing showed the promise of revolutionizing the industry. He installed one of the new machines, began training his people, and began turning out useful pieces--some of which could expand the market he served. He was changing the way his business would serve the marketplace in the future.
Technology can offer all sorts of opportunities to change business direction. Think how social media can point thousands of potential customers to your website. This has changed the direction of many businesses, exploding the reach into new markets.
But things less sexy can change as well. Think food.
Example: A local small farmer is producing lettuces, spinach, and seasonal greens and herbs. He spotted a new product in his fields--the flower buds produced in spring from last year's kale crop. It's fresh, it's local, it's kale, it's new--all the elements to excite the marketplace. Chefs are now using kale buds in various ways--sauteed, in soups, in omelets. The farmer also offers milkweed buds and day lily buds which chefs are using in the same ways. These are "new" products which were there all along, but whose time has come in the marketplace.
Changing the direction of your business offers opportunities to push more products and services into the marketplace. Think outside the box to come up with ways that work for you.
Changing directions in your business can open up new avenues to growth, expansion and future success. Keep an eye on that business plan, however. You don't want to get ahead of your self.
to help you better manage your small business
Businesses change directions in two ways. They can drift into new markets or they can deliberately strike off down another road.
When you spot your business drifting, it's time to evaluate whether or not you want to follow the drift. It might be the future, or it might be a dead end. Remember the video store?
On the other hand, when you spot a new market opportunity, it can represent a direction you might want to check out. It might work, or it might not.
Example: A small machine shop was a family operation for many years. The shop had long ago installed the computer-driven machines to serve customers in aerospace, medical, and other corporate fields. Then, along came 3-D printing. This new technology could produce parts in plastics and metals. The machine shop owner was reluctant in the beginning to jump into the new field too quickly. But 3-D printing showed the promise of revolutionizing the industry. He installed one of the new machines, began training his people, and began turning out useful pieces--some of which could expand the market he served. He was changing the way his business would serve the marketplace in the future.
Technology can offer all sorts of opportunities to change business direction. Think how social media can point thousands of potential customers to your website. This has changed the direction of many businesses, exploding the reach into new markets.
But things less sexy can change as well. Think food.
Example: A local small farmer is producing lettuces, spinach, and seasonal greens and herbs. He spotted a new product in his fields--the flower buds produced in spring from last year's kale crop. It's fresh, it's local, it's kale, it's new--all the elements to excite the marketplace. Chefs are now using kale buds in various ways--sauteed, in soups, in omelets. The farmer also offers milkweed buds and day lily buds which chefs are using in the same ways. These are "new" products which were there all along, but whose time has come in the marketplace.
Changing the direction of your business offers opportunities to push more products and services into the marketplace. Think outside the box to come up with ways that work for you.
Changing directions in your business can open up new avenues to growth, expansion and future success. Keep an eye on that business plan, however. You don't want to get ahead of your self.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Easy business expansions
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Expanding and growing your small business is not difficult. In fact, it can be downright easy--when you think about it. You build out what you already do, or you make the leap into a new direction.
Service businesses can be very easy to expand. A nutritionist, for example, can offer free cooking demonstrations to be held at meetings of various organizations. Therapists can partner with chiropractors to offer services to a non-competing group. Lawyers can expand into specialty markets--elder law and worker's comp cases are two areas.
Hard goods businesses can also be easy to expand. A bakery, for example, can begin offering goodies on social media and ship out to new customers far and near. Health food stores can add lines of fresh, organic pet foods to the product lines already being sold to humans.
Build on what you already offer when you think about expanding. Watch the marketplace for ideas, and then nudge your operation in a new direction. Some things work. Others, not so much.
Example: Robert is a small independent website designer. He began in a small shop and reached out to potential customers. He expands his business by offering onsite services to small businesses in his area. He helps his clients--at their sites--to buy and install new equipment, network their systems, troubleshoot problems. He is taking it to the next level by offering training sessions.
Example: June operates a small struggling frame shop. She expanded her business by offering local artists an opportunity to hang their works in her frame shop. She holds monthly openings, or meet-the-artist sessions, which are attracting a great deal of attention--especially since she began posting on social media. She is now looking for fiber artists and sculptors to expand further, and her framing operation now includes shadowbox types of frames to accommodate three dimensional art works.
When looking for ways to expand, remember your present clients and customers. They, too, might be heading in different directions. Or they might need a word from you to lead them into serving new markets of their own. Either way, they can represent valid business expansions for you to exploit.
The marketplace is a moving target. When you take aim at one direction, you might hit or you might miss. But you keep trying. Never give up.
to help you better manage your small business
Expanding and growing your small business is not difficult. In fact, it can be downright easy--when you think about it. You build out what you already do, or you make the leap into a new direction.
Service businesses can be very easy to expand. A nutritionist, for example, can offer free cooking demonstrations to be held at meetings of various organizations. Therapists can partner with chiropractors to offer services to a non-competing group. Lawyers can expand into specialty markets--elder law and worker's comp cases are two areas.
Hard goods businesses can also be easy to expand. A bakery, for example, can begin offering goodies on social media and ship out to new customers far and near. Health food stores can add lines of fresh, organic pet foods to the product lines already being sold to humans.
Build on what you already offer when you think about expanding. Watch the marketplace for ideas, and then nudge your operation in a new direction. Some things work. Others, not so much.
Example: Robert is a small independent website designer. He began in a small shop and reached out to potential customers. He expands his business by offering onsite services to small businesses in his area. He helps his clients--at their sites--to buy and install new equipment, network their systems, troubleshoot problems. He is taking it to the next level by offering training sessions.
Example: June operates a small struggling frame shop. She expanded her business by offering local artists an opportunity to hang their works in her frame shop. She holds monthly openings, or meet-the-artist sessions, which are attracting a great deal of attention--especially since she began posting on social media. She is now looking for fiber artists and sculptors to expand further, and her framing operation now includes shadowbox types of frames to accommodate three dimensional art works.
When looking for ways to expand, remember your present clients and customers. They, too, might be heading in different directions. Or they might need a word from you to lead them into serving new markets of their own. Either way, they can represent valid business expansions for you to exploit.
The marketplace is a moving target. When you take aim at one direction, you might hit or you might miss. But you keep trying. Never give up.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Inspire your employees
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Every business, large or small, needs to optimize the performance of employees. No whips and chains. Just positive stuff.
People appreciate being appreciated. Deep down, all of us crave acceptance. And recognition. That's why a simple "Thank you" goes a long way toward creating renewed enthusiasm and enhancing performance.
Other ways to inspire your employees are effective as well, and they can be used in combination. Here is a laundry list of possibilities.
1. In very small businesses, handing out a $20 bill now and then for extraordinary effort can spur even greater effort and creativity in an employee. Or give a paid day off now and then.
2. Call everyone together and recognize superior performance in front of the group. If you have weekly or monthly meetings, you might do it then.
3. Set up a bonus system to reward superior performance. You can get creative yourself in how you do this, how you select the person getting the bonus, the timing, etc.
4. Set up an employee of the month program. Don't let it become routine. Make it a vital part of the on-going business. Use a plaque to which names can be added, inscribed on metal plates.
5. Make up company tee shirts and hand them out at company picnics or other functions. These can be for a stated reason, or they can be part of the way you run your business.
6. Go the extra mile. If your business is incorporated, consider giving out stock certificates to valuable employees. If parking is a problem at your place, consider putting employee names on parking places--yours should be at the end of the line, not closest to the door. If you don't have a company retirement plan, consider setting one up--you will need professional help with this.
Other options can be effective. Put on your thinking cap. Get creative. Little things that show your thoughtfulness and appreciation are often more effective than making a big splash.
Whatever you do, do it with a "Thank you" to the employee.
Keeping your employees happy keeps you on the road to success. And let's face it. Without the commitment and hard work of employees, your business cannot succeed.
to help you better manage your small business
Every business, large or small, needs to optimize the performance of employees. No whips and chains. Just positive stuff.
People appreciate being appreciated. Deep down, all of us crave acceptance. And recognition. That's why a simple "Thank you" goes a long way toward creating renewed enthusiasm and enhancing performance.
Other ways to inspire your employees are effective as well, and they can be used in combination. Here is a laundry list of possibilities.
1. In very small businesses, handing out a $20 bill now and then for extraordinary effort can spur even greater effort and creativity in an employee. Or give a paid day off now and then.
2. Call everyone together and recognize superior performance in front of the group. If you have weekly or monthly meetings, you might do it then.
3. Set up a bonus system to reward superior performance. You can get creative yourself in how you do this, how you select the person getting the bonus, the timing, etc.
4. Set up an employee of the month program. Don't let it become routine. Make it a vital part of the on-going business. Use a plaque to which names can be added, inscribed on metal plates.
5. Make up company tee shirts and hand them out at company picnics or other functions. These can be for a stated reason, or they can be part of the way you run your business.
6. Go the extra mile. If your business is incorporated, consider giving out stock certificates to valuable employees. If parking is a problem at your place, consider putting employee names on parking places--yours should be at the end of the line, not closest to the door. If you don't have a company retirement plan, consider setting one up--you will need professional help with this.
Other options can be effective. Put on your thinking cap. Get creative. Little things that show your thoughtfulness and appreciation are often more effective than making a big splash.
Whatever you do, do it with a "Thank you" to the employee.
Keeping your employees happy keeps you on the road to success. And let's face it. Without the commitment and hard work of employees, your business cannot succeed.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Making critical decisions
Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Decisions are a daily concern in operating a small business. Decision making becomes second nature. Most are small, but some are big.
One good way to tackle the big decisions is to use the if/then model. If this happens, then what do I do? If this doesn't work, then what is my second alternative?
If the economy goes south, then I'll concentrate on this group of products/services and let the rest slide. If this type of advertising does not work, then I'll shift to social media alternatives. If a big box store comes to town, then I'll begin offering things they don't carry.
Example: Artists can have a difficult time connecting with the buying public. Juan loved to draw. Growing up, he honed his skills, including painting in oils. He attracted interest, but he noticed that people at shows and festivals bought pen and ink drawings of homes, buildings, bridges and the like. He thought about it, and he decided to concentrate on building a following with people interested in pen and ink. Doing these are easy and quick for Juan, and the word spread quickly. People now call him to come and do a drawing of their home, barn, and other local structures. This is now supporting Juan, and he uses his spare time to produce more oil paintings. His reputation is slowly spreading as an up and coming oil artist to watch--and buy.
Sometimes an interim path can be the main road to the goal you want to eventually reach. Don't disparage baby steps to get you there. Put the if/then decisions to work in building your business.
Example: Joel had time to plan ahead. WalMart announced some 18 months ahead of time that the company would be opening one of their big stores nearby. Joel feared for the future of his small hardware store, and he soon arrived at a "planning ahead" decision. If WalMart came to town, people would be buying everyday hardware items from them, not Joel's hardware store. So, he decided to move from his cramped, in-town store to a sprawling suburban lot on a main road. Simultaneously, he would change the direction of his business. Contractors and homeowners already came to Joel's place to rent the power tools and equipment they needed for a day or two. In his sprawling new location, Joel would have more room and could add more rentals. Today, Joel is in his new place, offering more and more rentals--including trucks and trailers. He has been able to add a repairman to keep the equipment shipshape. He still offers high quality hardware items and power tools for sale--concentrating on items not carried by WalMart.
Sometimes, owners of small businesses get comfortable with the business running itself. But the marketplace is always changing. It can take an outside force to kick start big decisions.
You can never know what the future will bring. But you can get ready for some possible changes in direction using the if/then decision making tool.
to help you better manage your small business
Decisions are a daily concern in operating a small business. Decision making becomes second nature. Most are small, but some are big.
One good way to tackle the big decisions is to use the if/then model. If this happens, then what do I do? If this doesn't work, then what is my second alternative?
If the economy goes south, then I'll concentrate on this group of products/services and let the rest slide. If this type of advertising does not work, then I'll shift to social media alternatives. If a big box store comes to town, then I'll begin offering things they don't carry.
Example: Artists can have a difficult time connecting with the buying public. Juan loved to draw. Growing up, he honed his skills, including painting in oils. He attracted interest, but he noticed that people at shows and festivals bought pen and ink drawings of homes, buildings, bridges and the like. He thought about it, and he decided to concentrate on building a following with people interested in pen and ink. Doing these are easy and quick for Juan, and the word spread quickly. People now call him to come and do a drawing of their home, barn, and other local structures. This is now supporting Juan, and he uses his spare time to produce more oil paintings. His reputation is slowly spreading as an up and coming oil artist to watch--and buy.
Sometimes an interim path can be the main road to the goal you want to eventually reach. Don't disparage baby steps to get you there. Put the if/then decisions to work in building your business.
Example: Joel had time to plan ahead. WalMart announced some 18 months ahead of time that the company would be opening one of their big stores nearby. Joel feared for the future of his small hardware store, and he soon arrived at a "planning ahead" decision. If WalMart came to town, people would be buying everyday hardware items from them, not Joel's hardware store. So, he decided to move from his cramped, in-town store to a sprawling suburban lot on a main road. Simultaneously, he would change the direction of his business. Contractors and homeowners already came to Joel's place to rent the power tools and equipment they needed for a day or two. In his sprawling new location, Joel would have more room and could add more rentals. Today, Joel is in his new place, offering more and more rentals--including trucks and trailers. He has been able to add a repairman to keep the equipment shipshape. He still offers high quality hardware items and power tools for sale--concentrating on items not carried by WalMart.
Sometimes, owners of small businesses get comfortable with the business running itself. But the marketplace is always changing. It can take an outside force to kick start big decisions.
You can never know what the future will bring. But you can get ready for some possible changes in direction using the if/then decision making tool.
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