What do Christmas trees and campgrounds have in common? They are both products of a seasonal business! And while they share a common trait of generating revenue during a specific time during the year, they differ in that the Christmas tree lots can be closed after Christmas while the campground has operating costs throughout the year. If you’re thinking of running a seasonal business to take advantage of short term revenue opportunities, make sure it’s more the ‘Christmas tree’ kind of business.…
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Added by Steve Smith on December 1, 2009 at 10:29am —
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Effective communications depends on two factors; a clear message and an optimal channel to deliver it. Over the last 10 years or so, tremendous improvements have been made in the delivery end of the communication spectrum- cell phones/PDAs, text messaging, high speed internet, wireless, instant messenger, GPS and the list goes on. The message clarity side of the equation, however, has not advanced at the same rate.
Whether you are giving direction to your employees, presenting an idea to a clie…
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Added by Steve Smith on November 30, 2009 at 8:46am —
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Face to face marketing traditionally known as networking has always been an integral part of a successful small business marketing strategy. But, with the increase of people starting businesses as an alternative to going back into the job market, networking events have taken on more of a ‘swap meet’ atmosphere as business owners and entrepreneurs attempt to find buyers and collect business cards to use for future email campaigns.
If networking is done right, it can fuel a continuous stream of q…
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Added by Steve Smith on November 7, 2009 at 8:48pm —
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This week, many in business throughout the United States and around the world will be celebrating the 100th birthday of history’s most influential business thinker- Peter F. Drucker. Drucker, now deceased, was lauded as the father of modern management and published 39 books on a whole range of topics and principles that he saw as essential to the greater role of business in society. His first rule of thumb was his version of medicine’s Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm. Leave the marketplace, the wor…
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Added by Steve Smith on November 3, 2009 at 6:17pm —
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What determines how big things should be? As Americans, we tend to think that bigger is better in most cases. Until recently, the SUV market was based on this principle. In contact sports, bigger certainly has its advantages. And don’t forget about all the restaurants who serve more food that most people can eat in one sitting.
On the other end of the size continuum is the idea that smaller is where it’s at. This has certainly been the case for cell phones, computers and cameras. In fact, techn…
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Added by Steve Smith on November 2, 2009 at 10:16pm —
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If you own a small business, networking should be a key component of your overall marketing strategy. Networking is the best way to build relationships with people in your community at a personal level. It’s the only way to convey who you are in real life; something that will earn a tremendous amount of trust, confidence and credibility if done properly.
Networking can be very intimidating for some business owners. It requires being able to walk into rooms full of people you don’t know and feel…
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Added by Steve Smith on September 18, 2009 at 11:47am —
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Every time I see an ad in a news paper or on a flyer, I’m reminded of marketing at its most basic level: [What you do or have that’s unique + who the people are who want what you have = all the sales you can handle]. Now, explaining this concept is much easier than it is to implement. Still, there are things you can do to get a better understanding of whether or not you’re properly focused on the customers you want.
In today’s struggle to find the best way to…
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Added by Steve Smith on September 7, 2009 at 7:40pm —
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The barrier between success and everything else lies with being able to take action. Our minds have an uncanny ability to shield us from doing things we should be doing if the activity in question has not been tried before or has previously ended in disappointment. Call it fear, call it a lack of confidence or chalk it up to simply not knowing what to do; a lack of focused action will only produce a continued feeling of disappointment with the results.
One of the most recognizable brand names o…
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Added by Steve Smith on September 5, 2009 at 7:04am —
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How many times do you innovate your business; a new product, a new service, a new feature on your website? Are you announcing these new offerings or just hoping people stumble onto them as you network?
The article below by Mass Media Distribution- an Atlanta based firm provides a great way to write a press release in one hour. I wrote a press release about the opening of my business one year ago and it still ranks highly on Google when searches for…
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Added by Steve Smith on August 25, 2009 at 5:37pm —
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Every time I take a break from running my business, I’m reminded of the incredible benefits I’ve received from experiencing the triumphs and setbacks of building my business. Like many business owners, I’m continuously thinking about the ultimate goal of my business when, in fact, the real growth comes from the journey itself.
Recently, my wife and I embarked on our annual vacation- a road trip. We started doing trips on our motorcycle because traveling this way can be very economical while exp…
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Added by Steve Smith on August 19, 2009 at 10:40am —
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Last week, I met with a small business owner who had recently become a client. After the first couple of professional business coaching sessions conducted at his favorite coffee shop, I decided to take him up on his offer to have our next meeting at his office.
On the day of our
business coaching program, I arrived at his place of business and as I approached the entrance, I noticed a noble attempt at landscaping the front w…
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Added by Steve Smith on July 25, 2009 at 3:39pm —
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What’s the fastest, cheapest way to increase your revenue? Spend more time doing things that produce it. Let me explain.
As a small business owner, you have awesome responsibilities! You are tasked with doing everything your business requires unless you choose to hand over some of this responsibility to someone else- an employee, a contracted service, etc. So if you can’t do everything, you need to get others to take up the slack.
Ah... I know; you’re not in a position to hire help so you are…
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Added by Steve Smith on July 15, 2009 at 9:48pm —
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As I was returning to my office from one of my regular networking events, I passed a shopping center that caught my eye. I had passed this center many times without ever noticing anything or going into it but this morning it was screaming with activity. So, I pulled in and drive to the source of the activity where I found people waiting in a line outside a novelty store.
Fascinated by the amount of people inside the store and waiting outside, I parked and walked over. Now, this was not a store…
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Added by Steve Smith on July 10, 2009 at 2:48pm —
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For those of us who have chosen to have our own businesses, the reasons for doing so are probably varied. The decision could have been initiated by the desire to call your own shots, have control over your own destiny or simply have time to do the things that a conventional job would not allow. Regardless of the reason, it was clear that owning your own business was preferable to working for someone else.
Today, more than any time in recent history, thousands of people are starting their own bu…
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Added by Steve Smith on July 1, 2009 at 5:38pm —
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Even if the market starts to change by the end of this calendar year, many business owners will still not know what to do to grow their businesses. Growth is not dependent on the economy. The economy only changes the rules by which we all play. Knowing the fundamentals to growing any business is what you need to set your business on the path to growth.
As a special 'thanks' to all my small business colleagues in south county, I want to provide a great resource that will teach you what to do and…
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Added by Steve Smith on June 10, 2009 at 11:00am —
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After attending more than 1,000 networking events over the last 5 years, I have only met a few business people with introductions that resonated with me. If you could put a price on all this activity, millions of marketing dollars have been wasted!
The
typical elevator pitch (how you would introduce yourself to someone new if you only had enough time to ride from the 10th floor to the ground floor of an office building- about…
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Added by Steve Smith on June 6, 2009 at 6:20pm —
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Have you ever given any thought as to how your clients make that all important decision as to whether or not they will buy your product or service? What is it EXACTLY that triggers their buy / don’t buy button? Is it really price that controls their decision, or are other factors involved?
What you need to know…
Believe it or not, price is actually one of their last considerations. Human nature says that no matter who is buying what you sell, they will always want “the best deal.…
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Added by Steve Smith on June 6, 2009 at 6:10pm —
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The urge to take action during difficult times is natural. But action without a plan or clear focus on the outcome wastes energy, resources and time. When small businesses are stressed for revenues and loyal clients, action without purpose can aggravate rather than overcome the challenge.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. It’s a well-worn phase that applies to everything from sports to
growing a business. I’ll bet you’ve even said th…
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Added by Steve Smith on June 6, 2009 at 5:54pm —
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