Whether you’ve just launched your first business or you’re neck-deep in three or four, you know how easily the hours can slip away when you’re your own boss. I’ve spoken with a lot of entrepreneurs over the years (and am one myself, of course!), and in that time I’ve found…
Many small-business owners I work with view customer service and retention as facets of their companies that are built into the way they conduct business. In other words, they view their consistent delivery of on-time, high-quality results to be an effective customer retention strategy.
While doing good work is certainly an…
If you don’t already have a referral system in place in your business, it’s time to set one up. And if you have a referral system that isn’t leading to many actual referrals, it’s time to rethink the mechanics of that system.
For small-business owners, referrals are one of the…
Salespeople don’t have the greatest reputation. That’s largely because the “traditional” method of making sales involves heavy “selling,” which essentially means attempting to force customers to buy something they may not want or need.
Naturally, that process—even when it is successful—backfire. Salespeople as a whole get a reputation as being untrustworthy,…
I’ve spoken with a lot of talented business owners—in all industries—who have blocks when it comes to sales strategies. For one reason or another, these intelligent, successful people believe they “aren’t good at sales” or even that they don’t have what it takes to sell effectively.
In reality, anyone can sell…
These days, small-business owners have little choice but to delve into the online world as part of their overall business plan. The Internet provides a wealth of opportunities for savvy marketers, but it can overwhelm those who aren’t familiar with the basics.
Here is a primer on one of the most…
For small-business owners, employee recruitment and retention can be stressful and time-consuming, particularly if you wait until you really, really need another employee’s help to maintain and grow your productivity. But finding the right team members makes a world of difference to the long-term health of your business.
Here’s a primer…
After getting their businesses off the ground, most small-business owners start focusing on growth. The main challenge that most of my clients face when they’re ready to grow is finding the money that allows them to do so.
Here are some strategies for finding the capital you need to take your…
Retirees who find themselves itching to return to the working world may find a manageable balance by offering consulting services. Consulting tends to work well as an encore career for many retirees because it is an inherently flexible line of work: you consult with individuals or businesses as much or…
Small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and other go-getters often worry that, in retirement, “spending” (that is, getting rid of) the time they have each day will become a burden akin to a full-time job.
This is a perfectly reasonable and understandable fear, especially if you’ve spent a significant part of your working life…
