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Should Small Business Owners Embrace Social Media?
I order a package of vacuum cleaner bags online. The site cheerfully requests “Like us on Facebook!” Kobe Bryant announces that in order to help the Lakers, he won’t tweet during playoff games. A...
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Small Business and Social Media II
Last week’s column generated lots of comments, and probably requires some follow up. First, the army of social media fanatics that go ballistic at any hint that SM isn’t the be-all, end-all and...
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Three Rules for Small Business
A few days ago a discussion on LinkedIn’s “Small Business Accelerator” group asked “What are the three things a small business owner should focus on?” As challenging as any business is, the basics...
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Size Means Nothing on the Web
A small manufacturer hires a local web development firm, and spends six months reworking his website. He agonizes over every word of the copy. He writes up product descriptions, detailing materials...
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Who Owns the Portal?
We are 30 years into the computer revolution, which I am arbitrarily marking as beginning in the mid-1980′s, when Apple II and IBM compatible (286) computers began to show up on the desks of people...
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Giving Referrals: Fire and Forget?
We all appreciate getting referrals. There is a feeling of gratification in knowing that someone thinks enough of your work to send a friend or associate your way. Referrals are usually the life’s...
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Does Technology Help or Threaten Small Businesses?
A small computer service company wants to sell Microsoft software licenses to its customers. They send an employee to become certified in licensing. (Microsoft offers some 600 variants.). As soon as...
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The Tyranny of The Bad Customer
“The customer is always right,” or at least that’s what most business owners profess to their employees. We post it for all to see. “Customer satisfaction is job one.” “Our boss is the customer.” The...
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Google, SEO and the Yellow Pages Game
When the Yellow Pages were a primary source of advertising for small businesses, they had a nifty sales technique. If an advertiser was doubtful about the value of an ad, their sales rep would offer a...
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Reputations are Sticky
"We have a great reputation in our industry." In thousands of hours of coaching and facilitating I've never heard a business owner say "We have a lousy reputation." The myopia of working hard to...
View ArticleSmall Business can Sell in a Recession
This was an article I had published in the San Antonio Express News yesterday.Guest Voices: Small businesses can sell in recessionMany business owners think that the current recession has ruined their...
View ArticleAll for one…me
Continuing the discussion on employee incentives.We have four possible combinations for incentives, monetary/group, monetary/individual, non-monetary/group and non-monetary/individual. How can we...
View ArticleIs It Time for Courage?
A friend of mine occasionally shares his copy of EcoTrends®. This research newsletter tracks 41 different economic indicators. Since I'm not actually a subscriber, I refer you to their site if you're...
View ArticleHappy (tweet) Fathers’ Day (from your child via FaceBook)
My wife was working on the vacuum cleaner today. Despite my intention to be a lazy slob all day, I decided to pitch in. A short diagnosis let me do a temporary repair, and sent me to the Internet to...
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Advertising Effectively
I've heard it three times in the 24 hours since returning from my vacation; "I'm spending a lot of money on marketing, but I don't know how effective it is."The problem goes back for as long as...
View ArticleYou can’t keep a good saying down.
"There are lies, damn lies and statistics."It's a great saying, and in the USA is typically attributed to Mark Twain. He, in turn, attributed it to Benjamin Disraeli.
View ArticleMission, Vision and Values: Weighing in on the Definition War
The other day during a continuing education class, the old argument came up again. "These are the kind of things that belong in a company's Vision Statement," the instructor said. "I thought they were...
View ArticleInstant, perfectly targeted marketing.
I'm finalizing my speaker panel for our Fall seminar series. This season we are concentrating on marketing and sales. The recession is over, but no one can feel the "recovery.
View ArticleThe Only Thing We Have to Fear?
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." FDR famously broadcast during the Great Depression. His speech didn't end that economic slump, and the election next week won't end this one.
View ArticleService Needs to be a Defensible Territory
The UN air strikes against Gaddafi's forces raise an obvious question. Why Libya? Although we believe Qaddafi is a really bad guy, there are plenty of other players in North Africa and the Middle East...
View ArticleCredibility in the Lobby
I typically visit over a dozen businesses a week. Only a few have media articles about themselves in the lobby. When I ask the others, they typically answer "Oh sure.
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The Man (or Woman) Who Knew Too Much
Most businesses need salespeople. Most salespeople need to know what they are selling. This leaves many owners on the proverbial horns of a dilemma.
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Trimming the Customer Tree
Anyone who has shopped for a live Christmas tree knows the drill. They have some on display, but none look exactly like what you want. You start looking through the trees that are still bundled up.
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Can You Build Your Business in Half the Time?
I had an unusual coincidence happen last week. Speaking to prospective new members of The Alternative Board (TAB), I wound up with three CPAs in the same meeting. They were from three different...
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Sales: Do You Have Customers or Clients?
Whether you have customers or clients is more than a matter of semantics. Some businesses use the term "clients" in an attempt to class up their image. Attorneys usually have clients.
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Is Uber Really Disruptive Technology?
I attended a technology awards event a few nights ago. The speaker extolled technology as the engine of change and economic development, while attendees posted pictures of each other for the Pinterest...
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What a Customer Needs May Not Be What He Wants
The owner of an IT services company recently presented his new reporting system to his peer board. They had provided substantial input as to what they, as customers, would want to see from their...
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“Everyone has Gotten So Rude!”
Not too long ago, I was leading a group of business owners in a discussion. These were not my peer board members, but rather owners at a breakfast, none of whom I’d met before. To start the...
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Marketing for Trust
Why are car dealer commercials so crappy? I’m not talking about the manufacturers’ ads. Those cost millions and have big-name professional spokespeople.
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Invisible Discounts
In the words of the late, great Father Guido Sarducci of Saturday Night Live fame; “I canna teach you everything you need to know about business inna fiva minutes. You buya something, and thena you...
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Never Fire a Salesperson
The majority of business owners prefer linking pay to employee performance. The sales role in most businesses is the easiest and most obvious place to begin. Yet owners struggle with compensating...
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When a Customer Outgrows You
There is nothing that quite matches the excitement of landing your first really big customer. It often brings with it the confidence that comes with knowing, really knowing, that you can compete in...
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The Quest for Recurring Revenue
Recurring revenue is the current Holy Grail of business. Barriers to Entry, a traditional way of assessing your differentiation against competition, have been replaced by Barriers to Exit, how to make...
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Small Businesses Fantasies: Service
As an evangelist for small business, I am the consumer equivalent of the locally-grown food movement. I spend as much of my discretionary income as possible with the owned-and-operated businesses in...
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Help Your Friends, Not Your Competitors’
I hear it all too often. “A customer just called us for a quote. They have always done business with our competitor. The post Help Your Friends, Not Your Competitors’ appeared first on Awake at 2...
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The New Information Direction: Push Over Pull
Ever since we started using computers in virtually every business, we’ve been putting data into them. Unfortunately, the issue has been getting information back out. In the middle 1980’s I ran a...
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Employee Experience: Is Bigger Better?
Small businesses provide much of the initial employee experience. We take younger folks and teach them decent work habits like showing up every day, being on time, and working to deadlines. As owners,...
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History Begets Attitudes
History begets attitudes. I’m back from my biannual depressurization trip. This time it was to Central Europe. The post History Begets Attitudes appeared first on Awake at 2 o'clock?.
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How Much Does that Gorilla Weigh?
How much does that (fill in your preferred number here) pound gorilla weigh? I always refer to an 800 pound gorilla, but I’ve heard others use everything from a 400 pound gorilla (which is pretty...
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Business isn’t Zero Sum
In any negotiation, you can assume a win-win solution or a zero sum outcome. “Win-win” is defined as when both parties come out ahead or achieve what they seek. “Zero sum” is when the premise behind...
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Quality of Earnings Part 3: Cash Flow
In the past few weeks we’ve discussed how quality of earnings audits look at your income and expenses, and their impact on company value. Since Revenue less Expenses equals Profit (P=R-E), you could...
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The Nimble Small Business
Almost since time began, the nimble small business has been axiomatic. Large corporations are like big ships, the common knowledge goes. They take a long time to change direction. The post The Nimble...
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The Right Price for Your Business
“If someone offered me the right price, I’d sell in a minute!” Exit planners and business brokers hear it all the time. “Anything is for sale if the price is right! The post The Right Price for Your...
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Business Buyers and Disintermediation
In the last post, we discussed the reluctance of many prospective business buyers to deal with the regulatory burden of being an employer or service provider. You may be among the lucky few whose...
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Your Exit Plan: The 3 Inarguable Reasons to Start NOW
What is Your Exit Plan? If you’ve ever done a business plan for the purpose of raising capital, one of the key questions is “What is your exit plan?” Many business owners think that question is...
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“Work From Anywhere” Comes Full Circle
Work from anywhere was initially a boon for many employees. Now employers are catching up. Continue reading → The post “Work From Anywhere” Comes Full Circle appeared first on Awake at 2 o'clock?.
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