Archive for April, 2009
How Do You Approach Time Management?
An article was recently posted at Small Business Trends™ that explored how small business owners can benefit from focusing their thoughts on a few particular subjects. Check out Anita Campbell’s article, “A Brain Map for How to Spend Executive Time,” to see how Mark Hurd, CEO of HP, spends his thinking time. Then ponder how you, a small business owner or manager, spend your time.
According to Campbell, small business owners should split their thinking time between internal and extrernal business factors. We want to hear your thoughts. Do you find yourelf dividing your time equally, or do you tend to focus more on one area of business than others? How have you overcome the difficulty of managing your time?
Add comment April 27, 2009
Give Your Blog a Sneeze Page
If you have a blog, whether for your business of for personal use, you know that writing your posts takes some time and effort. You want to keep your blog up-to-date, yet you also want your reader to see your past entries since they contain valuable information. And hey—you worked hard on them, so you want them to be read! But how do you get your reader to check out past blogs instead of the most recent ones?
That’s what a sneeze page is for. By categorizing your past posts into relevant themes, you can create a list of archived blog posts that your readers will want to check out. Your readers will see a category they’re interested in, click on that link, and then be sent to the past blog posts that relate to that subject. Sneeze pages are also good for search engine optimization since the links that you include on your sneeze page will be included during the search-engine ranking process.
Darren Rowse, creator of the sneeze-page concept, recently posted an article on the subject at ProBlogger.net. I highly recommend this article; not only will you learn more about how sneeze pages work, but the article also contains priceless tips for putting together your blog’s very own sneeze page. Visit http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/04/23/create-a-sneeze-page-for-your-blog/ and get your sneeze page started!
Add comment April 23, 2009
Have a Nominee for the WebAward?
From time to time, we all come across a Web site that makes us go, “Hmmm.” Next time you see an impressive Web site, why not nominate it for the 2009 WebAward. The deadline for submissions is May 29, 2009.
To nominated a site, please go to: http://www.webaward.org/guidelines.asp
Add comment April 22, 2009
Free Small Business Planner
The U.S. Small Business Administration is an extremely valuable resource for entrepreneurs. It provides several services and tools to help small business owners achieve success.
One extremely beneficial tool provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration is the Small Business Planner. This planner provides a variety of information to guide small business owners through every phase of the business lifecycle. To access the Small Business Planner, click here.
Add comment April 21, 2009
Write to Improve Sales
The written word is a powerful marketing tool. In the following article, entitled Write to Generate Sales, author Becky McCray describes how you can write to effectively improve rapport with your customers and boost your sales: http://www.smallbizsurvival.com/2009/04/write-to-generate-sales.html
1 comment April 20, 2009
Professional Development Can Help Your Business Succeed
“Small business owners have challenges in growing business revenues. Half report moderate or no success in doing this.” – The Small Business Success Index* (SBSI)
The statement above is quite frightening; however, many entrepreneurs neglect to take heed of its warning. Rather, they go on to use their limited capital on unnecessary investments, thinking they’ll reap the rewards in upcoming years. In many cases, their rate of return is much lower than anticipated, and instead of basking in their newfound wealth, they struggle to make ends meet. The SBSI explains, “The ability to overcome challenges around capital and marketing can have a major impact on small business success.”
In the effort to control cost and achieve business success, “a plurality of business owners expect to hold spend steady through 2009; [however] 23% plan to increase this in the area of professional development.” So why is professional development such a worthwhile investment? The answer is simple. A well-educated workplace makes well-educated decisions.
Free Professional Development Opportunities
If you wish to engage in professional development but do not have the funds to do so, you’re in luck. Many consulting agencies and professional organizations now offer complimentary Webinars almost on a daily basis. You may also access sites like MySolutionSpot.com and SolutionsArePower.com, both of which offer relevant and industry-specific information for free. The more you educate yourself, the more likely you will be able to overcome your challenges.
*The Small Business Success Index, an ongoing measurement of the overall health of U.S. small businesses, was commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. To take the survey yourself, click here.
Add comment April 15, 2009
Managing Your Social Media Presence
Social media participation is only beneficial if you (yup, you’ve guessed it!) participate. The following article explains how you can effectively monitor your social media accounts in just ten minutes a day:
Add comment April 14, 2009
Do Mature Businesses Have an Advantage Over Startups?
According to The Small Business Success Index*, an ongoing study of U.S. small businesses, “mature businesses have an edge over startups and newer companies.” The study also claims that “being in a growing or mature industry has a direct bearing on a business’ competitiveness.”
Many startups and new businesses have limited access to capital, which makes it difficult for them to advertise as aggressively as mature businesses or invest a great deal of money into building their businesses. They also typically have a harder time gaining the recognition necessary to compete with more reputable businesses. However, their lack of a recognizability can be a good thing, as well. It allows them to take larger risks. For this reason, many new businesses rely on innovation to build awareness and gain a competitive edge.
In my opinion, a startup that can create a product or service, capable of meeting an unfilled and long-lasting demand for a large consumer group, can obtain – and even secure – a competitive advantage over a solid, mature business. Take look at Twitter™, MySpace® and Facebook®, for instance. They are among the most well-known Web sites worldwide, yet they were all launched fewer than 10 years ago. Their quick success was a result of their innovativeness. Of course, Twitter, MySpace and Facebook are not representative of the norm, but you get the idea.
I want your input on these findings. Do you think mature businesses have an edge over startups and newer companies? Please leave a comment.
*The Small Business Success Index, an ongoing measurement of the overall health of U.S. small businesses, was commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. To take the survey yourself, click here.
1 comment April 10, 2009
