PR for the Little Guy
Public relations isn't just for big corporations. Any size or type of business can benefit from media exposure and the right "spin".
Cheap Employee "Benefits"
Along with employee salaries, employee benefits are a significant portion of an overall company budget.
Small Business Lessons from Ford Motor Company
A recent news program focused on Ford Motor Company and how it managed a more solid performance in the midst…
Getting Started with Videocasting
Business owners have always had many avenues for communicating their marketing messages to clients, but the newest avenue is videocasting (online video).
Writing a Business Plan: The Basics
You've got a business idea and you want to get funding. A business plan is your starting point, but not just for financial purposes.
The Power of Mastermind Groups
Being a small business owner or entrepreneur can be lonely. It can be hard to stay motivated. It isn't necessary to struggle this way. Add a coach, mentor and mastermind group to your success toolbox!
Dream BIG with a Mastermind Group!
I often recommend that small business owners and entrepreneurs have three key tools in their "success toolbox": a coach, a mentor and a mastermind group.
New Thoughts on Employee Motivation: Part 2
In yesterday's post, we discussed Dan Pink's TED speech and how social science research indicates that traditional methods of employee motivation are not based on fact and simply…
New Thoughts on Employee Motivation:Part 1
A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning."- Pat Riley"If you do this, then you get that" is a contingent motivator. Dan Pink, in his funny and enlightening piece for the TED…
5 EASY Ways to Lose Your Customers
You are a busy, busy small business owner and entrepreneur. You are planning your next big venture, ordering new computers, hiring a new assistant...and not paying attention to the one area you should focus most of your attention on-your existing customers.
Classes, coaching or consulting?
The training you need can come in three different forms, depending on your unique situation. Each of us learn differently and have different needs. Let me share a little about each so that you can decide what makes the most sense for you.
Don't Neglect Your "Offline" Networking
Social media has been the keyphrase in business marketing for the last few years. Building online relationships via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other sites has taken the spotlight off of the old school way of networking with potential customers and partners.
Set Up a Corporation or LLC
Choosing the right form of entity for your business is vital. There are liability issues, tax strategies, and asset protection issues to consider. You must protect your personal assets and minimize your tax burden.
Using Cloud Computing to Save Business Dollars
Bootstrapping is slang for starting your business super cheap. Guy Kawasaki's The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything and Seth Godin's The Bootstrapper's Bible: Volume 1 are two…
The Right Entity for your Business: Incorporation or LLC
Choosing the right form of entity for your business is vital. There are liability issues, tax strategies, and asset protection issues to consider. You must protect your personal assets and minimize your tax burden.
Unexpected Online Networking Spots
You are beginning to get quite an education on social networking here at My Small Business Mentor.
Don't Underestimate Your "About Us" Page
When you are first drafting, or later revising, your company's Web site, don't underestimate the power of your "About Us" page. For new visitors, this can be a key component of creating interest in delving further into your site, your service or product offerings and can help lead to a sale.
Do Your Potential Customers Forget About You?
Your web business probably gets product inquiries from potential customers around the globe. Inquiries come via e-mail and your web site, and you try to send information to each hot prospect as quickly as you can.
Increase Business with Testimonials!
Word of mouth (WOM) advertising is one of the best, and free, forms available to all businesses, from the very large corporation to the solo entrepreneur. All of us, as customers, trust products that others have recommended to us.
Longing for the Good Old Days: Apprenticeships
When I am asked to explain what coaching is all about I will often refer back to the concept of apprenticeships. Today we focus almost solely on lecture-based education and very little on apprenticeship "hands-on" learning…