Qualities of Small Business Success

I have been in business for my self for most of my adult life.  When I founded Smallbusinessgrow.com, a sales and marketing company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs bring their small business ideas to fruition, I began to mentor and coach lots of small business owners and since as I sat in their offices I began to observe some similarities among those who were successful.  

Many of the successful entrepreneurs I have met share at least three of these five qualities:

1. A Passion for their product or service.
   Being an small business owner demands long hours and dedication, even more than most higher paying jobs do. If you're not excited about your product or service, then your clients won’t be either.  Passion will sustain you through the financial highs and lows that will inevitably occur. If you find something you love enough to want to share it with others, that love will fuel you and give you the drive to succeed.

1. Willing to take advice.
   The most successful entrepreneurs I know never forget how much they can learn from others. They are flexible and teachable. They soak up the advice from business owners around them, then adapt that advice to their own company.  Most belong to one or more business networking groups where they meet other small business owners and share referrals.
2. Become an expert in their field.
   As a small business owner it is to your advantage to gain as much knowledge as you can in your industry. When you spend years in the same industry, you learn its history. Knowing what's been done before can help you identify how it will change in the future. By building a network of relationships that trust your expertise you are securing a team of loyal people you can draw from in the future.
3. Thinking about the next step.
   Successful entrepreneurs are always thinking about where they are headed next. They have a clearly established set of goals but are flexible on how to reach those goals. Your strategies may be constantly changing, but as long as you know where you are going, if you are flexible, chances are you will get there in a faster and more efficient way. 
4. Idea factory.
   Having one small business that is doing well is great, but the successful entrepreneurs I know don't put all their efforts into one project. Instead, they're constantly asking themselves, "What else can I do?" They understand that being a successful entrepreneur is a lifestyle, not a final destination.  Be creative and consider how you can use your existing customer base to generate more revenue for your business.  Perhaps starting a second business that can cater to another need your customers have, but have been paying someone else to do.  Always be on the look out for revenue generating ideas and opportunities and you will become a more successful small business owner.

I hope you have seen some of these qualities in yourself and will strive to grow in these areas as an entrepreneur, which will make you as successful as you desire to be.  Keep up the good work my friends!  

Go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com for more helpful tips for Small Business.

Sales, the only way to grow your business!

SALES; The Only Way To Grow Your Business....

Small Business owners often make staying in business way harder than it is.  Business owners over-think their marketing strategy, complicate their services or product line, worry too much about their employees.

There is only one primary focus for a successful Small Business, make more SALES!

These other issues are important to be sure, but they pale in insignificance compared to the one area of business that contributes most to success.

Spending time every day on Sales!

I have consulted with many Small Business owners and almost every time I see a business that is struggling, it is primarily because they are not spending enough hours in the day on the sales process. Every business owner must spend time on this most important aspect of the life of their company, either through refining how they sell their products or services, or getting out there and getting one to one with potential customers.

How much time should a Small Business owner spend on sales? Well if you’re running a brand new start-up business you should devote at least 75% of your day to sales.  If you’re an established business you should spend at least 35% of your day on the sales process.

Does that sound impossible? It shouldn’t. What else could you be doing that is more important to the long term success of your company?

When you spend a large amount of your time in sales, and make it a priority to your employees, selling opportunities quickly arise. Doors will open for you that you did not formerly have. Thats when checks get written and that is what every business needs. When you spend all your time in your office working on every problem that crosses your desk, you begin to feel defeated and unmotivated.  New sales brings new life to your Small Business. So get out there and ask more people to purchase your products and services and success will come.  Make sure you are utilizing the internet, your website and social media to bring in consistent leads that you can follow up on and sell.

All great companies are great at sales. Coca Cola committed themselves in 2000 to get a Coke in the hand of every person in the world by 2020! Companies like Apple Computers have made their way on selling a better product and even in a recession their sales are up!  They grew huge not just because of the quality product line, after all there are many companies with great products that are struggling to survive, but their commitment to selling just one more, made them beat their competitors.  

Here’s an exercise well worth trying: Sit down and work out the average amount of time your people are spending each week either directly selling or on marketing to improve the sales process. Then set a goal to double the amount of time you are spending on sales, start tomorrow.   You may say you’re too busy, but if you don’t you will be busy and broke, its just a matter of time.  

Sales should be the center of what your company does, every single day. If you’re not happy with how fast your business is growing, this is the area you should focus on, first, second and third. Get out there and ask more people to buy your products and services, because making more sales is what its all about.

If you need help in the area of sales I provide hands-on sales training for you and your employees, contact me for a Free consultation.  www.SmallBusinessGrow.com

Six Qualities of a Successful Small Business Owner

Do you have what it takes?

I have been in business for my self for most of my adult life.  When I founded Smallbusinessgrow.com,

a sales and marketing company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs bring their small business ideas to fruition, I began to mentor and coach lots of small business owners and, as I sat in their offices, I began to observe some similarities among those who were successful.

Many of the successful entrepreneurs I have met share at least three of these five qualities:

1. A Passion for their product or service.
   Being an small business owner demands long hours and dedication, even more than most higher paying jobs do. If you're not excited about your product or service, then your clients won’t be either.  Passion will sustain you through the financial highs and lows that will inevitably occur. If you find something you love enough to want to share it with others, that love will fuel you and give you the drive to succeed.
2. Willing to take advice.The most successful entrepreneurs I know never forget how much they can learn from others. They are flexible and teachable. They soak up the advice from business owners around them, then adapt that advice to their own company.  Most belong to one or more business networking groups where they meet other small business owners and share referrals.
3. Become an expert in their field. As a small business owner it is to your advantage to gain as much knowledge as you can in your industry. When you spend years in the same industry, you learn its history. Knowing what's been done before can help you identify how it will change in the future. By building a network of relationships that trust your expertise you are securing a team of loyal people you can draw from in the future.
4. Thinking about the next step. Successful entrepreneurs are always thinking about where they are headed next. They have a clearly established set of goals but are flexible on how to reach those goals. Your strategies may be constantly changing, but as long as you know where you are going, if you are flexible, chances are you will get there in a faster and more efficient way. 
5. Idea factory. Having one small business that is doing well is great, but the successful entrepreneurs I know don't put all their efforts into one project. Instead, they're constantly asking themselves, "What else can I do?" They understand that being a successful entrepreneur is a lifestyle, not a final destination.  Be creative and consider how you can use your existing customer base to generate more revenue for your business.  Perhaps starting a second business that can cater to another need your customers have, but have been paying someone else to do.  Always be on the look out for revenue generating ideas and opportunities and you will become a more successful small business owner.
6. Stong moral center. The most successful Small Business owners that I know are those who have a strong moral center that is founded on the Bible.  They have integrity that comes from their committment to the truth and to providing an honest product or service to their customers. They have thier priorities in order, their first priority is their relationship with God, next their family, third their friends, business and costomers.  They are people others come to depend upon and trust.  This is the foundation of the successful entrepreneurs that I know.

I hope you have seen some of these qualities in yourself and will strive to grow in these areas as an entrepreneur, for a Free Small Business Consultation contact Skip at www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Small Business Successful Sales Strategies

From Planning to Profits... 

If you are a Small Business owner in the Service Industry you are probably looking for ways to generate new leads and improve sales. A sales strategy will focus your efforts on your most important target customers, both existing and potential.  Here are several of the most important things to focus on when designing a sales strategy.

• Create a sales plan. Having a document that outlines your sales goals and strategies will help you to stay on track and track your progress. If you need help developing a strategic sales plan contact www.smallbusinessgrow.com After you define your sales plan, keep these things in mind:

• Sales goals: These goals should be specific and measurable, not something like; “We want to serve thousands of new customers this year.” Instead base sales goals on your current sales history. For example, if you have been averaging 10 sales per month, set a new goal of 15 new sales in a specific area, then market to that area.
• Marketing activities: These are your tactics -- how you plan to make the sale. You may say you'll sell directly-to-consumer through a website or via a Business Networking group, for instance. Or this part of the plan may include activities like developing a sell sheet to give to your service technicians.
• Target accounts: Your sales plan should also include the specific people you want to sell to. If it's end-users, for example, plan how you're going to reach them through your company website, Social Media platforms, referrals, door to door sales, flyers and through classified ads through craigslist.  
• Set a Timeline: Put dates to all of the above elements so you can define your steps within a realistic timeline. Don't forget that your timelines should be fluid--if you're underachieving, your sales plan can help you figure out why and define the corrective steps you need to take.  Take advantage of free software to organize your sales efforts such as www.timetonote.com
• Expand into new markets. Once you have established success in your current market, consider expanding to include other markets. This will open doors to service more customers, but don’t forget to upsell new services to your current buyers, don’t leave that revenue on the table.
• Presentation: Develop a sales strategy and have a professional-looking sales presentation ready. Your product or service should also have packaging, branding and advertising that captures attention and gives a call to action! 
• Know your Competition: Understand what products and services they carry and how yours compares. What offers do you provide that your competition does not? Why should a customer buy from you over the competition?

There are many factors that go into developing a successful sales and marketing plan. Each business is unique and every business owner has their own set of goals and targets.  If you are a Small Business owner that is struggling with slow sales, contact www.smallbusinessgrow.com for a free initial consultation.  You have nothing to loose and a great deal to gain.  

Say Hello to Sales Leads!

Six Helpful Tips to Generate More Sales Leads for your Small Business!

1. Capture leads quickly—Establish a standard process for your business to capture lead information during any interaction with a potential customer. Train employees on the process and emphasize its importance for future business growth.

2. Search Engine Optimization—Establish a Web presence for your business and optimize your website. Tools like Google Places are essential for getting listed and found online. 

3. Organize your Customer Database—Get the right message to the right person at the right time by tracking behavior. Clearly outline the benefit your product or service offers based on your potential customer’s needs.

4. Build a Qualified Team—Build relationships with businesses that offer complementary products and services. Build your partner’s business into your business and yours into theirs.

5. Build a Local Reputation—Local consumers want to benefit their local community. Consumers will buy local when it is convenient, when they have a relationship with you, and when they are informed.

6. Design a Referral Strategy—Create a methodical way to generate referrals. Outline a systematic referral process and incentivize your employees for collecting referrals. The best time to ask for referrals is at the time of purchase, shortly after a recent purchase or after a customer satisfaction survey.

"I have more where these came from!" Don't let another day go by, act now by contacting me!  You have nothing to loose, but much to gain.

 click the link below

Let's talk Growth

 

For hand-on help generating new Sales leads contact me at  www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Email Subject Lines that get your Emails OPENED!

Email Subject Lines 

that Your Readers Can’t look away from....

Your emails are only one of dozens that your potential customers receive each day.  Your subject lines are critical to increase open rates for your emails.  Here are several tips to help you construct effective emails that get opened.

Feed their natural Curiosity - Use a Subject line that leaves your reader wondering, this will encourage them to open and read rather than delete and move on.  Some examples:

Did you read this yet?  I lost something important can you help me?
It was a Humiliating Experience...
Check this out (it's really a great offer!)

Start with Shocking News - 

A Subject line that starts with alarming news will capture the readers attention. For example:

Did you hear the News!  So sad to hear about this!  I’m sure you heard!  Can you believe it!  This will effect so many people!  Tragic turn of events!

Promote Benefits - 

By promoting a benefit to the reader you increase the chance of getting your email opened.  For example: 

10 Things You Need To Know About Technical Analysis
5 Tips That Make You Super‐Productive,  12 Compelling Reasons to Ditch Stress from Your Life,  Five Essentials of selling online products

Ask a Compelling Question -

Asking a compelling question compels those who it qualifies to find the answer be reading the email. For example: How can your company outperform large competitors?  Do you need sales leads now?  Why did I wasted my time blogging? 

Do You Qualify? - 

Asking a qualifying question can get your emails read quickly.  For example: 

Are You getting your monies worth?  Are you an innovator or an imitator?  Are You Choosing the lessor of two Evils? Could These 3 Software solutions Grow Your Business?   Are You Getting Everything You Want In Life?
Are you tapping this hidden goldmine? Are you using this moneymaking tool?

Use Fascination - 

Create fascination through Subject lines that readers want answers to.  For example: The #1 Reason Most People Aren't Rich
The big secret *they* hope you never find out!
The biggest problem with most "Product Launches".  Proof this is causing the Failure Of Numerous Online Businesses.

Make “Free” Offers -  

Free offers are often over used, but if the content is something your reader is interested in it can be effective. For example: 

Here's Your Complimentary Report: 5 Stocks To Buy Now!  FREE Small Business Handbook of Sales Tips!
FREE Facebook tips and FREE Download with FIVE marketing tips
FREE: 5 ways to make domains pay now!  FREE OFFER Click here and get a 30 day trial for FREE!

Latest News - 

Use the latest news for Subject lines.  For example: Take advantage of Home prices being at their cheapest levels in over a decade!  This Month’s Unemployment Shocker!  This Recession is Official!

Unemployment rate increasing, is Your Job Is On The Line?

Numbered Lists - 

Lists are effective, but make sure the list is something your audience wants to learn. For example: 15 Things Learned from $1.4 Billion Worth of Advertising.  Five Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Ad Performance, 5 Reasons These Exercises help you think more clearly. Ten Red Flags the IRS Won't Miss!  10 Marketing tips that sell product!

Offer “Savings” for limited Time only- 

Offering savings for a “Limited Time Only” is a good way to get those who qualify to read your emails.  For example: How does $50 in your wallet sound?, How To STOP Paying For Dates With Women,  "My mistake means you save!" I'm knocking $20 off...  LAST DAY for my 70% Discount! Save 50% ‐‐ for 72 hours only

A Solution to a Universal Problem - 

Identify a problem and offer a solution.  

How to Overcome Writer's Block
I need help getting traffic to my site!!!
The cheapest way to start an online business.
Are you tired of all the Social Media Hype?

For more information on Email Marketing, Social Media, Lead Generation or other  Small Business Marketing help visit Small Business GROW!

Thanks to Lawrence Bernstein, Art Crowley for their contributions.

6 Essentials of a Effective Ad

Six Essentials of an Effective Ad       smallbusinessgrow.com

Many Marketing "experts" will tell you that the only effect marketing tools are found on the Internet, I disagree.  In my experience I have found that there is no silver bullet to marketing.  The best approach is a multi-faceted approach.  This includes print ad's, flyers, door hangers and business cards.  The reason these methods of marketing are ineffective to many is because they don't follow the essentials of an effective ad.  

The following is a list of Six Essentials of an Effective Ad.  Click here for FREE Download

First - Your ad must grab the attention of your target market.  Don't try to appeal to everyone, know your target market and design an Ad specifically for them.  For example; If your ideal customer is a Young Professional between the ages of 25-40, making over $75,000 per year, lives in a Condo and drives a high end sports car, make sure your Ad uses some of these images, speaks their language and appeals to their sense of style when introducing your product of service. 

Second - Your ad must show the benefits of your product or service.  How is your product or service going to better their lives?  How will your service make life easier for them?  How will your product give them the edge over their competition at the office?  For example;  If you are an auto detail company, you would explain how you will make their company vehicles grab the attention of their customers with their new shine and let them know how convenient your service will be for them.

Third - Proof of your Benefit.  This comes in the form of a brief customer testimonial. For example; "I must say I was impressed at the fast and professional service I received.  One call and my car has never looked so good, you've got my business!"

Forth - Convince the potential customer to act now!  You might use an offer with a time limit, such as, Call before Friday and get a $20 discount on our Deluxe service.  You can also limit the number of customers you can service, such as;  "My time slots are filling up, so call today if you want to be put on my route!"  These are effective ways to instill a since of urgency in the potential customer.

Fifth - Make it personal.  If you can use their name, "Hi Mike..." use it, having a picture of their city is also appealing.  Avoid using corporate jargon, as a Small Business owner part of your appeal is that you are not one of the big corporations, so just talk like you would to a friend.  For example; Instead of saying, "We have representatives standing by to take your call." You might say, "Give me a call today, I'm looking forward to talking to you."

Sixth - Give a price!  There is nothing more frustrating than to get an Ad that you are interested in and not have a price for the product or service.  Don't make your potential customers have to read the fine print, or go to another source to get a price, just post it in the Ad.  Those who are interested will appreciate not having to hunt down the price.  This is also a qualifier, it will weed out shoppers and funnel buyers to you.  This also gives you a way to attract customers with special offers and pricing discounts if they call or login fast.  For example; I'm offering a $25 discount today only, just call with the promo code below and receive the discount!

These are Six Essentials of an Effective Ad, whether you are using print advertisement, or online marketing, these tips will help your Ad be more effective and close more sales.

For more information on Sales & Marketing for Small Business click here> SmallBusinessGrow

Is this Deductable? Your Small Business Tax Deduction Checklist

Your Small Business Tax Deduction Checklist

 Don’t leave the office without it!

As a Small Business owner you know the confusion that we all share when it comes to taxes.  I thought you might find this blog helpful, with the federal tax code containing more than 72,000 pages and growing, trying to figuring out what you can and can not claim as a deduction can be confusing at best. With the help of Randy Myers from Business on Main, here are some tips to help you minimize your tax bill without having the IRS knocking on your door. 

What can I claim as a deduction?

Meals and Travel -  Small Businesses can deduct 100 percent of business travel expenses, things like Airline tickets, Lodging, Travel, and other such expenses.  Many don't realize however that you can only deduct 50% of meals while on a business trip.  The confusion comes because you can take a 100% deduction on meals while you are traveling to and from a business destination. There are a few exceptions to the meal rules, best to see an accountant for the fine details.

Auto expenses - If you use a vehicle for your Small Business, you can take deductions including ordinary expenses related to maintenance and up keep, however it is necessary to keep a vehicle mileage log for miles, and gas receipts. The confusion here is that you cannot count traveling from home to your place of work.  

Office at Home - If you have an office in your home, either part time or full time, you can claim a tax deduction for a percentage of you home related expenses such as a percentage of your rent or mortgage and your utility bills.  It is best to consult a CPA for the specifics.

Gifts -  If you give gifts to customers they are tax deductible, but only up to $25 per client annually, so don't get crazy with it.

Internet, phone and cable - When used for business purposes each of these are all generally tax-deductible expenses when used at your place of business. If you are using them from your home office, they will have to be pro-rated.  You can claim the percentage that involve business use.

Work Opportunity Credit - There is a range from $2,400 to $9,600, that is available for every employee your business hires that are from specific groups that the government identifies as having historically faced road blocks to employment. They include military veterans, with a disability or financial-aid criteria, ex-felons, and people who have been receiving various forms of federal financial assistance.

Benefits - Often a business owner can claim a tax deduction for some benefits provided to their employees, like group term life insurance, parking and mass transit or van-pooling services, according to Mike Scholz, a partner in the Tax and Business Services group at Wegner CPAs in Madison, Wisconsin.

Retirement packages -  Many Small Business owners never bother to create retirement plans, in doing so they give up valuable tax breaks for their companies.

I hope this checklist was helpful to you.  Thanks to Randy Myers from Business on Main for his articles input.

For more helpful information about Small Businesses and for a FREE Download go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Helpful article by Randy Myers from; Business on Main

The Small Business Healthcare Solution!

Your Small Business Health care Solution

Have you ever heard of Health Sharing?

Simply put, health care sharing is a Biblical approach to paying for health care, based on passages such as Galatians 6. Verse two says, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

That law is the royal law of loving one another.

Although it’s actually pretty straight forward, health care sharing can be difficult for us to understand because we are so used to thinking in terms of insurance.

Here’s how the need sharing process works in a nutshell:

Each member commits to sending a set “Share” amount each month. These “Shares” are sent directly through the mail from one household to another, to the members with “Needs”. Samaritan Ministries uses a database that randomly matches Shares to Needs, so that the Sharing is coordinated and Shares go to the appropriate members with Needs.

Here’s how the Need Process works in a little more detail:

Samaritan Ministries publishes a monthly newsletter mailing that reports the total Shares and Needs and includes an individualized Share Notice for each member household. The Share Notice tells each household how to pray for a specific member with a Need and what his address is, so the Share can be sent to him. Typically less than 10 percent of the members have a Need in a given month and are receiving Shares.

When a member has a health care “Need” he receives health care treatment from a provider of his choice, collects the bills, and sends them to Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan Ministries verifies that the Need meets the Guidelines. Then, in the monthly newsletter mailing, Samaritan Ministries directs some members to send their Shares to the member with the Need. The member with the need receives the shares to pay his health care bills.

With more than 23,000 member households participating in the ministry, there is about $6 million available each month to meet health care needs.

Friends of Smallbusinessgrow.com this is a real solution for your Small Business to have a Health Care Plan in place before the penalties kick in next year.  Please check out this option go to Samaritan Ministries website at: 

http://samaritanministries.org/how-it-works/the-need-process/  for more information.

Small Businesses Need Help!

Where is the Recovery we have been hearing about?

It is time for Small Business owners and the American people to take matters into their own hands.

By now you realize that the Federal government is not going to help your Small Business, after three failed "Stimulus Plans" dumping money at the problem and trying to spend our way out of a recession is not working.  The answer is not for the government to prop-up companies like Solendra by giving them millions of tax dollars only to have the CEO's pocket the money and file for bankruptcy.  The answer must come from the American people.

The solution is for everyday hard working Americans to begin to take seriously their shopping choices by passing over the convenience of the the Big Box stores, which are full of products from every nation on earth, and being intentional about supporting the local Small Businesses in their own community.  

Small Business owners have a role also, we have to make a deliberate determined effort to do business with each other.  I encourage Small Business owners to join networking groups in your area, participate in the local Chamber of Commerce events, build relationships with your fellow entrepreneurs.  There is safety in numbers, join like-minded groups and organizations in your city and talk about ways to get involved in local efforts to revive your local economies.

Together the American people and Small Business owners can rebuild a hurting economy by supporting each other, offering quality products and services at reasonable prices and by all means keep American's working, BUY AMERICAN made products when ever possible!  For more helpful tips on starting your own business or growing your exisiting business go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Avoiding Common Mistakes in your New Business

Over the years I have seen Small Business owners repeat some of the same common mistakes that I made when I started in business over twenty years ago.  Below are three common mistakes business owners make when starting their companies.

First Mistake - Not taking time to build a good foundation - The foundation of your business involves your vision, core values, guiding principles and ethical conduct expected from your employees. For most Small Business owners these values are internalized but it is important to put them on paper and communicate them to employees and customers.  There is no greater foundation than the principles and truths found in the Bible.  The Bible is a rich resource for Small Business owners to use for guidance in forming their companies ethical foundation.  Too often business owners make the mistake of ignoring this important process only to find that when eithical or moral challenges arise, they have no firm moral standards from which to drawl.  This causes division and confusion among employees and customers.

Second Mistake - Not seeking Counsel - Being a Small Business owner requires skills in many areas, however nobody can be proficient in every area, finding someone with experience in the areas that you need help in will provide you with much needed resources.  For example, you may be an expert at accounting and finance, but may not have any experience in how to market your services to potential clients.  It is usually more cost effective to hire a consultant that has the skills you need help in for a shor term, than to hire a full time employee which raises overhead expences.

Third Mistake - Trying to Market to Everyone - Over the years I have seen this mistake made time and again, a Small Business owner advertises his product or service to the whole world, but in return his efforts fall flat.  He can't understand why, after all, he spent several thousand dollars advertising in the largest newspaper or most popular magazine but still no sales. The mistake is that he was using a cast net approach when he should have been using a specific lure to catch the specific fish he was after. At Smallbusinessgrow, I help my clients identify who their ideal customers are and cater a marketing plan they will respond to.  Most marketing mistakes occur because the Business owner fails to identify who his ideal customer is and are just taking a shot in the dark hoping someone will respond to their ads.


Look for how to avoid more common mistakes new businesses make in up coming blogs or go to my facebook page at www.facebook.com/smallbusinessgrow

Small Business ideas for your family

 MORE SMALL BUSINESS IDEAS

There is much uncertainty in the economy today, don’t wait until your employer begins layoffs, start today and work toward being financially independent. Here are a few ideas to that may work for your family. If you need help getting started that’s what I’m here for, visit my website at;  www.smallbusinessgrow.com 

1) Personalized sewing services - In our world of Big box stores where you see the same corporate stores on every corner, of every town, many people are looking for personalized products.  Women particularly like clothing and accessories that are personalized or one of a kind.  My wife and I were at the grocery store over the weekend and when she took out her wallet to pay for the groceries, the clerk commented on how much she liked her wallet and asked where she bought it, when my wife told her that she made it she got excited and called an associate over to look at it, they both asked my wife if she sold them.  This is the kind of business that can be run from home, with low start-up costs, with a flexible schedule and makes a good secondary source of income for your family.

2) Housekeeping service - With often both husband and wife working outside of the home there is little time for laundry, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms and the rest.  This is an opportunity for you to create a secondary income with low start-up costs. If you know a family that has a new baby, an elderly couple, parents that both work or a single parent that works, these are all potential customers that you can help. Housekeeping is a business where you can make your own schedule and enlist the help of your kids to teach them practical homemaking skills. 

3) Carpentry / Handyman - Are you handy with a hammer, do you like to build, create, tinker?  There is always someone who needs something fixed and fewer and fewer people have the skills to do it.  This leaves a big market for carpentry and handyman services.  This is another low start-up cost business that can produce a significant income for your family.

4) Music lessons - Are you musically inclined? Do you play guitar, piano, trumpet?  Parents are constantly on the lookout for someone who can teach their children how to play a musical instrument.  My son has played guitar for many years, recently he started giving guitar lessons to the children of some friends of ours.  Each friday afternoon he drives to their home and gives an hour long lesson. This is a businessthat allows you to go to your customers or they can come to you. It involves low start-up costs and can be fun while producing an income for your family.

5) Small engine repairs - With every garage full of lawn equipment, pressure washers, generators, four-wheelers and more, the small engine repair business is sure to keep you busy.  If you know how to repair small engines simply stick a sign in your front yard that says, “Small Engine Repair Here” and the customers will find you.  With the prices at the dealerships through the roof, an independent small engine repair man can do well.  This requires a relatively small start-up cost and can be run from your home and would be a great way to teach your children the in’s and out’s of engine repair.

I hope these ideas have started your creative juices flowing, if these aren’t for you, then find something that is, God has given you desires, talents and abilities to be put to use, purse what you love and work hard at it and you will experience the fruits of your labor.

“Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

article by; Skip Athey

founder of smallbuisnessgrow.com

Has your Small Business Hit the Plateau?

Have you hit the Plateau?  Have you been in business for several years only to find your sales stagnant?  There are many reasons why a business plateaus, here are a few to beware of in your company.

Mundane Maintenance Mode - Many business owners, after starting off with a vision, a plan, excitement and energy, find themselves falling into the mundane maintenance mode.  This usually comes after several years of hard work and building a company that pays the bills, but once the owner is busy juggling all his responsibilities he has little time left to plan for future growth.  He falls into complacency and often stays in this mode for several years until the business begins its decline and ultimately closes.  

The key to avoiding the mundane maintenance mode is to take time each month planning for the future.  Monthly planning should take in account quarterly goals for your company, these quarterly goals should be aiming toward accomplishing the annual goals, which should be set before the end of the previous year.  Strategic planning brings energy and direction to your business and provides an opportunity to celebrate as goals that are met. 

Too Much Micromanagement - Often small business owners find themselves starting off as a sole proprietor who makes all the decisions, does all the work, answers sales calls and does the administration, however as the business grows some of those responsibilities must be handed over to employees.  Many owners have a hard time delegating these responsibilities to others, as the company grows their tendency is to micromanage, feeling as though they still need to keep control over every aspect of the company. This shuts down creativity, initiative and productivity from employees and stifles growth.

To avoid micromanaging, as a business owner you have to hire people that are competent and not just find a warm body that will work for the lowest possible salary.  The business owner must have confidence in the employees ability to take the owners vision, direction and management style and work well within the company. After you have the right person, let them do what you hired them to do, encourage creativity and new ideas that can grow the company, then take time each week to inspect the work you have delegated to them.

Maximize Your Marketing - For most small business owners advertising and marketing are done only to get the work flowing, once they get a few customers they tend to rely on word of mouth and referrals to keep the business coming.  Unfortunately this plan for marketing usually brings drastic financial ups and downs.  This kind of uncertainty leaves businesses unable to plan, budget or hire permanent help. 

In order to break free from stagnant sales and apathy you must reach out to new customers.  If you are still using the same type of advertising you used five or ten years ago you are missing out on new streams of income.  In the age of the Internet and social media a website is just the beginning, social media such as facebook, twitter, Pinterest and google are all ways to make personal connections with people who are seeking your products or services.  The key to making your products and services known is regular contact with people who want what you are offering.

Being aware of these pitfalls is the first step to avoiding the plateau effect on your business, too often small business owners find themselves spinning their wheels after many years of hard work, only to be overwhelmed from competitiors that are taking more and more of their market share. 

 If you need help in some of these areas go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Small Business Marketing - Google adwords for Video

Every small business owner faces the same challenge; 

"How can I generate new revenues without spending all my profits on advertising in the process?"

Here is one of the latest eMarketing trends that is sure to help your business generate new leads.  Adwords for Google is now offering adwords for video!  As you know video is a powerful SEO tool to get your website ranked on a google search, now the power of adword advertising combined with video can drastically increase the number of leads to your website.             Take a moment to watch this video on how it works!

For more helpful business tips go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com
We are a small family business consulting firm that gets results.

Skip Athey
President; Smallbusinessgrow.com

Small business eMarketing secrets

eMarketing Secrets for the small family owned business...

If you are a small family owned business you know how competitive things are getting.  No matter what business you are in, whether you are in a small retail shop or a service business, you are feeling the competitive squeeze.  So how can you reach new customers while keeping your repeat customers happy? Print media like brochures, flyers, door hangers, banners and business cards are very expensive, and radio and Television are beyond the advertising budgets of most small businesses.
The rise of Social Media is the answer, over the last decade Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest, have changed the way companies are reaching their customers.

eMarketing Secret #1 - A weak Website is worthless!  If you are like most small family owned businesses, the day you finally got a website up and running you thought you had arrived!  However, if the last time you updated your website was the day you launched it, then your website is weak and is doing very little to reach new customers.  You must work your Website weekly!

eMarketing Secret #2 - Lots of Landing pages!  A landing page is the page of your website a customer lands on when they are searching for a product or service on a search engine like Google.  Your business needs to have a landing page for each product or service you provide.  Companies with 50 or more landing pages get up to 40% more leads from their website than companies with 10 pages or fewer.

eMarketing Secret #3 - Video is vital to SEO! If you have not incorporated video into your website you are missing a great opportunity to increase your sites Search Engine Optimization, this is the term used for the priority search engines place on your site.  Google for example, since it owns YouTube, puts a higher priority on sites that have embeded YouTube videos in their sites.  This helps your Google ranking, giving your site the coveted front page of a search for your products and services.

For more great tips and secrets to eMarketing for your business contact Skip at www.smallbusinessgrow.com

For small business start-ups, go to our contact page, fill out the contact information and download our latest Free offer, an ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS booklet.

Small Business growth tips

In todays economy doing business as usual is not enough, waiting on the phone to ring or depending on word of mouth advertising may pay the bills, but it is not enough to grow a small business, and lets face it, if you are not growing, your company is in the decline.  

Whether you are in the service industry or in retail sales, you have felt the effects of a slowed down economy, so how do you reach new customers with your products or services on a limited budget?

  

Here are three quick tips to help you target new customers

1. FIND A NICHE MARKET - No one product or service appeals to everyone, find a niche market of people who are most likely to use your product or service.  What are their demographics?  Cater products or services to meet their needs, for example: There is a growing market in organic products, do you have a product that this market wants, target your advertising to meet that need.  

2.  BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE - Today, over 80% of customers who are searching for a product or service turn to the internet to find what they are looking for.  So can they find your business easily?  Where do you rank on a google search of your products or services? If they cannot find you, they cannot purchase what you are selling.

3. OFFER THE BEST FOR THE BEST - With money tight consumers are looking to get the most for their money, so offer specials and discounts on social media sites to attract new clients, if the offer is good, they will share them with thier friends.  

If you are a small business owner and need so consulting in these areas contact Skip at: www.smallbusinessgrow.com 

I offer a range of differnet consulting packages for any size business.