Author Archive
Simple Marketing Solutions to Lessen the Pain – Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsMarketing is not always something small business owners embrace. For many it’s a necessary evil … like a root canal. You know you need to do it but you don’t have to like it.
There are a number of misconceptions people have about marketing that makes it hard for them to get results. In the SOS 4 Your Business
in Business Blog Talk radio show I discussed them with host Yvonne McCoy.
Topics discussed were:
- not putting all your marketing eggs in one basket
- using the marketing medium your customers use
- having a marketing message geared to your audience
- marketing is usually a long-term strategy – you’re a farmer not a hunter
- and more
Listen to the replay of the show at SOS 4 Your Business or here by pressing play below.
Are you measuring your business success?
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This morning I filled in for a friend at his BNI meeting (Business Networking International) and the “Education Nugget” was about measuring. The point is, you don’t know how you’re doing, nor can you improve, until you can measure it. And you can’t make smart decisions about your business unless you measure what you’re doing.
Follow the money
First, you need to measure your money. Are your books up-to-date? Bookkeeping isn’t just for tax time. You need to keep them current so you can predict cash flow and see what products and services are profitable.
Cash flow is obvious, but looking at what areas are profitable is just as important. I knew one business owner who upon looking closer at his books, realized his best selling product was actually losing him money.
While the direct cost of the product was less than the selling price, the cost of servicing it meant he actually lost about $100 per unit. By eliminating that one product, although his total sales went down, his profits shot way up.
Do you know what products or services are most profitable? Look at your books. If you’re not sure how to determine profitability, ask your bookkeeper or accountant. Read More→
Are you using LinkedIn
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a video produced by LinkedIn, telling you why a small business owner would want to be on LinkedIn and how you can get results. It’s short so it won’t take too long to watch.
However, I know that many people who get on LinkedIn, set up a profile, send a few invites to connect, then sit there with a handful of connections, wondering what to do next. If that sounds like you, please join me on September 7th for my online workshop: How to Build a Profitable LinkedIn Network. I will teach you the secrets of creating a great profile, how and when to send invitations to people you don’t know and what you need to watch out for so you don’t get kicked off the site.
Just go to http://thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com/linkedintraining/ to register
