Tags: small business tips

.CO Exclusive

Thinking of Starting a Business? Don’t Forget These Five Essentials

02.14.12 By Rebecca Malik

.CO ExclusiveRebecca Malik is the President at 17thandRiggs.com, an online source for contemporary furniture and lighting, where she helps you create a fresh, modern space.  Her site has been featured in well-known publications such as Southern Living and online with sites such as the popular Daily Candy. She is a blogger for WomenGrowBusiness.com, where she shares ecommerce and small business management tips.

As a small business owner since 2008, I’ve encountered an array of frustrations and roadblocks in running and growing my company.  I must admit that my response to many of these hiccups has been more reactive than proactive.  However, these hasty actions can be avoided and you can operate more effectively if you start off on solid footing.  To that end, consider the following five fundamentals when in the planning stage of your business. Read more from Rebecca Malik

Startups

How to Start Up in the New Year

01.19.12 Posted from Fox Small Business Center

Is your New Year’s resolution to start a business? If so, don’t wave goodbye to the security of a steady paycheck so fast.

In workshops with prospective entrepreneurs, I preach the “slow go” approach to start up a business organization. My preference for first-time entrepreneurs is to wait to quit a salaried job as long as possible to preserve personal savings.

Too often eager entrepreneurs leave salaried positions with only a vague notion of their business goals. They quit to start a business but haven’t really thought through what might work with customers in the marketplace. With each passing month, their savings and confidence drop. This is why so many startup businesses fold early – they start from a point of weakness rather than strength. Read more from Fox Small Business Center

.CO Exclusive

6 Business Strategy Tips for Small Business Owners

08.29.11 By Raj Malik

Raj Malik is CEO & Co-Founder of KikScore, an exciting startup that helps small online businesses use their own track record of reliability and trustworthiness to increase sales and close more leads. Raj is a contributor to his company’s blog at blog.kikscore.com, a past speaker at SXSW and is passionate about helping small business and entrepreneurs succeed.

I have been on this journey of a small business owner that has a startup business now for a couple of years.  There have been a lot of ups and downs, long days and nights, major challenges, successes and yet the path is still long.  Now I could just fold up shop and give up saying its too hard or I want to do something else, but I honestly must say I love this journey.  Along the way so far I have learned a lot of different things about myself, our business, about having partners and launching a brand new product into the market.  I would like to share a few of my lessons learned that may help you on your business journey. Read more from Raj Malik

How To

Top 10 Success Factors for Entrepreneurs

05.04.11 posted from BNET

BNETNaveen Jain, CEO of Intelius discovered that entrepreneurial success usually comes through great execution, simply by doing a superior job of doing the blocking and tackling. But what else does it take to succeed as an entrepreneur and how should an entrepreneur define success? Here’s what Naveen came up with…

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How To

7 Essential Principles of Small Business Success

05.04.11 posted from Small Biz Trends

Why does one small business owner flourish while another one fails? Melinda Emerson believes there 7 essential principles that all successful small business owners have in common.

How To

How To Create a Home Office

03.21.11 posted from How Stuff Works

The task of creating your own personal home office from nothing can be a daunting one.  The helpful team at How Stuff Works shares the steps to create an effective home office from finding the right space, to outfitting that space.

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How To

5 Ways to Build Your Business without Competing on Price

02.14.11 Posted from startupnation

When you’re selling the same products as everyone else online (such as t-shirts, DVDs or computers), it might seem the best way to compete is on price. However, this tends to attract a certain type of customer (known as “bottom feeders”), and you may find yourself in a race to the bottom, serving fickle, price-sensitive customers who are here today, gone tomorrow. Instead, learn how to win without competing on price.

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Startups

Develop a Strategic Marketing Plan

02.14.11 Posted from startupnation

If you think that developing a strategic marketing plan is something only big, fancy corporations need to do, think again. You need one, too! It’ll help you better understand your business, your customers and your strategy for success. Many people fall into the trap of thinking that “marketing” just means advertising, PR or promotion. But a marketing plan is so much more than that.

How To

How To Optimize Your Website For Local Search

01.28.11 from Entrepreneur Magazine

Local search engine optimization can be just as time consuming and competitive as “regular” SEO. The same rules apply — you need to have good content and quality links. However, the tactics are slightly different in specific areas. Follow this guide to maximize your visibility in regional markets.

Startups

The Five Things You Must Do Before Approaching Investors

01.27.11 from Entrepreneur Magazine

Money is the lifeblood of any business, and at some point, every company is likely to need an outside infusion to help it grow. Whether you’re seeking a $1 million in venture capital or $1,000 from friends or relatives, you’ll need to nail down a few basics before trying to make your case. Here are five things to you must do before approaching investors for any amount of money.

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