How to Get Better Results From Google AdWords Campaigns (via Intuit Small Business Blog)There’s a good reason that Google AdWords is popular with online marketers: It provides a highly effective means of driving new prospects to a company’s website and converting them into customers. Businesses make an average of $2 in revenue …
11 Phrases You Can Use to Motivate Staff (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Showing employees how important they are to you and your business isn’t hard. In fact, it takes mere seconds of your time — and can boost morale and performance. Recognize hard work and motivate your staff by regularly using these phrases in your…
9 Steps to Making Your Online Content Go Viral (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Content marketing is fast becoming the most effective way to promote your brand and build consumer confidence in your business. However, compiling loads of content on your company’s website is a huge waste of time if no one reads it. To increase…
Techniques for Documenting Your Business Processes (via Intuit Small Business Blog)One big difference between your small business and a Fortune 100 company is the sheer volume of documentation that guide its everyday operations. But even if you have only a few employees, writing down your most essential procedures can be beneficial…
4 Common Legal Mistakes Small Businesses Make (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Think your business is too small to justify paying for professional legal help? Think again. Failing to dot your i’s and cross your t’s in important matters can expose you to significant risk, and the most cost-effective time to consult an attorney…
4 Online Platforms for Raising Startup Capital (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Startup founders, take note: If you want to raise funds from angel investors or venture capitalists to grow your business, it recently became much easier to do so. On Sept. 23, part of the JOBS Act went into effect, lifting the ban on general solicitation…
4 Tips for Creating a Customer for Life (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Do you work to retain your current customers, or are you mostly focused on finding new ones? Savvy business owners try to build relationships with everyone who visits their store or website. That’s because they understand the cost of new customer…
How to Make Your Business More Social (via Intuit Small Business Blog)The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important, American philosopher John Dewey observed. His insight may help to explain why blogs and social networks have become so popular. Before Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and the like…
Networking: Boost Sales by Making the Right Connections (via Intuit Small Business Blog)“Networking is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or organization,” asserts Adam Small, founder of the Strategic Business Network, which provides entrepreneurs with training, tools, and…
Want to Keep Your Customers? Update Your Tech (via Intuit Small Business Blog)If you had to guess what issue 91 percent of your customers might leave you over, what would it be: Poor customer service? Shoddy products? A sudden price hike? The correct answer is none of the above. According to a recent poll by Microsoft, nine out…
Preparing Year-End Finances for Seamless Tax Filing (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Tax season is right around the corner. Getting your financial house in order now can help you avoid problems later. Here are some key documents to gather as the calendar year draws to a close. Income Records — If you worked for an employer before…
Creating a High-Performance Business Culture (via Intuit Small Business Blog)What does “business culture” mean? How does it contribute to the success of your small business? Business culture describes the workplace environment that you create for your employees (and yourself). It determines whether those employees are…
Do You Have the Personality of an Entrepreneur? (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Do you have the ideal personality to be an entrepreneur? New research by Sophia Chou, an organizational psychologist at National Taiwan University, suggests that you do if you’re a “realistic optimist.” A realistic optimist is someone who has…
Do You Have the Personality of an Entrepreneur? (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Do you have the ideal personality to be an entrepreneur? New research by Sophia Chou, an organizational psychologist at National Taiwan University, suggests that you do if you’re a “realistic optimist.” A realistic optimist is someone who has…
Hate Sales? Try These 4 Tactics (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Most entrepreneurs recognize that selling more goods or services is key to growing a business. But that recognition is of little help to entrepreneurs whose introverted personalities are geared more toward developing products or solutions to business…
Young Entrepreneurs: 4 Highly Successful CEOs Who Started Early (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Surely you’ve heard of Mark Zuckerberg, the über-successful entrepreneur who co-founded Facebook in early 2004 at the tender age of 19. Since then, increasing numbers of teenagers have started their own enterprises, perhaps as a result of the sluggish…
How to Turn Your Customers Into Marketers (via Intuit Small Business Blog)If you aren’t asking your loyal customers to get the word out about your products or services, you’re missing a free — and highly effective — marketing opportunity. With some gentle prodding, they could help you bring in more business by recommending…
6 Mistakes to Avoid in Content Marketing (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Content marketing is one of the most effective small-business strategies for reaping the benefits of social networks. But it works only when your words, images, videos, and the like are both appealing and useful. Given the time, effort, and cost of…
Expert Advice on Working With Big Businesses (via Intuit Small Business Blog)If you’re hoping to cater to corporate giants as prime customers, be careful what you wish for: Although large contracts generally help you move more inventory and enable you to hire new employees, the increased business may not necessarily lead to…
Should You Outsource Your Social Media Efforts? (via Intuit Small Business Blog)With new social media networks sprouting like weeds, it can be tough to tend your own garden. In a 2012 survey of 500 small businesses, Vertical Response Marketing found that a third of owners, proprietors, and CEOs want to spend less time on social…
How to Sell More of a High-Priced Product (via Intuit Small Business Blog)When closing a sale, price is often a major consideration. In fact, it’s often the biggest factor when it comes to making a sale or losing a customer out the door. But plenty of businesses price their products very highly, and do quite well at selling…
How to Know When It’s Time to Grow Your Small Business (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Every small business eventually reaches a plateau. You’ve maxed out your current capacity, but you’re hesitant to hire another employee, open another location, or take another step forward. You fear that sales may slow, wonder whether the risks…
Using Google’s New Search Report to Drive Web Traffic (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Are you using search-engine optimization and sponsored links to drive traffic to your company’s website? If so, Google has a new report for you. Small-business owners who have an AdWords and a Webmaster Tools account can now generate a paid & organic…
Business Building for Introverts (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Social media dominates the news these days, with experts of all stripes offering glib advice on how to grow your business by becoming an online “star,” by putting yourself “out there,” and by “building relationships” with everyone you encounter…
How to Maximize Growth in Your Solo Operation (via Intuit Small Business Blog)More than 70 percent of U.S. businesses are owned and operated by sole proprietors. These independent professionals — often freelancers, consultants, and contractors — essentially own and run the whole show themselves. They work alone to provide…
Strategies for Expanding Your Business (via Intuit Small Business Blog)So you’re thinking about expanding your small business. Congratulations! That means you’re doing well enough to consider tackling new challenges and opportunities. At the same time, you need to make well-informed strategic decisions before you…
Hate Sales? Try These 4 Tactics (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Most entrepreneurs recognize that selling more goods or services is key to growing a business. But that recognition is of little help to entrepreneurs whose introverted personalities are geared more toward developing products or solutions to business…
9 Tips for More Productive Meetings (via Intuit Small Business Blog)A meeting is a terrible thing to waste. There’s no quicker way to sap morale and productivity than by convening a meeting that fails to produce results. On the other hand, efficient meetings can spark creativity, fuel ground-breaking ideas, and…
Do You Have the Personality of an Entrepreneur? (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Do you have the ideal personality to be an entrepreneur? New research by Sophia Chou, an organizational psychologist at National Taiwan University, suggests that you do if you’re a “realistic optimist.” A realistic optimist is someone who has…
7 Tools for Managing Your Business’s Online Reputation (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Do you know how your brand is perceived in the digital world? You should. Like it or not, your online reputation — fueled by what consumers choose to share with one another about your company — can make or break your business. In fact, blogs…
5 Ways to Reduce Your Business Expenses Right Now (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Bolstering your business’s bottom line can be as much about cutting unnecessary expenses as increasing sales. The problem is identifying which of your current expenses are truly “unnecessary.” Think you’re already operating on a shoestring budget…
How Better Listening Makes You a Better Leader (via Intuit Small Business Blog)In an era of continuous sound bites and instant messaging, the ability to listen well is in danger of becoming a lost art. More importantly, for many frenetic business owners, listening feels like a passive activity that’s not useful or worth indulging…
Anticipate and Overcome Barriers to Sales (via Intuit Small Business Blog)What’s stopping you from selling more of your products or services? People typically decide against purchases based on price, perceived value (or lack thereof), and similar factors. So, we suspect that you and your sales team already have reasonable…
6 High-Priority Startup Tasks for Entrepreneurs (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Starting a business inevitably requires completing a seemingly endless list of tasks that need to get done, like, yesterday. But does everything really have to happen right away? The short answer is no. Cut yourself some slack and understand that not…
Where Should Your Small Business Spend Its Marketing Dollars? (via Intuit Small Business Blog)You’re ready to spend money to grow your business, but you aren’t sure where your marketing dollars will have the greatest impact. Intuit asked a few experts what small-business owners should invest in to get the most bang for their bucks. 1. Website…
How to Apply Lean Startup Principles to Marketing (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Startups must maximize every dollar, especially when additional investor funding is contingent on early success. Here’s how to apply the Lean Startup principles to your marketing efforts. 1. Experiment, measure, repeat. The Lean Startup model emphasizes…
Do You Have a Hobby or a Business? (via Intuit Small Business Blog)It can take time for entrepreneurs to realize their dreams. Often new ventures are nurtured on the side for years while their owners continue to earn steady paychecks from someone else. But at what point does your “hobby” become a business for IRS…
How to Comply With the Affordable Care Act (via Intuit Small Business Blog)The Affordable Care Act’s marketplace opens today — despite the federal government’s budgetary shutdown — so it’s time for small-business owners to take steps to remain in compliance with the law. Here’s a primer on what to do right now.…
In the Trenches: How to Use Commissions (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Over the years, I’ve flirted with various commission structures for the people who work for me, and my views keep changing about whether it’s a good or bad way to offer compensation. I recently came to the conclusion that how I’ve used commissions…
How to Get More Customers From Your Blog (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Blogging is a cheap, easy way to get — and keep — your brand name in front of prospects and customers. When done well, a company blog helps build credibility, elicit helpful feedback, and generate sales leads. Here are some tips for using your blog…
4 Ways to Track a Marketing Campaign (via Intuit Small Business Blog)You’re ready to blast out a series of promotions to boost business. Before taking action, consider setting up a system to monitor your efforts. By doing so, you’ll be able to see which one of your strategies best resonates with customers and generates…
Reaching Customers Through Text Messaging (via Intuit Small Business Blog)There’s something about a text message that commands our immediate attention. From the moment the phone buzzes or vibrates, we want to know who is texting us and what they have to say. And that is the selling point behind direct mobile marketing campaigns…
Be Ready When a Crisis Occurs (via Intuit Small Business Blog)A crisis by its very nature is unexpected. An employee may suffer a serious workplace accident or a catastrophic illness. A business scandal could flare up out of nowhere. A product malfunction might cause a customer’s injury. Whenever any type of…
In the Trenches: Choosing Our Tone With Unhappy Customers (via Intuit Small Business Blog)It’s tough — if not impossible — to please every single person every single time, so it’s pretty much inevitable that all small-business owners will have to deal with unhappy customers at some point. I’ve come to accept this fact, even though…
Don’t Let the Next Natural Disaster Put You Out of Business (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Natural disasters — fires, floods, sinkholes, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, swarms of locusts, or worse — have affected more than 30 percent of U.S. businesses. So while they may sound rare, the odds are fairly high that your…
How to Hire Subcontractors for Client Projects (via Intuit Small Business Blog)You’re on the short list of contractors vying for a large project for a big-money client. There’s just one problem: The project requires specialized expertise that you lack, such as graphic design or PHP coding skills. Rather than drop out of the…
4 Types of Digital Influencers and How to Connect With Them (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Let’s face it: The internet has changed the way that U.S. consumers find and share information. Now anyone can publicly broadcast insight and advice, so self-proclaimed “experts” are blogging, using social networks, and gaining thousands of followers…
Grab More Online Business With Landing Page Videos (via Intuit Small Business Blog)When done right, videos are an attractive, effective online marketing tool. But do you know how to use them to attract more customers? Experience shows that adding one or more videos to your landing page (the first page that appears in response to…
4 Online Tools for Getting Answers to Your Business Questions (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Do you need help answering a question related to your business, whether it’s about pricing certain products or reaching your target audience? Advice from your mentors and advisers can be beneficial, but it may also pay to get an outside perspective…
What the New SEC Rules Mean for Small Businesses (via Intuit Small Business Blog)Are you looking for investment funding for your business? Thanks to a new Securities and Exchange Commission vote that lifts the ban on “general solicitation” for entrepreneurs under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, it’s about to get easier…
