Guest Article
Whether you’re interested in starting a small business, or striving to grow the one you have, you’re going to come across challenges, problems and concerns you don’t know the answer to. Small business experts Barry Moltz and Rieva Lesonsky have teamed up to write a book, Small Business Hacks: 100 Shortcuts to Success to provide the solutions and answers you need. We talked to Barry and Rieva to find out more about the book and how it can help you be a smarter small business owner. You can get information on the book at www.yoursmallbizhacks.com
Q: Small business owners are always short on time. I assume that’s one reason you wrote this book. Are there other reasons?
A: That was absolutely one of the reasons. Sure, small business owners never have enough time, but they can’t possibly know everything they need to start or scale their businesses. Our goal was to fill them in, to give them enough information on a wide array of issues, so they quickly find out what they need to know—and then act on it.
Q: What are some of your favorite hacks?
A: Barry’s favorites include “How to Deal With Negative Online Reviews,” because too often small business owners ignore those reviews, when with a little work, they can turn them around. They should follow these steps:
1—Use an automatic system like Google Alerts that lets you know when something is posted.
2—Don’t get mad. Most people will react negatively to a negative review, but that’s the worst thing you can do. Instead, apologize to the customer for what went wrong), explain you want to correct the situation, and then ask the customer to contact you—offline.
3—Don’t argue, listen. Most customers want empathy more than a refund.
4—Resolve the problem. Follow through to get the problem fixed.
5—Correct the record. If you think you’ve diffused the situation, ask the customer if they would remove the negative review.
Q: Have you ever yourself, used some of these hacks? How’d that work out for you?
A: Oh yes, both of us included hacks that have actually worked for us. Rieva just reviewed the hack about search engine marketing to create a new SEM for her business. Barry uses the hack on “How to Get a Prospect to Respond (When They Won’t), which is crucial information for small business owners so they don’t leave any potential sales on the table. Barry favorite hack was recommended by Pam Slim. He uses this letter:
Email Title. Please Reply A, B, or C
Dear Zane,
I have been unsuccessful in connecting with you. Can you simply reply with one letter, A, B, or C?
A – I am still interested in working with you. Let’s set a date to talk.
B – I have been busy. Please follow up with me in a few weeks since I am still interested.
C – Thanks for your time. Things have changed and I am no longer interested in talking.
Thank you.
Barry
Q: What’s the best way for readers to actually use this book?
A: If you’re just starting out you might want to read it all, to get an overview of what it takes to start and operate your own business. If you’re already in businesses, it can be used like a reference book or dictionary. When you come across a challenge you don’t know the answer to, look it up in the book. It’s quick and easy.
Q: What areas of running a business do most business owners struggle with and why?
A: It’s different for every business owner, which is why we covered so many topics in the book. We cover startup information, and hacks about management, technology, money, products, HR and customer experience.
Q: Are there other hacks you didn’t include in the book?
A: Oh, there are lots. That’s why we’re asking readers to share their favorite hacks at www.yoursmallbizhacks.com.
Q: What do you think the outlook is for small businesses in 2018?
A: In general, Rieva takes a more optimistic view of things than Barry does. But we both believe 2018 will be a good year for small business owners, whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been in business a while
If you have a hack to share, leave a comment on this blog so that we’ll know your latest trick to grow your small business.
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