If you read nothing else, make sure to bookmark these top posts from my blog in 2015. Let me know if you have a favorite that I missed on this list.
1. How to Write a Business Plan Series: Part I: Your Business Model Part II: Your Marketing Plan, Part III: Operations and Cash Flow Projections, Part IV: Your Executive Summary
When it comes to writing a business plan, it can be daunting. I developed this four part series on writing a successful business plan to hopefully make it easier to finally get your plan done! Remember, the planning is more important that the plan. The first step in business planning is figuring out your business model. In Part II, we walk through developing your marketing plan, In Part III, we focus on cash flow and projections and In Part IV we focus on developing your executive summary, which is the last step of writing a business plan.
2. 7 Ways to Attract Customers to Your Small Business
Finding new customers is a huge challenge, especially for new business owners. In this post, I break down how to zero in on exactly who your target audience is, where to find them, then how to get them to buy from you.
3. 10 Ways to Grow Your Small Business With Instagram
The popularity of this post tells me that you guys care about social media, and specifically, want to know more about how to leverage Instagram! I share some advice on how to attract followers and share content they care about.
4. How to Handle a Pay-Raise Request From an Employee
A lot of my readers have questions about tactical topics like this one. If you’re new to having employees, you may not know how to handle a pay-raise request, so this is a must-read for you.
5. Seven Ways to be More Profitable in Your Small Business
So many entrepreneurs I know are too busy running their companies to stop, look up, and assess how they could maximize profit, so I try to help here with some easy-to-implement tips.
6. What Kind of Business Should I Start in 2015?
If you’re chomping at the bit to start a business, but aren’t sure exactly what you want to do, bookmark this post. In it, I ask tough questions you need to answer in order to find the right path.
7. How to Cultivate an Entrepreneurial Mindset
I’ve seen successful business owners, and not-so-successful ones, and the former always share the same characteristics. It’s often more about mindset than luck, and you’ll find plenty of tips for shaping your attitude as a business owner here.
8. 10 Leading Factors of Small Business Success
Here, you’ll find more strategies to help you succeed as a business owner, taken from my experience working with hundreds of them over many years.
9. How to Create an Effective Vision Board
I personally find vision boards quite useful for focusing on what I really want for my business. Here, #SmallBizChat guest Denise J. Hart shares her insight on how to create a vision board, as well as how to use it to make your dreams come true.
10. 6 Tips for Managing Small Business Finances
No one wants to talk about finances, and yet they’re instrumental for the success of your business. Here are 6 tips anyone — financially savvy or not — can follow.
Here’s to another year of great content in 2016!