Every Friday, I answer your small business questions in a video blog segment called Ask Small Biz Lady. This week, we are taking on the question: How Do I Identify My Target Customer? Here’s the answer: Determine your target customer’s pain points Examine the competition Figure out what percentage of the market you can realistically […]
Where to Find the Money to Start Your Small Business
One of the most common questions that I get as SmallBizLady is about start-up financing. ”Do I know where people can get a grant to start their small business?”. Now Hear This: BYOB doesn’t just stand for Become Your Own Boss! BYOB also stands for Be Your Own Bank! There are NO grants! When you […]
4 Things All Entrepreneurs Should Do On LinkedIn
LinkedIn is important! 75% of all professionals in the US have a LinkedIn profile, which means if you want to do business you must have one too. LinkedIn is powerful tool that you can use to promote yourself if you are an individual consultant or a company with 2 or more employees. Here are […]
9 Reasons Why Boomer Businesses Fail
I know a woman (let’s call her Sarah) who was a vice president at a major Fortune 500 company. She was a sassy 48-year-old single MBA who was very successful climbing the corporate ladder. She worked in marketing, managing a brand at her company and making a handsome six-figure income. Then one day she decided […]
9 Reasons Why Boomer Businesses Fail
I know a woman (let’s call her Sarah) who was a vice president at a major Fortune 500 company. She was a sassy 48-year-old single MBA who was very successful climbing the corporate ladder. She worked in marketing, managing a brand at her company and making a handsome six-figure income. Then one day she decided […]
How to Interview For Your First Employee
Choosing the right person to do the job can be a challenge. It all comes down to your interview process. Once you have reviewed the resumes, its’ time to get in touch with your prospects. You should interview at least 5 people for every available position. A great candidate will have a strong match between […]
5 Things Wrong With Your Business Plan
If you’ve taken the time to develop a business plan for your start-up business, you are on the right track. You have a roadmap that will help you with decision-making in your new enterprise. Take the time to be sure your business plan doesn’t contain any of the following shortcomings that will prevent your business […]
How to Find a Manufacturer for Your Small Business Product?
I have been talking to quite a few small business inventors lastly, and the most common question that keeps coming up is how to find a manufacturer for your small business product. Most of the business owners in my network use foreign manufacturers, so that is where my advice is centered. Here are some tips […]
In Just 365 Days You Can Become Your Own Boss
If you have always wanted to become your own boss, now is a great time. I realize that you are probably saying to yourself a year, Really? But trust me, 12 months is a reasonable and realistic timeframe to make your transition from employee to entrepreneur. You will want to take the time to plan […]
Five Reasons Your Company Should Have a Platform
These days, you can’t go five minutes without hearing someone talk about platforms. The term is almost a buzzword. As I explain in The Age of the Platform, a platform is merely a structure made up of “planks,” or integrated features. For instance, Google in 1998 wasn’t a platform; it was a really neat search engine. By adding planks […]