Customers are the lifeblood of your small business. Finding out where your customers are online is also a crucial part of your efforts to build your business. There are many ways to raise your profile with potential customers, but too many business owners waste a lot of time using five or more social media sites […]
6 Things Oprah Winfrey Taught Us About Business
Oprah Winfrey is my hero. I never thought about being an entrepreneur until she got on my radar when I was in college in the early 90’s. It was around that time that she opened Harpo Studios in Chicago, making her the third woman in the American entertainment industry (after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball) […]
6 Reasons Why You Should Contact Your Existing Customers
October is my birthday month. Many retailers that I shop with online and offline have started sending me birthday greetings even through my big day isn’t until the middle of the month. But how could this be a good marketing move? One retailer sent me a 15% off coupon for my birthday and another only […]
Do You Qualify Your Customers?
As an entrepreneur your time is the most valuable thing you can give anyone. Every business owner is a salesperson, and when you are starting out you have a certain amount of time to qualify new opportunities. The best salespeople only spend time with companies that are ready to buy or can explain a pain […]
Finding and Keeping Clients Using Social Customer Relationship Management
Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This is excerpted from my #SmallBizChat interview with Howard Yermish @hyermish. Howard has worked professionally in Internet development since 1993. Howard has consulted on projects for clients such as AOL, Commerce Bank, Disney, Kaiser Permanente, Mattel and Microsoft, as well […]
SmallBizLady’s Reading List Part I
In business, reading is fundamental. It is crucial to help you grow your expertise as a business leader. One of my favorite things to do is read books about small business best practices, social media and leadership. Here’s a list of best books that I think will have a major impact on your business strategy […]
Ask @SmallBizLady: How Do I Identify My Target Customer
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 […]
Ask @SmallBizLady: How do I get more lunch customers?
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 get more lunch customers? Here’s the answer: If you want to get more customers into your retail establishment follow these steps: Communicate with your customers Change […]
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 […]