by Steve Strauss on November 17th, 2009
Q: Steve – You always seem to write about making your small business unique – so as to set yourself apart from the crowd. That seems like good advice, but easier said than done. In my case, my small business is a website, and most websites are more or less the same, so what can we do?
JD
A: What if I told you that there was a surefire way to make your website standout and POP . . . would that be of interest to you? And what if I further told you that this method is inexpensive, easily... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on November 13th, 2009
Q: “I will ask yet again: Can I have the check now please? We just want to get out of this restaurant already.”
Steve
A: The above exchange occurred over the weekend when my brother, my wife, and I went out to eat at a nice restaurant. It turned out to be one of those terrible dining experiences we have all been through at one time or another. Everything went wrong – bad service, cold food, wrong orders, etc.
But it was when the young waitress started crying at our table that we new it was time to go.
We... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on November 11th, 2009
Q: I hear that half of all small businesses fail. What’s the secret then to sticking around for the long-haul?
Jess
A: Of course there are a lot of things that go into creating a successful business, but one of the most important, and one that is often under the radar, is the need for a great recipe, or two.
Huh?
Think about any great recipe that you like. Why do you use it? I bet the reasons are essentially two-fold. First, you like the result, that is, the tasty food. Second, you probably like it because you can count... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on November 11th, 2009
Q: Hi Steve. With the current strain on the economy, we all know that businesses are looking for ways to better compete in their markets and grow in the downturn. We have noticed that many small businesses are capitalizing on their flexibility and pivoting their businesses to enter new markets. Agree?
Deanna
A: I know of very few small business people who would trade their lot for a gig with a big business, even given the steady paycheck and benefits that would come with it. The lack of freedom alone would likely emotionally pummel most small business owners (and in... Read more »
by Jonathan Staley on October 23rd, 2009
Buying off-price clothing by the case and hoping for at least some size variety and products that matched the description is a business strategy of the past. R.G. Riley, in keeping with its strong 75 year tradition of customer service, has launched a real-time case pack summary feature on its online product catalog (”Riley Interactive”). Users can now view dynamic pricing, size scales, colors and case availability on a single page.
Riley is a major reseller of closeouts and irregulars from Hanes, Gildan, Badger, Russell. Their specialty is case lots or “prepacks” and they move inventory in excess of a... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on October 6th, 2009
Q: With business slower than usual it does seem like a good idea to check out possibly getting into e-commerce. I certainly have the time! I was hoping you could give me some steps to follow. Thanks –
Linda
A: There are so many great things to be said about e-commerce that I am not sure where to begin, but let’s start with this one: E-commerce is, even today, a fairly new market; it has really been around for a little more than a dozen years.
Being able to tap such a huge market at the relative start won’t happen... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on October 6th, 2009
Q: In all of your years of representing businesses as a lawyer and giving small businesses advice, you must have come across some good, cheap strategies that businesses can use. If so, can you share them?
Ira
A: If I think about it, there are definitely some strategies I have learned along the way – legal and otherwise – that are inexpensive while also making your business life easier. Some are well known, others are not, but all can make a difference.
And of course, being the lawyer I am, let me note that nothing beats meeting with your own... Read more »
by StartupNation.com on September 9th, 2009
1. Send People to the Right Page
If your online marketing campaigns send everyone to the home page, you are missing out on the opportunity to customize your Landing Pages to resonate most directly with your prospective customers. Instead of the home page, direct people to a highly relevant page that ties in with the marketing campaign that drove them to the page.
2. Calibrate Your Headlines
Similarly, make sure that your Landing Page headline uses similar language to the page that drove the visit or the copy from the referring ad. It’s critical that you establish relevancy immediately when... Read more »
by Christina Lee on September 9th, 2009
With today’s economic instability, retail industries have managed to stay afloat by recovering best-selling products of their past and catering them to present customers. Such a strategy is all part of a retail mantra becoming more prevalent in modern marketplaces: stick with what works, the tried and true. Take note from a few industries who are adapting this for themselves:
Video Games
Though experts deemed the video game industry recession-proof in 2008, it finally began to show some weakness in 2009, as profits fell 14 percent in July from the same month last year. In efforts to counter this fall,... Read more »
by Barbara Weltman on September 9th, 2009
Most businesses are feeling an economic pinch, with record oil prices, increased inflation and other hiked expenditures making it a challenge to ensure that cash flow keeps pace with expenses. NFIB has reported that 30% of the 65.7% of businesses with cash flow concerns say that difficulty collecting money owed is the main reason. What can you do to keep from finding yourself in the uncomfortable position of being a bill collector or, even worse, failing to get paid the money that’s owed to you?
Limit credit to customers
If you have been extending credit to customers, consider a change... Read more »