Posts Tagged ‘Growing Your Business’
by Steve Strauss on March 15th, 2010
Q: Steve – You must hear from a lot of small business owners. Do you know of any strategies that seem to be working especially well in this economy? Thanks
Alan
A: Indeed I do hear from lots of small business owners and they do seem to have a few things in common. For one, they are definitely trying and experimenting with new, affordable business strategies right now; there seems to be a lot of trial and error going on out there. Secondly, and paradoxically, they are not forgoing the tried-and-true as they ride out the recession (the worst of... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on March 3rd, 2010
Q: Steve – I have been watching the startup series you are part of at USA TODAY. I was wondering if there are any typical mistakes that you see startups make that I can avoid. I am new to this entrepreneurship thing. Thank you
Asa
A: It is never fun to make a mistake in business, even if they are inevitable. And worse, mistakes are both more prevalent and more dangerous during the startup phase of your business because your idea has yet to be fully cooked; the startup period is, unfortunately, usually the ‘error’ part of a ‘trial and... Read more »
by Jonathan Staley on February 12th, 2010
Q: Steve – I saw you on TV discussing how a woman who owned a cookie business reinvented it by tapping the wholesale market. In this economy, I bet there are a lot of people who would like to reinvent their business, but going wholesale is not a viable option. I am a lawyer for instance. So how do the rest of us reinvent our business?
William
A: I bet that if you think about it, the business you have today is different than the business you thought you would start or the business you actually started. When I began... Read more »
by Robert Cyr on February 2nd, 2010
Based upon a need to provide affordable groceries within a dim economy, salvage food retailers are coming to the rescue for many American families. Small stores are opening up in cities and towns near you, offering near-dated and distressed packaged name brand food at unheard of pricing.
Those entrepreneurs looking to fill this need are asking questions as many of them have little to no experience buying and reselling scratch and dent food. A reader of our business to business blog, The Closeout Industry, has a couple of questions before he opens his salvage grocery store:
Hello Robert, thank you... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on January 28th, 2010
Q: Hey Steve, I was hoping you could answer a question for me. A while ago, I bought a food chopper from some guy on TV. Yesterday I bought a ladder. A ladder! Why are these infomercials so good at selling stuff we don’t need?
Scott
A: What if I were to tell you that I could give you not one, not two, but THREE GREAT REASONS why?! And what if those lessons could IMMEDIATETLY bring you more cash? And what if those infomercial selling secrets WERE SO EASY EVEN YOUR MOTHER COULD MASTER THEM? Would you click away from... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on January 12th, 2010
Continuing on with the 2010 edition of the Top 10 trends in Small Business. This week we get to the Top 5.
5. Social Media Grows Up: Have you noticed that “social media” is a term that doesn’t really describe the experience that well anymore? Yes its social, and yes its media, but for business it has become so much more than that. Tapping, nay, mastering, social media is one of the hottest of all online trends:
Everyone from Jet Blue to Comcast has turned to Twitter as a customer service tool
Companies like Whole Foods and Popeys increasingly use... Read more »
by Jonathan Staley on January 12th, 2010
For entrepreneurs seeking low-cost merchandise, one of the most profitable categories of goods is retail store returns and January is the time to start sourcing. Dissatisfied gift recipients driven by return and refund deadlines have already flocked to major retailers. Unable to put store returns back on the shelf and sell them as new, the products must be returned to the vendor, destroyed or liquidated. Those retailers and vendors eager to offload their merchandise turn to GENCO Marketplace.
GENCO Marketplace, a division of the global supply chain solutions company GENCO, is currently the volume leader in the customer returns industry.... Read more »
by Steve Strauss on January 5th, 2010
Q: Steve – What about you, what are your New Year’s Resolutions in your business?
Bill
A: OK, I’ll play too.
I am in the business of creating and selling small business content. Traditionally, because of this column, that content has taken the form of written articles, tips and the like, (with some media and business speeches thrown in for good measure.). But increasingly this past year I felt like we were missing an opportunity to distribute this content using all of the new e-tools available, so next year we plan on creating content that will use video, podcats, and... 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 Steve Strauss on May 6th, 2009
Q: How would one go about beginning a more international sort of business?
William
A: Now, that is a great idea. I have often said that we are living in a remarkable time for small business, probably the most remarkable ever. Not only have there been incredible technological innovations that have revolutionized business (computers, printers, the Net, etc.), but equally, huge new markets have been opened that were never available before (China, India, virtual.)
OK, I think I have run out of superlatives, but you get the idea.
Starting and succeeding internationally, while much easier than ever before, nevertheless... Read more »