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These are great, basic reminders of the simple financial disciplines that we should all be attending to, but so often let slide. Especially important in the current economic environment, when every penny counts!
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This is a really interesting concept, Wade. But I see that you're an electrical engineer, so I'm wondering if it's practical for those of use who don't have your background to give this a try. Just how hard is it?
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I'm currently using Zoomerang for a survey of people who I interviewed for my new book. I really love being able to log in several times a day and check in on the analytics. The cross tab function is also really useful.
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Here's a good primer on using social media to market your business from blogger
Chris Brogan.
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If you have endorsements (or "blurbs") from respected and well-known people, you may want to seriously consider putting one on the cover of your book. This has an impact on the design, of course, but it can be huge selling point.
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Thanks, Jenni! You make some good points and provide helpful links. I especially liked the OSHA purchasing guide. I've been using a tracker ball mouse but have begun to notice periodic pain at the base of thumb. OSHA warns against the tracker balls that require thumb movement, so I guess it's time for a new mouse!
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always enjoy your guides, Betty; thanks for another good one!
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The pomegranate, along with the acai berry, are certainly among the superfoods du jour. While these sauces look tempting (and this "guide" is really an ad for your product!), I had a tough time finding an ingredient list or any nutritional information on your site, which makes me wonder just how much pomegranate is in these products. If I'm mistaken, please direct me to this information! In the meantime, readers might also want to consider getting their pomegranate fix from
POM Wonderful.
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Any advice on the best whitening solution for people with very sensitive teeth?
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This is great advice for businesses that are looking for ways to cut expenses and squeeze additional revenue out of existing resources -- very important in this economy.
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shadowqiner: using the comments section of Work.com purely for promotional purposes is not in the spirit of the site!
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I've noticed that there are several companies that sell royalty and licensing-free ambient music. Do you recommend any of them?
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Don't forget the mind/body connection. Exercise is one of the best stress relievers there is.
Shape Up the Nation offers economical, team-based employee fitness programs to companies of all sizes.
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If you make your own costume jewelery,
Etsy is a great place to sell it.
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Great advice, Dan. Readers may also want to check out
Ten Tips to Appeal to Angel Investors. Remember that angel investors typically offer advice, mentorship and valuable contacts as well as money. That's a good thing, but it also means that you need to make sure you can live with your angel's temperament, values, vision, expectations, and work style.
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Thanks Dan! Email marketing is a great way for small businesses to reach out to customers. Here's a
site that compares the three most popular email marketing companies -- Vertical Response, iContact, and Constant Contact. I'd love to hear some feedback on these companies, or others that readers may have used.
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Excellent guide, Dan! Another good place to find freelance writers for your website is Media Bistro's
Freelance Marketplace.
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It's COMPLETELY untrue that if you stick to natural ingredients you'll be fine. There are plenty of so-called natural supplements and remedies that can be toxic.
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4 pm is my cutoff for anything with caffeine, including yerba mate!
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Paul, I think it has a little less caffeine than coffee, but the effect is different. I make a whole pot and drink it most of the afternoon and I never feel like my heart is racing the way I would with an equivalent amount of coffee.
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This guide is worth re-visiting in light of current concerns about swine flu. I'd also add that it's not a bad idea to begin setting employees up to work at home.
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It would be a good idea for anyone in this business to cozy up to veterinarians and pet store owners who are certainly in great positions to recommend reliable pet sitting services.
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Just heard about another great resource. The
McKelvey Foundation, started by the late Andy McKelvey (the founder of Monster.com) awards 70 or so $40,000 scholarships to four year colleges to high school seniors who are entrepreneurs. It's a terrific organization!
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Unfortunately, I think a lot of the funding sources you mention here have dried up. It's very tough capital market now, so perhaps the best tactic is to bootstrap your start-up with your own savings plus whatever you can rustle up from friends and family. Being under-resourced in the start-up phase isn't such a bad thing. It teaches you frugality and how to prioritize, and to be creative.
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I just came across this older, but still very useful, blog post from
Guy Kawasaki on the "Art of the Layoff."
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Melissa, thanks for the great link. Now if I can just reconcile the needs of my lawn with the needs of my dogs, I'll be all set!
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Good guide, Kristian. One of my favorite productivity tools is Evernote, which you can download on App Donkey.
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Pesticides are terrible for your lawn and the environment. I recommend organic landscape and lawn maintenance. You can read about it
here.
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Thanks for these great recommendations on healthy snacks! My personal favorite is dried cranberries and apricots mixed with whole raw almonds (not salted).
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This is a very lucrative market and one that's not as easy to reach as many companies like to think. Based upon my own research, I think one of the best things a company can do to market to teens is to tap into their market intelligence directly, either through focus groups, using social networking, or gathering a group of "trend spotters" as you suggest. Hiring teens to market to their peers is also very effective, but you have to earn their loyalty if you want them to spread the word about your product or service in a way that's honest and authentic.
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This is pretty much an advertisement for your company. How about providing some useful advice on how to go about selecting a web site developer?
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My favorite "natural" energy drink is yerba mate tea. It has caffeine, but enhances focus and doesn't give you the jitters. Guayaki, probably the largest distributor of the tea in the U.S. also makes an
Energy Shot.
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Lots of great info here, Matt; thanks! Anyone who goes down this road should definitely read Malcolm Gladwell's brilliant New Yorker profile of infomercial king
Ron Popeil. No one did it better!
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Or you can do what I did and free yourself from Windows forever by buying a Mac. Best decision I ever made.
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Good guide, Charles. I especially like your advice about creating a personal brain trust. I think this is something we all should do throughout our lives. Also, I'd add that the best possible thing you can do to prepare yourself for the time when you may need a job is to be helpful and generous with people who approach you for help while you're still employed. It comes back to you!
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Here's a good article on
Inc.com on starting a business during a recession.
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Here's a good article at
Inc.com about protecting your family business from divorce.
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Susan, I second your observation. Just in the past six months, Twitter has become amazingly mainstream. I found at least two young entrepreneurs that I included in my book on Twitter. And superstar author and entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki recently told me that his most recent venture, the online magazine rack,
Read More
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Yikes! is there anything more annoying or worse for the environment than packing peanuts? Honestly, if you must use the horrid little things, at least use the biodegradable ones made of starch. Here's a
link to a company that sells them.
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Very interesting guide. I think we're at the very beginning of a huge shift toward mobile marketing and advertising. This is a particularly effective to reach the 77 million affluent and tech savvy members of Generation Y.
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Here's a link to a good story on
Inc.com about conducting exit interviews. Does one also do exit interviews with people how have been laid off, and I wonder how this practice has changed in the current economy?
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Great guide and resources, Anne! Any idea if small business grants will get some juice from the Stimulus Plan?
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I think this guide is a great reminder that even as business owners increasingly turn to the Web for their marketing campaigns, it often makes sense to use tried and true methods of marketing as well. I'm wondering if direct mail marketing has actually decreased over the years, making postcard campaigns even more effective now that there's less mailbox competition.
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One of the very hottest social networks for young teens is now
MyYearbook,com. It's still dwarfed by Facebook, but its member are mostly U.S.-based, which may make it a more targeted vehicle for marketers.
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I totally agree with Scott. While I can somewhat see the value of having a critical mass of followers on Twitter, I think that social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are most useful when you focus on the quality of your friends and the relationships you create with them rather than on sheer numbers.
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Joel, I'd like to see you write a more thorough guide for Work.com based on the ten tips that you link to. I especially like this piece of advice: "Be thorough, and talk to both happy and UNHAPPY franchise owners. Be willing to discuss what you are hearing with the franchise company's representative."
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Very thorough guide, Marianne; thanks for all the great resources!
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While I'm sure consultants do a great job for some business owners, not everyone can afford to hire them. If I wanted to open or grow an existing restaurant in a particular niche, the first thing I'd do would be to seek out a similar successful business in a non-competitive market and tap the owner for his or her advice and wisdom.
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Another good place to shop for office chairs is
BizChair.com.
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Nice guide, Lea! GuideStar and Charity Navigator are both terrific online resources fro researching not for profit organizations. I'd also recommend that businesses consider creating relationships with charities that are somehow synergistic with the companies (ie. a food-related company might support a charity like Second Harvest; a construction company could contribute to or volunteer for Habitat for Humanity). These kinds of relationships are great for branding and employee morale.
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One of easiest and healthiest changes you can make in the workplace is to get rid of all sugary drinks in the vending machines. And remember that many so-called "natural" drinks contain just as much sugar as soft drinks. Opt for juices with no sugar added or flavored water.
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I think you need to be careful about giving generalized nutritional advice like this. For instance, grapefruit should never be consumed along with certain types of medication. Take a look at
this article from WebMD. It's best to consult your GP or a nutritionist before going on any sort of diet.
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Great guide, Dan, and very relevant advice for this time of year. I have a Super Simplified 401(k) and try to contribute the max every year. It save me a bundle in taxes.
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Chigaco10k, the Comments section of Work.com is not meant to be a free advertising vehicle. Knock it off!
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While I don't think anyone is an e-mail "beginner" any longer, it does make sense to review email etiquette. I think the Microsoft tips seem dated. For instance, i disagree with the advice that you shouldn't make initial contact by email. As a reporter, I insist on initial contact via email since I hate being pitched over the phone. I'd much rather receive an email from someone I don't know rather than a phone call. That way, I have time to review the information and Google the sender.
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"Affiliate marketing is all about getting paid for selling products you don't own and not going to jail for it." This is a pretty low bar for an industry! Can you recommend some decent affiliate marketing companies?
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Update: I'm officially no longer dumpy; just switched to Mac and love it. All the Office programs work just fine and I was able to migrate my Outlook data (emails, contacts, calendar) very easily with a little help from a $10 piece of software called
O2M. So I'm a happy camper.
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I know you would like iYogi's services, but this guide would be much more useful if you would give readers a few "do-it-yourself" tips for improving the functionality of their PCs. For instance, what free or low cost virus protection software can you recommend? Thanks!
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If you're still a bit confused about exactly what cloud computing is, here's a good
video from the Web 2.0 Expo that will get you up to speed.
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It's so interesting to read the history of comments on this guide -- you really get a very interesting perspective on how far we've come in such a short period of time regarding our understanding and use of Web 2.0. When brands like Tide and Chiquita banana start posting videos on Facebook fan pages, you know that something transformational is happening!
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Great guide, Dan! Many of the entrepreneurs I speak to use
Basecamp. I think online project management tools will become even more important as more companies begin to work virtually and with independent contractors to save costs on office space and staff. Tools like Basecamp can help keep everyone on the same page even if they're not in the same office.
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In the spirit of Work.com, which is to share information and not sell it, how about providing a few useful tips on E-Bay selling. For instance, what categories have you found to be the most lucrative?
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Are there any online resources for finding work that you can recommend to freelancers? As a writer, I regularly check the job board at
Media Bistro. But I'd like to know if anyone has found other reliable sources.
Also, I completely agree with this advice: "Set up a home office in a location where you cannot see your bed." It's not only that you may be tempted to take a nap when you should be working, but that when it's time to sleep, the constant view of your desk can prevent you from being able to relax. So if you've got limited space and are compelled to work in your bedroom, buy a cheap screen so that you can at least partially separate your work area from your bed.
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Eric, you're right! I just bought an 8 GB at Best Buy for $20. The best thing to do is to check for sales at the office supply stores and then stock up. But I wish someone would come up with a clever way to list what's on the stick. I'm always forgetting where I've saved stuff!
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If you're using Outlook and are frustrated by the huge mess in your in box and the length of time it takes you to find saved messages, you should try downloading
Xobni. It's a free Outlook add on that organizes your in box and turns it into a social networking tool by instantly linking your email contacts to LinkedIn and Facebook.
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"don't let the small stature or price of a MacBook fool you into thinking it's inferior. It may be smaller and lighter than the MacBook Pro, but it can still hold its own in most consumer and business environments." I completely agree with this. I just switched from a Windows laptop to a MacBook . I was considering a Pro, but discovered that the only difference between the higher end MacBook and the lower end MacBookPro were in features that I don't really care about, like gaming capability and a more sophisticated video card. And yet, there was a $400 price difference. So I went with the higher end MacBook. So far, I love it!
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To answer Paul's question, editors want to see your published work, even if it's just in the form of a letter to the editor. If you're young and just starting out, write for your college newspaper; if you're older, contribute to your community or local newspaper. The most important thing any budding journalist can have is a clip file. If you have good ideas and can write, most publications won't care if you have a degree in journalism. Of course, a couple of good courses in the basics will help you hone your skills, but the best classes are the ones that send you out into the field to report and write.
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Animal shelters and rescue organizations are now filled with pets that people had to give up because they can no longer afford to care for them. In light of this heartbreaking trend, I don't think it's a good time to start a breeding business.
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This is a helpful guide for anyone who is beginning to think about selling a business. But I wonder about the timing. Unless you're absolutely desperate to retire, I would think that this is a bad time to think about selling a company. Or do you believe that market timing is right because so many people are out of work and looking for entrepreneurial alternatives? We know that business start up rates increase during times of recession, but I don't know the stats on the sale of existing companies. Anyone want to weigh in?
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Another great marketplace for selling handmade or vintage jewelry is
Etsy.com.
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In the current economy, I think a lot of employers will adopt the attitude that employees should simply be happy to have a job and that motivating them isn't really necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. Particularly in an economic downturn, when employees see their co-workers and friends losing their jobs, it's important to keep morale up. Continuous training, which makes employees feel like you're investing in them and their future at the company, can go a long way toward motivating people and making them more productive.
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This "guide" should be removed immediately!
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Great guide, Dan! Another relatively new approach to logo design is to use "crowdsourcing" through companies like
CrowdSpring. You post your project on the site, state the amount you'll pay, and a variety of designers submit their best work. If you don't get at least 25 entries, CrowdSpring refunds your money.
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Sorry, but I completely disagree that a graduate degree in journalism will help you get a job. I've been in the profession for over 25 years and I've never found that to be the case.
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Great advice on using LinkedIn for marketing. I'd also suggest joining LinkedIn groups that are specific to your profession, and making yourself useful to others on LinkedIn by answering posted questions whenever you have the opportunity.
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As a journalist who majored in journalism, I have to say that I would advise against this. It's much better to major in a subject that you think you'd like to write about (politics, economics, film, etc.) and then spend your free time pounding out copy for the student newspaper or the local rag. Editors don't care where your degree came from; they want to see clips and know that you can meet deadlines.
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I think a business should have long-term goals and a long-term vision, but I am not so sure a long-term plan makes sense. As we've witnessed over the past few months, markets can shift in a heartbeat and the most important thing a business can do is remain flexible and always ready to respond. Often, that means ditching your original plan.
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Personally, my favorite tool for removing all personal data from an old hard drive: a nice, heavy hammer.
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Another group similar to YCombinator is Denver-based
TechStars, which also offers mentorship and funding in a collaborative environment. Both of these programs are really geared toward young entrepreneurs and have incubated some fabulous companies.
One other point about angel investors: make sure you and your investors are on the same page in terms of goals and expectations. Money that comes with bad or irrevelent advice is worse than no money at all.
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Internships can also be a great way to suss out people you may want to hire permanently when they graduate.
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How about some good Web cam recommendations, or at least a link to some consumer rating sites?
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I think you make some really interesting points in this guide. Particularly in a recession, it's important for people to find innovative ways to make themselves as useful as possible to their organizations. The converse: companies should assess their needs, then offer to train employees in the new skills they'll need to remain gainfully employed.
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Gary,
Can you recommend any Spam removal software that is compatible with Outlook? I am currently using a program called Spamihilator but I'm not happy with it.
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Great guide, Dan; I love your list of hot franchise opportunities! But I think that before anyone signs on as a franchisee, they should ask for a list of existing franchisees and make a few random calls. You want to know as much as possible about the level of support they're given by the franchiser plus revenue growth and profitability of their businesses. In my opinion, any franchiser who discourages you from talking to other franchisees is suspect.
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Yikes! Aren't hedge funds part of the reason we're in the fix we're in now!?
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Thanks, Jenni. Unfortunately, this guide is all too relevant to the time we live in. I do agree with Susan that layoffs should not come as a surprise and that employers should do their best to educate employees on the company's financial health on an ongoing basis via some form of Open Book Management program. That way, they can engage employees in efforts to cuts costs and address inefficiencies -- initiatives that can go a long way toward avoiding layoffs in the future.
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This is certainly a long list of items to consider.Many of them could be the subjects of separate guides. Would you consider choosing a few and going deeper into each subject using the Work.com format?
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I find Twitter to be a very useful tool for business. I use
TweetDeck to organize tweets and also to search for other Twitter users in my field.
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"Coffee aficionados may turn up their noses at flavored coffee." Well, yes. I personally think that flavored coffee is an abomination but my feeling is that if you're to adulterate the glorious coffee bean, at least do it with natural, authentic flavorings.
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If all else fails, why not hire whoever you like an allow them to stay right where they are? Collaboration software, free conference call services, instant messaging, mobile devices, and social networking make working virtually easier and less isolating than ever.
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According to my computer consultant, a growing source of viruses is social networking sites. Unfortunately, I have some firsthand experience with this, having clicked on a video link in a message from a Facebook friend whose profile was hijacked. I'm now looking at spending $250 to have my hard drive re-built! These new viruses are able to plow right through your virus protection software, so the only way to prevent them is to be ever vigilant, and sometimes even that doesn't work.
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Paul, you make an excellent point. In this economy, employers may be tempted to think that they need to do very little to make employees happy. But nothing could be further from the truth. A downsized workforce means that the employees who remain are working harder and are under more stress, and that vastly impacts both productivity and, ultimately, health. Both will cost you big bucks in the long run. So now is the time to invest wisely in your most precious asset -- your people!
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Thanks, Jenni! This is one of those daunting tasks that I've been putting off, but I will definitely use your guide to get started.
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A wonderful entrepreneurial company called
TerraCycle sells cleaners and office supplies made from or packaged in cleverly "upcycled" materials like soda bottles, wine corks, and juice pouches.
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Paul, some say the generation starts in 1977 and you're absolutely right about the "tectonic shift." So companies had better get busy training these young people to lead and manage. The good news is that training and continuous learning are high on their list of benefits they look for in an employer. One of the best books on GenY is by Don Tapscott, the author of Wikinomics. It's called
Grown Up Digital.
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I use a new Outlook add-on program called
Xobni to manage my email, contacts and attachments. Its search tool is lightening-fast and it puts conversations threads at my finger tips instantly.
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Eric, I think you make a good point but my problem is that if I practice a speech too much, I begin to get bored and I'm afraid I'll carry that over to my audience. So while I go over my content again and again, I practice the speech minimally. Anyone else have an opinion on this? Akwasi, I never thought of using a speech therapist in that way. Any more details on what he/she taught your friend?
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Why not also consider hiring a massage therapist to come to your company one day a week and offer your employees 15-minute chair massages? I know some companies that do this; employees love it and I'd be willing to bet that it increases productivity by decreasing stress.
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Paul, they're probably already doing it, since 1-5 are in play as we speak. My teenage daughter received two direct mail pieces from R.J. Reynolds. Check
this out. Makes my blood boil!!
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I agree with Scott -- the entertainment factor is huge. I absolutely loved
this hilarious video, produced by JC Penney for the holidays. It's one that you forward to friends because it stands on its own as entertaining.
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One of the best sources on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the science behind it is an organization called
Oldways.
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James, a guide on document storage would be useful to readers, but this isn't a a guide, it's an ad for Iron Mountain.
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Here are some good ideas for tobacco companies:
1. create billboards with cool characters that appeal to kids. Gotta get the younger generation hooked as soon as possible!
2. engage in direct mail campaigns targeted to young women; include discount coupons for new brands that appeal to females.
3. Sponsor women's sporting events; you want to be associated with people who are fit and healthy.
4. Market your brands internationally in places like China, where the population has not yet been brainwashed into believing that cigarettes can kill you.
5. Lastly, don't forget to support your local political candidates with generous campaign donations.
If all this fails and you still find your market share and profits declining, you can always beg for a bailout. Good luck with that!
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Rick, you seem to be suggesting that anyone over 50 is a "senior." As someone approaching that age, I can tell you that one of the things that irritates me most is that organizations like AARP begin marketing to you at that age. There is a huge difference between 50 and, say, 65. Younger baby boomers don't want to be thought of as seniors and should not be marketed to as such.
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This is a good guide on the IT side of change management, but what about all the human factors? People typically fear and resist change. Are there any resources you can suggest for helping employees get on board with major organizational changes?
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I think that Ghana is a great choice for people who want to travel in Africa but are concerned about security. It's safe, stable, beautiful, and friendly. Consider a day trip to neighboring Togo as well!
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I think that corporate always looks like corporate art. Why not display work from local artists that's not only original, but shows your committment to your community?
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This guide is crying out for some links with cool pics so we can actually see what steampunking is all about. How about it, Unia?
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Could someone please develop some software that makes planes take off and land on time?!
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"Workforce rewards that come from the employee’s participation in a health and wellness program." This can tricky, since you may run afoul of HIPAA rules. Check out this
legal website for some guidelines.
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This is an interesting summary of the failed Yahoo/Microsoft deal, but it's not a guide by any stretch of the imagination!
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I just started using Mint.com and highly recommend it. You get email alerts telling you when your bank balances are low and when your credit card payments are due. It will also give you advice on how you can save money by switching to a lower interest credit card or to a different bank with lower fees.
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How widespread is electric car ownership these days? I don't know a single person who owns one!
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I've just started tweeting and think that it will ultimately be valuable to my business. The key is establishing your expertise, following those who share your interests, and getting them to follow you as well. It's also a great place to put links to my recent blog posts.
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Paul, I'd like to know the same thing. Our town recently voted down a bond that would have paid for a new turf field. The issue of turf being potentially toxic did come up and contributed to the bond's defeat. But I remember thinking that arguments were somewhat specious.
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Here's a really good video from
Inc.com expert Francisco Dao on writing an effective and practical mission statement.
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"Sometimes it's best to just ask for something than going through the motions of being some kind of a haphazard cyberspace detective." Uh, yes. I find the rest of this guide disturbing. Bottom line: if you didn't have problems with your spouse before hacking into his/her email account, you most certainly will after taking this advice.
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This is an ad for your business, not a guide to virus removal. If you really want to help business owners with this problem, you should include a variety of suggestions and recommendations for paid and free virus removal services.
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Thanks for this guide, Lesley. I think that current economic conditions may have more and more people considering refurbished computers!
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What is the approximate price difference between marble and granite?
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i"t always makes sense to write up a buy-sell agreement that spells out how to end a partnership." Every business owner should take this advice to heart. Create a formal partnership agreement well before there is anything substantial to divvy up. And when partnerships do go bad, dissolve them sooner rather than later.
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Thanks, Chris-- lots of great resources here. For those who also want to add stock video footage to their presentations, I'd highly recommend
Footage Firm.
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This is a great guide to spotlight in this economy. I'm betting a lot more people will be using barter now, but it does pose some interesting IRS questions, as Scott mentions. I'm wondering if people are beginning to use barter for the b to b services and if so, how they manage it from a tax standpoint.
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You Tube is a powerful marketing tool, but one that can also backfire on you if you're not careful. Witness
"Motringate" -- a revolt of moms offended by a
video ad for Motrin that Johnson & Johnson posted on You Tube. In an attempt to be edgy, the company really blew it and triggered a boycott of the product among the demographic they were seeking to reach.
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I think that in this economy, we're not going to see a lot of companies sending out elaborate holiday cards. Why not opt for an electronic greeting, or one that really helps advance your brand message? I just received a terrific little holiday greeting from my friends at
Greenleaf Book Group -- a small pot with soil and some jalapeno pepper seeds with a card announcing the company's participation in
TreeNeutral. It made an important statement and I'll think of Greenleaf as I watch my seeds sprout!
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My heart is breaking for venture funded start-ups these days; the bootstrapped entrepreneurs are far better off, I think. Your advice is harsh, but solid!
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I'm now using an Outlook plug-in called
Xobni ("in box" spelled backwards!) that organizes and searches my in box with lightening speed. I highly recommend it!
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Kate, I'm a little confused. What does this sections: "Read about the latest trends at companies in the energy industry" have to do with this otherwise useful guide?
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Thanks, Jenni -- great guide! I'm betting that in this economy, more and more companies will use HR outsourcing as an alternative to in-house staff. But choosing the right firm -- and just the most economical -- is critically important.
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If you've got the money to spend -- or just want to gawk at some of the most beautiful horse barns you've ever seen -- check out
Blackburn Architects in Washington, DC.
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I really love the blogs on the
Stoneyfield Farm website because they're not about selling yogurt, they're about creating community. One blog is written by an organic dairy farmer, and the other offers parenting advice and discussion topics. No marketing, no sales, just an authentic place for people to gather info on topics they care about. I think that's actually brilliant branding through blogging!
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As a long-time business journalist, I can count on one hand the number of times a random press release may have resulted in me writing a story. With the number of media outlets shrinking, getting press coverage is more difficult than ever. Targeted, personalized pitches from pr people or company owners who give me the impression that they know my work and what I'm interested in is what gets my attention these days.
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Nice guide, but I'm wondering if there are some creative ways to decorate for a New Years Eve party without using so many paper goods, most of which are not recyclable! Ideas, anyone?
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Oceana is another good organization that focuses specifically on protection of the world's oceans.
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I find that packing a thin
yoga mat and a dvd to pop into my laptop does the trick.
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How about electronic Holiday cards for businesses? Saves on postage and it's environmentally responsible!
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A great pet sitter is worth his/her weight in gold! I found mine through my local pet store owner, who I've known for years. His good word made me feel very comfortable with my choice. So I'd recommend that anyone going into this business should forge good relationships with the other professional that pet owners trust -- pet store owners, vets, groomers, trainers. Also, ask your existing clients for referrals. It seems to me that word of mouth is the best promotional tactic for this business.
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Here's a thought: how about just eating healthfully and exercising a few times a week instead of spending a boat load of money on pills?!
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There's a lot of evidence indicating that people stay fit and lose weight more easily and permanently in team-based environments. There's a great start-up company called
Shape Up the Nation that organizes programs like this for companies. Also, I'd suggest that one of the easiest and best things any company can do for its employees is remove all vending machines that contain soft drinks.
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This is not a guide, it's an advertisement!
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This is a good basic guide that would benefit from more links (your first link is broken, btw). Here's a great compilation of business plan resources from
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Given the terrible state of the economy, why not skip the holiday party this year and instead give the whole staff the afternoon off to volunteer at a local non-profit together? You'll save money and foster a spirit of good will and camaraderie among your employees, all while helping those less fortunate. It's a win-win!
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As someone who has a BA in journalism, I have to say that if I had it to do over again, I would probably not go this route. Newspapers and magazines don't care if your degree is in journalism; they want someone who knows how to think, how to write, and who has had experience on a campus or local paper. Here's my best advice: get a great liberal arts education and focus on studying what you want to write about, whether it's politics, or health care or economics -- whatever. Then work on your campus paper or literary magazine and build up a great clip file. I guarantee this will help you get a job!
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Great advice here, Matt! I'd also like to suggest that one of the best ways to market to college students is to hire students to spread the word about your product or service. Young consumers are influenced more by their peers than by formal marketing or advertising. Get yourself a few campus evangelists -- young people who actually love what you're selling -- and that's worth its weight in gold.
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Sherry,
I do agree that this a good, basic guide. But as an advocate of entrepreneurship and small business for more than 25 years, my main concern is that start-up entrepreneurs go into business with their eyes open and with solid plans to differentiate themselves from large, well-resourced competitors. Just focusing on the nuts and bolts of getting a business started isn't enough, especially in this economy.
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I think that telecommuting is a great option for working moms and should be a much easier sell to employers in an economic downturn. There are certainly cost savings involved if you need to accommodate fewer employees in an office.
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Is there any info on the ROI of a digital business card? do they really make sense in the age of YouTube?
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Great resource, thank you! I'm in the market for new cabinets and found lots of good choices in your guide.
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This is pretty basic advice. It seems to me that anyone who is thinking of starting a donut shop these days had better have some pretty sophisticated competitive tools in their arsenal if they want to survive with competitors like Duncan Donuts and Starbucks.
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"You can get equipment to remove the radon yourself from the air or water." Really?? I was under the impression that you need to hire a professional to do this.
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This works; thanks, Christopher!
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I find that Google Alerts are also a great way to track media and blog coverage of your own business, and to keep an eye on your competitors and your peers.
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It seems to me that patents should be a pretty important element to this guide. Do you have a patent for your invention and if so, could you perhaps share that experience with readers? BTW, here's a link to the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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Matt, you mention the advantages that older business owners have over youthful ones, but young entrepreneurs come with their own set of advantages: familiarity with technology; access to and understanding of a huge demographic (their own!); healthy irreverence when it comes to the status quo; the strong desire to work in teams. I believe that a great option for post retirement aspiring business owners is to find a young entrepreneur to partner with -- it's a killer combination!
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Hey Eric, I'm curious to know why you'd switch back and forth. I find that when I'm forced to use a traditional mouse, it becomes very irritating to me!
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I've done Webinars for Microsoftt and Sage Software and a teleclass for The Principal Group -- companies that have great access to the market I want to reach (small business owners), that are always looking for fresh content, and that take on the the responsibility of promoting the event. I think it's a terrific way to market your brand.
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This seems like a good time and place to acknowledge and honor one of the truly great social entrepreneurs of our time, the late Paul Newman, whose company
Newman's Own donated all of its profits to charity and created an amazing brand in the process.
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"Focus on large providers of books". Sorry, but I disagree vehemently! Let's wake up and support our local independent booksellers -- people who know about and care about books and serve as tremendous community resources and meeting places. These folks are the backbone of Main Streets across the U.S. and they're disappearing at an alarming rate. If you must buy your books online, buy them at
Powell's Books, a third-generation family business in Portland that is one of the most successful and innovative independent booksellers in the country. Their online selection rivals Amazon's.
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One of best ways I've found to manage email is with a good spam filter. I use
Spamihilator and found that it does a pretty good job of removing the junk from my in-box. Another tool that I've recently discovered is
Xobni ("inbox" spelled backward!), which organizes Outlook so that's it's much easier to search for conversations, attachments, etc.
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Thanks, Lisa. I'm reading a book on this subject called
Groundswell and I'm finding it very enlightening. It has lots of great case studies of businesses that are using social networking wisely.
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I want desperately to be cool rather than dumpy but my computer consultant says that Word, Excel and PowerPoint don't work as well on Mac, and I won't be able to sync my Blackberry properly on a Mac. I live on these programs. Any way around this, Ned, or am I destined to remain a dumpy slave to Microsoft?
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yes, lanyards go in the garbage! I just came back from the Inc. 500 conference and I got few good items: aluminum water bottle (rather than Nalgene which is getting bad press these days); lip balm; smallish notebooks; a "green" bag for groceries. In the totally useless department: a clock with a movable dial that tells you world times, although they seem to be incorrect; a leather passport travel case (who uses those anyway?). Sometimes the best promo gifts are the cheapest!
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Excellent guide, Judy. I wish every company would take your advice. As a business journalist, the first thing I click on is the "About Us" page. I look for a compelling company story, info on key execs that goes beyond the boring stuff of resumes, and at least a hint of what the company culture is like. Pics are a must and videos are a bonus but becoming more and more important, I think.
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workerbee66: I suggest you work out your issues with the author privately!
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Thanks, Kelly. I couldn't agree more that mentoring is a very powerful tool when it comes to developing young talent. Often, the unexpected by-product of a good mentoring relationship is that the person doing the mentoring learns every bit as much as the one being mentored!
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Thanks for this guide, Allison! It's unfortunate that the previous commenter used your guide to place a free ad for his/her company, which has absolutely nothing to do with organic clothing. In fact, it looks like just the opposite.
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Very nice guide with lots of good links; thanks CJ!
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I absolutely love my
Logitech TrackMan Wheel, which was recommended by my chiropractor. It does have a cord, but since you never move the mouse, just the wheel, it doesn't get tangled up in stuff. I use it with an
Imak Wrist Cushion and I never have a problem with an aching wrist or shoulder.
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I'd like to make a case here for supporting independent retailers. The big chains offer better prices, but when you want personal service and advice, it's your local pet store owner who is going to come to your rescue. To find your closest local retailer, check out
Pet Industry Retailers.
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Eve, I have mixed feelings about CCS. My daughter went to Ghana with them this summer and I didn't think the program was terribly well-organized. Also, they were very nasty to a girl who had to leave early because of a family emergency -- no refund, no applying her fee to another trip. They're one of the most expensive options out there, so I expected a more professionally run operation.
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As a public speaker, I really dislike the idea of a clear podium. The podium is where I stash my notes, my water, my reading glasses, etc. I don't necessarily want all that stuff visible to the audience.
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"If your employees have Facebook.com pages that link to your Facebook corporate profile, then it will drive more traffic to your Facebook web site." Good point, but better make sure your employees' Facebook pages are in line with the company culture/image you want to project publicly (pics of last night's kegger? maybe not!).
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How about some links to the best promotional products companies? I like
Customink.com.
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My favorite cooking site,
Epicurious.com also has some nice yogurt recipes.
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Small independent bookstores have it very tough these days and while new markets and product offerings may help, I don't think that's enough to insure the survival and growth of this type of business. Small bookstores need to do what the chains can't: create solid relationships with their communities by partnering with other local businesses; sponsor local author events; offer customers more personalized service; host book club meetings. It's all about differentiating yourself from big competitors.
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Tony, I love the cool looking products in picture above. Can we get links to them? Thanks!
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Eric, I've found that I have a similar problem with Carbonite -- it's tough to do anything at all while it's running. You can actually schedule the backups for after hours, but then I worry that what I write during the day won't be backed up. Anyone have any other suggestions?
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You need to educate yourself not only on what it will take to build the pool, but on how you'll maintain it and how much that will cost. Especially if you live in an area where you'll need to heat your pool, it's a major expense. Add to that the hours you'll spend cleaning it (or paying someone else to do it for you), the chemicals you need to maintain it, and the bills really add up. Yes, it technically adds value to your home, but it also narrows your population of potential buyers.
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Another very interesting collaborative software tool that facilitates group decision making and idea generation comes from a new company called Kluster. Check it out
here.
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Elliot, it;'s my understanding that in some states, consent is required of all parties before a call is recorded. So anyone who is using or thinking of using a VoIP recording system should definitely research their state laws first.
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Thanks, John. How about another guide on the five best promotional items?
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Thanks, appreciate that. Links would be nicer still :-).
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"Use an employee motivation survey to gauge the morale of your workforce. Ask the staff to indicate what motivates them." I think this is very sound advice. It may be that employees in different departments of your company are motivated by different incentives. If you really want to boost performance, you have to make sure you're offering the appropriate incentive.
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I think one of the most important things a company owner can do for employees is to teach them about the key numbers that make the business tick. If you teach them about how you make money and how their jobs contribute to the bottom line, they'll feel a greater sense of ownership and be motivated to contribute more. You don't have to be totally "open book", but sharing selective financials is a good start.
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Great guide! I love the idea of formalizing personal loans -- it can really save a lot of headaches down the line. Regarding selling equity in your start-up company, I would really advise people to proceed with caution. If you can possibly bootstrap, that's the way to go. Too often, founders give up too much too soon and end up losing control.
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Lots of great stuff, here, Joel -- thanks! I especially love Mom Goes Green.
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Thanks for this thoughtful guide, Lea. Readers might also want to check out Jeff Seglin's NYT column and blog,
The Right Thing which contains lots of food for thought on the subject of ethics.
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Gosh, this is a pretty frightening guide! So how about some specific advice on how to protect ourselves from spyware and adware. Do you have any software recommendations??
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Scott, I hear what you're saying -- I hate it when I'm with someone and they feel compelled to sneak a peak at their Blackberry every five minutes. But I do love the freedom my Blackberry gives me when I'm not at my desk. The trick is to resist the urge to check all the time -- twice a day is enough unless you;re in the middle of an urgent project.
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Good guide, Nathan. And I really love Webpages That Suck -- highly enlightening and a hoot!
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As a magazine journalist for more than 20 years, I'd love to believe that a new magazine can be "profitable in a very reasonable amount of time." But that's just not the case, unfortunately; magazines are folding left and right because even very large and well resourced companies can't justify the cost of keeping them afloat in light of decreasing ad revenues and subscriptions. Custom publications for big corporations may still be a decent way to make money, Other than that, I think magazine publishing is a very, very tough industry to make money in.
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"One of the most common causes of business failure is the lack of standardized systems." I completely agree with this. But I think that businesses also need to train employees how to think for themselves and to respond to any reasonable customer need, even when it may not completely comply with the system.
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I can't remember the last time I received a traditional media kit in the mail. As a journalist, I vastly prefer electronic media kits that allow me to pick and choose what I want to print out. Save trees, and space in my office!
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I'm having a hard time figuring out who this guide is written for. People who want to sell arms to the government? People who just want to buy guns? In light of current events, I find it all a bit unsavory!
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I have a radical idea. Instead of steering women away from professions like teaching and nursing, how about if we all advocate like crazy for fair (read "vastly increased") compensation for those traditionally female-filled jobs, which are arguably two of the most important jobs anyone can do.
Also, I am not so sure that your comment about negligible wage differentials between men and women in the professions is accurate. Readers should check out the statistics at
The National Womens Law Center.
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I use the Google apps calendar as well and love it. I started out using both that and a paper calendar, but it became too confusing. Gone are the days of lugging around my bulky Franklin Planner.
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Thanks for this helpful guide, Greg -- it's a great place for people considering online MBAs to get started on their research. However, I do wonder how employers really feel about online degrees, if they regard them as inferior or an easier path. I'd like to hear from some folks who think their online MBAs helped get them a job and from some employers on how they feel about these degrees.
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Another absolute necessity is teaching your customers how to transport their kayaks safely and selling the rooftop systems they'll need to do that. I use the
Thule J-Bar system which is not perfect since it's impossible to manage alone. It would have nice if the dealer who sold us the kayaks had offered another alternative.
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You have a lot of good information in this guide, but it would have much more impact if you put it into the Work.com format and also provided us with some links. Thanks!
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I use lots of pictures in my PowerPoint presentation when I speak and I think it's very effective. Nothing worse than text-heavy slides that the presenter then reads to the audience. Deadly!
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Another thing to consider is zoning laws. Depending on what type of business you start, you may bump up against some legal issues with your community. Take a look at this article on dealing with
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Business coaching can be very useful for owners of small companies, but it's essential for the CEO to really click with the coach. I'd recommend interviewing several coaches at length before hiring anyone.
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Hiring virtual assistants seems to be getting more and more popular, so I think it's an increasingly popular profession. Can you give us some guidance on how to choose a VA? I thought
this article was helpful.
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Thanks for the clarification, Melton; appreciate your expertise!
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Eric, regarding your ReviewMe tip, I'm wondering how blog readers typically respond when they see Advertorial content on a blog. Does it hurt the blogger's credibility?
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Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Erin.I agree with most of what you say with the exception of "Being nice is not an asset in business." I agree that it's probably unwise to become emotionally connected to your customers at the "diaper changing" level, but I do believe that particularly in these tough economic times, people will gravitate to companies that they believe have a genuine interest in solving their problems and that will go the extra mile to do so. And that means being nice and creating relationships that may be more personal than a larger competitor could manage. It's how small businesses have always differentiated themselves from the pack.
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Someone recommended to me a relatively new blogging template system called
Thesis Theme. It looks very well designed to me; wondering if anyone has used it.
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Thanks, Jennifer. What about Survey Monkey? I'd love to hear from anyone who has actually used this tool, or any of the others you mention.
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Thanks, Trisha! I'm in the process of developing a survey for people I've interviewed for my book and I'd love to hear from anyone who has used Constant Contact's tool.
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Brian --
How should neophyte small business bloggers deal with negative comments? Do you suggest that new bloggers set up their blogs so that everyone can comment freely, or is it better to set things up so that you can manually accept or reject comments?
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Any thoughts on buying vs. leasing a new car? Also, my favorite resource for car info is
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I like the concept behind this guide, but I'd really like to see more concrete tips on "romancing" customers. What I think you're really talking about is building lifetime customer relationships. Here's a good article from
Microsoft's Small Business Center.
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Excellent guide, Scott. I especially apprecaite your comment about experts posting less frequently. I really do think it undermines expert credentials when people post constantly. You've got to wonde why they have so much time on their hands!
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Thanks for this important guide! Raising prices in tough economic times can be tricky sicne people are watching every penny. Especially now, I think it's vital for companies to increase the perceived value of their products or services in order to justify price hikes. Dotson's list is a particularly good link.
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Eric, what a great job your friend Janelle did; I'm going to use this model next spring. Thanks for sharing the link.
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I've always been a Porter fan. Aside from his work on management theory, I really admire what he's done with
The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a not-for-profit that he founded to catalyze inner city business development.
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It seems to me that an accurate and favorable cost of living comparison could help small companies attract great employees from costlier markets, especially in this economy.
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Great job, Matt! I'm not surprised that, given current economic conditions, this is a top-viewed guide. Especailly now, I think that people should approach resume writing like securing a line of credit -- do it before you absolutely need to. With job security fragile in many industries, it makes good sense to have a great resume ready to send out immediately.
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Several months ago, shortly after I created my Facebook page, I also started a private group for people who I've interviewed for my book -- a place where they could meet one another and where I could ask questions to the group (easier than sending multiple emails) and brainstorm while writing. I've found it to be a terrific tool and one that other small business people who want to be in close contact with a limited number of people could use quite effectively.
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My website was affordable, but the updates killed me -- $50, minimum, everytime I wanted to change or add something. The effect: I never updated as often as I should have because I wanted to wait until I had a critical mass of task to be done. When I have the site redesigned, I'll go with a designer who will build the site so that I can do my own updates.
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I agree with you, Eric. I do think it's important for every company that has an Internet blocking, filtering, and monitoring policy to make that policy crystal clear to all employees.
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Lisa, you don't mention anything about literary agents here. A good agent knows the publishing market far better than most authors and knows how to best target and sell a manuscript. Plus publishers generally pay more attention to manuscripts submitted by agents.
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Excellent guide, Matt, and very timely. I'm betting that Green Investing really resonates with younger investors as well -- good way to get them into the market and feeling comfortable about it.
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Thanks for this helpful guide, Catherine. I'll also put in a good word for the bureau that represents me,
Ovation Talent.
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Great guide, Dan! I'm betting that mobile marekting isn't even on the radar screen for the majority of small business owners. But it's a tremendous way to get the attention of younger consumers. Your guide is a terrific starting point for anyone looking to get their feet wet. I'd love to hear from business owners about their own experience with mobile marketing.
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Great guide Eve; thanks! Eco fashion accessories are also very hot right now. Check out this
CNN video about Ecoist, a cool company that makes bags, belts and other stuff from post-consumer waste.
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"Remember, the best time to set up a credit line is BEFORE you need it" --- this is critically important advice, especially now that credit markets are tightening up. I'd encourge every small business owner to secure a line of credit; even if you never use it, it's a wonderful safety net, and one that will only be tougher to get if the economy continues to decline.
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Lots of food for thought in this guide; thanks!. I'd love to hear from someone who has actually used a pellet stove as an alternative source of heat for a home or business.
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I think one of the most important things to consider when investing in a franchise is the level of training and support provided by the franchisor. Is the company going to thoroughly support you with consistent training, marketing and sales materials, and financial advice if needed? It pays to call or visit a few existing franchisees and ask them about the company's operating procedures as well as the company culture.
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A suggestion box is only as good as a business owner's willingness to take suggestions to heart, particularly when it comes to soliticiting suggestions from employees. So if you're going to put up a suggestion box at your company, make sure you also have figured out a system for showing your staff that you will actually implement some of their ideas.
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Great guide, Hilary! And I'm betting that, given our current energy crisis, more and more mainstream rental car companies and hotels will initiate green practices as a competitive strategy to attract more eco-conscious consumers.
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Great advice with excellent links; thanks Eve!
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Nice guide and terrific comments; thanks everyone!
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Another student loan company worth checking out is
MyRichUncle.com. The company offers both private loans and discounted Federal loans.
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Thanks, Francine. True financial literacy is essential for all small business onwers and I'd argue that, particularly in an economic downturn, it's also important for employees. Sharing financial data with your staff, and teaching them how to interpert it, can empower employees and give them a sense of emotional ownership. And when times are tough, knowing the significance of a company's key numbers can get everyone working toward a better bottom line.
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Oh, sign me up for that one too, Paul! A robot with compassion that anticipates your needs. Plus it should look like Johnny Depp.
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Nice guide, Dan; thanks! But I found both GasPriceWatch and GasBuddy to be disappointing. Prices were either outdated, or the results were nowhere near my zipcode. So I'm wondering if there's a better site out there; there's certainly a market for a website that gives up to date and accurate info on gas prices!
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Susan, I love the weather radio idea! Sometimes I think that coporate gifts given during the holiday season get lost in the shuffle. Why not give gifts at odd times during the year "just because"? For instance, a book of stamps when postage increases, or a gift card for gas (right now, please!).
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Susan, I completely agree with you. In fact, GenerationY (people born after 1977), which will comprise a huge percentage of our workforce in the next 5-10 years, places an enormous premium on social responsibility when choosing an employer. Take a look at this story in
USA Today about GenY and social responsibility.
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Janet, I had never heard of Fayol, but based on what I read about his theories, I do think that much of what he says is outdated, particualarly when it comes to division of work, authority, and discipline.He sounds like a "command and control" kind of guy to me. I'm sure his theories were very relevant in his day for the type of company he worked for (a French mining company at the turn of the century), but I'm not sure how valuable they are to entrepreneurial companies in the 21st century.
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I've flown AirTran twice; I'd rather hitchhike than fly them again. They were disorganized, unfriendly and incompetent. Of course, airline travel is generally pretty abusive these days, but I've found this airline to be among the worst. Sorry!
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Yikes! Heaven forbid that anyone should evaluate me based upon my handwriting. It seems to me that there could be some legal issues involved with using handwriting analysis as a hiring or placement tool. I found these recommendations on the link below, and they seemed pretty solid to me:
1.Never use the process as the sole criterion in making a decision
2.Notify applicants that their handwriting will be analyzed and that they will be able to read an critique the report
3.Use a trained and certified handwriting analyst (See Schools)
4.Reports from handwriting analysis should be utilized for all applicants in a particular job area
For more info on the legal implications of handwriting analysis, click
here.
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Deming, like Peter Drucker, was one of the great thinkers on quality and management and his theories really are timeless and forever relevant to entrepreneurs. Thanks for reminding us, Jeanne!
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Herman Miller is certainly a high quality brand of office chair, but very few small businesses can afford to buy one for every employee. Can you recommend some other alternatives?
Chairs.com is a good place to shop around!
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Lea, I had never heard of mentoring consultants before reading your guide. It seems to me that mentoring will become even more important as more Baby Boomers remain in the workfoce and an equally large population of Gen Y workers enters it. I think these two groups have a lot to learn from one another. Learning some solid mentoring skills should help them share their expertise more effectively.
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I can't resist posting
this link to a story called "My Virtual Life" that ran in Esquire a couple of years ago. The writer hires a virutual assistant in India and gets a bit carried away with the tasks he assigns her. It's more entertaining and amusing than useful; enjoy!
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Oh yes, Paul, I know this well! Let's face it, as long as you are under the same roof with them, there will be balance issues.
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Good guide, Amy; thank you. However, my feeling is that "if you do not have the time, or find the process intimidating", you probably shouldn't be seeking out venture capital. I think VCs can recognize a canned persentation in a heartbeat. Plus, don't forget that venture capitalists often bet on the jockey, not the horse.
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Very helpful guide, Traci; thank you! Survey Monkey looks like a particularly good resource. I'd be interested in hearing from people who have actually used it.
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There are some good tips in here, Cesar. But I've been a work at home mom for 18 years and I can tell you that "stay away from stress" and "pamper yourself" will give most women like me a good chuckle. The only way to get any significant amount of work done at home is to get help -- from family, a babysitter, a daycare center, etc. It's unfair to expect kids, particularly young ones, to understand that although you are present, you are unavailable.
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I keep hearing more and more about community based innovation and crowdsourcing. Take a look at
Inc.'s June cover story on
Threadless, the Chicago-based t-shirt company that draws upon a user community of over 700,000 people to design its products.
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Is Twitter also a lifesaver? Maybe! Just in case you missed it, here's a link to a
CNN story about an American student who was arrested at a government protest in Cairo and immediately Twittered "arrested". His network helped get him released promptly. Pretty cool!
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Very thoughtful guide, David -- thanks! I don't know much about buying aged/shelf corporations, but it seems to me that it's very misleading for customers, vendors, potential lenders, etc. Yes, it's perfectly legal, but I'm wondering how ethical it is since you are realy just buiying the ability to say you've been in business a number of years when you really haven't. Wouldn't this ultimately hurt a company's credibility with the people it does business with?
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As someone who continually sorts her sock drawer to avoid writing, I desperately need this guide, but do agree that more resources would be great. I did like the proscrastination survey, though. It was a great way to, well, procrastinate.
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Yes, I agree with you Stephanie, but Eve makes a compelling case. Thanks for this incredibly helpul guide!
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Michael, at a time when travel has become downright abusive, it's good to know that there are still some ariports with good track records. Unfortuntely, my own airport (the dreaded LGA) is not one of them!
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What is difference between a lecturn and a podium? Perhaps LecturnGuy can enlighten us.
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Ditto! I Googled you, Rob, and I'm still not sure what this guide is about.
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I'm confused -- it looks to me like you can still get AVG for free.
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The
Plum Card from Open by American Express is a great relaitvely new card for small business owners that gives you discounts for early payment, extended payment options, and a variety of discounts with a number of vendors.
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One of my favorite books for aspiring entrepreneurs is
The Start-Up Garden by Tom Ehrenfeld. Lots of good info on his website, too.
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Thanks for the additional resoures!
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Very helplfu guide, Frances. Practicing the ptich is very, very important. I would even suggest video taping yourself, then viewing the tape with a very critical eye. It's painful, but enlightening!
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David,
The other very effective tactic that you use is to post frequent links and newsfeeds so that you're frequently on my home page and hence, on my radar screen. You really are an expert at social networking!
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This is an advertisement, not a guide!
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I completely agree with Susan that volunteer opportunities can be a great motivator for employees, especially for Generation Y, whose twenty-something members will very often seek out workplaces with a social mission. Also, I see an increasing number of companies aligning themselves with a single not-for-profit organization whose mission is somehow synergistic with the company's brand. It's a win-win.
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Great guide made even better by helpful comments; selling on eBay has certainly become much more complicated! Here's a story from CNN that explains the company's new
listing fee and commission structure.
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There's a lot of compelling evidence that even minimal aerobic exercise can improve brain function. Check out this
Authors@Google video of author John Media (he wrote
Brain Rules). Forward it to your boss he/she won't ever question your mid-day stroll!
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Nice guide, Mari! I would love to see you write a separate guide specifically on how to build a fan page for your business.
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I've had two Dell Latitudes over the past several years and I have to say that Dell's customer has become so poor that I don't even bother calling anymore; I'd rather pay a consultant than deal with their incompetence!
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Terrific guide Shara --thanks so much! I'll definitely do a fan page for my new book closer to the pub date.
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Lots of cool gear here -- thanks for a useful guide!
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I like the subject of this guide and you have some good information here, but you would earn a significantly higher rating if all the links were not to your own company!
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CallingCards.com is another site that offers international calling cards. Depending on where you're traveling, you may also want to purchase an international sim card for your cell phone.
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You make some good points here, but it would be a much more helpful and readable guide if you would put it into work.com format and include some links to various companies that offer insurance for exapats. Also, some general advice for CEOs on how to shop around for the best expat insurance packages would be great. Thanks!
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Another good event planning resource is
BizBash Media where you can research venues and access a master event calendar in your city. They also have a group on LinkedIn.
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I agree with Scott completely. This is a terrific guide and it's widely applicable. I'd add a few more tips for clients/customers: 1. always pay on time or early 2. recommed a business you love to others and make sure the business knows the referral came from you 3. stay loyal to companies you love; don't be lured away by lower prices.
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Nice guide, Kimberly --thanks! I'd also add that when evaluating channel partners, it's also important to make sure that their business culture and ethics are aligned with yours.
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My feeling is that monitors are so cheap right now that it doesn't make much sense to risk buying a used or refurbished one. You can always use your new monitor with a new computer when it's time to make the investment.
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I'm really surprised by these last two comments. Could one of you LinkedIn experts -- Greg or Scott maybe -- comment?
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Do you really think that venture capital firms would be intersted in investing in a fledgling construction company?!
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I am not a fan of this industry but concede that not all MLM companies are trouble. But as you say, Judy, anyone considering getting involved in an MLM company should do some thorough homework. Here's a site that provides a few links to
MLM Watchdog Groups
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Could the author of this guide please respond to the previous comment?
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Instead of just telling us how most business owners take the wrong approach to online marketing, how about also providing some advice and resources?
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Nice list, but completely irrelevant to Work.com!
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Joel, I absolutley agree that it's critically important to be passionate about being in business. But unless you are hiring someone to operate your franchise for you, you had also better be passionate about the product or service. Otherwise, the enterprise is not authentic, and customers can sense that instantly.
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Thanks to both Shara and Deborah for these great tips. I signed up for Twitter ages ago but have to admit that I never really "got it" until now. Thanks!
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I think that great service is a particularly important differentiating factor for businesses in a flagging economy, especially for small companies that always have a tough time competing on price.
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In the current, highly volatile market, how do REITs stack up against stocks in terms of risk and performance?
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There are some good ideas in this guide but it's so copy-dense that it's difficult to read. Would you consider putting the info into work.com format and also adding more informational links? Thank you.
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Lots of resources here, Matt; thank you! But I'd caution anyone considering a franchise that one of the most important factors to consider is the support and assistance you'll get from headquarters. If corporate leaves you twisting in the wind, a low-cost franchise can suddenly become very, very expensive. Talk to other franchisees, and not just the ones that HQ puts in touch with!
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Authors Paul and Sarah Edwards have been writing about home-based work for years and I'd highly recommened any of their books. On their website,
WorkingFromHome.com, you can take a quiz to see if you're ready to take the leap.
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Linda, you've packed a lot of useful information into this fun little guide -- thanks! Sloganizer is addictive and Zoomerang looks like like a great way to get others to weigh in on your slogan.
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Great advice -- thanks. Since de-cluttering would take me several years, perhaps I'll start now!
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Thanks, Dan! I just downloaded a free trial of Carbonite based on your recommendation.
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While there are many credit and charge card options for small businesses, I'm particularly fond of AmEx because they issued the first card specifically tailored to small companies nearly 20 years ago and they continue to expand their services. For instance, through their
OPEN Savings program, you'll get money credited back to your card when you do business with merchants like FedEx, Yahoo, Hertz and others.
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There are good reminders -- thanks! I especially agree with the point you make about follow-up. It shows customers that you're still thinking about them beyond the immediacy of a transaction. I'm partial to hand-written notes; since they are virtually a lost art, they make a huge impact.
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I think that there's growing consumer disdain for plastic bags of any kind due to environmental concerns. ISo while drawstring bags may be a nice promotional item, companies should put some thought into what materials they'll use.
P.S. some of your links don't work.
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You do mention safety later in you guide, but I think this is a point worth stressing further up. Lasers, particularly powerful ones, can really damage eyes and I would argue they never be used in classrooms, particularly with young children.
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Another great oline retailer of GPS systems is
TigerGPS. Very savvy staff and excellent customer service.
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Ah, the dreaded blue screen -- the case for Apple! But for those of us who have not yet made the switch, here's a
chart that gives you the skinny on several data recovery software options, including the one in your link.
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Eric,
I thought the IRS was cracking down on these types of arrangements.
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A company called
GreenPrint makes software that elimiates those annoying unwanted pages when you print. I find it particularly helpful when I 'm printing something off the Web.
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I largely agree with Susan. In fact, when I receive a relatively costly gifit with a corporate logo on it -- a picture frame or a clock, for instance -- it actually annoys me a bit beause I think it's such a monumental waste of money. Flash drives, notebooks, nice pens, etc. are great because they're utilitarian. I'm also wondering if there are some "green" promotional gifts out there.
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"The shredders you can get at the local office supply store are a waste of money." Hmm. I see that you're the manager of a shredding service! Honestly, I'm sure it's a great option for many businesses, but overkill for those of us with home offices. I find my MailMate from Staples to be quite adequate. As for disposing of the shredded paper, use it instead of packing peanuts!
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Scott, I agree with you. Your suggestions are great, Frances, but I think that all companies need to come up with their own definition of "socially consious" -- one that is consisent with the brand identity, the passions and interests of their employees and customers. Otherwise, the effort will not appear authentic and I think that's very important in the marketplace these days.
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Great ideas, George, thank you! As a business journalist for many years, I've always been fascinated by the leadership vs management distinction. Here's a good article from
Poynter on the subject.
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Very good ideas here, Peter. I think this point is key: "You have respectable businesses endorsing your company and handing out opportunities for their own customers to call you and save money." The most important element of any strategic alliance is partnerning with other business who share not only your customer demographic, but your values. Your customers will judge you by the company you keep!
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How about a few tips on how to make your home appealing to potential buyers? I have a friend who baked an apple pie right before each showing!
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This guide is really just an advertisment for you company. I recommend that readers also check out
BizChairs.com.
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Thank you, Barbara! You have some good tips here, so it would be terrific if you could put your guide into Work.com format and perhaps supply readers with a few more links. Personally, I highly recommend
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White to everyone who communicates in writing (and who doesn't?).
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I like the "focus on a friendly face" suggestion. I often do that when I speak to a large audience -- making occasional eye contact with a smiler is like getting a little burst of energy. But I think the best cure for stage fright is preparation -- practice what you want to say over and over again. In the mirror, or even by taping yourself. And also know this: even the most practiced public speaker or entertainer gets nervous!
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Question posting on LinkedIn is a fabulous tool. I've used it several times for book and magazine story research. Scott, when you post a question, do you know how deep into your extended network it goes? I ask this because I've received reponoses from many people who are not in my network.
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I keep saying I'm going to do that, too, but I never seem to have time to do the research on the various options. Can anyone recommed a good, reasonably-priced service for online hard drive backup?
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Deborah, I absolutely agree with you. I also think that the best way to find a good attorney is through trusted friends and business associates. Of course, estate issues become much more complex when there's also a business at stake. All the more reason to seek out skilled legal advice.
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Don, it seems to me that you've mis-named your guide. How about a guide specifically on coffee franchises with a little more detailed info on what to look for when considering investing in such a company?
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I am new fan of Etsy, having just interviewed the company's CEO for my new book. There was a great story about the company in
The New York Times Magazine last month. BTW, they also produce lots of online educational videos for crafters. One correction: the listing fee is 20 cents.
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The way Scott describes the process is accurate for the vast majority of book authors. As an author who has landed contracts with two major publishers, my strong opinion is that you need an agent in the proposal-writing stage. A good one will help you craft the proposal so that it appeals to publishers, negotiate a good advance for you, and review your book contract with your best interests in mind. It seems like sheer folly to even think of producing an entire manuscript without the advice of an agent or a contract from a publisher.
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I believe that the number one small business marekting mistake is not knowing who you're marketing to. Small businesses are notorious for wasting money on traditional advertising and promotions in a futile effort to reach out to the mass market when in fact their actual customer base is more fragmented and niche-oriented.
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You have some good ideas here, but your guide is so text heavy that it's very difficult to read. If you could re-format it in Work.com style and provide some additional links, you'd get more readers and a higher rating.
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This looks like a multi-level marketing scheme to me!
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This looks like a multi-level marketing scheme to me!
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How about offering some tips and links about customer service?
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Nice guide, Laurie. I especially like the idea of marketing workshops to niche markets -- seems like a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition.
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Anita, I can't claim that Elfa is inexpensive -- it isn't. But the quality and design make it worth the price. Scott, I wish I could follow your example,but paranoia drives me to print out my notes every day!
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Yes, Anita, I've had similar experiences. Businesses that issue pre-paid cards make a ton of money on the tiny amounts that are left on the card because consumers either forget how much is left, or are too embarrassed to use little amounts. Now, companies are even giving out the cards instead of rebate checks. Frankly, I hate them. I think the only way to use them is buy something that uses up the entire card at one shot and then pitch it.
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You have a lot of useful info in this guide, but I think it's important to point out that this huge generation includes people who are still in ther mid-fourties. They're extrememly brand loyal, crave innovative products, and would rather commit hari-kari than join AARP! So any kind of marketing that looks like it's targeting seniors (ie with larger type) is going to fall flat with younger boomers. Businesses have to be careful not to lump this generation into one homogeneous marketing bucket.
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I found your chart link helpful; thank you!
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Your guide contains some useful information, but it is hard to read because it is so text-heavy. Can you re-write it in the Work.com format and include some links? Thanks.
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I don't see any "how-to" advice on your guide and the one link you offer doesn't work.
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Lots of good tips here, Justin -- thank you! I think "human touch" is critically important for any web-based business. At any point in the transaction, the customer ought to be able to pick up the phone and reach a sales rep quickly. Unfortunately, many websites take just the opposite approach and alienate customers permanently because of it.
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What the heck is this guide about???
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You're right that spelling and grammar are important when writing for the web (or anywhere else). But there are many, many writing and grammar software programs on the market. We readers would be better served if you'd tell us what to look for in choosing software and provide us with a variety of links. Also, are there some good, free, web-based programs?
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There is some good information in this guide but it would be so much more helpful if you could put it into the Work.com format and include tips and links. Thanks!
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Very helpful guide, Betty --- thanks for including so many great resources and links!
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How about some specific action steps and some links?
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How about some specific tips on how to use new media in your business? Some links would be nice, too.
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I'll second Melissa's comment, Deborah. I typically create my invoices very informally in a Word doc but I sometimes think they get lost in the shuffle that way. So thanks for giving me my first New Year's resolution -- more professional-looking invoices!
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Thank you, Marianne! I'm sure the health care industry would save a bundle by embracing new technology. Maybe we could use some of that to help out the 40 million+ Americans who still don't have health insurance!
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Mike, for the benefit of our readers, could you please tell us what information is inaccurate? Also, I see you are an expert in this area -- how about writing a guide?
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I almost bought a couple of pre-paid cards as Christmas gifts, until I read the fine print and discovered there was a $10 activation fee! That seemed outrageous to me. Do you know if all pre-paid cards carry such high fees and if not, what's the best way to shop around. Thanks!
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Judy, it's my impression that most credit card companies offer these same services. What makes Chase stand out?
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Dan, there are some fabulous ideas here. I'm definitely going to look into this when marketing my new book -- thanks!
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Thanks, Kay! This is a good, comprehensive guide to a potentially complex tax issue.
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Kathy,
Rather than just offering a link, can you pull out some of the points you make in your podcast and a write a guide for us? Thank you!
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Scott, I never would have thought to used LinkedIn this way, but it's a great idea; thanks!
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Wow, Melissa, $25 is really generous; I would probably be happy with a packet of seeds!
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I like the idea of thank you notes as well. In fact, I know of a terrific retailer who regularly sends notes to his top 100 customers. And when the postage rate goes up, he'll include in those notes a few two cent stamps -- a thoughtful, low cost gift that surprises and delights his customers.
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Norma, there are some good ideas in your guide, but it would be great if you would put everything into the Work.com format and also include some links to illustrate and back up the poinst you make. Also, I think it's worth noting that it's virtually impossible to offer great customer service unless you've got great employees. So one of the key elements of service is training your employees how to deliver it expertly.
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I find that it's also a good idea to check out what's being said about a company in the Blogosphere!
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Jennifer, these are all good points. And I do believe that many of us absolutely need to know how to say no. But saying no just because the money's not there isn't always the smart choice. Some publications give you amazing visibility or prestige, but pay very little. You take those projects because you want to build relationships, or have your name associated with a particular brand. So you sacrifice a little money up front in order to reap bigger benefits down the line. It's a delicate dance!
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Deborah, I have my laptop connected to a 21 inch ViewSonic LCD monitor that I bought at Costco for around $300. The resolution is fabulous and the type is readable even for my aging eyes!
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Deborah and Scott, I will "third" your comments about AVG. I've found it to be absolutely reliable; both my computer consultant and the tech support people at Dell recommended it.
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Great job, Paul! I like the specific advice followed by solid examples that really make the guide come to life.
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Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about!
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Thanks for this very useful guide, Jennifer. I think your advice is particularly useful for writers who are doing corporate work since that's the bread and butter that often allows us to take sexier but lower paying magazine work. Most writers won't be able to negotiate fees when it comes to writing for newsstand quality publications -- the word rate typically is what it is.
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Kylon, your link doesn't work. Maybe Santa doesn't want you to give away his secrets!
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Another great guide from you, Matt -- thanks!
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Brian, there are some good ideas in this guide but it would be much more useful if you put it into the Work.com format and included a variety of links. Can you offer some tips on how to identify good sales prospects?
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I believe this is called advertising!
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Very good guide, Frances; thanks!
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There are two issues here: bartering public relations services in exchange for whatever products or services a business has to offer; accepting free products or services in exhange for editorial articles that appear objective. The former is perfectly acceptable while the latter is absolutely taboo! Here's a direct quote from the New York Times guidelines for travel writers: "The Travel Section will not publish articles that grow out of trips paid for or in any way subsidized by an airline, hotel, tourist board or other organization with an interest, direct or indirect, in the subject of an article." Okay, it's the Times and not everyone has these standards, but I'd argue that anyone who has any ambition of being a serious, professional writer adopt these ethics from the get go.
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Thank you, Connie! I've been a journalist and author for more than twenty years and one of the most useful online resources I know of for freelance writers is
MediaBistro. A premium membership to the site will get you access to the "How to Pitch" section which contains great information on what particular publications look for from freelancers.
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This is a very useful guide with lots of great resources -- thanks, Marianne!
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Kanika --
This is a good basic guide for budding entrepreneurs. It would be even better if you included a few more links. Thanks!
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The comment applies to all of your guides: I think you are very confused about the purpose of Work.com!
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You have lots of great information in this guide, Stephanie. But it's very text-heavy and would be more helpful to readers if you followed the Work.com format and also added some relevant links. Thanks!
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Another great guide from you, Brian -- thanks! I get so frustrated trying to organize email threads in Outlook; I'm definitely going to give G-mail a try.
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Well, you certainly have some lovely products, but this is an advertisement, not a business guide!
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"While there is no substitute for experience in building a business, there is no reason that that experience needs to be yours." You've got to be kidding!
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Sometimes team building is best accomplished outside the office. Here's a great story by Alison Stein Wellner in
Inc. Magazine about how one company approached the task.
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Lot of great information here, Richard -- thank you!
Would it be possible to also include a few "how to" links?
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Brian, I really think your guide motivated many of us here at Work.com to start using Facebook in earnest, so thanks again. It's addictive, though!! On a technical note, does anyone find that Facebook's ads obscure your page? There doesn't seem to be a way to zap them off. Help?
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Nice guide, Adam. You make a lot of great suggestions and the big theme here is that if non-profits want to survive in this era of reduced government funding, they need to make better use of sophisticated online tools. In some ways, they have to behave a little more like for-profit companies!
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This is a good start, but it would be helpful if you included some links as well. Readers might want to try these links from
Inc.com.
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This isn't a guide, it's an advertisement!
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Shara, what an enormously useful list of resources. This will open up a whole new world for those of us who are just getting our feet wet in Web 2.0. Thanks so much!
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I've been working at home for twenty years and I've found the best home office design solutions at The Container Store. I'm particularly sold on their
Elfa line of shelving, which I just recently put up by myself in my office. It looks great and it was surprisingly easy to install.
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I ordered bar stools for my home from
Barstools.com. Excellent service, quality and price!
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Very thorough guide, Matt! Another really interesting list that's brand new this year is published by WorldBlu, an organization that studies and promotes workplace democracy. Take a look at their their new list of
Most Democratic Workplaces.
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Nice guide; thanks Matt! Another great training resource is Zingerman's in Ann Arbor.These folks run a highly successful food business, so they're in the trenches practicing what they preach every day. Check out their
Art of Giving Great Service seminar.
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I'll weigh in on that, Paul. Greg, correct me if I'm wrong but I do think that your actual number of active credit cards (and that means ones that you may not use but have not bothered to cancel) impacts your credit score. So if you sign up for a card to, say, get a dept. store discount, and then never plan on using the card again, you really do need to formally cancel it.
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I also like
Cyberrentals.com. It's more for vacation properties, but that means it's easier to find a short term rental.
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Michael, you have made some important points here and this is a good start. I think if you broke ithe guide down to make the points more succinct and added more links, it would be much better and receive a higher ranking!
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Helpful guide, Mary -- thanks! Is it really necessary to have home busienss insurance? I was under the impression that for the majoirty of people who work from home, a good homeowners policy does the trick. Can you offer guidance on what kinds of home-base businesses really do need home business insurance? Thanks.
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Thanks, Selena -- this is a very good guide on an increasingly popular topic. Coaching is a particularly good idea for CEOs of smaller companies who are often isolated from colleagues and peers at their own professional level. A good coach can be invaluable.
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Excellent first guide for you, Gwen -- keep up the great work! I'd also recommend that anyone interested in ethics check out Jeff Seglin's blog and NYT column called
The Right Thing.
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Jody, I like your web site. Can you tell us how you choose the dealerships that you list as female friendly?
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Nice guide, Dan. I was actually given a set of stamps as a gift (with our kids pics on them), and that made me think that photo stamps might not only be a useful business marketing tool, but also a great gift to give to valued customers.
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Peter, can you offer any advice on how to determine if a business is fairly priced?
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Excellent guide, Brian! I just joined Facebook and plan to use it to start creating buzz for my new book as I'm writing it. I'm sure your tips will come in handy.
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This guide doesn't tell people how to lose weight and shape up; it merely encourages them to buy your products and services!
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Very imformative guide, LaRita. This kind of software can really help small business owners be current and consistent when it comes to evaluating employees. Not to mention that it helps them keep valuable documentation that may needed when it's time to promote -- or even terminate -- an employee!
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Excellent guide; thank you, Brian! I think it's fascinating to watch how established businesses are using YouTube to reach customers. One of the most interesting "corporate" videos I've seen is former JetBlue CEO
David Neeleman apoligizing for leaving passengers stranded on the JFK airport runway last spring. It didn't save his job, unfortunately, but his approach in this video is a model for business owners who may find themselves needing to publicly fess up to their own errors.
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Ned, can you recommend a good Outlook add on software solution that would allow me to send group emails individually? Thanks!
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Paul, I agree that breathing exercises are great. One of my favorites is called
Alternate Nostril Breath and people generally don't know about it unless they practice yoga. It's very effective!
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Great guide, Matt -- thanks! Over the past several years, the number of endowed chairs in entrepreneurship has increased 6-fold in U.S. colleges and universities. So while the prestigious schools you mention are still the ones that come first to mind, there are also some very, very innovative entrepreneurship programs at smaller universitties. Two of my favorites are at
Clark University in Worcheter, MA and
Belmont University in Nashville.
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Scott, you make some really valid points. I personally think the if you're going to do drug screening, then you should apply the policy to everyone at the company. Also, you need to make it very clear to employees what the consequences are if they test positive and you must be consistence when enforcing the policy.
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I agree with all the previous comments and would also like to point out that every link is to your company's site. Another great source of high quality, well-designed products for the office is
The Container Store.
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Thanks William! It sounds this is worth checking out not only for people who need loans but for those who want to earn some cash as lenders.
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I agree with Akwasi -- the Ten Commandments are a very helpful part of your guide!
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Do you know what percentage of claims actually results in a settlement and how long the process typically takes? What are the most common types of claims?
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William, this is a really fascinating guide -- I had no idea this industry existed and you've provided a very nice primer. I'm just curious who the lenders are on sites such as Prosper. Individuals? Institutions? How is this sub-sector of the the lending industry regulated, or isn't it?
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Thanks for the great guide, Dan! I've always been partial to
BigCharts.com, which I find very easy to navigate.
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Great info, Steve, thanks! Is it possible/recommended to create a decent click to play video using a web cam?
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Deborah, I'm fascinated by Second Life and singed up when I first read your guide. But I quickly discovered that mananging my Avatar's life was almost as confusing and time consuming as managing my own! Alas, I abandonned her. Then I read an artilce this month in
Wired Magazine that suggests that Second Life is really not the Marketing Mecca that many big companies thought it would be. Just wondering if you read the story and what you think!
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I'm a huge fan of
TripAdvisor.com. While it's not a business travel site per se, I find the user reviews of hotels and restaurants to be extraordinarily useful for both business and personal travel.
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Frank, you make a good point about the hiring challenges that companies face as more and more Baby Boomers retire. I think that another mistake companies make is assuming that the new generation of workers -- those in Generation Y -- can be hired, trained, and motivated in the same way as their older counterparts. They can't! Here's a good article from
Fortune on hiring Generation Y.
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MSN Messenger is now Windows Live Messenger. Anyone used/have comments upon this new version?
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Braydon, you have not taught us how to choose a web designer -- you have have taught us how to choose you! How about some more specific guidelines and more useful links?
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Abe, I appreciate your expertise and the content of your links. All I'm suggesting is that readers generally like to be offered a variety of resources.
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Hmm. I didn't see anything about beating customers up in the guide I recommended. Just trying to be helpful in the spirit of Work.com!
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Abe, you're an expert on this subject so I think it would very helpful to readers if you could beef up your guide with more specific action steps and a broader variety of resouces. For instance, I found this
Guide to Small Business Sales on Credit to be particularly helpful.
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Ben, this is a very thorough, well-researched guide; thanks so much for writing it!
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Thanks for this helpful guide, Carol! Any tips for coping with pre-presentation jitters?
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Thanks, Jeff! The other important thing to note about Mophie is that the company makes commodity products (iPod accessories) in a highly crowded marketplace. Ben's open innovation startegy differentiates the company from the pack and gives him brand identity and consumer loyalty!
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Dan, I wholeheartedly agree that great management is the key to a successful internship program. I'd particularly caution companies against hiring interns simply to do grunt work. Young workers, whether or not they're being paid, want to feel that they're making a significant contritution and that they're learning something that will help advance their careers. Give them that and you'll earn their loyalty.
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Great guide, Dan; thank you! I have to disagree with one of your points, however. In the 20+ years I've been profiling successful enterpreneurs, I can't tell you how many I've come across who had nowhere near $50,000 and managed to build multi-million dollar companies. They would tell you that bootstrapping helped keep them focused, made them frugal, and taught them how to make tough decisions. So I'm a big fan of lean start-ups!
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One of our own Work.com experts, Elaine Appleton Grant, writes a wonderful column, Business for Sale, for
Inc. Magazine. Lots of good info in these archives for people looking to buy a business.
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Jeff, I love this subject and you've done a really nice job with the guide. I just wrote a short profile of a young entrepreneur named
Ben Kaufman who is building his company, Mophie, around the concept of Open Innovation. Thought folks would like to see a real world example of how this fascinating process can work.
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Helpful guide; thanks Jenni! When my desktop crashed recently, I started using my laptop as my primary computer along with a 21" monitor. Wonder how many others are doing the same and if the cheaper laptops can accomodate all the programs that are needed for day to day computing.
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Yes, Paul, I agree with you!
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Very thorough guide, Caroline -- thanks!
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Greg, why do you think small business owners hestitate to do their banking online? I've always assumed it was the security issue. If that's the case, are banks addressing it? What questions should business owners ask to make sure they are being protected by the highest levels of security?
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This is an interesting guide topic and it sounds like you're an expert on this subject. So it would be wonderful if you would give readers more information on the use of audio on websites and not merely promote your own company. Thanks!
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I just discovered a company called Green Print that sells software that eliminates unwanted pages (such as when you're printing something off the web), thus saving paper as well as ink. You can download a free trial
here.
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Great guide, Elaine! So many entrepreneurs trip up during a big growth spurt in their businesses because they've been so seduced by the prospect of revenue gain that they neglect to ramp up the systems they'll need to handle extra volume. Lot of terrific advice here!
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Frank, you have lots of great information in this guide but I'm a little confused about what you're trying to get across. Is this a guide about bringing on great talent, or is it a guide about recruiting in China? Both are guide-worthy subjects, but I feel that readers would be better-served if you wrote two separate guides!
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Thanks for this helpful guide, Ryan! Would you also recommend backing up data on lin and if so, are there compnaies that you particularly like?
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Let's not forget that sometimes the crisis is actually brought on by the CEO. Case in point: John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, was caught posting annonymous comments about the stock price of his own company and trashing Wild Oats (which Whole Foods is trying to buy). You can read about it
here. Mackey's being very defensive about the issue, which I happen to think is exactly the wrong way to manage this type of crisis. How about just admitting you were wrong?!
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Erica -- This is an excelllent strategic planning primer with tons of great information and useful links (although you need to fix your SWOT tool link!). Thanks so much for writing it.
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I've been to the southern coast of Turkey and it is indeed heavenly. But given the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the cournty, is it really such a great place for Brits and Americans to invest in property?
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Good guide, Deniise. I do think that the difference between hard-core telesales people and those who perform more of a customer service function is key. Clearly, they are different animal and motivated by different incentives. Now more than ever, as we see the labor market tightening, it's important for employers to know exactly what motivates their staff and to put incentive plans in place accordingly.
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Thank you Lindsey! There's lots of useful information in your guide and I REALLY appreciate that you've used this space to inform readers and not merely market your company -- that's what we like to see!
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Helpful guide, Dan! Here's another good story on the subject from
Money/CNN. There always seems to be lots of moaning and groaning among certain sectors in Congress about the potentially negative effect of a wage increase on small business. But as Susan points out, the evidence from the trenches tells a different story. The majority of businesses say the wage increase has no negative impact. At any rate, I think it's virtually criminal that a wage hike took so long!
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I always think that it's a good idea to check out any home based business opportunity with the
The Federal Trade Commission. There's a lot of fraud out there and it pays to be diligent. Also, check out
Paul and Sarah Edwards, who offer great advice to home based business people.
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This is ad, not a guide, and not a very good ad at that!
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Adult education is a wonderful thing and I would certainly not dissuade anyone from pursuing a degree through an online university or a local college or university. But the fact is that I know plenty of entrepreneurs who don't have college degrees and it hasn't hurt them one bit. In the U.S, clients don't typically care about academic pedigree -- they just want someone who can get the job done.
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Sorry, but I disagree with your advice about looking for business partners online. Trolling around for a partner on the Internet seems imprudent. If you're serious about starting a business that you think will be substantial and complex enough to require a partner, then you've probably been in touch with laywers, bankers, other entrepreneurs, etc. These people -- the ones alreadly in your network and those who you already know and trust -- are your best advisors when it comes to finding a partner.
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Great guide, Dawn! I want to look into both Paper Tiger and Neat Receipts.Just wondering if youve used either of these tools personally and if you've found them to be helpful.
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Great guide, Scott! I particularly agree with two of your suggetions: Making sure that you are fully present when you're talkng to people at an event (it's so obvious and irritating when someone is scanning the room while talking to you!); and writing notes on the back of business cards. I do this all the time and find it to be very effective.
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Yes, i'm equally confused. Your links have nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of delegation.
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Eugene,
This is an ad for your business! How about adding a few more links to the guide?
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Thank you for this helpful guide, Scott. As a mother of teenagers, I'd like to encourage every retailer to regard this not only as a business issue, but a matter of social reposnsiblity. I found
this link to be a good, common sense guide for everyone who sells alcohol.
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Thanks, Cherie. I'll add one more source. The
Federal Trade Commission is a great place to check out companies that you're considering doing business with, particularly in the multi-level marketing industry where consumer complaints and lawsuits seem to be not terribly uncommon.
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None of your links work!
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You're clearly on expert on this subject, Skip, but some links to resources other than your company would also be really useful. Thanks!
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Thank you, Ilene! There's a lot of good info in your guide, but you need to acknowledge your connection with Launch Pad.
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Could you please provide a few more software options to our readers? Thanks!
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Tad -- Your links don't work. Also, at Work.com, we really apprecaite it when guides include resources from a variety of different sources. Thanks!
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Very nice guide, Carmina -- thanks for all the great resources. I especially like your advice on mentoring. Most successful entrepreneurs love the opportunity to help others who are just starting out -- all you need to do is ask. BTW,
Ladies Who Launch is another valuable resource for women entrepreneurs.
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Nice guide! I especially like your point about preparing employees. If you have more than a few people on your staff, it's also a good idea to appoint one or two people in each department to manage the disaster response.
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Great guide with lots of good resources, Frances -- thanks! I am a fan of Constant Contact as well, Anita. I pay the $15 a month and it's well worth it, given all the information (including who opens your emails, what links they click on, etc.) that comes with the subscription.
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Great guide, Dan. I rely on an independent IT professional in my town and don't know what I'd do without him. I'd add only that it's best to know who you're going to call BEFORE you have a problem!
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I can highly recommend
AssistU to anyone seeking a virtual assistant. I know the CEO and she is a pioneer in this industry.
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Brad--
Ths isn't a guide, it's an advertisement!!
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Great guide, Dan, and loaded with wonderful resources. Here one more:
Extreme Enterpreneurship Tour offers tools and programs for budding entrpeneurs. The young man who founded it, Michael Simmons, is a NFTE grad!
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This is an interesting topic, Frank. I've always thought of mirroring as more subconscious than deliberate. For instance, I often find myself inadvertantly mirroring when I'm talking to someone I just met at a conference. Maybe it is just part of our deep-rooted desire to connect with others!
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Anita, what a great idea this is; I'm going to check it out right away!
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Lots of good info here, LaRita. I've heard some amazing stories from CEOs who turn cusotmers who might have become thier biggest public realations nightmare into raving fans and customers for life. Yes, it invovles active listening, but it also means responding in a way that may seem over the top and costly at the time, but will ultimately pay off.
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I think that one of the reasons why small business owners don't stress fitness is that they're afraid that a fitness initiative will cost too much. But there are plenty of low cost things they can do: one on one meetings while taking a walk, for instance, or software installed on employees' computers that reminds them to stretch or guides them through some in-office exercises.
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Rich, you have written three guides, all with the exact same links to your own company!
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Dan, I had never heard of XBRL, so thanks very much for this enlightening guide. Do you know if many people in the small business community are using it and what the very specific benefits might be for entrpreneurs?
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Sara, thank you for adding these other links, and for telling us about Zillow. All of my properties are listed and I would say that the information is about 85% accurate -- not bad! Love the comparables feature as well.
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I agree with you Susan. Rich, this would be a far more credible guide if you included other social netoworking resources.
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Thanks for this helpful guide, TIm. You're right about there being a vast number of companies out there to choose from. I always like to rely on advice from other business owners when I'm choosing a vendor. I've used
CustomInk several times and have been very happy with both the quality of products and their customer service. BTW, the company was also on the
Inc. 500 list, so that also made me feel confident that I was dealing with a good company.
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Great guide, Matt! The only that I would add is that I believe women are far more brand loyal than men. I once heard a marketing expert say that women don't buy brands, they "join" them. So businesses seeking to attract women should think hard about creating brands that engender long-term brand loyalty.
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This is a good guide but I wish it also included a some general guidelines on how to choose the right CRM software, since there are so many vendors out there. . Here's a good article from
Computerworld, but perhaps you can suggest other resources as well.
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There is some useful intormation in this guide. Unfortunately, the only resources you site are from your own company. How about more objective information on outsourcing? Could you be more specific about how to manage temps and freelancers?
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This is an important topic, so it would be great if you listed a few more resources. Here's a good article from
Forbes.com that contains some useful links.
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Nice guide, Jenni! And Paul, I like your suggestion about giving your business a local flavor -- in the sea of sameness that is our retail environment these days, local connections can make a huge difference. Why not use beans from a local coffee company as well? I would also argure that it's not so much the coffee that sets Stabucks apart as the consistency of the customer experience. They've got their systems down, and that's extraordinarily important.
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It would be great if this guide included more resources. Here's a good general introduction to
employee leasing.
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Lots of helpful information here, Stephanie. I also like this link to a
POS Buyer's Guide since it has no vendor affiliation.
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Thanks, Greg, for this informative guide. The bottom on hard drives for me is to ALWAYS get more than you think you need!
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Melissa, I use Skype with a Logitech headset that I bought for about $50 at Staples. As I recall, it has a Skype logo on the package. Works great!
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I just discovered another great resource. Last month, I spoke at The Women's Congress in Boston, and the organizers have developed an online netwrorking tool that allows women who atteneded the conference, and others as well, to join an online networking community called
Women Connect. Check it out!
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There's a great article in
Inc. magazine this month about intellectual property and how to wring as much value as you possibly can from your IP assets.
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Good points, Scott! I'll add a corollary to your comments: If you're the work at home spouse and your husband/wife works outside the home, make sure they understand that just because you're home doesn't mean you're a full-time homemaker! Neighbors and teachers also need to understand that you're not available to socialize or volunteer during work hours.
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This is a very thorough guide, Kay. The point you make about depreciation is particularly important. I've worked at home for years, but my accountant has always advised against taking deprecition because of the complex tax issues down the road.
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Good advice, Frances! As a business journalist who is pitched multiple times every day, among the most important things I look for is a a good understanding of my interests (easy enough to discern with a simple Google search) and familiarity with the magazine I write for (Inc.). PR pitches are much more effective if you do your homework first.
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Great guide, Greg! This industry used to have quite a nasty reputation for bilking small business owners with high fees and fine print, as you mention. There are still disreputable players out there, so I think it would be wise for small business owners to demand other small business references before signing a contract.
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This is an interesting and important subject, so I'd like very much to see several more links and specific information on SMO!
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Greg, I recently stumbled upon a very cool company called
Fon, which bills itself as "the largest WiFi community in the world". You buy a special router called La Fonera, which allows to share your home broadband connection, but in exchange you get free worldwide WiFi access wherever there's another access point.. It's a relatively new company and the service is not yet widely available, but it's got some very heavy hitters behind it (including Google and Skype), so it's worth keeping an eye on. Wonder if you've heard of it.
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Thanks, Marianne. I'd never heard of using flash memory as a branding/marketing tool, but it's a terrific idea, particularly if the cost per unit continues to drop.
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Nice guide, Deborah! I like the idea of asking employees to contribute content because that allows you to spotlight the expertise of your staff to your customers. It also makes them feel that they know the people who work for you and I think that's becoming more and more important. We're all tired of doing business in a sea of sameness; spotlighting employees as knowledgeable experts can help a company differentiate itself in the marketplace.
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This is a great guide, Dan, thanks-- very thorough!
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Thanks, Dan. Is there any information on the typical amount of equity an angel investor will want for his/her investment? I hear from a lot of entrepreneurs who regret giving up to much. Are the any resources that give entreprenuers some guidelines on selling equity stakes to angel investors?
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Nice guide, Dan! Where do you stand on emoticons? Here's a link to a very funny column by my pal
Leigh Buchanan on the subject!
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Scott, i couldn't agree more. What you're saying about tailoring incentives to individual needs is especially relevant in today's workplace, where you often find three -four generations working side by side. Each age group has specific needs and if companies want to retain them during the coming labor shortage, they'll have to work extra hard to tailor their benefits accordingly.
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I agree with Paul. And Lisa, it would be great to see more links that are not to your own site!
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Rajesh --
Just wondering what you think of using personality tests as part of the hiring process. I have mixed feelings, but I know lots of CEOs who swear by them.
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Thanks for this useful guide, Jeff. Great advice on using draft mode to print docs that don't need to be perfect -- I do this all the time and it not only saves ink, it's also much faster. Also, remember to save your used cartridges -- they're worth $3 each at Staples.
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You make a good point, Susan. It made me think of another idea for corporate giving: why not make a donation in the company's name, choosing a charitable organization that might be particularly meaningful to the CEO and employees?
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Frances, I think you make a lot of great points here, but the most important one is that if CEOs really want to build ethical cultures, they must "lead by example." As businesses grow, so does the temptation to stray from the ethics and values that seemed so easy to espouse when the company was small. If you go to great lengths to establish youself as an ethical company, you need to make that part of your brand and behave accordingly every day --even when it may mean forfeiting short term financial gain!
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Shara, thanks for this terrific guide; I'm betting it moves to the top 20 in no time!
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William, this is interesteing news about ISO, but I wish your guide containted more details and far more resources and links. BTW, the correct address for The American Society for Quality is: http://www.asq.org.
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Great guide, Elaine! I just signed up for Joe's Goals so let's see if that helps me finish my book proposal. Clever of you to used LinkedIn -- it's a terrific resource.
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Hi Melissa --
Yes, I do use it. I signed up for the domestic service, but then bought "Skpye Credit" to use when I needed to call Japan. The call, which was about 20 minutes, cost me less than $2. I also use it when I am away from home with my laptop and don't want to waste my cell phone minutes. I did buy a decent quality headset to use with it and find the quality much better than the headset that's attached to my phone, now I also use Skype when I'm doing long phone inerviews. The bottom line: it's so cheap that you may as well buy it and play around with it!
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Huh?
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Thanks, Greg, for this helpful guide. Another option is
Skype, an internet service which gives you unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada for about $30 a year! You can also make international calls at very low rates.
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Writing an employee manual is one thing; getting employees to read it is quite another. Here's a great story from Inc.com on
Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, MI, which produces an employee manual so entertaining that it's tough to imagine employees NOT reading it.
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Nice guide, Frances! Another great resource for entrepreneurs seeking business plan help is local colleges and universities, many of which now have enterpreneurship programs. Check out
this story on some businesses that did exactly that. There's also a contrarian approach to consider. Some experts believe that unless you're on a money hunt, a hefty business plan can be a waste of time. See
Do Start-Ups Really Need Formal Business Plans.
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This is an important topic, so it would great if this guide contained lots of links to useful resources beyond your own company!
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Excellent guide, Greg! I especially like your point about using software, which may seem counterintuitive at first . Last year, I wrote a story for Inc. called
The Remote Control CEO, which focues on the CEO of Applegate Farms, Steve McDonnell. He uses Lotus Notes very creatively and incredibly effectively as a company wide communications tool.
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Scott, this is great advice. When I do public speaking, I often talk about branding and people frequently ask how to effectively brand a professional services company. Your points are right on target.
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Hey Scott, I clicked on your link and was suddenly reminded that I actually have paid for premium services -- I'm a paid user of Skype, which I love. So I stand corrected!
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The rolling bag is a must-have, of course, but I also can't live without my
Tumi backpack. It saves my shoulders, plus I also have a little nylon Tumi handbag that I tuck inside of the pack and that holds all the personal items I might need during the flight. It's a great system.
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Nice guide, Judy. Do you have any idea if there's any general information on the number of freemium users who are ultimately converted into paying customers? I love freemiums but I don't think I've ever gone back and opted to pay for premium versions of software. Maybe I'm just the skinflint exception to the rule!
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This is a very good first guide, Stephanie -- thanks! Downtime really is a great opportunity to take stock rather than slack off. The only thing I would add is that this is also the right time to evaluate your employees. Do you need to staff up before things get busy again? Should you part ways with some underperformers? Can you use the downtime to provide training that will beef up your skill base? Last of all, downtime is also a terrific time to look back on the previous few months and give yourself and your staff time to celebrate your successes.
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Philip,
This guide is not about using time effectively. It's mostly a plug for you company, although you make a couple of interesting points about Dreamweaver. Why not a write a guide specifically on using Dreamweaver, including several links to sources other than your company? I think readers would find that helpful!
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You make lots of great points in this guide, Greg. I've suffered from RSI in my shoulder and my wrist and found that the best investments i've made are: 1. a larger monitor (no more leaning forward to see the screen) 2. a
Logitech mouse with a trackball and 3. an
ErgoBead wrist support.. You need to remember that everyhing is connected (ie repetitiive wrist motion will ultimatley impact your shoulder, hence the trackball for me). But the best advice is frequent breaks!
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I think another great way to choose a mentor is to target people in your industry who you admire for their success, integrity, strategy, etc. Don't assume that these folks will be inaccessible to you because they're prominent. Many successful entrepreneurs remember how hard it is to grow a business and are surprisingly generous with their time and wisdom.
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Good guide, Constance. I think one of the most important points you make here is to revisit the plan every year (or even more often, if circumstances dictate). I can't tell you how many stratgeic plans I've seen gathering dust in their thick binders on CEO's bookshelves. Sure, the process alone is valuable, but to really get the most out of your plan, it's best to make a habit of pulling it out and dusting it off (literally and figuratively) on a regular basis.
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There's a lot of important information in this guide, but I'd like to see more focus on the positive elements of discipline, the first
definition of which is "training to act in accordance with rules." If you take the right approach to discipline, nine times out of ten, you'll be able to avoid the "punishment" aspect of it. Here's a good link that emphasizes the
positive elements of discipline.
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Good stuff here, Judy. Authors who are interested in self-publishing but who don't want to go it alone completely should also check out
Greenleaf Boook Group, a very cool publishing company in Austin that offers authors an a la carte menu of services, plus access to traditional distribution networks. Also take a look at
The Big Bad Book Blog which offers great advice for authors.
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Thanks, Jenni -- good ideas here. There's a cheaper way to approach this as well. Have your logo custom painted on a company-owned car and allow employees to take turns driving it around town. That's what my friend, Chris Zane at
Zane's Cycles did with a new VW Beetle a few years ago. Employees couldn't wait to drive it because it looked so cool, so he got tons of visibility in his local market.
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This is a very thorough guide, LaRita. However, most small business owners I know are not going to have the time to do this kind of research. They're going to call a couple of their buddies, ask who they use, and make a call based on personal recommendations, which is not altogether a bad thing. I do think, though, that your point about making sure they have insurance and the proper licenses is important.
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Susan, I agree with you 100%. The guide's primary focus is on preventing employees from making contact with poachers. But the bottom line is that no amount of call blocking or Web filtering is going to prevent this. And I think the idea of placing blind ads is particularly bad. Focus on retention and on becoming an employer of choice and forget the rest. Why would you want to put energy into keeping people who are clearly eager to leave you? You're better off asking yourself why they're so keen on finding another job.
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Ned, I love the idea of crowdcasting and the whole
"Wisdom of Crowds" concept. But I take issue with the implication that crowdcasting is something you do when your employees just don't cut the innovation mustard anymore. My feeling is that when your staff is no longer motivated and inspired to come up with new ideas, that's almost always a failure of management. So, yes, go to town with crowdcasting and by all means cast a wide net. But if you do this without also working on your own internal culture of innovation, you'll be neglecting your most precious resource -- the people on your payroll!
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Nice guide, Matt. I think one of the most important points you make is about isolation. Particularly in the start-up stage, it's essential for entrepreneurs to create their own virtual watercoolers. Not only do you need to get out have lunch with you pals, but you also need to network with other business owners either through the local chamber of commerce or an informal peer network. You'd be surprised how many others have experienced your problems, frustrations, and challenge -- and how readily they are willing to share workable solutions.
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Great guide, Linda! I am looking into StatCounter. GoDaddy, my hosting company, already provides Web Stats, so I'm wondering if StatCounter would give me more/better information. Any thoughts?
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Continuing education is critically important these days and many, many employers understand this. So your first stop should be your company's human resources department. Some employers will pay all or a pencentage of the cost of job-related courses. If you're job hunting, you might even justify accepting a lower salary at a company with a strong commitment to employee education. And if you're a CEO competing for high quality workers, you should consider offering continuting ed benefits as a recruitment tool.
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I've had terrific luck with buying promotional products from a company called
CustomInk. Great products, and the company has a strong customer service culture.
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Just wondering if anyone wants to weigh in on the premise of a very popular new book called
A Perfect Mess, the premise of which is that a moderately messy person is actually far more efficient than a highly organized one. If you saw my desk, you'd know why I love this book!
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For anyone interested in reading about Second Life and its founder Philip Rosedale, there's a great article in this month's Inc. Magazine. You can read it on line
here.
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Nice guide, Judy. Too often, skilled craftspeople think that all they need is a great product to turn their hobby into a viable business. What a mistake! You need to have every bit as much passion and commitment to the business side of your venture as you have for the creative side. If you don't, you're better off keeping your craft a hobby.
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Sometimes even when you do your best to prevent discrimination claims, you can still get hit with one. Here's a link from
Workplace Management that tells you how to respond to a claim.
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Nice guide on an important topic, Charles. You're right to point out that the Baby Boom generation is huge and diverse, with older seniors having very different needs than younger ones. Businesses should remember that the older folks are potentially terrific viral marketers. Serve them well and they'll chat you up with their pals; disappoint them and it's unlikely you'lll see them (or their friends) again. So it's important not only to hire seniors to deal with this demographic, but to train your younger employees to spend a little more time with them.
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Thanks for this informative guide, Elaine! Video is such a powerful medium -- nothing sets the tone for a corporate meeting, a speech, or a sales pitch like a well-produced video clip. That being said, an unprofessional video is worse than no video at all, so your advice to enlist the help of a pro is right on!
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Great guide, Greg! I just singed up for Linked-In and I'm loving it. Another feature: You can ask everyone in your contact group a specific question and it lands in their Linked-In mailbox -- good way to capitalize on the wisdom of crowds!
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Very helpful guide, Lou, for those of us always looking to "squeeze" a little more value out of our Web sites. Thanks!
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For certain types of businesses, I think that a pressence on MySpace is quite important. For instance, anyone marketing specifically to Generation Y should have a MySpace page. Also, I find that more and more young CEOs -- and there are lots of them -- market their companies on MySpace. It's just one element of their internet marketing strategy.
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Thanks, Betty. When we lived in Saudi Arabia, my husband I swore by the Jet Lag diet for those long trips back to the U.S. It really does work, but you need to follow it very faithfully!
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Thanks for this helpful guide, Lou. Is there an inexpensive and high quality way to turn phone interviews into podcasts for my website? I'm looking into using Skype, the internet phone service which lets you record calls then save them as MP3 files. Any other suggestions that don't involve spending hundreds of dollars on equipment?
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Great guide, Shara! You've got me itching to take the plunge. But I don't know what all of this is: IRC, MMORPGs, MUDs, MOOs, Compuserve, Usenet, and the Well. Can you provide some links?
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Great guide, Frances! It's absolutely critical that new employees spend a bit of time with the CEO when they're first hired, either individually or in a group orientation. Also, I know of one company that has a "birthday" party for every new hire, complete with a cake and presents (company mugs, t-shirts, etc).
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Kay, I'm awfully glad that someone out there is a "tax geek" -- very useful guide! Would you consider writing one on the various retirement plans that small business owners, particularly solists, can put in place not only to create nest eggs, but to shelter some income.
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This is a great guide, Greg; thanks so much for helping us make sense of Vista. I'm actually wondering if now is the time to switch to Apple!
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Deborah -- Thanks so much for dragging me out from underneath the rock!
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AMIBA is a wonderful organization and the number of alliances that it has helped start continues to grow. But the power of these groups extends far beyond their ability to buy collectively. Very often, they form a unted front to combat the encroachment of super stores, to revitalize downtowns, and to share best practices. Another group that helps companies start alliances is
BALLE, which stands for Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.
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I've been reading about a company in Rhode Island that really has mastered the art of fostering a culture of innovation. They're created a kind of internal stock market that allows every employee to "invest" in new ideas that are developed within the company. You can read about them
here.
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Here's a thought on harvesting new product ideas from customers: sometimes they're not capable of telling you exactly what they need, so you need to actually watch them use your product so that you can see how they're struggling. There's a great story about Scott Cook of Intuit. He sent his reps home with customers to watch them use Quicken; what they learned resulted in product innovations that catapulted the software to market domination!
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Dave, even though you do state that you are the founder of Objective Management Group, it would be nice if you included links to other resources besides your own company. This guide does contain some useful content, but it lacks objectivity.
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Good job on this guide, Tom. I would also recommend reading anything by Paul and Sarah Edwards, who have been home-based business gurus for years. Here's a link their column achive on
Entrepreneur.com.
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Dan, I'm eager to hear what you have to say about Jay's concern. But I'll jump in with my two cents as well. The merchant services industry has cleaned itself up in the past few years, but it's still filled with slick operators. They're notorious for sucking you in with low up front fees and then hitting you with hidden fees later on. And the reps for these companies often have no training at all. Don't do business with a company that won't give you at least five other merchant referances and don't get suckered into buying or leasing equipment from them; the better firms will give it to you for free.
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Helpful guide, Judy. This topic will only become more important as baby boomers who can't afford to retire remain in the workforce as they age. Another good resource is
Aging Workforce News.
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Thanks for this informative guide, Jennifer. Regarding frequency, I really think that consumer tolerance for frequent emails is all about content. I think we all grow weary of constant promtions and delete them from our mailboxes immediately. But if we know that we'll also find entertaining, useful content along with the pitch, we'll open them far more frequently. I love my
Dancing Deer Baking Co. newsletter for exactly that reason.
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Nice guide, Irwin. Hiring executives on a temporary basis is also a great way to test drive an important new member of your permanent team.
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I've found that female entrepreneurs are particularly negligent when it comes to paying themselves a fair salary. Many are paying key employees more than they make themselves or not paying themselves at all. While that practice may be justifiable in the short term, it must be corrected when the company starts growing. In fact, not taking a regular salary could trigger a visit from the tax man; see this article from
Business Week.
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I think your point about positioning yourself as a trusted resource is really important, Reid. As a journalist wtih more than 20 years of listening to pitches from consultants and pr people, I can tell you that the people who stay in my Rolodex are the ones who are willing to help out even when there's no immediate payoff for them or their clients. But it all comes back to them eventually, if not from me, then from someone I've passed on to them as a great resource. The world is round!
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Lynn, I really like this fun and informative guide! I just read a story in the NYT magazine about the Ginsu knife, certainly one of the most memorable brand names ever created. The name bore no relationship whatsoever to the product's origin (Ohio, not Japan!) or its purpose (Ginsu was a made-up word). So sometimes there's science involved in naming a product and sometimes you just get lucky.
BTW, I'm intrigued by The Literary Machine. Have you ever used the software?
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Great guide, Elaine! Your points about financial literacy are especially important; makes no sense to open the books unless your employees understand what the numbers mean. I also know of a number of CEOs who feel uncomfortable with complete financial disclosure and choose to share only the numbers that they feel are relevant to specific employees. This is a good first OBM step. Also key: giving employees specific goals for improving numbers that don't measure up and involving them in creating an action plan to achieve those goals.
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Thanks for this important guide, Greg. Continuous learning will become more and more important in the coming years as the war for talent heats up (retiring baby boomers will leave us with a serious labor shortage within the next decade). Increasingly, executive education is a retention tool for your middle and top managers. BTW, I know people who swear by Disney's training program. Another terrific company that offers its own training programs is
Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, MI.
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Entreprenurs who I speak to frequently cite Michael Geber's
E-Myth
books as being particularly helpful. Also, for incredibly smart advice on what's worth reading, check out
800 CEO Read, a great online store dedicated solely to selling business books. You'll also find helpful commentary and podcasts with authors.
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This is an important topic, but this guide is just an ad for your company, Martin, which makes it "virtually" useless!
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Nice guide, Jenni! I'd argue, though, that sometimes a customer's demands will exceed his or her value and then it's time to say a polite but firm good-bye. Check out what
Seth Godin has to say about firing customers.
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An increasingly popular exist strategy is selling your company to employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
The National Center for Employee Ownership is a great place to read up on ESOPs.
Also, family business owners struggling with succession issues may want to enlist outside help. For a comprehensive listing of family business consultants, go to
The Family Firm Institute.
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Your first employee shoud not only have the appropriate skills to work in your company but the right temperment to work with YOU. Before you place a help wanted ad, you should put the word out to the people who know you best -- your banker, your suppliers, your lawyer, your peers. Tell them exactly what you're looking for and ask for personal referrals. Essentially, your network pre-screens candidates for you and that's very efficient.
I've also spoken to several CEOs who have had decent luck finding employees at local job fairs. They'r a great way to meet potential hires in person in a no-pressure environment.
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It seems to me that whenever you're hiring a contractor for anything, you're most valuable and reliable source of information is other business owners. A great local reputation is worth far more membership in a national association!
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Another great way to grow a service business is to align yourself with other businesses that provide complementary services. If you have a window cleaning business, form an alliance with a carpet cleaner. If you're in PR, make sure you've got a great relationship with an ad agency. These alliances will allow you to accept jobs bigger than you can do by yourself and will also serve as great sources of referrals.
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Marcia --
I like your emphasis on gathering and using customer information to better understand your target market. In that vein, here's a simple tactic that one of the most successful retailers I know uses with great success: identify your top 100 customers and treat them like gold. Send them handwritten notes after they make a large purchase, make sure your salespeople know them by name, etc, They're your best source of additional revenue AND your best source of free pr!
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Nice guide, Melissa. I'm a serious gardener as well and found that I learned a tremendous amount when I volunteered at the New York Botanical Garden, working at the Children's Gardening Program every Saturday morning. It was great "continuing education", plus I was teaching inner city kids about gardening -- a win win! BTW, here's another great seed site:
Wildseed Farm. It's the largest working wildflower farm in the country.
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Greg --
Just wondering how you feel about international trade missions run by state economic development agencies. Do you think they are worth the time and effort?
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I'll be the contrarian here. As a general rule, I think hiring family and friends is a bad idea. It's very tough to separate business and personal relationships and I don't think you can ever avoid the perception among employees that there's special treatment involved. That being said, if you honestly think that Cousin Bob or your college roommate will be an incredible asset to your company, then it's critical to follow Frances' advce about qualifications: would you hire this person if he/she were not a friend or family member? I would also ask another important question: are you willing to risk your relationship with this person if the work arrangement doesn't pan out as you expected? Because, honestly, if you have to fire your pal, do you really think things are ever going to be the same?
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This is a very important topic!. Front line employees hold your company's reputation in the palms of their hands every single day. I can't stress enough the importance of training. For instance, at Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton, OH, the check out clerks know what makes one kind of olive oil more expensive than another. Educate your employees and they will educate your customers. Also, empower them to go above and beyond for your customers. I know one retailer who tells employees that they don't ever need to consult a manager to say "yes" to a customer request, but they do need management approval to say "no"!
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Thanks for this important guide, Diane. I'll just add one word of caution: once you've delegated a task, you need to work hard to resist the temptation to micro-manage the outcome. Part of successful delegating is allowing employees an appropriate level of autonomy, and accepting that people will make mistakes once in a while. That's called learning!
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I couldn't agree more about the importance of NOT hiring mini-me to be your second in command. The last thing you want is a COO who longs to be a CEO; these jobs require two entirely different skill sets. I'd also suggest sweetening the compensation pot with the promise of an equity stake (even a small one) if the realationship is still working well after, say, a year. Lastly, don't forget to take your employees into account when hiring a COO. They're probably accustomed to reporting to you and some may be miffed about an additional layer of management. Give them a voice in the hiring process and make sure your new COO is respectful of the new dynamic.
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Susan, you make a very good point. I do think that employee newsletters should be employee driven, but that they should also be used by CEOs to communicate important company information. The most successful ones are never, ever used as a marketing tool for customers and/or vendors and smart CEOs should make that very clear to employees.
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And a little Googling leaves you wondering if the writer spends too much time playing
video games!
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Thank you for this guide, Mary! Too often, self-employed people just assume they can't afford insurance and opt out entirely. Bad idea, folks! I was once uninsured for two days (between jobs), was in a car accident, and ended up in the hospital for a month. I tell this story a lot, particularly to young people who think it's not risky to play fast and loose with insurance coverage. Even if it only covers you for catastrophic events, BUY THE COVERAGE!
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Great ideas, Diane! I just want to point out, though, that many, many entrepreneurs neglect a very obvious source of additional revenue: existing customers. You've already nurtured the relationship and spent money on marketing, so why not tap into your currrent customers' unmet needs?
BTW, I didn't know about National Speakers Bureau (only NSA, which requires a fee), so thanks for the tip!
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Deborah, you are so right about the importance of ergonomics! I've been working at home for 20 years; here's what's on my "can't live without" list: a chair with adjustable arms and back (and height, of course), a tracker ball mouse (protects your shoulder), wrist pad and foot rest. Now if I could only remember to get up and stretch every 20 minutes!
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It's not clear to me how a business owner would use an outside firm to manage the employee assessment process. Surely, these companies are not actaully evaluating employees, are they? Could you clarify? Thanks!
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This is really important advice, Dan. So often, entrepreneurs devote themselves so thoroughly to generating more revenue that they neglect their systems. Perfect recipe for crash and burn! I'd just add the importance of keeping your HR systems in order -- employee reviews, handbooks, policies, etc.
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Great advice, Greg! I'd also encourage business owners to share at least some of that information with employees so that everyone knows the score.
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You may also want to consider using an email marketing company. I'm particularly fond of
Constant Contact which is easy to use and has a great customer service department.
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One of the best ways to motivate and reward great employees is to help them pursue their passions through further education or training. That can mean anything from subsidizing a college course to sending them to a trade show. You'll send them the message that you're not just rewarding them for a job well done, but investing in their future with your company.
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I've never been a big fan of multi-level marketing companies -- too many horror stories out there! That being said, if folks are interested in this industry, I highly recommend that they read this
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Alert. It's also not a bad idea to go to the
FTC's home page and do a general search on the company.
BTW, Greg, you've chosen some interesting companies to highlight, including PS Parties. C'mon, you're just messin' with us, right?
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IMHO, this is an excellent guide. I'll use Acronym Finder not only to crack the code on business lingo, but to decipher my kids' IMs!
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It pays for entrepreneurs to remember this most basic (and infuriating!) rule of lending: banks are most willing to lend you money when you don't really need it. So BEFORE you need the big loan to expand, go get yourself a nice line of credit and pay it down dliigently every month. That way, when you go in for the big ask, you'll have a solid reputation with your banker and a terrific credit rating.
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Hi Constance --
My sense is that there's increasing interest among business owners in "life" coaches who not only focus on business goals, but who also help entrepreneurs create work/life balance plans. Wondering if you've also noticed this trend. I did a story for Inc. a couple of years ago on the subjet.and am including a link here to
The Well Balanced Life: Life Plan Worksheet for anyone who may be interested.
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This is a very important guide. I can't tell you how many CEOs of relatively large privately-held companies I've spoken to who don't have a decent board. Jake, I'm wondering if there are other types of people (besides close friends and relatives) who should NOT be on your board. Your lawyer, for example? What about a supplier or a customer? A CEO in your industry but outside of your target market?
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.My own favorite is
Dancing Deer Baking Co. which has a great corporate gift department. And if you give a gift from the company's "Sweet Home" line, then 35% of the purchase price goes to a non-profit that is dedicated to ending homelessness -- great way not only to say thanks to your cusotmers but to brand your own company as generous and philanthropic! Full dislosure: I have a chapter on Dancing Deer in my book. It's a great company and the cookies and cakes are to die for!
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I remember those distractions! Now, if my son (6'1", 160 lbs) jumped off my shoulders, I'd be in the ER. These days, my kid-related distractions involve scheduling college visits and rifling through my Rolodex for great connections that I can leverage on my daughter's behalf (you see, the whole on demand thing doesn't ever end!). What I understand now is that even when your family is not physically present, you never stop being a parent -- they will always take up head space and that's joyful and frustrating at the same time. If anyone out there has great techniques for cranial compartmentalization, bring 'em on!
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Chris -- This is a very comprehensive guide; thank you! Expanding into a new market can be wildly exciting for an entrepreneur, but it's also potentially risky. I think one of the most important things a business owner needs to consider is the human cost of expansion: are the right people in place; who can I promote internally to take on new responsibilities; who will be threatened; do I need to hire more people and where will I find them? If the right people aren't "on the bus", as Jim Collins would say, you're asking for trouble!
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Thank you, Russell, for starting this conversation! I've been a work-at-home parent for 17 (gulp!) years and struggle with the juggle on a daily basis. Sometimes I think that's harder than being at an office because I'm so often physically present but unavailable. Here are a few things I've learned: 1. The world will not come to an end if the boy band starts playing in the basement while I'm doing a phone interview 2. If I can't leave my desk at 4:30 to watch a soccer game during the week, there is something wrong with how I'm scheduling my time 3. It's never a good idea to ignore a dog with a squeaky toy.
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Frances --
I certainly wish I had known about
Open Office before I spent $300+ on PowerPoint! BTW, when I recently had trouble downloading the McAftee program I had paid for, I downloaded the free
AVG anti-virus software as a stop-gap measure. But according to my IT consultant, AVG is the way to go. I'm going to be a cheap skate from now on!
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Great guide, Frances! Regarding certification, one of the largest and most respected organizations that certifies women owned businesses is the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (www.wbenc.org). I believe their certification is recognized by over 700 major companies.
Also, in terms of networking/peer groups, one of my favorites has always been the Women Presidents' Organization (www.womenpresidentsorg.com). President Marsha Firestone sends out a great newsletter every month, and hosts a very high-powered conference every year.
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Russell, you are absolutely right. There is nothing more damaging to employee morale than a deadbeat colleague who the CEO can't bring him/herself to get rid of. A couple of months ago, I interviewed an Inc. 500 CEO and asked him what the most distinctive thing about his business was. Here's what he said: "We are very quick to fire. I think a lot of people try to rehabilitate. But I learned from the dating world that you’re not doing anyone a favor by trying to put something on life support that isn’t really working." Harsh, but oh so true!
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This is a great guide, Jake! At the risk of exposing myself as a techno-newby, I have just one question. If readers want to post a comment and include a hyperlink in the text, is there a way to do that?
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This is a wonderfully thorough guide! But I'm not a bit surprised since Elaine is an authority on this subject -- she writes the "Business for Sale" for Inc. magazine. You can check out her column every month at Inc.com for a detailed look at how other businesses are valued.
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Hi Wandy ,
How right you are with the marriage analogy! Employees are your front line and can make or break your company. Regarding change: it's most threatening when people don't see it coming. So the trick is to maintain a running dialogue, keeping people up to speed on what's happening in the business on a day to day basis. I know one CEO who uses Lotus Notes brilliantly to do just that. People log on every day to check in on what projects are in the works, priorities for the day, trouble spots, etc. What makes it work is that the communiciation is not in the form of "memos from the boss", it's a true dialogue. So when change happens, it's very often driven by the employees themselves!
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Nice guide! Chew on this: Millennials (sometimes called "Gen Y") now make up 1/3 of the total U.S. population -- there are 75 million of them! They are the children of baby boomers and they are going to have a tremendous impact on the workplace, which will also be filled with baby boomers since so many of them have every intention of leaving the workplace feet first! So here's a thought: why not pair the generations together through one-on-one workplace mentoring programs? The learning goes both ways, and it creates a bond between people who might not otherwise connect.
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I use Network Solutions and had no idea! It's nearly renewal time and I had planned to change hosts anyway because they lost my Web Stats. So thanks for the heads up!
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Just a note for everyone who may be wondering why the very popular peer group organization, TEC (The Executive Committee), isn't listed here. It is! TEC recently changed its name to Vistage International.
BTW, there's another appraoch to peer groups that you may want to consider. I know of several groups that are comprised of business owners in the same industry but in different (non-competing) geographical areas. These groups are terrific because the CEOs already understand one another's businesses, can share detailed financial information without fear, and talk about best practices in ways that are instantly relevant to all. Business owners take turns hosting the meetings, and are in contact with one another on an as-needed basis via email.
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The most successful family businesses I know require members of the succeeding generation to work elsewhere before taking their place in the family business. When kids earn their chops on unfamiliar territory, they gain confidence from knowing that they can succeed independently, they bring new ideas back to the family business, and they gain the respect of employees who may otherwise be resentful of junior's entitlement to a job.
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Glad to see the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) in this guide since it is really an amazing program. I did a story on MEP for INC. a few years ago and spoke to many, many CEOs of small manufacturing companies who benefited greatly from MEP's collective wisdom. I'd encourage anyone to take advantage of the fabulous resource.
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This is an extraordinarily useful guide! I didn't realize what a neophyte I was until I started clicking. I already signed up for free web site analytics.
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This guide is jam-packed with great links -- nice job! There's only thing I would add. As your company grows and you sign on more far-flug telecommuters, make sure that you schedule time for everyone to meet in person once a year at the very least. There's no substitute for face time!
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These are all great ideas! Here's another thought: sometimes, the best reward for a great employee is more traning or education. Sending an employee to a trade show, a training course, or even paying for a college level class will send the message that you're not just rewarding for past perfromance, but that you're investing in the employee's future with the company.
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One of the best books I've read on starting a business is The Start Up Garden: How Growing a Business Grows You, by Tom Ehrenfeld. You can read the book's intro and first chapter here: http://www.startupgarden.com/introduction.html
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The Kauffman Foundation (http://www.kauffman.org/entrepreneurship.cfm) is a terrific source of information on entrepreneurship. Specifically, check out their FastTrac program (http://www.fasttrac.org/programs.cfm) as well as their new "eventuring" site: www.eventuring.org. And if you've got a budding entrepreneur in your family, send her/him to Hot Shot Business (http://www.disney.go.com/hotshot/hsb.html), an internet simluation game for kids (fun for adults, too!)
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You must, must, must have a written document that outlines the purpose, the expectation, and the duration of the strategic alliance. You don't need to rack up huge legal fees with formal contracts, but consider drafting a memorandum of understanding (MOU), I did a short story for Inc. many years ago that I still think is relevant and useful: http://www.inc.com/magazine/19980401/915.html.
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Align your charitable giving with your business. For instance, if you're retailer that sells women's clothing, think about forging a meaningful partnership with a non-profit that helps low income women dress professionally for job interviews. If you run a food distribution company, connect with your local food bank. Avoid the temptation to give small amounts of money to multiple organizations. A big donation will make a big impact on a non-profit and will also help brand your company as one that takes philanthropy seriously!
Comments Posted by Donna Fenn
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