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Most small businesses have a Web site of some kind and many are relying more and more on the Internet to help their marketing and sales efforts and contribute to profits. But wanting a Web site that works hard for the business and actually getting one that does so are two different things. There are

When you are speaking before a group be it a presentation for five minutes or you are speaking for the whole program these rules apply. It is always amazing to me how many of these rules are not followed and then people wonder why they are not more effective with their presentation Speaking Do’s Be

E-commerce sales by small businesses are increasing rapidly and could double, triple or more during the next five years. Web sites are no longer a novelty; they are a necessity for small firms, solo operators and home businesses of almost any type. Meanwhile, customers have become vastly more Internet savvy than they were just a

It’s tough to be a real estate agent or broker in today’s market. There are too many agents chasing too few buyers. Buyers are reluctant to spend. Credit is tight. And the economy is in a recession. The problem with the real estate market is that there have always been too many agents trying to

It can be frustrating for a small business trying to land its first sale to a public institution, government agency or major corporation. One of the most helpful steps—meeting personally with the right person—is often the most difficult to take. But a fast-growing program from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering hope to

When customers can easily comparison shop online with a few mouse clicks, the notion of loyalty seems almost old fashioned. Your best customers are someone else’s most sought-after prospects. Big companies have adopted a fancy term for addressing the problem, called “customer retention management” or CRM. Massive amounts of time and energy are devoted to

If you are involved in a small business that is also a family business, you’ve probably heard warnings about the pitfalls of working with relatives. Operating a business with a spouse, parents, siblings, children or other family members presents many potential pitfalls over and above the usual problems business owners face. To help ensure survival

For a small business, taking the first steps into advertising can be an intimidating and mysterious process. Even though we see advertising everywhere, creating and using ads ourselves can seem alien and expensive. Understanding how the medium works and what it can and cannot do for a small business is tougher than it seems. And