First Step Marketing

Make sure the results are believable

If employees have seen the results collected, know how they are compiled and have evidence that it was their customers who gave the information, they are more likely to act on it. If the information comes down from management, represents random sampling and anonymity, employees tend to discount it. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a quick list of pointers to help you create a top-notch performance-measurement feedback system.

Begin with your service strategy

If it’s well designed, you will find a number of measurable premises in it. A company with a ‘zero-defect forty-eight hour turnaround on all orders’ has a strategy that is eminently measurable. Read the rest of this entry »

Warning! A business, which might seem an easy way to earn a living, is unlikely to turn out that way. It only looks easy because you do not know enough about it. Read the rest of this entry »

The industries listed below are all within the scope of small business and have a good chance of exhibiting rapid growth over the next decade. The actual magnitude of this growth will depend on industry-specific factors, as well as the general economic climate. In a rapidly growing industry, competitive forces are less severe and it is easier for a small business to make good profits and expand. New opportunities will arise in these industries and they are fertile hunting grounds for business ideas. Read the rest of this entry »

You often hear that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When it comes to running your own business, obviously both are important, but with all the tasks you have on your plate, you may find that getting together with other entrepreneurs—who are probably as consumed by their businesses as you are—is something that doesn’t take priority in the course of your busy day. Read the rest of this entry »

In the course of running your business, you will have to deal with not one but two budgets: one for your business and one for yourself.

A business budget is also referred to as an operating budget, and it differs from the budget you developed for your start-up costs for several reasons: After operating your business for even a short time, you will have a much better idea of where the money goes, as well as what comes in. You’ll also have some sense of when the money tends to arrive in your bank account, so you’ll also know when you can expect to be able to pay your own bills. Read the rest of this entry »

If you can’t find exactly the kind of employee you want, you may decide to farm the work out on a contract basis, either to a business or an individual who freelances or moonlights for extra income.

The advantage of using independent contractors is that when times are tight employment-wise, you don’t need to look far for help. The biggest plus, however, is that the two of you agree on a fee for the project, the contractor performs the work, you pay her, and that is the end of your commitment, unless you provide her with more work. Read the rest of this entry »

The art of management once prescribed that a boss or manager should rule with an iron grip. Both employer and employee knew who was in charge. And the employee went along with these terms. But more often than not, the sly employee managed to get away with things whenever he could, did only what was expected of him, and never did anything more. Read the rest of this entry »

Two important questions to ask yourself after you’ve completed the interrogation: First, what do you like about the way they run their business? Second, what is one thing you noticed about their business that you would never use in your own? Remember, if you’re entering an area where your business will be facing competition, as long as you can focus your business in a way where you’re doing something that your competitors are not, you have an excellent chance to make your business stand out despite the competition. Read the rest of this entry »

1. What are some favorite things you like to do in your spare time?
2. Name a time when you’ve seen another person making a living by working with one of your favorite hobbies. Could you adapt it in a similar fashion? Read the rest of this entry »