
Browsing Articles
You are browsing the articles archive for Start-ups.
Dealing with Customer Complaints – The ‘Act Now’ Policy
A business coach, when explaining to a group of entrepreneurs how to deal with a dissatisfied customer, asked how serious is the following customer complaint? (Add complaint here_________________.) Answers ranged from an easy fix to unrecoverable. The coach replied the actual seriousness can be immaterial; it depends on how long you wait to deal with [...]

Does Your Start-up Need an Employee?
Most new small businesses begin as one person operations. At some point the question becomes, is an employee or two needed? Do You Need To Delegate? The first consideration has to be whether or not certain responsibilities have to be delegated so that you can do the things you have to do to keep things [...]

A Strong Brand Means Focus
Getting a hold of exactly what your company brand is can be difficult. Most entrepreneurs are so consumed with running a business and growing that business that they lose sight of the key to consumer acceptance, which is the brand. The brand can only be one thing. It can’t be a diverse set of ideas or selling points. Avis is “Number Two”. BMW is “The Ultimate Driving Machine”. Esso puts “A Tiger In Your Tank”. One dominant thought. One compelling brand.

How To Be A Mid-Life Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is not something that belongs to the very young. In fact, they know very little. They often succeed by total fluke. Don’t be taken in by the endless hype that permeates almost anything written about business success. Nobody has the maturity and experience of someone over 50. Take that to the bank, and while you’re there, apply for a new business loan. Do it with confidence and even bravado.

Businesses That Learn Grow
Many small business owners don’t see themselves as particularly innovative. A very good approach for all entrepreneurs is to be observant, always test things out and assess what works and doesn’t work. In the end, it’s learning the basics that pay off for small businesses.

How to Keep Employees Happy Without Raises
Sometimes, especially in this economy, raises are out of the question. Sometimes the money isn’t there. However, employees are not just there for salary increases. There are many way to keep a staff happy without throwing money their way.

How Small Businesses Can Make It Big
Everyone loves a great success story, and there are many stories about little companies that took off and made it very big. Apple started in a garage. It comes down to strategies that suddenly take hold.

Are You Suited to Business?
Most people really want to be in business, regardless of how attached they are to their jobs and the regular income associated with those jobs. People have a hankering to be their own boss. It may or may not suit you.

An Interesting Perspective on Productivity
Productivity is on the mind of every entrepreneur and all entrepreneurs try to be productive at all times. In the end, it isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter.

New Entrepreneur? What You Need To Know
Are you a new entrepreneur? Before you do anything, think about what you really want to do. If you have a dream, be sure it’s something that is realistic enough to turn into a business.

What a Start-Up Doesn’t Need (Immediately)
Start small, then build. Too many new entrepreneurs put the emphasis on the wrong things. The big things can come later.

Good Leaders: A Balancing Act
In a business environment leader know that staff members should be given regular training to upgrade their skill sets. Great leaders know that it doesn’t stop there. Training and upgrading skills is something that also applies to them.

The Right Way to Analyze the Competition
It’s essential to know everything you can about your competition and that means somehow using their products and services. If you offer identical items it isn’t the product you test, it how the competitor operates with that product. This can be difficult. You probably will have to enlist members of your staff. But rest assured, your competitors are checking your business out right now, as this is being written. It’s the name of the game.

How Social Media Marketing Can Work For You
t takes time for a company to actually see benefits from being involved with social media. Businesses often jump in with high hopes for fast returns.

How to Assess Job Candidates
When hiring staff, rule one is to go slow. The scene is flooded with resumes, and not all resumes tell the real story.

Quit Your Day Job?
It’s very common for people to start small businesses while working for somebody else. The big question they all face is when to quit that day job.

What Is Intellectual Property?
We hear the term all the time, but what exactly is intellectual property. Intellectual property refers to things created in your mind – written works, songs, designs, this is all intellectual property. Things you create are your intellectual property. WIPO The World Intellectual Property Organization is a United Nations agency that promotes the development of [...]