Business Guides

The onset of Valentine’s Day often turns our focus to love—but it’s as relevant to the relationship your business has with its customers as it is in your personal life. Here are three simple ways to deepen the connection your business has with its customers and prospects.

A majority of small businesses derive three-quarters of their sales from just one-quarter of their customers, so the message is clear. Holding onto your most loyal customers must be a top priority, and understanding their spending habits is critical to your success. Keep those customers front and center when developing marketing campaigns, promotional strategies and expansion plans.

The pre-holiday season is your chance to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your brand, so you can make a positive and lasting first impression that will wow holiday customers. Here are three critical questions to evaluate your brand before the holiday rush begins. 

Small businesses have access to mountains of resources to help you get started and make your business a success. Due to space limitations, this article addresses a small number of software programs, websites and books for you to consider. It’s for information purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the author or publisher.

From big businesses to small operators, it seems all companies today want to make their products more sustainable — and many consumers desire to purchase eco-friendly versions of their favorite products. The steps to move your business toward a more sustainable model are similar to other goals you may set for your company.Here’s a look at a few ideas to make your soapmaking business more environmentally-friendly.

Social media and online marketing can both be inexpensive opportunities to connect with existing customers and new audiences, but it’s become increasingly difficult to cut through the barrage of messages consumers are now exposed to in a day. That’s part of the reason contests have become such a powerful (and popular) tactic among small business marketers.  Here are a few simple tips to help guide and inspire the development of your first contest. 

Creating a business plan is one of the first steps needed to get a new business financed and off the ground. It’s only the beginning of a continuous process of managing your money and resources. 

Every three months, along with my fellow radio show host Kevin Harrington, one of the original Sharks from Shark Tank, I have the honor of speaking at an Innovator’s Think Tank known as Shark Finds. During this two-day event we offer insights to inventors about their marketing direction, branding, and investor pitch. We see a fair number of beauty lines, including luxurious soaps, candles, creams, and age defying serums. These products often stand out to me, but not only because they look yummy. They also stand out as lacking in a solid brand identity. While many of these products are worthy of attention, they are not attention grabbing. The creators often pour all of their passion and imagination into the product itself and neglect to place similar enthusiasm and resources into the very first thing prospective clients and investors experience: the brand. 

Offering a base product line year-round will ensure your customers always have the ability to reorder their favorites. However, selling a rotating lineup of seasonal items or offering the latest trends in fragrance, flavor and color could give your business a boost.

Have you ever fallen in love with a brand? You know, like the way you must have that Starbuck’s Grande skinny soy vanilla latte, extra shot, extra hot sitting at your side every afternoon? Or the way you feel about your pair Nike Air Max shoes that have taken you over the finish line in five different cities? You have a relationship with these brands. So much so that they may spark certain emotions or qualities: your Starbucks beverage helps you to feel warm, relaxed, and creative; the Nikes make you feel confident and determined.

Customer service isn’t just about making sure customers can find items with ease, eliminating long checkout lines, or ensuring that customers are able to reach a live person when they contact your business for help. Though they all contribute to the customer experience, the most important elements of service are about that personal touch your business delivers that makes customers feel seen, understood and valued. 

You don’t need aggressive growth plans to benefit from making your business more financially stable. In fact, some subtle financial tweaks often yield the most significant results.Here are six financial shifts all small business owners should make to build a stronger business foundation.