small business

  Every child is born an artist. The problem is how to remain one as we grow up. – Pablo Picasso I’ve always loved this quote.  But I’ve sometimes struggled to really put my finger on why. Initially I suppose I liked it because it conjured for me an image of a joyfully uninhibited child artist wandering freely from one thought to another, seeing infinite possibilities in her work and exhibiting a freedom that few adults seem to have the luxury to indulge. Now however, I find myself re-reading this quote

If you own a business you know that one of the biggest challenges a small business owner faces is branding building. You want to grow your business. To do that you need to sell more of your product or service. But, in order to sell more you need more exposure. Sounds simple, right? The challenge though for most of us is creating massive exposure for our product or service while remaining confined to a very limited marketing budget. We could try advertising in traditional media, whether it’s print or broadcast.

Over the years I’ve struggled both professionally and personally with the idea of worth. Professionally, I’ve sometimes wondered if I should consider discounting my price or settle for less in order to get more business. In my personal life I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of getting stuck in the thinking that I’m “just” a mom and by doing this I’ve unwittingly de-valued my role and contribution to my family and myself. Neither is good. I know. Though in defense I must say that professionally, I’ve found pricing one’s services is often

The other day I was chatting with a friend who owns a small business. My friend was complaining that she’d pitched a prospective client that she was convinced would give her their business because she knew she was the best choice.  After all she said – and I’d have to agree – she worked harder and knew more about this client’s business than any competitor and she’s had more success in this industry than any of the competition. And yet in the end, and to her great surprise, the prospect chose

  “Feeling Gratitude and Not Expressing it is Like Wrapping a Present and Not Giving it”. – William Arthur Ward   I recently read an article in which Google CEO Larry Page was praised for being one of the most likable CEO’s in corporate America. You know why? Because according to the article, he’s good at expressing his appreciation for others and the work they do. In fact, I also came to learn that making a concerted effort to express gratitude in the workplace is baked into the Google culture

Fallacy: Size Matters. Do you run a small business? If so, do you ever worry that your prospects may view your businesses size as a weakness? Perhaps you fear that your prospects will associate small with a lack of experience, or resources? Well, guess what? You’re not alone. Most small businesses feel this way at some point, and then to compensate they seem to go to great lengths to try to give prospects the impression that they are “bigger” than they are with the hope that maybe the prospect won’t

Only in ‘merika!  ..The latest sensation in NYC, the cronut, a cross between a donut and a croissant. Anyone had one? fastcompany: Introduced last month, the Cronut has customers lining up outside Cronut creator Dominique Ansel’s SoHo bakery at 6 a.m., and the store regularly sells out its daily production of at least 300 within a half-hour after opening. This enormous popularity is no accident. In fact, the Cronut’s success reflects the many strengths that characterize America’s small-business sector. Here’s the small-business recipe for a Cronut-level hit: 1. A dollop of

Your brain can only focus for 90 to 120 minutes before it needs a break. Why? It’s the ultradian rhythm, a cycle that’s present in both our sleeping and waking lives.  That’s a perfectly good reason unplug and take a break. (via fastcompany)

The Corporate States of America, A Map of the Most Famous Brands From Each State. How many would you have gotten right? (via laughingsquid)

We want to watch our favorite TV show when we want, and where we want. We want our purchases delivered to our door the same day we buy them. We want instant gratification. Even in business, we want huge profits and an abundance of customers immediately. Oh, and we want all that while working just four hours a week. It’s this kind of thinking that leads a lot of small businesses to consider marketing that casts a wide net by broadcasting a message to a large audience quickly.  Sure it can be

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