Tips from October 27, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss different styles of networking.
Family will give you more personal and honest recommendations than others. Ask them to recommend and talk you up whenever they can.
Your friends may be the first to say "hey I know someone who does that.." Share with them what you do, offer discounts through them.
B2B: Networking is reciprocal. Each biz needs the connection and each will work to build a professional relationship.
Have a social media presence that's honest, transparent and active. Communicate and share yourself openly.
Daily Overview: You need to network with different people in different ways. Be sure to tailor your approach to your audience at the time.
By Cheryl Sowa · October 27 2009
small business tips, small business, social media, b2b
Government, Politics, and the Economy
Can Main Street Catch Up with Wall Street? The Dow is up and many economists see an end to the recession. Try telling that to the rising ranks of those losing their jobs and houses. BusinessWeek.com Management and OperationsWhy Change is Necessary: Is Temporary Insanity Keeping You From Growing Your Small Business? Successful people, and businesses, recognize the need for change early. They embrace it. And they go looking for it. BusinessKnowHow.comManagement and Operations
By Cheryl Sowa · October 27 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, email
Tips from October 26, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss why it is important for small businesses to network.
Create and develop relationships with others who share your same passions for business. Gain contacts and resources.
Battles are best fought with a companion. Networking gives businesses a support system for when times are rough.
Expand your clientele. Networking with others allows for new customers to hear about your business and check it out.
Build your community and local economy by networking in your area. Support other small businesses; they will support you!
Daily Overview: Networking gives your business contacts, builds the buzz, and opportunities to grow.
By Cheryl Sowa · October 26 2009
small business tips, small business, networking, relationships
This week I am leading the small business panel at the 140 Characters Conference in Los Angeles, California. This is pretty significant for our company, and for each of you, in that I will be sharing how small business is being effected by the real-time internet. Basically, I’m going to talk about how Facebook and Twitter (social media) are helping your business in the current state of the world, even in this economy.
This panel and conference isn’t all about me. I’ll be sharing the stage with some fantastic co-panelists: Scott Townsend of United Linen and Neal Rohrbach of Idea Anglers. Together we hope to give you a rounded view of how small business works with these medias from beginning to end. We’re calling our panel Small as a Tweet. We’re taking a few questions up front. If there’s anything specific that you’d...
By Kim Fenolio · October 26 2009
small business, twitter, facebook, kim fenolio
Tips from October 23, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss hands-on training and its benefits.
Role Play: employees mimic real decision making in business situations. Very effective: try upper management & employee roles.
Internship: get a feel for employment before becoming an employee. Get on-the-job and classroom training to learn about the business.
Apprenticeships: over a long period of time, employees develop many skills while supervised by a senior employee. Usually for a trade.
Job Rotation: employees learn a little about every department to learn different tasks and skills associated with each job.
Daily Overview: Hands-on training allows for a different learning process to take place and can even be most memorable.
By Cheryl Sowa · October 23 2009
small business tips, small business, benefits, employees
Tips from October 22, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss different approaches to training employees.
Orientation: for new employees to understand their new place of employment. Include the goals, purpose and role of employee.
Lecture: use for a large amount of material to communicate with a group of people. Cost-effective, but possibly unproductive.
Audiovisual: TV, films, and video clips show real world situations in action with a constant, perfect presentation to all employees.
Programmed Learning: computer-aided instruction. Employees learn at their own pace and a supervisor is not necessarily needed.
Daily Overview: Various methods cater to different businesses. The right approach depends on your business and your employees.
By Cheryl Sowa · October 22 2009
small business tips, small business, training, employees
Tips from October 21, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss the benefits of skill-based training.
Increase productivity: teach advanced techniques to help employees conquer tasks more efficiently & take on more responsibility.
Aid in hiring process: teach the perfect candidate lacking the skill new tricks, or enhance the ones who mastered the skill.
Improve job satisfaction: time & money invested in employees skills gets them more involved with their field & up to date with the industry.
Reduce need for supervision: skill-based training encourages independence & shows how to do their job better & faster.
Daily Overview: Keep employees on their career path by providing skill-based training to improve in their field.
By Cheryl Sowa · October 21 2009
small business tips, small business, training, employee
Tips from October 20, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss creating an informative employee manual.
Welcome Statement: include the mission and goals of your business, letter from the CEO so employees know what to perform towards.
Compensation: describe in detail the payroll schedule, hours expected to work, and vacation/holiday/sick days off.
Policies: outline the dress code, attendance, confidentiality agreement, competition agreement, and general culture rules.
Discipline: describe actions taken if problems arise, including warnings, formal complaints, and grounds for termination.
Daily Overview: Creating an informative manual gives employee a glimpse into the business and establishes their role.
By Cheryl Sowa · October 21 2009
small business tips, small business, training, employee manual
