Tips from October 15, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss how to go the extra mile. Be helpful even if you get nothing out of it. Assist, give advice & (gasp) talk about other businesses. Follow through with a customer. Guide them, ask if they have questions, & do all that you can to help. Offer something extra. Future coupons, freebies, small samples, or discounts help provide that extra service. Make exceptions for the customer if they have problems; offer a discount or rebate offer for future services. Daily Overview: Doing more than expected gives your business benefits and provides extra customer service. [Read Full Article]

Government, Politics, and the Economyhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB125233977333690447.html Key Week for Obama Starts on Feisty Note President Obama starts off the Tuesday after Labor Day by stressing the importance of his new government-run-health-insurance program, while key senators collaborated for a bipartisan deal. WSJ.com Management and Operationshttp://www.womenentrepreneur.com/2009/09/hiring-without-the-headaches.html Hiring Without the Headaches Salary, taxes, and benefits are just some of the worries that arise for entrepreneurs when they decide to add on to their workforce. Small businesses need to have a hiring process in place to effectively hire employees for their small businesses. WomenEntrepreneur.com Management and Operationshttp://entrepreneur.com/sales/customerservicecolumnistsydneybarrows/article203136.html Prioritize the Customer Experien... [Read Full Article]

Every good business plan has a good business model with a clear, strong customer value proposition at its core. A customer value proposition shows that your product or service either delivers a solution to a problem or it offers a real benefit of some sort. For example, America's Best Companies provide small businesses with the tools to help them stay in business, grow their business, and make more money in their business. There is the value right there. You can see that a customer value proposition does not need to be complex. In fact, the simpler it is, the better since it will keep you focused. If you can explain why your business has real and lasting value to the consumers that you want to reach, and you can do it in a single, pithy sentence, you are on the right track. You can break your customer value proposition down into three building blocks—customer adoption, differentiation and pricing. Alone, these are... [Read Full Article]

Tips from Monday, March 2, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about the sales side of getting to know your customers. The first step in getting to know your customers is communication. Ask the right questions. Listen to the answers. What do you need to know about your customers? What do they need? Who's your target? Individuals? Businesses? Location? Etc. Constantly measure customer satisfaction. Mailers, phone calls, paper & internet surveys, focus groups, http://search.twitter.com/ The foundation of all selling is that people must like you, trust you and want to listen to you. Daily Overview: Communication is key. Be likable and be willing to change your approach or even your product/service to meet needs. [Read Full Article]