Government, Politics, and the Economy No Rebound Yet For Smallest Businesses Confidence among America’s smallest business owners fell to the lowest level since February, according to the latest Discover-Small Business Watch. BusinessWeek.comManagement and OperationsDisaster Protection: The Need for Small Business ContinuityBusinessKnowHow has reprinted the latest edition (Fall 2009) of Disaster Recovery Journal and the article “The Need for Small Business, Business Continuity” by Mark R. Lupo. BusinessKnowHow.com Management and Operations
By Cheryl Sowa · December 08 2009
small business brief, small business, customer service, management
Tips from November 20, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss how to hire employees for sales.
Know the environments your candidates have worked in previously. Try to choose the candidates that have been in an environment that is similar to yours to adapt quickly to the culture.
Previous work in sales is extremely important, especially if you are hiring for a higher level position. Check their references for sales positions to ensure they are not exaggerating on their resume.
Inside sales and outsides sales are completely different. Know what you need to hire, and hire specifically for the position. Generally, the two sales positions don't cross. If you come across a candidate who has both, be sure to look into it.
Have a trial session with candidates during the interview. Ask them to role play and deliver a pitch to you. Analyze their tone of voice, body language, and their wording of the pitch. This will help you determin...
By Cheryl Sowa · November 20 2009
small business tips, sales, human resources, hire
In The News
Workplace Shootings in Florida, Texas Again Put Focus on Violence on the Job The two shootings are the highest-profile incidents of workplace violence since a Yale University student’s strangled body was found in the university laboratory where she conducted research. A co-worker, Raymond J. Clark III, was later charged with the murder. Workforce.comManagement and OperationsHow to Resolve Workplace Conflict Conflict in the workplace is a painful reality and a key reason for poor productivity and frustration. Do you have people in your workplace that cause problems for everyone else? Do they create additional work for o...
By Cheryl Sowa · November 10 2009
small business brief, small business, conflict, productivity
Government, Politics, and the Economy
Economy Jumps 3.5 Percent to Largest Growth in Two Years Consumer spending, exports and investments experience greatest gains. ManagerSmarter.comManagement and OperationsSmall Shops Make Big Play for Holiday ShoppersMerchants roll out Christmas wares weeks in advance to lure customers away from large discount retailers. WSJ.comManagement and Operations
By Cheryl Sowa · November 03 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Government, Politics, and the EconomyRetail Sales in U.S. Jump 2.7%, Most in Three Years Thanks to the government's Cash for Clunkers program, retailers in the U.S. surged in August - the most in three years. Bloomberg.comManagement and OperationsBe Ready and Prepared for Disasters: September is National Preparedness MonthFire, flood, hurricane, or tornado, you need to be prepared to protect yourself, your family, and your business from mother nature. BusinessKnowHow.com Management and Operations
By Cheryl Sowa · September 15 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, retail
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...
By Cheryl Sowa · September 08 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, sales
Government, Politics, and the EconomyInflation Will Accelerate Next Decade, Economists Say According to a poll taken by the National Association for Business Economics, the Federal Reserve cannot prevent the trillions of dollars from the stimulus package from inflation over the next decade, rising an average of 3% per year from 2014 through 2018. Bloomberg.comGovernment, Politics, and the Economy What's North Dakota Doing Right? As the rest of the nation painfully struggles with balancing the budget and rising unemployment, the state of North...
By Cheryl Sowa · September 01 2009
small business brief, small business, customer service, sales
I remember the first time that I ever had to make a cold call. It was with a past internship and I was so nervous I thought I was going to pass out. I was afraid of saying the wrong thing, rejection, forgetting to mention something about the product, forgetting who I was talking to; you name it, I was afraid of it. I read the script like it was my favorite novel instead of trying to hold an actual conversation with the person on the other end. After the opening of the pitch which was just about twenty seconds (only it seemed like an hour), I heard an angry "NO THANK YOU!" and an abrupt phone slam. After throwing a pity party for myself for a second, I realized that I was neither fully prepared for the cold call nor confident. After learning more about cold calling, I became comfortable with calling strangers and able to pitch myself, business, and the product or service I was selling. Picking up the phone to call a complete stranger and asking for some of their time to listen to you talk ab...
By Cheryl Sowa · August 28 2009
confidence, sales, business, cold call
