Grow Your Business – Emarketing
Email Marketing for Your Small Business As a small business owner you are always looking at ways to reach your target market without breaking the bank. One way to do that is by investing in email marketing software. By doing your research and choosing the best option for your requirements, you can become the thought leader in your field and build relationships with your clients. Email marketing is just that: marketing by way of an email. Your email can contain anything you want. You can write articles that will be beneficial to your audience. You can let your clients know of great specials or new products. You can introduce new employees. The possibilities are endless. One thing to keep in mind is the reason why you are doing this. You want to let your clients know that you are the best in your field. You want to be the thought leader that they turn to when they need your type of service. Make sure you are providing a service to your clients and not just rambling on. Keep your newsletters informative so you don’t bore your audience. You want them to look forward to hearing from you. As they continue to read your newsletters, you will be building a relationship with them. This is imperative for repeat business. If your clients don’t have a positive reaction to you and your business, they will go elsewhere. When choosing email marketing software, Aweber is just one example, look at all the features offered, not just the price. There are some services that are free, but they may not do what you want them to do. Make sure you know what you want and compare services to make sure you are getting the best one for your requirements. You don’t want to jeopardize your relationship with your clients by choosing a company that will not do what you want it to do. Your business is too important. This post is one in a series where we will talk about email marketing software services: their offerings, their pros and cons, and their best...
read moreBraddock PA – Art Resource Teaching society – Free Mobile Art/Teaching
Did you know that there is free entrepreneurial education available for people of all ages in Pittsburgh? The Art Resource Teaching Society provides free mobile art/entrepreneurial development education for students and adults, especially in economically challenged areas. Current youth programming is focused in Braddock, PA at HOST & BYP for students ages 5-18. Arts Inc. will soon be teaching in Wilkinsburg, PA. Their mission is to assist youth in creating the opportunities they were hoping life would provide. For more information or to schedule a class at your location, call Art Resource Teaching Society CEO, Michelle Barabas, at...
read moreSee IT, Believe IT, Do IT – High School Business Growth
Business Growth for High School Students Where do you get career advice if you are a high school student? Building Bridges for Business, using their video series Coffee With… has created a program called See It, Believe It, Do It, that brings high school students and local business people, government officials and entrepreneurs together in a format where the students can ask questions and get support in their career decision making process. Those who have participated have found benefit in talking to “real people” about their futures. this is a unique high school business growth educational program. The Coffee With…video series started two years ago but has only recently been taken to the school system. The students, in addition to watching the film series, also get to meet those involved in the videos. After watching, a question and answer period takes place where the students can talk about job shadowing, different stages of any career choice, or whatever is on their mind. As high school students, there are a lot of decisions to be made. In addition to talking to their parents about their dreams and desires, the See It, Believe It, Do It program gives students an opportunity to talk to local entrepreneurs about what lies ahead and can help young people realize that the business community is behind them. Advice is out there if they know who to ask. Building Bridges for Business is an outlet they can depend on for...
read moreSocial Media- What matters now
Small Business Social Media Best Practices There are a myriad of things you can do, but one small business social media best practice stands out above the rest. In the midst of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + and everything else you feel you must be doing, your website is your best marketing strategy. Don’t get caught up in a fad that may be gone as soon as you figure out how to use it. Keep your website up-to-date for everyone who wants to visit it. Think about it! You spent a lot of time and money getting your website up and running. Then you found Facebook and Twitter. They were free. Why not use them. You have heard all about building relationships on social media. You have heard that you should post articles on your sites. But in the meantime, you have been forgetting to update your website. There is nothing worse than going to someone’s website to check on an event only to find out the event took place two weeks ago. Or maybe someone saw something you posted on Facebook about an event you are having and they went to your website to find more information. But you haven’t had the time yet to post that information on your website. How does that make you look? A website is where most people look first for information. Make sure yours is current. Take the time to update it regularly. Your clients will appreciate knowing they are getting the most up-to-date...
read moreEmployee Retention
Employee retention – or how to keep your employees working for you – can be summarized in one word. Communication. There isn’t a fancy formula. There aren’t any rules or policies. It is very simple. Talk to your employees. Employees want to feel like they are part of the team. They want to be kept informed of activities and projects. They want to know that you appreciate them. Whether your employees are in-house or virtual, keep them informed of what is going on. There are a number of ways to stay in touch with your employees. Annual employee evaluations are a good one-on-one format to let your employees know what is expected and how they are doing. Monthly staff meetings keep everyone apprised of current and upcoming business dealings. Email works well for the day to day communication. Everyone appreciates a personal visit to congratulate for a job well done. A summer picnic or holiday party is great for getting the entire work force together for networking. Company newsletters can welcome new employees and provide information on promotions. Talk to your employees as often as you can. Let them know they are appreciated and doing a great job. If they feel like part of the team, they will stick around...
read moreStarting Your Own Business
When starting a new small business, one of the first decisions you must make is to decide what type of business entity your business will be. This decision is not to be made lightly. Do your research and talk to a lawyer before you make any decisions. To get you started with your research, we will give you some of the basics. Starting your new small business as a Sole Proprietor is the easiest way to get things rolling. The owner and business are treated as one entity, therefore, your profits are taxed at the owner’s individual federal tax rate. There is no need to file additional tax statements for your business. However, with this type of entity, you are not protected from liability – the owner’s personal assets are not protected because the company and the individual are treated as one entity. You may need to file for a DBA (doing business as) or Fictitious Business Name from you county, city or state government offices. And it is always a good idea to have your personal and business bank accounts separate for accounting purposes. There are a few different types of Partnerships. In a General Partnership, consisting of two or more parties, capital put into the company is usually equal. As is the liability, profits and loss. As with the Sole Proprietor, the General Partnership is treated as one entity. This can be overcome to some extent by using the Limited Partnership structure where one partner acts as the controlling partner. A Certificate of Limited Partnership is usually required by the Secretary of State. A Limited Liability Company is a similar to a Sole Proprietor in that it can be owned by one person and can be taxed on an individual basis, if you choose, as a Sole Proprietor. But the Limited Liability Company is not as easy to start as a Sole Proprietor. Check with your county, city or state government to see what type of paperwork you need to file on a yearly basis and why types of fees are required. This type of entity does have the advantage of limited liability for business debts and obligations. LLC must become part of the business name and must be visible at all times. A Corporation is a legal business entity that is completely separate from its owners where the owners are not personally responsible for the debts of the corporation. Unlike the other entities above, the Corporation can sell stocks and bonds to help generate capital for the business. Taxes are paid on both corporate profits and shareholder dividends. Paperwork to form a corporation is the most extensive of all the entities. With any business decision, you must do your research to make sure your decision is best for you and your business. Talking to a lawyer and letting him go over your paperwork is always a good idea. Starting a small business is a lot of work, but if done properly, it can be very...
read moreThe Franchise Show – a virtual forum to help you decide
The Franchise Show—http://www.thefranchiseshow.net The Franchise Show is for anyone who may be contemplating buying a franchise, whether they are in the beginning stages or well on the way. Finding the right franchise can be a difficult task as there are so many concepts to consider. The Franchise Show gives you the chance to learn more about different franchise concepts from your own computer, by listening to live and/or recorded webcasts from some of the best franchise companies. This is not a full list of franchises available in the US ; it is only meant to show the range of opportunities and industries available. Post submitted by John Tubridy | Principal and Franchise Specialist Franchise Network of Pittsburgh | FranNet p. 412.486.2546 c. 724.612.0961 e. jtubridy@frannet.com http://www.frannet.com/jtubridy...
read moreClosely Held Businesses and Compensation Plans
How to ARM Your Select Employees for Success Provided By: Anthony Mastro, Northwestern Mutual Most business owners would love to have employees who are as passionate about the company as they are. It makes sense: The future of a closely-held or family business depends on how securely its select employees are tied to it. But creating an environment where employees feel like owners doesn’t happen overnight. To ensure the continued success of a business, owners need to ARM – attract, retain and motivate – select employees who can help grow and sustain their business. For many closely held companies, a well-designed compensation strategy that is directly connected to the growth plan of the business may be the answer. Here’s why. Many, if not most, businesses are sold to select employees. As a result, your ability to harvest the value of your business may be directly tied to the success of the people you leave running the company. But even in the instance of a third party buyer, the value of a business can be seriously hampered by the lack of good management team. In fact, unless you have capable successors and employees, your closely held business may not survive your departure if your select employees leave instead of adapting to new owners and management. Tying employee’s interests with yours The purpose of a select employee compensation plan is to put “glue in the seats” for those members of your management team who are critical to the success of your business. Equally important, it’s purpose is to provide a tool owners can use to identify current and future employees who thrive on peak performance and who have the ability to think and act like an owner – and therefore, have the potential to become one. Of course, most employees recognize the bottom line to a company’s success is, well, the bottom line. But it’s also crucial that they understand how their contributions will help make that happen. A select employee compensation plan can help connect the dots between performance and results, providing a means to create and sustain long-term engagement. There are numerous methods for rewarding a select employee’s commitment, loyalty and hard work. The most effective incentive plans are multi-layered, providing short-term compensation and, in the longer-term, deferred compensation and perhaps even a stake in the business. But whether they are cash-based, equity-based or a combination of the two, effective inventive plans typically share four common features: (1) the rewards are substantial; (2) specific and measurable; (3) tied directly to an increase in the company’s economic value and the owner’s objectives; and (4) designed to vest over time. Motivational tools There are few better motivators for retaining top performing employees than making them an owner. Stock ownership provides a “golden handcuff,” tying a select employee’s financial goals and other interests to the growth and long-term success of the company. Many owners of closely held businesses, however, don’t want to involve employees in all the decision making for the business. Rather than giving or selling shares outright to a select employee, many closely held companies reward select employees by allowing them to share in the success of the business through cash-based plans, such as bonus and/or profit sharing plans, which are offered when select employees meet measurable goals; non-qualified deferred...
read more+3: Three Tips for Google+ Success
You have a Google+ account, but are you using it? The new kid on the block in social media made a rather large debut over the past year. With Twitter, Facebook, blogging, and other platforms already chewing up your online marketing time, the idea of introducing another platform can be a bit overwhelming. That said, there is no need to abandon the online communities you have built on other platforms, but here are a few tips on what you should be doing now to make your presence known on the newest one. Make sure your profile is up to date: – Add a tagline: This feature reminds people who you are and what you do. From the tagline others can decide what circle to include you in. A vague headline that doesn’t state what your page is about may lead to confused visitors – so use your creativity to catch some new eyes. – Add photos: This gives you a chance to give your audience an inside look at your company. Most post product images and there’s nothing wrong with this, but along with product images, be personal and show your company behind the scenes – as research suggests that people like pictures of, well, people. – Recommended links: In the ‘About’ tab you’ll see Recommended Links near the bottom. Add links to your blog and your company homepage for users to visit and to drive traffic to your e-commerce points of sale or prospective clients to your contact info. Take time to understand the +1 feature: +1 has an indirect effect on your site’s search rank. This does not mean the more +1’s a link has, the higher rank it achieves in traditional search results. A Google +1 can indirectly lead to a better page rank. The bottom line is, the SEO effects of a +1 are very indirect, which means traditional SEO practices should not be ignored, but that a +1 may positively affect your results for people connected to those in your circles. Join hangouts and add to Circles: The Circles feature allows you to segment your followers and the people you follow. This means that businesses can send out select messages to select people – such as partners, customers or community members. Hangouts can be useful for brands because they gives users a chance to engage with the people in your company through video chat. These tips will keep you on the social media bandwagon and help to improve your business’ web presence. Utilizing platforms such as Google+ can improve the way we communicate our brand to others because of its unique feature set. As with any social media channel, it is important to have an integrated plan, be patient and focus on using the platform to reach new customers, create engagement and ultimately drive your sales or client...
read moreFive Steps for a Foolproof Social Media Plan
We know two things about social media – that it is here to stay, and that it is always changing. Whether it is the presence of new technical tools or a strategy swing from your key competitors, what is proven effective and what is possible via social media marketing today will surely be different tomorrow. As a result, creating a plan can be challenging, but these timeless five steps should help you stay connected with your core audience and generate a solid return on your investment, regardless of your organization’s size and budget. Identify and Focus on Your Audience’s Core Channels – Marketing to moms? You may want to focus on Pinterest. Focused on college students? Twitter is where it’s at. Regardless of who your audience is, there is probably a channel you will want to identify as your key area of focus. Of course, that is not to say you should only invest your time in one of the channels, but rather find your audience’s favorites and start to target them there – without ignoring other platforms. Whether it’s Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr, Yelp!, Foursquare or Instagram, find the channels that fit your organization best and use them to stay visible with your audience. Initiate Engagement – Remember, remember, remember – it’s safe to assume that no one wakes up in the morning seeking to connect with your organization. Make an active effort to get your name out there by targeting the people and organizations that can get you noticed on social media platforms. You can do this by asking for support, but a better strategy is to start a conversation with these publics. Set a goal to target a set number of these publics per week or month and get a return on a certain percentage. If you can get these influencers on your team, you’ll find those they influence coming through your digital doors. Use Your Time Wisely – In the abyss that is the Web, it is easy to spend your entire day scrounging content. Resist this urge! Find the people that can benefit you the most, locate the best sources of information and dictate how much of your content will be conversational, shared and promotional and formulate a path to follow within a set window of time. We start with promotional, partner and conversational posts at the beginning of each week – schedule the content to go out at specific times when our audience is the most active and then go from there. Use an in-depth analytics website, such as crowdbooster.com to track analytics for individual posts or tweets and discover when your audience is the most active. If someone engages you, pick a time that works each day to prepare a response – or set your mobile device to alert you and then respond, if you have a flexible schedule. Repurpose Your Content – A Facebook Post and a Tweet are apples and oranges in appearance, but that doesn’t mean the message can’t be similar. Find a way to minimize your time spent by taking your content and shaping it for each platform. This is a great way to cross platforms without changing your entire messaging strategy and content. Have a new product or a great link to share? Adapt it...
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