As the owner of a home-based business, you may want small business help but not have a need for a full-time assistant. Or you may need an assistant but lack the funds to afford everyday, in-house help. There is an answer to this problem. A virtual assistant provides small business help–remotely. What’s a Virtual Assistant? A virtual assistant is a professional who provides administrative support from his or her own location (often from home). If you hire one, you can arrange for him to provide as little or as much small business help as you need. For example, you may need help for only a couple of hours or just a couple of days each week. You can find a virtual assistant to meet either… Continue Reading

A brandable, eye-catching small business logo is critical for making the right type of lasting impression. If you’re just starting out, you may wonder if it’s okay to build your business without one. If you’ve been conducting business without a brandable logo for some time, you may think, “why change?” The answer is a brandable logo can play a key role in the success of your small business. Here are four reasons your small business needs one: 1. First Impressions: A quality logo makes a memorable first impression. People view a logo and develop an immediate impression of the business associated with it. A high-quality, eye-catching logo says your business is professional and… Continue Reading

Sometimes the best advice is not necessarily the newest. At least that’s what you might think about tax tips when you see the 2005 date on a Microsoft Corporation copyright. The notice comes at the bottom of a worthwhile StartupNation.com piece by tax professional Joseph Anthony. His tips for small businesses and solo practitioners are Google’s gift and well worth reviewing, especially at tax time, which your LiveChime blog has already warned you is officially here. In this case, the suggestions are straightforward and sometimes even witty, coming in a blog item titled “Smart Business Tax Advice: 5 Common Mistakes.” Anthony sounds like he’s seen some doozies. And you will… Continue Reading

Is your website an effective tool for online lead generation? If your conversion is poor, take a look at your website’s navigation. Try to view your website through the eyes of a visitor who is brand new to your site. Is it easy to navigate? Do you understand where to go to get to the information you need? What about your navigation buttons? Do they make sense? Do they go where they are supposed to? If your website is difficult to navigate or confusing, it is all too easy for a potential customer to simply leave and never look back. Home and Beyond When you are evaluating your website’s navigation, don’t just stop with the home page. Every page of your website should be easy to… Continue Reading

There’s much to consider when you want to hire the right business consultant. Your business is your baby and you want only the best people helping you raise it. For this reason, it’s important to take great care in choosing. This means checking credentials and references, gathering information about the professional’s reputation, and determining whether you and your prospect will have a good rapport. Of course costs are a factor as well, but they should be secondary to ensuring that the person you choose is right for your business. Check Credentials So a business consultant has explained the wonders he can perform for your business? Don’t take his word for it. Check his credentials…. Continue Reading

Are you using cold calling in your business? Before you say no way, no how to this effective way of building your business, stop and take a deep breath. Cold calling works! No one is saying it’s easy, but with time and practice, you can get through it without breaking a sweat and significantly increase your sales. Here are some small business tips for cold calling: Research your prospect before you pick up the phone. Think–would you be impressed if a business person called with a sales pitch but knew absolutely nothing about your business and its needs? What if he was offering something for which you have no use? Like you, your prospects are busy people with specific goals in mind…. Continue Reading

The proverb “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” rings true when it comes to customer relationship marketing. It costs much more to attract a new customer and convert his interest into sales than it does to hold onto a current customer and sell to him. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop business people from neglecting customers and clients who have already spent money with them. This kind of behavior is just bad news for your profits as well as your chances of seeing significant business growth over time. MIA Customers Have you ever had a customer or client seem to fall off the face of the earth for no obvious reason? Maybe you just figured your products or services weren’t… Continue Reading

A business consultant is a professional who analyzes businesses, creates solutions to problems, and helps businesses develop efficient plans for meeting their goals. As a business owner, you know your business better than anyone. But what happens when you need help or just want perspective on the direction you’ve chosen? Others can give general advice from the outside looking in, but to truly help you, they have to get to know your business very well–almost as well as you know it. That’s what a business consultant does. He gets to know a business and then helps the business owner meet his goals. Learning the Business A major part of a business consultant’s job is learning her… Continue Reading

Thanks to the Internet, there are numerous tools to help you build your business. One of the best tools at your disposal is business chat. It’s true–when you think of the word “chat,” business isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But chatting is for more than just flirting. Business chat provides a way for you to multitask, generate leads instantly, provide customer support, and get feedback in real time. Multitasking One benefit of business chat is that it allows you to be an amazing multitasker. Many live chat programs allow you to hold discussions with multiple clients at one time or collaborate with business associates with ease. There’s no unnecessary waiting or time… Continue Reading

Dealing with small business taxes can be a real headache, but there are ways to minimize the pain. Filing for the business use of your home deduction is one good way to take a bite out of your tax liability. What sorts of things can you deduct? If you qualify for the deduction, you can deduct a portion of your housing costs, including mortgage interest, property taxes, and depreciation; rent if you don’t own your home; and homeowner’s or rental insurance. Utilities? You can deduct them too, and even things like painting your home, making repairs, or paying someone to mow the lawn can translate into savings on your small business taxes. Eligibility Eligibility is the first… Continue Reading