Bookkeeping is an essential business activity, typically undertaken by an employee in-house or outsourced to a professional bookkeeper or firm. However, with the rapid evolution of business technology, entrepreneurs and small business owners can streamline the most time-consuming parts of the bookkeeping process, fostering a more efficient workflow while cutting down on costs. Generally, a...
Reviews can have an enormous impact on your business’ marketing success. Today’s consumers read customer reviews before making purchase decisions, especially when it comes to trying out a new local business for the first time. Whether they are looking for a contractor, family doctor, or lawyer, word-of-mouth endorsements factor heavily into a consumer’s decision...
Like it or not, networking is an essential part of the business world. Success in business is all about forming connections. It helps you find jobs, recruit talent, discover new customers, and form relationships with potential investors. When networking is done right, it provides a valuable return on investment, both financially and in monetary terms...
It was the phone call with a girlfriend on my long drive home from my first business retreat that made me stop at a CVS and pick up a pregnancy test. I was fired up after spending several days with smart, accomplished people. I had re-worked my business model and couldn’t wait to get...
Tax files, employee records, emails; they’re all a part of the day-to-day operations of running a business. Some of you might want to hang on to them for later reference, some you might feel like casually tossing them aside once you’re done with them, but despite these gut instincts, businesses nevertheless need to remain...
It’s not what you know, but who you know, right? Well, that might not be the golden rule of business success - competence and drive assuredly rank higher - but knowing the right people and fostering relationships with them can only help you in working towards that success. Unfortunately, networking is something that people find...
There's a smart line of dialogue in the movie, Creed, the most recent Rocky Balboa movie, which every business owner should think about. At one point, Rocky shows the young boxer he is mentoring, the mirror. “You see this guy here? That’s the toughest opponent you are ever going to have to face. I believe...
The most valuable lessons you can learn as an entrepreneur, come from the doing, not the reading. While education, school, and business books all have their place, there is nothing quite like running a business to teach you the in’s and out’s of being an entrepreneur. I can tell you this from first-hand experience. As...
Small and medium sized businesses often dismiss market research as an unnecessary cost and opt instead to invest their money in something with instantly visible results like distribution channels or new office equipment. However, that can be a big mistake and a huge loss of opportunity to boost your business. Here are five important...
For me, the importance of having connected sales and service teams can be summed up in one frustrating experience I had as a consumer. I was a long-time loyal customer of a particular company and called for assistance with a relatively routine issue. The service rep did not have access to my sales record...
