Blog

How Mantras Can Help Improve Your Business

Mantras were originally meant to be repeated in a meditative manner for the purpose of finding serenity and focus. They can also be used in the business world to motivate and concentrate your efforts. Here are some ways that implementing a mantra can improve your business.

Stay focused on goals and values. A mantra is brief and memorable. As such, it is an easy phrase for you to reflect upon and repeat in many day-to-day operations. For example, auto rental giant Avis has adopted the mantra, “We try harder,” which clear, concise, and fully encompasses the company’s main objective. By repeating this mantra and keeping it at the forefront of daily business dealings, you are sure to satisfy customers and keep them coming back.

Develop, implement, and maintain a business strategy. Let the mantra guide such important decisions from idea to finished product. When taking on or creating anything new, the number one question should be, “Is this consistent with my business mantra?” The answer should be yes, so that you know that this idea matches the core of what the business is all about.

Manage your stress levels. Owning a business is overwhelming to say the least, mostly because the buck stops with you. Use your mantra to keep your goals in mind and guide your decisions for the benefit of the company. Always come back to it for problem solving and conflict resolution, two other high stressors of business ownership.

Communicate with your customers. Use your mantra as a liaison between your business and the outside world. A good mantra makes it easy for others to understand what the company is all about. By using it as a tagline in advertising and promotional materials, you make yourself memorable and edge out your competitors. This of course can lead to increased clientele and improved sales.

Here are some examples:

Move your feet to get it complete
Make one more goal to go for gold
More No means more Yes
A day’s work brings pay
Focus on task so you can bask
Ready, Set and get ahead
No pain no gain.

Remember, to keep your mantra short and memorable. Repetition of your mantra will help you focus, reduce negative self-talk and help you accomplish your task. It can also remind you of your core business goals and its very reason for existing. A well-written mantra can be a valuable tool that leads your business to success. Do you use mantras? Please share your mantra with us in the comments.

Blog

Know Thyself and Drink Lemonade

Know Thyself and Drink Lemonade

Guest post by Lora Kloth

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade…”

As a small business owner you probably can relate to my recent career experience. Although I don’t have a business of my own, I had a circumstance that forced me to evaluate my career goals, personal finances, and self-discovery.

Three years ago, my career as full-time association research librarian abruptly changed—my hours were reduced to part-time. I felt deluged with lemons.

I allowed myself a brief hiatus for frustration, but realized that wasted time. I realized the new schedule created an opportunity for me to try new things. And then I discovered aspects of myself I didn’t know existed as I adapted to an uncertain future:

I enjoyed brief “stay-at-home mom” status.
I considered a career change to court reporting and went back to school—and failed miserably! But in this “failure” I realized my true calling is librarianship.
I accepted the opportunity to teach information literacy despite never having taught anything before. But I did it, successfully, and made wonderful connections.

Here are guidelines to help become “future ready” when your career takes an unexpected turn:

Identify career goals, take stock of your personal life, and find a balance.

Discover your strengths and weaknesses.
Realize that “failure” offers experience and potential for future success.
Don’t underestimate what you can achieve.
Be flexible.
Try new things!
Know what makes you happy.
Interact with diverse groups of people.
Commit to lifelong learning.

Upon reflection, those same guidelines also apply to managing personal finances and building a secure financial future:

Become Informed. Learn about different investments vehicles and be actively involved in financial decisions.

You can do it! Don’t be intimidated by the world of money. Have confidence in your abilities. Ask questions and get answers! Your credit union is a great source for advice, products and services.
Don’t be overwhelmed. Commit to slow and steady progress by setting goals.
Make a budget. Then stick to it.
Reduce debt. Establish a savings plan and whittle away at those credit card bills.
Consider the importance of tax planning. Seek the services of a professional.
Don’t forget about retirement! Set up an IRA or other investment vehicle to prepare for your future.
Know your risk tolerance. Can you sleep at night with the types of investments you have? Are you in it for the long-term?

Getting tossed a “lemon” turned into an opportunity for me. It gave me a greater sense of confidence, self-reliance, independence, and satisfaction knowing I really was in charge. In the process, I developed a contingency plan for unexpected life events.

Start your financial future now. Look back at your experiences—are you willing to learn and move ahead if you’re tossed a lemon? Are you in control of your personal finances? Know thyself! Lemonade is actually a refreshing beverage.

Lora Kloth is research librarian at Credit Union National Association in Madison, Wisconsin. She earned her M.A. in Library and Information Studies at Northern Illinois University, and her B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She enjoys making lemonade with her two daughters, ages 13 and 7.

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: Weigh In on Gym Membership Tips

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Click here:

Weigh In on Gym Membership Tips

One big holiday, Thanksgiving, down. Add two pounds. Christmas to go. Add three pounds. Obviously in January it’s going to be time to join a gym.

Not all gyms are good for the same people. Which one would be best for you?

Begin by checking their business reviews with the BBB. How long have they been in business? Do they have complaints? What happens if they get into financial trouble and are closed down? We recently had a Gold’s Gym franchise location close but the corporate office immediately opened it up again for their members.

DSEF and Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) fosters honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visitwww.bbb.org/us for more information.

Blog

5 Lead Generating Ideas for Small Business

Businesses are always looking for new clientele. The key to lead generation is providing consistent excellence and getting people to promote your business to others.

Here are some ways you can generate new leads for your business.

1. Make the most of social media. It all starts with nurturing and engaging your network of people online regularly. The idea is to provide content that will encourage people to share with their network of friends online. Create interest to draw new friends/fans and leads.

Post usable content that encourages sharing, like recipes, quick household tips, and reviews.
Post photos/videos that are amusing, informative and positive.
Create a contest and/or offer free stuff.
Post and invite people to events.
Post a survey/poll.

2. Seek referrals from current clients. By providing consistently excellent customer service as well as high quality products/services, you will generate a constant flow of referrals. Implement a process to automatically ask for referrals at the end of every order. If you don’t have this process in place, just ask your customers for referrals. You’ll be surprised by how many business owners just don’t ask.

Another way is to create a fun contest to get your customers talking about your products/services with others. This way, customers are promoting your business without the sales pitch and creating leads. Click here for more ideas on getting referrals.

3. Team up. Find a local business that caters to a similar market as yours, and build a relationship based on mutual interests and benefits. You could hold a joint open house, offer incentives for customers that use both of your services, and even split the costs of local advertising. Once you have built a solid relationship, begin referring each other to your customers both by word of mouth and also by distributing mailers and business cards to your patrons. For example, one local ice cream shop hosts a blood drive periodically, and offers a free ice cream cone to those that donate. They teamed up with the pub down the street so now both businesses advertise ice cream and beer (“a pint for a pint”) for donating which generates traffic to both businesses, and also creates good will towards both businesses in the community.

4. Network with influencers. This will require you to seek out influencers in your community. Also don’t forget the influencers that you already know off and online. Support influencers in their passions and causes and establish a relationship with them. Then you can create a mutually beneficial relationship where you refer to one another. This will help you tap into their network of people and find new leads for your business.

5. Weekly face to face. Schedule time to have coffee, lunch and/or a social get-together with customers, online friends/fans, other local business people and influencers weekly. Keep it social. This will help deepen your relationships, and naturally get you leads as they talk about their time with you.

What methods have you used to generate meaningful leads? Please add to our list in the comments section below!

Free e-book “Business Owner’s Road Map to Success.” It has over 50 pages of techniques for everything a small business owner needs to master, from business planning and ethical selling to a success mindset. It’s all there and it’s free for you. To get it, just “Like” our Facebook Page here: http://on.fb.me/KsIN6P Pass it on!

Blog

How to Become an Expert

How to Become an Expert

Being recognized as an expert in your field can bring many opportunities to edge out your competitors and grow your business. Once you have devoted yourself to becoming an expert, you will need to take the appropriate steps. Read on for some ways to get started.

Get focused. Even if you consider yourself an expert in several fields, especially if they are unrelated, choose one on which to focus. You may know a great deal about scrap-booking and fashion, but the two aren’t closely enough related to tie together in your search for expert status. Choose one area of your business (marketing, customer service, social media, etc.), and make it your job to know everything there is to know about it. Tip – Find a mentor or an individual you want to emulate. Copy what they did. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.

Get learning. Even the most respected folks in their fields are continually seeking professional development to further their education. Read up on your subject, interview other experienced people, attend workshops, and take some classes. You might even want to get yourself a mentor. Tip – Consider taking a certificate course to add to your credentials and experience.

Get writing. After doing the appropriate amount of research required to share your expertise, publish as much quality literature on your subject as you can. Ideally, you will want to publish in several different media, such as blogs, newsletters, articles, and mailers. Having some published material will demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter and act as a “pre-sell” of your information. Tip – Partner with bloggers and offer a weekly article/post or join their staff.

Get talking. Begin setting up speaking engagements; there’s nothing wrong with starting small. Begin by reaching out to your local library, community center, senior center, or chamber of commerce. Design your talk to highlight your accomplishments and background as well what you have to offer that makes you unique. Of course, bring some literature to distribute and use the time before and after to network and book further speaking engagements. Word of mouth can go a long way, and if you are good at what you do, people will notice and seek you out. Tip – Promote and offer your availability to do interviews.

Get promoting. You should already be used to doing this as an entrepreneur, but in order for others to recognize you as an expert, you need to promote yourself in a different way. Contact local newspapers and cable news networks to get attention put on you and your subject matter. Find some way that your expertise can benefit them as well. Tip – Present workshops, participate on internet radio, create your own YouTube videos, and submit to article websites, and present on community TV channels.

Experts in business have many doors open for them once they become established and respected. With hard work and dedication, two qualities you undoubtedly possess already, you can position yourself as an expert and reap the benefits that go along with it. What do you think it takes to become an expert? Share your ideas in the comments below!

Blog / Teleseminar

DSEF & Money Wise Women: Organizing Your Financial Records

Today’s highlighted post from Money Wi$e Women Get Smart Teleseminar Series (click here):

Organizing Your Financial Records

Organizing your financial records provides you with a sense of freedom and accomplishment. Learn some simple steps you can take to organize your financial records. You’ll also learn what records to keep and which records you should toss. Once you’re organized, you’ll be ready to determine your net worth.

Stacey Anderson, Organized Innovations

Stacey Anderson is a Professional Organizer, speaker and author. As founder of Organized Innovations she has tackled almost every dis-organized situation out there. Her book Get Organized : Get Revitalized is chalk full of quick, easy to implement tips for those struggling with getting started. Stacey is an active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is currently on the Seattle Chapter board. She has been a guest expert on local radio and has been featured in many local newspapers. www.organizedinnovations.com

DSEF proudly sponsors the free Money Wi$e Women Get Smart Teleseminar Series hosted by Marcia Brixey, Founder and President of Money Wise Women Educational Services and author ofThe Money Therapist: A Woman’s Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life. The series covers topics related to business and finances and provides women the opportunity to learn from professional experts in a safe, comfortable environment.

To find out about upcoming teleseminars, visit http://www.moneywisewomengetsmart.com/

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: How “Top” Are the Top Ten?

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Click here:

How “Top” Are the Top Ten?

Recently a local journal published a list of “Top Companies” in our area. “Wait a minute,” I said, spotting a familiar name. “Don’t they have an F with the BBB?”

Further research turned up the fact that this rating was earned in part due to a BBB Accredited Business revocation. We had revoked the company for not responding to a complaint after having had numerous chances to do so. Ironically, the complaint was about lack of response to the business’s paying customer.

Blog

Four Priorities for Small Businesses

Being a small business owner often requires you to wear many different hats. However, it is important to focus on your business’s main objective, which is to turn a profit. Read on for four elements of small business that should be at the top of your priority list.

Be social. Make a list of all the possible ways you can meet and socialize with people. Start with a list of people you know and their interests. Then make a list of the people they know and finally, create a list of ways to meet new people. Becoming a social butterfly will help grow your business naturally and effectively. The benefits of being social will result in greater word of mouth for your business, increase business and increase opportunities. To optimize your social interactions utilize social media networks to stay connected and to nurture relationships with all your people.
Focus on your local market. In the past, the idea was to cast a large net and hope to catch as many as you can. But, that was expense and usually yielded poor results. The better strategy is to help customers find solutions that your products solve, keep them close by so your business can easily maintain a relationship with them, and efficiently promote return business. Here are a few ideas on how to tap your local market. Hold an open house, inviting local residents and business owners to see what your business is all about. Consider getting professionally involved in a local cause such as school fundraisers, community food banks, or places of worship.
Collaborate with others. In addition to focusing on the local market, join forces with other businesses that complement your own. Collaboration can take several other forms as well. Perhaps attending a convention or other professional development opportunity, you will meet people with similar goals and interests. Working cooperatively with them can benefit you both.
Make it snappy and easy. Most people today are always on the run and are multitasking all day long. When introducing your business either in person or online, make sure you have an informative couple of sentences that sums up what you do and how it might help that possible customer. Also make sure your business processes are efficient. Make sure your business is easy to find, make the sales process quick, make customer service engaging and quick to respond to customers/prospects needs.

What other elements of being a small business owner do you feel are important? Please add them to the list by commenting below!

Blog

6 Strategies to Attract Customers

6 Strategies to Attract Customers

As a small business owner or direct seller, your customers are your livelihood. Attracting customers is something you’ll likely be striving to do whether you are just starting up or have been in business for years. In order to attract customers more effectively here are six strategies to help you attract customers and keep them coming back.

Host an open house and make yourself accessible. In doing so, you have an opportunity to not only bring in new customers, but also to connect with your community. Consider inviting local business owners and residents to your open house, where they can become acquainted with what you have to offer. Provide merchandise samples, product or service demonstrations, giveaways, and brochures. Supply refreshments for your guests and use the time to introduce yourself to them so they can put a face to your business name. You can begin building professional relationships by immersing yourself in the community.
Cross-promote your business. Another benefit of being active in your community is the ability to join forces with other businesses in order to reach a wider customer base. There are many ways to use cross-promotion such as: offering incentives to customers who use both your services, providing each other’s fliers to your customers, and sharing ad space in newspapers that you could not afford by yourself. Cross-promotion, when used effectively, can become an inexpensive way to expand your clientele.
Generate conversation and maintain an online presence. Let’s face it: ever since the word “Google” became a regularly used verb, most people have begun to research nearly everything online before making an actual purchase. Your website should not only be informational, but useful as well. If possible, provide specific product information and the ability to purchase online. Furthermore, many business owners are adding blogs to their sites where they can answer questions and provide tips that their customers would find useful. Beyond your business’s website, use social media to promote your business and generate conversation with your target market. Facebook and Twitter are obvious choices, but also consider Foursquare and Pinterest.
Explore and tap into unique communities. Explore your interests. Look for hobbyists, clubs/organizations, and causes that you can get involve with. This is a natural and low stress way to network. The more interest you explore the more people you network with and the more exposure for your business.
Provide a little something special. Many consumers perceive indifference from the businesses they frequent, which is why it’s extremely important that you provide the special extras. Here are some examples, when customers make a purchase, provide an inexpensive sample product and ask for their input about it. Remember to send them a birthday card, sponsor free kid workshops to give your customers who are parents a break, offer free gift wrapping, and local delivery service. This will help retain your customers, but also remember that word of mouth is very effective. By making a memorable and positive impression, your customers will want to share their experiences with their families and friends.
Make customer service the focus of your business. Create a system that rewards customers for their patronage and loyalty. Develop a clear, simple process on how to engage prospects, first time customers, repeat customers, loyal customers and doing follow ups. Your goal is to make prospects and customers feel that they are special and highly valued with their first experience with you. You want to hear that they’ll be back soon and that they’ll refer their friends to your business. Click here for some good ideas to increase your referrals.

When coming up with more ideas to attract customers, remember to be genuine, friendly, and professional. Aim for accessibility, authentic engagement, uniqueness and processes that deliver consistent excellence. What are some of your tried and true strategies for attracting customers? Please share them with us in the comments section below.

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: Protect Your Mail

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB):

By CAROL ODELL

With the mail picking up for the holiday season it’s a good time to focus on mail theft.

The Colorado Springs Police Department sent out a Community Alert about mail theft that is worth repeating. Here it is.

Mail fraud can mean anything from non-delivery of mail-order merchandise to mail actually being stolen. Not only do criminals steal packages containing presents and cards filled with money or checks but personal information in your mail can be used by criminals to steal your identity.

Preventing Mail Theft:

Do not leave outgoing mail in your unlocked mailbox.
Deposit mail in a collection box or inside your local post office.
Promptly pick up your incoming mail after it is delivered.
Arrange for the installation of locked group mailboxes for neighborhood delivery. These are Neighborhood Deliver & Collection Box Units (NDCBU). Each address has an individual locked unit for delivery and collection. At least seven neighbors are needed to sign a petition requesting an NDCBU.
Install a locked mailbox or convert your unlocked box to the lockable type.
Have mail delivered to a Post Office Box or Personal Mail Delivery Service.
Use Direct Deposit and Electronic Banking to avoid checks in your mail.
Contact the senders if you don’t receive credit cards, checks or other valuable mail.
When out of town have the post office hold your mail or have someone your trust pick up the mail daily.
Be observant of and report suspicious activities on your street, including those near your letter carrier, the postal vehicle, residential mailboxes, and collection boxes.
Notify the post office and people who will be sending you mail that you have a change of address.
To stop receiving pre-approved credit and insurance offers call: 18885OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit: www.optoutprescreen.com

Do you have any other mail safety tips?