Can a Broken Window Be a Good Thing?
There’s a ton of controversy right now as to whether or not the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy will, or will not, serve to stimulate the economy. Obviously there are two camps: one says Sandy is...
View ArticleIs There a Majority of Small Business Owners Ready to Vote for One...
For the “everyday” small business owner, trying to figure out which presidential candidate most small business owners support, or even if one candidate has more support from the business community over...
View ArticleForward?
The election is over and now it seems we will be “Moving forward, not back.” The republicans that have already come to accept Romney’s defeat are sounding a lot like Sookie Stackhouse: Onwards we go to...
View ArticleIs Print Media Dead? Why Small Business Owners Should Take a Second Look
Many small business owners may have thrown out the newspaper with the bath water when it comes to using print media as a marketing and promotion channel for their small business. Number one, most of us...
View ArticleFunding Down to a Science
Account rep: Congratulations, you’ve been approved for $27,000! Merchant: How did you come up with these figures? Account rep: It was science. Science did this. Funny? Maybe not, especially since an...
View ArticleAvoiding Credit Card Fraud
Many small businesses that weren’t able to utilize traditional credit card processing services are delighted to find that there are now applications where they can accept credit card payments using a...
View ArticleThe #1 Sales Skill for Small Business Owners
No matter how well you performed your due diligence before opening the doors at your small business, once you opened them you got a few surprises. And, unless you were in sales before opening your...
View ArticleSurprise! We Are the Market
Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) is an alternative to a small business loan. Look around. MCA players have spent so much energy on gaining mainstream acceptance, that we’ve become oblivious to reality. We...
View ArticleSometimes Walking Away Gets You Closer to a Real Deal
Walking away from a sure deal may seem to be a crazy thing to do during uncertain times. But sometimes it is absolutely the best thing to do. When we aren’t sure where our next customer is going to...
View ArticleGetting Permission
Numbers don’t lie. 77% of online consumers surveyed said they want to receive permission-based marketing messages via email. Sounds impressive – but even more impressive when you learn that direct mail...
View ArticleA New Approach to Providing Employee Feedback for Small Business Owners
Sometimes you just can’t figure out how to deal with employees. Take Rebecca your receptionist. She’s excellent with clients, knows exactly what calls to put through and when to take a message, dresses...
View ArticleComing In From the Cold: Connecting With Prospects
A small business owner posted a great question on the LinkedIn group “Small Business Networks for Startups and Entrepreneurs” board: Are cold calls effective? Or is it old school? For a small company,...
View ArticleSocial Media for Small Business: Food for Thought
Here’s an interesting trend: blog posts on the subject of the “decline” of social media. Within 90 seconds you can locate three such articles on Forbes.com: 3 Reasons You Should Quit Social Media In...
View ArticleCompetitive Advantage: Keeping What’s Yours
The most effective competitive advantages are the ones you’re able to keep. And one of the most important of your competitive advantages can be your team. When a close partner, associate, consultant,...
View ArticlePassing A Health Inspection
How to Improve Your Odds of a Clean Report There are four things you can do to make the whole health inspection process a lot more pleasant. Of course keeping a clean kitchen is the first and most...
View ArticleCulinary Byte$
Selling food, photos or furniture—meeting expectations equals customer retention. Many would-be restaurant entrepreneurs wrongfully fear failure due to lack of experience in the food service business,...
View ArticleLetters from the Frontline
I’ve worked in the alternative business lending industry for quite a while and I’ve noticed something off about many of the marketing campaigns. Some lenders have gotten so caught up in the funding...
View ArticleIn The Weeds: What the Customer Doesn’t See
The kitchen is not a part of the restaurant that most people are even aware of when they dine. Maybe the door swings open and closed, maybe a pan or dish clanks in the background, but that’s about it...
View ArticleHow Much Capital Do I Need?
Reason #1 for failure of a restaurant is undercapitalization. That can mean anything from not having enough funds to complete the start up phase required to open, to insufficient reserve to provide...
View ArticleMenus for Success: How to Make Your Restaurant a Local Legend
Running a restaurant is a big undertaking, but the most important thing to focus on should always be the product you’re turning out; the delicious food. The food is what really makes the restaurant,...
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