Of late, I’ve noticed that my down time has vanished. Poof. Gone. I wondered why and when the answer presented itself, it was simple and yet profound. It’s not because there’s more work on my plate. There’s always a ton of work to be done. No. I realized one day, the real reason is because every bit of down time that presented itself, is filled with something else. Every spare moment, minute, or hour that’s not spent actively doing, I’ve filled it. By: Reading a book Listening to podcasts Watching a webinar Catching bits of a tutorial Reading RSS feeds…

If you still have a perfunctory business card, you know just something thought of at the last minute and maybe even worse; printed out on your computer you’re not taking your business seriously. You know the kind that you punch out of a sheet? You’re missing the point of having a business card. The point is to let someone know your brand and make them curious enough to call you when they need what you have to offer. Business cards are another way to brand your business. You don’t want to be branded like everyone else, boring or worse… standard.…

As a leader, decision making is part of the deal. Ultimately, everything comes down to what we want to happen and that means we make the final call. It’s tempting to think that small business owners are naturally good at decision making. Maybe. We do make more decisions on a daily basis but the truth is, decision making may not come easily all the time, and certainly not for all leaders. Wherever you are on the scale of decision making skills, we can all benefit from learning from those who are great at it. Decide & Implement Quickly When I…

There comes a time in almost any business where you want to retire or move on to another product and the thought of selling comes to mind. But, how do you know when the right time to sell your business is? How do you know when to do it so that you can maximize your profit? Here are five ways to determine when it’s the right time to sell your business. Plus, if you’re just at the start-up phase, it can give you some insight on how to set things up so your business is salable. The Market Is Right…

I’ve just completed a workshop teaching branding to graphic design firms from Canada and the United States. As part of that training, confidence in selling is a crucial element in delivering branding to their customers. On the surface it would appear that selling is a crucial first step. “Selling” is a difficult skill for many of us – myself included. It’s something I work at tirelessly. Defining my brand and working at it is one part of my overall branding strategy. To me selling is a bit of a misnomer. I don’t so much sell, as participate in a conversation.…

To grow, every business needs new leads and new customers. Without a steady incoming flow of new customers, you would hit a plateau and eventually decline. There are different ways of achieving that but the quickest is to advertise. Doing it online means you get results faster. So how do you do it? Read on for a quick online advertising how to crash course. Let’s begin. Who Are You Advertising To? Do you know? Everybody is not an acceptable answer. While each online advertising marketplace you use will have their own target market options, you still need to clarify this…

Have you ever wondered why that delicious new restaurant that you loved and all your friends loved, that seemed busy ended up closed by the beginning of the next year? The automatic assumption is that there is a lot of competition out there, so the restaurant just didn’t have a chance. Usually, there is a lot more to it than that. If you have a good business idea, and have done your due diligence there is no reason you can’t be successful no matter how much competition there is. It all starts with having good financial habits. There are some…

Many of us (even strong willed entrepreneurs, sometimes) wish for someone to simply tell us what works, what to do, where to go. It’s not because we are lazy – although it could be the reason sometimes. No, I personally believe it’s not our character flaw but our human nature. When we get overwhelmed and not sure what to do next. When we get confused. When we are afraid or unsure of our next steps. When we are tired or burnt out. That’s when a “here do this” solution is so attractive. No wonder information products abound and probably won’t…

Most of us would rather avoid confrontation. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is not free of it. We have to be dealing with difficult people and situations in our business from time to time. Here’s the good news. In some ways, handling demanding people is a little easier online because that person isn’t in your face. You also have the luxury of time and to respond on your terms. Try these techniques the next time you encounter a troll, an upset customer or someone who is just plain rude. When Dealing With Difficult People, Keep Calm This is always so…

Any business that has a long life also goes through many different branding identities. If they don’t, the business may end up stuck in the past marketing to customers who no longer exist. For instance, a demographic such as women in their 20’s, looks completely different today than it did 20 years ago. Since a company’s brand is about the audience more than anything else, it’s important to consider how things change. Look at a company like Johnson & Johnson. They have been around for over 120 years. If they kept the same branding over the years, it would be…