What is it that makes you inspired? Running a small business takes skill, dedication and experience but there is something to be said about being inspired to be more, to do better, to achieve something greater. How do you get there? What inspires you? Is it a daily walk? Is it a trip away to more »
The longer you are in business, you realize that it is what makes you stand out that makes all the difference. For example, I’ve heard many times “Oh, I’m in Marketing” or “I design websites” but when you get to the details, you realize what makes you different from your competition. There are definitely shining more »
Amazing. As a small business owner, I read the book “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel about entrepreneurship. One most important point was to differentiate yourself from your competition. What is it about your business that makes you stand out? It takes some time before you can truly understand what makes you different than others. more »
Sometimes, it’s hard for people to get themselves out there and market for their business. Especially for small and medium sized businesses, they want to focus on selling their products and services. How do you get your name out there though? Share What You Know. If you sell tires, share your knowledge of them – more »
All business owners need to have an online presence. E-commerce and online sales are a huge part of business today. Understanding how your online business works can be complicated but vitally important. Just like standing out from your main competitors is important, it is just as important to make your website stand out from the more »
Would you bet on yourself? Small business owners do this every day. Risk is part of the equation – calculated risk is what successful business owners will take. In order to get to the next level, and not just survive but thrive, you need to take risk. In order to improve your business, you have more »
Today is a day of celebration. Our son turns 16! Time flies so fast. This had me thinking about how important it is to celebrate milestones in life and in business. For hard working business owners, sometimes we can get caught up in working so hard, we forget to take time to celebrate all the more »
Businesses within a specific geographic area have thrived for centuries just on the basis on wanting to support the people you know, the people you live near, the people you value most. As times have changed, we become engaged with our neighbors and neighboring businesses not only by seeing people in person but now, through more »
For small business owners, one gets used to saving money, doing as many tasks as possible and multitasking on a regular basis. As a good business practice, however, it is important to know how to do all aspects of your business well and sometimes, it means hiring staff to do it, outsourcing the job and/or more »
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” ~Henri Frederic Amiel. It is this time of year that we are reminded to be thankful and grateful for the gifts we have been given. This translates not only in our personal more »
Creating price breaks and price points is a tricky process, especially when you are first starting out. There are different philosophies behind how to price for your products and services. In the beginning, you may want to start out at a lower price, just to ‘test’ the market and see if there is a client more »
Many business owners fear blogging and social media. This is because not only is it relatively new but it also involves technology that you may or may not be familiar with. Guess what? You don’t have to be perfect. You can grow into it. What’s more important is that you are learning and you are more »
Marketing is not just a subject we learn about in school. As small business owners, it is important to continuously think about what you can do to promote your products and services. We know typically, the salespeople are the ones who actively market the products and services to the clients. Today, it is actually better more »
In our business world, it is important to acknowledge how important our clients are to us. The Holiday season is fast approaching and as part of your overall marketing strategy and budget, it is important to plan how you say “Thank You”. In this very busy world, a little something can go a long way. more »
Guest Blogger, Mark Turner, President / CEO of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce offers his blog post entitled “How Small Businesses Affect Our Community”. Mark Turner is the key executive staff member and oversees the Chamber operations, communications, legislative affairs, and major fund developments. Small business affects our local economy in a big way! While more »
