Top 7 Hiring Mistakes for Startup Businesses

Avoid these pitfalls and build a team of talented employees.
Building great teams is never easy.
A quick look at the sports world confirms this. Coaches come and go, players are free to seek new teams and owners are free to sign players who fit certain roles within the limits of payroll.
In business, it’s equally difficult. [...]

Places to leave your stamp offline?

Obviously you can purchase advertising space in newspapers, magazines, radio, television, etc. But lets face it, paying for ad space can get pricey, so let’s look at a few cheaper ways to brand your business away from the computer, because shockingly, some people still don’t spend their entire day on the Internet.
Stickers
Giving your customers free [...]

50 office-speak phrases you love to hate

Management speak – don’t you just hate it? Here are the 50 of the best (worst) examples.
1. “When I worked for Verizon, I found the phrase going forward to be more sinister than annoying. When used by my boss – sorry, “team leader” – it was understood to mean that the topic of conversation [...]

14 things you can learn from the Google story

Connections – human, computer, biology – are everything. Life = networks.
Never compromise your ideals because someone said it’s impossible, stupid, or a waste of time.
Do focus on changing the world, don’t focus on the money. If you provide value, the money will come.
Have a healthy disregard for the impossible. If someone hasn’t done it yet, [...]

The Key to Retaining Sales Talent

Good salespeople are worth their weight in gold. That’s why it pays to reward them with a pair of golden handcuffs.
Your salespeople are one of your most valuable investments. You recruit them, train them and trust them with your valued customers. You depend on them to keep your business growing.
So what happens if they leave? [...]

Top Ten Business Do’s and Dont’s

Here are some important overall considerations you need to think about before starting your business:
THE TOP TEN DO’S WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS

Live frugally and begin saving up money for starting your business.
Learn your intended business by working for someone else in the same business first.
Consider the benefits of starting a moonlight business.
Consider [...]

Pursuing Venture Capital

Determine whether you’re a good candidate for institutional VC funding
Does your business qualify for institutional venture capital? Run through this diagnostic test to find out how suitable your business is for funding.
1.Are you a technology company? Technology is the stuff of gods for venture capitalists. With proprietary technology, a company can dominate a market [...]

The Importance of Taking a Time Out

Can’t seem to cut that monstrous to-do list down to size? Maybe it’s time to relax, step back and regroup.
When you run your own business, now is the time of year you close your books and promise to establish positive habits for the new year. Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year when you’re likely [...]

10 Ways To Find Time To Plan

We’re all busy people and finding time to plan your new enterprise can be a challenge. Remember that what you need at the outset is to think and you can do that almost anywhere. Here then are ten ways you can find the time to plan.
1. Daydream – something deep inside is urging you to [...]

50+ Ways to Optimize Your Website for Christmas Conversions

The Christmas shopping season is upon us, and retailers both online and off are enjoying heavy sales. You need to get a piece of the pie, and optimizing your site is the best way to do it. Take these actions to turn your website into a Christmas cash cow.
Usability
The Christmas shopping crowd isn’t your average [...]