ABC Business Tips - America's Best Companies

Small Biz Tip: Rebranding: Get Involved

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:26:22 GMT

Tips from April 9, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss how to get involved to promote your rebranding campaign.

Local events are a great place to showcase your rebranded company. Chamber of Commerce meetings, small business associations, and town functions are great ways to get involved and display your rebranding campaign.
Host a "preview" party for your loyal customers. Allow them to check out your rebranded image and store before anyone else with the VIP treatment!
Sponsor a local sports organization. Many youth leagues are always looking for team sponsors. It's a great way to get your name out there, and to help the little ones in your community!
Be prepared. Have your elevator pitch, explanation for the rebrand, and some samples ready for anyone who asks. Be proud!

Daily Overview: Come off of your rebranding strategy in a BIG way. Host an event. Get physically involved and get noticed!

Small Biz Tip: Rebranding: Social Media

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:01:26 GMT

Tips from April 8, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss rebranding strategies using social media.

Change your tone on all social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc). Be upbeat, excited, and open to discussing your rebranding and company.
Change your look. Try incorporating your new rebranded logo and design to acknowledge you're in a transition period. Be consistent on all social media accounts.
Twitter is a great social media resource for rebranding efforts. It allows for you and your followers to interact publicly to answer any and all questions with @ replies.
Include pictures! Twitpic, yfrog, and Facebook Picture Uploader allow pictures to be instantly uploaded to those who follow you. Take advantage of this! Remember: Pictures speak louder than words!

Daily Overview: Communicate, update, and inform your followers in real time via social media to discuss your rebranding.

Small Biz Tip: Rebranding: Blog

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:58:45 GMT

Tips from April 7, 2010

The Small Business tips today entail how to discuss rebranding on your business blog.

Track your progress on your business blog. Go over each important step - what you're doing and why. This will keep people involved and informed.
Give detailed explanations. For example, if you're redesigning your logo, explain why. What is different? Is there a new meaning? Why are you changing it? What does it mean to you?
While it is important to update and educate your customers and consumers about the rebranding, keep in mind your competitors are also following your every move. Don't divulge important information or strategies you do not want them to know.
Encourage two way communication. Pose questions on your blog, and ask them to comment with responses. Additionally, dedicate a blog post to strictly asking if your followers have any questions about the rebranding.

Daily Overview: Your business blog will help you get the word out about your business, as well as keep those who matter in the loop.

Small Biz Tip: Rebranding: Communication

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:33:23 GMT

Tips from April 6, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss communicating while rebranding your business.

Many people will have questions about your rebranding. Answer questions that are posted on your website, in comments, on social media, or any other communication channel publicly. This way, others who might have the same question will be able to see your answer. Explain the change, and what you hope to accomplish in each answer.
Be authentic. When you're communicating to others outside your company make sure you are accurate in explaining what exactly is going on. Tell the truth. Be real. Any discrepancies will look poorly upon your company.
If you announce something, make sure you follow through. There is nothing worse than consumers, customers, and competitors with high expectations and be let down.
Keep communication lines open and available. Your website is a great communication tool, as well as your social media accounts (more later this week). This allows people to contact you or at least have the information to contact you whenever they would like.

Daily Overview: Open communication lines allow for the rebranding news to get out to the public, as well as answer any questions that others may have.

Small Biz Tip: Rebranding: Strategy

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:33:29 GMT

Tips from April 5, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss rebranding strategies.

Create a strategy first. Going into a rebranding without having a set goal or plan of attack will not only look sloppy, but it can damage your brand, reputation, and business.
Keep your employees on the same page. Inform everyone at your business about the new rebranding campaign. This way, all employees can answer any questions that may come up about your new campaign.
Make sure key players agree on the rebranding plan. A plan which is only agreed upon by a few of the upper level management will not work in the long run. Keep making changes until you find a plan that everyone agrees on.
Build a timeline. It takes time to rebrand: marketing collateral, logo, social media (look for tips this week!), getting the word out, and any other odds and ends to take care of.

Daily Overview: Rebranding without a plan is a bad idea. Take the time to think ahead to organize, then go ahead and implement.

Small Biz Tip: Blogs: Guest Bloggers

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:54:34 GMT

Tips from March 19, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss having a guest blogger contribute to your blog.

Do your research. Find out who has good information to share and who you can trust. Reach out to colleagues, industry experts, or even other employees. Send emails, tweet, or pick up the phone and call.
Give guidelines, but allow creative freedom. Give a word range that guest bloggers should shoot for. If you would like your guest to talk about a certain topic, tell them. Be as specific as you need to be to generate the post you want, but don't be too picky. Give them freedom.
Prep your guest blogger. Give them a rundown of your blog, including the style, typical length, and readership. Additionally, announce your guest on blog a few posts in advance. Spread the word!
After the guest blog is published, thank your contributor. Gauge the results and your reader response. Suggest your guest blogger posts a link on their blog to their post on your site.

Daily Overview: Guest bloggers give new information, a fresh face, and generate interest and readership.

Small Biz Tip: Blogs: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:43:22 GMT

Tips from March 18, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss SEO (search engine optimization) for blogs.

Keep your content fresh. The easiest tip for SEO is to have great content that will get you found without much promoting. The quality of your work and original content will get you found on the top search engines.
Keywords - Important words that people will search for search engines, such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, are important when creating your blog post. Keywords should be in your title, subtitle, URL, and tags.
Posting links to your blog in outside sources provides links back to your website. Unfortunately, this could also be labeled as spam if done incorrectly. Keep posting your blogs on comments to other blogs in your industry, or those that you know personally and professionally. Don't get too carried away, you could ruin your reputation.
Social media provides a great way to provide a link for others outside your community, industry, or readership to read your blog. Twitter is a way to direct people back to you. Provide links to your content, and your name and brand will act as a platform.

Daily Overview: SEO helps your blog get found on the internet and moves your ranking up. Keep these tips in mind to build your blog exposure through SEO.

Small Biz Tip: Blogs: Marketing Your Business

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:53:00 GMT

Tips from March 17, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss marketing your business with your blog.

Listen - Do you know what is going on in your industry? Your blogosphere? The world today? You need to listen to know what others are talking about, what people want to know, and what people need to know. Listen first, then blog.
Personal & Professional - Create a relationship with clients, or potential clients, in the blogosphere. Include others you work with who contribute to your blog. Create a short bio on each employee, and let them interact as well.
Don't Be Too Salesy! It is okay to sell to your readers, but only after you create a brand and a relationship with your readers. Avoid being too salesy, instead, blog about what is important to your industry, followers, and clients, and add a short product placement at the end.
Get into a rhythm of posting to your blog. Post a few times every week, about 2-3 times is a good start for any small business. Once you have a good following, start posting 3-5 days per week. Keep the content fresh and innovative.

Daily Overview: Using your blog can be a huge asset to your marketing campaigns. Be relevant, honest, personable, and professional.

Small Biz Tip: Blogs: Drive Traffic to Your Blog

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:52:41 GMT

The Small Business tips today discuss how to drive traffic to your blog using Twitter.

Complete Your Profile - Fill out your biography, link to your blog, and any other information that others reading your Twitter OR blog could find you at. See the two as compliments of each other.
Branding - Utilize the picture and background features. Create a brand for yourself - think of it as an Internet billboard. Create a theme that is consistent between your blog and your Twitter account.
Links & Hashtags - Post bit.ly links on your Twitter account each time you create a post on your blog. This can be synched, but for beginners, it is a simple step of copying and pasting the link from your blog to bit.ly, then sending a tweet to your followers. Additionally, use hashtags (#) to brand your business and group your topics with other similar topics on Twitter.
Be Visible! If you have a Twitter account to promote your blog, be active. Talk to your followers. Interact WITH them, not AT them.

Daily Overview: Blogging is a powerful tool for any business, and using Twitter is a great way to promote your blog.

Small Biz Tip: Blogs: Types of Blogs to Get Comments

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:04:46 GMT

Tips from March 15, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss different types of blog posts to attract visitors and receive comments.

Competitions - Read: FREE GIVEAWAYS. Encourage people to comment on your blog to interact, share ideas, or discuss your post, and offer a giveaway for the most insightful comment.
Interesting/Quirky Information - Share a unique story or interesting link on your blog, and discuss. Ask your readers if they've heard of your information/link. Encourage a discussion.
Debate - Pose two debating topics or opinions to your readers, and let the comments fly. State the facts for each, and again, ask your readers what they think.
Lists & Resources - If you are posting a good amount of information with links and resources for your followers, your readers will comment with compliments, or with their own suggestions. For those resources you include, email them to inform them you are including them on your blog. They will most likely leave a thank you comment.

Daily Overview: Comments will appear on your blog when you engage your readers. Post useful information. Pose questions. Interact!

Small Biz Tip: Taxes: Employee Taxes

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:02:28 GMT

Tips from March 12, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss employee taxes.

If you have employees for your business, a variety of taxes will be withheld from their income. Remind your employees of the taxes upon hiring.
Some taxes withheld from employees' pay are: Social Security, FICA, Medicare, and federal and state income taxes.
Employees aren't the only ones who have taxes taken out. Businesses and employers must match the FICA and Medicare taxes and pay them along with employees.
Don't forget those who are out of work! Businesses are required to pay federal and state unemployment taxes.

Daily Overview: Taxes withheld from employers and employee salaries go towards different organizations. Keep this in mind, and look for returns when you file taxes.

Small Biz Tip: Taxes: Audits

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:35:41 GMT

Tips from March 11, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss types of tax audits.

Correspondence Audit: Simple procedure. The IRS requests you to document an item on your return by a specific date. Routine test for compliance.
Field Audit: The dreaded audit. IRS asks for documentation of various items on your return and meet with an IRS agent for thorough review of records. Be prepared to answer questions and have all paperwork needed.
Taxpayer Compliance Measurement Program Audit: Lengthy and detailed. Document and provide proof for every single item in your return. IRS and Congress use this for research and statistics, and are arbitrary regardless of how careful and perfect your tax return is.
Criminal Investigation Audit: Suspicion of tax evasion. The IRS will try to prove you have purposefully not paid your income taxes. If they are successful, you can face large fines and jail time. If you face this type of audit, you should retain qualified legal counsel.

Daily Overview: There are several types of audits, from complex reviews to cover every aspect of your business to simple requests for a survey. Don't panic if you hear you are being audited. Stay calm, find out all the information, and proceed from there.

Small Biz Tip: Taxes: Business Tax Breaks

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:37:02 GMT

Tips from March 10, 2010

Are you collecting the maximum tax breaks from the stimulus law passed last year? Here are the 5 best business tax breaks.

Bonus depreciation. Allows a business to deduct 50% of the cost of a new asset in the year it is placed in service.
Section 179 expensing. A small business can elect to expense up to $250k of the cost of qualified assets.
Net operating losses. Under the new law, most businesses can elect to carry back losses for up to 5 years, instead of the usual 2 years.
Discharge of business debt. The stimulus law allows businesses to recognize discharge of indebtedness income over 5 years, rather than all in 2009.
Exclusion of gain on the sale of qualified small business stock. Increased to 75% for any gain from a sale between Feb 09 and Jan 11.

Daily Overview: Keep the 2009 stimulus law in mind when you are calculating your taxes this year.

Big thanks to Kyle Durand for his excellent tax advice this week and help in writing today's tips. Need legal advice? Visit Kyle Durand at www.entrepreneurialadvocate.com and www.preceptlaw.com.

Small Biz Tip: Taxes: Common Errors

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:41:32 GMT

Tips from March 9, 2010

With many business tax returns due on April 15th, the Small Business tips today discuss common tax return errors and how to avoid them.

The most common business tax return error is also the easiest to avoid – make sure the return is signed by a company officer.
According to the IRS, the #2 business tax return error is failing to include the correct tax ID number. Is yours correct?
Incorrect sequencing or missing forms are easily preventable return errors. Review the instructions for each return one last time.
Late or inaccurate election to be treated as an S corporation. This is a big one, because an invalid election will mean your corporation will be subject to double-taxation for the year.

Daily Overview: With correct preparation and execution, tax time doesn't have to be stressful. Be prepared, organized, and turn to help if you need it.

Big thanks to Kyle Durand for his excellent tax advice this week and help in writing today's tips. Need legal advice? Visit Kyle Durand at www.entrepreneurialadvocate.com and www.preceptlaw.com.

Small Biz Tip: Taxes: Deductions

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:38:54 GMT

Tips from March 8, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss tax deductions for small businesses.

Business Travel – Deduct your transportation, accommodations, and business-related expenses from your taxes. Combining business and pleasure? Only deduct costs that are business related as long as more than half of your trip is dedicated towards work.
Equipment – Need new machines, equipment, or other necessary supplies to keep your business running? Deduct these necessities from your business taxes.
Rent – Keeping your business under a roof comes at a cost. Deduct your cost for rent to lower your taxable income.
Salaries – What you pay your employees is a necessary expense for your business. Keep records of your employee salaries, and changes throughout the year, and deduct these expenses.

Daily Overview: “Ordinary and necessary” expenses for your business can be deducted from your revenue to reduce your taxable income. Stay organized throughout the year.

Small Biz Tip: People Skills: Conflict Management

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:33:15 GMT

Tips from March 5, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss handling conflict management.

Engage in active listening. There are two sides to every story, and listening to others will help in understanding what the problem is, and open up ways to solve the issue at hand.
Pay attention to others. Conflicts involve more than one party. Take the time to listen to both parties, and try to understand where each is coming from.
Arrange a meeting between the parties involved in the conflict. A mediation session will allow both parties to confront each other in a controlled setting to talk out their problems.
Communicate clearly. A conflict will never be solved without clear, honest, and open communication.

Daily Overview: Be a leader when it comes to conflict management and take control of the situation. You will gain respect.

Small Biz Tip: People Skills: Managing Emotions

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:32:29 GMT

Tips from March 4, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss managing emotions when dealing with other people.

Emotion= Energy in MOTION. You are expressing outwardly what you are feeling. Once you start, it is hard to stop.
Take a step back from a potentially emotionally charged situation. Gather your thoughts, take a deep breath, and decide how to proceed with the situation.
Keep a journal. Writing down feelings is a good way to let out how you are feeling emotionally, and to gather your thoughts. It also helps to keep your emotions in check.
Talk to those friends and family members that you trust. When you can confide in someone and discuss your true feelings, it helps to express your feelings in a safe way.

Daily Overview: Keep your emotions in check, especially at the workplace. Losing your cool can be detrimental to your image.

Small Biz Tip: People Skills: Nonverbal Communication

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:36:19 GMT

Tips from March 3, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss nonverbal communication.

Smile! Showing your pearly whites invites people to your conversation. It also generates a positive vibe and environment to share ideas.
Eye contact is crucial. It shows that you are paying attention to what is going on around you, and that you are listening to the conversation. Eye contact will engage others to interact with you in conversation as well.
Stop fidgeting! Nervous hand gestures, such a foot tapping, folding hands over chest, hair twirling, or just anything awkward will generate negativity and uneasiness in others.
Nod your head while others are talking. They will know you are listening, and acknowledging that you understand what is taking place.

Daily Overview: You can communicate to the world without speaking. Keep these nonverbal cues in check the next time you are speaking.

Small Biz Tip: People Skills: Improvement

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:53:14 GMT

Tips from March 2, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss how to improve people skills.

Pay attention to others. Observe, acknowledge, ask for their opinions and beliefs, and make eye contact.
Everyone loves humor. Be clever, make people smile and laugh. They might not remember the joke, but will remember how you made them feel.
Don't complain. Spare your grievances. Keep your negativity to yourself to avoid boring others and giving yourself a bad reputation.
Be appreciative. Find positives in every situation. Tell people you appreciate them through encouragement, praise, and welcoming gestures.

Daily Overview: Improving your people skills well help in creating and enhancing professional and personal relationships.

Small Biz Tip: People Skills: Assessment

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:43:07 GMT

Tips from March 1, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss how to assess people skills.

Casual conversation helps bring people skills to light. Take note of various actions, reactions, body language, and topics in a natural setting.
Someone's answer to a "what if" question can tell you a lot about them. Ask about real life situations. Remember their reactions and what they'd do in that situation.
Watch someone's interaction with others, and gather a group of observers to watch as well. Ask other observers about the interaction to get other, unbiased opinions of how it went.
Conduct a self assessment. Ask questions on what people think about themselves: strengths, weaknesses, organization, coaching, listening & communication.

Daily Overview: To assess someone's people skills it's best to compare your own observations against what they think of themselves. Communication is a large part of these skills. Take note of these assessments, and work to improve them. Stay tuned tomorrow!

Small Biz Tip: Businesses to Start Now: Arts

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:08:59 GMT

Tips from February 26, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss businesses in the art industry to start NOW!

Photography: Weddings, graduations, senior portraits, head shots, and more. Photographers are always in need. If you have a great camera and a good artistic, eye, start your own photography business.
Interior Design: Use your artistic talents and skill to start an interior design business. Take a few classes if you want to brush up on the latest trends. Start on your own home, then use those pictures as an example for your portfolio.
Home Entertainment Designer: Many homes are starting to install home entertainment systems. Research popular models and designs and start a business of your own.
Take your creative hobbies and turn them into art. Pottery, candles, paintings, and portraits are great pieces of art that have value and can be sold.

Daily Overview: The art industry is always thriving. People are constantly redecorating, looking for change, and a way to represent themselves in their atmosphere.

Small Biz Tip: Businesses to Start Now: Health

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:37:38 GMT

Tips from February 25, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss businesses in the health industry to start NOW!

Home Health Care: The Baby Boomers are getting older, and so are their parents. Many are turning towards home health care to take care of their parents when times are tough and money is tight.
Yoga Studio: The yoga trend is here to stay. Take a class, and get certified to be a yoga teacher. Find out more information at your local gym or park district.
Personal Trainer: If you have medicine, physiology, or kinesiology experience, get certified to be a personal trainer. Start your own business and use friends and family as your first clients.
Catering/Personal Chef: People need help on dieting who are struggling with their weight. Start a healthy catering business or start a healthy eating business with diet guidelines and healthy recipes.

Daily Overview: The health industry will always be around and popular. Capitalize!

Small Biz Tip: Businesses to Start Now: Personal Improvement

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:58:56 GMT

Tips from February 24, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss businesses in the personal improvement industry to start NOW!

Self Improvement: Personal improvement is a growing industry. Whether it is weight, personal problems, or a hobby that needs improvement, reach out to people.
Business Consultant: Help others who are struggling with their businesses by providing resources and guidance.
Tutor: With colleges getting harder and harder to get into, tutoring is a great field to delve into. If you have an education background, or information on a specific topic, reach out to students.
Staffing Agency: Many people lost their jobs and are looking for ways to break back into their industry. If you have many contacts, start a staffing agency.

Daily Overview: People are always looking to improve themselves. Reach out and provide help to those who want it.

Small Biz Tip: Businesses to Start Now: Money Matters

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:37:36 GMT

Tips from February 23, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss businesses in the financial industry to start NOW!

Small Business Financial Adviser: Help businesses save money by planning, budgeting, & re-evaluating their finances.
Personal Accounting: During the rough economic situation, people are having a hard time adjusting their personal finances.
Retirement Consulting/Planning: Baby boomers are preparing to retire. Help them out & give them financial advice.
Tax Adviser: Tax time is quickly approaching! Ask family, friends, & community if they need assistance.

Daily Overview: People have questions about their finances in this economy. Provide them with answers with your business.

Small Biz Tip: Businesses to Start Now: Technology

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:34:00 GMT

Tips from February 22, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss businesses in the technology industry to start NOW!

Smartphone Apps: iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, and Google Phones, these smartphones are taking the world by storm. Capitalize on the trend by designing and creating your own app. iPhones alone have over a billion downloads, and thousands of apps.
Software as a Service (SaaS): With small businesses looking to save money, start your own SaaS business today. SaaS deploys software applications across your business so you don't need separate licenses for each computer.
Education Technology: With the stimulus bill, many schools are receiving new state of the art education tools. One of the most popular are "smart boards" which are interactive white boards. Create new interactive programs, or handle distribution of various education technologies.
Website Design: Every business needs a website to establish their web presence on the web. Use your design and web skills to construct websites for various businesses.

Daily Overview: Technology is a major part of business and personal life. People are always in need of software, technology upgrades, and new programs.

Small Biz Tip: Start Up Questions: Financial Resources

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:21:05 GMT

The Small Business tips today discuss various forms of financial resources.

Your Pocket: If you want to start a business without taking out any loans, you can use your own money. It may be costly for you personally, but the benefits from your business could prove to be a good investment.
Friends & Family: Ask those who are close to you for a loan or to invest in your business. It would be a simple way to receive financial resources without going through a bank or other institutions.
Business Loan: A start up business loan from the bank or a lending institution is a way to receive the funds you need from a local institution. Find out more from your financial advisor or a local bank.
Small Business Association: The SBA is available to help small businesses locally. Visit the SBA website for tips and locations in your area.

Daily Overview: Obtaining cash to maintain and grow your business is one of the most complex and important ideas for small businesses. Find out more information here.

Small Biz Tip: Start Up Questions: Finding Customers

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:23:32 GMT

Tips from February 11, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss how to find customers.

Chamber of Commerce: Introducing your business at your Chamber of Commerce will give you a start in connecting with other small businesses in your area. Additionally, ask for a link on your Chamber's website to yours about your new business opening. Use the support and organization in your favor to find customers in your area who are passionate about the small business cause.
Networking: Use your friends, family members, and business contacts to your advantage. Talk to them about your new business, and ask if there are any contacts they know that you can network with. Don't forget about social networking online as well!
Competition: As silly as it sounds, some of the best places to find your customers is by researching your competition. Find out what they are doing wrong, and what their customers are dissatisfied with. Use that to your advantage when starting out on your next marketing campaign.
Host an Event: Draw attention to yourself and your business by doing something for others. Hosting an event is simple and you can find great tips about hosting an event here.

Daily Overview: The only way you can get customers is to put yourself out there. Network, interact, and plan big!

Small Biz Tip: Start Up Questions: First Things To Do

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:47:11 GMT

Tips from February 10, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss the first things to do when starting a business.

Business Plan: You need to plan out how you will operate your business, your financial forecast, strategic business goals, and more.
Hire an Accountant or Financial Adviser: There are many complicated financial issues that go into owning your own business, and these professionals will be able to help you out.
Open a Business Bank Account: Separate your personal and business finances with an organized filing system. Don't forget to keep track of your finances at all times.
Join a Support Group: Joining a group, like a local business advice center, Chamber of Commerce, or trade organization will provide you with peer support from others who have been in your shoes before, as well as additional contacts for networking opportunities.

Daily Overview: Getting organized and connected are the two things you need to do first when starting a business.

Small Biz Tip: Start Up Questions: Legal Issues

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:37:27 GMT

Tips from February 9, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss legal issues when starting a small business.

Keep legal! Know what the laws are specific to small businesses, but also learn what tax breaks there are! Find more here.
Your business should be defined well. Sole proprietor? Partnership? Corporation? What's it matter? Find more here.
Bad things happen to businesses too. How can you prepared for unforeseen problems? Business insurance! Find more information here.
Your name is your brand, protection is important. Copyright, trademark? Which do you use and why? Find out more information here.

Daily Overview: Legal issues can be complicated for new entrepreneurs. Preparing ahead of time = protection! Find more information about various legal issues here.

Small Biz Tip: Start Up Questions: Business Type

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:46:19 GMT

Tips from February 8, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss types of business to start that are economy-specific.

Debt Collection: A very unpleasant job to say the least, but in a tight economy, bills go unpaid and there is always a need for debt collectors.
Job Search Agency: Are you personable? Outgoing? Have a number of contacts in your industry? This could prove to be a great business to start
Computer Security: If you're computer savvy, look into this industry. You would be protecting networks and systems against unauthorized use and abuse.
Energy Auditors: A great job for the green-friendly people. Businesses and homes need help to save money by reducing energy costs.

Daily Overview: Start a job that this economy NEEDS. Find your niche based on your experience and get started!

Small Biz Tip: Common Mistakes: Public Relations

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:13:36 GMT

Tips from February 5, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss common public relations (PR) mistakes.

Poorly Written Press Releases: Incorrect format, improper grammar and punctuation, and misspelled words contribute to a poorly written and structured press release. Don't send something out to the public and media that is not grammatically correct.
Over-Hype: Hype and excitement is important, but too much is over dramatic and will draw negative attention towards your PR campaigns.
No Purpose: Press releases announcing petty, unimportant things related to your business doesn't convey a positive image and people will stop listening to you.
No Plan: Releasing a press release to the public without a proper follow up plan is a huge mistake. You need to know what to do to proceed, who to direct questions to, and have a backup plan.

Daily Overview: Sending out poor press releases for the wrong reasons with no plan will turn your campaign into total disaster. Avoid this by strategic thinking, processing, and planning ahead.

Small Biz Tip: Common Mistakes: Marketing

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:37:03 GMT

Tips from February 4, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss common marketing mistakes.

Weak Message: It takes people a few minutes and thought to figure out the marketing message you are trying to send.
Focus On You: Talk only about your products, services, and business rather than what you can do for clients.
No Call to Action: You attract potential customers to be interested, but do not motivate them to act on their needs and wants and bring revenue to your business.
Lack of Follow Up: You receive a potential customer's contact information, but store it instead of following up and close the sale.

Daily Overview: A vague advertisement with little motivation and follow up is no way to market to customers. Avoid this by engaging with consumers, strong marketing collateral, and following up. More next week.

Small Biz Tip: Common Mistakes: Social Media

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:35:05 GMT

Tips from February 3, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss common social media mistakes.

Incomplete Profile: People won't know who you are or be able to find things in common to make a connection or network.
Fake Friending/Following: One way relationships on social media is an awful way to network. Create a two way relationship with REAL people that you want to get to know.
Selling by Spamming: Bombarding your business pushes customers away. No relationship? No clients. Connect first, promote later.
Lack of Measurement: You need to measure so your business doesn't put time & energy in campaigns that are failing.

Daily Overview: Creating one way relationships is the biggest mistake businesses in social media make. Avoid this by an active profile, creating two way relationships, and gauging what works.

Small Biz Tip: Common Mistakes: SEO

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:34:26 GMT

Tips from February 2, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss common SEO mistakes.

Duplicating Content: Your content is plagiarized, and not original. You lose the optimization of the words on your website if they are not original.
Poor Design & Usability: Broken links are killers for SEO. Come up with a creative, yet useful design that your visitors will be able to navigate.
Same Meta Description on Each Page: To the SEO world, your websites have the same content. Your meta description should be specific and unique to every page.
Over-stuffing Keywords: You are essentially spamming your own website, as it becomes unreadable in SEO terms. This could get you blocked/banned from some search engines or sites, such as Google.

Daily Overview: Trying to manipulate SEO to get your website better rankings leads to many mistakes and poor rankings. Avoid this by having a knowledge of the SEO world, track your website, and fixing keywords and meta tags.

Small Biz Tip: Common Mistakes: Website

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:47:20 GMT

Tips from February 1, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss common website mistakes.

Poor Maintenance: Broken links, "404 file not found" error messages, and links leading to the wrong place is frustrating for your website visitors.
No Contact Information: A website is important for every business, and lacking contact information is detrimental. Address, email, and phone number are crucial.
Poor Navigation: Dead pages, no links to your homepage, and disabling the back button on your browser is not only frustrating for visitors but also for web designers.
Outdated Information: Old business hours and addresses are misleading to website visitors and potential customers. Old information hurts business, not encourage it.

Daily Overview: Poor upkeep & maintenance are the two biggest mistakes businesses make for their website. Avoid this by testing your website and updating information.

Small Biz Tip: Generation Y: Marketing via Incentives, Instant Gratification, & Innovation

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:23:30 GMT

Tips from January 29, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss marketing to Generation Y via incentives, instant gratification, & innovative new products.

Generation Y is a big fan of free gifts or free trials. They are open to try new things, especially if they are free. Gen Yers don't appreciate or value the dollar, but they are big fans of free products.
New products that help Gen Yers interact, organize, & stay connected are hot items. In fact, Gen Yers expect and appreciate products that will work to their advantage.
Gen Yers appreciate & will take part in incentive deals. Buy one get one half off deals catch their eye. With little careful spending habits, Gen Yers will actually purchase more to receive savings.
Impulse purchasing is a frequent habit of Generation Y. Instead of going to the store knowing what they need or want, Gen Yers will browse and impulsively buy something they did not necessarily need. They crave instant gratification.

Daily Overview: Gen Yers like products that are new, popular, and will help their lives. Give them a free trial, and they could be hooked for good.

Small Biz Tip: Generation Y: Marketing via Word of Mouth

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:58:40 GMT

Tips from January 28, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss marketing to Generation Y via word of mouth.

Generation Y wants an "experience" when they try out a new product. This can be done easily with a street team handing out free samples to promote your business and product. Get them involved than simply trying a new product and get them talking.
Gen Yers want the new, trendy, cool thing to have. Once they get something that they think is cool or new, they will talk about it and spread the word. Create the angle that YOUR product/service is something that everyone wants to have.
Gen Yers are likely to accept something that is sprung upon them. A street team who approaches Gen Yers are likely to try a product and be involved. Interact with them, and make the first step to reach out to them.
Social media is a big channel for word of mouth marketing. Tweets and Facebook statuses are crucial for spreading popular trends and experiences with products. Don't forget this channel!

Daily Overview: Approach Gen Yers in a "I've got something cool you MUST try & have" attitude. Communicate to them that you have something that you know they will like, and other people will like.

Small Biz Tip: Generation Y: Marketing via Print Media

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:01:05 GMT

Tips from January 27, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss marketing to Generation Y via print media.

Generation Y is unique, as in they are attracted to those ads that are wild, unique, and catchy. Something typical but with a catchy slogan will not grab their attention. The action and focal point needs to be BIG.
Gen Yers are more likely to listen to ads that involve people of their age or generation that they can relate to. Try to tie in the sense of "I understand you" when targeting Gen Yers.
Forget newspapers for Gen Y. Magazines are the most popular print media that they will connect with, read, or even care about. Magazines tend to have celebrities on the cover and lure Gen Y with fashion, advice, and trends. Advertisements in this medium are likely to be seen.
Gen Yers value their technology and computers. Remember this when printing your ads. If possible, make your ads formatted to be able to work online as well.

Small Biz Tip: Generation Y: Marketing via Mainstream Media

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:40:37 GMT

Tips from January 26, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss marketing to Generation Y via mainstream media.

Generation Y follow celebrities. When they see their favorite actor endorsing a product or service, they will pay more attention. Keep this in mind when you are trying to reach them through mainstream media. Familiar faces mean more attention.
Gen Yers don't watch the news as much as other generations. They news get their news from MTV, websites, social media, or others. If you're going to market to them via TV, make sure it is on a channel that appeals to the younger generations.
To market to Gen Y, it is important to have an emotional connection with them. You need to create a sense of belonging to attract their attention. Use Gen Yers in your ads to depict your product/service as trendy, hip, or that "everyone is doing it."
Gen Yers go see movies frequently. Check out your local movie theater and see if they have advertisements during the previews (many theaters nowadays do).

Daily Overview: Mainstream media is a great place to market to Gen Y as they follow the popular trends and crave the emotional connection.

Small Biz Tip: Generation Y: Marketing via Social Media

cheryl@gowithabc.com (Cheryl Sowa) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:52:36 GMT

Tips from January 25, 2010

The Small Business tips today discuss marketing to Generation Y via social media.

Generation Y is always online, always connected, and always involved. Their primary form of communication is online and they would rather connect with each other through gadgets than in person.
Gen Yers are heavily into Facebook and MySpace. They update their page frequently and visit these pages often. This is where to start when targeting Gen Yers in social media.
Chat rooms are another place that Gen Yers are found. They communicate frequently online via computers or other gadgets, like a cell phone. Chat rooms are a great place to get Gen Yers buzzing about your product or service.
Gen Y is the first generation to grow up with social media and the Internet at their fingertips. They know the Internet the best. Gen Yers hate being sent garbage email, spam tweets, or Facebook viruses.

Daily Overview: Use social media to market to Gen Y by being active. Create the relationship with them. They ARE out there. Offer fun, and they will respond to you.