Family Business Succession Planning 101

Dustin Heap 1 Comment

family succession planning

A whopping 90 percent of businesses across the nation are family-owned. Odds are this means you either know someone who is part of a family-owned business or are involved with one yourself. While the casual nature of working with family definitely has its perks, it’s important to take the necessary steps to protect your business for the future.  Approximately half of such companies have no succession plan in place.  So, to help your family-owned business stick around, let’s look at some of the basics of business succession planning. Read More

How to Get Rid of Door to Door Salespeople Once and For All!

Nelson James 4 Comments

How to stop door to door salespeople once and for all

Do you need a new alarm system? Pest control? Books, cleaning products, a new vacuum cleaner? If you live in the suburbs, odds are good that you won’t even need to leave your house to have the opportunity to purchase a wide array of goods and services: Summer is the season of door-to-door salespeople.

Some people must be excited to see these folks. After all, companies are still sending out hundreds of sales reps (often college kids on break) into neighborhoods all over the country to make appointments for services or sell products, so the practice must be effective. Many people, however, dread the ring of the doorbell on a weekday afternoon. How do you get rid of the door-to-door salesman, once and for all? We have an idea. Read More

How to Grow Your Home Based Business

Nelson James

How-to-grow-your-home-based-business
Home-based business owners have unique issues that other small business owners don’t face. Lacking a physical office or retail space, home based businesses have challenges in marketing, productivity and even personal and family issues. Are you thinking about starting a home based business, or hoping to grow an existing one? Read More

Small Business Resources Within Your City

Nelson James 1 Comment

Small Business Resources

While you don’t need need an MBA to start your own small business, it’s critical to learn as much as you can about all aspects of running, marketing and managing a business. There’s a lot to know, and it can all quickly become overwhelming. Luckily, there are two helpful resources available to small business owners all over the country: Small Business Development Centers and Chambers of Commerce. Both offer no or low-cost training, information and support that will help you become successful in your venture. Read More

How to Stand Out at the Farmer’s Market

Nelson James

how-to-stand-out-at-the-farmers-market

Selling your produce or goods at a farmer’s market is different than selling in other locations or online. Your potential customers have very specific expectations and ideals. Capitalize on those unique characteristics and spend a little bit of extra time to create an image for yourself and your business, and you’ll stand out from the competition. Read More

The Signs.com Small Business Guide to Vertical Marketing

Nelson James

Guide_to_vertical_marketing

Some aspects of opening a small business come naturally to entrepreneurs: they’re passionate about their product or services and they love talking to customers and clients. But entrepreneurs aren’t always adept at marketing their services or thinking about how to focus their energy in ways that generate a profit. Our small business guide to vertical marketing will help you create and implement a plan. We’ll also give you a marketing plan example so you can see how our ideas work in the real world. Read More