4 Assets to Help You Manage Challenging Cycles of Success

“When you get to the end of your rope, you tie a knot and hang on” ~Franklin Delano Roosevelt

When I think about how people describe me, more often than not, the words “dedicated and perseverance” top the list.

I have instinctively known that in life, when you want something, you have to work at it and for it. Even as a young person, I was very clear and focused on what I wanted and how I could get there. I set my sights on the bull’s-eye and kept shooting for it.

Over time, I have learned many lessons and gained much wisdom about how to stick to things and, more importantly, how and what I needed to do to set myself up for what I like to call the “long race.”

Long-distance runners train differently from sprinters. They focus on endurance and pace.  Our success plays out much better when we approach business success as long distance runners prepared for a marathon.

To truly perform their best, the training plan of all long-distance runners includes:

• Coaching
• Technique
• Practice
• Endurance

Long-distance runners all train for the second half of the race.

As business professionals who want to be around for a long time, we too must develop that kind of mindset and resilience that strengthens our ability to persevere beyond the first year or two and learn to properly manage challenging cycles of success.

Develop An Unwavering Passion

When you can find your calling and truly love what you do and do what you love, it’s the most powerful “sales and success” tool you can have.

Sometimes we start out with an unwavering passion that can propel us through difficult times, but when it wavers or is uncertain over time, that’s when a clear, honest assessment is essential.

Ask yourself, “Do I really still love what I am doing and is this really what I want to do now?”

Get a Clear Perspective

Keep things in perspective. Stay focused on your goals and seek out alternative sources for news and information. There are so many resources for “the solution” and examples of people and businesses finding and making positive opportunities in challenging times.

Build a strong, supportive network and use it daily. It begins with me but continues and succeeds with we.

Maintain a Commitment to Pertinence and Relevance

Nothing is more important than relevance. Keep up with and know the trends in your industry as they relate to business, consumer behavior, and marketing.

These days, trends drive everything.  Pertinence and relevance in our rapidly changing business landscape can mean the difference between becoming extinct or being reborn.

Use Your Ability to Make Strategic Predictions

Do you have a vision for where you are heading? What is the road map for your success?

Many of us are still navigating uncharted waters. Having both a short-term and a long-term plan and vision for navigating conditions keeps us on track, in the present and moving forward.

Set yourself up to succeed by doing whatever it takes. Upgrade and close skill gaps, go back to school, downsize, diversify, partner, collaborate, network, rebrand yourself and your business and sometimes, as hard as it may be -  it’s actually best to move on.

One of the most prolific and successful entrepreneurs for the past 7 decades is Award Winning Global Entrepreneur and Author, Jack Nadal.

He has achieved legendary results and success with strong professional fundamentals and personal values. He continues to mentor, teach and be a power of example for what it takes to sustain success and leave an enduring legacy along the way. Check out his enduring tips for entrepreneurs.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorites, “Don’t let your ego get in the way of succeeding.”

Reach for Stars Photo via Shutterstock

Why Email Will Slow Your Business. Why Integrated Communication Tools Like Contatta Are A Must.

I just finished having a look at a new communication and collaboration suit - Contatta co-founded by the father of ACT! and his son.

There’s several communication and collaboration tools in this space  - including Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365.

These tools focus primarily on email and team collaboration.

You them move to another set of tools that get closer to (and are) CRM, such as Infusionsoft, Batchbook, Salesforce, Zoho, Nimble, Insight.ly SageOne, Salesforce .

The category that’s getting pretty interesting is this mixture of the two - which is where Contatta, fits in.

Contatta, is not just email but a delicious blend of scheduling of tasks and events (now I use Gmail and Asana), Relationships Buckets (well that’s what Infusionsoft and other CRM tools are all about), Social Feeds (isn’t this what Nimble excels at), File Management (heck I use Dropbox for this) and more.

For those businesses that are JUST using email and a myriad of other tools we are NOT being as productive as we can be.

Now what we do at Smallbiztechnology.com is pretty simple, compared to many of you. We produce content. Our need for project management, tasks and other things are minimal. Just me and one other person need to collaborate.

However, for those of you with 3, 5, 15, 20 people in your company all needing to communicate and collaboration as efficiently as you can, a solution like Contatta is something that you’ve probably been looking for.

It’s not easy knowing what software solutions can power your business, the NY Times wrote about this here.

However, as I speak about in my 11 Technology Rules for Business Success presentation speaking with an expert can help. An expert who knows about technology but who more importantly knows about business.

I think the best solution for small businesses is as follows:

1. Have your BASIC communication and collaboration solution - such as Contatta.

2. Determine if you need a more robust solution for marketing and sales, such as Infusionsoft (my employer)

3. Determine if you need a robust financial management solution such as QuickBooks.

These are the CORE of any software combination that the “average” small business might need.

No go off and slay some giants!

Why Email Will Slow Your Business. Why Integrated Communication Tools Like Contatta Are A Must.

I just finished having a look at a new communication and collaboration suit - Contatta co-founded by the father of ACT! and his son.

There’s several communication and collaboration tools in this space  - including Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365.

These tools focus primarily on email and team collaboration.

You them move to another set of tools that get closer to (and are) CRM, such as Infusionsoft, Batchbook, Salesforce, Zoho, Nimble, Insight.ly SageOne, Salesforce .

The category that’s getting pretty interesting is this mixture of the two - which is where Contatta, fits in.

Contatta, is not just email but a delicious blend of scheduling of tasks and events (now I use Gmail and Asana), Relationships Buckets (well that’s what Infusionsoft and other CRM tools are all about), Social Feeds (isn’t this what Nimble excels at), File Management (heck I use Dropbox for this) and more.

For those businesses that are JUST using email and a myriad of other tools we are NOT being as productive as we can be.

Now what we do at Smallbiztechnology.com is pretty simple, compared to many of you. We produce content. Our need for project management, tasks and other things are minimal. Just me and one other person need to collaborate.

However, for those of you with 3, 5, 15, 20 people in your company all needing to communicate and collaboration as efficiently as you can, a solution like Contatta is something that you’ve probably been looking for.

It’s not easy knowing what software solutions can power your business, the NY Times wrote about this here.

However, as I speak about in my 11 Technology Rules for Business Success presentation speaking with an expert can help. An expert who knows about technology but who more importantly knows about business.

I think the best solution for small businesses is as follows:

1. Have your BASIC communication and collaboration solution - such as Contatta.

2. Determine if you need a more robust solution for marketing and sales, such as Infusionsoft (my employer)

3. Determine if you need a robust financial management solution such as QuickBooks.

These are the CORE of any software combination that the “average” small business might need.

No go off and slay some giants!

Why Email Will Slow Your Business. Why Integrated Communication Tools Like Contatta Are A Must.

I just finished having a look at a new communication and collaboration suit - Contatta co-founded by the father of ACT! and his son.

There’s several communication and collaboration tools in this space  - including Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365.

These tools focus primarily on email and team collaboration.

You them move to another set of tools that get closer to (and are) CRM, such as Infusionsoft, Batchbook, Salesforce, Zoho, Nimble, Insight.ly SageOne, Salesforce .

The category that’s getting pretty interesting is this mixture of the two - which is where Contatta, fits in.

Contatta, is not just email but a delicious blend of scheduling of tasks and events (now I use Gmail and Asana), Relationships Buckets (well that’s what Infusionsoft and other CRM tools are all about), Social Feeds (isn’t this what Nimble excels at), File Management (heck I use Dropbox for this) and more.

For those businesses that are JUST using email and a myriad of other tools we are NOT being as productive as we can be.

Now what we do at Smallbiztechnology.com is pretty simple, compared to many of you. We produce content. Our need for project management, tasks and other things are minimal. Just me and one other person need to collaborate.

However, for those of you with 3, 5, 15, 20 people in your company all needing to communicate and collaboration as efficiently as you can, a solution like Contatta is something that you’ve probably been looking for.

It’s not easy knowing what software solutions can power your business, the NY Times wrote about this here.

However, as I speak about in my 11 Technology Rules for Business Success presentation speaking with an expert can help. An expert who knows about technology but who more importantly knows about business.

I think the best solution for small businesses is as follows:

1. Have your BASIC communication and collaboration solution - such as Contatta.

2. Determine if you need a more robust solution for marketing and sales, such as Infusionsoft (my employer)

3. Determine if you need a robust financial management solution such as QuickBooks.

These are the CORE of any software combination that the “average” small business might need.

No go off and slay some giants!

Amazon Offers Comparable Tablet Cheaper Than iPad Air

Apple may have begun the tablet revolution. But small business owners and entrepreneurs who favor the devices for staying on top of information while on the go now have more choices than ever.

The latest comes from an unlikely source - Amazon.

With the arrival of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 and 8.9 in stores, mobile entrepreneurs have access to tablets comparable to the iPad Air at competitive prices. The two devices were announced by Amazon together with a new version of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 and new Kindle Fire HD 7 in September.

High Resolution and 4G LTE

The key to the competitiveness of the Amazon tablets is certainly partially their new higher resolution. At 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX’s resolution is said by some to be better than the iPad Air, reports CNET.

The availability of 4G LTE, actual cellular connectivity rather than just WiFi connected to a network through a router, means they are more mobile than the Kindles that came before.

At $479, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX with 4G LTE comes in about $20 cheaper than the new iPad Air. Meanwhile, the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX with 4G LTE at $329 comes in considerably cheaper.

Tablet Field Grows

Certainly, the iPad continues to have advantages. For example, tech writer Anand Lal Shimpi reported recently on the Air’s ability to function as its own hotspot with a single charge for more than a day. But this probably goes well beyond the needs of the average mobile business owner.

Meanwhile, many company’s have begun to offer alternatives, including tablets with Windows and Android operating systems, at similar or competitive prices.

In the end, there are many cost effective solutions for budget conscious small business owners and entrepreneurs today seeking a tablet for business.

Image: Amazon

Old School Marketing Beats Online Marketing. You Can’t Tweet Your Way To Profitability

I’m a geek. A super geek. I love all things that beep, buzz and glow. However, I know that there’s few things that can beat the power of a WARM handshake and a BRIGHT smile - and other old school technology. (Heck - I’m even doing an event on it).

WARNING: I’m not saying to ditch online marketing. What I am saying is NOT to ignore “old school” marketing!

I’m not alone, real estate agents rank “old school” marketing as more effective than digital marketing.

Check out this press release.

National Association of Realtors Convention - even with the tech avalanche, business still comes through the door the old-fashioned way.

That is, real estate agents’ most valuable leads still come from traditional sources â€" open houses, past-client referrals, for sale signs, and walk-ins to brokerage offices - significantly outranking online sources according to the latest Imprev Thought Leader Survey of top real estate executives.

“A remarkable 97 percent of broker-owners and top executives at brokerage firms surveyed said traditional sources provide the most valuable leads,” said Renwick Congdon, CEO of Imprev.

Sixty three percent say these leads are of  “exceptional value” and 34 percent say these leads provide a “reasonable value.”  In comparison, none of the major online lead-generation sources included in the survey received an “exceptional value” rating higher than 3 percent.

“Considering the millions of dollars paid every month to the online lead providers, these results were not what we expected,” Congdon said.

Other key findings:

Other top sources: The second-most valuable lead source is the firm’s own web site: 84 percent of leaders said their brokerage or corporate websites provide leads of “exceptional” (35 percent) or “reasonable” (49 percent) value. Social media (Facebook, etc.) provide the third most valuable source of leads, with 51 percent rating these leads as providing “reasonable” value and 11 percent providing “exceptional” value, they said.

The online lead sources: Among the online firms that were included in the survey that offer lead generation, none ranked higher than 3 percent in providing “exceptional value.” When the bar was lowered, Realtor.com ranked highest, with 42 percent of top executives giving it a “reasonable value” rating; Trulia is second, with 32 percent; Zillow is third, with 31 percent.

Craigslist ranked low: More than two in three (68 percent) said leads from Craigslist don’t deliver: 34 percent rated Craigslist as providing “not enough value” and 34 percent said it provided a “poor value” as a source of lead generation.

Agent follow-up still a problem: Only one in 10 said they’re “very satisfied” with the overall lead follow-up by their agents and nearly 40 percent said they’re “not at all satisfied” with overall lead follow-up.

A question of quality: 72 percent said they’re “somewhat satisfied” with the quality of the leads they receive, and more than one in five (21 percent) are “not at all satisfied” with lead quality.  Only 8 percent said they’re “very satisfied” with the quality of their leads.

The cost of acquisition: Half of the leaders surveyed said their firms spend 10 percent to 30 percent of their annual marketing budgets on lead generation.  One in 10 spends more than 50 percent, and 14 percent spend 30 percent to 50 percent.  About one in four (27 percent) said they spend less than 10 percent of their marketing budget on lead generation.

Paying for leads:  More than half the respondents (52 percent) said they don’t charge their agents a separate fee for lead generation. However, nearly one in four (24 percent) do charge a separate fee, and 15 percent provide leads in exchange for a higher commission-split structure.  Only 8 percent said they don’t provide leads to their agents, with one respondent commenting: “We teach our agents to fish â€" we don’t provide leads for them.”

Imprev inaugurated the Thought Leader Survey in 2012 to provide insight into key business challenges for top executives in order to encourage discussions, ideas and solutions. Respondents included broker-owners and top executives at leading franchises and independent brokerage firms that were responsible for nearly half of all U.S. residential real estate transactions last year.

The survey was conducted in late October, after the announcement of the re-opening of the U.S. government. Nearly one-third of the 260-plus respondents are 61 years old or older; and 38 percent were 51 to 60; 19 are 41-50; and 13 percent are 31 to 40. None of the respondents are under 30.

Approximately 70 percent of the respondents run brokerages with more than 100 agents; 26 percent have more than 500 agents; 12 percent have more than 1,000 agents.

Old School Marketing Beats Online Marketing. You Can’t Tweet Your Way To Profitability

I’m a geek. A super geek. I love all things that beep, buzz and glow. However, I know that there’s few things that can beat the power of a WARM handshake and a BRIGHT smile - and other old school technology. (Heck - I’m even doing an event on it).

WARNING: I’m not saying to ditch online marketing. What I am saying is NOT to ignore “old school” marketing!

I’m not alone, real estate agents rank “old school” marketing as more effective than digital marketing.

Check out this press release.

National Association of Realtors Convention - even with the tech avalanche, business still comes through the door the old-fashioned way.

That is, real estate agents’ most valuable leads still come from traditional sources â€" open houses, past-client referrals, for sale signs, and walk-ins to brokerage offices - significantly outranking online sources according to the latest Imprev Thought Leader Survey of top real estate executives.

“A remarkable 97 percent of broker-owners and top executives at brokerage firms surveyed said traditional sources provide the most valuable leads,” said Renwick Congdon, CEO of Imprev.

Sixty three percent say these leads are of  “exceptional value” and 34 percent say these leads provide a “reasonable value.”  In comparison, none of the major online lead-generation sources included in the survey received an “exceptional value” rating higher than 3 percent.

“Considering the millions of dollars paid every month to the online lead providers, these results were not what we expected,” Congdon said.

Other key findings:

Other top sources: The second-most valuable lead source is the firm’s own web site: 84 percent of leaders said their brokerage or corporate websites provide leads of “exceptional” (35 percent) or “reasonable” (49 percent) value. Social media (Facebook, etc.) provide the third most valuable source of leads, with 51 percent rating these leads as providing “reasonable” value and 11 percent providing “exceptional” value, they said.

The online lead sources: Among the online firms that were included in the survey that offer lead generation, none ranked higher than 3 percent in providing “exceptional value.” When the bar was lowered, Realtor.com ranked highest, with 42 percent of top executives giving it a “reasonable value” rating; Trulia is second, with 32 percent; Zillow is third, with 31 percent.

Craigslist ranked low: More than two in three (68 percent) said leads from Craigslist don’t deliver: 34 percent rated Craigslist as providing “not enough value” and 34 percent said it provided a “poor value” as a source of lead generation.

Agent follow-up still a problem: Only one in 10 said they’re “very satisfied” with the overall lead follow-up by their agents and nearly 40 percent said they’re “not at all satisfied” with overall lead follow-up.

A question of quality: 72 percent said they’re “somewhat satisfied” with the quality of the leads they receive, and more than one in five (21 percent) are “not at all satisfied” with lead quality.  Only 8 percent said they’re “very satisfied” with the quality of their leads.

The cost of acquisition: Half of the leaders surveyed said their firms spend 10 percent to 30 percent of their annual marketing budgets on lead generation.  One in 10 spends more than 50 percent, and 14 percent spend 30 percent to 50 percent.  About one in four (27 percent) said they spend less than 10 percent of their marketing budget on lead generation.

Paying for leads:  More than half the respondents (52 percent) said they don’t charge their agents a separate fee for lead generation. However, nearly one in four (24 percent) do charge a separate fee, and 15 percent provide leads in exchange for a higher commission-split structure.  Only 8 percent said they don’t provide leads to their agents, with one respondent commenting: “We teach our agents to fish â€" we don’t provide leads for them.”

Imprev inaugurated the Thought Leader Survey in 2012 to provide insight into key business challenges for top executives in order to encourage discussions, ideas and solutions. Respondents included broker-owners and top executives at leading franchises and independent brokerage firms that were responsible for nearly half of all U.S. residential real estate transactions last year.

The survey was conducted in late October, after the announcement of the re-opening of the U.S. government. Nearly one-third of the 260-plus respondents are 61 years old or older; and 38 percent were 51 to 60; 19 are 41-50; and 13 percent are 31 to 40. None of the respondents are under 30.

Approximately 70 percent of the respondents run brokerages with more than 100 agents; 26 percent have more than 500 agents; 12 percent have more than 1,000 agents.

Popular Content to Share in LinkedIn Groups

Most LinkedIn experts will say that participating in LinkedIn groups is the best way to get new business, develop joint partnerships and create and deepen connections. This is because if you want to build solid online relationships, you need to find places where you can continually add value and engage in conversations with members of your target market â€" and that’s what LinkedIn groups allow you to do.

I’ve previously written about how to choose LinkedIn groups to join, as well as how to create a LinkedIn company page. The next step is to determine how to share content in LinkedIn groups successfully, to maximize your opportunities and provide value.

How to Share Content in LinkedIn Groups

What should you post?

Certain types of posts are more popular, and increase your exposure. Below are some examples:

1. Comment On and Share Popular Posts

Discussions in LinkedIn groups with many comments and shares tend to get the most visibility. This is a way for you to connect with the person who started the discussion, as well as those who have participated in the discussion.

So begin engaging with other LinkedIn community members now by commenting on and sharing popular posts on LinkedIn.

2. Ask a Question

People love to help. Asking a question allows others to not only help you, but connect with you.

This is best done after you’ve spent some time observing the discussions in your group. You’ll begin to see a pattern for the types of concerns and information shared.

Some groups feature discussions asking for help dealing with issues. Others include posts where folks are asking for vendor recommendations. Still others are looking for input for articles. Some include all of these types of discussions.

Posting popular types of questions will increase the likelihood of engagement with group members.

3. Post Your Own or Shared Articles, Videos, Etc.

This is actually a tricky area.

One of the complaints of LinkedIn group members and managers is that group members often use LinkedIn groups as a “content dumping ground.” While it’s easy to post articles and videos, it should not be the primary way you participate in groups. Groups are meant to be forums and exchanges of information.

When you do occasionally post informational content, make sure that it’s relevant to your group. Also keep in mind that studies show that updates with images and videos receive a 98% higher engagement rate, and a 75% higher share rate, respectively.

Further, 64% of LinkedIn members expect content updates to be both informative and insightful. Make sure your information answers a question or solves a problem for members.

Whatever you do, don’t make the post “sales-y.” It’s not only a turnoff, but a no-no in groups.

How Often Should You Post to a LinkedIn Group?

Visit each of your top groups several times per week or it will be difficult to keep up with discussions. Keep up with the conversations you’re participating in and add value continuously.

Taking the time to strategically participate in LinkedIn groups will help you develop new business opportunities, joint partnerships and create and deepen connections.

Start using these tips on how to share content in LinkedIn groups today and you will be on your way to successful participation.

Group Discussion Photo via Shutterstock

25 Tips to Boost Holiday Sales This Season

The big holiday shopping season is just around the corner. Whether you’re an online retailer or a bricks-and-mortar store, chances are you make a large chunk of your annual income during December. For this reason, it’s important to prepare well in advance of the Black Friday rush. Here are 25 tips from entrepreneurs throughout the country to help you boost holiday sales this year.

1. Beef up your e-mail lists NOW. “Email can be one of the most effective methods of alerting your audience,” says Blue Fountain Media’s Gabriel Shaoolian. “Leading up to Cyber Monday or Black Friday, small business marketers should update their email signup forms and give some incentive for their consumers to submit their email addresses to maximize the potential of email marketing.”
2. Participate in Small Business Saturday. Each year on November 30, American Express hosts Small Business Saturday. Retail expert Patricia Norins recommends finding unique ways to make the most of Small Business Saturday this year. “Get the media and local officials involved,” Norins advises. “Local media is always looking for a good story.” Norins also advises providing free parking, leveraging existing events in town, and encouraging other local businesses to participate in Small Business Saturday.
3. Conduct a website audit. Prior to the holidays, businesses should make sure their site is easy to navigate. Peoplefluent’s Sharon Palermo recommends checking to ensure items are categorized well, searching your site is easy, images and descriptions clearly showcase products, and information on returns is easily accessible.
4. Give to charity. Butch Harmon, CEO of No Napkin Needed, recommends donating a portion of proceeds to charity. This will both benefit the charity and make your customers feel as though they’re making a difference.
5. Offer free shipping. Free shipping is essential during the holidays. In fact, research has found one of the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment during the season is failure to provide free shipping. “If you’re not offering free shipping, customers will find this offer elsewhere,” says Steve Eilers, owner of SharpShades.com. “We recommend this and see a 30% increase in sales due to free shipping and handling.”
6. Check server capacity. As we all learned from the Healthcare.gov issue this year, when a website is flooded with visitors, disaster can happen. “E-stores need to be ready to handle a massive spike in website traffic
   and customer service requests,” says Kristin Serio, senior account executive at Uproar PR.
7. Use social media. Tracy Higginbotham supports New York entrepreneurs through Women TIES, LLC. She recommends business owners use their social media sites to promote holiday sales as much as possible. “Once they promote or post their specials on social media, it is very important for them to ask their friends or customers to share their posts or tweets with their friends to create a larger potential buying audience,” Higginbotham says.
8. Think local. Manta recommends small businesses focus on local customers. “You know your customers and your locality much better than the neighboring big businesses,” a Manta spokesperson says. “Leverage your knowledge to create targeted holiday content, and conduct outreach via email and social media. Take advantage that you don’t have to wait for permission from corporate HQ to be quick and scrappy with your outreach.”
9. Provide a gift guide. “When you give your clients ideas of what to purchase for someone, they listen,” says Jayme Pretzloff, online marketing director for Wixon Jewelers. “These visitors want your ideas because it makes their lives easier.”
10. Count down to the last second of a sale. Movable Ink’s director of strategic partnerships, Lalit Chopra, told Silverpop, “Include a streaming countdown clock in your e-mail that updates in real time to show the hours, minutes and seconds ticking away until the end of a sale.”
11. Collect all the customer data you can. CBL & Associates Properties’ Jerry Jones told Specialty Retail Report that by gathering customer contact information, businesses can regularly send mailings to entice customers in for holiday-related sales.
12. Check for mobile optimization. Many businesses don’t realize their websites aren’t optimized for mobile. “With 63 percent of adults using smartphones to get online, a business that misses the mobile boat loses sales,” says a spokesperson for DudaMobile, a service that automatically converts a site to a mobile-friendly design.
13. Participate in free shipping day. Each year, Free Shipping Day is held just before Christmas, offering free shipping to consumers with promised delivery by Christmas Eve. This year’s event is December 18.
14. Lose the passwords. James Mikrut of Cleverbridge urges businesses to avoid requiring passwords and account creation to make a purchase. “Aren’t there other pieces of information that can be used to access important information other than creating another password?” he asks. “How about the order reference number, which is uniquely available to the customer, or last four digits of the credit card number used or a zip/postal code?”
15. Recognize the customer, situation and context. “A brand should not present the same experience to a brand-new customer as to someone who shops on the site several times a month,” says Nathan Richter, strategic services director for Monetate. “Rather, a brand might welcome a new visitor with a banner asking them to sign up for email specials, whereas a returning customer could see a banner featuring a sale on a favorite brand.”
16. Test your site. “In order to keep customers happy and guarantee that your site runs smoothly, I recommend setting up ‘real-world’ performance tests to simulate multiple business scenarios across different browsers, connection speeds and platforms â€" whether mobile or web,” says Micro Focus’s Archie Roboostoff.
17. Take advantage of Cyber Monday. Merchant Warehouse CEO Henry Helgeson says the real opportunity lies in Cyber Monday. “When it comes to online shopping, particularly around Cyber Monday, there’s a real opportunity for small and mid-sized retailers to compete with major online outlets,” he says.
18. Use existing data. Maxymiser’s Daniel Toubian suggests businesses, “Look at the data that you already have and analyze which segments are driving the biggest traffic surges, then personalize the experiences to turn customers into brand advocates.”
19. Decorate your website. Hannah Watkins, director of integrated marketing for Ironistic, encourages businesses to add festive design elements to their sites to celebrate the season.
20. Help last-minute shoppers. As Christmas approaches, approximately one-third of consumers have not yet done their shopping. Volusion recommends offering affordable overnight shipping options to customers to cater to procrastinators.
21. Take care of the kids. Jill Cartright, executive director of BRIXY, has discovered many shoppers are challenged with keeping the kids and significant others happy while shopping. “Consider adding seating to your store or turning a corner or nook into a play space for children,” says Cartright. “If you sell toys, put out a few pieces as demos - parents are more likely to buy a toy that their child has played with and enjoyed than they are to risk money on one that may fall flat come the holidays!”
22. Combine online with in-store. The convenience of shopping online is great, but many shoppers don’t want to pay shipping. Social media strategist Jean L. Serio recommends allowing customers to order online with in-store pickup.
23. Offer gift cards. Gift cards are big business, especially during the holiday season. CVS’s GOGO program was acknowledged for its innovation, but many retailers have developed similar programs. Customers are provided a free gift card of small value when they purchase a gift card for a friend. (Give One, Get One.)
24. Monetize links. During the holiday season, businesses can earn additional revenue by monetizing their social media posts. “Tools like VigLink Anywhere allow you to insert merchant links within Twitter, Facebook, emails, RSS feeds, Tumblr and more that can help increase business,” says PR executive Stacy Silver.
25. Return calls quickly. “Letting a voice mailbox fill up with calls that you never return can result in more holiday sales for your competitor,” says ReachLocal’s Tara Banda. “In fact, 50% of consumers will choose to do business with the company that calls them back first.”

Impart some of these tips into your holiday marketing plan and you just might see a big return. Let us know - which tips do you think you’ll try?

Obamacare Will Affect Some Small Businesses Early

The Affordable Care Act will require most U.S. Citizens to be insured by 2014. The law kicks in for businesses with 50 or more full-time employees a year later. These companies must provide insurance for their full-time workers by 2015 or face penalties. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees are, so far, exempt from the requirements.

But it just so happens the law will hit at least two groups of small business owners earlier than they might have expected.

Small Business Owners Need Insurance

One of those two groups is made up of self-employed solopreneurs. If not  insured already, these people will need to enroll in a plan by March 2014. They are not exempt from participation simply because their businesses have fewer than 50 employees. And they cannot wait until 2015 to enroll in an insurance plan like other businesses. This is because they fall under the individual mandate which goes into effect next year, not the employer mandate that has been delayed until 2015.

We don’t know exactly how many uninsured solopreneurs there are out there, says William J. Dennis. Dennis is a National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation senior fellow who recently authored a study on the impact of Obamacare on small business. He estimates there are approximately 5.5 million self-employed small business owners in the U.S.

But because the NFIB study confined itself to small businesses employing between 2 and 200 employees, no data was gathered on the number of self-employed business owners who are still uninsured.  Self-employed entrepreneurs might easily become confused about which mandate they fit under. That’s because technically, Dennis says, they could purchase an insurance policy as either a small business or an individual. However, he says there is  no question that they fall under the individual mandate in terms of the new Affordable Care Act. As a result, they must carry health insurance by the 2014 deadline or face penalties.

Employers Without Insurance

Yet another group of small business owners and entrepreneurs will need insurance policies by 2014, if they don’t already have them. This group includes small business employers. Of the 7 million such employers in the U.S., Dennis estimates about 15 to 16 percent are currently uninsured.

Dennis says some of these employers may already provide insurance for their employees and have simply gone without a policy of their own to save costs or for some other personal reason.

Others may think that they can simply hold off until 2015 and purchase plans for themselves and their employees when the employer mandate kicks in.

However, these employers may be forgetting that while their businesses are not required to purchase insurance before 2015 under the new law, this does not apply to them personally.

“They are effectively individuals,” Dennis explains.

The Clock is Ticking

Whether you are a self-employed business owner or an employer, you will need to be insured by 2014 to meet the individual mandate of the affordable care act, according to the NFIB. This is regardless of whether your business falls under employer mandate going into effect in 2015 or not. Don’t wait until the last minute to get more information on the requirements and how to proceed.

Obamacare Will Affect Some Small Businesses Early

The Affordable Care Act will require most U.S. Citizens to be insured by 2014. The law kicks in for businesses with 50 or more full-time employees a year later. These companies must provide insurance for their full-time workers by 2015 or face penalties. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees are, so far, exempt from the requirements.

But it just so happens the law will hit at least two groups of small business owners earlier than they might have expected.

Small Business Owners Need Insurance

One of those two groups is made up of self-employed solopreneurs. If not  insured already, these people will need to enroll in a plan by March 2014. They are not exempt from participation simply because their businesses have fewer than 50 employees. And they cannot wait until 2015 to enroll in an insurance plan like other businesses. This is because they fall under the individual mandate which goes into effect next year, not the employer mandate that has been delayed until 2015.

We don’t know exactly how many uninsured solopreneurs there are out there, says William J. Dennis. Dennis is a National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation senior fellow who recently authored a study on the impact of Obamacare on small business. He estimates there are approximately 5.5 million self-employed small business owners in the U.S.

But because the NFIB study confined itself to small businesses employing between 2 and 200 employees, no data was gathered on the number of self-employed business owners who are still uninsured.  Self-employed entrepreneurs might easily become confused about which mandate they fit under. That’s because technically, Dennis says, they could purchase an insurance policy as either a small business or an individual. However, he says there is  no question that they fall under the individual mandate in terms of the new Affordable Care Act. As a result, they must carry health insurance by the 2014 deadline or face penalties.

Employers Without Insurance

Yet another group of small business owners and entrepreneurs will need insurance policies by 2014, if they don’t already have them. This group includes small business employers. Of the 7 million such employers in the U.S., Dennis estimates about 15 to 16 percent are currently uninsured.

Dennis says some of these employers may already provide insurance for their employees and have simply gone without a policy of their own to save costs or for some other personal reason.

Others may think that they can simply hold off until 2015 and purchase plans for themselves and their employees when the employer mandate kicks in.

However, these employers may be forgetting that while their businesses are not required to purchase insurance before 2015 under the new law, this does not apply to them personally.

“They are effectively individuals,” Dennis explains.

The Clock is Ticking

Whether you are a self-employed business owner or an employer, you will need to be insured by 2014 to meet the individual mandate of the affordable care act, according to the NFIB. This is regardless of whether your business falls under employer mandate going into effect in 2015 or not. Don’t wait until the last minute to get more information on the requirements and how to proceed.

25 Tips to Boost Holiday Sales This Season

The big holiday shopping season is just around the corner. Whether you’re an online retailer or a bricks-and-mortar store, chances are you make a large chunk of your annual income during December. For this reason, it’s important to prepare well in advance of the Black Friday rush. Here are 25 tips from entrepreneurs throughout the country to help you boost holiday sales this year.

1. Beef up your e-mail lists NOW. “Email can be one of the most effective methods of alerting your audience,” says Blue Fountain Media’s Gabriel Shaoolian. “Leading up to Cyber Monday or Black Friday, small business marketers should update their email signup forms and give some incentive for their consumers to submit their email addresses to maximize the potential of email marketing.”
2. Participate in Small Business Saturday. Each year on November 30, American Express hosts Small Business Saturday. Retail expert Patricia Norins recommends finding unique ways to make the most of Small Business Saturday this year. “Get the media and local officials involved,” Norins advises. “Local media is always looking for a good story.” Norins also advises providing free parking, leveraging existing events in town, and encouraging other local businesses to participate in Small Business Saturday.
3. Conduct a website audit. Prior to the holidays, businesses should make sure their site is easy to navigate. Peoplefluent’s Sharon Palermo recommends checking to ensure items are categorized well, searching your site is easy, images and descriptions clearly showcase products, and information on returns is easily accessible.
4. Give to charity. Butch Harmon, CEO of No Napkin Needed, recommends donating a portion of proceeds to charity. This will both benefit the charity and make your customers feel as though they’re making a difference.
5. Offer free shipping. Free shipping is essential during the holidays. In fact, research has found one of the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment during the season is failure to provide free shipping. “If you’re not offering free shipping, customers will find this offer elsewhere,” says Steve Eilers, owner of SharpShades.com. “We recommend this and see a 30% increase in sales due to free shipping and handling.”
6. Check server capacity. As we all learned from the Healthcare.gov issue this year, when a website is flooded with visitors, disaster can happen. “E-stores need to be ready to handle a massive spike in website traffic
   and customer service requests,” says Kristin Serio, senior account executive at Uproar PR.
7. Use social media. Tracy Higginbotham supports New York entrepreneurs through Women TIES, LLC. She recommends business owners use their social media sites to promote holiday sales as much as possible. “Once they promote or post their specials on social media, it is very important for them to ask their friends or customers to share their posts or tweets with their friends to create a larger potential buying audience,” Higginbotham says.
8. Think local. Manta recommends small businesses focus on local customers. “You know your customers and your locality much better than the neighboring big businesses,” a Manta spokesperson says. “Leverage your knowledge to create targeted holiday content, and conduct outreach via email and social media. Take advantage that you don’t have to wait for permission from corporate HQ to be quick and scrappy with your outreach.”
9. Provide a gift guide. “When you give your clients ideas of what to purchase for someone, they listen,” says Jayme Pretzloff, online marketing director for Wixon Jewelers. “These visitors want your ideas because it makes their lives easier.”
10. Count down to the last second of a sale. Movable Ink’s director of strategic partnerships, Lalit Chopra, told Silverpop, “Include a streaming countdown clock in your e-mail that updates in real time to show the hours, minutes and seconds ticking away until the end of a sale.”
11. Collect all the customer data you can. CBL & Associates Properties’ Jerry Jones told Specialty Retail Report that by gathering customer contact information, businesses can regularly send mailings to entice customers in for holiday-related sales.
12. Check for mobile optimization. Many businesses don’t realize their websites aren’t optimized for mobile. “With 63 percent of adults using smartphones to get online, a business that misses the mobile boat loses sales,” says a spokesperson for DudaMobile, a service that automatically converts a site to a mobile-friendly design.
13. Participate in free shipping day. Each year, Free Shipping Day is held just before Christmas, offering free shipping to consumers with promised delivery by Christmas Eve. This year’s event is December 18.
14. Lose the passwords. James Mikrut of Cleverbridge urges businesses to avoid requiring passwords and account creation to make a purchase. “Aren’t there other pieces of information that can be used to access important information other than creating another password?” he asks. “How about the order reference number, which is uniquely available to the customer, or last four digits of the credit card number used or a zip/postal code?”
15. Recognize the customer, situation and context. “A brand should not present the same experience to a brand-new customer as to someone who shops on the site several times a month,” says Nathan Richter, strategic services director for Monetate. “Rather, a brand might welcome a new visitor with a banner asking them to sign up for email specials, whereas a returning customer could see a banner featuring a sale on a favorite brand.”
16. Test your site. “In order to keep customers happy and guarantee that your site runs smoothly, I recommend setting up ‘real-world’ performance tests to simulate multiple business scenarios across different browsers, connection speeds and platforms â€" whether mobile or web,” says Micro Focus’s Archie Roboostoff.
17. Take advantage of Cyber Monday. Merchant Warehouse CEO Henry Helgeson says the real opportunity lies in Cyber Monday. “When it comes to online shopping, particularly around Cyber Monday, there’s a real opportunity for small and mid-sized retailers to compete with major online outlets,” he says.
18. Use existing data. Maxymiser’s Daniel Toubian suggests businesses, “Look at the data that you already have and analyze which segments are driving the biggest traffic surges, then personalize the experiences to turn customers into brand advocates.”
19. Decorate your website. Hannah Watkins, director of integrated marketing for Ironistic, encourages businesses to add festive design elements to their sites to celebrate the season.
20. Help last-minute shoppers. As Christmas approaches, approximately one-third of consumers have not yet done their shopping. Volusion recommends offering affordable overnight shipping options to customers to cater to procrastinators.
21. Take care of the kids. Jill Cartright, executive director of BRIXY, has discovered many shoppers are challenged with keeping the kids and significant others happy while shopping. “Consider adding seating to your store or turning a corner or nook into a play space for children,” says Cartright. “If you sell toys, put out a few pieces as demos - parents are more likely to buy a toy that their child has played with and enjoyed than they are to risk money on one that may fall flat come the holidays!”
22. Combine online with in-store. The convenience of shopping online is great, but many shoppers don’t want to pay shipping. Social media strategist Jean L. Serio recommends allowing customers to order online with in-store pickup.
23. Offer gift cards. Gift cards are big business, especially during the holiday season. CVS’s GOGO program was acknowledged for its innovation, but many retailers have developed similar programs. Customers are provided a free gift card of small value when they purchase a gift card for a friend. (Give One, Get One.)
24. Monetize links. During the holiday season, businesses can earn additional revenue by monetizing their social media posts. “Tools like VigLink Anywhere allow you to insert merchant links within Twitter, Facebook, emails, RSS feeds, Tumblr and more that can help increase business,” says PR executive Stacy Silver.
25. Return calls quickly. “Letting a voice mailbox fill up with calls that you never return can result in more holiday sales for your competitor,” says ReachLocal’s Tara Banda. “In fact, 50% of consumers will choose to do business with the company that calls them back first.”

Impart some of these tips into your holiday marketing plan and you just might see a big return. Let us know - which tips do you think you’ll try?

Small Business Employee Compensation and Benefits Lag

Employee compensation at small establishments lags behind that at larger businesses, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data (PDF) reveals. Not only do businesses spend less on wages and benefits at smaller concerns, but also expenditures on employee compensation have been growing more slowly at smaller establishments.

While not every establishment, or business unit operating at a single location as government statistical agencies defines them, represents an independent firm. The vast majority of establishments are single location businesses. Therefore, observers often use data on small establishments to track what is going on in the small business world.

Smaller Establishments Pay Lower Salaries

At private sector establishments with fewer than 50 workers, wage and salary costs per hour were $17.28 in June 2013; at establishments with 50 to 99 workers, they were $19.13; at concerns with 100 to 499 workers they were $20.56; and at establishments with 500 or more workers, they were $28.29.

Smaller Establishments Spend Less on Employee Benefits

The cost of employee benefits at private sector establishments with fewer than 50 workers was $5.81 per hour worked in June 2013, compared with $7.51 at establishments with 50 to 99 employees, $9.20 for establishments with 100 to 499 workers, and $14.86 for establishments with 500 or more people, BLS estimates show.

Larger Establishments Provide a Greater Share of Employee Compensation

At establishments with between 1 and 49 workers, benefits accounted for 25.2 percent of total compensation in June of this year. They amounted to 28.2 percent of total compensation at establishments with between 50 and 99 employees, 30.9 percent at locations with between 100 to 499 workers, and 34.4 percent at establishments with 500 or more workers.

Two key benefits - health insurance and retirement plans - account for a larger slice of employee compensation at bigger establishments than smaller ones. In June 2013, health care coverage took to:

• 6.2 percent of total compensation at establishments with fewer than 50 employees.
• 7.3 percent at locations with between 50 and 99 employees.
• 8.6 percent at concerns with between 100 and 499 employees.
• 8.9 percent at establishments with 500 or more employees.

This June, retirement plans accounted for:

• 2.2 percent of total compensation at establishments with fewer than 50 employees.
• 3.2 percent at establishments with between 50 and 99 employees.
• 4.0 percent at establishments with between 100 and 499 employees.
• 5.2 percent at establishments with 500 or more employees.

Employee Compensation has Been Growing More Slowly at Smaller Establishments

BLS figures show that total compensation increased only 1.8 percent between 1990 and 2013 at establishments with fewer than 100 workers, when measured in inflation-adjusted terms. At establishments with between 100 and 499 workers, and establishments with 500 or more workers, over the same period, real total compensation rose 19.7 and 19.8 percent, respectively.

Wage stagnation has been the norm at smaller establishments. Between 1990 and 2013, real wages increased only 0.9 percent at locations with fewer than 100 employees. At establishments with between 100 and 499 workers, they went up 14.1 percent, while at concerns with 500 or more employees, they rose 13.2 percent.

Retirement benefits have grown more slowly at smaller establishments. When measured in inflation-adjusted terms, the per employee cost of retirement savings grew only 1.3 percent between 1990 and 2013 at establishments with fewer than 100 people, versus 64.2 percent at locations with between 100 and 499 workers and 62.7 percent at concerns with 500 or more workers.

Spending on employee health coverage has grown more slowly at smaller establishments. Real spending on employee health coverage rose 58 percent at establishments with 500 or more workers between 1990 and 2013, and 68 percent at concerns with 100 to 499 employees. By contrast, spending on employee health coverage at establishments with fewer than 100 employees increased only 32 percent over the same period.

In short, smaller establishments pay less and provide lesser benefits than larger establishments. Moreover, this pay and benefit gap has widened in recent years. Our elected officials should take these facts into consideration when designing policies that affect small business employment.

Small Versus Big Photo via Shutterstock

Bieber Invests in Social Media for Teens

If teens are getting bored with Facebook, maybe teen heart throb Justin Bieber can help. Facebook recently admitted teens aren’t as active on the social network as they used to be (something you should take note of, if you market to this group.)

Business Insider even went so far as to interview some 13-year-olds about why they’re becoming less active on the site.

Meanwhile, Bieber, who counts teens as a major part of his audience, was among a group of investors who recently put a combined $1.1 million into a new social site called Shots of Me targeted directly at this demographic.

John Shahidi, CEO of RockLive, the company responsible for the new social network, told Fortune:

“He’s been very involved in our products, helping us test things and providing feedback…When we told him that we were looking to create a social network for teens that really addresses what they aren’t getting on other networks, and which tries to deal with things like cyber-bullying, his eyes just lit up.”

Of course, you don’t need a million dollars to start your own online community. Tools like Ning, Mixxt and others provide cost effective opportunities to create a more specific community for your fans, customers or industry.

Imagine a social network targeted at your niche. An accounting business, for example, could create an online community for people with tax questions. Or a local automotive repair shop could sponsor a community for people with concerns about their cars.

Niche communities could be a major part of marketing to your customers in the future and the tools are easily available.

Justin Bieber Photo via Shutterstock

Bieber Invests in Social Media for Teens

If teens are getting bored with Facebook, maybe teen heart throb Justin Bieber can help. Facebook recently admitted teens aren’t as active on the social network as they used to be (something you should take note of, if you market to this group.)

Business Insider even went so far as to interview some 13-year-olds about why they’re becoming less active on the site.

Meanwhile, Bieber, who counts teens as a major part of his audience, was among a group of investors who recently put a combined $1.1 million into a new social site called Shots of Me targeted directly at this demographic.

John Shahidi, CEO of RockLive, the company responsible for the new social network, told Fortune:

“He’s been very involved in our products, helping us test things and providing feedback…When we told him that we were looking to create a social network for teens that really addresses what they aren’t getting on other networks, and which tries to deal with things like cyber-bullying, his eyes just lit up.”

Of course, you don’t need a million dollars to start your own online community. Tools like Ning, Mixxt and others provide cost effective opportunities to create a more specific community for your fans, customers or industry.

Imagine a social network targeted at your niche. An accounting business, for example, could create an online community for people with tax questions. Or a local automotive repair shop could sponsor a community for people with concerns about their cars.

Niche communities could be a major part of marketing to your customers in the future and the tools are easily available.

Justin Bieber Photo via Shutterstock