Entrepreneur Resources: Small Business Blog

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Today I bring you another quick tip. This time it addresses how to sell as a franchise representative in today’s economy.

Question:

Do you know any sales techniques I could use that do not include pitching my brand over a competitor? The economy in my area has been hit hard, but I believe in my products and their benefits. Please help.

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Our last article showed you how to keep track of your online brand with popular tools, such as the Google search engine. Well, let’s say that you are using one of the tips from that article and come across something silly you did years ago. It is not aligned with the brand image you want to portray today, and it would be slightly embarrassing (okay, maybe really embarrassing) if a potential client saw it. What can you do? Here are three things you can do to manage how your negative information shows up on the Internet.

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Some employers are using the Internet to check up on potential employees before making hiring decisions, but did you realize that potential clients could be checking up on small business owners, too? Making sure you know what is being said about you and your company on the Internet should be a regular part of your business activities. Use these three tips to keep track of your online brand.

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Summer is almost over, but it’s not too late to implement these 3 summer business building tips. This Monday Marketing Moment offers tips to keep your sales high during the hottest months of the year.

For many small business owners, summer represents a slump in sales. Many of our potential customers are more interested in vacations and outdoor activities than in office meetings and store visits. Rather than let your sales suffer, follow these 3 business building tips to give your company a boost this summer.

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Today I have the pleasure of posting 16 small business tips learned from the Donald Trump Entrepreneur Expo in August 2010. Journalist Marcie Hill of The Write Design Company was in attendance and allowed us to reprint her notes. These common sense tips will surely take your business to the next level.

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Today’s tips are a result of a question received about attracting a certain type of consumer. While the answer is specific to the massage industry, it can be applied across a variety of businesses.

Question:

I have a friend who’s starting out as a massage therapist. How can he position himself as a source for upscale clientele?

Answer:

If your friend wants to position himself as a massage therapist for upscale clients, he should perform the following tasks.

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Small business owners love clients. They are the lifeblood of the company and ensure that employees are paid and the office lights are kept on. However, there are some customers that entrepreneurs can do without. Are you one of them? Read on for the top 5 small business pet peeves and how to avoid them.

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Can you believe that half the year is almost over? It feels like yesterday when we were writing out our business goals for 2010. Here are a few tips for maximizing the rest of your year.

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This is a quick tip for the solo entrepreneurs out there. As a sole proprietor myself, I understand how passionate and attached one can feel to a business.

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Okay, the title of this article may be a bit harsh, but I still urge you to rethink your small business’ use of flashing text, scrolling photos and music as the first things potential customers see on your web site. Remember, your site visitors are coming to you web site to learn about your products and services, not to be entertained by your logo dancing across the screen. Here are a few questions to consider before asking your web designer to create a Flash intro for your site:

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Our partner web site, Inspired Graphics Media, is now offering paid project referrals for all marketing strategy and design work. For every paid project referral, Inspired Graphics Media will give you a $25 gift card to a vendor of your choice on http://www.giftcardmall.com. This site has cards for clothes, cash, movies, music and more.