Do you ever wish you could walk into a Target or Walmart and find your product on one of their selves?  You’re not alone.  It is the goal of many small business owner to grow his/her venture to make it more profitable. Thus, it is a common dream for most small business operators to have their products distributed through ‘big box’ stores or major retailers. 
But the path to the shelves of major distributors and retailers is not a smooth one. It is rough and challenging. That is why not all small businesses succeed in making it big and getting into [...]

If you own an online business, an electronic payment system is vital to your success. That is unless you want to have your customers mail in checks and cash, but that is risky and probably won’t attract many customers!
There are several electronic payment systems to choose from. Of these, the 2 most well-known are Google Checkout and PayPal. Let’s compare these payment processing tools and see which is best for your online business.
Pricing
It’s a good idea to start your comparison by looking at prices. This shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision, but it helps to know what you’ll [...]

With little working capital working in their favor, small businesses must be clever and strategic in their marketing efforts.
Particularly considering that marketing and advertising represent one of the biggest expenses most businesses will incur. Not only is it one of the biggest expenses; it’s also one of the most important. The R.O.I. (return on investment ) can either make or break an otherwise struggling business.
With this in mind, here are five low-cost ways to create a buzz about your business without going broke.
1. Quality Business Cards—-Just because you’re small in size doesn’t mean you should have a strong image. No [...]

You know the old Rolling Stones song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want?” It’s true. However, everyday there is someone in the world who pushes the proverbial envelope to get what they want (not necessarily what they need).
Take the story of Apotheosis. At five foot, six inches he was shorter than the average American male and very unhappy about it. Instead of accepting his fate, he chose to get costly, painful surgeries to add six inches to his height. He’s not alone in his quest. Others have chosen this limb-lengthening procedure for purely cosmetic reasons as well.
Sometimes what people [...]

Direct Capital hired Daniel Krajewski to lead their new sales effort. Why is this important to small businesses? He is an industry veteran in sales, graduating from State University, New York College and Canisuis Campus. When it comes to sales, training is everything. A business owner can have the best idea in the world, but without the right sales strategies, that idea can fall dead in today’s busy marketplace.
The First Impression
As a business owner, you are the first sales person your business has. You have to sell to investors, customers and employees alike. First impressions are created in the first [...]

The results are in: the Consumer Reports National Research Center has surveyed the shopping experiences of over 26,000 customers, and while the results make sense in the common sense world of shopping, the results are a great way to compare your own business to see how you measure up in the world of customer service.
The survey asked participants about their shopping preferences at 10 of the country’s big chain stores: Costco, JCPenney, Kmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart. Consumers were asked to rate their experience based on quality, selection, value, customer service, and checkout.
Of the 10 [...]

According to a recent survey, the biggest worry for small business owners is the lack of consumer demand. The survey, commissioned by the American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority, asked 500 small business owners what their concerns were for their companies. The results were varied, but below is a summary of the research findings:
Slow sales are holding small businesses down
Of the people surveyed, 34% believed that it was weak demand that was prohibiting their businesses’ growth. This was the majority consensus: 15% listed cost of health care and other benefits, 14% cited level of government [...]

There’s a lot of talk about the two teams headed to Super Bowl XLVI this coming Sunday.
Which team has got the better offense? Which team can neutralize the defense? Which team can put the kibosh on big plays? Who will come out on top of the Brady/Manning matchup?
Comparing two very different football teams is like comparing the sales teams in different organizations. There are too many factors to get an honest comparison. Things like company and sales force size, industry, market focus and more, can make it tough to predict success rate.
However, Profiles International (PI) recently released the 2011 Large [...]

With all the talk of the economy being bad and seeing businesses go bankrupt with alarming regularity, any small business owner or person thinking about opening their own business may have that fear of not knowing if their idea can survive in a struggling economy. A recent research study by Stores Magazine-BIGresearch tracked the items consumers are willing to sacrifice in lean times, as well as the things they can’t live without.  The results show how people are practical about how they spend their money, and the results allow existing and future small business owners better understand what industries defy hard [...]

How well did your company meet its goals for 2011? Frankly, if you’re like 50% of small businesses these days, you fell short of meeting most or all of your 2011 business goals. Surprised?
The reason, according to the latest small business poll from SMB Business Perspectives, was because the biggest challenge that the 1,000 or so survey participants said they faced in 2011 was growing their customer/client base (44%).
Additionally, 32% labored under budget constraints, 27% said staying in business had been a major concern, and 20% felt pressure from their local competition.
2012 Outlook
On the subject of the upcoming year, the [...]