Phone answering skills are critical for businesses. The phone is still most business’s primary point of contact with customers. And the way you answer your company’s phone will form your customer’s first impression of your business. Here’s how to answer the phone properly and win business: 1) Answer all incoming phone calls before the third … Read more
It can be extremely challenging to find the money to start a business. In fact, this is one of the biggest hurdles most entrepreneurs face. There are many options — small business loans, investors, small business grants, self-financing, crowdfunding — but the process of zeroing in on the one funding option that is best for … Read more
When you’ve got a great idea for a product, there’s an important decision to make right up front: do you want to build a brand new company from the ground up in order to commercialize the product, OR do you sign a product licensing deal with a pre-existing company that already has the resources in … Read more
Back when I was a full-time student, I used to moonlight as a part-time writer for various technology blogs. I did this on a “remote” basis. These blogs had offices thousands of miles away from my co-working space of choice: my cozy college hostel-room. So when I graduated in 2015, I was pleased to see … Read more
All pieces of business advice are myths—including this one. There’s been a lot of talk about what to do and what not to do about your business. Should you raise funds or go bootstrap? Do you need to start something new amid the existence of established players in your industry? Do you really need to be … Read more
If you are just starting your small business, one way to avoid common mistakes and increase your chances of success is by learning from those who came before you. You can gather a great deal of useful information by attending small business events, following business and industry influencers on social media, and reading blogs and … Read more
Business partnerships have many advantages — they allow entrepreneurs to pool complementary skill sets, as well as to share startup costs and risk with one another. That makes them one of the most common ways of achieving success in business. Unfortunately, many of the advantages of partnerships can also be disadvantages, and statistics show that up … Read more
Technology is generally considered a driver of economic growth, yet only 4.9 percent of all US businesses are technology businesses. For the other 95 percent of small businesses, technology is not what they’re selling, yet it is critical to fueling the operations. Recently we talked with a group of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumni … Read more
If your small business’s website isn’t gaining traffic, actively engaging customers or targeting the right personas, it might be time for a redesign. This is particularly true if your site’s been online for more than a year and isn’t updated frequently. It’s important to stay relevant — nothing screams “behind the times” like an outdated … Read more
Sure, the best leaders sometimes have to make decisions that are unpopular, but we all crave respect and support from the staff that make our companies work. Being a likable leader isn’t about currying favor or tiptoeing around the people you employ. In fact, being likeable means being the best leader you can be. Employing … Read more