Blog
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Letting Employees Work from Home
Typically, my posts usually touch subjects such as content marketing, SEO and B2B social media, recently I’ve been doing a lot of reading on one other business subject that I’ve been compelled to sound off on. It involves giving employees the privilege to work from home. My colleague Devon McDonald has just lately touched on this topic in a post about the pros and cons of managing remote sales teams, and Fast Company posted a fun infographic just last week on how a number of employers agree to deciding on this option. In this article, I want to focus on [...]
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How to Strengthen Your Business in a Slow Economy
The American economy’s downturn affects every small business, yet some businesses are thriving and some are failing. What are the essential differences between succeeding and failing during an economic downturn? The most critical difference is the ability to take a fresh and objective look at your business. Building Businesses Together We all need to look carefully at our business plan and be willing to make significant changes in that plan in order to strengthen our businesses position in the market place. In addition, we need to be willing to seek help from others. There is that only saying that two [...]
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Getting Your Traffic to Convert
At Understanding eCommerce we believe that constructing a successful online business takes three parts – Build, Optimize and Convert. But to be very clear – building websites is not objective, nor is driving traffic through search engine optimization – the objective is conversion. Websites and SEO are tools to get there – but the goal is always conversion. What do you want your customers do? Buy? Sign Up? Call? – What is call the action? Not Sure? Contact Us for a Free 30 Minute Online Consultation Sure websites are a numbers game – the more folks visit, the more chances [...]
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Understanding Break-Even
One of the startup business basics is determining break-even – the point where your sales supports your overhead. Beyond break-even lies profitability. Putting the Pieces Together – Build, Optimize, Convert Understanding eCommerce And while it is just one of many financial ratios we consider – it is a primary decision tool for anyone launching a new venture. It is the feasibility test. “In order for the business to hit breakeven, we need to sell 10,000 widgets. Can we realistically expect to sell 10,000 widgets?” Breakeven = Fixed Costs/Sales – COGS For example – I sell hotdogs. My cart, licensing, insurance [...]
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What are Business Searchers Looking For?
During the entire research and buying process, buyers are using various search engines. Because of this, many B2B marketers use search engine marketing to generate leads, engage prospects, and build brand awareness in a cost effective manner. When talking about B2B lead generation, potential clients usually must fill out a mandatory registration form in exchange for what? The value vs. hassle equation Providing potential buyers with the correct asset is a vital part of a thriving search marketing program. To offer something of value, marketers must understand what their potential clients are looking for. Even more important is the fact that the time, risk, and [...]
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Psychic Benefits of the business owner – how it impacts Exit Planning
By Paul Cronin, partner and Director of Business Development at STPI In a recent article by Malcolm Gladwell* titled “Psychic Benefits and the NBA lockout”, he posited that owners can sometime gain so much psychic benefit from the sports business, it can color their decision-making and cause the horrendous labor strikes that seriously erode the value of the business. This led me to think how baby boomer owners may be treating their companies. While their businesses lack the sexiness of a sports franchise, there are a number of benefits that owners gain from a business, and that the thought of [...]
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Online Business Options
The presence of the web makes us notice the factor of women in the labor market more. The freedom the internet gives us is being enjoyed by women are over the world. We have seen women head large corporations, holding governmental offices, and other feats that were never experienced by their predecessors. However, some women have failed to reap the rewards offered in this day and age. There are definite reasons why some women fail to capitalize on the opportunities. Lack of work is a contributing factor. Starting an online business is giving many women the head start they need [...]
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Learning How To Be Self-Motivating in Any Business – Online or Offline
When you are trying to build a business on the net, you have to maintain the basics such as concentrated effort, action, dedication, etc. Motivation is the key to doing anything and sticking with the program until you accomplish your goals. You will experience moments when motivation is less than optimal, that is normal, but it is how you deal with it that will set you apart, or not. So then it comes down to knowing how to be aware of what is going on as well as being able to break through it no matter what. Do not be [...]
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Cultivate Your Team’s Best Potential
Avoiding the five dysfunctions of a losing team and supporting the four distinctions in your teams The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Not too long ago, the whole team at OpenView was brought into acquaintance with the concept of the five dysfunctions of a team via the book of the very same name authored by Patrick Lencioni. We discussed the ideas in depth, and also spent time undergoing an thorough training session with team building consultants to help us identify signs of these dysfunctions within our team and handle them. While team building is undoubtedly often a work in progress for [...]
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Understanding Your Exit Options
Among the most important strategic choices that a start-up business makes is formulating its exit, as this is what lets a company and its founders to achieve its end goal… a productive, profitable and painless market exit. So when is it a good opportunity for an organization to begin planning its exit strategy? It is never too early to start, for finding out about your possible exit options and their likelihood could drastically influence your company’s new product development, IT, personnel and product positioning decisions. These decisions can greatly affect the M&A attraction of your company since M&A suitors place great importance [...]