Marketing

Pitching the Media Correctly to Market Your Home Business

November 3, 2009 · 1 Comment

We understand the power of the media. Being mentioned on TV, newspaper or radio can significantly boost our reach and brand, even our sales. The key question, however, is: How do we do it? I’m sure many of you have spent hundreds in press release distribution hoping that your news item will be mentioned in the media, only to a find silence from a totally uninterested media (and hundreds down the drain). Highly experienced public relations professional Kristin Marquet, President of Marquet Communications sent me tips on how to pitch the media correctly in order to get PR mileage... [Read the full story]

Online Business

Get Listed on Google Maps and Increase Exposure of Your Small Business

November 5, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Yellow Pages are so 1990s. Nowadays, if you are running a small business dependent on customers finding and coming to your physical store or office, then you need to get listed on Google Maps. Type in Google search terms that include business types and specific locations such as “landscaping Annapolis MD” or “hair salon in Chicago” and the very first results are the local business results, with more information about the business including their location in the map. If your competitors are there, you better make sure you get listed on Google Maps as well! After... [Read the full story]

Starting a Business

Learning from Successful Small Business Women Entrepreneurs

October 15, 2009 · 2 Comments

One of the questions we normally ask women entrepreneurs we feature on Women Home Business is: What advice can you give other entrepreneurs? Here are the tips and advice our featured entrepreneurs shared: Mandy Krammel, Inventor of Tweakerz Bra Accessory If you believe in your product, don’t give up. My patent was rejected twice, thank goodness I tried again. The bumps in the road helped me to create a better product. Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Consider doing your market research study before investing too much money. Chanell Scott, founder of... [Read the full story]

Growing

How Your Small Business Can Become the Leader of the Pack

October 11, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Businesses are in fierce competition, and it’s a no-holds-barred fight out there. As a small business owner, you have two options: be just one of the entrepreneurs out there who operate within their comfort zones; or you can break from the perceived limitations of small businesses. You can choose to become an Alpha Dog. The book “Alpha Dogs: How Your Small Business can Become a Leader of the Pack” by Donna Fenn provides strategies needed to break-out from the mold and turn your small business into a success. It is not easy to rise to the top given the competition from big businesses... [Read the full story]

Business Ideas

Starting a Bakery: Success in the Niche Food Business

October 18, 2009 · Leave a Comment

We often hear of small businesses deathly scared when big boys – particularly Wal-mart – come to town. And they have every reason to be: big businesses have deeper pockets, offer wider goods selection, and have tighter relationships with suppliers that allow them to give deep discounted prices. So it is very refreshing to see a small business thrive despite having Wal-Mart as a next-door neighbor. Great Harvest Bread in Burke, VA is a few steps away from Wal-Mart, yet their baked breads, cupcakes, cookies and even pies are almost always sold out. Every day! There is always a constant stream... [Read the full story]

Financing

Where Do Small Business Owners Get Funding for their Businesses?

October 18, 2009 · 1 Comment

One of the biggest issues faced by many small businesses during the economic downturn is the tightening credit market. Finding capital financing for a small business remains a big challenge as banks tighten lending criteria and reduce their exposure to the small business sector. In fact, according to the National Small Business Association in their 2008 Survey of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses , about 55 percent of their survey respondents have experienced difficulty in securing financing for their businesses. The credit crunch is more acute for businesses with 5 or less employees, with 35 percent... [Read the full story]

Starting a Business

Learning from Successful Small Business Women Entrepreneurs

5 Ways to Test Your Business Idea Affordably

Before you pour your life’s savings or a huge chunk of your time into your business, it is best to test first whether your business idea will work or not. Alas, market research is typically a tool for the deep-pocketed big businesses, and not for small businesses trying to stretch their dollars or struggling to find start-up capital. Avoid... [Read more of this review]

How to Get Six-Figure Income

Do you have what it takes to achieve financial success? Barbara Stanny in her book “Secrets of Six Figure Women” explores the strategies that financially successful women – from entrepreneurs to corporate executives to freelancers and part-timers — employ to reach their highest income potential. According to the author, here are the... [Read more of this review]

7 Smart Things Successful Businesses are Doing to Ride Out the Recession

Jay Abraham, author of the upcoming book The Sticking Point Solution: 9 Ways to Move Your Business From Stagnation to Stunning Growth In Tough Economic Times has written an excellent piece on how businesses can grow in this tough economic climate. He offers 7 “smart things that successful businesses are doing in order not just to ride... [Read more of this review]

Can Your Business Make a Lot of Money?

When starting a business, our first thought is often: Can I make money with this business? I previously wrote about how to evaluate a business idea in the article Evaluating Your Business Idea and Product . The article lists some helpful questions you need to ask yourself when thinking of what products or services to offer. But how can you... [Read more of this review]

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