Everyday, I get asked questions by business owners across this nation about their customers – e.g. who they are, how to get more of them or even how to get them to buy.

These questions are hard for me to answer as I am not a customer of all these companies and these questions usually relate directly to the company’s products or service or directly to its market or industry. But, while I cannot usually answer these questions with specific guidance, there is a very simple and common method in increasing your customer base and ultimately your business profits and that is to know your customers.

If you know your customer these questions would already be answered. Therefore, get to know your customers. If you are afraid to ask your current customers or potential customers questions regarding your business – then, how do you expect to sell to them – to let them know about your business and how your offerings can improve their lives? This is one of the simplest but hardest concepts that business owners face – talking to and getting information from their customers.

(more…)

In this piece we suggest a tactic for using social business networking to expand your MLM business. We specifically discuss one of the best online business networking sites: Linkedin. Linkedin is presently the most popular business and professional networking website. The guidance in this discussion would also apply to other business networking sites and business models.

Linkedin is a free of charge business networking website used by many professionals to share information and for networking. A premium membership is offered to expand your networking opportunities. There are now more than 47 million members in 200 countries that participate in Linkedin, including executives from all Fortune 500 Companies. The average household earnings of Linkedin members was $109,000 at the time of this writing.

(more…)

The idea of social networking is nothing new. However, social networking through the internet has boomed in the last few years with inventions such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

What may have started out as social media tools to keep up with each other’s personal lives has since expanded to include businesses taking advantage of a way to increase their client base. When used properly, these social networking sites can provide another outlet for companies to advertise their product, connect to a greater network of potential consumers and track their competitors.

(more…)

I am all for advanced technology when it helps to enrich our lives or make some tasks easier. However, when this same technology starts to replace humans, I think it has gone a bit too far. As an Internet Marketing Consultant, I obviously spend a lot to time on the Internet and spend way too much time having to “prove” that I am a “human”. Is it just me or do others find this a bit odd? With the use of Captcha’s on so many blogging sites, bookmarking sites, etc. I find myself wondering why and when being “human” became something we had to offer proof for.

A Captcha is defined as “a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer”. In other words, unless we can prove otherwise, we are assumed to NOT be human. This is a rather peculiar twist on the “innocent until proven guilty” premise. The phrase “challenge-response test” in the definition of a Captcha is in many cases, extremely accurate. However, when the “test question” is a simple addition problem such as “what is 1 + 1”, I have no problem passing and have a bit of resentment that this type of question is referred to as a “challenge”. Granted, many of us have lost our ability to do simple math because of the calculator, but “1 + 1”? Even the mathematically-challenged adult can handle that one. But then there are those Captcha’s that cannot possibly be interpreted by a “human”. It sometimes takes me upwards of 5 tries before a non-human presents me with a Captcha I can still barely identify. (more…)

As a professional business coach and mentor, I see many small business owners whose lives are ruled by their business – not the other way around. They burn themselves out working outrageously long hours when they could be spending more time at home with their families and friends and taking time out to enjoy life.

So many of them began their business so they could be “the boss” and work their own hours. What happens is their lack of experience turns this around on them and they become slaves to their businesses.

Having started many successful businesses myself, as well as coaching and mentoring other new business owners, I understand more than most just how easy it is to become “stuck” and become trapped in bad habits. It’s easy to say “work smarter, not harder” – but what does that mean exactly? Most small business owners don’t have a clue.

So here are just eight of some of the more common mistakes small business owners make, so you can avoid them and if you are already trapped, what you can do about them:

(more…)

For some people, it will be a hard task to decide for having a dog. Having a new dog is like having a new baby. It really needs an extra care of us. So that, before you make a decision for having a new dog, you have to follow the available guides. For caring a dog, we have to give much attention to its food, water, place, toys, etc., even we have not to forget about the law. To make a dog safe, it has to be worn a collar. In the collar, it also has to be given the address and the name of the owner of the dog. It is done to anticipate if a dog does not know the way will go back to you. For the owner of the dog, it is also suggested to really understand and follow the law. (more…)