Category Archives: Small Business Tips

You know how some people enjoy using yoga or meditation to relieve stress?  Well, I vacuum.  Seriously.  The truth is I’m a bit of a neat freak (though I prefer terms like “organized” or “careful.”)   Let’s just say I’ve been known to dust and vacuum more than thrice a day.  What does this have to do with business?  I’m not saying you have to scrub your desk until it shines, and I’m not (necessarily) recommending that you insist on a spic-and-span workplace or warehouse.  You don’t have to spit-shine your website or clean your laptop with a Q-tip.  But I am saying that getting rid of mental or systemic clutter is just as important to efficiency and accuracy as physically cleaning up messes can be.  Want to know why? Read On

One of the perks of a small business is that it’s….wait for it….small.  In theory, this means less red tape, more efficient decision-making, more flexibility, and so on.  But it also means a smaller team of employees, so it’s common for small business owners to end up doing everything themselves.  Is doing everything yourself the best idea?  No, no it is not. Read On

It’s noon on Saturday and you’re kicking back in your mismatched jammies and gnarly bedhead when you realize you need to find and mail a gift.   Thanks, internet!  What would have taken you an afternoon twenty years ago takes 2 minutes.  

No need to be seen in public!  Just clickity-click-click and move on with your day.  You’re in the middle of a hectic workday and realize you forgot to place an order?  You can (probably) get what you need without leaving of your seat or even interrupting the phone call you’re on. Read On

How often have you been in a restaurant or other business and point a problem out to one of the employees only to get rolled eyes and a “That’s not my job.” I’ve seen this a surprising number of times when pointing out a messy bathroom, a broken display or any number of other issues a business might be having.

This is what you call an attitude problem. Read On

Raise your e-hand if you know this saying:  “Make new friends, keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.”  Anybody?  Anybody?  I realize using that cliché might make me seem eighty.  (No offense if you’re eighty.)  I’m not necessarily saying your high school buddies are better than your current neighbors, or vice versa, but I am saying that old friends and new friends are both different but both important.  The same goes for long-time clients and brand new clients.  They are both different but both important.   Read On

I talk to a lot of people that want websites but they’re not sure what they should be used for. They know websites are good and they know that every business needs one but they’re not sure what the purpose is. Take a lesson from activity based design and set some goals. Read On

Being successful doesn’t mean being good at everything, no one is good at everything. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Too often we focus on trying to fix our weaknesses rather than exploiting our strengths. The smaller your company the more important this is. Read On