One essential trait which sucessful business owners must posess is good organizational skills. Today more than ever this necessity mandates that business owners exercise dilligence in continually organizing correspondence and cataloging information. In today’s digital arena, eMail Optimization & DataBase Architecture are the manifestations of this mandate. If careful attention is observed while preforming these tasks, a growing expertise will prevail thus benefitting overall effectiveness & productivity. Individuals mastering these skills understand the benefits of doing so and will have integrated these processes into their daily lives.

“The internet is changing the face of business.” You have probably heard this slogan repeated hundreds of times over the last decade. The World Wide Web is the fastest growing new market on the planet, but how does one of these new silicon based companies compare to the tried and tested cement poured companies we are accustom to? What are the advantages the Internet can offer to businesses? Are you ready to secure your success in this web of opportunity? Read the rest of this article »

In a recent conversation about my marketing efforts I was warned to keep the “c-word” out of my materials. Apparently many small business owners subscribe to the unwritten manual of business practices that warns: “Consultants cost a lot of money and they just tell you how to spend more money.” However, this myth is not true. Consultants are a vital resource and part of any happy business owner’s toolbox. Read the rest of this article »

Time and time again I run into people who have lost vital information or never got vital information they needed. In this case minding your P’s and Q’s stands for Passwords and Questions. Always make sure you have your passwords memorized or stored in a secure location where they can be accessed in your absence. Also ask questions of your vendors and if they are setting up passwords for you, make sure that they give you those passwords. Read the rest of this article »

The main purpose of all websites is to facilitate a certain visitor experience. At the foundation of this visitor experience is website content. Current, rich content is the heart of a healthy site, and maintaining this content is intergral to maintaining its health. We all want web traffic, but equally important is enticing this traffic to return. The only way to unsure return visitors is by continuing to offer them new, fresh content. Make it a goal to write at least two compelling articles, press releases, stories, reviews, etc. every month. Task your employees similarly, or choose to hire a professional copywriter. Either way, keep that content changing and watch your web stats grow.

Picture yourself sitting back one afternoon brainstorming new marketing strategies. You have a database of existing customer information. You might even have some additional databases for potential customers, warm leads, etc. You need a cost-effective marketing plan that is easy to implement and track.
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Make the financial side of your business less painful by using an accounting package. It will not only make your life easier, but will keep you informed of your current cash flow situation. It will also save you a lot of headaches when preparing for taxes and probably save you fees with your accountant. Immersion Technology uses QuickBooks and as a member of the Intuit Developers Network we have received early access to QuickBooks 2008. This new version of QuickBooks makes it easier for you and your accountant to work together, improved integration with other software (Outlook, Excel), and an improved help interface. It also can integrate with other applications and your web site. Read the rest of this article »

Don’t apologize for being small. You can think big, appear big, and do big things from a home based business. Technology affords you big business opportunities, presence, and appearance. It is possible to run a small business out of your home with a multinational sales force all connected through a single hosted phone system. Companies like CoreDial and other VOIP vendors can setup these systems. You can receive a fax just about anywhere using many of the online fax providers. Your website, business cards, and marketing material can be professional and speak to your customer base and display your professional edge. So next time you think about apologizing for not having a fancy office in a professional center, don’t. Enjoy your bathrobe attire and display your professional edge by leveraging technology.

A USB drive is an easy and portable way to keep your information organized on the go. You can use it to store sales presentations, product photography, proposals, and other essential documents. Going a step further you can also bring your applications with you. PortableApps.com provides a number of free applications that can be installed directly on your USB drive, allowing you to bring programs like your web browser links and settings with you. For busy professionals this low cost solution is cheaper and more portable than a PDA or laptop. It just may be time to put your business on your key chain.

As more business information is stored on computers, it is extremely important that this data is being backed up. We continue to hear stories from non-profits, businesses and individuals about how they lost everything due to a hard drive crash. More often, we suffer from accidentally deleting a file or writing over it. Like the insurance policies we have on our cars, businesses and homes, it is comforting to know there is a way to recover from information loss. Read the rest of this article »