My 2Cents Blog

When will would be entrepreneurs wiseup?

2012-01-05T23:24:41Z

It never fails to amaze me.....entrepreneurs sucked in by get rich quick multi-level marketing schemes where almost every new entrepreneur really is brain washed into believing that this pitch will really result in some real profits for them. It turns out only the seller of the scheme makes money and the entrepreneur only makes less than minimum wage when it is all said and done. Is it really that hard to figure out that the pitch will only work with people who really believe in us and trust us and that no stranger will bite at the weak pitch that fronts most multi-level marketing products.

Network,network & network some more!

2011-02-09T12:49:00Z

Your need to get the word out about you and your business never stops. If you don't have time because you are too busy-great! Hire a clone & get that person to keep your word out on the street OR maybe it is time to hire an employee and outsouce some of your most tedious work.

2011 - A Make or Break Year for Your Business

2010-12-20T13:34:56Z

Most small businesses have bounced back from the last few dismal recession-filled years of doing business. For the most part, only those business owners who refuse to change their business model to deal with the new way of doing business are still suffering. If your business has a poor web site or you still don't collect email addresses or engage in inexpensive email marketing campaigns, you are missing the boat big -time and your ship could sink in the near future.

With 2011 fast approaching, it is time for all of us to resolve to make the new year "OUR YEAR" and relight that fire in our bellies that made our business click in the past. If you need to get up to speed....find an experienced consultant who will guide you to your best year ever.

One on One Networking -Are you any good at it?

2010-05-26T08:49:24Z

It's not much different than a blind date- but it does take skill to win a person over. Many of such meetings are a complete waste of time if it all boils down to a real lenghthly pitch on one side or the other. Hopefully, the other party picks up the check. If it's only coffee, the person may not be really interested in your business, only getting in another pitch that day. If the person starts the pitch on you early on, it's a bad sign- THEN you should order expensive if the person seems not to be listening to your pitch or whatever you are talking about. If it seems a waste of time to you, it probably is- ask for the check!

Summer is coming - Is your business ready to take advantage of the HEAT?

2010-04-16T20:22:34Z

Us entrepeneurs can't wait to get all you consumers outside today to show you what we have to offer you in terms of quality products, unsurpassed customer service, and pricing that even the big boys will have to take a step back and watch us do our thing. We have fine tuned our business to compete with the best of them ............the internet and the social networking tools and gadgets have let us get you to notice us, contact us, and strike a deal. Just can't wait to show off our new approach to selling, custome service, and pricing.

The Holidays are coming! It's either going to be good, bad, or ugly..choose your poison!

2009-11-12T20:31:45Z

Black Friday is around the corner........and either you learned your lesson last year and have reloaded your marketing bag of tricks for 2009 or you have not. Hopefully you have come up with a real written marketing plan that will really work this time based on correcting all the mistakes that you made last year.

Let's hope that you learned enough about social networking sites to foster a closer relationship with your customers and prospects. Entrepreneurs must never stop reading and learning- never assume anything.

Times have changed...............forever. Happy Holidays!

It's now or never! Develop your own referral group or fail!

2009-09-16T23:43:05Z

If there was ever a time to get involved with a group of business owners who will try to steer business your way, this is definitely it. The days of just cold calling, direct mail, or newspaer advertising advertising or a combination of thereof being utilized as your primary marketing tool are dead, buried, and long gone. If you don't have other people singing your praises ...............get ready to close the inn.

NETWORK, NETWORK, and NETWORK some more till you develop a group of referral partners. Get others to know you, like you, trust you, and eventually refer you. Don't just sit there and complain about your lack of business.......get involved and learn how to network.

I want to give you business, but you won't take it!

2009-05-31T18:24:12Z

I am still amazed at the number of small business owners that are so disorganized in these challenging times. Even presenting my business card to these entrepreneurs & asking them to contact me after receiving & buying their pitch still results in no action on their part. I don't get it. I'm going to buy from them, but their unorganized state of mind somehow forgets that I ever met them. I guess they finally discover my business card at some point, but their lack of jotting down a note on paper or in their mind results in lost sales sales and lost credability in my mind. Just how can these businesspeople survive?

The New Stimulus Ignores the Entrepreneurs - What a Surprise!

2009-02-20T15:55:46Z

It doesn't much deep thinking to figure out that the new stimulus bill just passed does almost nothing for the small business owner sector of the economy. Most of us don't want a handout or bailout ..............We want some calm & stability to be restored in the minds of the buying public. That should come from our goverment - calm the consumers fear of doom & give them an incentive to buy our products & services. We would also like to pay less business taxes and go through less red tape from the bureaucrats. But tax breaks such as Loss carry backs don't help most of us - most of us show a profit ....... Giving band-aid help to our competitors who under bid us & don't how what they are doing should be allowed to go of business right now instead of hurting us now.

So the new stimulus plan does no real good for me now ............like always, I will just adapt to all the hype and figure out a way to make a buck. Thanks again government for putting us small business owners at the bottom of your priority list.

A New President....A New Beginning for Entrepreneurs?

2009-01-18T12:42:26Z

I as a entrepreneur wait with great anticipation the start of a new era in American History. Never have us entrepreneurs faced so many problems at one time. Not many things look positive at this time. We must really embrace our customers and try our best to console them and hope they realize that our products and services STILL represent their best value for their hard owned dollar. We must understand their fear and realize that our clients will use less of our products ans services and take longer to pay us when they do.

As a result, we entrepreneurs have no choice but to strike out and obtain new clients to fill this vacuum for the forseeable future. We must redefine our target market and determine how & where to reach this market. The internet will have to play a key role in our quest. Social networking sites will have to be utilized when possible. On the local scene, we must make everyone aware of what we do, network more than ever, and don't be shy at all about asking clients for referrals. We need to continue to support small business owners whenever possible in purchasing our own goods and services. We have to remind our chambers of the need more than ever to "think chamber members first" when considering purchasing goods and services. We just can't let the Wall-Marts and best buys of the world capture more market share.

We all must do our part to insure that the strong entrepreneurs survive and thrive. Hope to talk to you soon either in cyberspace or at a networking event - I truly share your pain.