One of the things that’s good for business owners is having a strategy that will help them grow their business. Whether you subscribe to using a S.W.O.T. or Deming cycle method or any other method, it is important that you have a strategy plan.
Having a strategy plan is like having a map regarding the direction that you need to take your business in. Strategy plan can help a business owner develop a strong foundation on which a business can be built on and grow. If you don’t have a strategy plan in place, then one of the first things that …read more

In the previous section of this two-part article, we talked about the first three steps to help you plan a better giveaway. Here are the rest of the steps.

4) Set your contest rules.
Each giveaway has different rules. Just make sure you state them up front. How will contestants enter? Can they earn extra entries by blogging, tweeting or facebooking the contest link? Is it only open to US residents? Residents of your own country? Do they need to write a short essay of why they want to win? Remember that the smaller the prize, the less people will want to …read more

So you want to do a giveaway. You’ve seen it on many sites and you wonder what the best way to jump in would be. It’s always a good idea to think about your strategy before embarking on a contest. The following six steps will help you make your giveaway easier to manage and hopefully save you some frustration.

1) Figure out your giveaway goals.
What do you want or expect from a giveaway? It could include any of the following: a new clientele; potential new customers; new readers; a list of people who might be interested in your product/service; or increased …read more

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could start your business with a strong business leadership? As a business startup, have you been trying to strengthen your business leadership? Then I have a few things to share with you that should help you with your quest.
To strengthen your business leadership skills, below are a few things that will help you do this:

Research for online training opportunities where you can learn from industry experts about being a business leader.
Read books on the subject by authors like Kenneth Blanchard or Stephen Covey who encourage business leaders to grow and challenge themselves.
Remember to develop a …read more

If you work in Corporate America or for a business where you report to someone and you have been thinking about starting your own business, do you have an exit strategy? When determining a good time to transition from your 9 to 5 job to starting your own business, you should have a plan in place that will make the transition smooth.
As you develop your exit strategy from your 9 to 5 job, there are a few things that you should have in place. Check out the starter list below:

Make sure that your income/revenue from your business can replace your …read more

It’s been a little while since I made you a list of what I’ve been reading recently. In addition to reading blogs, i’ve been spending time at the bookstore and library. I’m currently reading a couple of books by Seth Godin, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps by Susan Gunelius, Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch and am thinking about Punk Marketing, Your Marketing Sucks, and Made to Stick. Yes, my reading list is really long right now. What about yours?

And here’s what I’ve been reading online. I hope you find something interesting. And you’ve found …read more

Wouldn’t it be great if you could find an easy way to develop your social media planning? Do you know of quick and easy ways to use social media planning tools so that you can easily integrate all of your social media efforts? Have you been searching for easier ways to manage your social media planning goals? Then let’s take a journey together to see how we can create a social media plan that is easy as 1,2,3.
When you are developing your social media plan, one of the first steps that you need to do is determine the social media …read more

If you have been thinking about starting your own business, then now is a good time for you to get started. Do you have a unique business idea that you can implement as you start your business? Even though currently there are recession issues, businesses can still be started and thrive.
Let 2009, be the year that you start your own business if you haven’t done so already. Unique business ideas don’t have to be big or elaborate, just thought out so that you can implement a business plan. So to help you get started with your unique business idea, I …read more

What does a solid business growth strategy look like is a good question that new business owners may have. According to the article entitled, “Secrets to a Solid Growth Strategy” which can be found on Inc.com and authored by Jay Ebben, Ph.D.
….a common issue that entrepreneurs run into: how to grow their businesses without adding extreme amounts of cost and complexity to their organizations. Many entrepreneurs, even experienced ones, find that what worked as a small operation does not work well as a larger one.
They also find that what seemed like a sound growth strategy on paper does not translate …read more

Having a successful and balanced leadership and strategy in place is key to the success of a business. As you manage your business, what type of leadership or strategy style do you use to be successful at running your business? Have you researched other successfully businesses to see what type of leadership and strategy they have in place that makes them successful? These are important questions that can help shape the future of your business.
As you determine your leadership and strategy style, I want you to keep the following in mind to help keep balance:

Research, research, research
Be open to change
Be flexible
Challenge …read more