Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_S_Beitler

 

In today’s competitive online world, it is very important that you do your research into SEO for your small business.  Many small business owners overlook the importance of proper research in this area, either due to time pressures or not really understanding what’s involved.   In order to have the edge over your competitors, it is essential to spend some time planning out your website.  There is a plethora of free tools and information available to you, and some very good websites which will speed up your learning curve.

Some time and effort put in to understand these tools and methodologies before you set up your website will help you get that competitive edge.  Like many other topics, SEO for small businesses is only difficult when you don’t understand enough about it.  Even if you intend to outsource this side of your small businesss setup, it is crucial for you to understand the basics of what is involved to ensure that your website presence is being put together in the right way!  It is also possible to outsource just parts of the setup so that you can play a semi-active role, or indeed to get ongoing coaching and support to help you do this yourself.

I would be interested to hear what you consider your biggest challenges in this area to be.  Do get in touch and let me know!

Small Business Set Up:  Small Business Success Tips – Persistence

Whilst I don’t necessarily agree with everything in the following article, I would agree that persistence is one of the top qualities needed by entrepreneurs and small business owners to give them the best chance of success with their small business set up.

Here’s the article:

Small Business Success Tips – Persistence

A ridiculous claim has repeatedly been made for the value of persistence in a small business, which boils down to, “If you persist, you will succeed.” The problem with untrue claims is that when they are rejected, any related truth is rejected also. So let us sort out the truths and untruths about persistence.

Starting a small business usually turns out to be harder than the owner anticipated. Almost all small businesses go through financial strains, especially when beginning, and take far more of the owner’s time than he imagined he could supply. Frustration and discouragement are common. If your business does not fit this mold, but is succeeding easily, good for you, and keep on doing what you are doing. Otherwise, read on.

The two obvious truths relating to persistence are 1) if you give up, you lose, and 2) you cannot give up and win. The only other two possibilities are persist and lose, and persist and win. Logically, then, there is only one way to win, and that is to persist. Persistence does not guarantee success, but it provides the chance.

How does a small business owner turn persistence into success? One major action will do it.

Keep improving.

Every aspect of your business, from production to sales to finances, can continually be made better, as in more efficient and more effective. In short, quality can be increased. All the principles of quality come into play in every area, but the most important is the first: Quality is an Attitude. You have to want and intend improvement, across the board.

Persistence without improvement is spinning your wheels until you have dug them into a rut too deep to drive out of.

Two other principles of quality are Learn and Fix. Here is where the bulk of your persistence time will be spent.

The more you learn about the various aspects of your business, the better you will be at them. No matter how busy you are, your future success depends on spending some time every day on learning. Most of your learning can be from articles and ebooks on the internet. Some will be from books and audio or video tutorials. We are not talking about learning from experience; that falls under the next section. We mean learning the theoretical and practical information about what to do and how to do it for every function in your business.

Then there is the School of Hard Knocks: learning by experience. You make a mistake, or you do not get the results you expected from an action, and you learn from it. First you fix it, to keep overall quality up, and then you figure out why it happened, and how to prevent it in the future.

What is the enemy of persistence? Discouragement. Whether you feel discouraged by how long it is taking to make progress, or because people are actively discouraging you, the best answer to discouragement is to acknowledge its presence, then spit in its face. Persistence almost always takes longer than you want it to. Discouragement is just a temporary reminder of that fact.

Persistence alone does not guarantee success. Persistence with continual improvement does.

Don Dewsnap is the author of Small Business Magic, published by Oak Wand Publishing. Small Business Magic details the principles of quality necessary to business success, applying to all aspects of business from production to sales. The principles of quality are not well known, and almost never applied to their full potential.

Knowing the sort of person you are can help you to understand the support you might need in getting your business the success it deserves.  It can also help you in choosing the right business partner or staff to work with you.

Complementary personalities can work well together, with each having their own areas of expertise that they enjoy.  Consider how much you really enjoy some parts of your business activities whilst others are always a chore – how much better would it be if every person in your business enjoyed the whole part of what they do!

 

Get Small Business Help: How Colours Can Drive Business Success

How well you know your personality type can be the reason why some people reach success easily while others fail. What traits are unique to your personality colour and how does that affect how you do business?

Are you a Red? Maybe Blue? Or maybe you’re Yellow and Blue?

What on earth am I talking about?

I’ve heard colours related to skin tones, but never to personality types before. That was, until I was attending a personal development day a short while ago. I enjoyed their explanation of personality ‘colours’ and what they mean and wanted to share it with you today.

Have you ever wondered why you enjoy doing some things and not others? Or why you like connecting with some people more than others?

Well, here’s the thing; many psychologists believe that each of us has a leading personality type with behaviors unique to that type. These personality types are described and categorized by colors. The way we think, act and feel all play a part in defining our personality and our “color”.

Once you know your color, it’s an eye opening experience to see how your unique traits play out in life as compared to working and communication with different personalities. The better we understand ourselves and others, the more effective we can be in all our relationships.

How well do you know yourself and others? How would you characterize your personality?

Knowing your personality and how you relate to others can also give you a distinct advantage when it comes to business relationships. Let’s take a look at the meanings of the four primary colors: red, yellow, blue, and green, and what those colors represent when it comes to defining your personality traits.

Red Performers

Red personalities love to perform. They are action-driven and love to be recognized for what they do. They are creative people who think well on their feet and like to get things done NOW. Also known as the movers and shakers, reds work extremely well in crisis and are good at troubleshooting and negotiating. They are direct communicators and will tell you “like it is.” They welcome, promote and adapt well to changing situations and have very open and accepting personalities. Usually seen as “characters” they are the easiest to read – “what you see is what you get.” They like and need to have control, especially of themselves. They like to do things “their way” and have a great need for freedom which allows for self-expression.

Yellow Planners

Yellow personalities are the worker bees of the world. They are excellent organizers and always have a plan and back-up plan in order. They tend to be very structured in their personal and professional lives. Yellows tend to be more disciplined than the other types and that means having follow-through skills. They are goal-driven and known for “making lists” to ensure all things are completed in a timely manner. It would make sense then that yellows respect authority, rules and regulations. Order is important to them and you will find the yellow individuals picking up after everyone. They are extremely good with details and work in professional settings that will draw on their skill sets.

Blue Relationships

Relationship is the only meaningful word in the dictionary to a blue personality. Relational by nature, blues are excellent at forming and maintaining relationships of all sorts. They tend to be people pleasers and work hard at building harmony within and outside the home. They are very aware of feelings within themselves and others. Blue types need to be praised for who they are. They need to be involved in meaningful activities that give them a sense of fulfillment and joy. They tend to be subjective and make decisions based on feelings. They have great empathy and compassion which will assist them in their uncanny ability to influence and persuade others.

Green Problem Solvers

In order to solve problems one needs information. Green personalities truly value learning and exploring new horizons. All their lives they have been asking questions and seeking answers. Investigative by nature, greens tend to begin with logic, objectivity and rationale. They prefer to analyze things and are very logical in their thought processes.

Like Bill Gates, they are the visionaries of the world. They are BIG picture people who tend to think about the future. They are skilled at anticipating problems and implementing systems to avoid obstacles. Greens need mental/intellectual challenges for motivation and thrive when they are provided them.

Taking risks, having adventure and excitement are not high priorities for you. Spontaneous actions are not the norm or part of your make-up. You tend to be more serious and focused. You do not think well on your feet and usually need a plan before moving forward. You are not the first one to jump in and get started on projects. You need time to think things through first.

Having fun at work may not resonate well with you. Work is a place to work. Having fun is for other places. You prefer the tried and true vs. testing the limits of the unknown. Being the center of attention is not you and you may get tired of those always seeking it. You do not do well in crisis situations and prefer jobs or careers that are more predictable and stable.

So how do you know what color you are?

PS. I’m Red/Yellow! What color are you?

Here’s a quick way to find out… For over 11 years Family IQ has been helping others lead more satisfied, focused and happier lives with their simple assessment tests and courses. Here’s a quick test you can take that will help you define your true personality color. It’s simple, easy, and fun… And it’s also FREE as my gift to you! Click Here To Take Your FREE Colour Test

I found this article and thought it was a very useful guide of what you should avoid when starting your small business.

5 Mistakes Small Business Owners Often Make

Don’t overlook these five common mistakes that most small business owners make when starting their first business. Use these guidelines to help grow your company into a successful business superpower.

1. Unreasonable Expectations

There’s nothing wrong with small business owners setting challenging goals or having high expectations for their new company. In fact, a majority of entrepreneurs are born with these exact personality traits. Owning a small business and watching it grow from the ground up is definitely something worth getting excited about. This type of excitement is often a good thing to have, but sometimes too much of a good thing can result in bad situations. As a new business owner, be cautious not to let the rush of starting your own business get to your head. Oftentimes small business owners think their businesses will generate revenue much faster than is realistically possible. While in some cases this does actually happen, the reality is that the majority of small businesses take some time to grow. Think of your business as a delicate plant that takes some time and proper nourishment to flourish. There’s no need to try to rush the process or have unreasonable expectations of overnight riches. The successful business owners stay calm and collected because they know that watering their “plant” too much isn’t going to make it grow any faster and in some cases might even kill it. Take some time to plan and think about your small business and set realistic goals before you get started. In most cases, this is all it takes to turn your green thumb for business into lots of green cash.

2. Mixing Personal and Business Bank Accounts

It’s always a good idea to keep your personal bank account separate from your business bank account. Small business checking accounts are fairly inexpensive and offer a variety of benefits for your business. Some popular banks even offer free business checking if you maintain a certain balance or make a certain number of transactions every month.

Having a dedicated bank account devoted entirely to your small business makes it much easier for you to keep track of incoming payments and outgoing expenses. Separating the two accounts also makes it less likely for you to overdraft or underestimate your income and expenses which could result in additional banking fees. At first, it may not seem like you need a business bank account because you’re not making or receiving a large number of payments but in the long run the total number of transactions your business makes each month will grow alongside your business. You’re eventually going to need a business bank account that can handle a lot of activity so it’s best to do it up front to keep all of your expenses and payments tied to a single account. You don’t want to wait until you’re processing hundreds of transactions a month and then have to transfer all of your automatic debit card payments and revenues to another account.

Another benefit that a separate bank account offers is the automatic organization of all of your transactions. Most banks provide electronic statements that list all of your transactions made with your account every month. These statements are very helpful in preparing your financial statements at the end of the business year. Organized records will help you avoid paying extra taxes and help you take advantage of business tax deductions.

3. Failure to Budget Properly

This is one of the most common mistakes new business owners make. Despite the simplicity of keeping a simple budget, most business owners refuse to keep track of their business’ revenues and expenses. Take some time to write out a list of all your expenses and sources of income. Keep track of all your fixed expenses (fixed expenses are expenses that are the same every month, for example your rent) and your variable expenses (variable expenses are expenses that change with the amount of usage or output, for example your electricity bill). Compare these expenses with your income sources to see if you’re turning a profit every month. Writing these numbers out on paper will help you visualize how much money is entering and leaving your business every month. Keeping a proper budget is a continuous activity. Your expenses and income are constantly changing so it’s recommended you evaluate your budget at least once or twice a month. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, setting up a business bank account makes budgeting much easier than keeping track of everything manually. Often business bank accounts come with free services that help with budgeting and keeping track of your business records.

4. Overlooking Government Tax Benefits

If there were a hundred-dollar bill laying on the ground would you pick it up? Most people would. Free money is hard to come by these days but there’s plenty of it available for people who own their own business. Small business owners often don’t take advantage of the many tax deductions the government offers to all businesses. Tax deductible items include office supplies, furniture, office equipment, software for your business, any subscriptions you might have related to your business and even the space in your house that’s dedicated to your business if you work from home. Even some of the gas you use for your car is deductible if you’re using it to travel for business purposes. These are just a few of the things that are eligible for tax deductions and can decrease your taxable income on your federal income tax form. Current information on available deductions and how to take advantage of tax-deductible expenses can be found at the U.S. Small Business Administration website.

5. Marketing Mistakes

The key to generating revenue and profit is having a strong, effective marketing strategy. If you don’t devote some time to developing a marketing strategy for your small business then odds are you’re missing out on a lot of potential profit, if not ALL of your profit. Don’t make your business suffer by avoiding or skimping on marketing costs. The reality is marketing services aren’t always cheap. Before you spend a pretty penny on your business marketing services, make sure the services you’re buying will be an effective way to market your service or product. For instance, don’t advertise your video game review website in the newspaper…odds are your target demographic for that type of business doesn’t even read the newspaper.

There are many different ways to market your business. Marketing methods range from the traditional business card, to paying for search engine marketing, to hiring a professional marketing firm. Do some research on the marketing methods that work the best for your line of business. If you’re short on ideas, look at how other successful businesses and competitors in the same industry are marketing their products or services. Keep track of how well various marketing methods work for your small business. Continue to use the methods that work well and cut out the methods that don’t work so well. Remember, marketing is a dynamic process that takes time to develop and become effective. Odds are you will make a few mistakes throughout your marketing process, but that’s okay. The biggest mistake you can make is not marketing at all, and you will far beyond that now.

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