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Nowadays people check on the internet first when they want to find a product or a service. This popularity has made the Internet the biggest market wherein you can find a product or a service to cater to your needs. Many enterprising people have discovered this and have started their own business or have expanded their businesses to include an Internet division.

If you have a business then you need to have a website. It’s important that you learn enough about how the internet works, and how your business will benefit from having a website. There are lots of potential customers and profits in the internet and you need to have a Small Business website so that you can join the game.

This website shall serve as your virtual store and you have to do lots of things to make your website easy to find in search engines. With that they can find you and can look at the things that you can offer anytime of the day or even night whatever they prefer.

A Small Business website can provide an attractive and interesting electronic brochure. Good content attracts visitors and makes it easier to promote the website, but doesn’t necessarily push products. It gives readers a reason to visit the site, giving you a chance to do business with them. Your content mix needs to be unique and well-targeted at your audience’s interests.

Everything on your website needs to be accurate and written for an international audience. Your website success depends on what it has to say and how it says it, so it’s important that you articulate your goals to your website designers to make sure that they understand not just what you’re putting on your website, but what you want to achieve. Having these all done they can now already see if they like the look of your business before directly contacting you.

You’ll read all sorts of “Small Business” data, but be careful to understand what it covers. Sometimes the report is more interested in businesses that aren’t huge, but still purchase hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of products and services, and have dozens or hundreds of employees. These reports probably exclude many Small Businesses. Other reports use a more inclusive definition of a business. When mixing information from different reports, be careful to look at the data to see how it was gathered, how it is segmented, and what it covers.

Small Business websites specialize in writing and developing accessible websites for other Small Businesses, organizations, charities and individuals. Nobody knows your business better than you do. If you don’t tell your website designers how your website will improve your business, it will only be profitable by accident.

Many people assert that all Small Businesses will become ebusinesses. Doing most of their selling, communicating, and computing on the internet. They see a huge, almost untouched market bursting forth right now.

Others don’t see wide acceptance of the internet by Small Business, or view the notoriously fragmented nature of this market and reluctance to spend, as reasons why there’s no money to be made here. It is believed that these views are both wrong.

A big percentage of Small Businesses are obviously willing and able to spend a large amount of money just to be able to use the internet as part of their relationship with customers (and will benefit from such use), but only for the right purposes, such as basic informational web site.

Basic web sites are becoming a core part of the marketing mix for many Small Businesses. The business owners know they need one — even if they are not exactly sure why. And the cost of basic Internet uses, such as simple web sites, fits well within the marketing budget of most Small Businesses.

Jay Peterson writer, web designer, marketer. http://www.TicTacWebsites.com is the easiest do-it-yourself website builder on the web. No programming or design skill required. Get your Small Business online in just 5 minutes with http://www.tictacwebsites.com loaded with 30+ business features.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Here are three common disabling beliefs which prevent people from starting Small Businesses because of the fear of failure.

Many think they are not well enough educated, come from a poor background which holds them back, or think they need loads of money to get started in a new Small Business venture.

Let me show you why I think these are not true.

Lack Of Education

Many believe you need a good education to make a lot of money or to start up successful Small Businesses.

Far from being held back by poor education, it may actually be an advantage. Just as blind people often have much better hearing, people who have less education often compensate in other ways.

They may communicate more effectively to a wider population, they often exhibit greater dexterity and ability working with a wide range of materials and have great ability to judge risk and reward.

A good education can even be shown to be a disadvantage to entrepreneurship.

It is normal for well-educated people to find it easy to get a job. This means they are making money for someone else, in exchange for a smaller proportion of money back. (If employers didn’t make more money from their workers than they paid them, then they couldn’t continue to employ them.)

Having had a good job for a while, to give it up on a Small Business enterprise usually means risking losing that job, and the money that comes in with it, which may be needed to start the new venture. This brings us to another myth-

Lack Of Capital

Many believe you can’t start a new moneymaking venture without a lot of money to get started. I don’t believe this!

The old saying “If you ain’t got nothing you ain’t got nothing to lose” really is true.

If you have a lot to lose by risking a new Small Business venture, you may be so cautious of failure that you fail to succeed.

So many seriously rich people started from flat broke or in many cases from serious debt, you have to conclude that a lot of capital is not necessary.

J. K Rowling is one of the richest individuals in the UK. While she was writing her first novel she had barely the price of a good meal to sustain her. She even had to type the book out twice (with a second hand typewriter!) to send a copy to the publishers because she couldn’t afford to have a photocopy done.

Living In A Poor Environment

Many believe you need to come from a rich background to become rich. Baloney!

People have worked their way up from living in tin shacks to owning hotel chains. It is just as easy to sell goods to people in the ghetto as it is in the richest street in town.

Indeed it is often much more profitable to sell cheaper goods than more expensive goods.

Here’s a few examples-

· Burger vans have far higher profit margins than many top restaurants.

· Skateboards often have far higher profit margins than cars.

· A bicycle sales and repair shop would find far more customers in a poor environment than in a rich one.

· Trades and services (plumbers, electricians, decorators) will be more likely to succeed with the low costs of the poor environment and traveling to a better environment to provide those services.

Poor Education, No Capitol AND a Poor Environment!

A few examples of people who succeeded with their Small Businesses may help to prove my point.

With all three – poor education, no capitol and a poor environment, one guy in Africa has found great success. He lived on what most people reading this would consider to be a rubbish tip, but with very little education and no capitol at all, makes a great living for himself. With no more than a stout pair of ordinary scissors, he turns discarded empty drink cans into really stylish flowers. Selling them to locals and tourists, he makes a fine living.

Now I am not suggesting for a moment that this is a workable Small Business idea for you, but it does prove my point. If he can be so successful, by his terms, in Africa, then really it can’t be so hard for you can it?

Another example, which you are equally unlikely to repeat, is that of many ‘pop stars’. I won’t go into detail here because I prefer not to get sued, but if you look carefully at the early lives of, for example, Madonna, Eminem, Bob Dylan etc. you would find they have bettered themselves considerably with very few external resources.

Lastly, how about Nancy Engel. Starting from flat broke with very little education, she bought $30 worth of assorted spices. Mixing them together, she labeled them Italian Spice Mix and took them to a local flea market the next day. By the end of the day, she’d sold all her stock and pocketed $200. By repeating this simple formula, her Small Business is a great success.

What if you are fortunate enough to live in an outstanding environment, have received an excellent education and have access to seemingly limitless funds – would that ensure success? History is littered with examples of people in just this situation, who started business ventures which failed completely leaving them financially broke.

I believe you are just as likely to succeed, or fail, regardless of your environment, education or funds.

Small Businesses Idea, Plus Action

So enough of what you don’t need to succeed – what about what you do need? Almost every example shows that after an idea which the entrepreneur considered worth pursuing, action is required. It sounds obvious, but without action, all you have is an idea, and by themselves, ideas rarely make you successful!

By action I don’t mean simply telling everyone you know about your idea, I mean actually doing something to make your idea happen.

So now you see why I believe that it is quite normal for people to succeed without access to good education, good environment or good funding.

I believe you can change your life massively with no more than a few good Small Business ideas and a little action.

Laurence Abbott brings to you a wealth of experience of starting and running Small Businesses. From hundreds of ideas for Small Businesses to recommendations for all of the services, Small Businesses will gain much by visiting 4-Small-Businesses.Com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

What Are Your Business Needs?

There are several things you will need to consider as you look at Small Business web hosting plans to meet your needs. No matter if you are striving to cut overall costs for your business or to increase traffic to your business webpage Small Business web hosting plans can help you! When you begin to assess Small Business web hosting plans, first specify your needs and then compare them to what the different companies offer. When looking at Small Business web hosting plans, you will also want to think about security of the site, the different design options, what the charge per hit is, etc. When discussing business, it is all about the bottom line, which means every penny counts. You will want to choose a plan that will use your budget effectively, efficiently, and productively.

What Different Plans Will Feature:

Domain Name:

A domain name is the name of your business web address. Choose a name that is easy for people to remember that correlates with your company’s mission. You will use this name throughout your business’ lifetime, in email addresses, etc. You will have to pay for your domain name to own it, so make sure yours is unique to your business.

Security:

The security offered through Small Business web hosting plans is what you will offer your customers as far as online purchasing, donating, and billing security. This protects against fraud. Check Small Business web hosting plans that offer password protection directories and site back-up that occurs automatically. Some Small Business web hosting plans will offer encryption in SSL as a security measure.

Design:

There are many Small Business web hosting plans that offer website design in the package. The design option will help you to make sure your site is attractive, easy to use, and not too busy.

PHP and SQL Tools:

These are an example of online tools used to make your website’s HTML compatible. These tools will also help coordinate the databases, so your website is interactive.

Disk Space:

Disk space is how much space you have available to both store and create graphics, pages, sound bytes, media files, etc. on the server offered by the Small Business web hosting plans. Generally, all Small Business web hosting plans will offer 20GB, which will hold more than 1,000 pages of information.

Businesses are using the internet more and more every day as an alternate alternative to sell, promote, and buy their goods and services. A web hosting service that is good and reliable will make all the difference as to whether or not you make the sale.

By Margarette Tustle. Find more information about business plans [http://www.dyplan.com] plus more plan [http://www.dyplan.com] resources at dyplan.com.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Love him or hate him, Small Business owners need to take stock in some of the tactics the “King Of All Media” has used to create an veritable empire of raving fans who consume every word, product and affiliate he endorses.

Regardless of whether you like him or not he undeniably has left an indelible mark on a huge marketplace. Small Businesses should strive to achieve a similar thing in their own market.”

Vee and Miller, who consistently urge and persuade business owners to buck the establishment and use non-traditional marketing methods, reveal 3 tactics Stern uses effectively that entrepreneurs can “rip off” and use to grow their business.

1. The institution of broadcasting is not unlike the institution of traditional marketing. Stern uses an “against the grain” approach, a contrarian position to gain attention from people and the media. Small Business owners should strive to take a polar position as well. Trying to be all things to all people and the need to please everyone will actually get you less attention and fewer customers. If you are afraid you will offend someone with your personal style you run a high risk that you will be no one’s first choice and invisible to most. Stern understands that it takes some people to hate him to gain a portion that love him.

2. Stern vows to uphold a certain image and standard whether it’s good for business or not. Small Business owners should do the same. Many times because Small Business owners are operating on limited capital and trickling cash flows they take any business that comes along even if it conflicts with their better judgment. Pain-in-the-butt customers who do not fit a business’ profile of an ideal customer hurt a Small Business more than they help. Many times a few bad clients can make the work environment less productive and the business less profitable.

3. Like Stern, Small Businesses have the ability to be flexible and quick. They have the ability to make the changes required for them to succeed. Although many Small Business owners have the

Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller are authors and Small Business marketing experts who specialize in attracting customers and creating E.S.P. businesses – enjoyable, simple and prosperous. As co-authors of, “Gravitational Marketing: The Science of Attracting Customers,” Vee and Miller turned the traditional sales and marketing process on its head, by creating Gravitational Marketing, a powerful system of Small Business marketing ideas that shows business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals how to naturally attract a steady stream of qualified prospects who pay, stay and refer without hard-sell tactics or manual sales labor like door knocking, cold calling or begging for business.

Get their Ultimate Free Gift-$549.00 worth of free business building tools-by visiting http://www.GravitationalMarketing.com

Order your copy of their new book, Gravitational Marketing: The Science Of Attracting Customers right now at Amazon.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Occupational frauds is a big internal business. Every instance of fraud cause small company a loss of $127500 on an average. Fraud probably occurs in every organization, and you may not be able to totally eliminate it. However you can do something to minimize the risk of fraud.

Information is sensitive and accounting information is even more. Handing over the accounting information poses threat for business secrets. Many Small Businesses thinks in this fashion.They are often afraid that if the information is disclosed to a third party be it auditor or competitor , it can be misused. It is hard to change this attitude but there is something which Small Business owners can do to combat the frauds.

Small Business have every reason to worry about fraud. But there is nothing to fear this virus. This is the financial worm that has to be removed from the roots to combat the frauds. There are some useful tips to combat the occupational frauds.

Oversight Process

The second important factor is review of the accounting information. Just because the owners have the authority to sign does not mean that there are no frauds in the accounting databases. Cash is not the only thing to be followed in any business, one more thing that plays a crucial role in commission of the frauds and that is books of accounts such as biils, purchase orders and payment terms. Reasonable internal controls are critical in a Small Business. It is accepted that the Small Business owners have some more priority works but to review the accounts they need to spare the time.IF THEY THEMSELVES CAN NOT do it then they should buy the softwares which can perform the requisite functions on their behalf.

Limited controls

Small Businesses rarely have sufficient personnel to adapt adequate controls; “one-person accounting departments” as in are the rule, not the exception. Owners are unable to look into the accounting matters. But the business owner should actively understand and verify the financial information reported to him or her. The owner can engage a external auditors to attest to the credibility of the financial information, even if the company doesn’t have a regular audit.The controls in the organisation needs to be checked up regularly for the deficiencies and loopholes, though not the only one, internal controls are the powerful deterrents of the frauds.

Employee Education

A Small Business owner if takes few cautions he can stop many occurrences of frauds in his organisation. Most crucial factor in any occupational fraud is the empoyee.If there are no employees then there will be no occupational frauds but without employees no growth of the business.Educated employees adds value to business. Now it is well accepted that education about the frauds helps to combat the frauds successfully.Making the employees aware about the nature of frauds makes them aware about the methodologies and they do not remain the passive visitors to the instance of the fraud.Most of the times it is observed that the employees have blown up the whistles against the frauds where they have come to know that what is happening is called fraud. Some of the big financial scandals like Refco or Enron are the outcomes of the employee awareness about frauds. Anti-fraud training is an essential factor.

Adequate employee prescreening

Small Businesses rarely spend the money to check work references, criminal records or professional recommendations of potential hires or require applicants to undergo drug screening, psychological testing and other vetting procedures. It is frequently seen that the employees in small softare companies are recruited based on the interview and the resume, however no checking is done regarding his past performances,whether employee was involved in any fraudulant case or not.

Undesirable applicants know this and thus gravitate to Small Businesses. The problem, according to ACFE study, is that about 7% of employees have a history of workplace theft and fraud. This small but costly group know the degree of scrutiny into their past likely will be minimal; all too often, they are right.

Too much trust

The third factor for large fraud losses in Small Businesses involves the human element. In a situation where employees know each other well, it is natural for them to trust one another. Indeed, the intimate familial atmosphere of a Small Business is one of its most appealing features. Most of the time, believing in your coworkers is well founded, but not always. The dichotomy is that trust is an essential element of business as well as an essential element of fraud. Never having faith in your employees is a bad thing; so is always trusting them. The goal is to strike a balance between the two. Or, as Mark Twain said, “Trust everybody, but make sure you cut the cards.”

These few things a small and medium sized business owner should adhere to in order to reduce the median losses of $98000 caused to it every year.

Mr. Mayur Joshi authored this white paper. He is a Fraud Examiner and is associated with Indiaforensic research foundation for more than 5 years.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Have you been dreaming of getting out of the rat race and starting your own Small Business? If so, your dream has become a reality for thousands of people across the U.S.

New Small Business owners often have similar questions such as Will I be successful? Do I need a mentor? What help is available? What will this cost me?

The fact of the matter is, those who are successful in starting their Small Business have carefully planned for each phase of their business’s life. There are definite steps potential entrepreneurs should follow to increase their chance of success. Here are 3 tips to assist them in this process:

Tip #1: Decide on your potential business. Ask questions such as:

1. Is there is a marketplace?

2. Can a profit be made?

3. How much competition is currently in the specific market place?

Tip #2: Do careful research. This is highly important and can prevent potential Small Business owners from making costly mistakes. Some basic questions to ask are:

1. What niche or void will my business fill?

2. What services or products will be sold?

3. Is my idea practical, and will it fill a need?

4. Can a demand be created for the business?

Once the potential Small Business owner has determined their business is feasible, other questions to think about are:

1. What skills and experience do I bring to the business?

2. What will be my legal structure?

3. What financing will I need?

4. Where will my business be located?

Those looking to work from home should answer additional questions such as :

1. Is there enough space in my home?

2. Can the business be run well and successfully from the home?

3. Can I deal with not working around other people?

When potential Small Business owners are able to answer the questions above and feel comfortable with the outcome, this will naturally lead then to the next tip:

Tip #3: Develop a business plan. This is crucial and there is help available for this important step. For example, The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides free or low-cost resources to help potential Small Business owners plan, finance, and manage their business. The resources the SBA offers includes free, online courses which takes entrepreneurs through the steps of starting a business, assistance in writing business plans, and guidance in how to raise capital. These resources are easily available online at http://www.sba.gov, or at the local SBA office in towns and cities across the U.S. The SBA?s Answer Desk can also be reached at 1-800-U ASK SBA.

Another great source from the SBA is there SCORE program. This stands for the “The Service Corps of Retired Executives”. This is a free e-mail business course that includes informative sections on federal and state agencies and links to other business resources. Find the SCORE program by going to http://www.score.org.

Starting a Small Business and being successful with it are dreams of many people. However, it does require careful planning and research. If done right, one can indeed leave the “rat race” behind and embark on a life they have always dreamed about. Why not start now?

Copyright 2005 Monique Hawkins

Monique’s Hawkins is a retail representative for a network marketing company. She believes failing in network marketing is NOT your fault. To discover how to end years of failure and frustration with MLM, visit http://mentormonique.googlepages.com/bementoredforlife

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

One of the distinctions that sets coaching apart from other types of consulting is that coaching specifically addresses the client’s sense of who they are in the world, and helps the client make life choices that are aligned with their personal values. In my opinion, there tends to be a split in the psyche of America between personal and career development. If you look in the index of your local telephone company’s Yellow Pages (TM) you can easily find “Business Services” and “Counseling Services.” In my local directory, I notice that the business advertisements use a lot of words like, “strategies,” “leadership,” and “business planning.” The counseling listings include, “addictions,” “crisis,” and “mental health.” All of those services are valuable, but where does the over-worked owner of an independent business, who is getting burnt out, and rarely gets time with loved ones, go for support? What about the sole-proprietor in a specialized service industry, like an alternative health practitioner, who is just starting to grow their business and wants to do so in a way that honors their belief system? What kind of support is going to best suit them?

It seems that many of the business consultants are geared towards the needs of larger, more corporate companies. In general, consultants are the resource one might use to learn how to set up and run a business or to delegate specific tasks to, such as webmasters, accountants, and the like. Counselors on the other hand, are the resource one might use for changing behaviors and healing personal issues. The Small Business owner may not need help managing a large executive staff, nor have terribly difficult personal problems for which they need to receive therapy. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need personal support as they go about making the changes necessary to have a successful and profitable business. One of the beautiful things about coaching is that it addresses the client as whole and complete person. Life coaching may include the development of practical business skills, but it also includes the development of the person who is creating the business. Coaching is not just concerned with what a person does, but coaching enhances who a person is being while they’re going about the tasks of daily life. It’s personal empowerment in action.

According to the Small Business Bureau’s report, Small Business Economic Indicators for 2002 “Small firms represent about 99 percent of employers, employ about half of the private sector workforce and are responsible for about two thirds to three quarters of the net new jobs.” They are the creative pulse of America. Ignited by the spark of wanting to make a difference in the world, and the desire to live a life of freedom, entrepreneurs start off passionately. However, the creativity that motivates a Small Business owner to go into business in the first place often gets dampened as the daily administration of the business takes over. There is so much to do: formulating the business, structuring the business plan, implementing the plan, and still trying to maintain a life. What started as a quest for freedom and the ability to control one’s destiny, has now become a chore of monotonous practicalities and financial struggle, leaving the business owner with even less freedom then before they started. At what point does the business fail? Maybe the business owner just finally gives up and quits. Is it that the owner didn’t have a viable idea? Did they not try hard enough? Tough times? It would be presumptuous to second guess why so many new businesses close, but the Small Business owner would be wise to gather as much personal support as they can to keep themselves energized and on-target. The American Dream is possible, but it doesn’t come easy.

As a coach, I love to work with entrepreneurs. There is a special magic in the creativity that inspires someone to begin their own business. A business can truly become a “calling,” as the owner walks a path that leads to spiritual growth and provides benefit to the community. I admire people who create meaningful lives, and are willing to face the challenges that come with following their inspiration. Some challenges however, can intensify to the level that they become “spiritual wake-up calls.” When a business has gone flat, profits are non-existent, and the business owner’s personal life has diminished, I believe it’s time to stop and reevaluate before the business goes into a fatal downward spiral. At this point I think it’s imperative to work with the business owner directly. If the owner isn’t happy, if their energy is low, they’re not going to be in a creative solution-oriented state of mind. This is going to have a negative effect on everyone around them, both at work and at home. Albert Einstein said that solutions to problems cannot be found at the same level of energy that created them. Simply “trying harder,” or “doing more” may not only be impossible, it may be ineffective as well. For the most positive results, it is essential for the business owner to revitalize their health, relationships, and to feel inspired again.

Inspiration, “in spirit,” is the revitalizing flow of new energy, awareness, and ideas. Like a breath of fresh air, inspiration allows us to feel alive. When I am coaching a client, I inquire deeply into what is most inspiring to them. Through a process of questions, self-inquiry, and sometimes professional assessments, my clients begin to remember who they really are and to get their priorities back in order. We might discuss their values, life purpose, or simply what it is that they want to create. What I find is that people respond more creatively and productively in business when they are first taking care of themselves. Inspiration and motivation go hand in hand. There is a natural tendency to want to take action when one has the rush of creative renewal. That is the perfect time to set business and personal goals, especially within the context of the client’s stated priorities, and who they want to be in the world, beyond any experience of what they have done (or not done) thus far.

Having a renewed sense of purpose and commitment is vital to moving forward again, but that does not mean it will go unchallenged. Here is where coaching is especially valuable. For new results to occur there has to be a well-conceived plan and follow-through on implementing the plan. There is a natural tendency to repeat old patterns. Change does not usually come from insight alone. In my opinion, that’s why a lot of self-help techniques and seminars don’t work. Lasting change is an internal process that results from direct experience, and really “getting it” for one’s self. There are slow and fast ways to integrate transformative learning, but the change must be internalized for it to work. As a coach, I walk my clients through the process of implementing the changes they want to make. And although it doesn’t make challenges any less likely to occur, coaching increases the self-mastery of the client and helps them align their decisions and actions to their stated goals. Over time, things get smoother. Choices become clearer. The Small Business owner is supported and empowered to make professionally savvy decisions, sourced from an intuitive knowing about what is right for them, instead of acting and reacting unconsciously to circumstances. Immediately, the client is living from their values on a daily basis, resulting in personal satisfaction at the end of the day. The split between personal and career development begins to mend.

Since I’m a coach, I will end with a question: What would the world be like if everyone felt personally fulfilled in their work, satisfied from being recognized for their gifts and talents, and also had abundant quality time with their loved ones? Do you think the world would be different? Would your life be different? If anyone has the power to create a paradigm shift in the balance between personal life and work, it’s America’s Small Business owners–and that change needs to begin with the owners themselves. A professional coach can help you keep your sense of self while you journey on the path that leads to your success.

Jaya Savannah of Inspiration, Inc. is a business consultant and Professional Certified Coach who specializes in management coaching and training for holistic businesses. Audiences connect with her mentoring advice & spiritual wisdom, delivered with a street-smart “let’s get it done,” approach. Jaya is the co-creator of the Power Up! seminar and DVD series, a business blogger, trade magazine writer, and popular speaker at spa industry tradeshows. She’s dedicated to improving your business-and your life!  Subscribe to the Inspiration, Inc. email newsletter  and receive a gift of Jaya’s Inspirational Days & Nights Guided Coaching Meditations on Mp3.

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For a Small Business a website can have a massive impact on whether that Small Business thrives or dies out. There are several very important differences between a website built for a large business and a website built for a Small Business. It’s important that a Small Business and the website design company who builds the website for that Small Business are aware of those differences so that the website has the greatest positive impact.

First of all don’t try to look and act like the big boys. If you are a Small Business please do not plaster your site with platitudes like “family owned since 1642″ or “customer service is our specialty” blah blah. IBM and Coke can get away with having pretty sites that blather on and on using all kinds of corporate jargon but a Small Business cannot do that. Here’s why…

Big companies are already established brands. They can rest on their laurels now; at least they think they can. A Small Business website needs to grab the visitor by the throat with some hard hitting headlines and copy and get busy proving its case because before visiting that website it’s likely the visitor has never heard of that Small Business.

Think of it like a courtroom. The Small Business is on trial it’s products and services are suspect from the get go. That Small Business needs to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that it can provide the best value over its competitors. What’s worse is that you only have about 8 seconds from the time the visitor hits the homepage to the time they click the back button to hook them into your sales copy.

The number one difference here is the copy. A Small Business website needs to be a life support unit for its unique selling proposition or USP not a contestant in this year’s flashy foo foo web design award contest. Win customers not awards. Forget the animation and music and go easy on the images. What a Small Business needs is a lean, mean conversion machine.

Studies show the visitors don’t even consciously register images until after they have absorbed the copy on the page. Makes sense because what they came for was information not the old receptionist at the desk on the phone pictures that we have seen over and over again. They want to know who the heck you are and what you can do for them and make it snappy!

It’s brutal but that’s the way it works. A Small Business that knows this and applies this to their website has a huge advantage over those who don’t. So if you are a Small Business owner and need a website keep this article in mind or if you have an existing website take a look at it and reevaluate it’s effectiveness in light of this information. Small changes can have dramatic effects on sales conversion.

Charles Preston is President of Click Response a website design and marketing firm where you can get Small Business website design that converts more visitors into sales.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

He calls it “the Extractor”. Last week, my Guerrilla Marketing buddy (and top marketing consultant), Mary Eule went to the South Carolina State Fair. An inventor had set up a booth where he was selling a device he created for extracting nails. He was a contractor and he noticed that he spent too much time in renovations pulling nails.

Here’s a great product that uniquely solves a great need that makes people’s lives easier. It should be a breeze to sell right? Well, when Mary asked him how many he had sold all day, his answer was one. One lousy extractor. No doubt the cost of the booth rental was far more than his revenue.

Intrigued, Mary and her partner David jumped behind the counter – mostly for fun. In 1/2 hour they sold 4 extractors. That’s four times his previous entire day’s sales. It would have been more if the guy had been equipped to take credit cards or process mail orders.

Why isn’t this guy a millionaire yet? His idea is certainly worth it. You might argue under-capitalization, or any other MBA-BS, but the reality is he’s only missing one thing – marketing. He’s got a great idea but he’s not a marketing or sales professional. Nor should he be expected to be.

He should get help from an expert marketer. Experience tells us that he probably won’t. Like most Small Businesses he will go it alone, struggle for a while, and never truly grow to meet his potential. If this guy’s product is as good as it’s reported to be, he should be in every hardware store in the country.

Mary has made some of the companies she’s worked with millions and millions of dollars. I have given one client a single suggestion that increased his profits 13X in less than a month. Either one of us could walk into almost any business and literally multiply its profits. It’s frustrating for both of us when the people who deperately need our help won’t get it. Small Businesses are tough.

I don’t want you to think that I am saying there’s anything wrong with this guy, he’s got natural resistance. Marketing Comet Principle: Do not blame the customer for not buying. I’ve worked with Small Businesses for over 10 years and I know that Small Business owners have more sales resistance than anyone I’ve ever encountered. Let’s talk about the reasons why.

Here are some of the biggest Small Business sales objections:

1. No Money – Small Business owners do not have unlimited budgets. They are frequently struggling and trying to preserve their limited capital.

2. No Value – Small Business owners tend to be do-it yourselfers. They don’t see the big advantage of hiring an expert, or switching phone service, or hiring a bookkeeper.

3. No Confidence – Small Business owners are frequently over cautious. They simply don’t believe that you’re going to deliver the goods.

4. No Concept – Sometimes what you’re offering is so far outside the the experience of the Small Business owner that they don’t even grasp it. I feel that way with a lot of software packages that don’t clearly describe what they do. Restaurant owners know they need food, wine, linens, a valet. They would benefit from a web marketing expert, but they are probably going to get their cousin’s kid to do their web site for nothing.

5. Sales Overwhelm – Start a Small Business and get a listed phone number. Within three weeks you will be inundated with credit card offers, charities seeking donations, people selling toner, and people offering to switch your long distance carrier. As a Small Business owner myself I could spend 24 hours a day just entertaining junk mail, spam, and telemarketers. It’s too much and I frequently just reject all offers up front.

6. Ego – This is the big one. Most people who start Small Businesses have a powerful sense of individuality and independence. To even suggest that they have been doing something wrong is an affront to their ego.

While everybody expresses these aspects of sales resistance to some degree, in my experience, Small Business owners have it more.

There’s also Natural Sales Resistance. This is simply people’s tendency to reject being sold anything – even if they need it. If you had the cure for cancer, some portion of the population would refuse to buy it. Why? Because people don’t like to feel as though their freedom of choice is being taken away. Again, it’s an affront to their ego.

This is mostly a level of unconscious discomfort, rather than a conscious thought. I worked at a retail shoe store while in high school. We were required to greet customers as they came in. “Hello, how are you doing today” I’d ask. About 80% of the time people would zoom past me and grumble, “I’m just looking.”

People were so afraid I was going to sell them something that they had to shut me out – even though I made no sales approach. I worked with my friend Greg and we made up a little game. We got so good at identifying who would be a “just looking” person that we would say weird stuff to them when they came in and laugh they would zoom by and didn’t notice. “Your shoes are untied.” is probably one of the more innocent things we’d throw out.

By the way – I’m almost one of those people. I hate being interrupted by sales people when I’m in a store looking around. I’ll seek out help if I need it – just make sure it’s available. However, I’m never rude to retail people – I’ve been there and it’s a tough job.

Ultimately sales is part of the marketing process. We have to understand the components of resistance and inoculate against it. We need to be better about really personally connecting with our customers and prospects. We need to be genuine, keep our promises, and help our customers do our sales for us.

Copyright 2005 Marketing Comet

John Moore – Marketing Comet Get More Customers, Achieve Higher Profits, Enjoy Your Business More [http://www.marketingcometcoach.com]

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Credit cards seem to have become a fad today. Almost everyone has a personal credit card today (a lot of people have more than one credit cards). Though most of the people use personal credit cards for what they are really meant for, some are unable to decide on when to use which type of credit card.

So is there a difference in terms of what credit card – Personal or business, you use for what transactions?

The answer very clearly is ‘Yes’.

Some people use their personal credit card for paying the bills of the Small Business they run. However, this is not what you should be doing. Personal credit cards are meant for just personal expenses and the business credit cards just for business expenses. So unless you want to utterly confuse yourself and spend hours together on sorting out business and personal expenses, you should not create this confusion in the first place. This confusion is very easy to avoid and just requires some discipline on your part. Just use your Small Business credit card for whatever spends you do for your business and the personal credit card for the personal expenses.

If you feel that getting the business expenses segregated is not much of a problem and you would rather use just your personal credit card, you need to re-consider using a Small Business credit card. This springs from the fact that the Small Business credit cards generally carry a lower APR as compared to the personal ones. So it makes more sense to make your business spends on your Small Business credit cards. Moreover, the Small Business credit cards also carry a reduced or no annual fee on them.

Also, the customer query resolution and support services are much better with the Small Business credit cards than with the personal credit cards. The credit card companies always give preferential treatment to the Small Business credit card customers. This is owing to the simple fact that Small Business owners are much bigger consumers of such services than the personal credit cards. Obviously, the needs of an enterprise are expected to be more than those of an individual. Moreover, if the business grows, it might create more customers for the credit card company (e.g. in the form of corporate credit cards).

There are times when one requires quick money for a short period of time. This can be due to some immediate purchase requirements which you are ultimately going to invoice your client to or some other unplanned/emergency expenses. In most of the cases you have a visibility of a month or so in which you are expecting your invoices to clear. Having the Small Business credit card can be more beneficial in such cases (as compared to a personal credit card).

Moreover, as with personal credit cards, the Small Business credit cards can also help in building your business’ credit rating. So when it comes to getting a loan for business expansion, you at least have something to show for the credit rating.

Rudy Hadisentosa: CCN.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa,master cards, discover, american express and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Apply for a credit card at CCN.com.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com