When business owners say, “I would like to form a board!” They usually mean an advisory board. I’m not sure if they know that there are four types of boards. So, how are they different? Johanne Bouchard is a governance and leadership advisor to boards, CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs, as well as an expert in board composition and dynamics. I
Social media has moved from an emerging form of communication to the mainstream, and as a result, most small businesses use social media within their marketing strategies. Because this is now the primary communication vehicle for small businesses, owners need to put in policies to guide their employees’ online actions. A social media policy informs employees on the
Every year LinkedIn is proving to be a top contender when looking to recruit potential candidates. In my former company, Consultants 2 Go, not only were we using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool, we found it to be strategically helpful when searching for prospective new clients. In my current company, Sandi Webster LLC, I use LinkedIn to connect to new
A common misconception small business owners have is the difference between having a sponsor and a mentor. There will be the make-or-break business decision that calls for the guidance of a mentor and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that calls for a sponsor to recommend you. As a small business owner, you need more than a mentor; you also need a
As a small business owner, there are moments when coming to a decision can ultimately make or break your business, and you need to consult others to get guidance. A mentor can be an invaluable resource. A great mentor is a guide to help navigate the world of business or life in general. The destination may be happiness, success, or
Your sales team is at the heart of your small business. A great sales team can increase revenues, keep current clients satisfied, and bring in new customers, but your business can stagnate and suffer without the right salespeople. When looking to hire the best sales team for your business, there isn’t much room to improvise on the recruiting process. Hiring
When running a small business, one thing is certain – nurturing your current client relationships is essential to the longevity of your company. While expanding your market by bringing in new clients is also necessary, it is most certainly futile if you don’t retain the clients you’ve won. Per outboundengine.com, Acquiring a new customer can cost five timesmore than retaining
So, you’ve done your mid-year business review and have taken the steps to completely overhaul your strategic business plan and make changes for the rest of the year, but what about your social media marketing strategy? If you have yet to implement social media into your strategy and you’re determined to use it as a weapon in your marketing arsenal,
Successfully promoting your goods or services can result in impressive revenue growth for your business. Whether your business is in the start-up phase or not, marketing can, and should, get you sales! Begin by creating a marketing strategy that will outline how you’ll go about marketing your products or services. Here are a few tips to include in
While running a successful small business, it’s easy to overlook effective technology practices, but a few tech blunders can cause huge consequences for your business. Here are a few major tech bloopers to avoid: Forgoing Proper Technical Support Erik Eckel of Tech Republic warns against forgoing sufficient technical support for your organization. Eckel writes, “Small businesses need knowledgeable, trusted technology
