Small Business Information

Starting Your Small Business


Where do you find more customers?

How do you compete with bigger businesses?

Answer. Build loyalty and rewards.

You may not have the money to spend on advertising like your competitors do but you don't need it. What you need is added exposure, added exposure that costs little or none.

One of the best ways is referrals. Getting referrals from your customers reinforces new customers that they should choose you because they can trust you and they will be satisfied. A good way to track your referrals is to build a list and rank it. You can develop a database of your most loyal customers and the products they buy. How many are repeat customers? How many times per month/year are they repeat customers. Assemble this information and rank it to ensure you are spending your time wisely with your best customers.

Join local events. Get involved in your community. Being involved in one event may spell the difference between increased cash flow or stagnation.

You must remember that you are one of many businesses that the customer can chose. You must give them an incentive. Once you give them an incentive, reward them and reinforce that they have made the right decision. Actively pursing them to give you leads of other people with the same problem or people that may be in their industry and simply contacting them will be a great start! Until next month.

Mr. Des Marais has operated small businesses for over 20 years. He has been a consultant and held positions in some of the fastest growing companies in Canada. He has held past management positions in retail, tourism, hospitality and sales for a variety of companies. He has increased sales by 200% in 2 months for an herbal doctor; increased sales by 30% in 4 months for a major Canadian Big Box Retailer and helped several entrepreneurs develop and sell their business. His expertise is in the area of growth and business development. He has also been involved in developing business chapters in cities across Western Canada. In terms of charities he has been involved with several groups including Habitat for Humanity, United Way and local city soup kitchens. In terms of Business Development and mentoring Mr. Des Marais has volunteered with S.E.E.D.S mentorship review committee, ACE, YEA and university alumni and speaking events. He has given presentations at the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University.


MORE RESOURCES:

MiamiHerald.com

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Small business resources
Houston Chronicle
IRS Small Business Tax Workshop: 1:30-4 pm, Katherine Tyra Library, 16719 Clay Road. Speaker: Greg Vernon. Topics: Choice of business entity, payroll, ...



NBC13.com

Attempted Repeal Of Small Business Tax Reporting Requirements Fails In House
Wall Street Journal
Business groups, Republicans and a watchdog agency within the IRS have charged that it would burden small business with mounds of extra paperwork. ...
House Republicans nix Democrats effort to repeal 1099 requirementThe Hill (blog)
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Outside the Beltway -Arizona Daily Star
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Xinhua

Obama charges GOP with blocking small business plan
Xinhua
"That's what we're trying to do with the Small Business Jobs Act - a bill that has been praised as being good for small businesses by groups like the ...
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TPMDC Saturday RoundupTPMDC (blog)
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NorthJersey.com
Governor Christie's recent commission report on the future of The Meadowlands Racetrack and the Izod Center is making small businesses and ...

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Telegraph.co.uk

Republicans Block Bill to Aid Small Business
New York Times (blog)
The vote on the small-business bill followed several emotional exchanges on the floor. “That is the tradition in the United States Senate: majority rules, ...
Republicans continue Senate filibuster of small-business bill, stymie DemocratsWashington Post
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Los Angeles Times

Desperate for capital, small businesses turn to private lenders
Los Angeles Times
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Bank of America Announces Program to Help up to $100 Million in Small Business ...LoanSafe
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Small Business SBA 504 Loan Program Changes; Loans and Refinancing at Low ...
Learning and Finance (blog)
The Senate recently voted down a stimulus bill that would have increased small business lending in an attempt to support economic recovery. ...
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The small business professor: Getting prepared for health care reform
Knoxville News Sentinel
Answer: No one knows at this time what the ultimate outcome of all the many effects of the health reform bill will have on small business. ...

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Washington Post

Small Business Jobs Bill Stalls in Senate
New York Times (blog)
Democrats attempting to wrap up work on a small business jobs bill were stymied Thursday morning when they were unable to break a ...
Senate To Hold Second Small Business VoteTalk Radio News Service
Reid looks to add Cobell settlement to small-business billThe Hill (blog)
Huh? Dem Senate candidate won't endorse Reid as majority leaderWashington Post (blog)
MarketWatch -Politico (blog) -Firedoglake (blog)
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