by Sherron Lumley. Who, exactly, are you? Amidst a veritable sea of sales pitches that consumers must navigate daily, that’s the essential question they are trying to answer when it comes to your small business. But if your company’s message is muddied or constantly shifting, connecting with potential customers in a way that reinforces trust and credibility becomes difficult, if not impossible. “The world has changed,” says Sander Flaum, former chairman of Euro RSCG, one of the world’s...

Many small businesses forego formal annual employee evaluations. But, you should think twice. By Sherron Lumley. For many small business owners, employee reviews rarely get a second thought, and when they do they all too often fall into one of two versions—“Way to go!” or “What were you thinking?” For some, their reticence to formal reviews involves the time required. For others, it’s the potential for confrontation and an uncomfortable employer-employee relationship. And then some believe...

By Sherron Lumley.   Frank DeSantis, owner of DeSantis Photography, has spent 15 years in Philadelphia and Portland building small business alliances to move his commercial photography business forward. “It’s perseverance really and it’s not instant gratification. Business is about developing relationships. I’ve always known that and been open to experimenting,” DeSantis says.   The relationships he refers to amount to a series of informal collaborations, where two or more companies work...

Whether your business leans toward luxury or low-cost, setting the right price for your products is critical to success. by Sherron Lumley. In the exclusive realm of artisanal furniture, Steven Garfield, owner of Steven Garfield Fine Furniture in Stanton, New Jersey, is among the most elite in the country. “When you’re dealing with luxury, it has to be as perfect as humanly possible,” says Garfield, who is currently working on a custom dining suite for the Johnson family, of Johnson &...

by Robert Lerose. Magazine publishers have known for years that their best source of reader-generated income comes from renewing current subscribers rather than acquiring new ones. Renewal series are cheaper to mount than new subscriber promotions and provide a steady stream of instant cash. More and more businesses in different sectors are discovering that this same subscription-based model makes sense for them and for their bottom line, too. Netflix, Amazon, and even unorthodox companies...

By Jen Hickey. The following is Part I of our two-part series on green technology and the small business. Part II (click here to read), focuses on business opportunities catering to the “green” crowd. Situated across the harbor from the gleaming skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan, in the once rough and tumble waterfront of South Brooklyn, Linda Tool has not only survived the continued contraction of New York City’s manufacturing sector (down 8 percent over the last decade) but has expanded,...

by Robert Lerose. Webinars, or online presentations, are a cost-effective way to generate revenue, build brands, demonstrate products and services, provide leads, and position your company as the authoritative source that customers turn to first. “A lot of [my clients] see 70-percent or 80-percent return on investment and sometimes more,” says Leslie Davidson of Davidson Direct, a longtime consultant and provider of webinars and audio conferences. Prices for setting up and executing...

by Reed Richardson By necessity, most small business owners quickly become creative problem-solvers, finding unorthodox means of survival and alternative pathways to success. After all, almost all entrepreneurs launch their businesses with a shortage of funds and a lack of support staff, meaning that they must not only figure out how to build that better mousetrap, but also produce it on a shoestring budget and then advertise and sell it using low or no-cost marketing tactics.  But...