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Guides (44):
Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan Ready for 2016?
December 22, 2015
Do you have a disaster recovery plan for 2016? No one wants to think about disaster befalling their small business, but formulating a plan just in case could be vital to your business' survival.
Is it Time to Retire Your Small Business?
December 16, 2015
Are you looking to sell or close your small business and retire in 2016? Then it's time to take stock and make sure you're financially prepared for retirement.
Turn to Text Message Marketing for Better Lead Generation
November 24, 2015
Are you ready for a cost effective way to generate more leads for your small business? Then it's time to take a look at text message marketing.
Is Your Small Business Ready for a Potential Disaster?
November 23, 2015
Disaster recovery planning is one of those jobs that people often mean to get around to, but never do. In fact, disaster recovery planning could be the difference between whether your business gets back on its feet or not, should disaster strike.
Develop the Best Pictures of Your Brand
November 03, 2015
Are you making the best use of images in your small business? If you want to make an impact on your customers, choosing and using the right images is vital.
Is Your Small Business Feeling a Cash Crunch?
October 16, 2015
Are you struggling to find funding for your small business, or wondering what you would do if your business hit a tight spot?
Remove Those Common SMS Marketing Myths for Your Small Business
October 15, 2015
Do you believe the myths about text marketing? You might have heard that it's expensive, it looks like spam or customers don't like it. Don't let the rumors put you off this cost-effective and very useful marketing tool for your small business.
Give the Boot to Your Competitors' Texts
October 09, 2015
With an impressive 98% open rate, SMS marketing is a fantastic way to reach out to your customers. Your message will be right in front of them in seconds.
Is Your Small Business Feeling a Cash Crunch?
October 02, 2015
Are you struggling to find funding for your small business, or wondering what you would do if your business hit a tight spot?
Manage Employee Time-Off Request with Customer Needs
September 24, 2015
Vacation requests can be a real minefield, leading to scheduling conflicts or departments left short staffed. This can be detrimental to your small business, affecting your ability to respond to customers and provide goods or services.
Put Some Fun Into Your Sales Training Seminars
September 04, 2015
Are you using games in your small business sales training?
The addition of games to a sales training environment can yield positive results. The use of games can increase engagement, boost learning, and ultimately help your sales team to excel where you need them to.
That means a more effective sales team and a better bottom line for your company.
What are some of the ways playing games can make your sales training even better?
Sales Training Games Can Be Very Effective
There's more than one way to use games in your sales training.
Having a training game made for you can be very effective as you can theme it specifically to your small business' needs and aims. Playing the game will help your sales team to learn in a way that's fun and engaging.
You can also buy sales training games out of the box, which may be a more cost-effective option.
Do some research online first and find out what other business owners are saying about the different options, especially those in a similar field to you.
Sales training games can be further personalized for each member of your sales team, taking into account their background, knowledge and achievements to deliver training that is on point for each learner.
Sales training games work well during seminars, and can also be offered outside of those times as part of ongoing training.
Games Are a Valuable Addition to Training Sessions
Games also make for great ice-breakers, and can be used to make a sales training seminar more engaging.
Splitting trainees into groups and playing some games has several advantages:
• Giving your sales people the chance to get to know each other;
• Providing an opportunity for sales people to learn from each other;
• Giving sales people the chance to play to their strengths;
• Breaking up learning sessions into manageable chunks;
• Adding some fun into the training day;
• Reinforcing key messages;
• Increasing engagement with the training materials.
Games Make Learning Fun
As the article "Get Serious About Training: Play Some Games!" points out, when learning is fun, acquiring new knowledge is no longer a chore.
When learning is fun, it's more engaging, and more engaged learners have a better chance of taking knowledge on board.
Because learning via training games is more enjoyable, it can also provide a valuable confidence boost for your team.
Failing a quiz can be a little demoralizing, but when playing a game, failing simply means replaying the level. It's still fun, and gives a second chance for the knowledge to sink in.
Games Are Well-Suited to Sales Training
Because sales rely on people who are dedicated and focused on meeting their goals, games-based training is a good fit for a sales team.
Games give your sales people a chance to compete, either with each other or against themselves. This kind of competition is well suited to people who make a career out of bettering their results, and provides extra training in taking a competitive approach.
You can also offer prizes for sales training games, giving those who perform best the chance to win. This provides motivation for giving their best during training, and adds a sense of fun and play as well.If you want your team to pay attention and absorb the knowledge they need during sales training, why not add games to your training program?
Learning will be more enjoyable, and you'll benefit from a more engaged team.
Is Your Small Business Getting the Best Deals?
September 02, 2015
As a small business owner, you know that saving money where you can helps keep your costs down and encourages better cash flow. But the cost of buying products and services, from business vehicles to stationery, can soon add up.
Take a Bite Out of Your Business Electric Bills
August 24, 2015
How can you cut your small business energy bills? As a small business owner, keeping costs down where you can is vital, and your energy bills are one way you can do that.
Put Videos to Work in Promoting Your Small Business
August 21, 2015
Are you using video to promote your small business? No matter what kind of small business you run, video is a powerful promotional tool.
Is Your Website's Content a Top Priority?
August 19, 2015
Have you given your small business website content a quality check recently? Good quality website content engages your customers, builds loyalty, encourages backlinks and sharing, and even improves your search engine rankings. What can you do to make sure your content is up to scratch?
Is Your Online Brand Getting the Attention it Needs?
August 14, 2015
In this digital age, a strong online presence is vital. Building up your online brand increases your chances of connecting with customers old and new, and standing out above the competition.
Integrate Text Messaging and Social Media for a Winning Combo
August 05, 2015
Some things are better together. When it comes to marketing your small business, text marketing and social media go together like coffee and cream.
Turn Prospects Into Real Sales
July 29, 2015
Are you seeking out the most receptive prospects for your small business? As a small business owner, good prospects are the bread and butter of your business, increasing your chances of making a sale.
Don't Let Your Business be Bound by Boundaries
July 28, 2015
Whether you run a micro business or an SME, you have potential customers all over the world. This is good news for any business - more customers mean more opportunities for profit and for building up a stable and loyal customer base.
Have You Invested Enough in Your Small Business?
July 22, 2015
Are you investing in the future of your small business?
There's an old adage that you have to spend money to make money and there is some truth to that.
Cyber Security Should Never Be a Small Matter
July 09, 2015
How secure is your cyber security plan? As a small business owner, a decent cyber security plan is one of the most important things you can put in place for your business. A cyber security breach can have catastrophic knock on effects, especially if you're not prepared.
Are You Ready for an Online Loan?
July 06, 2015
Cash flow is a vital part of any business, and sometimes you need a little help. Whether you need to cover start-up costs or fund new equipment, there will likely come a time when your business needs assistance.
Go the Safe Route When Your Employees Travel for Work
June 30, 2015
Sometimes your staff members might have to travel, whether that's to get to a networking event or to meet with clients. As their employer, you are of course concerned for their safety and want to make sure their trip goes well.
The Idea of SMS Marketing Works
June 18, 2015
Have you embraced SMS marketing for your business? SMS is a flexible and cost effective marketing method that can be used alone or alongside other marketing channels, with plenty of benefits for your business.
Is It Your Business to Check on Potential Hire's Online Portfolio?
May 22, 2015
A survey by online job search site CareerBuilder suggests that 51% of hiring managers have rejected potential employees based on information they've found on social media. To that end, there are plenty of horror stories on the internet of people who've lost their jobs after an ill-conceived social media post.
Designing the Right Sales Video is Your Business
May 21, 2015
Are you using video to promote your small business? More and more businesses are tapping in to the power of video. With a report by visual commerce solutions company Invodo predicting that 74% of all internet traffic will be video-based by 2017, it's clear that video is something your business needs.
Teamwork Truly Does Lead to Better Company Results
May 15, 2015
A brainstorming meeting can leave you with some truly valuable ideas, which could be the basis of great things for your business. A successful brainstorming meeting is a valuable business tool that is well worth setting aside the time for.
Are You Connected to a PBX Phone System?
May 12, 2015
Could your small business benefit from a better phone system? For small businesses, it can be tempting to stick with the telephone system that is already in place, perhaps a landline number, with a mobile number for each staff member.
Have You Invested Enough in Your Small Business?
May 11, 2015
Are you investing in the future of your small business? There's an old adage that you have to spend money to make money and there is some truth to that.
Mass Text Messaging is No Small Matter
April 28, 2015
Getting a small business event together can be a bit of a headache, but luckily there is a way to get any event running more smoothly: Mass text messaging.
The Ecommerce Component of Your Small Business
April 20, 2015
Are you selling online? As a small business owner, an Ecommerce store can be a profitable component of your business.
The Ecommerce Component of Your Small Business
April 14, 2015
Are you selling online? As a small business owner, an Ecommerce store can be a profitable component of your business.
Mobile Coupons Shouldn't Be Taken for Granted
April 06, 2015
If you'd like to attract more customers to your small business, and keep your existing customers coming back for more, then it's time to consider using mobile coupons. Mobile coupons are growing in popularity, drawing in customers who love a special offer. Gone are the days of clipping coupons; mobile makes coupons immediate, accessible, and fun to use
Are You up to Speed on Your Online Engagement?
March 30, 2015
By understanding how engaged your customers are, you can streamline your online offerings to encourage further engagement from interested customers. That way, you'll be growing brand loyalty and focusing your energy on getting the customer attention and action that you want
Are You Hiring the Right Personalities?
January 29, 2015
Hiring new employees can be an exciting time, an opportunity to find the right people to help your small business grow the way you want it to.
Is Your Small Business Network Safe?
January 16, 2015
If you run a small business, the chances are computers are a fairly major part of your daily operations. From orders to data to social media or blogs, computers are a ubiquitous part of many businesses.
Do You Survey Your Business Customers?
November 19, 2014
If you want to find out how satisfied your customers are, SMS surveys are an effective way to go about it. After all, what do most people do upon receiving a text message? Reply to it.
Training Your Employees on Big Data
September 19, 2014
Does your small business have the skills to handle big data? Big data offers big advantages for businesses of all shapes and sizes, but with plenty of talk about the "big data skills gap", you might find yourself wondering if embracing big data means employing a whole new team of data scientists.
Unlock Big Data's Big Potential
July 22, 2014
How can big data help your small business? That's the question many business owners are asking themselves as more and more blog posts, webinars and seminars about big data are popping up all over the place.
Baby Boomers in the Small Business Workforce
April 09, 2014
As a small business owner, you're looking for employees who can contribute to your business and get the job done. You want things to run smoothly, and you want employees who you know you can trust to value your business and treat it with care. That's where baby boomers come in.
Are Big Data Skills a Small Business Concern?
March 21, 2014
Big data is big news these days, whatever the size of your business. Small businesses that harvest, analyze and implement big data gain significant insights into the market and their customers, giving them a competitive edge. Naturally, you don't want to miss out.
Is Telecommuting Good for Our Small Business in 2014?
February 18, 2014
Being able to work from home may seem appeal to your employees, but is it a good fit for your small business? With the Telework Research Network estimating that around 30 million Americans work from home regularly, telecommuting clearly works well for some businesses.
Making a Small Business Work in the UK
November 25, 2013
There's a saying that when times are tough, it's a good time to start a business. Sound counter intuitive? In fact, economic hurdles often make for market opportunities and the chance to take advantage of some bargains.
Does Our Small Business Need to Be on Facebook?
June 17, 2013
The world's most famous social network is great for keeping up with family, posting regrettable photos, and sending your friends electronic potatoes for their virtual farm. | 
