Don't Forget Your Business Cards

Even with all of the options available to promote your business these days, your business card remains your most effective marketing tool.

When and How Much To Tip

Billy Joel sang about the tip jar “They sit at the bar and put bread in my jar”. These days seems piano men are not the only one’s with tip jars. They seem to have cropped on every counter from coffee shops to restaurants to ice cream take out and many of us wonder when we should put money in the tip charge and when we should not.

Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch

Every small business should develop an elevator pitch as part of their marketing and networking strategy.

The idea of an elevator pitch is to get someone excited about your business in the time it takes to ride an elevator from one floor to another - about 30 seconds!

An elevator pitch is a quick and concise way to communicate who you are, what you do and why you do it better…

STOP Procrastinating!

A recent study conducted by a Professor at the University of Calgary indicates that we’re procrastinating more than we used to - in 1978 -15 percent of us were guilty of it. Today that number is more like 60 percent. If you find you’re among the many saying “I’ll do it later” here are five tips to help you step procrastinating and get it done now!

Dealing With "aarrgghh" Unhappy Customers

Ask anyone who works with the public and they will tell you that one of the keys to survival is having a good sense of humor and the ability to let criticism roll off your back. I learned this lesson quickly when I operated businesses in Bar Harbor during the summer tourist season.

Motivating your Employees

If you have employees in your small business, you know that well motivated employees are more satisfied with their jobs and as a result, more productive.

Here are 4 easy ways to motivate your employees…

Why I Didn't Buy the Pants from Your Store

I didn't buy the pants. Not because I didn't like them, but because I lost all interest after dealing with too many barriers " the barriers retailers put up between a customer's interest in making a purchase and actually making the purchase.

When Your Home is Also Your Office

When I was a teenager, my mom worked out of a home office. There were strict rules pertaining to Mom’s workday: She was not to be bothered unless the house was on fire or there were people at the door with balloons and a “ginormous” check from Publishers Clearing House. Mom laid down very clear ground rules, and she and Dad enforced them. Here are some tips to help you make working at home a home run:

Social Networking – Just Do It!

If you still think that social networking is for kids – think again! According to Facebook’s site – the fastest growing demographic of their 300 million users are 35 years old and older. If you aren’t using Facebook and other sites like Twitter and LinkedIn to promote your business you’re missing an opportunity and likely falling behind your competitors who are!