How to Discover Your Business Values

For businesses in today’s world, the blind pursuit of profit — at whatever the cost to people and the planet — is no longer a viable option. Most of us now expect businesses to care about their impact on society and the wider world.

We’ve come to a point where people are fed-up of money being the main goal of life. The US might be the richest country in the world, but it’s a long way from being the happiest. It’s time to find another way.

Η αξία στην παραγωγικότητα, δεν έχει να κάνει με την εργασία μόνο…

Η ταχεία ανάπτυξη των αναδυόμενων αγορών προκαλεί δραματική αύξηση της ζήτησης πόρων και η προμήθεια πολλών πρώτων υλών έχει γίνει πλέον δύσκολο να εξασφαλιστεί. Οι τιμές των βασικών αγαθών είναι πιθανό να συνεχίσουν να αυξάνονται και θα παραμείνουν ασταθείς. Οι βιομηχανικές επιχειρήσεις αισθάνονται ήδη τις επιπτώσεις στις τελικές δραστηριότητές τους, ενώ οι δυσκολίες αυτές φαίνεται πως θα συνεχιστούν, αν δεν ενταθούν κιόλας. Κατά συνέπεια, το μεταβλητό κόστος των βιομηχανικών επιχειρήσεων έχει αυξηθεί.

Για  παράδειγμα, μεταξύ 2000 και 2010, τα μεταβλητά κόστη μιας δυτικής εταιρείας χάλυβα αυξήθηκαν από 50% σε 70% των συνολικών δαπανών παραγωγής της, κυρίως λόγω τους άλματος στις τιμές των βασικών αγαθών. Για μια κινεζική εταιρεία χάλυβα, το 90% του κόστους παραγωγής είναι πλέον μεταβλητό. Και για έναν κατασκευαστή τηλεοράσεων LCD, η ενέργεια αντιπροσωπεύει το 45%  του συνολικού κόστους παραγωγής.

Survey: Fewer Small Businesses Expect to Hire or Grow

Uncertainty surrounding the federal deficit, taxes and health care is negatively impacting small businesses' revenue and hiring projections for this year and next, according to the fourth annual U.S. Bank Small Business Survey published today.

The survey was conducted online in January among 3,210 small-business owners with less than $10 million in annual revenue. While two-thirds of small businesses surveyed said they are in good financial health or better, only 16 percent expect to increase staff over the next 12 months. When asked the same question a year ago, 20 percent of small businesses expected to ramp up hiring.

Market Segmentation for the Small Business

Market segmentation is one of the steps that goes into defining and targeting specific markets. It is the process of dividing a market into a distinct group of buyers that require different products or marketing mixes.

A key factor to success in today's market place is finding subtle differences to give a business the marketing edge. Businesses that target specialty markets will promote its products and services more effectively than a business aiming at the "average" customer.

9 Habits of People Who Build Extraordinary Relationships

The most extraordinary professional relationships are built by ordinary actions like these.

Professional success is important to everyone, but still, success in business and in life means different things to different people--as well it should.

But one fact is universal: Real success, the kind that exists on multiple levels, is impossible without building great relationships. Real success is impossible unless you treat other people with kindness, regard, and respect.

After all, you can be a rich jerk... but you will also be a lonely jerk.

That's why people who build extraordinary business relationships: 

7 Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Last summer, I met with a young aspiring entrepreneur. She wanted to know how I started my business, how I quit my 9-5, and how I got to where I am today. I have no idea if meeting with this bright young woman was at all helpful to her, but I do know that it was a learning experience for me. Reflecting upon the last 10 years of my life, the following points occurred to me:

1) Search Your Soul: What Do You Want? – When I finished college, I applied for graduate school because I wasn’t sure what else to do. I got into two programs, but one was in a city where I did not want to live. If the program was really more important, I would have gone there and probably have a PhD by now, but it wasn’t. I realized it was more important for me to move to New York City, so I chose that instead. My NYU Master’s program was the vehicle that brought me to New York, and eventually to my destiny as an entrepreneur. Bottom Line: You can respond to pressure and do the “practical” thing, or pause for a moment of clarity: think about what you really want. You can go with the flow or make the tough decisions that will take you where you really want to be. 

Types of Professional Buyers

If you sell B2B, you probably deal with a lot of professional buyers. Buyers are responsible for finding materials for their companies, and they can literally lose their jobs if they make a bad deal – so they take purchasing very seriously. Experienced buyers know more about sales than many salespeople. Using sales tricks and manipulation tactics on a professional buyer is usually a bad idea, as they'll spot these tactics immediately and won't be happy. Instead, the best way to sell to a professional is to figure out what motivates them and then supply it. Different types of buyers tend to be motivated by different drives and goals, so being able to spot each type early in the sales process is crucial.

The Number-Cruncher

Προσφορά υπάρχει! Ζήτηση υπάρχει;

Τα προβλήματα της ελληνικής πραγματικότητας των μικρομεσαίων επιχειρήσεων λιανικής πώλησης ένδυσης και υπόδησης είναι πολλά, ενώ ο βασικός λόγος για τον οποίο σήμερα κλείνουν πολλές από αυτές δεν είναι μόνο η ύφεση. Κλείνουν, επίσης, διότι δεν αξιολόγησαν κάποτε σωστά τις συνθήκες και τις μεταβλητές, που δικαιολογούν το άνοιγμα νέων καταστημάτων (έχουμε δηλαδή υπερπροσφορά προϊόντων με ελλιπή ζήτηση). Με αποτέλεσμα να βλέπουμε σήμερα να πωλούνται επώνυμα προϊόντα εισαγωγής σε εξευτελιστικές τιμές και όπως είναι φυσικό να οδηγούνται στο κλείσιμο των καταστημάτων τους. Και οι ιδιοκτήτες τους να το αποδίδουν (σωστά εν μέρει) στην έλλειψη ρευστότητας, τη μείωση της αγοραστικής δύναμης των καταναλωτών και γενικότερα στην κρίση που πλήττει την πραγματική οικονομία της χώρας. Όμως, στη χώρα μας ο αριθμός των καταστημάτων ένδυσης/υπόδησης ανά κάτοικο, είναι διπλάσιος σε σχέση με τις υπόλοιπες ευρωπαϊκές χώρες. 

Small Businesses Building App Strategies

The digital marketing firm eMarketer projects that by the end of 2013, there will be 116 million smartphone users in the United States. Cisco adds to that number globally reporting that the number of mobile-connected devices globally will exceed the number of people on the planet. What????

Of course, that puts the app at a tremendous advantage considering all of the devices that apps currently populate and the limitless sea of screens they will inhabit in the future. Noah Elkin, an analyst with eMarketer says. “It’s getting to the point where apps are similar to search. If you don’t get any results for a brand, that brand doesn’t exist.” Consumers expect to see apps for their favorite brands; it's a convenience like expecting to purchase bread and milk in any store that sells food.

So if you are in business, you feel the pressure to create and promote your own app. The following guide shows several companies that created their own apps  tailored to their own brand. 

Tips to Go Above and Beyond With Customer Service

These days, providing adequate customer service is not enough.

You need to go above and beyond the call of duty to provide customer service that truly stands out. How do you do this?

Begin by thinking about your own experience as a customer -- what you liked and disliked in certain situations.

Οι επιχειρήσεις δεν έχουν καταφέρει να αναβαθμίσουν το επίπεδο εξυπηρέτησης τους…

Η μεταστροφή προς την πλήρη ανάκαμψη της οικονομίας θα είναι μακροχρόνια και αργή. Η προσπάθεια που καταβάλουν οι επιχειρήσεις, για να αλλάξουν την συμπεριφορά και τις συνήθειες των καταναλωτών, αποτελεί το κομβικό σημείο για να τεθούν οι προοπτικές και προϋποθέσεις, μέσω των οποίων θα δημιουργήσουν νέες ευκαιρίες για την οργανική τους ανάκαμψη.

Οι επιχειρήσεις που επιθυμούν να διατηρήσουν και να επιτύχουν υψηλές αποδόσεις, στην παρούσα οικονομική φάση και στην αναμενόμενη ανάκαμψη της, θα πρέπει να κατανοήσουν το σημαντικό ρόλο που έχουν τα ζητήματα που προκύπτουν από τις εμπειρίες εξυπηρέτησης στη βάση των πελατών τους, καθώς και ποιες είναι οι επιπλοκές αυτών των εμπειριών στην μελλοντική ανάπτυξη και κερδοφορία τους.

6 Ways to Protect Your Customers From Competitors

If your competitors are trying to grow new business, it's almost inevitable that some of them will start sniffing around YOUR customers, trying to lure them away. Unless you take a few precautions you could find yourself losing your customer base before you even know what's happened.

Stay In Touch
How often do you pick up the phone and call your existing customers? Almost certainly not as often as you should. Yes, it takes time away from other sales activities. But think of the five minutes you spend talking to your best customer as “customer insurance.” As a rule, the more important your customer is, the more frequent your check-ins should be – but don't neglect any of your customers. You're also not just limited to using the phone; email and even snail mail can be great ways to maintain contact. 

Does Your Company Need a Gunslinger?

You can find a few key personalities at every company. There’s Debbie Downer, who’s never met an idea she couldn’t hate. There’s the schmoozer, who speaks a mile a minute but rarely lets anyone else get a word in edgewise. And, of course, we can’t forget Pollyanna, who thinks business is puppies, rainbows, and cupcake sprinkles. But very few companies have a gunslinger.

Just as in the old West, a gunslinger is ready, bold (though not entirely reckless) and willing to stand in range of a clear shot. He knows his shot is dead on and that he’s faster on the draw.

Gunslingers are challengers who push companies—and product lines, marketing campaigns, and corporate culture—beyond their limits. Companies need the right kind of gunslingers, but few understand why.

The Gunslinger’s Crucial Traits

Businesses Have Something to Learn from Internet Marketers

A marketable database can be leveraged to drive revenue

For some of us the words “online marketer” makes us want to throw up in our mouth a little. Why? Because most people think of online marketers as those people who trick you into giving them your email address so they can spam you with crappy offers for things you don’t want. I’ve certainly run into my share of these. But here’s the reality. Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em, we all have something to learn from online marketers.

Internet Marketers are Master Email List Builders

Online marketers know most people don’t buy on their first visit to the website. So what do they do? They give you an amazing piece of content you really want in exchange for your email address. In fact, the best internet marketers don’t even try to sell you on their primary website pages. They work really hard to capture your email address because the goal is to build a marketable database that can be leveraged to drive revenue.

Bottom Line Disciplines for Small Businesses

Set sales goals for your team to improve your small business’ bottom line and manage your deals and clients with the help of a simple CRM like Base.

Being an owner of a small business can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to sales.  No matter what industry or profession you are in, you need sales to survive.  Without sales there are no transactions, no revenue and no bottom line. Sales is your bottom line!

Buyers are everywhere.
What are you doing to help them buy?

10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Testing a Business Idea

You've got a business idea you're jazzed about, but aren't sure if it's feasible. What you need to do is test the concept to see how it stands up to a series of rigorous questions.

"You are always testing," says Andre Marquis, Executive Director of the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship at Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. "What you start with is rarely what you end up with."

Where to begin? Here are 10 key questions to help you evaluate your business idea:

1. What is my customer profile?
Maybe your product or service idea seems like just the right solution for you, but can you identify a clear customer base beyond yourself? Ask what your customer's biggest pains are and how your product might help resolve them, says Alexander Osterwalder, co-author of Business Model Generation (Wiley, 2010) and founder of The Business Model Foundry, which provides digital tools to help develop business ideas. When David Dodge got the idea to start a tutoring business, he used Internet surveys to develop a psychographic analysis of his core customer. "I tried to dig deep and find more," he says. "Understanding and segmenting your market is very important." In 2005, he founded Sure Prep Learning in Scottsdale, Ariz., focusing his marketing on worried and competitive parents. Today, the business has more than 800 tutors. 

8 Questions to Help You Build Business

If you've been trying to increase your sales but haven't had much luck, maybe it's time to review some basic questions. Answer the following questions as honestly as possible. If there are answers that you don't like, then work on those areas one at a time until you're happy with that particular issue. Resolving these items will result in a significant boost in both your sales numbers and your morale.

1. What do I like best about my job?
When you're passionate about something, that passion will come across to others. So decide what it is that you really enjoy about your job and then see if you can spread that joy out to other areas. For example, if you love networking, maybe you can adjust your sales approach so that it more resembles a networking encounter. 

How To Analyze An Industry

Are you planning on starting a new website but want to gauge how profitable the industry sector is before you do? Are you optimizing a site for a client but want to gain a better understanding of the industry in which they operate? Conducting an industry analysis will help identify advantages and any weaknesses a business may have in that industry, and clarify the forces that shape that industry. The better we understand the industry, the more likely we are to grasp the opportunities others may miss.

If a business has a weak position relative to their competitors then optimization efforts might be ineffective as customers will simply click a few different search results and compare offerings.

Then again, a business may enjoy advantages in areas that aren't currently being exploited. Focusing your optimization and positioning efforts in these areas will likely pay higher dividends than optimizing in areas where competitors are strongest. Understanding the forces at work in the industry will help reveal these areas.

4 Questions to Create Buyer Personas: A Client Story

Developing buyer personas can be time consuming and challenging. While there are expensive options, such as focus groups, sometimes all you need to do is talk to your customers. Recent customers know what your target audience is looking for and the pain points they are experiencing. So start interviewing!

After you have interviewed several recent customers, you are ready to get started creating your buyer persona. Here's a Kuno Creative example:

4 Questions for Understanding Your Customers and Your Product

5 απλά πράγματα που πρέπει να γνωρίζει κάθε επιχειρηματίας

Αν σας έλεγα πως υπάρχουν κανόνες που εγγυώνται την επιχειρηματική επιτυχία θα ήταν ψέματα, αφού καμία θεωρία δεν μπορεί να υποκαταστήσει την εμπειρία για έναν επιχειρηματία. Παρόλα αυτά υπάρχουν κάποιες βασικές αρχές που, σύμφωνα με το Forbes και τον Micha Kaufman, μπορούν να βοηθήσουν. Ιδού λοιπόν οι κανόνες του παιχνιδιού:

1. Μη στοχεύετε ψηλά. Στοχεύστε Ψηλότερα.

Γίνατε επιχειρηματίας γιατί είχατε όραμα, μια κινητήρια δύναμη που απαιτούσε και συνεχίζει να απαιτεί τα πάντα από εσάς. Μη προσπαθείτε να εκλογικεύσετε το πάθος σας, χρησιμοποιείστε το και συνεχίστε να πιέζετε τα πράγματα μέχρι να φτάσετε εκεί που ονειρευτήκατε, με την ένταση και το εύρος που σας οδηγούσε από το ξεκίνημά σας. Χρειάζεται τόλμη για να οικοδομήσετε την επιχείρηση που θέλετε.