Are you thinking that what you must do to get your business to the next level is to work hard at getting new customers? While, as with all things in life, there must be a balance between the two, it behooves the small business owner not to forget about current customers...
At the start of a new year, you may be mulling over ideas for New Year’s resolutions in your personal life or for your business. Your company may be caught in a slump, or perhaps you are just looking for new ideas to help your business grow. One resource available...
Celebrated in the first week of October (along with, appropriately, Get Organized Week), Customer Service Week is a good excuse for us to round up some seasoned advice to help you ramp up your customer service. Below, we share tips and tactics for finding that first customer and keeping them coming...
Many taxpayers may not be aware of the Iowa consumer’s use tax. It is a tax on the use of taxable goods or services in Iowa, when sales tax was not paid at the time of purchase. This often occurs when purchases are made from an out-of-state seller. Situations when consumer’s...
What is a Marketing Plan? In a three part series, Entrepreneur.com describes the essentials of creating a marketing plan. The long and the short of it: A successful business owner or entrepreneur has to understand who the customer is, who the competition is, and create a plan on how to move...
Entrepreneurs launching a new business today are wise to consider the options and opportunities provided by the world of social media. A 2012 Manta survey of 600 small business leaders showed 90 percent adopting an active role in social media, with 74 percent viewing it as important as...
Whether you create software for government contractors, own a training service or operate a retail store, you want customers to know about your business. One way to do that is to put announcements in newspapers and magazines, and on news sites. Press releases are the tool you use to get...
When I start working with a new client at the Women’s Business Center, one of my first questions is “How do you attract clients?” Most people focus on advertising and public relations. These should be parts of your marketing strategy but don’t forget your existing clients! Existing clients have already taken...
In U.S.SourceLink's Battle of the Brands, many matchups were between large corporations steeped in tradition and small homemade startups. A lot of the time, these smaller businesses would beat out the larger companies for votes. Why? Two words: customer engagement. There is a disclaimer here: Many of the larger companies...
A request came in to the Iowa Business Concierge that I thought I would share, as it illustrates a great way to brainstorm potential business expansion or business promotion ideas. Instead of taking on the risk of trying something new yourself, see if someone else has already hit on...
