Orange SCORE

Incorporating Services, Inc.
Michael Chiller and Jody Fortuna

If you are just starting out, and have not yet officially started a business, this business audio interview will shed some light on many questions you may have about starting your own business.

This short interview is less than 24 minutes, but packs a powerful message you need to be aware of…before making some major business mistakes.

Grab your favorite beverage, sit back and relax, and click on the play button below to listen to the interview.

 

 Incorporating Services [23:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This audio interview between Edison Guzman and Charlene Finnerty reveals the simple steps any one can take to create their own business plan. Listen in as you discover why business plans are NOT just for people starting a business. The interview is short, to the point, and gets the message accross in a simple interview format.

Click on the play button below, and turn up your speakers, to listen to this intense interview:

 

 Standard Podcast [23:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Edison R. Guzman
A&E Advertising and Web Design

Customer confidence is important to every successful small business, but particularly to those that offer services. Here, the customer’s satisfaction determines whether you cultivate loyalty or an unfavorable reputation through word-of-mouth.

The foundation of this confidence is quality. The typical customer knows little about the technical side of your business and therefore judges your business solely on results. For others, it’s the courtesy and integrity of you and your staff. Never assume things are satisfactory. Continually monitor your operations and competition to be sure you are staying on top of your customers’ needs.

For example, evaluate the price range for services offered by competitors, determine how and why they arrived at that price schedule, and make sure your prices are reasonable and reliable. Provide each customer with a comprehensive bill that breaks out specific charges.

Train your employees to be patient with all customer questions. Be sure there are clear policies in place to address service errors, complaints and discounts. Train your employees to handle such situations and to know at what point complaints should be directed to you. Not even a loyal customer appreciates getting the runaround.

In all customer dealings, honesty is the best policy. No one likes to hear that a service problem has not been solved or that the resolution will take longer than expected. Be as specific as possible, but leave room for unforeseen problems such as receiving the wrong part or an employee’s personal emergency. And if a delay is unavoidable, notify the customer right away.

High overhead costs are nothing new to large department stores and retail chains. But the results of a sluggish economy typically are new cost-cutting measures, including deep cuts in customer service personnel. The result is largely a self-service shopping environment that customers might tolerate or even prefer for certain types of purchases, but a nightmare for the customer who has questions or needs help locating an item.

Small retailers must keep tabs on overhead costs, too. But they are in a better position to provide the level of service that today’s demanding consumers expect. Knowledge of your customers’ interests and preferences will enable you to provide a better shopping experience that will be repaid with sales, repeat business and that all-important positive word-of-mouth advertising.

Your sales force should be knowledgeable about the products, trained in the art of customer relations and motivated to do their best through appropriate compensation, particularly if personalized service and specialized products are part of your marketing and sales strategy. A wise investment in hiring, training and incentives will likely result in a top-notch sales staff that will go out of their way to keep customers happy and your business growing.

These goals are easy to achieve and do not require a formal, structured training program. Routine sales meetings and informal training sessions can enhance employee performance of day-to-day activities. Encourage discussions to keep up with product innovations, adapting ideas of other retailers (including those outside your market and service area), and changes that can help anticipate customer needs.

Role-playing is also a good way to help your staff handle problems on the floor, including those hard-to-please customers and the question of where to draw the line between being helpful and being pushy.

Remember, all customers want to feel valued even if they say they are “just looking.” You should be ready to offer the best solution to meet their needs, even if that means a referral to a competitor. By being attentive, knowledgeable and sincerely interested in your customers, you and your staff will go a long way in building their loyalty and a successful business.

By Charlene Finerty
Plans and Profits 

Can’t stand your job? Hate the boss? Fix the problem. Hire yourself.

That’s right. Start your own business. Give yourself a job. Sounds simple. Not so. Lots of hoops to jump through. The lists are endless. Take time to learn and plan. It may take months, even a few years.

Guess what can be a big surprise? You no longer have that boss. But, the boss multiplied like rabbits, or at least we hope so; because the clients are the new boss.

The first problem to solve is getting clients in the door, or getting them to order or call for service. The next issue is having the coffee hot enough, but not too hot, and the right sandwich or whatever ready, when and how the customer wants it.

One of my best stories came from a new deli owner. It was horribly early in the morning and the experienced employee, who had worked under the previous ownership, fixed a cup of coffee, wrapped up a pastry and placed them on the counter.

Problem? There was no customer. The new owner asked, why did you do that? Oh, (certain person), will be here shortly and knows his order will be ready. The door opened in moments, the customer paid, and was gone, until the next morning. Great example of knowing the client (the boss), and providing excellent service.

If it’s pencils or T-shirts, they must be the right color, etc. and must be shipped efficiently. Major retailers and Internet players have set the standards high. Same-day shipping is the norm, and vendors on major sites are rated by customers’ expectations.

Whether you are selling pencils, food or professional services, you make determinations that need to fill the expectations of the client — your new boss. If they don’t, you take the flak in the form of criticism or lost business.

And what is that adage? A happy customer is a happy customer. An unhappy person is said to tell something like 21 people. As the Internet becomes the tool of choice, e-mails and blogs can spread good and bad experiences within minutes to tens of thousands of people.

Once the business starts to grow, it adds employees. Now where are you? Squeezed in the middle, trying to keep the customers happy while keeping the employees happy and productive. You have become the person you ran away from — the boss.

Charlene Finerty owns Plans and Profits, a business-plan writing service. She also gives workshops, teaches business-plan writing and cleans up unorganized offices. Go to www.plansandprofits.com, call 343-1515 or e-mail charlene@plansandprofits.com.

If your goal is to open a small business, chances are you have many questions. And that’s a good thing. if you haven’t already, sooner or later you may be wondering:

 - How do I go about getting a business loan?
 - Where are good places to advertise?
 - What workplace safety laws govern my business?
 - Should I be a sole proprietor, or should I form a corporation?
 - What should my pricing formula be?
 - Can my community support another business like mine?
 - How do I interpret an advertising rate card?
 - Should I run the business from home or rent space?
 - Where will I find suppliers?
 - Should I trademark my business name?
 - Is my product marketable online?
 - What goes into preparing an employee handbook?
 - Should I have an attorney review all my documentation?

One proven resource for getting the right answers to all of these questions is SCORE, “Counselors to America’s Small Business.” SCORE is a nonprofit association that aids the formation, growth and success of America’s small businesses. Nationwide, 10,500 volunteer, business experts donate their skills, experience and insights through free, confidential counseling.

SCORE’s business counselors have worked for successful small businesses, as well as companies known worldwide, such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, Xerox, Exxon Mobil, Citicorp and Procter and Gamble. You can be mentored by bankers, accountants, marketing experts, computer programmers, line managers, human resources professionals or CEOs. SCORE brings expertise that encompasses both the general issues every business must face and such specialized areas as defense contracting, direct-mail marketing, freelance fashion design and toy manufacturing.

To learn more about SCORE, visit http://www.score.org/ or the U.S. Small Business Administration Web site, http://www.sba.gov/. These Internet resources provide information on starting, financing and expanding your business. In addition, SCORE’s Web site offers how-to information, success stories and access to more than 1,200 e-mail counselors.

A Blog is short for Web Log. A Blog allows you to communicate with the world by simply typing your thoughts on a Blog board just as if you were typing into your favorite word processing program.
When typing within a Blog, you don’t need to know any type of programming, and you don’t need to know much about the Internet. All you need to know is that a Blog allows you to type in your information, and this in turn can mean that you’ll save money, make money, and possibly feel better about yourself.

So, how can you save money with a Blog? Simple. You can create a Blog (I’ll tell you how in a minute) and link it to your existing web site. If you’ve hired a web designer to create your web site, you are most likely also paying for updates. Starting a Blog will allow you to update that specific section of your web site, without incurring additional costs from your web master.

How can you make money with a Blog? It’s simple. You can keep your prospective clients, as well as past and existing clients informed of new trends. The trends will cause them to make informed decisions, some of which may be beneficial to you both.

The best part about Blogs is that you can set one up within minutes—for free.

You can visit http://www.blogger.com/, or Yahoo Groups and start a Blog today. If don’t like any of those two, you can simply search Google for other blogging services and you’ll see some free and fee-based ones.

Whether you create a free Blog, or pay to have one is completely up to you. The drawback to the free Blogs is that your content belongs to the Blog posting service. This means that they can moderate, or even delete a Blog that does not meet their posting criteria. Another thing is that you don’t know how long the service will remain free. You may have to accept someone else’s ad in the future. The ad in turn can be from a competing product or service.

Your best bet is to purchase blogging software and host it on your existing web site hosting account. If you currently don’t own a web site, you can open a hosting account at http://www.aedomains.com/ and link the Blog to the site you create with that service.

Instead of purchasing, you can also get a free copy of Word Press by going to http://www.wordpress.org/. This is open source software that you can install on your hosting account for free. A good hosting account will make the installation of a blob, push-button easy. However, modifying your blog to fit the look of your site is a bit more difficult to do if you are not a programmer.

If you set up your own Blog, you can also add images, audio, and video. Adding video to your blog is also called “Vlogging” and you’re going to see a lot more of that in the near future.
As a matter of fact, Vlogging is still very new now, and any business owner doing it, will appear to be way ahead of their competition. Naturally, there is a right way and wrong way to go about Vlogging. The right way, is to start out slow and get a webcam, and simple video software. You can get a web cam for as little as $20. The video editing software can cost about $100 on the average. However, most new PCs come equipped with Windows Movie Maker, and Macs have their own free version of video editing software.

If you start Vlogging, you will attract more people than anyone with a generic Blog. However, simply having a Blog that creates interaction with your potential customers and can also produce positive results.

After starting a Blog, whether it’s free, or for a fee, you must register your blog with on-line Blog directories. This is called “Pinging” your Blog. You can easily do this by going to http://www.ping-o-matic.com/ and registering your Blog there.

Now that you know what a blog is, let’s talk about the 7 ways a blog can grow your business…

If you’d like the full 7-Part FREE report, please complete the form below:

By Edison Guzman
A&E Advertising and Web Design 

Can you imagine getting a new phone service that charges one low fee (Less than $40) and only costs less than $20 per year? 

You don’t have to imagine.

There is a company named Magic Jack that offers clear phone service with no monthly fees, or any other types of fees.

This is a brand new service available for anyone who has broadband internet access. You simply purchase the device, plug it into your computer, and you’re assigned a phone local number that allows you to call nationwide, and to other countries at no cost.

Although I’ve seen the news reports and press releases, I have not tried this new technology. I have placed my order and am awaiting the delivery of the product. The only way to acquire one is to order online at their web site. They’re even giving you a 30 day free trial to try it before you buy it.

Warning: Do not discontinue your existing phone service if you get this new service. The reason is that the phone service only works through your internet connection. If your internet service is down, so will your phone service.

I see myself testing this service as an additional line for the house first, and then try it out for the business. If you’re a small business owner, or are just starting out, you may want to consider trying this service as an added line, but not as a primary line.

If this technology is reliable, you can rest assured that many business owners will save a lot of money in long distance fees. Oh, and by the way, it also comes with call forwarding, call waiting, 911 service and more.

Edison R. Guzman
A&E Advertising and Web Design 

For a business startup, loans may be difficult to obtain. For example, if your bank has loaned you money in the past but now considers you overextended.

Perhaps the solution is an equity partner or investor. For a profitable business, finding investors is seldom difficult. Whether you’re in the startup phase or are already showing a profit, the real challenge is finding the right investors for your company.

And whether your prospective investors are family members, friends, sophisticated investors, angels (private investors) or venture capitalists, you owe it to your business to find a good fit. Here are seven tips to jump-start your thinking about the type of investor you might be considering:

1. Ask yourself whether, in exchange for financing, you are willing to accept advice and management assistance from the investor. A potential investor who is keenly interested in the operational details of your enterprise might want a larger role in day-to-day management than you’re prepared for.

2. Discover how much reporting the investor will expect from you, and how often. Monthly financial statements are one thing. The expectation of special financial or operating reports that you wouldn’t normally take the time to produce, on the other hand, should give you pause.

3. Identify an outside party with the expertise to review the deal. If you don’t see a source of expertise and good judgment in your own network, consider hiring a consultant to look at the big picture.

4. Research the backgrounds of any investors you are considering to ensure that they are reliable. Engage a reference search service if necessary.

5. Understand what draws the investor to your company and the level of the investor’s commitment. A good return on investment might not be the only reason for his or her interest.

6. Consider whether the investor is knowledgeable about the markets, products and technologies that characterize a business like yours. At times, an investor’s know-how can be more important than capital.

7. Make sure the investor shares your vision for the company.

If you need information in funding your business, give SCORE a call. We can help guide you in the right direction. Call (845) 457-9700 for a free confidential appointment with one of our counselors.

So much lip service has been paid to customer service that it’s sounding like a tired cliché these days. In today’s business world it is not enough to simply say that the customer comes first.

Customers know the difference between mediocre service, good service and exceptional service.

Without question, they will make their decisions about where to buy accordingly.

Your response to the call for exceptional service must be more than good intentions and excuses pinned on being a small business. Here are some perspectives on building customer loyalty.

• Hire the best possible staff that your budget allows. Your sales and service staff members are on the front line, whether physically or on the phone. Are they trained and do they receive ongoing training? Are they knowledgeable about the products they represent? Are they empowered to judiciously waive policies without consulting you, when it can be done ethically and without taking an unwarranted toll on your revenue picture? Maintaining a competent, trained staff costs money. If that gives you heartburn, consider the revenue forgone when indifferent and incompetent employees cause you to lose customers.

• Reward your best customers. If you can offer your best customers better prices on frequent purchases, an upfront price break on their next project with you, or a discount for their prompt cash payment, you will communicate your awareness that they are important to the success of your business. Customer reward programs are easy and cost-effective to implement, once you know what your customers value.

• Offer referrals. Who do you know who might want to do business with your customers? When it’s appropriate, help your loyal customers by passing along leads you come across that can improve either their business or personal lives.

Exceptional service entails treating a customer’s problems as if they were your own — even if it costs you more money.

Occasionally you might even have the opportunity to fix a problem caused by a customer’s use of one of your competitors’ products or services. And it is an opportunity: to switch their allegiance.

Exceeding expectations is the icing on the cake of customer satisfaction — knowing what your customers expect you to provide and then adding another layer of value.

What can you do today to create the satisfied customers of tomorrow?