thesmiths / Voted


Each pricing strategy asks you to use psychology with your customers. Most of these strategies have stood the test of time — for a reason. They play to human behavior. Try some of these strategies and see what they do for your business.  More...
Only about 16 percent of businesses with fewer than 50 employees in the United States have 401(k) plans. Small-business owners are so focused on developing their businesses that some do not realize that those assets can grow at a much faster rate for their retirement under the right plan. An October survey by ING DIRECT's ShareBuilder401k, fo  More...
Although there are some key differences between direct mail and e-mail, sometimes old direct mail tricks can work wonders in the relatively new e-mail channel. Case in point: in a recent test I did with a client, we added a Johnson Box to its e-mail control. It generated a 220 percent lift in response rate! Here's a brief overview of the results,  More...
A recent survey found that 81% of consumers don't trust small online businesses. You cannot survive in online business if your customers do not trust you. If they don't trust you, they will never buy and you will fail. It's that simple. Unfortunately, earning customer trust online is not an easy task, especially when there are so many bi  More...
Sales Attention Deficit Disorder (SADD) is a growing problem among professional salespeople. Although we pride ourselves on the ability to multi-task, we often multi-task ourselves right out of relationships and sales. Here are useful tips on decreasing SADD and increasing revenues.  More...
Presumptive presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have both put forth sweeping tax proposals that will shape the American economy for the next decade. It's only one of a number of areas where Republican McCain and Democrat Obama bring distinctively different philosophies to bear. But for small businesses, it may be one of the most  More...
With all the focus in the last several years on corporate scandals, are there any CEO’s who can teach us something? There are, and their stories are included in What the Best CEO’s Know by Jeffrey Kramer. We cannot deny that there have been an unusual number of corporations who find themselves on the wrong side of the legal system, but that is not  More...
Now that executives are increasingly working as free agents, it is no surprise that their assistants have turned to the same business model. And as more people try to figure out economic survival strategies that are not dependent on single employers, I expect to see more segments of the workforce turning towards some form of free agenting.  More...
An interesting list of iPhone apps broken into five categories. All could have some value to a small business owner -- a couple look really great.  More...
Small Business Trends posted bizSugar 5 tips so that entrepreneurs and business owners can highlight and share their best content.  More...
Potential clients will ask a lot of questions before they hire you. They will want to know about your experience and qualifications, when they can expect the project to be completed and, of course, the price. But there are two pieces of information you should never reveal, no matter how many times they ask, or how many ways they ask.  More...
Need help coming up with ideas to start a business? Here's our list of 100 low-cost business startup ideas. Enjoy!  More...
Small business owners with fewer than 50 employees are now eligible for a tax break if they continue to pay employees called to active duty in the U.S. military. The tax credit was included in the recently passed H.R. 6081, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008. The legislation, which was passed by the House and Senate in M  More...
For some companies a recession is a time to weather the storm; cut expenses, trim the staff, wait for better times ... and slash the marketing budget. But other companies see a recession as strategic time to take the offensive. When competition focuses more on internal cost cutting they focus less on customers.  More...