http://www.sme-blog.com Let's talk business, ....HOME & SMALL BUSINESS! Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:00:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. Try to figure out exactly what it is that you want to know about your customer base. Develop a set of questions to ask them.  You could ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/top-5-tips-for-learning-more-about-your-customers As a small business owner, or entrepreneur, you have no doubt heard of a SWOT analysis. But with a heavy workload, is it really necessary for your small business to complete a SWOT analysis? In my experience, it is an absolute must to do a SWOT analysis for your small ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/why-your-small-business-needs-a-swot The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. Try to focus on the benefits of what your product can do for the buyer, rather than its features. Make sure you have a consistent message across every advertising ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/top-5-basic-advertising-tips Business Integrity: quality characterized by honesty, reliability, and fairness, developed in a relationship over time. When doing business, I think most of us would consider strong ethics and integrity to be top of the list of qualities we seek out in business partners. Reputation is extremely valuable in ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/good-business-a-reputation-of-integrity The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. Write a draft version first and get it checked by your lawyer. Include policies on issues such as discrimination & discipline so that your position is clear and in writing. Make sure ... http://www.sme-blog.com/small-business-checklists/top-5-tips-for-writing-staff-handbook “Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” Norman Vincent Peale, progenitor of the theory of ‘positive thinking’. The process of bootstrapping can make it possible for even those with empty pockets to fulfill their ambitions if they have the head and the ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/dont-let-empty-pockets-hold-you-back The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. Start to build a buzz about your business and what it can do.  Host a big launch event and get the all movers and shakers to attend. Create a website that will inform ... http://www.sme-blog.com/small-business-checklists/top-5-tips-for-giving-a-new-business-a-kick-start Many Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultants and companies have theories about the best SEO tactics, but they don’t always back them up with proven experiments. I came across one company from Canada which took SEO optimisation into their own hands and learned through experience and extensive testing a few ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/seo-tips-that-the-experts-don%e2%80%99t-always-tell-you The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. Try to honestly evaluate your skillset.  Don't hire someone with similar abilities to you. Make sure you have a separate phone number that applicants can leave messages on without disrupting your workday. Try to direct potential ... http://www.sme-blog.com/small-business-checklists/top-5-tips-for-hiring-new-employees “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another. It is the only means.” Albert Einstein We’re all feeling a little beaten down by the recent economic conditions. With hiring freezes many have been doing the job of 2 people with little reward. So, now it’s ... http://www.sme-blog.com/sme-blog/getting-fired-up