Small Business Success Strategies

Start an Easy Home Business: Become an EBay Trading Assistant

EBay’s online auctions have created business opportunities for thousands of people. Now the Trading Assistant program is making it easier than ever to start a business from home.

Trading assistants act as brokers, selling merchandise for others and keeping a percentage of the profits. The profit potential can be great, especially when selling high-value items.

Though there are millions of registered users on eBay, many people still don’t know how to sell goods themselves. A trading assistant fills a need in the marketplace, allowing you to make a profit while helping others unload their stuff. Almost everyone has a box of items in their garage or closet that they would like to sell.

Read Stephanie's entire article Start an Easy Home Business: Become an EBay Trading Assistant

Stephanie Chandler, our official Entrepreneurial Expert

The Secret to a Successful Online Business: It's All About Building Relationships

 People buy from those they know and trust. Nowhere is this more true than on the Internet, where you may never even meet anyone in person. Establishing a trust relationship with your potential online clients takes time, but it is well worth the effort!

Think about the last time you bought a product or service online, that had a substantial positive impact on your work or life in some way. If you were spending a good chunk of change (and perhaps investing a good bit of your time) on that purchase, chances are you did some research first: reading online forums and reviews to see what others had to say about them, contacting them directly with questions and observing how quick and helpful (and polite) their response was, and maybe even buying a smaller product or service from them first - all to determine if you could trust this online business to deliver what they promise.

Read Terri's entire article The Secret to a Successful Online Business: It's All About Building Relationships

Terri Zwierzynski, our official Solo-Entrepreneur Expert

The 5 ‘S' Words that could be Sabotaging Your Small Business Success

If your small business growth is stagnant and you're feeling stuck, first of all take heart---we've all been there and you're definitely in good company. That said, how long has this been going on? That's the key question because if it's been more than a short while this article about mindset is for you. It's your wake up call.

The most important assets you have that allow you to take your passion, message or talent and create a profitable small business are your time, mental and emotional energy and your health. Nurturing and protecting them is crucial.

I've seen so many wonderfully talented women capable of great things finding themselves spinning their wheels and feeling guilty for not really achieving the success and recognition they deserve.

Read Janis' entire article The 5 ‘S' Words that could be Sabotaging Your Small Business Success

Janis Pettit, our official Small Business Strategy Coach Expert

Recreate Your Life: Summer is the Perfect Time to Grow a Dream

Has the school calendar of your youth hardwired you into seeing September as the time for new beginnings? If you yearn for a new job, a career change or maybe even a total life makeover -- summertime is by far the best time to act.

Summer is synonymous with fun. It's possible to make a change and still have time for recreation. In fact, the word recreation literally means to "re-create." And what better way to spend your summer than recreating your life! Here are six ways you can use the rest of the summer to grow a dream:

1. Catch a falling star. When my best friend, Elaine, and I weren't building forts or skipping rope we could be found lying beneath a shady tree or a star-filled sky.

Read Valerie's entire article Recreate Your Life: Summer is the Perfect Time to Grow a Dream

Valerie Young, our official Career Change Expert

How to Be Influential in Your Coaching Niche

Influence is a new watchword in the world of client attraction. It turns out that being influential is not about knowing it all, having all the answers or being right. It starts with getting meaningful conversations going with the people you serve. Coaches are good at this, so I invite you to apply this with your niche market for 90 days and see what happens.

be influential with your coaching niche

Recently, a company called ThoughtLead offered “the shortest marketing conference ever”. The Influencer Project featured 60 thought leaders who offered sixty seconds worth of their best advice on how to increase your influence online. I’m impressed with the creative way that ThoughtLead offered value, started a meaningful conversation and built more influence with their market.

Read Rhonda's entire article How to Be Influential in Your Coaching Niche

Rhonda Hess, our official Coaching Business Success Expert

Social Networking Tip: You Can Only Outsource So Much

Outsourcing is all the buzz in business circles as entrepreneurs look to maximize both productivity and time away from work. But does outsourcing work for or against entrepreneurs in the high touch world of social networking?

Because of the intense overwhelm in entrepreneurs lives, we're all looking for ways to take things off our plates. You can hire someone to stand in line for you, walk your dog, clean your house, balance your books, pick up your kids from school, have your baby, shop for you, contact your clients, make your appointments . . . and yes: maintain your social networking sites.

But if successful social networking is built upon relationship building and credibility, how naive do you think the public is when the majority of your "posts" are generic sound bytes?

Read Nancy's entire article Social Networking Tip: You Can Only Outsource So Much

Nancy Marmolejo, our official Visibility Expert

Your Options With Internet Home Businesses

For those of you that are looking for a new business, you may find yourself a little overwhelmed with all of the opportunities that are available. Multi level marketing and affiliate marketing opportunities are two of the most popular businesses to get started. However, you will be happy to know that you have a lot of options when you start your home business online. The fact is, there are a wide variety of Internet businesses that you can get started quickly and cheaply.

Generally, the cost to set up a very basic website can be as low as $25. However, if you need someone to design the website or add in any extra features to your site, you will find this cost can be a little more expensive. One of the best ways to find someone to do your website is to ask other Internet businesses who provided their services.

Read Stone's entire article Your Options With Internet Home Businesses

Stone Evans, our official Home Business Expert

Stopping Summer Sabotage-Part 4 of 6

By changing your approach to your business you may be able to have more fun and bring in cash at the same time. Whenever my business it a slump, I realized it was because I wasn’t having FUN! As a creative entrepreneur, that’s probably vital to your success as well.

Summer slump is a perfect time for SMARTcut Solution #4. Try a different product presentation, have a sale, do a mailing (email or snail mail).

For direct sales businesses:

1. Have a banana split party.

Read Debbye's entire article Stopping Summer Sabotage-Part 4 of 6

Debbye Cannon, our official BusinessMom Mentor Expert

Trucking Job Brings Me Face to Face With Vietnam Vet

It's amazing what an over the road truck driver can encounter on a daily basis. All of the sights and sounds they experience become so vast that they soon forget and accept them as simply a part of their daily lives. Experiences that few will ever know and even fewer can only dream about. I often stop and remember such things like slipping through the back roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains.......literally sliding my way down a snow covered Snowqualmie Pass......or slowing the rig down a few notches so I could enjoy the scenery of actual wild horses running across the plains of Wyoming.......and of course, that time I had no choice but to stop in the middle of the road and let that massive, huge moose cross in front of me in Caribou, Maine. All the sights, sounds and wonderment that now only live in my memories.....

Read Allen's entire article Trucking Job Brings Me Face to Face With Vietnam Vet

Allen Smith, our official Trucking/Truck Driver Training Expert

Is Your Brand Promise Too Big?

Great brands are like big pine tress, they work year around. I sometimes refer to these as "perennial" brand names, since they don't have to be "replanted" every new season, or every time a company changes it products and/or services.

What is the basis for an "evergreen" brand name? First and foremost, it must be built around positive connotation words that have stood the test of time. Here are just a few . . .

Star Life First True One Blue Bright Sun

What these words have in common is their ability to instill a new company name with positive associations immediately. Rather than waiting years for an invented or coined name to gain meaning, these types of names convey attributes right from the start. Here are a few good examples . . .

Read Phil's entire article Is Your Brand Promise Too Big?

Phil Davis, our official Branding and Naming Expert