According to organizations like Gallup, employee engagement is a key driver of business growth. There’s a well-established connection, in fact, between employee motivation and better performance outcomes in productivity, customer ratings, and profitability.
Topics: Business Culture, Growth Coach, employee engagement
Accepting credit card payments allows your business to benefit in a number of ways. To begin with, getting paid by credit card means getting paid faster than is possible with just an accounts receivable or check payment system. Charge cards also give your business the ability to set up automatic client payments, and they provide a more convenient customer experience overall.
Topics: Cash Flow Management, credit card processing, merchant processing
You know your business offers a quality service. You know you work hard to keep clients happy. But despite your best efforts, you’re bound to cross paths with the occasional customer who feels they’ve been wronged by your company. The best way to deal with difficult clients is to remain professional, take steps to defuse any conflict, and strive for a resolution that satisfies both you and your customer.
Topics: Customer Success, Customer Relationship Management, Customer Experience, Effective Communication
Authorized transactions take many forms when you run a small business. But whether they involve money coming in or going out, overseeing key business transactions is all about safeguarding your company against financial risk and inaccurate bookkeeping records.
Topics: Bookkeeping Theft, QuickBooks Payments, Growth Coach
Elevator pitches aren’t just for sales reps. They’re also an incredibly effective way for small business owners to market themselves and their ideas. Despite being a brief and persuasive sales proposal, however, an elevator pitch isn’t intended to sell your product or service directly. It’s meant to serve as a compelling invitation to your audience to join you in further discussion.
Topics: Small Business Sales, Elevator Pitch, Business Pitch, Growth Coach
No matter how well you run your organization, hiring a small business consultant can give your company a powerful edge. The right consultant will not only provide better clarity into how effective your operations are, they’ll help you promote solid business growth through solid business planning.
Topics: Small Business Consulting, CFO Consulting, Growth Coach
As a brick-and-mortar based business owner, you need more than an entrepreneurial drive to succeed: you need to attract and retain local clients. Reaching out and connecting with your community is critical. Fortunately, local marketing techniques offer a variety of ways you can build up a local following without breaking the bank.
Topics: Marketing Small Business, Inbound Marketing, Growth Coach
How can you be sure that an employee isn’t secretly stealing from you, that your company is tax-compliant, and that your financial records are reliable? Three words: internal accounting controls.
Topics: Financial Reporting, QuickBooks Audit Trail, Bookkeeping Theft, Internal Audit
Improving your internal and external business relationships can give you a powerful edge. But that doesn’t mean you need a talent for sparkling conversation to get ahead. The truth is our collective brains are hardwired to promote successful interpersonal interactions. So, once you’ve learned a few basic communication secrets, you’ll be primed to make the most of all your business connections.
Topics: Business Leadership, Business Management, Growth Coach, Effective Communication
A lot of entrepreneurs are unclear on what strategic planning really means, and how it can benefit their business. In its simplest form, a strategic plan is meant to help you determine exactly where you want your company to go over the next 3-5 years - and how it’s going to get there.
Topics: Small Business Growth, Exit Planning, Strategic Planning, Growth Coach
