Biz Tips

Use Your Voice It’s important to not only stand up and speak out but to fine-tune your pitch. Your pitch should be pleasant to the ear and firm. If you’re ending your statements on a high pitch note, you may be perceived as unsure or untrustworthy. We mustn’t let the fear of...

The Sarasota County Library system has an online resource called Demographics Now  which is  based largely on Census information that can help you start a business,  grow the one you have, see population patterns, consumer expenditures, and more.  Access it from the...

Germs, both bacteria and viruses, increase during the winter months, especially the flu.  Employees are interacting with each other and customers, as well as sharing office equipment which increases everyone’s exposure to viruses and bacteria.  That’s why it is important to...

Protecting your trademarks is important to grow your brand and prevent other companies from trading off your goodwill. Below are a few things to keep in mind: Run searches to make sure that your mark will not infringe on an existing mark. Your trademark could infringe another trademark bec...

Today, consumers use the internet to find local businesses. “One way to increase your odds of ranking higher on Google is by claiming and optimizing your free GMB online business listing.” To beat your competition, take advantage of these 7 tips. Claim Your Company’s F...

If you have possessions that are ready for a new home, or past their use by date, the Venice area has lots of options.  We have consignment shops, thrift shops, charities such as Habitat for Humanity, and a customer-oriented trash collector who will remove large items placed...

Do you have an employee with chronic pain?  Here are a few tips to accommodate them and to create an atmosphere of acceptance among peers.  Discuss the problem with other employees in one on ones to preempt bad attitudes towards chronic pain patients who may take longer on tas...

Did you know that the best way to reduce a business interruption following a disaster is to prepare for it now? More than 40% of business may never recover after suffering a disaster. Of the businesses that do survive, the majority of them had a preparedness plan in place. Pre-planning can serve...

Daily Steps to expand your network and your communication skills. Meet someone new and/or nurture your current networks.   Ask people when you meet them what their preferred method of communication is— ‘phone, email, text, social media’— then everyday reac...

Andy Grove, the late founder and CEO of Intel wrote a book whose title will be forever remembered in business, Only the Paranoid Survive. He warned executives to always be on the lookout for destructive forces impacting their business. He challenged executives to exploit these forces as opp...

With the sheer size of the internet, it’s increasingly difficult to reach your target audience. Even when you use every resource in your digital marketing tool box, it can feel as if the money and effort you are pouring into having a digital presence always falls short. One option for more...

Have you wondered why consumers wait for hours at an Apple Store to be first to buy their newest product? Apple’s “why message” provides the reason before the features/benefits. Steve Jobs inspired others and changed behaviors by tapping into their passions and beliefs. The res...

Daily Steps to expand your network and your communication skills. 1.  Meet someone new and/or nurture your current networks.  Ask people when you meet them what their preferred method of communication is— ‘phone, email, text, social media’— then everyday r...

How does marketing a franchise differ from a non-franchise business?  The answer: not much. One of the benefits of owning a franchise is national advertising. For example, my franchisor places commercials on ESPN. National advertising alone will not grow my business. A Sport Clips Hai...

If you were to draw a picture that visually represents your role in your business, what would it look like? Are you at the top of a traditional Christmas-tree-like organizational chart, or are you stuck in the middle of your business, like a hub in a bicycle wheel? As anyone who has tried to...