SmallBusinessExecutiveInforming, Inspiring and Connecting Businesses
How to manage nasty word-of-mouth reviews
Ideally we would all love to avoid negative reviews in the first place. To defray them, be sure to post positive reviews. Ask the happy customers to write a review, but never pay for it.
10 tips for getting results from networking
By Vickie Milazzo Guest columnist In the business world, we’re often advised to network. Need to attract some new clients? Network. Wish you had a knowledgeable mentor? Network. The fact is, networking is a valuable and effective tool that can enrich and advance your career or company when you use it properly. But many of [...]
How to avoid the curse of complacency
By Darryl Rosen Guest columnist Change isn’t easy, nor is it comfortable. But it is a fact of life — and a requirement of business. The expansion of Binny’s Beverage Depot outside greater Chicago offers a good opportunity to talk about why businesses need to change once in a while — and how they can [...]
How to run more productive meetings
By Mike Richardson Guest columnist Technology is constantly speeding up the pace of business. Decisions once delayed for weeks are now made in seconds thanks to Internet communication. Computer analytics puts real-time market information at our fingertips. Transactions can occur anywhere, any time. Just to keep pace, businesses must develop organizational agility, or the ability [...]
Five tips for better decision-making
By Larry Bloom Guest columnist Having spent 30-plus years successfully growing a small company to over $700 million in revenue and selling to thousands of small business customers along the way, I have observed bad decisions and business failures from the unique vantage point of an insider. It seems, however, the reasons for failure [...]
Debunking false beliefs about customer service
By John Tschohl Guest columnist If I were to ask CEOs to define customer service, I would guess most would say: Customer service is providing the customer with fast, accurate and courteous service. While those are elements, customer service involves so much more. Customer service is whatever the customer thinks it is. That includes quality products, convenience, [...]
10 tips for overcoming obstacles
Immigrant entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David offers10 practical ways for entrepreneurs to keep going in the face of adversity.
3 key lessons for franchising your business
By Shelly Sun Guest columnist I was a 30-year-old vice president in a multibillion dollar company on a steady career track when I discovered that life had other plans for my husband, JD, and I. His grandmother became ill and we needed to find care but had a difficult time finding a quality solution. [...]
How to avoid hurting your social media image
By Marsha Friedman Guest columnist – I remember when the Internet first gained prominence and it became apparent that having a website was essential for any commercial enterprise. Back then, web designers were not plentiful and few people thought to hire a professional to create a site. They felt that any web presence was better [...]
Why companies want customer complaints — and how to handle them
By John Tschohl Guest columnist No matter how good you are at what you do, what business you’re in or where it’s located, you will at some point find yourself facing an irate customer. Maybe a product was flawed, a delivery was late or a charge was inaccurate. How you deal with that customer [...]
