The list is very useful that I even consider them to be printed to read and ponder when I’m away from my home office (I’m not in the habit of bringing my work everywhere – Therefore I don’t have any Blackberries or other smart gadgets – I rely on my one and only Nokia 6300…)
It’s not possible to list all 101 small business tips here (anyway, what’s the point of copy pasting them if I can just let you know the real source?). Instead, I would like to pick my top 10 tips out of the great tips on the article.
Top 10 small business tips – Noobpreneur’s pick
- “Respond. This is the single biggest advantage you have over the big guys. Not only are you in charge, you also answer the phone and read your email and man the desk and set the prices. So, don’t pretend you have a policy. Just be human.” – Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
- “Count up your successes regularly. One person I know put a marble in a fishbowl each time she got a compliment or a bit of good press for her business or a nice note from a customer or a big order. Then every time she looked at the fishbowl she was reminded of all the good things in her business. Her employees could see it, too. This is invaluable on days when everything seems to go wrong. It keeps self-doubt from building up – and tearing you down. It also helps employees feel good.” – Anita Campbell, Small Business Trends
- “Be careful about trusting intuition, but be more careful not to bend to the majority for whom ‘impossible’ is a comforting excuse for inaction.” – Tim Ferriss, The Blog of Tim Ferriss
- “Even though you may have considerable experience in the world of business, you should not assume that you can ‘shortcut’ your way to success in your new endeavor. Certainly, your experience in the real world will stand you in good stead in terms of marketing, customer relations and so on, but you must start with your clean sheet of paper each time.” – Adam Toren, Young Entrepreneur
- “Hire people who are more talented than you are; your business will never grow if you’re worried about hiring people that will outshine you.” – Rich Brooks, Flyte Blog
- “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead. It’s uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers. It’s uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail. It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo. It’s uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle. If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader.” – Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
- “The key is finding the advertising channel that best fits your company and your industry and use it to get the biggest bang for your buck. At the end of the day, it’s not about how much you spend or how many eyeballs you reach. It’s about how many customers you can bring in the door while still making enough money to float your boat.” – Rosalind Resnick, Entrepreneur.com
- “Be Consistent: You’ve spent a lot of money on your name, website and logo. Are you using them consistently across your web site, business cards, signage and even in your invoices/receipts? Take a 360 degree view of your business from your customers eyes and make sure you’re hard-earned identity is served up consistently.” – Kevin Dougan, Strategic Public Relations
- “Ask Why, Not What: It might seem like everyone is on Facebook or using Twitter these days. When the latest marketing fads come into view, don’t ask ‘what’ should I do on sites like this, ask ‘why’ should my business be on these sites. If your customers don’t use these sites, should you?” – Kevin Dougan, Strategic Public Relations
- “Say no 80% of the time. ‘No, thank you,’ is the sweet spot of focus, and it’s the most powerful word in an entrepreneur’s vocabulary. You’ll be tested to use it on a daily basis in order to stay in sync with your authenticity and your brand, your true interests, and what matters most. And when you let your instincts override that knowing ‘no’ with a feeble yes, it’s almost guaranteed to end in resentment, legal fees, or burn out.” – Danielle LaPorte, White Hot Truth
What’s your personal top list?
Ivan Widjaya
Small business tips
Image by straymuse.