Friday, November 14, 2014

Entrepreneurship and Technology .... In 2014, They Can't Be Separated



Carol A. Daly, Business Consultant
© November, 2014

I participated in a professional discussion group recently where the point was painfully made that it’s still not completely understood that technology and entrepreneurship are no longer exclusive of one another.   At this point and forever into the future, business development, technology production, and app development will be joined for better or worse, and we cannot deny that.  You don’t go backwards from technological progress – it’s just not an option.  If you’re going to be competitive in business you need to embrace what will certainly be commonplace in every field in the near future; and you need to include planning to keep up with technology trends in your long-term business plan.  Facts to be considered:


In the field of healthcare: Technology is now being used routinely to keep doctors connected in order to better refer patients for specialized care; to optimize care coordination and medical results between various healthcare providers; medical diagnoses are available online through video conferencing; artificial skin is being developed through the creation of laser stem cells in 3D printers; and in at least one case I’ve heard about, a doctor has utilized technology in a way that even Google may not have foreseen, using the Google Glass while in surgery.  While some see Google Glass as an expensive “toy,” this doctor saw a window of opportunity.

In the restaurant field:  Many restaurants now offer customers the opportunity to order take-out online for delivery or pick-up; some also offer an app for your cell phone to make reservations quickly and easily; upscale restaurants in large metropolitan areas offer touch screen digital menus at each table that allow you to order, request your bill, pay the bill and even fill in a review of your dining experience right there at your table with no assistance from a waiter.   All of that is for the convenience of the customer.  The benefit for the restaurant owner is also being noted as they’re able to program their technology with up-sell opportunities like making appetizer and dessert recommendations complete with hard-to-resist photos, and provide a better over-all experience for diners, creating more word-of-mouth referrals and better reviews.

In the grocery/retail industry:  It would be difficult not to notice the changes that have taken place in the retail environment already, although the changes have come about incrementally so as not to overwhelm shoppers.   And customers have embraced them completely for the most part.  From the customers’ perspective, it started with branded in-store discount cards, then moved on to easy debit/credit card payment options, then on to email marketing and newsletters offering coupons based on those items you buy regularly (which they identify through the use of your in-store discount card).  They have not only identified a target market through technology, but taken it right down to targeting individuals’ personal shopping habits.   For the past 15 years at least, retailers have been selling online and shipping all over the world.  That’s not even news anymore.  And more recently, customers also have the option of ordering specialty groceries online for shipment by the case; or ordering from some local stores online for pick up on the way home.   It doesn’t get much easier than that.

In the world of baking and confections:  Changes are made in this industry every day, but most go unnoticed by the end users of the products.   Bakery giants can point out new equipment that speeds production or allows for longer-lasting freshness; or advances in producing specialty products for ethnic and foreign markets.  But something that really caught my attention recently was the use of a new piece of equipment … the Sugar Lab from 3D Systems.  This is an actual printer designed to create ornate three-dimensional sugar designs for cake toppers, unusual sugar cube designs, and other sweet confections, sour candies and geometric peppermints that satisfy both the sweet tooth and the eye.   Some of these candy samples are now available in limited quantities through Cubify.com, which sells a variety of 3D printers to create everything from foods to toys. 

In agriculture:   Coming to a farm near you soon!   Business Insider reports that big changes are underway in this crucially important industry.
  • Air & soil sensors are being introduced in 2015 to enable a real time monitoring of farm, forest or body of water conditions; 
  • Equipment telematics are expected to go mainstream in 2016 and be financially viable in 2017.  This will allow mechanical farm equipment (such as tractors) to send a warning that a failure is likely to occur soon.
  •  Livestock biometrics means that collars with GPS, RFID and biometrics can automatically identify and relay vital information about livestock in real time.  This is still in a developmental stage, but is expected to be mainstreamed and financially viable by 2020.
  • Crop sensors:   This high-resolution sensor can inform application equipment of the correct amounts of fertilizer needed for conditions.  Optical sensors or drones are able to identify crop health across the field (i.e.: using infra-red light).  These will be scientifically viable in 2015, mainstream in 2018; and be financially viable in 2019.
  •  Infrastructure health sensors: Can be used for monitoring vibrations and material conditions in buildings, bridges, factories, farms and other infrastructure. Coupled with an intelligent network, these sensors will feed crucial information back to maintenance crews or robots.

Dozens of other technologies like robotic farm swarms, vertical farms, and precision farming to name a few, are being fine-tuned and scheduled for wide-scale implementation far into the next decade.

I could go on to touch every business-type, but hopefully this is enough to awaken the disbelievers or those who simply haven't given the role of technology in our lives much thought.  If you are among those, I encourage you to to embrace technology in its many forms.  If you are starting a new business, or looking to expand sales and production in an existing business, don’t ignore the writing on the wall.  Technology is here to stay, and you can learn about, use it, and reap its benefits, or you may have to face an awful truth within the next decade, and realize that you've missed your opportunity to ride your industry’s boat into a very profitable future!


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Seis Recomendaciones Para Mejorar El Área Comercial de su Negocio

1.- Desarrolla tu producto desde el principio con constante feedback de tus futuros clientes.
Un error frecuente es diseñar un producto al completo, y una vez disponible intentar venderlo.
Recomendación: Involucra desde el principio en las especificaciones a un número lo más elevado posible de potenciales clientes del servicio. Además, con mucha probabilidad, serán tus primeros clientes. 
2.- Trabaja en ventas de modo constante y con intensidad.
La gestión comercial requiere una acción constante y de intensidad alta. Estas características pueden ser contrarias al carácter creativo e innovador del emprendedor, con una mente a veces dispersa en la búsqueda permanente de nuevas ideas, con el riesgo de perder el foco.
Recomendación: Ten en tu equipo directivo a una persona con avanzadas competencias comerciales, organizada, persistente y muy trabajadora.
3.- Crea vínculos con tus potenciales clientes.
Plantéate todo nuevo contacto con un potencial cliente como el inicio de una relación profesional duradera. Esto requiere cuidar las relaciones con mimo. La comunicación debe ser una prioridad en tu empresa. Recomendación: Diseña un plan con acciones concretas, plazos y frecuencias para interactuar con tus potenciales clientes; pero que sea con una orientación y objetivos comerciales.
4.- Desarrolla permanentemente nuevas prestaciones.
El cliente debe ver una proyección de futuro en tu producto, tiene que percibirte como una empresa en movimiento. Con frecuencia a los productos les falta un hervor, algunas características clave para ser aceptados por el mercado.
Recomendación: Plantéate el desarrollo de tu producto como algo sin límite temporal, con recursos permanentes reservados para nuevas prestaciones.
5.- Crea marca.
La venta va de la mano de la confianza. La confianza en una empresa se ve reflejada en su marca.
Recomendación: Busca alianzas con marcas más fuertes que la tuya.
6.- Identifica los procesos críticos y haz que funcionen como la seda.
Debes tener claro cuales son tus ventajas competitivas, y tus elementos diferenciales, y apostar a muerte por ellos. Pero que los procesos que los sustentan y los desarrollan estén perfectamente engrasados.
Recomendación: identifica las ventajas competitivas de tu producto, analiza los procesos de tu empresa que alimentan y protegen estas ventajas competitivas, ten estos procesos en perfecto estado y mejóralos permanentemente.
Las dificultades en la venta de un producto, no necesariamente están relacionadas con la bondad del mismo. La introducción de un producto en el mercado por bueno que sea requiere ingentes esfuerzos. Sólo si se ha trabajado correctamente se puede llegar a la conclusión que el producto no tenía mercado. Y la acción comercial debe estar considerada desde los inicios del proyecto.
Si tienes que discontinuar algún producto que sea porque realmente no hay mercado para el mismo, no porque no has hecho los deberes en el área comercial.

¿Te ves con compromiso y con fuerzas? Porque esto es duro. Requiere mucho esfuerzo en planificación y re planificación,  y un esfuerzo aún mayor en mantener esa planificación.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Dos and Don’ts for Your Business Website



Websites are most effective when it is pulling in visitors, keeping them around, and converting them into customers. However, most small business websites act more as an online placeholder. It is never too late to start putting in some work to help your business grow. So take advantage of the huge potential consumer base for the online market. To assist you in your website development here is a list of some things you should and shouldn't do:

Tip: Keep in mind that today’s consumers are accessing your website from multiple locations (desktop, laptops, smartphones and tablets) and make sure to tailor your website to these different devices.

Your Website Should…
·         Look Professional
·         Have a Private Domain Name
·         Be Secure
·         Have a Memorable Domain Name
·         Contain Your Business Name in Text
·         Contain Your Business Address in Text
·         Have Your Company Phone Number in Click-to-Call Format
·         Make Contact Info Easy to Find
·         Tell Visitors What You Do at a Glance
·         Highlight Your USP (Unique Selling Point)
·         Show Off Customer Testimonials
·         Invite Visitor Feedback
·         Speak to Your Visitors-Not Your Ego
·         Offer Fresh Content
·         Contain Keywords
·         Make it Personal
·         Link to Other Websites
·         Have Other Websites Link to Yours
·         Make Checkout Easy
·         Connect with Social Media

Your Website Should Not…
·         Have a Lot of Bells and Whistles
·         Use Flash Animation, Moving Text, Fancy Cursors or Music
·         Post Images Without ALT Tags or Text Captions
·         Have Dead Links
·         List All Your Products and Services


Note: This post contains information from the article “20 Things Your Website Should Do and 5 Things It Shouldn’t”. For more detailed information about these tips refer to this link: http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/10/things-your-website-should-do.html?inf_contact_key=069eb960b0372d318ee214a5e406928c09386c0bbbe1c7ba69c5aed5fcd01248


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

What to Consider in the Search for a Business Location


Consider the Surrounding Community
Determine if the community is actively seeking new companies. Learn of possible incentives by contacting the local economic development agency. You could receive financial support for tenant improvements, municipal programs giving preferences to area businesses or local tax and planning department waivers.

Tip: Try to lock in incentives prior to signing a lease to ensure you get the incentives you are promised.

Beware of Problem Locations
Some locations are simple bad for business. So look out for revolving business sites that is the home to a new business every few months. Remember the goal is not to buy the cheapest location. According to lease consultant, Dale Willerton, the goal is to select a site that will help you maximize sales.

Identify Target Customers
Seek locations that have an abundance of your target customers and employees with the necessary skills to get the job done. Other considerations for your customers include market size, customers’ purchasing power, traffic flow, and any physical barriers and traffic limitations or detours.  

Pay a Fair Price
Be realistic and ready to pay for a good location. Good locations are not cheap, but they will contribute toward business success.

Know the Competition
Evaluate the competition and be certain there is enough business to go around. If the area is saturated with similar businesses then you may want to consider a new location. If you are determined to compete in a tight market you must be able to offer a product or service that sufficiently changes to the game and draw enough business to make the operation workable. Assessing the competition will also help determine if your company can gain a competitive advantage by offering something the existing competition doesn't determine if your business idea is feasible.


Note: 
These tips were taken from the article “5 pointers for Selecting a Site for Your Business”. For the full article refer the following link: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238700

Monday, October 20, 2014

8 Apps That Can Help Your Small Business

Triplog: An app that can be used for fleet management and to track vehicle mileage. Triplog has an automatic GPS mileage tracker. It allows you to sync your data between the web and your mobile device. You can manage your team and fleet by using the GPS fleet tracking system which displays actual driving routes and vehicle locations on the map. The app also assists with generating IRS compliant mileage reports for tax deductions or reimbursements for all vehicles.

Waze: Get real-time traffic and road information that will help save you time and gas money on your daily route. This community-based app enables millions of drivers out on the road to work together and outsmart traffic by getting the best routes to and from work. You can get alerts before approaching police, accidents, road hazards, or traffic jams. This app even helps you navigate to the cheapest gas station on your route.

GasBuddy: This app allows you to find the cheapest gas on the go. You can locate gas stations near you and see their current gas prices. This app is also community-based and has users work together to update gas prices. You can earn points every time you report a gas price which can be used towards prize give-a-ways.

Uber: Help your employees get around safely with the help of Uber. This app quickly connects you with safe, reliable rides that are automatically billed to your company. Uber is a great way to centralize billing for transportation, increase transparency, improve team management, and offer seamless travel. All you have to do is sign-up your organization, input the payment method, and add your employees.

Pocket: Ever wanted to save articles or videos for you to view later? Well this app allows you to do that from any device. You can save readings from your browser or apps like Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse and Zite. By using Pocket you won’t lose those interesting articles. You can place, view, organize and share content anytime, from any device, and while offline.

DropBox: Use Dropbox to support your work team and control your business needs. With this app you can securely store, sync, and share files with your staff. It also comes with administrative tools that IT needs to protect your business files. Using Dropbox can increase your productivity by using a centralized and controlled location to store, share, and connect information instantly from anywhere.

Business Card Reader Pro: This business card scanner recognizes business cards right on your phone. Be able to import contact information from cards directly to your contacts. This app will even integrate with other applications such as LinkedIn, Salesforce and Evernote.

Concur: This app lets you manage anything expense or travel related wherever you are. You can book and manage itineraries, capture receipts, and submit expense reports. And it can all be done on your smart phone. Other features includes uploading IRS compliant images directly to expense reports, approving or rejecting expense reports, and adding car mileage to an expense report.  


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

The Power of Guarantees


Did you know that an amazing customer experience can be enhanced with the use of guarantees? Studies have shown that customers are more confident in making a purchase because of the powerful guarantees of products or services. It shows customers that you stand by your product or service and typically only about 1% ever invoke the guarantee. There are several ways you can communicate your guarantees such as hanging a sign in your store or waiting room, publishing it on your website, or any other form as long as it is understandable and in writing. With the right guarantee a small business owner in any industry can generate more sales.

Click the following link to get a list of 50 Powerful Small Business Guarantees: http://www.manta.com/small-business-tips/words-of-honor/?ftoggle-frontend-prod-on=abTests.engagement.responsive_20141009_a&utm_expid=82789632-21.i-w9zu_KTIaAx03OIeHK9w.2&su=1l8lgq1gxtb4v3z&utm_medium=Email_Marketing&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=TOTD&utm_content=TOTD_Without_Columns_Send_A  

Monday, September 15, 2014

How to Stay Ahead of the Pack through Minitrends

TrendsA key advantage for any business is to stay in the forefront of emerging trends in their particular industry. To do this successfully an organization must utilize its most valuable asset, its people. Assigning a few employees to focus on the unappreciated and actionable minitrends can help an organization tap into the top trends and achieve the best results. Here is a three step approach on how your organization can stay ahead of the curve, energize the innovation process, and succeed in an ever-changing business and technology environment.                                                                                                                                                     
Step 1: Recognize- Spark and encourage innovation, creativity, and imagination among your employees. Establish a team that regularly scans the environment for interesting and potentially profitable minitrends.

Step 2: Assess- Create a structure that will help you organize, analyze and rank potential minitrends for further consideration and action. Assess the likelihood of the trend’s success and how it fits with the organization.

Step 3: Strategize- Upon assessing your finds make sure to incorporate the most promising minitrends into your business strategies. This enables new opportunities depending on the size, nature, goals, and resources of your organization.  Some options to accomplish this includes: acquiring or partnering with other companies, building protection from competitors while growing the business, and creating new ventures.



Note: This information was derived from the article “Here’s how to stay on top of ‘minitrends’ and get ahead of the pack”, which was published by the Austin Business Journal. To read the full article refer to the following link:  http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/at-the-watercooler/2014/09/how-to-stay-on-top-of-minitrends-and-get-ahead.html?page=all

Friday, September 5, 2014

How to Fix Your Business Plan

The business plan is the foundation for any business. The operations and steps that follow this strategic plan helps the business build upon its specified goals and objectives. Creating a weak or ambiguous business plan can result in costly mistakes or business struggles that could have been avoided. Here are some common problems that business owners have in regards to their business plan and how to fix these problems. 

1.     It’s Nonexistent- If you haven’t taken the time to write a business plan for the strategic growth of your company it is never too late to begin.

How to Fix IT: Start writing your business plan today with a fresh plan on where you company is and where you want to take it. Utilize the SBDC downloadable business plan templates to outline your strategic plan and projected future profits.


2.     It’s Ginormous and Therefore Useless-Your business plan does not have to be 40 plus pages. The need for a business plan to be all inclusive rarely applies to small businesses unless you are seeking funding from investors. Having an enormous document can be overwhelming and you may never actually take the time to review it.  

How to Fix It: Try creating a simpler plan. You may be the only person who reads your plan, but you want it to be readable and comprehensible. So stick to the basics and don’t strive for length. Just get to the point.

3.     You Never Look at It- You may have developed a great plan 5 years ago, but it is very likely that goals, products or other offerings have changed since then.  Generally, a business plan should be a living, working document that you regularly review and modify as needed.

How to Fix It: Take a look at your existing business plan and its structure. You are likely to see areas that need to be reflected upon and adjusted. Try to review your business plan 2-4 times a year.

4.     It’s Not ActionableMaybe you have filled your business plan with fluff or established long-term goals with no measurable steps to accomplish them. Although you have your plan and take the time to read it, you don’t have a clue about what to do next.

How to Fix It: Amend your plan with action items that set up steps for how you can make your goal a reality. These steps need to be achievable and measurable so that the next time you review your strategic plan, you can see how far (or not) you have come toward achieving those goals.    



Note: This information was obtained from a Small Business Trends article, “How to Fix What’s Wrong With Your Business Plan – You Have One, Right?” To read the full article refer to the following link:  http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/09/whats-wrong-with-your-business-plan.html?tr=sm 


Thursday, September 4, 2014

SC Small Business - Lender Match Maker Event

Calling all small business owners!

 Are you ready and seriously looking for capital to expand your business or open a new business?  Then plan to attend a lender-borrower workshop that will address current lending practices. 

The Lender Match Maker event includes the opportunity to attend two of the following breakout sessions...

  • Start-ups and Access to Capital... Realistic options for getting your business off the ground. 
  • Expansion and Growth... Choosing the best financing resource for growing your business. 
  • Your Financial Statements... What story are they telling? 
  • Alternative Funding... Alternatives to a traditional bank loan.
Afternoon MatchMaking Sessions allow one-on-one meetings with up to ten funding resources. 

This will be the only Business - Lender Match Maker event in the state this year, so
space will be limited.  

  • $35 Early Registration price availale until October 8, 2014
    $50 Regular Registration price available online until October 21, 2014, and on-site the day of the event if seating is still available
    For more information, contact Tessa Monahan, SC Department of Commerce, (803) 737-1336 or via email at Tmonahan@sccommerce.com

Register today at 

                                                Sponsors include:
South Carolina Department of Commerce
SC Bankers Association
Carolinas Credit Union League
South Carolina SBDC
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
USDA Rural Development
U.S. Small Business Association
NFIB ... the voice of Small Business
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

How to Stay Productive Working From Home

If you were given the opportunity, would you willingly work from home? Most people would say yes without a doubt. However, the people that are currently working from home might have a different viewpoint. Yes, working from home allows you to stay in your pajamas all day and allows you to take care of your children/pets, but is that necessarily a good thing? 

Nowadays more and more people are working from home; either to run their successful internet business, or because technology advancements have allowed them to do so. No matter the industry, employees need to follow certain strategies to make sure that they are as efficient at home as they would be in a traditional office space.

Entrepreneur.com complied a list to help individuals stay productive when working from home. The key strategies to remember include:
  • Have a Separate Office Space. Working from home doesn't mean you can stay in bed or in front of the TV with your laptop. Career experts recommend setting up a specific office area in the home so you can “go to work” and not be distracted by dirty dishes, a crying child or a favorite TV show.
  • Set Clear Boundaries.“Create very strict boundaries where there are no dogs, kids or spouses allowed,” says Cardone. “The door needs to remain shut with only those that have top clearance allowed access.”
  • Keep Regular Work Hours and Prepare. Keeping regular work hours is key for maintaining productivity. “Your family and friends need to pretend you simply aren't there, unless it's a dire emergency,” says Garfinkle. “Remind your family of these hours and let them know you expect them to respect your work time so that you won’t have to work when you should be spending with them.” 
  • Change Your Mindset. “The main motivation of convenience or comfort, which most people who work from home have, is flawed,” says Cardone. Yes, it’s more convenient to not have to go to an office every day, but remote workers can’t view it as an excuse to slack off.
  • Know When to Throw in the Towel. If your productivity is declining or it’s difficult to maintain a work-life balance, then it may be time to re-evaluate your work situation. Not everyone is well-suited for working from home. Some individuals prefer having an interaction with co-workers, and that is okay. Working from home isn't for everyone.


Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Looking for a Dose of Inspiration? Try Mentoring a Young Entrepreneur.

Peter Gasca, an Entrepreneur and Small Business Strategist, recently had the experience of working with several young entrepreneurs. All of the young entrepreneurs, between ages 11 and 16, had already successfully started at least one business with aspirations for opening many more. 

Peter's takeaways from the conference included the value he gained from working with the young entrepreneurs. According to Peter "be assured, you will find that the benefit of becoming a mentor goes as much in your direction as it does in theirs."

Peter's reasons for taking on a youth mentee are summarized below: 

  • Wildly Creative. Peter stated that he was pleasantly surprised by the entrepreneurial ideas that the group suggested and recommended that entrepreneurs bounce ideas around with young entrepreneurs. 
  • Contagiously Enthusiastic. Their excitement and passion for their businesses was invigorating, and if you can handle this energy level, having their enthusiasm around will undoubtedly rub off on you.
  • Crazily Optimistic. Engaging in the exuberance of young entrepreneurs will remind you of a time when you ambitiously looked beyond roadblocks, paradigms and potential failures.
  • Youthfully Elastic. Mentoring a young entrepreneur is like mentoring a younger you. More important than foretelling risks and mistakes, however, all of which should be experienced firsthand, you should instill in them the idea that failure is an option and, in fact, inevitable.

Friday, May 2, 2014

FREE training in Transportation Careers Program


Need Training to Find a Job?   This may be helpful, and if you're living in one of the seven counties mentioned, it's free .....

2014 Transportation Careers Training Program
Applications accepted now through May 16, 2014
Training starts June 2, 2014 at York Tech Community College

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (South Carolina Division Office) are pleased to announce the 2014 Transportation Careers Training Program (TCTP) will be managed by Construction Solutions Team, Inc. The program will allow up to thirty-five participants to receive the National Center for Construction Education and Research certification as well as other credentials.

Pre-employment Training will include OSHA 10 Hour Construction Standards, SCDOT Flagger Certification, Construction Math, Blue Print Reading, Site Layout, Job Readiness Skills, Basic Life Skills, Construction Basics, and more.

After successfully completing Pre-employment Training, fifteen participants will transition into Heavy Equipment Operator Training and fifteen participants will transition into Commercial Driver’s License Training.

All training costs will be covered by the SCDOT/FHWA program.


Applications will be accepted from individuals residing in the following seven counties:


• Cherokee
• Chester
• Chesterfield
• Fairfield
• Lancaster
• Union
• York

Individuals must meet the following criteria:

• Unemployed, underemployed, minorities, women, and/or economically disadvantaged;
• A high school graduate or have obtained GED;
• Pass a pre-course drug test and submit to random screening;
• Have reliable transportation to and from the training site;
• Be physically able to withstand the rigors of the construction industry (this includes inclement weather, traffic, night work and heavy lifting); and
• Willing to travel at the conclusion of the program if hired by a highway construction contractor.

Get moving today! Your next job can be the start of an amazing career!!
For more about the 2014 Transportation Careers Training Program, and on Participant Responsibilities, please contact Sandy at (704) 807-2627 or e-mail at Sandy@ConstructionSolutionsTeam.com

Link for Application: http://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20140430/52/14/16/30/32a728cac39e6f9c8fdd3a21/2014_TCTP_Application.pdf?utm_campaign=SC+residents+get+your+career+moving%21&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=2014+TCTP+Application


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Don't Get Caught Short! Be Prepared to Recover from Disaster

Business owners need to develop emergency/disaster plans   Recovery times from natural disaster or man-made disasters are about the same, so whether your business experiences an electrical fire, wildfire, vehicle crashing through the window, flooding, tornado or hurricane damage, you need to consider all those possibilities BEFORE a disaster hits if you don’t want to lose your business.   
for their businesses.
Small business owners frequently don’t have their own financial resources to recover from disaster, and seldom have created a disaster plan to include preparation for financial loss (insurance), or things like employee loss or employees’ inability to come to work, even if your business itself is open.  If half your city is under water or without electricity, or your employees become homeless during a tornado, it will affect your business even if the office or storefront itself is completely untouched.  And what happens if the disaster isn’t your disaster, but one experienced by a supplier that you depend on for your inventory?  
If a customer should ask you, “What assurances do I have that you’ll be able to honor this contract in case of disaster?” don’t be caught off guard.  Get prepared with answers that will help put them and you at ease.   Think – “What if?” and consider every possible disaster and result; then work up your disaster plan and see that every key employee has a copy and knows how to proceed if a problem arises.  Start here:

  •  Get proof of preparedness from the large companies you depend on, to insure that they are ready to supply YOU if they’re caught up in disaster 
  •  Determine how you can create cost-effective, sustainable preparations
  • Get adequate information from employees to be able to reach them or their families in more than one way in case of emergencies.    
  • Know what information you’ll need to gather in an emergency and where it can be found: safe deposit box, digital files on CD, paper files?   Keep a hard copy and electronic duplicate set of these records off site.  (Remember, if your town is without power, no number of CDs or digital files will help you.) 
  • How will you communicate with your employees and/or clients? 
  • What specific immediate tasks would each employee be responsible for getting done if you could not communicate immediately?   Where are they to go, who are they to try to reach? 
  • What tasks could be done from another location and where would that location be?   Does everyone who would do those tasks know where that is?  Could you have a tentative plan for more than one location in case of community-wide disaster.

Also ….. keeping a weather radio handy and knowing the NOAA Weather Radio codes and how to use it for information regarding weather, routes to be taken in emergency in your area, etc., is a good idea.  Read and download whatever applies to you here:  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/stations.php?State=SC
Disasters happen, but they don’t have to put you out of business ….. pre-prepare and sleep easier at night!

Monday, April 28, 2014

Get Your Small Business Online!

Getting your business online means more visibility, more customers and more sales!



SAVE THE DATE NOW! 

Thursday, May 15th, 6-8 pm, a  "Getting Your Business Online" workshop is being sponsored by the Winthrop Region of the SC Small Business Development Center in its Rock Hill location. 

Getting your business online means more visibility, more customers, and more sales. Learn how to do it right! 

The workshop will be held in Room 415 of the Thurmond Building on Winthrop University's campus. Workshop details, a map, and registration information are located at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/getting-your-business-online-registration-11038170465.   

Call (803) 323-2283 if you have more questions. 


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

15 Tips from Google for Creating a Search Engine Friendly Website


 Did you build your own website? Are you trying to build one? It may be harder than you thought it would be. Using a template website can help you create nice-looking pages; using web building software can do the same. But the prettiest website won't matter if no one can find it. This video has 15 tips from Google's team to help you boost your search engine rank. And if you're in our greater Florence, SC area need a website for your business, but can't create it yourself .... and can't afford to hire a webmaster, call our regional SC SBDC office at Winthrop University (Rock Hill) (803) 323-2283 ..... they can work with you via email and telephone and help you get a search engine friendly website very affordably.


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

It's 2014 ..... do you know where your business is?



In the world of small business, there are many options to describe companies .... flat, but hanging on ... growing quickly ... ready to grow ... ho hum ...  Which one describes your small business?

Are you making enough to support your family and plan for their future, pay your employees to help them do the same, buy a new piece of equipment now and then, and still have a few dollars left at the end of the year? If that's what you want, then you're moderately successful already. Maybe that's enough for you ... that's something only you can know ... everyone is different.

If you still aspire to be self-supporting, maybe hire an employee or two so you can have a day off, and have a little cushion fund for security ... but you aren't there yet, then you have some work to do, and we need to talk about basics and work with you to do a financial analysis so you can see where you might do better in that area; or help you develop a basic marketing plan that can be worked consistently as a regular part of your business to encourage steady growth.

Or perhaps you're doing very well in business but want more .... WAY more! Maybe you want to get a business loan to grow by expanding your location and creating more jobs to bring in more business; or opening a second location to serve a wider area; maybe you want to sell franchises for your business concept; or become certified to bid on government contracts or begin to export your products. These are all things that can be done in pursuit of growth, and we're happy to help you develop a logical and financially solid plan to do that.

SBDC services are free (with the exception of workshops and building websites). You can call for appointment, bring your ideas and your records for the past couple of years, and we'll meet with you for a confidential free consultation to begin your growth for this new year. How often does someone actually offer you something "FREE" that really is free? We don't take money from our clients .... the Small Business Administration and the State of SC pay us to help solid companies plan to grow and create jobs.

Call
(843) 661-8256 to schedule an appointment to get your business growth started. We'll help you stand out in the small business jungle!