Archives: May 2010

Why Regular Follow-up Improves Business Perception

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 31

In a recent new-business meeting, a potential client pointed out a trait we try to instill in all of our employees: the ability to provide timely and effective follow-up. This...

Driving Innovation

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 28

Small and midsize businesses are often referred to as the backbone of the economy. They also share innovation pains similar to their large business counterparts. In fact, companies of every...

Be Prepared for Disaster

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 27

Disaster preparedness is typically viewed as something that's done in a personal or home environment. However, emergency preparedness is equally important from a business standpoint. You never know when a...

Reduce Employee Health Risks

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 26

Through the new health-care law, employers will have to offer some form of health insurance option to employees. As health care can be an expensive part of an employee's benefits...

Help for the Help Desk

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 25

Technical support doesn't come cheap. In an economy where executives are constantly looking for ways to cut costs and extend the life and value of limited company resources, IT departments...

Keep Your Computers Tuned Up, Backed Up, and Cleaned Up

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 24

Most small business owners probably own an automobile that they maintain properly for optimal performance. The same logic should apply to your computer network and other devices. After all, who...

Get "Social" to Grow Your Business

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 21

The majority of consumers these days get information from social network sources. According to a January 2010 Forrester Research report titled Introducing the New Social Technographics, 70 percent of online...

Outsourcing vs. "Out-Tasking"

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 20

Companies often confuse the terms outsourcing and out-tasking. They offer vastly different approaches for driving down information technology costs. Outsourcing transfers the management or execution of the entire IT function...

Your Brand Is a Verb, Not a Noun

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 19

The "ing" in branding is more than just three letters or a grammatical term. Keeping a brand active, lively, and in movement is a vital yet often overlooked part of...

Build a Metrics-Driven Company

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 18

To create competitive advantage, companies of every size measure and analyze information from five areas of their business: cash, customers, sales, products, and people. As Peter Drucker wrote, "What gets...

Start Planning for the Next Tax Season

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 17

With the filing of 2009 taxes behind you, it's not too early to start thinking ahead to next year. Here are a few organization tips to make the tax filing...

Use Online Service to Stand Out from the Crowd

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 14

A customer's support experience is a key factor in determining loyalty to your small business. Today's customers increasingly prefer to find information online or seek out others' experiences in real...

Outsource Your Document Management

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 13

Documents are the lifeblood of any organization, regardless of size, industry, or location. In addition to their inherent value, documents also present challenges of cost and risk beyond even what...

Make Training a Part of Your Records Management Program

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 12

Any organization that fails to properly manage corporate records—from expense reports to customer invoices to employee e-mails—runs the risk of having those assets compromised. That can mean expensive litigation and...

Energy Reduction Tips That Won't Break the Bank

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 11

Small and midsize businesses consume 50 percent of the nation's energy output, yet most don't have effective energy reduction measures in place or even know where to start. There are...

Help Your Business Go Green

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 10

Consumers and businesses are thinking about ways to be more eco-friendly, but given the costs of green technology, how can small businesses realistically achieve this? In the current economy, everyone...

Your Business Is Ready for Growth. But Is Your Network?

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 07

Sending information over the public Internet can be risky, not to mention slow. Yet providing remote access to critical business information is often necessary for small businesses looking to accelerate...

Cut Technology Costs With a "Self-Help" Portal

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 06

As every business looks for new and better ways to trim operating costs in 2010, here's an interesting thought: What if your employees were able to take care of some...

Building Your Business With the End in Mind

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 05

I see many successful business owners become so immersed with the day-to-day needs of their company that they give little thought to how and when they will ultimately leave their...

Prepare Your Exit Plan

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 04

The current economy has forced many business owners to postpone their exit date and focus on short-term challenges. While it's natural and necessary to address urgent issues, it's also imperative...

Prepare Your Business for Sale

Posted by: Today's Tip Contributor on May 03

Selling your business is likely the largest financial transaction you will ever make. This is not the time to take short cuts, and it is critical use the same care...