We were live on the radio with Frank Cameron Presents on Seaside FM 105.9
Listen to the interview using the play button below. (16 minutes in total)
We were live on the radio with Frank Cameron Presents on Seaside FM 105.9
Listen to the interview using the play button below. (16 minutes in total)
At first glance, it seems to be an odd proposition. How can saying ‘No’ to customers improve a small business? Several weeks ago I attended Podcamp Halifax, which is a conference for small business owners discussing various ways to improve their business. One presenter explained the premise that saying no to customers can really help a business grow. Most business owners understand this principle, but it is interesting to take a more in-depth view. Note that the examples below are most relevant to consulting or project-based businesses, but it is applicable to most other businesses as well, with some tweaking of course.
Reasons to Say ‘No’ to Customers
Recently, I made a business decision to turn down a project worth $3 500. My reasoning for turning the project down was because it was too far outside my business strategy. I was capable of performing the work, but it was not my specialty. I would have taken a long time to stumble through the project resulting in a very low profit per hour. I reasoned that it was not worth taking the time to learn these skills since it was not the direction I wanted to take my business.
Now it’s time to tell your story. Have you said no to a project in order to remain profitable? Or maybe in hindsight, you should have said no to a project because it turned out not to be profitable? Either way, we’d like to hear about it. Leave your comments below!
“A visionary group of volunteers, businesses and community leaders are taking innovative steps to promote the tourism potential of the Bay of Islands area along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia—one of Nova Scotia’s best kept secrets. Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shores Association (DEANS) is kicking off mainland Nova Scotia’s first Strategic Tourism Expansion Program (STEP), thanks to support from the Government of Canada…”
More information can be found at the links below.
http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/eng/Agency/MediaRoom/NewsReleases/Pages/4484.aspx
What’s the big deal about SEO? By now, you’ve probably heard of search engine optimization and know that it will help your website rise within search engine results pages and therefore attract more visitors, but what does this mean for your small business? After all, who really cares if you can attract more visitors to your website? Will this increase in traffic translate to more sales?
I’ve performed a case study which analyzed the impact of performing SEO. For one client of ours, search engine optimization led to an increase in web traffic of more than 70% and increased revenue by more than $30 000 over a three year period.
You can read the full case study here: SEO Case Study
Featured Article (Author: Lucjan Zaborowski, Original Article)
More and more business owners realize the importance of having online presence. A website can be a powerful medium for client acquisition and for many businesses, it is indeed the primary source for getting new customers. Knowing what kind of users visit your website and what pages they visit can help improve your business’ conversions. Google Analytics is a free tool that provides in-depth data on user behaviour and site performance. In order to help you get started with “GA”, we developed an easy to follow visual guide with links to related resources.
Our guide enables you to first learn what Google Analytics is and how it can benefit your business. It takes you step by step through the process of setting up a Google account, connecting your website to Analytics and analyzing wide range of data. We make sure to address the basics as well as the most sophisticated features of GA. To use the guide, simply click on the image below and start answering the question we came up with. For every question you answer “no” to, you can review related content, which is an article, a video or an image.
Click image to open interactive version (via Simply Business).
Have you ever wished you could turn on a faucet which immediately brings more customers to your business? Let me introduce you to Google AdWords.
I recently performed a case study for one of our AdWords clients and the results are truly incredible! Over a three year period, the client received a return on investment (ROI) of more than 250%. That is, for each dollar spent, $3.50 is returned. One dollar covers costs, leaving $2.50 of profit.
Google AdWords is a highly effective form of advertising. In fact, AdWords out-performs most investments, period.
Read the full case study about the profitability of Google AdWords
Featured Article (Author: Mark Tempest, Original article)
How well is your website performing? Many small business owners do well with their website through word of mouth and referrals, however, as we all know, Google can be picky about what it displays in its search results, and that’s key to helping new customers discover your business. Below are 10 quick tips of how you can improve your website for both search and your potential customers.
A business plan is a written statement that describes the nature of a business, target market, advantages the business will have in relation to competition, and the resources & qualifications of the owner(s). (Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, & Cossa, 2007) While the business plan details past and present ventures, its primary focus should be the future plans of the business.
A business plan should ideally be developed as the business transitions from an idea to reality. Alas, many companies are already operating without a documented business plan. That’s ok! The business creator has likely undergone some form of mental business planning, or even performed some analysis to help with their business decisions. This leads us to the second question you might be asking yourself, “If businesses can be successful without a business plan, why go through the hassle of creating one?”
Well, those ‘successful’ businesses would probably be even more successful had they developed a business plan. There are several reasons why all businesses should develop a business plan, whether they are in start-up or have been operating for 50 years.
By reviewing the above list, it is clear that some preliminary work be performed prior to completing a business plan. This is critical. While the final document does have some value, it is the thinking process that is undergone while creating a business plan that is most valuable. While business plans are not a be all and end all solution to a business’s problems, they will certainly help a great deal. As Harvey Mackay once said, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”. I couldn’t agree more.
You should now be convinced that developing a business plan is probably a good idea. However, you may still be hesitant because you are unsure how to go about starting. Let me briefly explain how to get started, what the process involves, and where to find additional resources.
To start, there is no such thing as the perfect business plan. People may be intimidated to start a business plan for fear that it may take too long or they may not ‘do it right’. Remember that a great final document is not the final goal here. A business plan can be considered a formal process that ensures that each main factor affecting your business is considered with sufficient depth so as to gain more knowledge of the company.
So, what does the business plan need to cover?
For detailed explanations of the above sections and other information about creating a business plan, visit How to Prepare Your Business Plan.
Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, & Cossa. (2007). Understanding Canadian Business: Change In A Dynamic Work Environment. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.