This scenario actually occurs more often than individuals realize, so small business owners need to hire with caution.

Small business owners, especially those who may show a kind heart and have not dealt with this situation before, need to be sure the employee they bring in from the secretary to a management member has a clean record or has demonstrated clear improvement returning to society since their time behind bars.

If you’re hiring, understand the potential negative ramifications of bringing on an individual with a criminal record. Such actions have the potential to lead to company theft, workplace safety matters, and more.

In order to best negate those issues and practice due diligence, business owners should do their necessary background checks before hiring.

First, while companies are certainly entitled to check up on potential hires, know the rules prior to considering someone.

U.S. businesses typically are prohibited from disqualifying an individual based simply on an arrest or for that matter a conviction. Typically, applications will ask the individual if they have ever been arrested or convicted of a crime, with a disclaimer noting a “yes” answer might not automatically disqualify them from a job. The key here from the business owner’s standpoint is to be sure they do not unlawfully discriminate against the applicant.

Secondly, in the event someone has committed a crime and done jail time in their past, determine how that crime may impact their potential role with your company. For example, someone who spent time in jail for stealing money would not be a good choice to handle your accounting matters.

The best way to head off potential problems is doing a full criminal background check (the best possible to your abilities regarding time and money).

In order to best do that, first make sure each applicant signs a consent form to a background check, including one for criminal records. You can also word articles that include future background checks for retention and promotion unless revoked via writing.

One key piece of information is obtaining details on where an individual lived for the last 5 to 8 years. This will help you determine that the applicant has not done any recent jail time, i.e. there are no major gaps in where they resided during this time.

If you’re looking to give an individual a second chance, your heart is in the right place; make sure your mind is too.

So, have you ever hired someone who did jail time or contemplated doing so?

Photo credit: eb2bconference.com

Editor’s note: If you are interested in learning how background checks can be beneficial to your business, fill out the form to compare background check price quotes and get a free background checks price guide.

If you think that digging into prospective employees’ resumes, or even running a background check, is not necessary then you may want to think again. Recent stories of late with Executives who stated certain criteria that never existed makes you think, what else are people hiding? With more than half of all job applicants listing untruths on their resumes you may want to find out more about who you are considering for a hire and run a full background check, before you find out the hard way. Hopefully this infographic will help you improve your hiring process so that you can build the best workforce possible for your business.

Feel free to embed this Infographic on your site for your readers by copying and pasting the code below into your site or blog:

<a href="http://www.business.com/blog/building-a-dependable-workforce-using-background-checks/"><img class="wp-image-4485 alignleft" src="http://www.business.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BS_I_02-Background-Checks-to-hire-a-Dependable-Workforcev1.6.121.png" alt="" width="600" height="3432" /></a><br />Visit Business.com for <a title="background check" href="http://www.business.com/human-resources/background-checks/" target="_blank">background checks</a> and other business resources.

While much is expected of the employee, just what are employers doing to make sure their employees are taken care of while under their watch?

Despite a declining unemployment rate nationwide (currently around 8.3 percent) there are still a fair number of workers who are coming home with pink slips at the end of the day. When that happens, the workload is then heaped on other individuals who must do the extra work, something that can lead to stress issues.

According to a 2011 survey from the American Psychological Association (APA), 36 percent of workers reported feeling work stress on a regular basis and nearly half (49 percent) pointed out that a small salary has a major impact on their stress level in the workplace.

Along with money issues, employees stated minimal options for growth and advancement (43 percent), large workloads (43 percent), unrealistic work expectations (40 percent) and long hours (39 percent) as major sources of stress.

Additionally, less than half of employees (43 percent) indicated they obtain adequate non-monetary rewards and recognition for their efforts at work and only 57 percent claimed being happy with their employer’s work-life practices.

Finally, 52 percent of employees reported they feel valued in the workplace, only two thirds stated they were motivated to do their best at work and close to a third (32 percent) indicated that they intend to seek employment elsewhere within this year.

If your employees are feeling a tad stressed these days, what can you do to make them feel more at ease so that they have a better mix of work and life?

Among the items to consider:

• Make sure your workers know the signs of stress at work so they are pro-active and not re-active. In the case of an employee feeling anxious, irritable, fatigued or battling issues concentrating, see what is bothering them, especially when it might be work-related;
• Reassure them that the company is doing everything in its power to succeed and that layoffs are not in the plans anytime soon. Employees who have more job reassurance are less apt to be stressing;
• Make available a workout program via a local fitness club so that employees can exercise regularly. Whether it is one day or several days a week, employees will feel better about themselves and their jobs by getting proper exercise;
• Plan some social get-togethers. It can be a happy hour or an in-house lunch, but bringing your employees together as a team in a non-stressful setting offers a great opportunity for all to unwind;
• Review each employee’s time management and check out where they may be able to tighten up a few areas. By feeling less pressure to get things done on the clock, employees will be more relaxed and should concentrate better;
• Let employees know their contributions are appreciated. Too many employers only point out when something negative happens. Take a pro-active approach and congratulate employees when the job is well done.

While employers and managers have the ability to decrease the stress of their employees, not all do.

Some don’t recognize the signs of an employee stressing out, leading to an issue either where the individual begins to fail at their job and must be disciplined or even let go, or the person exits on their own accord.

By acting as a positive role model for his or her employees, business owners and managers can set the tone for a positive workplace experience from the intern all the way up to the top staff.

As a small business employer, what do you or your management do to make sure employees are both productive and satisfied?

Photo credit: rachelthinwitin.blogspot.com

In an economy where jobs are scarce and budget cuts run rampant, few people have realized that this is the time to grow financially.  Opportunities abound in this economic climate for people who are willing to take an active approach to their financial situation.

Why You Need an Attitude Adjustment

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 decreed that retirement decisions need to be made by individuals.  This began the elimination of pensions; it forced employees in the U.S. to open 401(k) s and IRAs on their own.  This legislation should have ushered in a monumental change in American society, where individual success is lauded above all else.  The ability to control your own outcome had never been so accessible.

Instead, more than 35 years since the passing of this act; most people are taking a passive approach to their long-term financial investments.  Approximately 99% of the working population still has an apathetic relationship with their income.  The abundance of credit availability over the last 20 years has amplified this passivity – most families can afford to live well beyond their means, so becoming more financially literate isn’t required to sustain their immediate lifestyle.

In reality, most people are broke and feeling insecure trying to keep up with the Jones’.  They don’t know how to produce income without involving a third-party employer or a bank, so they are financially co-dependent on these institutions for their well-being.

This insecurity has created another consequence: the boom of the financial services industry.  Hundreds of thousands of financial planners and brokers are currently selling pre-packaged investment vehicles for the masses. Compound interest may be the 8^th wonder of the world, but inflation and the cost of living are growing far faster than risk free savings rates.

Thus, the traditional model of investing and saving leaves you vulnerable to market shifts, job loss, and cost of living increases without a strong residual base of cash flow.  You’re feeding the machine that’s put you where you are.

Why Your Comfort Zone Hurts You

When you’re looking at investment opportunities, avoid anything that keeps you in your comfort zone.

The reality is that there is no opportunity inside your comfort zone.  What’s next for you in the way of opportunity lies somewhere outside of what you find natural.  It’s a myth to think you can act like 99% of the population but have the financial independence of the other 1%.

You’re going to make mistakes as you grow; it would be a mistake to think you won’t.  You can reduce your chances of failure by focusing on investing in items that people consider staples.  Products that are regularly consumed and need to be restocked are good income earners.  Offering a competitively priced staple of high quality causes people to view your product as a brand switch.  This means you’re more likely to earn referrals and expand by word of mouth.

Other areas to consider investing in are network marketing or online distribution businesses.  These carry the least risk and have the highest return potential.  They’re also the quickest for the average person to get established.

How to Succeed on Your Own

The simple formula is to make more than you spend each month.

The information age has made it possible to start a business with less than $1.000.  The way to create passive income that becomes substantial is to think of it like a plate-spinning act at a carnival.  Treat each income-producing investment like a plate.  Get it up and running quickly, at a low cost to you (in time and money).

Once the first plate starts generating cash flow, you can maintain it with less effort; your overhead will stay fixed in proportion to your growth.  Now, you can get another plate spinning.

The idea is to get several plates spinning simultaneously, generating passive income – regardless of whether you’re watching them every minute or not.  The fastest way to fail at generating your own income is to start five plates at once.  Focus on one plate and build your skills so you can leverage them to expand.

Five Things You Need to Get

When starting your own source of income, it’s important to follow these 5 tips to ensure you’re actively boosting your chances of a successful outcome.

1. Get excited.

You have decided to create wealth.  The Latin root decisio literally signifies you’ve cut off all other outcomes.  You are making yourself accountable and effective, and therefore, more responsible.  That’s exciting.

2. Get committed.

Being committed is doing what you said you would do, long after the excitement has worn off.  Without a concrete resolution to stick with it, the inertia of your old comfort zone will pull you back in.

3. Get a coach.

Every world-class performer has a coach, not to do the work for them, but to see what they can’t see themselves.  (The gold medalist doesn’t get to the Olympics by himself!)  You need to find someone who’s successful at coaching others in business-building; he will keep you on track and help you see the big picture.

4. Get capitalized.

The best business idea is just a car without gas if you don’t have enough capital.  Free up liquidity by sacrificing a little of what you have today for the future you want tomorrow.  Capital takes on three forms: time, energy, and money.  Bolster each by taking simple steps: hold a garage sale, turn off the T.V., and exercise.  You can’t be successful in building income when you’re not investing in it in other areas of your life.

5. Get the right vehicle.

Picking the right opportunity makes all the difference.  If you’re spending an extra 20 hours per week building a business, then you need to get the most return for your time and money.  Pick something that pays you back more for a $1 or 1-hour investment than anything else would.  If you’re new to building a business, find a turnkey opportunity, where the structure has already been created for you.

You can take control of your financial future by simply choosing to take action.

Refuse to let others determine your outcome. Create it yourself.

About the author: Chris J. Snook has spent more than 11 years as an author, entrepreneur, and venture catalyst and has spent the last 5 years in the investment community incubating media start ups as the Managing Partner of TLEC Ventures. He co-authored three international best-selling books entitled WealthMatters 2007 and 2011 (2nd Edition) and Burnout: How to Transform Frustration to Fortune in 2005. 

With so many transactions going on the Internet these days, there has been a sort of disconnect that has even affected face to face dealings in the past five years, especially.

But with the rise of social networking and the way so many companies have been using it to touch base with customers and potential customers, that is now changing once again and the world is going back to normal.

While it is important to utilize social networking for your customer base, that isn’t where the tool ends.

Sites such as LinkedIn have shown that social media can also be used to network with others in the business world, building those ever important connections and relationships that can move you further up the ladder and better establish you as at the top of your game.

Networking During Conferences

Perhaps the best time to establish these connections is during conferences.

You have access to hundreds, sometimes thousands of others in the same or similar fields. Business cards have always been the way such things were handled. But think back to the last time you went to a conference and collected those cards; how many did you really keep in touch with? Social media makes this ever easier.

Instead of just taking a card and trying to remember each face and detail, you have a way into the business life they have portrayed online.

Not only that, but you give them similar access and a way to easily share you to others, increasing the range of your network with expansion capabilities never known before.

Tips To Best Utilize Social Media For Networking

* Prepare Ahead Of Time

You should already have a business only social networking account, or several.

Whether that is LinkedIn or the more casual Twitter, it should only be used for business purposes, and all personal interactions, such as friends and family, should remain on a different profile. This will make it easier for you to start mentioning the conference ahead of time, without it being lost in the fray of updates and comments. Try mentioning it a week in advance in order to spark some conversation.

Then, put together a list of four or five companies/contacts that you would especially like to meet up with there, and alert them personally.

* Update Regularly

Not every contact or relevant business will be at the conference, but that does not mean they aren’t important networking targets.

Update your profile regularly with anything from the conference you can. Write status updates about what is going on, leave interesting links to articles you know on subjects being discussed, or even post some cell phone videos and pictures.

Make your profile the place to go for info on the conference, and then use that to make connections with new people who were not in attendance but are in your field.

* Use Google Alerts

It might be the professional equivalent to stalking, but for those more important contacts you can set up Google Alerts to monitor major news or activity. This will keep you up to date before going to the conference, which will help you to not only break the ice, but be better prepared for any business discussions that might be necessary.

* Post Q&A Answers

After most lectures and presentations, there will be the all important Q&A portion of the event. Write down your questions during the talks and try to get them answered, then post the answers on your account.

You can also keep track of what other people are saying, and post that, as well. This is a good way to share information and bring further contacts to your profile.

* Keep In Touch

Once you have built a fair amount of contacts on your social media account, engage them.

On LinkedIn you can be supportive and professional, and more casual on Facebook and Twitter. Keep up with blogs and really engage them in conversation on a regular basis.

If you keep up with it, it is a simple way to build a business relationship that can mean great things for future collaborations or contact.

Conclusion

Social networking has provided us with an unprecedented way of communicating with people from all over the world. When it comes to your business, one of the best things you can do is use it to make connections and maintain them.

Next time you have a conference coming up, prepare early and then use it as a useful tool. You will be pleased with the results.

Photo credit: dsc.discovery.com

About the author: Olivia Sherwood is a social media marketer blogging for PsPrint, an online printing company specializing in brochure and poster printing among other popular services. For further information on the company, you can follow PsPrint on Twitter.

Companies everywhere want better conversion rates, higher quality customers, and more efficient sales processes.  Naturally, most start looking around at what the competition’s doing.

Often, when I’m strategizing with a client about conversion and usability of their site, the client will say, “Let’s just copy Amazon.”

The client’s rationale is that Amazon has already spent millions of dollars testing different options and scenarios, so they clearly know what works.   This is true – Amazon has invested millions in gathering data, and they’ve earned millions back by implementing what they’ve learned.

However, you are not Amazon.

Your company has different challenges and demographics than Amazon does.  You’re comparing apples to oranges.

Here are 5 reasons why you should give additional thought to the idea that Amazon’s model will be right for your business:

1.    Credibility/Brand Visibility

Amazon has a huge brand name.  While you’re probably a force to be reckoned with in your own niche, you don’t carry the clout that Amazon does.  Amazon can get away with more roadblocks to checkout than you can, and they can dot their website with lots of shiny, distracting items.  Their reputation precedes them.  Your goal should be getting customers in and out of the process as quickly as possible.  A reputation of efficiency can only help your brand – wearing your customers’ patience thin definitely won’t.

2.    Accurate Product Up selling

In all honesty, I am not a fan of product upsales during the checkout process.  People get distracted too easily.  Amazon has a different relationship with its customers; most likely already have an account with the company.  This means that Amazon has a much better chance of matching a customer with good recommendations based on others’ orders.  Amazon has millions of orders and, therefore, a massive amount of data to refine – and you don’t.  There’s a strong chance that your last-minute upsale efforts will strike your customers as random or confusing.

3.    Customer Service Reassurance

Amazon has spent years proving to its clients that each and every problem will be addressed.  A simple email takes care of an issue from the customer’s standpoint, so Amazon doesn’t have to advertise phone numbers.  You, however, do not have that luxury.  You need to have a phone number listed on every page of your site, including the checkout portion.  Encourage customers to call!  I’ve witnessed numerous instances where companies have avoided listing a phone number because they don’t want to have to hire staff to answer the phone.  Do a cost-benefit analysis on this strategy before you opt against it – it can be hugely reassuring to your clients.

4.    Repeat Customers

There is a lot of stuff on Amazon’s site, and much of it is targeted.  As we’ve noted, they have more data than anyone else out there, and they have the ability to target well.  They don’t need to worry about distracting users like you might – their customers are likely utilizing Amazon to purchase a variety of items in the first place.  These people visit on a weekly or monthly basis, in many cases.  Because smaller businesses tend to offer a limited number of products or services, it’s in your best interest to avoid cross-selling or up selling unless it’s the only way you make a profit.  Doing lots of cross-selling can hurt your ability to convert a one-time customer into a repeat customer – remember that.

5.    Different Business Models

At the end of the day, Amazon is a huge mall; it’s a massive shopping complex with several stores tucked within it.  If you’re a shop owner, it’s unlikely that you’re anywhere close to being the big engine that Amazon is.  Rather than trying to be something you aren’t, focus on the strengths of your own model.  As a niche provider, you have the unique ability to specialize in very specific facets of your customers’ lives.  You can become the best company in your arena, and you don’t have to diversify your inventory to the point where you’re just doing “okay” in lots of things.  There are good things to each side of the coin – maximize yours rather than concentrating on what Amazon has.

If you decide to follow another company’s lead in your quest to find the next big thing, do your homework.

Make sure that the business model, product, demographics, and goals are similar.  If they’re not, you’re simply helping someone else’s business grow by using their own tactics.

Focus on what you have to offer, and base your conversion strategies on that.

Amazon’s great, but it’s not you.

Photo credit: topmarketingsavvy.com

Danny Demichele is the chairman of Incubate.com, an eBusiness incubator that offers services to help businesses grow online. 

However, with expansion comes the challenge of keeping the company connected and whole. Managers and other employees are sent to other areas, where they rack up costs along the way. As a result of hotels, car rentals, flights and other fees, constantly sending employees abroad can be a costly expense for any business.

According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the forecast for 2012 is that companies will spend close to $261 billion in travel expenses.

So, is your business part of that staggering number or are you planning on keeping your travel efforts closer to home?

Easy Tips to Reduce Travel Costs

As many business owners know, travel expenses can quickly add up, causing quite a burden for the company.

Luckily, there are several tips that can help businesses and employees reduce their costs and fit traveling within a reasonable budget.

Flight Tickets:
Flights are often the major component of a business travel budget, costing over hundreds of dollars. However, there are a number of ways to reduce the costs of an expensive flight ticket. Generally, cheaper tickets are available well before the booking date; therefore, booking tickets well in advance can save a significant portion of money. Another way to save is to forego the first class ticket; instead, look for business class or even coach tickets.

Transportation:
Once the employee arrives at their destination, it may be a common practice to book a taxi or another transportation service. However, as the meter keeps ticking, the costs go up and up. One popular alternative is to use public transportation, a viable option once the employee is in the city. By using buses and subways, individuals can quickly move about the city without racking up exorbitant costs. If a car rental is the only option, then the employee can opt to choose a gas-efficient, smaller car that will last longer on a tank of gas.

Hotels:
There are a number of ways to save money once the individual arrives at their hotel. Choosing a hotel that offers a free breakfast can help reduce budget, as well as staying away from valet services. If the employee is staying a location for an extended period of time, a hotel room with a kitchen can also help save money. Another major cost comes with Internet: oftentimes, hotels will charge an exorbitant price for Wi-Fi connection. Avoid these costs by choosing a hotel with free Internet or heading to the nearest coffee shop.

Without careful planning, the costs of business travel can quickly rise and add up.

Avoid the headaches of budget planning by choosing alternatives to offset travel expenses.

Photo Credit: askmen.com

Overall, this piece of reformatory legislation increased transparency and consumer rights in the general-use (personal) credit card space, curing many of the ills that pervaded prior to the Great Recession. Perhaps it’s most important provision brought debt stability to personal credit cards by prohibiting issuers from increasing interest rates on existing debt unless a cardholder becomes at least 60 days delinquent on payment.

The CARD Act does not pertain to small business credit cards, however, which makes it more important than ever that business owners answer the following questions in devising their companies’ payment strategies:

• Which are the best and worst business credit card issuers?
• How do I garner debt stability?
• What’s the most optimized payment strategy for my company?

Which are the best and worst business credit card issuers?

The best and worst business credit card issuers fall in line based on their proactive adoption of the most important CARD Act rules, which are as follows:

• No universal default (i.e. you cannot be considered in default on your credit card account because of a missed payment on a separate credit card, loan or bill)
• No double cycle billing (i.e. finance charges cannot be determined by your average balance over the past two billing cycles)
• Issuer must give 45 days’ notice prior to changing key account terms
• All payment amounts above the minimum must be applied to the balance with the highest interest rate
• No interest rate increases on existing balances unless the account holder is at least 60 days delinquent (a key provision that ensures debt stability)

A recent Card Hub study ranking the 10 largest credit card companies in the U.S. based on these criteria found that only Bank of America adopted all of the key CARD Act protections on its small business credit card offerings.

After BofA, followed Capital One, Citibank and American Express, in that order. Each applied at least one, but not all, of the major CARD Act protections. Chase, Discover and HSBC did not extend any of the aforementioned protections to their business credit cards, while U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo declined to participate in the study, indicating a lack of organizational transparency.

While you undoubtedly want as many CARD Act protections on the side of your small business as possible, given the positive effect the legislation has had on the personal credit card market, the most important is certainly that which prevents arbitrary interest rate hikes. Without debt stability, it’s impossible to budget, allocate funds, develop your business, or feel confident in its financial future.

That’s why, if you are going to use a business credit card to fund your small business venture, it must be from BofA or a smaller local bank/credit union that has taken similar pro-customer measures.

Are there any other ways to garner debt stability?

Getting a business credit card from a forward-thinking issuer is merely one of the ways to achieve debt stability for your company. Another option is to simply use a personal credit card.

A personal credit card for business?

Yes, the trite old adage that “this is business, not personal,” used often in film and television, has become less relevant to actual business, at least as far as credit cards are concerned. Not only do all major credit card companies hold both you and your company liable for business credit card use, according to a Card Hub study, but most also report business credit card use to your personal credit reports.

As a result, you are free to use a personal credit card for your business spending and thereby garner the full suite of CARD Act protections.

What is the most optimized payment plan for my business?

By now, it’s clear that you have three options when it comes to devising a credit card strategy for your small business: 1) Using only a personal credit card; 2) Using only a business credit card from an issuer that has proactively extended all of the key CARD Act protections; 3) Using a combination of the two.

It’s ill-advised to use only a personal credit card for small business spending because business credit cards provide tools and services that personal credit cards do not. For example, they allow small business owners to easily track and manage company spending, set personalized spending limits for each employee card, and earn rewards on all company purchases. They also tend to offer more lucrative rewards than personal credit cards.

Now, if you choose to use only a business credit card with issuer-applied legal protections, then you will, of course, be sacrificing variety for simplicity. A single credit card is easier to manage, yes, but the number of business credit cards that boast the required CARD Act protections is relatively small, which means the odds of finding the best possible terms within this crop will also be slim. Trying to find a single card that both offers attractive interest rates and rewards is difficult enough without paring down your options.

Using a single credit card to both revolve debt and make everyday purchases will be prohibitively expensive anyway.  When you revolve a balance, you no longer have a grace period for new charges, meaning interest will begin to accrue as soon as you make them.

This brings us to the third option: a two-card strategy.

By using a personal credit card for business funding (i.e. company purchases that you won’t be able to pay off in full in a single billing period) and a business credit card for everyday expenses (i.e. purchases that you do pay for in full on a monthly basis), you’ll not only garner debt stability, but will also have the opportunity to get both the lowest interest rates and best rewards possible.

You could, for example, open both the 0% credit card with the longest introductory term on the market and the most lucrative rewards business credit card. This strategy is based on the Island Approach to credit card use, which preaches using each credit card for a distinct purpose, playing on the notion that there is generally a trade-off when it comes to a credit card’s terms: When one area (e.g. rewards) excels, others (e.g. rates, fees, etc.) tend to suffer.

Final Thoughts
Around 80% of small business owners use credit cards for funding purposes, according to the National Small Business Association.

In light of the overhauled credit card landscape, this figure indicates two very important things: 1) a significant portion of the small business community needs to rethink its credit card strategy; 2) those that come to this realization quickest will indeed have an advantage over the competition.

Photo credit: loansafe.org

Odysseas Papadimitriou is CEO of Card Hub

Greening your office can be a lot easier than you think. Check out some ideas below to get started:

Print on opposite side of recycled paper

Did you know that about 71 million tons of paper and paperboard are used in the United States each year? So instead of tossing out those extra reports after the meeting, why not flip them upside down and put them back in the printer to be used one more time.

Change to an eco-font that uses less ink

To cut down on printing costs and ink cartridge replacements consider switching fonts to one that uses less ink. Try switching fonts from Arial to Century Gothic. The font uses 30 percent less ink but is still readable. That’s what the University of Wisconsin did last year and they managed to improve their $10,000 per year toner cost by a few thousand dollars.

Invest in a POU filtration system

Switch your old water cooler system to a cleaner, more efficient point-of-use filtration system that uses your building’s pre-existing water line and a state-of-the-art filtration process to deliver the highest quality, best tasting drinking water. Not only will you save money from not having to get water jugs delivered, you will save space from being taken up by extra jug inventory and your staff will never have to run out of water and risk injury changing a heavy water jug either.

Carpool, carpool, carpool

When gas prices can jump by 20 cents in just a couple days, it sometimes becomes a challenge getting to work—especially if your commute is on the longer side. So why not save a few dollars and buddy-up for the morning car ride into work? It not only saves money that could be spent on other things but it puts fewer emissions into the air. And if your cubicle-mate is just too annoying to spend 25 minutes in a car with, there’s always public transportation.

Photo credit: solar.calfinder.com

About Quench

Kali Wyrosdic is a contributing writer for Quench, the largest bottleless water cooler company in North America. Since 2006, Quench has provided thousands of large and small businesses with an endless and sustainable supply of purified drinking water using the latest state-of-the art water filtration technologies. Quench’s drinking water service provides customers reliable water dispensing systems at the point-of-use that utilize a building’s existing tap water system to deliver chilled or hot high-quality purified and filtered water on-demand. Quench systems offer a lower cost, healthier, more convenient and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional bottled water delivery.

Big businesses and corporations have usually grown to their current stature because of intelligent decision-making, endurance, and a willingness to think outside the box.  Small businesses may have more modest budgets and markets, but they can still learn a lot from their larger comrades.

 1. Strategy is king -

It’s easy for companies to get caught up in putting out fires.  It’s harder to force yourself to focus on long-term strategy, but this is where you should be devoting most of your time and resources.  Failing to get buy-in from key internal groups is one area where many people fall short.  Many times, a group publishes its new “blueprint for success” and it fails miserably, because the people who can make the plan work were never consulted on the front end.  If your plan involves operations and sales, they had better be at the table when you create it.  If they feel ownership, your chance of succeeding increases dramatically.  In addition, strategizing involves reviewing your choices, determining how your methods are performing, and considering the market’s reactions.  If you’re not satisfied with what you’re seeing, make a change.  As a small business, you have the benefit of being agile; you can react faster than the big guys.  Take advantage of this flexibility.

2. Do your homework -

If you don’t have the information to help make strategy decisions, GO GET IT!  Spending your time and money on quality research always costs less than taking a risk that fails because you didn’t anticipate the outcome.  We had a great new concept for the mattress industry, but we wanted to check some consumer research to make sure we had it right.  It turned out that our idea finished dead last when we asked consumers to rank several different concepts.  We spent $75,000 on that research, but it saved us the $250,000 we would have spent in a failed launch. We also tested the concepts with 6 top retailers in the U.S. without telling them the consumers’ favorites. They all got it wrong, too. You should be guided by good data; as a small business owner, you can’t afford to make decisions based on bad or missing information.

3. Don’t follow the leader -

One very common mistake that small businesses make is following the leader in their market.  I recently interviewed staff from a small company in Chicago and as I was reviewing their advertising, I asked the owner why he consistently gave consumers the exact same incentive to buy, week after week.  His response was that the biggest retailer in his market did it, so he assumed it was right.  News flash: the guy you’re keeping up with may not be very bright, or he may not have done his homework (see #2).  People generally follow someone else because they are lazy and don’t take the time to think creatively, they are risk-averse, or they assume that everybody else must be right.  Don’t downplay the value of being original.  The truly great companies out there achieved success by plowing the road, not by following the one already laid out.

4. WOW somebody -

Having a small budget can be a wonderful thing; it forces you to be creative.  Call your top 5 staffers together and ask this question: how can we wow our customers today?  If you answered “great prices” or “great service,” congratulations – you are giving the same boring answers everyone else is!  How do you really impress them?  Southwest Airlines and Zappos.com are excellent examples of companies who make inspired decisions regarding their customers.  Do you make emergency service calls at 3:00 a.m. so night shift production doesn’t halt?  Do you meet your customer at his loading dock when he’s short-handed?  Do you send handwritten notes to customers to express how important they are to your company?  (Emails don’t count!)  All of these things let the people who keep you in business know just how important their business is.  Smaller businesses have the ability to be personal, and people expect it.  Don’t let them down.

5. Challenge everything -

If you’re in a leadership position in your company, set your ego aside and allow – scratch that, encourage! – your people to disagree with you in a healthy way.  Don’t be the fool in the room who insists he always knows more than anyone else.  Real magic happens when people are comfortable suggesting alternatives.

Conversely, if you are working your way up the ladder, be bold.

Strive to be the person constantly coming up with new ideas.  Early in my career, I was reluctant to do this because the culture didn’t encourage it.  If the ideas you propose are well-developed, thoroughly researched, and sold with passion, you have no reason to doubt yourself.  Take inspiration from a guy from Zimbabwe I met at a coffee shop.  He was finishing his dissertation; once he finishes his doctorate, he is going home to a country with 92% unemployment.  He is going to challenge his people to think like large countries with big economic engines.

All you have to do is challenge your small business to think like a big company.  That puts your challenge in perspective, doesn’t it?  Remember that selling anything, whether it’s a product or an idea, is nothing more than the transfer of enthusiasm. The people in your company hired you to make a difference; fulfill that promise.

Above all, challenge your thinking.

Consider the ideas utilized by your larger counterparts; don’t be afraid to think big.  Small businesses aren’t limited to small ideas; don’t let yourself be, either.

Photo credit: getentrepreneurial.com

Mark Quinn is the VP of Marketing for the Residential Segment at Leggett and Platt. He also blogs on his experiences and opinions on his blog Q’s Views.