Author Archives: Erich Peter
Video Marketing: Are you ready for your close-up?
You oughta be in pictures…videos, actually! They’re a highly effective medium for reaching your ideal customer and should be an integral part of any comprehensive marketing plan. If you’re thinking you don’t have the budget or the time for video,…
Loose Lips Sink Small Businesses: Protecting Your Trade Secrets
Think you don’t have trade secrets? Anything that gives you a competitive advantage and you wouldn’t want a competitor to know is a trade secret, so you must have at least one! For a restaurant or bakery, that might…
Sticks and Stones: How to Handle Negative Customer Reviews
Positive online feedback about your services or products can give a nice boost to your business, not to mention your spirits, but what about comments and reviews that are tepid or downright dismal? You may not be able to change…
Want to be Found on Google? You Better be Mobile-Friendly!
Don’t panic (well, maybe a little…). If you don’t know about the game-changing revision that Google is making to its search results algorithm as of Tuesday, April 21, 2015 (yes, THIS Tuesday), read on and be prepared to take action!…
Making the Most of Your Trade Show Presence
You probably know that participating in a trade show can be a business development bonanza or bust. Whether you’re exhibiting on a 6-foot table at a half-day local networking event or in a fancy booth at a multi-day expo and…
Is It Time to Offer an Internship?
Student internships can help small businesses thrive in so many ways that you might be missing out by not offering one at yours. Regardless of your size, your years in operation, or what you do, prospective interns are looking for…
Are You Ready For Small Business Saturday?
The busiest shopping period of the year is just around the corner. Do you know what you’re doing for Small Business Saturday® (SBS) – November 29? The big retailers may have their Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but the “shop…
Why You Should Pay Attention to Apple Pay
With next month’s launch of Apple Pay, Apple’s new mobile-payment system, industry analysts predict we’re at a turning point when it comes to how customers pay for purchases. Technology that enables customers to make purchases with a swipe of their…
You’re Never Too Small for a Handbook
Your business isn’t legally required to provide an employee handbook, but regardless of your size, it’s still a good idea to furnish something in writing – even just one sheet – that explains basic terms of employment. Here’s why: It’s…
Customer Rewards Programs: are they right for your business?
If you’re considering launching a customer rewards program, remember, you can’t “buy” loyalty. No rewards program can compensate for shortcomings in the fundamentals: service, quality, reliability, and value. It can, however, build on the satisfaction you’ve already earned. It’s a…