BlogFear. It’s Why You Should Do It! Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 There has been a lot written about overcoming fear by various authors this year. However, any decorated soldier, UFC champion or business mogul will tell you is that conquering fear isn’t about not being afraid, it is about using. In fact fear of launching that business idea or expanding into that new niche is probably exactly why you should do it. If you weren’t afraid, if … You Are Who You Associate With Friday, December 23rd, 2011 What do you want to achieve through your business in the New Year? Whatever it is, what you really achieve or don’t will rely a lot on who you associate with during the upcoming holidays and throughout the next 12 months. There are two parts to this equation. The first is that who you associate with will influence your own actions and decisions. Will the people you spend … What Did Black Friday Do For Your Business? Friday, December 2nd, 2011 Hopefully your business did great in terms of sales on Black Friday but perhaps this holiday season what you buy is just as important as what you sell. As we move into a continuous stream of sales between now and the end of the year and many B2B organizations are feeling the pinch of the focus on retail it is the perfect time for small business … Thursday, December 1st, 2011 As an entrepreneur and small business owner each and every decision and action counts. Everything you choose to do is either taking you closer to your goals or further from them. This includes everything from allowing yourself to be distracted by your inbox every 2 minutes to watching TV while you should be focusing on your screen to agreeing to unnecessary meetings. If you aren’t sure … Is This A Good Time Of Year To Start A New Business? Monday, November 28th, 2011 Some may question the benefits of starting a new business during the end of year holiday season but others have found that there is no better time. Of course if your business typically benefits from the Christmas shopping fest then there is no question that it can be the perfect time to kick off a new venture if you want to start with a bang. However, … Capitalizing On The Holidays For B2B Marketers Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 The upcoming holiday season can be a tricky time for B2B marketers. Everyone is under more pressure to perform and while you want your organization to end the year on a high note and see great numbers coming in for December it can be more difficult than ever to connect with decision makers and make sales. However, experienced entrepreneurs also know that this is the perfect … Google On Caffeine +, Why Your Blog Just Got More Valuable Thursday, November 17th, 2011 New Google ranking changes just made your blogs and content a lot more important. Building on its Caffeine web indexing system which rolled out last year, Google just announced further changes to its ranking algorithm which will affect around 35% of all searches. These new changes are aimed at delivering even better results, based on the freshness and most recent content. Depending on the topic, the … Tips For Making Your Webinars More Attractive Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 Now that entrepreneurs have discovered the power and ROI of putting on their own webinars it is becoming increasingly essential for business owners to take additional steps to make their’s more appealing. So what can you do to add value to your webinars and make them stand out? 1. Promote Through Affiliates Having your affiliates and strategic partners sending out a personal message recommending your webinar is … Thanksgiving & Your Small Business Friday, November 11th, 2011 We are just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving 2011 and the opportunities it offers to increase productivity, raise brand visibility and gain new business should not be overlooked. Small businesses will find Thanksgiving an excellent chance to increase staff loyalty, job satisfaction and productivity. Giving out turkeys to your staff to ensure they have a great day with their families or at least throwing a … 4 Mistakes That Limit Your Start Up’s Potential For Success Thursday, November 10th, 2011 1. Pricing Have you really thought out your pricing? Not just that you can cut costs by doing everything yourself and undercut the competition on price. What happens if the industry changes and an incredible new low becomes the standard like in the publishing industry with ebooks? What if your overhead increases or you have to pay out commissions for others to promote or sell for … Should Charity Be Part Of Your Sales Pitch? Monday, November 7th, 2011 It seems that an increasing amount new start ups are using charity as part of their sales pitch. Is this a smart strategy for your new venture? More and more newer small businesses are proclaiming that they are donating a percentage of their income to charity. Certainly this can help create a better image and to a certain extent make consumers feel better about spending their … To Risk Nothing Is To Risk Everything Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 Geena Davis once said ‘To risk nothing is to risk everything’. This has never been more true for the American worker and entrepreneur than today. Despite the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests it is clear, from the government’s moves in the mortgage industry last week that it is unlikely any personal bail outs are on the way for those who want them the most. The antiquated strategy … Defeating Your Content Marketing Challenges Friday, October 28th, 2011 There is a reason why experts are saying content marketing is king these days. Not only has recent research revealed content marketing as the most popular marketing method right now, with 82% of business to business marketers and over 70% of direct to consumer businesses using it but it is cost effective and is producing results too. However, content marketing isn’t without its challenges. A recent … Offline Marketing: Facebook Likes For Discounts Thursday, October 27th, 2011 Offline businesses can face a tough time trying to find valuable marketing advice today. Business news, columns and coaches all seem to be focusing almost exclusively on new virtual business models and Internet marketing. However, just because you already have a brick and mortar business or really want to open one that focuses on local customers it doesn’t mean that you can’t find cost effective … Harvard Grads Available For Minimum Wage Friday, October 21st, 2011 The Occupy Wall Street protests continue in New York and are now spreading to other cities including Boston and Chicago. For those who haven’t been keeping up with the news, much of the complaints from the crowd surround the lack of jobs and a desire for higher taxes on the wealthy. Standing around complaining instead of going to look for a job, creating something or … Thursday, October 20th, 2011 If you aren’t seeing the results you want from your blog, don’t abandon it yet! There could be a number of easy fixes to boost the effectiveness and results from your blog. Firstly, you need to recognize that it can take a little time to really get traction. True, some businesses come out of the gate sprinting but unless you really prepped your launch and built … 4 Quick Tips For Improving Your Website Conversion Rates Thursday, October 13th, 2011 1. Placement Of Your Opt-In Form Your primary goal may be to make an immediate sale, though you can’t afford not to have a second best option either. That is capturing visitor’s contact information for ongoing marketing. Building a sizable email opt-in list is a great way to do this. In order for this to work you must place your opt-in form in a prominent place, … Being Weird: It’s A Good Thing Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 Many new entrepreneurs assume that they have to make their businesses look like big faceless corporations or everyone else in order to be successful. However, nothing may be further from the truth. There is a reason that personal branding has become more widely used. That is because it works. You may not feel like a rock star who demands center stage and sold out venues right … Exploiting The Independent Executive Lifestyle: Travel Ideas Thursday, October 6th, 2011 One of the most attractive benefits of going into business for yourself is the freedom it brings. So what have you done lately to exploit your new freedom and your newly gained independent executive lifestyle? Perhaps the most precious new gift you have received is the ability to travel. Even if you don’t have a burning passion to travel just for the sake of it, it … Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 While you may have the best product or service in the world and it is necessary to reinvest in your own business, you also need to make sure that your assets and investments are diversified. So how should you be investing your profits and where, in order to build a healthy nest egg for the future? Actually, the most important thing to consider is not always … Should You Partner Up To Get Your Start Up Launched? Thursday, September 29th, 2011 It is often very tempting to reach out for partners when trying to launch a new business idea to get your project moving faster but is this really a smart idea? Often the attraction to seeking out partners for a new business is to gain access to additional capital. This may seem necessary at the time or at least appealing if you believe that you need … Are You Too Young, Or Old To Start A New Business? Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 Among the many excuses for not getting that start up off the ground are being too young or too old to start a business. This is perhaps the weakest of all reasons not to start your own venture and follow your dreams. Think you are too young? Look up Adora Svitak, a twelve year old who has published two books, had become a public speaker, has … Need For Cash Still Holding Back Your Startup? Friday, September 23rd, 2011 Still putting off your startup for lack of funds? There has never been a better time to launch a new venture. Once you start your planning you will find that by capitalizing on outsourcing and cloud computing technology it will probably cost you at lot less to get going than you might think. While telling your boss what you really think of them and putting all of … Is Your Business Idea Really Scalable? Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 No matter what type of business you are considering starting up it is absolutely critical that it is truly scalable. This isn’t something that you can fix later. You have to analyze and build scalability into your business model from the beginning or face boxing yourself into a business which keeps you restricted. Why does it have to be scalable? There are a number of reasons why … Marketing: Short Term VS Long Term Monday, September 19th, 2011 Are you marketing for short term or long term success? Rushing in to marketing with a desperate need or desire to create sales can be dangerous for your business. Yes, you may need to make money now and you may want to see that your business plan is viable. However, bending to the pressure of doing whatever it takes to make a buck now will likely … Friday, September 16th, 2011 September 17th is Passport Day. This Saturday you can walk in and apply for passports at your Regional Passport Agency without having an appointment. This is great news for those of you who are still chained to your corporate jobs and don’t have the freedom you want during the week. Plus you will find many passport themed events for both adults and children at local passport … G+, The Greatest Marketing Tool Ever Invented? Friday, September 9th, 2011 The buzz about Google+ continues to grow and barely a day goes by when you don’t hear some updates on it from some one’s feed. So is Google + the greatest marketing tool ever invented? It just might be. Though perhaps for Google, not you! Reports this week of an Q&A session with Google’s Eric Schmidt highlighted this in a big way. Questions surfaced about the … Thursday, September 8th, 2011 Who doesn’t want to be a better leader? So what is the key to better management? There are many debates about whether you should be the tough guy manager or the nice guy everyone loves, but perhaps the one thing that you can do to really enhance the effectiveness of your management right now is to think back to your days as an employee and how … The Future Of Direct Marketing Monday, September 5th, 2011 As a small business owner or entrepreneur planning a new venture it is obvious that it you want to not only stay in business but excel you must be wired in to the latest direct response marketing trends and tools. You have no doubt already heard that using social media and mobile marketing is essential. By networking and attending events you can get a great insight … Transforming Your Business Into A Social Enterprise Friday, September 2nd, 2011 Just using social media to try and hook new customers is no longer enough. The entire shape of industry and the way we do business is changing. In order to create a long term success story and position your venture to become a leader you must transform it into a ‘social enterprise’. This goes beyond having a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. This means truly … Marketing Advice From Albert Einstein Friday, August 26th, 2011 Today marketing gurus are trying to hammer the message home to businesses planning Internet marketing initiatives that they should be focusing on providing free, valuable content. This still seems like a difficult adjustment for some small businesses to accept, though perhaps easier when put into perspective by Albert Einstein. Decades ago Einstein is quoted as saying “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become … Excuses VS Action: What’s Holding Back Your Startup? Thursday, August 25th, 2011 Are doubts and excuses holding you back from launching your own business? Benjamin Franklin once said “He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else”. What if you spent all of the time you did doubting your desire to start your own venture or if you can really make it work actually figuring out how to get around those obstacles? Not sure how … 5 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Paid What You ‘Deserve’ Thursday, August 18th, 2011 There are some that will argue that you are always getting paid exactly what you ‘deserve’ at the present moment. This can be difficult to swallow for many of us who work hard, do the right things and know that we are great at what we do. However, after some contemplation you will find it hard to deny. It is not that you aren’t capable of … 4 Tips For Successfully Hiring Remote Sales People Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 Utilizing outsourcing and hiring remote sales people can be a great choice for new entrepreneurs. Done right this can provide you with a high powered sales team at very affordable rates without the need to incur more overhead. However, if you aren’t careful in your recruiting you could end up burning a lot of opportunities and missing out on a sizable amount of revenues. So … Stuck In Startup Limbo: How To Be Effective Today Thursday, August 11th, 2011 Startup limbo strikes 99% of those striking out with their own businesses at some point. This is when you know you want to do your own thing but you just haven’t defined a product or service yet or you are stuck waiting for web developers or designers to roll out your website. This does not mean your momentum should stall or that you have to sit … Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 While we often talk about those who are paralyzed by to much learning and lack action, entrepreneurs can also suffer from tunnel vision when couping themselves up for too long. It is far too easy for many new small business owners to just roll over in the morning, log on to the web and work until way after the sun has gone down. It is too … One Tip To Save $1,200 A Year & 2 Hours A Day Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 Do not click the back button until you hear this one out! This one tip can save you $1,200 a year and at least 2 hours a day, dramatically increasing your productivity. OK, $1,200 may not sound huge, but it’s enough to perhaps take the kids to Disney, splurge on taking your love interest to a romantic restaurant or invest in a really great marketing campaign. Saving … The Incredible Value Of Free Products Thursday, August 4th, 2011 We hear a lot today about how as business owners we should be giving away free content and information. For most of you this probably sounds like a direct contradiction to the reason you got into business, but there is actually a lot of solid logic behind it. In fact if you look at some of today’s most successful start ups you will find that this … How To Make More Money Than The US Government Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 Considering the recent mass news coverage of the ‘debt crisis’ you might think this isn’t too hard, but imagine if you could build a business bringing in more cash than the US government. Not the president’s meager few hundred thousand dollar salary but having more money in the bank! Sound impossible? Far from it. Apple just did it! Now with 18% of the global smartphone market … Social Media: Free Content VS Lead Capture Thursday, July 28th, 2011 You have probably read again and again that winning at social media marketing is all about building relationships by providing valuable free content. This is true to a large extent but you are probably asking yourself where the lead generation and actually making money part is supposed to come in. You can do both and while social media is about simply networking and building contacts you … 7 Top To-Dos To Launch Your Business Right Now Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 Planning is great and is absolutely essential for launching a successful business but if you wait forever to start you will see opportunity after opportunity go by in front of your eyes while you start planning over from the start again and again. You don’t have to have everything perfect and a bound, glossy 100 page business plan to start making progress and laying the … The Key To Instant Profitability Thursday, July 21st, 2011 What is the key to instant profitability? It’s simple. Just start taking orders! You can spend weeks crafting branding materials, months building elaborate business plans, a year testing marketing strategies and burn through your start up capital before you even gain your first customer and make your first sale. Or you can shoot out a few emails and just pick up the phone and start taking orders. … Finding The Time To Launch Your Startup Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 Business ideas are cheap. They often flow into our minds by the dozen. Unfortunately, unless you actually take the time to forge them into a money making machine they become nothing more than more missed opportunities. So when are you going to stop dreaming of launching your own business and actually get out there and do it? So many would be entrepreneurs continue to complain that they … Can You Make A Killing Online With A One Page Site? Thursday, July 14th, 2011 We have been drilled with message that masses of content and large websites make for great search engine rankings and is critical for running a successful online business, but is this really necessary? Can you make a killing on the web with a one page site? Absolutely! There is a lot to be said for expansive websites packed with lots of useful information. However, this shouldn’t … When It’s Time To Stop Learning & Planning Thursday, June 30th, 2011 Are you still stuck preparing and planning to launch your business idea? “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” - Harvey MacKay Preparation and having a well thought out plan is essential for succeeding in your new venture. Though many would … 5 Sources For Your Startup Funds Friday, June 24th, 2011 Chasing seed money to start up your new venture is certainly not the only way to get started. It can slow you down and limit your creativity when there are plenty of other great ways to be resourceful and get your business off the ground or expand. Though if you are really determined to seek outside funding for your new enterprise then check out the … Could Live Chat Rocket Your ROI? Thursday, June 16th, 2011 There are so many new methods of advertising our businesses today and so many different tools being thrust on us by marketers it is often hard to know which we should invest in and where our efforts are best spent. However, this does not mean that the tried and tested tactics that have already been doing wonders for others should be ignored. Among these marketing tools … Internet Marketing & The Dangers Of Mastering Everything Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 There is no question that all small and medium sized businesses need to be marketing themselves on the Internet today regardless of what industry they are in. However, this can be a pitfall for those who crave the need to be a master at everything they do. For those new to marketing themselves on the web there are volumes to learn from building a website to … Perspective: Solving Entrepreneur Syndrome Thursday, June 9th, 2011 Chasing your dreams and embracing the independent executive style is certainly freeing and the only way to live if you want to experience all life has to offer you. However doing it alone does comes with a certain handful of quirks. Let’s call this ‘Entrepreneur Syndrome’. One of the symptoms is the solitude that sometimes comes with it going alone. The late nights working on … Resourcefulness, The Entrepreneur’s Secret Weapon Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 So many of those who choose to remain chained to the corporate world as well as new entrepreneurs often complain and lament that if only they had more resources they would be able to realize their goals, launch a profitable enterprise of their own and grow their businesses to where they want them to be. However, success really has very little to do with resources … The Road To Success: What’s Next? Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 Whether you are just getting your own business going or your brand is already basking in the limelight you can never afford to stop innovating and asking ‘what’s next?’. As a new and growing business you need to find creative ways to differentiate and position your business to stand out from the crowd and increase profits. However, even if you are already finding yourself at the … What Google’s Social Search Means For Your Business Monday, May 30th, 2011 Facebook obviously saw Google’s new Social Search as a big enough threat to make it hire a PR firm to run a campaign against Google. What will it mean for your business? For those unfamiliar with Google’s new Social Search feature, it now brings results from your contact’s social media into your search engine results. In the reverse it will of course start bringing up results … Recognizing Your Strengths To Build A Better Business Thursday, May 26th, 2011 Recognizing your strengths to build a better business may sound obvious, though it actually has a much bigger impact than you may think. There are a many different tasks and roles that you may need to take on as a new business owner. Some of them you may have a natural talent for, others you may have already learned a lot about and have gained practical … The Key to Working Less and Making More Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 Who doesn’t want to work less hours every week and make more money at the same time? The truth is that you can read all the time management books and tips in the world and try to get a raise or start your own business, but there is only principal that you really need to harness. This is that if you want to work less, or … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Knowing Your Values is Critical For Success Monday, May 23rd, 2011 As an entrepreneur and business owner knowing your values is critical to your success. Of course there some who may think having values and running a super successful world dominating corporation are completely incompatible. However we do all have values, though they can be very different. If you want to build a winning and sustainable business you must recognize your most important values. Recognizing your values at … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Speed to Market More Critical Than Ever Before Monday, May 16th, 2011 The advantages of getting a new product on the market quickly and ahead of the competition are obvious. Not only does it mean making money faster, but often with less expensive market and the opportunity to grab market share and lock others out of the market through agreements with strategic partners. However the changes in the business world are creating faster and faster acceleration. New technology … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: When Success Doesn’t Come Easy Sunday, May 15th, 2011 Breaking free from the chains of your corporate job and starting your own business is easy. However finding true success and blazing through your goals isn’t always smooth sailing. Sometimes it can feel like you are repeatedly taking one step forward and two steps back. What do you do then? Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Looking For A New Event Location – Rent A Country! Thursday, April 21st, 2011 Despite the Internet revolution and the boom in social media marketing, special seminars and events are still regularly used to close the deal and seem to be in fact becoming more popular again. So if you are planning a special event of your own, whether it is a product launch, new company start up, convention or sales seminar you are probably looking for a location … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Expanding Your Social Media Marketing: Foursquare Monday, April 18th, 2011 Regardless of whether you have an established brick and mortar business or a budding online enterprise you should already have Twitter and Facebook up and running already, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop there… Enter foursquare. Foursquare maybe one of the new kids on the block when it comes to social media but it has also firmly established a presence that is not to … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Attitude is Everything Friday, March 11th, 2011 In my recent article, “Time to Go Out on Your Own?”, I offered some hard questions that anyone who wanted to become a business owner should ask themselves before they go out on their own. As a small business coach, I know what a difference entering the entrepreneur world can make to your personal and professional life – and it’s best to be as … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: How Lucky Can You Get? Monday, February 28th, 2011 Luck can be important to business success, but, as I write in my new article, “Generating Your Own Good Luck,” most of our good luck is the end result of our own day-to-day efforts. According to “Psychology Today,” however, there are ways that you can actually help generate good luck, all things being equal. Dr. Srini Pillay in an article from the magazine last year … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Work and Happiness Monday, February 21st, 2011 There’s nothing wrong with wanting to become a business owner and achieve success. As an executive business coach, it’s my job to help clients reach their professional goals. There is something wrong, however, when you pin all your happiness on the amount in your banking account. A recent study by researchers at Stanford and Wharton found five main sources of happiness for people – none of … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Do Nice Bosses Finish Last? Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 In my new article, “How Many Basketballs Can You Put in this Room?,” I shared the top 25 weirdest job interview questions from 2010 – and suggested some that might work just a wee bit better. That got the small business coach in me to thinking – if you are successful in hiring a person who is talented and motivated, how do you make sure … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: The Art of Saying it Simply Saturday, January 15th, 2011 After the glow of the New Year festivities begin to fade, it is time for those of us in the northern hemisphere to hunker back down for the short days of winter. When sunlight is scarce, I’ve noticed that for me sometime so is inspiration. So one of my business resolutions for 2011 was to seek out and share two quotes per week that are … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: How Much Are You Willing To Invest In Yourself? Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 That is my $64,000 question. Success comes with investment; the best investment you can make is in your own education. As a business owner or entrepreneur it is crucial that you stay current and continue to learn from those that have already achieved what you want. As you set your goals for 2011, take a look and see where you have any skill gaps. For example if … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Putting Thought Leadership Into Action Saturday, January 8th, 2011 In my new article, “Share the Wealth – Through Thought Leadership,” I discuss how sharing dynamic ideas and useful information with others in your business category can help you continue to grow and innovate. Now I’d like to share the story of one business that’s doing just that. Well, I’m not sure you can call it a business exactly – it’s a police department. The law … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Spending Life in Your Own Way Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 “There is only one success, to be able to spend your life in your own way.” –Christopher Morley It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, nearly 20 years ago. I was working as a project manager for a small technical writing and publishing firm. I had a note on my desk informing me that the owner of the firm wanted to see me and to review my … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Breaking Bad Habits Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 As I write in my new article, “Cleaning Out Your Personal Closet for 2011,” New Year’s goals usually aren’t necessary for entrepreneurs and business owners – they generally spend enough time looking forward as it is. Sometimes, however, they don’t spend enough time looking backward – which is why I think going back over your bad business habits and resolving to break them in 2011 … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Michael Gerber’s E-Myth Re-Revisiting Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 Recently, I had the honor of attending a gathering where Michael Gerber was given a Lifetime Achievement award celebrating the 25th anniversary of his legendary business best-seller, “The E-Myth.” I wrote about what “The E-Myth” (as well as Michael’s sequel of sorts, “The E-Myth Revisited”) has meant to all of us small business coaches in my new article, “The E-Myth 25 Years Later.” He laid … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: How’s Your Future Vision? Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 In my new article, “Stay Ahead of the Curve,” I talk about the need for every business owner or entrepreneur to take time to analyze the “Big Picture” about their business – and try to objectively look at the ongoing health of their business sector. Frankly, the dustbins of business history are full to the top with companies, from the biggest to the smallest, who … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Speed PASS Santa – Innovation by Adaptation Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 I can’t believe Santa is already on duty at the mall. I think the elves started installing his manufactured housing sometime around Labor Day. Now, there wasn’t any line last night, but I know that will all change next week. Our local mall Santa has all of the usual trappings, snow, candy adorned structures, trees and plenty of artificial snow. However, there was a new addition … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Fear, Desire And The Entrepreneur Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 In my new article, “The 5 Key Traits of a Clutch Leader,” I discuss the primary personality characteristics of people who work well under pressure. These traits were uncovered at West Point by taking a look at the cadets who were the best clutch leaders in their classes. The first four traits are the ones you’d expect. It’s no big surprise that Focus, Discipline, Adaptability … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: The Key to Happiness? Run Your Own Business! Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 One of my favorite perks of life as a small business coach is the fact that I get to work with people who are, for the most part, happy. Entrepreneurs tend to be positive types who like to take responsibility for their success, their growth and their lives. So they tend to be pro-active people who are open and willing to learn new things, to … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Make It Personal Monday, October 18th, 2010 “Keep it professional” is a common refrain in the business world. But it can be just as important, if not more so, to “make it personal.” That means in order for you to really connect with clients and prospects, you need to be more than a business transaction. That means sharing something of yourself beyond the details of a deal. Think about what makes a bad date. … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Fear Is a 4-Letter Word Friday, October 1st, 2010 As a small business coach, I deal with all kinds of people who are experiencing all kinds of business challenges. But one single factor keeps popping up time and time again – stopping growth in its tracks, preventing problems from being solved and just generally holding people back from going the distance. That something is fear. In the business world, fear is a 4-letter word. It’s a … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Try Before They Buy – Why Test Marketing Matters Monday, September 13th, 2010 Launching a new product or service can be a crapshoot in today’s volatile business environment. Even if the market appears to be crying out for exactly what you plan to sell, that alone is still not a guarantee that your target customers will buy it. So what can you do to give your launch – and your business — the greatest chance of success? The … Biggest Business Lesson from the Prime Time Emmys Monday, August 30th, 2010 If you tuned into the 62nd Prime Time Emmys last night, there was a huge business (and frankly life lesson) to be learned if you watched closely. On a night that is full of anticipation to celebrate the best of television, it was remarkable how many of the winners started off their acceptance speech with, “I didn’t really expect to win…” By most accounts, the … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: One Secret To Success? Never Stop Learning Friday, August 27th, 2010 With summer drawing to a close, the annual ritual of kids from kindergarten to college heading back to school has begun. Those days likely seem far in the past to you, especially if you’ve been a working professional for several years. Well, I’m here to tell you they shouldn’t be. As an entrepreneur, continuing your education is vitally important – at least if you want … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Start A Blog For Your Business Monday, August 16th, 2010 Since their invention, blogs have exploded onto the scene all over the internet. Whether they discuss movies, sports, business, politics, or any other topic imaginable, there’s no denying their popularity and scope. But should you start a blog for your business? And what benefits can one bring you? The simple answers are… definitely and many. To start with, blogs are an efficient … US Unemployment Still at 9.5% – Stop Searching and Start Doing Friday, August 6th, 2010 What does the Loch Ness Monster, UFOs, and job security have in common? They are all myths, yet people want to believe that they exist. These believers expend a huge amount of energy searching for something they just won’t find. There will always be folk stories, and fuzzy photographs to keep fueling their serch, but ultimately they just don’t exist. This morning the July … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Timing Is Everything Friday, July 30th, 2010 What’s the best approach to following up on leads? Well, I summarized a few key findings from an incredibly interesting MIT study that attempts to answer that very question in my recent article, “Following Up on Leads: Take It to ‘Buy or Die.” As a small business coach, I felt this information was vital to the success of any internet marketer. … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Success Means School is Never Out Friday, July 16th, 2010 Doctors, dentists and other health professionals get a little help staying on top of their game – because it’s the law. Their professional boards require them to continue their education throughout their years of practice. Which means from time to time, your own doctor literally goes back to school, taking classes in new techniques and making sure the old ones are still working … It’s Official – July 6 is Independant Business Owners Day Friday, July 2nd, 2010 We live in a great country! Don’t you think? I have the good fortune of working with a lot of small business owners, and it is because of my work with them that I was determined to make sure that we are recognized for our contributions to the economic recovery. Over the past couple of weeks, I have worked with Senator Bethany Hall-Long to introduce … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: The Importance of Content Marketing Monday, June 28th, 2010 Right now, at this very moment, you are reading a piece of content marketing. That’s the information marketing business term for the articles, blogs, special reports and books – aka “content” — that successful entrepreneurs around the world are using to communicate with their clients and potential clients. Whether you have become a business owner recently or have been an entrepreneur for awhile, you may have noticed … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: There’s a Reason Why They Call Them “Executive” Suites Monday, June 14th, 2010 As a small business coach, I meet a lot of clients who work from home, doing the bulk of their business online or over the phone. You may very well work the same way. But let me ask you a question. What happens when one of your clients wants to come see you in person? Do you arrange to meet at a noisy restaurant or … Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 While speaking with a client recently, we were discussing ways he could expand his business. He is a successful personal coach, is currently stuck in the classic Hours for Dollar Trap. His dilemma stems around the fact that his core business is based upon his ability to meet with more clients and/or raise the hourly rate for the work that he performs. This is a … Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Don’t Fear Change Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 CHANGE. It’s a word that can sometimes conjure up the feeling of dread for even the strongest of people. The world we’ve all built for ourselves can feel so warm and safe. But in the business world, it’s those who embrace change that are able to be at the forefront of their industry, and that’s how you reach the levels of success … Who Needs a Small Business Coach? Thursday, May 27th, 2010 Whether you’re planning to start your own business or have been running one for a while, you’re probably very good at what you do. But running your own business means doing a lot of things besides “what you do.” Things you might not be especially skilled at, let alone enjoy. And sometimes, those extra things can become overwhelming. Things like marketing your business … Need more customers? Try Asking! Friday, April 16th, 2010 In all businesses, there is a profound need to keep putting new prospects into the top of your sales funnel. I find a lot of business owners ignore one of the biggest potential sources of new prospects that is sitting right underneath their nose. They simply fail to ask their current clients for referrals. One of the best places to find new customers is talk to … |
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