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Bowl shows you've got to know your rivals

Q: Loved that Super Bowl win by the Giants, but it's hard not to feel sorry for the Patriots. Sort of reminds me of losing a big client when you least expect it. — Jim

A: My pal Jim made this observation after the game and I thought it was pretty astute. The 4th quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl game was very exciting but it was hard to believe that the Patriots wouldn't pull it out, given their dominating season and 18-0 record going into the game. But they didn't. In the end, Tom Brady was forced to throw a couple of Hail Marys to Randy Moss and hope some of the magic dust that had been sprinkled on their season remained. No such luck.

How do we avoid a similar fate? As small business people, we have our own personal challenges and tests. Whether it's landing the big, new customer or impressing that person you need to impress, we all want to succeed.

Here then are four tips for winning your own personal Super Small Business Bowl:
1. Don't ignore the competition
2. Do what you do best
3. Don't believe the hype
4. Avoid the need for a Hail Mary

Whole article here.
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Selling a recruiting business

Someone asked, over on UK Recruiter (may require FREE sign-up – I will be writing articles for their Newsletter in the future!) about how to sell a recruitment business. I thought some of you might have some interest in the answers:

Has anyone experience with selling a recruitment company? Would be interested in hearing if anyone knows how to value a business in this sector? As most of the value is the staff and client relationships does normal company valuations work? If anyone has any information or could offer a guide i.e. X times turnover = valuation, I would appreciate any help.

See all the answers here.
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Sourcers! Don't be left out. Get listed in the 2008 Book of Sourcers!
Do something today you don’t think you can do. Lose phone fear here.

Embrace Complainers

Posted by Maureen Sharib
That person standing before you — complaining — is someone who can help you understand how to improve your company. It's in your best interest — and in the best interest of your bottom line — to deal with them, not just get rid of them.

Here's something to remember — most unhappy customers don't complain; they just go away. Sure, only one of the 100 guests at your hotel complained that the rooms were dirty. But that doesn't mean the other 99 were satisfied. Many of those other 99 guests may have felt the same way, but they didn't want to take the time or energy to confront you. Instead of letting you know, they're just not going to come back and they may even warn other customers away.
5 ways to improve your business by recognizing complaints:
Listen.
Apologize.
Learn
Respond
Empower
Read the whole story here.
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Sourcers! Don't be left out. Get listed in the 2008 Book of Sourcers!
Do something today you don’t think you can do. Lose phone fear here.

Why should 5-year-olds learn about economics?

Elita Anderson pored over a credit-card application, studying the fine print and looking for the interest rate. "I couldn't find it," the 15-year-old North Star Charter School student said after several minutes. "The print is so small it hurts your head to read it."

Anderson is enrolled in a required personal-finance class at the Eagle school that gives students a dose of real-world economics to accompany the three R's. She and the school's 319 other students in kindergarten through ninth grade get daily exposure to economics in an effort to make them more savvy consumers and to help them understand how business works.

How big a nest egg should a 45-year-old have?

Here's a look at who faces a midlife financial crisis -- and who might be able to retire early.

To retire in comfort, you ought to save a manageable 12% of an $80,000/yr. income every year for the next 20 years.
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Sourcers! Don't be left out. Get listed in the 2008 Book of Sourcers!
Do something today you don’t think you can do. Lose phone fear here.

Buying/Selling a Business

Posted by Maureen Sharib
Please read my blog to find out more about the process of buying or selling a business. I also talk about economic conditions because it is a big factor when considering a business acquisition. ~ Rose Stabler

Read her November 19 entry: Selling Your Small Home-Based Business
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Sourcers! Don't be left out. Get listed in the 2008 Book of Sourcers!
Do something today you don’t think you can do. Lose phone fear here.

How to Get Paid

Posted by Maureen Sharib

Even with the enormous popularity of PayPal, it's important to address the needs of all kinds of buyers, including those concerned with the safety of shopping online, as well as those worried about adding to their credit card balance.

Investigating some of the latest alternative payment options and integrating them in to your site can help entice that segment of online shoppers not comfortable with traditional methods to make the plunge. The good news is that analysts say the market is maturing to the point where employing alternative payment methods is far simpler to do than it was a few years ago, and is a relatively easy way to boost conversion rates.

More Ways to Pay Means More Ways to Sell Sucharita Mulpuru, a senior e-commerce analyst for Forrester Research, said that last year online businesses pulled in $220 billion in profits while spending merely $15 billion in advertising. Of that $220 billion, travel accounted for $70 billion, Amazon.com and eBay made $40 billion, and the top 100 retailers earned $50 billion. Other longtail business produced $60 billion, accounting for nearly 30 percent of online profits.

Whole story here.

True Character of the American Entrepreneur

Discover Polls Reveal True Character of the American Entrepreneur

Are you tough enough to be one of the 22 million Americans who run a small business?

Can you or your employees afford to go without health care coverage?
Will you work six or seven days a week and give up your holidays?
Will you consistently work more than 8 hours a day?
Can you do what it takes to keep a customer happy?
Are your business and your mind wired for a new digital age?

Changing Jobs

On this past Wednesday’s HIGH NOON Animal Radio Show the distinguished panel discussed Dave Lefkow’s recent move from VP of Sales for Jobster to his new entrepreneurial pursuit, along with Justin Esch, in the creation of a new culinary delight they’re introducing to the market, BaconSalt.

Doubting Thomas Animal seemed rather conflicted about the decision and it seems some others on LinkedIn are discussing the subject of changing jobs/careers and I thought the following question’s 129 Answers might have a thing or two to convey about the wisdom of these kinds of decisions.

“When you changed jobs (voluntarily) was it more because of the money, career path/opportunity, corporate culture or was there something else driving your decision?”

Acting Entrepreneurially is Scary?

Ask an Expert (Steve Strauss): Give workers an entrepreneurial nudge

Q: When I worked for Mercy Corps, it was a very entrepreneurial enterprise. For instance, if we wanted to take on a new project, we had to own it. Isn't that how most small businesses are run? — Mara

A: Unfortunately, I think the answer is "no."