I know, it's not Halloween yet...or as it used to be called "All Hallows Eve". Whichever terminology you decide to use, just know that as a business owner, you don't have to celebrate Halloween in order to profit from it. Yeah, I know you may not even think of it when the day arrives, however, just like any other major holiday, you stand a chance of profiting off of this day just like the average retail business owner.



DID YOU KNOW??: The National Retail…

When it comes to branding or business identity, sometimes I think that I'm a little harsh. A little too critical. But, then I'm reminded that building an effective brand requires criticism and scrutiny in order for it to work? By "work" I mean effectiveness, memorability and clarity. Your audience…

So, I've always prided myself on being an individual. That's it. Very simple. That's my punch line. I've never been one to purchase the most obvious buy in the mall. I would rather look at the other pieces of clothing and mix and match. A dreadful day it was, back in college...I got all dressed and really casual yet cute looking. Walked downstairs to the college event and someone else had on the same exact outfit as I did. In complete horror, I ran back upstairs and changed. I thought to…

When it comes to the story of our lives, we often go off in a frenzy complaining the entire way about how much more we want. As business owners, our continuous complaint tends to surround the desire for more revenue. “What else could we do to increase our revenue? We have a website, filled with information. Our inventory is well-stocked with great items! I personally hand out business cards and flyers at least 5 times a week. What else is there? Hmmm, we could add more pages and products to…

There are so many times when dealing with new clients I automatically place a title on them. It's either a "Player" or a "Go-Getter." The sad thing about it is that there are more players than go-getters. They start off so excited about starting their own business, everything's map out, then they procrastinate for the silliest reasons. Searching the internet on "how-to's" and "should i's", it becomes a regular practice.



Instead jumping around from site to site reading about…

That's right! A messy marketer. What is that you ask? Well, first things first. Are you marketing your business? Are you even ready to market your business? Okay, final question, is your business MARKETING YOU?…

As a small business owner in a failing economy, eliminating unnecessary expenses in overhead and operations is one of the sure ways to keep your business afloat. Making this decision is critical to your success. Revamping your business to fit the “Go Virtual” business model should be the first step taken in operating your “Smarter Business.”  Choosing this type of model doesn’t have to mean a major re-writing of your business plan or taking out a small business loan.

This is…

Remember back in the day, when you'd go to a nightclub and end up visiting at least 3 more by the end of night? Yep, you got it! Club Hopping! A simple way to describe it is when you go from club to club in search of a better experience than the last. When my sisters and I would prepare to go to the nightclub that evening, our goal was to remain in the club we set out for. We didn't have enough money back then to go from place to place. Not to mention, all the gas, time and energy we'd spend…

Formulating a business endeavor that will without a doubt service your potential customer's need is like finding a dog that can undoubtedly replace your dog that you considered a family member for many years. It's a pretty tough task where you'll never get it just right. However, you can get it close enough with room to make it better with time.

You see, a consumer to your business is like icing to cake, it's something that's necessary. Even though you can create a cake without icing,…