Small Business, Big Impact

Exporting Tips for Internet Retailers

Jess Wells — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:10:50 +0000

Mark Henricks

Markets with retail buyers are out there and a few simple changes to your web-site can improve your ability to deliver to them. Author Mark Henricks outlines some straight-forward ways to expand your visibility and attractiveness to customers overseas. Listen to, download, and forward my podcast, and then post your own question to Henricks here.

Here are some highlights:

One of the great things about expanding to overseas markets is the ability to smooth out the spikes in sales during American holidays. Anyone have a list of holidays by country?
Look into simple fixes to your website to attract overseas shoppers: it could be as simple as announcing that you’ll ship overseas
You’re not restricted to DHL to ship. Even the US Post Office will ship for you so you don’t need to make major changes to your processes.

Listen to “Exporting Tips for Internet Retailers” here.

Posted in business, business mentoring, exporting, retail, sales, small business

Export Business: Who Can Help You Build One?

Jess Wells — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:40:17 +0000

Watch new video on how to build an export business.

The Small Business Exporters Association encourages you to take the leap of faith and export your products. There are well-established guidelines, and government agencies to help you find sales leads, financing, and the introductions you’ll need for success. BizWiseTV interviewed a veteran exporter and president of the association, Susan Corrales-Diaz. Watch the video here…

Posted in business, business mentoring, exports, sales, small business Tagged: Export-Import_Bank, exports, financing, NSBA, SBEA, small businesses, U.S._Dept._of_Commerce

Tips for Winning Business over the Phone

Jess Wells — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:09:41 +0000

Janelle Barlow, author of "A Complaint is a Gift"

Author Janelle Barlow says customer service isn’t a necessary evil, it’s an opportunity to strengthen a relationship and make sales. In three podcasts, she outlines how to equip your sales force to up-sell, how to treat unhappy customers as your allies and how to up-sell to customers…Read more and download the audio files of this post here.

Posted in business, business mentoring, call centers, customer care, sales, small business Tagged: business best practices, customer care, phone sales, sales, small businesses

How to Restructure Your Debt

Jess Wells — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:10:57 +0000

Bankruptcy isn’t the only option when you find yourself with a financial short-fall. SCORE advisor Mike Strozza outlines the difference between a liquidation and a reorganization, how to determine whether you need to restructure debt or just press on. Hear my podcast interview and post your question…

Posted in business, business mentoring, cash flow, finance, SCORE Tagged: business best practices, debt, financial management, recession, small businesses

When the Going Gets Tough, Get in Touch with Your Customers

Jess Wells — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:15:12 +0000

When the going gets tough, the tough get in touch with their customers and not just their best customer — all their customers. What’s the best way to do it? I got on the phone with Roger Nunley, Managing Director of the Customer Care Institute, an international resource organization that assists in improving the delivery of customer care. Hear the podcast, read the blog post and watch the video here…

Posted in business, business mentoring, call centers, customer care, sales, small business Tagged: business best practices, customer care, sales, small businesses

Business Strategies in a Down Economy

Jess Wells — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:38:40 +0000

Prosper in a bad economy by taking a good look at your cash flow, your opportunities, and your alliances. SCORE advisor Mark Levi outlines techniques for surviving and thriving in this podcast…in the Innovators Forum, at http://www.CiscoInnovators.com

Posted in business, business mentoring, cash flow, finance, SCORE, small business Tagged: business best practices, cash flow, debt, financial management, recession, small businesses

Getting Nimble: How to Assess an Opportunity

Jess Wells — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:49:46 +0000

The saving grace of small businesses in tough times may be their ability to be nimble but that doesn’t mean you can act on a whim. There’s due-diligence necessary before you change product lines, expand into new markets, or launch new offers to improve your business.

In a series of posts, we’ll consider the steps to being nimble the right way, talking with experts and entrepreneurs. First, how do you assess an opportunity? Discover some questions to ask before deciding on a new direction…(read more)

Join me in the Innovators Forum, the Cisco Small Business Community. It’s objective information from experts, free, no strings attached. Join me at www.CiscoInnovators.com

This post, and all my guest interviews, can be heard by subscribing to the Innovators Small Business Insights Podcast Series, here:

Posted in business, small business Tagged: business best practices, business forums, recession, small businesses