The Importance of Business Directories in 2013 Trends

According to James Burnes, in December 2008, every three seconds:

• 1 person buys a device to access the internet,
• 2 blogs are started,
• 3 YouTube videos are posted,
• 4 people signup to Facebook, and;
• 500 words are added to Wikipedia.

But hang on; that was back in 2008! So where are we now? Way past this! According to the Harvard Business School, the US e-commerce market is getting bigger and is already a significant US$200b as of December 2012. The market growth is driven by consumers becoming increasingly internet-connected and being more willing to purchase on-line.

Who is the Pulse of Your Business?

And the award goes to! Ever watch the academy awards and disagreed with the best actor decision thinking "no way". In this article I will compare your business with other professions such as acting and sports in an effort to help you determine who or what in your company or business is the real driving force that is pumping the success, having the finger on the pulse. The best actor really, or was it a combination of the right ingredients maybe a better script or film crew, location, co-stars, lighting, sound or visual effects, leadership such as director or producer and more importantly budget and marketing.

The Importance of Keeping Your Employees Motivated

Did you know that happy staff and happy customers = happy profit? Engagement is the key, but what is it? In a nut shell, the emotional buy-in or commitment a person brings to a business and when it happens is a key driver for business success. There is plenty of research which backs up the notion that keeping employees happy also keeps them productive.

So what is the key?

Customer Service Tips

Have you ever left a retailer feeling invisible, annoyed or dissatisfied, and vowing never to return? Chances are, after a less than happy sales experience you share your dissatisfaction with your friends, work colleagues and family members and more often than not, with social media. From there, the word is going to spread about their poor customer service, and this less than fortunate publicity comes free of charge to a business that may not even realise their awful customer service is losing customers and sales.

Studies show that it's less expensive to bring existing customers back than to attract new ones. So how can you not only improve your customer service, but also ensure you have repeat business?

What's Your Business Reputation Online?

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it".

Today, maintaining a good reputation is more important to small business than ever. Small businesses owners need to be aware of what their customers are saying, and especially what prospective customers, clients, and even employees may be reading about them online. According to Nielsenover 80% of purchase decisions start with an online search, good news and reviews spread fast, but bad news and reviews spread faster, so what is your Online reputation? And how do you find out what people are saying about your business?