Independent Contractors: Get Paid On Time
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2010/sb20100426_562725.htm
Karen E. Klein
Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Tuesday, April 28, 2010
Karen outlines some ways to clearly define how you expect to be paid for your services as an independent contractor, or any service provider really. Establish the payment criteria in the contract and stick with it. We all have that one client that we want to help out by giving some flexibility, but the rest should know what is expected for the services provided. I’m not sure I would push for the aggressive collection tactics that she indicates, but then again, we don’t have collection issues because everything is discussed up front.
Referral Based Selling
http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk/2010/02/04/some-interesting-facts-about-referral-based-selling/
Jonathon Farrington
Jonathon Farrington’s Blog
February 10, 2010
I first heard the term “Referral Based Selling” and some statistics related to it from Jim McDermott back in 2002 when he was part of the founding team of Spoke Software. Before there was Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn and social media was in it’s infancy, Spoke’s mission was to connect business people and turn every cold-call into a referral, which dramatically reduces selling and closing times and costs. This blog-post from Farrington provides some updated statistics on the value of referrals and gives a good overview of why this type of selling works. We are obviously believers. Insight Press Release.
80 Ways to Steal Valuable Minutes for Your Work Day
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/80-ways-to-steal-valuable-minutes-for-your-work-day-glen-stansberry
Glenn Stansberry
American Express OPEN Forum
March 22, 2010
Ironically, this article is long and takes some time out of your day to read. But the investment is worth it, as there are tidbits in here that I’m sure you will find valuable. Some things are reminders of what you KNOW already works but have just ignored (or is that just me?), others may be light-bulb moments of inspiration. Let us know which ones actually work for you!
Spring Clean Your Life
Clear the clutter out of your relationship, family and career
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/22/spring-cleaning-relationship-forbes-woman-well-being-career.html
Emma Johnson
Forbes Magazine
March 22, 2010
If you are like most people, your “worlds” overlap between your relationships, your family life, your personal issues and your professional obligations. So, perhaps Spring-cleaning with a more holistic approach to life to thin out some of the “clutter” makes sense.
BigCommerce Turns To Facebook To Socialize Online Storefronts
http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/24/bigcommerce-turns-to-facebook-to-socialize-online-storefronts/
Leena Rao
TechCrunch.com
March 24, 2010
It is getting easier and easier to sell your wares online and to share your business happenings with your friends and colleagues. Our Blogsite is tied to our Website and to our Facebook page via an automated stream. Now you can connect your online store directly to a page within Facebook, as well. The lines are blurring…
Life Plan Before Business Plan
http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/03/life-plan-before-business-plan.html
Melinda Emerson
Small Business Trends
March 22, 2010
Every good business coach, life coach or motorcyclist will tell you that you steer where you look. If you believe you will have a small business, that is how it will turn out. If you believe you will have a larger business that operates in a specific way, and you remind yourself of those goals regularly and publicly, you will steer your business in that direction. Going one step further, developing a life plan for how you would like your professional life to interact with your personal life will help you to craft a business plan that will be focused in the right directions. Chuck Blakeman at TeamNimbusWest has some great insights on this very topic.
Size doesn’t matter – Profits do
http://www.gazelles.com/fsb/SizeDoesntMatter.pdf
Ellen Spragins and Verne Harnish
Fortune Small Business
March,2004
One of the authors of this article, Verne Harnish, wrote an article in this month’s Fortune magazine which I will post as soon as it becomes available online. But his commentary was valuable enough that I sought out other pieces that he has written, coming across this one from 2004. I think small business owners intuitively understand that profits are better than revenues, but Spragins and Harnish point to some very obvious reasons why small businesses should have a larger focus on the bottom line and stop worrying about “growth at all costs.”
Small Business Gets Tech Savvy: Nearly 30% plan to implement SaaS solutions in 2010
Todd Thibodeaux
IndustryWeek
February 12, 2010
It’s not just
Insight’s clients who are moving toward more virtual solutions this year. The trend among small-to-medium businesses is toward taking advantage of the hassle-free availability of online services. And, as with most service businesses, including software-as-a-service (SaaS), the main points of evaluating solutions are price, level of service and an understanding of the specific business needs of prospective clients.
As more make their homes a workplace, pros and cons emerge
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126246733831713647.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
by Colleen DeBaise
Wall Street Journal Online
January 3, 2010
There have been countless articles about the pros and cons of working from the home office – benefits of flexibility and dress code; challenges of distractions, poor working conditions and a general lack of understanding by others that you actually are working. This article gives some good tricks and tips to avoid those challenges and be as productive as possible from home.
Building a home office for less
http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/01/04/ask-your-employer-for-help-with-home-office-furniture-costs/
WebWorkerDaily.com
January 4, 2010
Some interesting ideas for how to keep costs low as you telecommute.
