1. Capitalize on the power of the selfie. The "selfie"—that cell-phone self portrait, that is—has been around as a concept since 2004, but only now are brands using it as a way to supercharge their marketing efforts. Taking selfies are a great way to bring personality to your brand. Take selfies of employees at the office and share them on your website or on social media; it conveys the sense that your company is =fun and au courant. (From "Why Selfies Need To Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy" by Barry Moltz)

2. Use data visualization tools. If the selfie is proof of anything it's that we're living in a very visual-driven age. Apply that power to your business by using graphics to convey important data. "Not only does data visualization help us communicate information better," writes OPEN Forum contributor Bruna Martinuzzi, "it also allows us to detect patterns, trends and correlations in our businesses that might otherwise go undetected." (From "Data Visualization Will Change the Way You Think About Your Business ," by Bruna Martinuzzi)

3. Add a referral line to your email sign off. Referrals are the number one way to find new customers, but some business owners may find the idea of asking customers for some word-of-mouth help to be awkward. Adding something to the effect of, "Know someone who needs help with X? Send them my way!" to your email signature is one way to ask for a referral without having to say a word. (From "Afraid to Ask for Referrals? These 5 Tips Make it Easy," by Christopher Lister)

4. Keep meetings to 15 minutes per person. Meetings shouldn't be a way to help cure your employee's insomnia, writes small-business expert Mike Michalowicz. Hold their attention by enforcing the rule of 15: Keep anyone, including yourself, from rambling on for more than 15 minutes. "You may object to this idea initially, thinking that there’s no way you can accomplish anything in only 15 minutes, but you will discover that you end up accomplishing more because you’re more prepared and focused," Michalowicz writes. (From "6 Surefire Ways to Have a More Productive Meeting," by Mike Michalowicz)

5. Know when to offer help for an employee's personal problems. While it's better to stay out of an employee's personal life, sometimes those issues have a way of finding their way into the workplace. Ask yourself these three questions before deciding to jump in: "How well do I know the employee?", "Will helping the employee benefit the company?" and "Can I help them help themselves?"  (From "How to Handle Your Employees' Personal Problems," by Geoff Williams)

6. Spend an hour a week on your financials. The most common reasons businesses fail are all linked to finances and a business' numbers. More often than not, business owners choose to wait in the dark until it becomes too late to save their business. That's why it's important to spend time with your books, and know exactly what's happening in your business from a numbers perspective, writes expert Anita Campbell. "Having financial intelligence and the knowledge you gain from understanding the numbers, helps you make better decisions," she writes. "Numbers give us invaluable insights about a company—from the inside out." (From "5 Reasons Your Business May Fail (and the One Way to Prevent It)," by Anita Campbell)

7. Be transparent about change in the office. Whether it be through growth or decline, change in the office can be a major disruptor to everyone's productivity if it isn't conveyed to employees correctly, writes OPEN Forum contributor James O'Brien. Write out exactly how these changes are going to be explained to your staff, he suggests. "Employees need to understand that the change that's coming is a thought-out process—and that the end results come from a thoughtful management model." (From "5 Steps to Communicating Change Without Disrupting Your Business," by James O'Brien)

8. Talk to your existing customers. "Too many companies put more emphasis on winning over potential customers and not enough on finding out where they stand with their current customers," writes OPEN Forum contributor Brendon Schenecker. "But asking your current customers just what they like—and don't like—about your business can help you improve your customer satisfaction." Having these conversations are a great form of market research on a low budget. (From "The Best Type of Marketing on a Limited Budget," by Brendon Schenecker)

9. Create a separate account for your taxes. Putting 15 percent of your total deposit into an account meant solely for taxes will reduce the likelihood of being short on your taxes if you're actively paying into an account meant just for your tax liability, writes Michalowicz. (From "The Simple Trick to Never Getting Caught Short on Your Taxes)," by Mike Michalowicz)

10. Set boundaries for your customers. Being nice to your customers is one way to set your business apart from your competition. But if you're too nice, well-meaning (and not-so-good-intentioned) customers can take advantage of you and your time. Take a step back and set boundaries, writes OPEN Forum contributor Ritika Puri. "Offer to do what is reasonable and still profitable for you—but no more than that." (From "Is Being Too Nice Bad for Your Business?", by Ritika Puri)

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