1. Use color to your advantage. Color can do more than improve the way your company looks. It can also have an impact on its bottom line: "85 percent of consumers list color as the primary reason why they buy, or don't buy, a particular item," writes OPEN Forum contributor Bruna Martinuzzi. The color you use for your site's "add to cart" button to your logo can be the difference between success and failure. (From "The Surprisingly Powerful Business Tool That's Right in Front of Your Eyes," by Bruna Martinuzzi)
2. Weed out the "zombies" in your office. Workplace malaise in its many forms can have a deleterious effect on office morale and productivity. Find out which traits your zombie employees are showing—whether they're shufflers, those who miss deadlines, or the newly infected who hide their mistakes from their bosses—and protect your business by chatting regularly with your team. (From "The Working Dead: How to De-Zombify Your Business," by James O'Brien)
3. Be selective when networking. For introverts, the idea of networking can feel like a trip to the dentist. Make the task of meeting new people easier by creating a list of criteria every networking event will have to meet in order to be worth your while. Once you find an event that works for you, you'll be more inclined to attend and make new connections. (From "The Introvert's Ultimate Guide to Networking," by Darren Dahl)
4. Ask your customers for feedback. Attracting new customers is only part of the battle for small-business owners, writes consultant Barry Moltz. It's really all about finding profitable customers. One way to do this is by asking your customers for feedback and listening to their suggestions. A recent study found that customers who wrote and responded to companies were more likely to buy. (From "The One Difference Between Your Unprofitable and Profitable Customers," by Barry Moltz)
5. Get your customers involved in your charitable giving. Don't be a Scrooge—charity work is not only a great way to invest in your community's future, it also reaps dividends for businesses in the form of publicity and increased sales. Including your customers in your good works attracts attention to your cause and business; studies have found that customers are more likely to buy one product over another if "a portion of the proceeds benefited a charitable cause they care about." (From "3 Ways to Make Charitable Giving Work for Your Small Business," by Angela Stringfellow)
6. Get comfortable with what makes you uncomfortable. Ambiguity can be a big driver of innovation for small businesses owners gutsy enough to embrace the unknown. “If they wait for perfect information, they'll be left behind," says Patrick Stroh, the author of Business Strategy: Plan, Execute, Win! (From "How to Thrive in an Uncertain Business World," by Julie Bawden Davis)
7. Step away from your work. If you're finding yourself stuck on the same problem at the office, do yourself a favor and do something else. Give yourself time to reflect and recharge by engaging in activities that reaffirm why you do what you do in the first place. For small-business expert Brian Moran, that involves talking to his readers and walking his dogs. What would that activity be for you? (From "3 Easy Tricks for Beating Brain Drain," by Brian Moran)
8. Watch what you say. Who would've known a show about female inmates would have some valuable business lessons in it as well? But as Piper Chapman and the gang from "Orange Is the New Black" can affirm, word does indeed get around if you're bad-mouthing competitors or clients. "If you’re going to put more energy into talking trash than fixing and/or taking out the trash," writes OPEN Forum contributor Erika Napoletano, "you might get what you deserve when someone hears the trash you’ve been talking. (From "The "Orange Is the New Black" Guide to Running a Better Business," by Erika Napoletano)
9. Caregivers, rely on your smartphone. More and more adults are finding themselves in the difficult position of taking care of their aging parents while trying to take care of their own families. Add managing a business to that, and the situation can become untenable. But small-business owners who are also their parents' caregivers swear by their smartphones. You can delegate from your smartphone while waiting in a doctor's office. (From "How to Care for an Aging Parent While Running a Business," by Geoff WIlliams)
10. Be more effective in meetings. A recent study has found that women executives feel less confident during meetings, which may be linked to how they're viewed in the workplace. Women can give themselves the upper hand by arriving to a meeting early and preparing themselves to speak spontaneously. (From "Is This the One Thing Holding Women Back in Business?," by Kelly Spors)
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