The Federal Trade Commission provides details and links to the appropriate sites so you can “opt-out” of unsolicited mail, telemarketing and email. Here’s an excerpt and the link to the FTC Consumer Alert page:

Are you tired of having your mailbox crammed with unsolicited mail, including pre-approved credit card applications? Fed up with getting telemarketing calls just as you’re sitting down to dinner? Fuming that your email inbox is chock-full of unsolicited advertising? The good news is that you can cut down on the number of unsolicited mailings, calls, and emails you receive by learning where to go to “just say no.”

Website link: Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go to “Just Say No”

Any additional suggestions for small business owners? Drop us a comment – thanks.

Greg Magnus, Richmond SCORE
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Follow me on Twitter – @gregmagnus, or check out my blog

1. Content of Value – every page, all the time. Review your website and  write down the 2-3 most important things of value the page offers to your site visitors. Then, get ride of everything else that confuses the message. The goal is develop each so it is useful and interesting to your target audience.
2. Testimonials are an excellent mechanism for demonstrating your credibility. And, on the Internet you only have a few seconds to establish it. Make sure you include testimonials and you make them visible. Also, include links back to your customers website and/or social network profile (i.e., Facebook Fan page, LinkedIn company page, etc.). You can also include a headshot  of the person providing the testimonial, if approved by your customer.
3. Avoid distractions such as blinking or scrolling test, animated GIFs or auto loading sounds. If you want to include music and other dynamic content, make a video and post it on your site. In this manner, your site visitor gets to control the experience (play or stop the video as they wish).
4. Get to the point quickly and minimize the number of clicks it takes your site visitors to view the info they are seeking. Menu design is very important here. Limit the number of items on the “top” menu; dropdowns are fine if you have a lot of content to offer. And, always include a menu on all of your pages with, of course, a link back to the home page.
5. Keep your text content under 600 pixels wide. Newspapers are printed in columns for a reason, it makes them easier to read. Also, make sure your style sheet includes adequate line spacing (know as leading) so it is easy to read quickly.
6. In general, it takes a person twice as long to read a sentence in ALL CAPS. Use it sparingly on short headlines or within a paragraph to express a point of interest to your reader.
7. Website usability studies suggest the best link color is blue; make your links obvious and consistent on every page of your website.

What do you recommend? Leave a comment with your suggestions – thanks.

Greg Magnus, Richmond SCORE
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Here are a few tips to help you avoid frustration:

1. Get help with technology when you need it – we all need it. And, we all need it every month. Even though I’m considered very tech savvy compared to most people on the planet, I spent a dozen hours this past week seeking assistance from IT experts. And, I called the tech support help line of 2-3 vendors (routers, cable modems, etc.) several times this past week. It helped me solve problems faster and more efficiently, in most cases. Don’t be shy when it comes to getting help with technology.
2. Purchase a new laptop or desk top computer at least every two years. According to  Moore’s law, which describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware, the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years. The trend has continued for more than half a century and is not expected to stop until 2015 or later. Your level of frustration increases if your computer is bogged down because of old hardware and software. Although my two-year old computer is working fine, I purchased a new one this month. The difference is significant and it is already paying for itself in improved efficiency.
3. Small business owners should budget, at a minimum, at least $100 per month for computer hardware and software (per person if you have less than a dozen people). What this means is over a two-year period you’ll spent at least $2,500 on average per person to stay current and efficient.
4. Become a great delegator. Assign technology related tasks to those with the proper skills. I often encounter small business owners with the mindset, “I can do that myself.” We are all guilty – we don’t want to spend money on things we can do ourselves. However, this often stymies small business growth because the business owner is too busy working “in the business” instead of “growing the business.” If you haven’t done so already (most have by the way), go to your local library and get the book by Paul Gruber, “E-Myth Revisited.”

What do you recommend? Leave a comment with your suggestions – thanks.

Greg Magnus, Richmond SCORE
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To many the processes are confusing, complicated and the results frustrating. Is that you? Let’s consider a few myths of social media.

One: Social Media is Free

Yes, you can quickly create a presence on the top three social media sites – Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. And, you can create accounts on other sites such as Blogger, YouTube, Flickr and Digg. That too is almost free but incorporating the tools into a business marketing system that produces meaningful results requires time, marketing savvy and money. Social media marketing is far from free.

Two: Social media profiles are brief bios or short company descriptions

You don’t need to spend much time on your social media profiles or bios; right? Unfortunately, that’s far from the case. Those that understand the strategy and importance of social media profiles are obtaining far better results than those that don’t. Profiles are very important and need to match your business goals and objectives.

Three: Anyone can do it in-house

Ask yourself, do you have the experience? Are you using the most appropriate strategies and the right tools? Fact is, few businesses have in-house teams with the experience required to launch an effective social media marketing campaign. And, many lack the resolve to allocate the necessary resources needed to obtain meaningful results.

Social media marketing is a fundamental shift in the way individuals network, organize information and communicate. Today, businesses are leveraging technology in more ways than you can possibly imagine. Ask your SCORE advisor for assistance developing a plan for your business if you need help.

Please leave a comment below if you have specific questions about social media. Anything to tell us with respect to the lessons you learned last year with social media marketing? 

Greg Magnus, Richmond SCORE
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• More than 350 million users are active on Facebook
• 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day
• More than 35 million users update their status each day
• More than 55 million status updates posted each day
• More than 2.5 billion photos uploaded and 3.5 million events created each month
• More than 700,000 local businesses have active Pages on Facebook
• Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans
• Reference: Facebook stats

And, its not just Facebook anymore. For example, Google and other search engines use social media content when determining the ranking of web pages (SEO). Yes, Facebook is good for SEO and it has been very good for businesses for some time now.

Fan Pages and Facebook Tips

Planning is Key
To be effective requires a plan as well as fresh content on a regular basis. Once again, “content is King.” Give your potential customers and existing clients a reason to not only visit your Facebook pages but also help promote them.

Planning your campaign is a must – allocating the necessary resources to implement your plan goes without saying.

Social Networking is All About Leveraging Technology
Online marketing requires integration so understand that a significant amount of content is distributed automatically to numerous channels. Get better results by:

• Linking your blog posts to your Facebook wall. Your business website doesn’t include a blog? Get one.
• Use a service to update all of your social networks at once (Facebook, twitter, etc.)
• Similar automated services, widgets for example, are available for your YouTube and Flickr feeds

Engage Visitors But Avoid Confusion
Create a landing page on Facebook that you control. It is preferable to send traffic to a controlled welcoming page that highlights your brand instead of the “wall” page on your Facebook fan pages. The Fan page “wall” is a great and valuable tool for communicating with customers and prospects but it can be extremely confusing to first-time visitors.

A controlled page can also be used to offer users an incentive to become fans and help promote your brand. Contests, coupons, weekly specials and other tactics are being used effectively by numerous brands. Make sure you first read Facebook’s marketing guidelines and get help if you don’t understand the requirements.

Interaction and Communication Required
First and foremost, understand completely that social media is all about interaction and two-way communication. Here’s a few basic tips to help you get conversations started:

• Ask questions that solicit honest opinions
• Create polls and provide access to tabulated results as well as candid reviews that support multiple views
• Don’t just post relevant industry news, provide – on a timely basis – executive summaries of industry trends

Don’t miss out; social networking will without a doubt enhance your brand and increase your marketing ROI. Face it, someone else paid to develop the technology and all you need to do is learn how to use it and plug in. 

Consider Ads
Advertising your business on Facebook is definitely something to consider. In fact, there are unique tactics available to precisely target a specific ad to a specific demographic profile. For example, you can target college grads working in your target market that like fine wines and classical music – or a 50 something head-banging punk rocker that likes Mexican food.

The two basic types of advertisements on Facebook are: (1) Display ads and (2) Social ads. Either can be purchased like banner ads (Cost Per Click, CPC) and Cost Per Thousand, CPM). Given Facebook users like staying within the Facebook environment, in general, create a killer Facebook Fan Page and direct your ads to a specific tab on that page. Each tab has a unique URL by the way.

If you’re not familiar with Facebook Fan page design, outsourcing is the way to go. Although relatively straight forward for the pros, business owners will inevitably waste a lot of productive time on social networking. Know when you need help – that’s your job as the “business owner.”

Just like any business project, the social marketing rewards you’ll receive will be a reflection of the effort you put into it. Those allocating the appropriate resources are achieving excellent marketing results by leveraging social media. 

Do you have a few Facebook marketing story or tip of your own? Let’s hear it – please leave your comments below, thanks.

Greg Magnus, Richmond SCORE
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First, delineate all of the areas that you directly affect. Make a list of what you want to accomplish in each area, plan how you will do it and set up a realistic time table for accomplishing your goals in your area(s) of responsibility. If you are the boss, it will be a big list. Certainly, you will delegate a lot of the day to day activities but keep in mind that you are responsible for the outcome, not the person to whom you delegated the work.
Live in the present tense. You cannot change yesterday, so stop dwelling on it. That wastes time and energy. Both are limited resources that you cannot afford to squander. If you blew it yesterday, learn from it and move forward. Concentrate on what needs to be done today and what you can do now and in the future.

Stop measuring and judging yourself by other peoples standards. Set your own standards and strive to achieve them. You will not hit all of your goals…who does? If you miss one, analyze why and learn from it. You do not have to be the best at everything… nobody is. Just work to be very good at what you do and outstanding in a few areas. That will put you in the top 2 or 3%.

One thing is for sure…you need to take action. If you procrastinate and do nothing, nothing changes or it changes and you lose control. Doing the same old, same old will probably bring the same old results. Be innovative, study the situation and come up with a new course of action…but do something that improves the situation.

Kinda goes back to your taking responsibility, taking action and making things happen for a better outcome.

Bill Haman, SCORE Cincinnati
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Some of us love selling, others hate it, but there is no doubt we all do it, and often. Whether it’s prospecting, schmoozing or closing, sales are part of our everyday business life.

While it is difficult to say what the average entrepreneur needs to know about sales (as we are all at different levels), I think I can safely say that there are some mistakes that are fairly common and also fairly easy to avoid.

Not listening closely enough: When you go to the car lot and the salesman walks up, what is the first thing he or she does? Usually, it is to ask you some seemingly innocent questions: What are you looking for, how much do you have to spend and maybe even a bit about your family. It’s not just small talk. These uber-salespeople listen closely to your answers, knowing that doing so will help them find your sweet spot.

Look, of course sales is not about talking someone into something, that never works. Rather, it’s about finding out what they want or need and then showing them that what you offer fits the bill. You find out what they need, and therefore what tack to take, by listening carefully.

Excessive talking: A corollary is that sometimes it’s imperative that you show some self-control and stop yer yapping. People who love sales often are gregarious and garrulous, but that gets in the way when they like to hear the sound of their own voice more than that of their customers’.

Talking is good as it can create rapport and is used to explain key elements of your product, but talking too much not only can turn customers off, it prevents you from asking questions. When you are not talking, you are listening.

Trying too hard: Overselling, making grand pronouncements, using hyperbole and not trusting your product or pitch enough to leave the customer alone for a while make you look needy. No one likes needy people. It’s like that boyfriend or girlfriend you once had who just couldn’t leave you alone. You finally left them alone, right?

When you look needy -or worse, desperate potential customers are TURNED OFF

The same is true in sales. When you look, act or sound needy — or worse, desperate — potential customers are turned off. Trust yourself and your product enough to not oversell, and know when to back off. To bastardize a perfectly fine axiom: “When you love a customer, let him go. If he comes back, he’s yours, if he doesn’t, he never was yours in the first place.”

Not knowing when to push: Whether it is helping the undecided to finally get off the fence or explaining to a prospect why they need to act now, you have to know when a gentle push can make a difference. If your push has their best interest in mind (rather than yours) it won’t look like pushiness.

Not asking for the sale: Similarly, there comes a time to ask for the sale, to get a prospect to commit. Again, at the right time and for the right reason, it should be more welcome than threatening.

Resting on your laurels: There are three types of customers: New customers, existing customers and customers who are leaving for whatever reason. Too often, when things are good, we fail to replenish the stock because the customers we have are plentiful and bountiful. But sooner or later, existing customers become exiting customers, and if you haven’t been prospecting and bringing in new customers, you will be in trouble.

By following these tips, not only will you make more sales, but you will also continue to create customers.

Steve Strauss is an internationally recognized lawyer, columnist and speaker. He is the author of 15 books. Steve’s business column, Ask an Expert, appears weekly on USAToday.com. Copyright 2009 Steven D. Strauss. Steve Strauss is http://www.MrAllBiz.com.

There are ways to grow your business, even in these tough times…
Here are some questions to ask your management team. Or, maybe, you should be asking these questions of yourself.

• Where does most of my business come from? Are we concentrating in that area?
• How well does our web site convert visitors into customers? Is it as user friendly as it could possibly be?
• Does our sales team (even if it is only you) have the right tools and materials to convert opportunities to sales immediately?
• Are you selling the most profitable products or just the easiest?
• What sales process works the best? Is this process followed by everyone?
• What are you doing personally to help the sales effort?
• How quickly are sales leads followed up? Time kills sales.
• Does there seem to be a point at which the sales process stalls? Analyze and correct it.
• What is your average sales cycle …compared to the competition? Analyze and improve it.
• Is time wasted creating follow up, composing e-mails, doing excessive paperwork? Automate or eliminate!
• Is your correspondence, invoicing, sales material, etc. professional, error free and promoting your best image?
• Does your sales team have immediate access to up-to-date information, materials and competitive data?
• How did you score on the above questions? There could be a lot of additional sales out there, as a result of being truthful in answering the above and taking appropriate action.
• Contact your local SCORE Counselor or find a mentor online to get answers how to correct/improve on your current activities.

Bill Haman, SCORE Cincinnati
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Your balance sheet is your “statement of financial position.” Together with the income statement and cash flow statement, it makes up the cornerstone of any company’s financial statements. It is a snapshot of the company’s accounts – covering its assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity. The balance sheet gives users an idea of the company’s financial position and displays what the company owns and owes. It is important that  investors know how to read and analyze it.

The balance sheet is divided into two parts that must equal (balance out) each other. The main formula behind balance sheets is: assets = liabilities + shareholders’ equity (net worth). This means that assets are balanced by a company’s financial obligations along with the equity investment brought into the company plus its retained earnings.

Assets are what a company uses to operate its business, while its liabilities and equity are two sources that support these assets. Owners’ equity (shareholders’ equity) is the amount of money initially invested into the company plus any retained earnings. It represents a source of funding for the business. This is extremely important as it gives the viewer a picture of how the business is being financed- through the owners’ money (equity) or through the creditors’ money (liabilities). In a business start-up you should look at the assets required to get the business started – and then ask yourself how you will finance that start-up. If you do not have the money to invest in the business, you will have to borrow the  money.

The balance sheet is also a measure of the value of the business if trying to interest partners in investing in a share of the business or in valuing it for sale. Over time you should expect to see the business value (owners’ equity) increasing if the business is profitable.

Ask SCORE for help with all your financial statements.

Bill Haman, SCORE Cincinnati
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In Chinese astrology, 2009 is the year of the ox. It is said that the traits of the ox include hard-working and persistence; those that can stick to a task longer and harder than others. They are patient, determined and believe in themselves. And, you may have noticed these traits are common among successful small business owners. As the global economic slowdown approaches the end of its second year, now more than ever, it is time to be persistent.

According to Stocks, Futures and Options magazine (SFO), China’s economy appears to have pulled out of the downturn with miraculous speed and strength; creating 6.7 million jobs.

The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that China’s economy bottomed out in the fourth quarter [2008], says Nicholas R. Lardy, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (SFO, Nov. 2009).

With signs that the economy is slowly, but surely, gaining some momentum internationally, small business owners here in the U.S. are determined and quick to adjust their focus to take advantage of market opportunities. But, to do so first requires a clear understanding that now is the time to increase your marketing efforts. Pulling back now is not an option, nor is failure. To be first in line to capture market share, start with a thorough review of your 2010  Marketing Plan. Contact your local SCORE chapter and schedule an appointment today. Tomorrow, you’ll be glad you did.

Greg Magnus, Richmond SCORE
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