5 Preparations Every Startup Should Make Before Website Launch
Every startup needs to make sure that their website is ready for prime time. The problem is, a lot of startups don’t know what that means. Besides some vague idea about “SEO” and making sure it’s bug-free, too many startup sites launch without the most necessary components for success. Before you flip the switch on your startup’s site, here’s what you need to do: Build...
How to Get Online Reviews for Your Small Business
Question: I notice that some of my competitors have a lot of reviews on sites like Yelp. Other than recruiting staff and friends to write reviews, how can I get customers if I don’t have a lot of online reviews for my business? Answer: Particularly if your sales are focused online, it’s tough to compete if you don’t have any reviews. A recent poll showed most Americans deny that social media marketing influences their...
Managers Can’t Know Everything: 6 Tips for Managing Outside Your Areas of Expertise
Managers, especially top executives, must realize that they can’t be experts in everything. The “manager as expert” might work for an engineer who becomes a manager of an engineering team, but no middle market CEO is an expert in all aspects of the business. You must not only learn how to wear many hats but accept that you will be managing people who have more expertise in a particular area than you do. And while...
Hiring Temp Workers: 5 Legal Reminders
Employing temporary or “temp” workers can often be a great way to fill vacancies in your business, but you’ll need to get your legal ducks in a row. Temps are often hired through staffing or “temp” agencies and may not be actual employees of your business. However, many companies have instituted temp-to-hire policies in which an employee has a short-term contract with that company which may lead to...
Three of the Most Common Delegation Ah-ha’s
One of the biggest shifts that most rising leaders have to make is the shift from being the go-to person to someone who builds teams of go-to people. As you take on more and more scope in your leadership role, you can’t continue to operate as the go-to person who acts as if you’re personally responsible for everything that happens. You need to be accountable and own the results but you can’t expect yourself to do everything that...