my Internet Business Secret

Small business is anything but small in our economy.  Small businesses represent over 99 percent of firms with employees.  They generate almost half of the total private payroll in the United States and have generated sixty to eighty percent of all new jobs per year for the last ten years.  It is also interesting to note that fifty-three percent of small businesses in the U. S. are home based.

These businesses need photography, particularly in this age of the internet.  Even if a business does not yet have a web site, it soon will.  It is rapidly becoming, if it isn’t already a stark necessity.  Over the next ten years it has been predicted that there will be over 15 billion more web sites.  That is a lot of photography!

Conceptual stock photos, or descriptive stock photos?

There are two basic different types of stock photos that will be needed, conceptual and descriptive.  Conceptual shots are useful for businesses that deal with such hard to illustrate themes such as financial services, insurance, banking and various non-product oriented businesses.  Realistically, most business can use both.  For example, if you run a dry cleaning business and you want to print out a flyer you might use a picture of a shirt on a hanger…or maybe something like a two people rolling out a red carpet…to indicate the service orientation of your business. 

If you shoot pictures of shirts on hangars to fulfill those needs you might license a lot of them to dry cleaners.  If you shoot people rolling out a red carpet your market suddenly becomes dry cleaners, bed and breakfast inns, even auto repair shops.  A picture of a red carpet representing superior service can work for large, medium and small businesses alike.  The market for your stock pictures becomes that much larger.  When the stock photo in question reads quickly as a small thumbnail, you dramatically enhance your chance of the image being chosen. 

You can shoot a shirt on a hangar for little cost.  To shoot two people rolling out a red carpet is probably going to cost more and take more time.  It will also be more difficult to shoot really well, and may need a lot more post.

Shoot the concept, shoot the story

A good way to approach this whole problem of what and how to shoot would be to shoot a shirt on a hangar (descriptive shot), a suit of clothes spread out on a bed (illustrating preparation), a model fixing his tie (again, preparation), similar shots with a woman model.  Perhaps even the two asleep in bed, waking up, turning off the alarm clock, getting ready in the morning, fixing breakfast, washing dishes, a close up of dirty dishes in the sink, and, eventually, rolling out the red carpet.  In other words, set up a shoot around a concept, and when appropriate, work through a story with your photographs.

Have a shot list, stick to it

To prepare for your photo shoot visualize each shot, each step.  What props will you need?  What wardrobe? How will you need to light it?  Allow plenty of time for each shot, for the transitions between shots, and for wardrobe changes.  Wardrobe changes can dramatically increase the number of selects you can get.  But such changes can slow you down too.  I always print out my shot list and check each one off as I complete it.  If there is a clothing change I stop and review my list.  I always have enough extra shots built in that if one shot just isn’t working, I can move on to the next.

Get the shot, but don’t over shoot

There is a fine line between moving on too soon, and not shooting enough.  The trick is to know when you have your shot and it is time to move on.  I have improved the efficiency of my shoots tremendously by slowing down and paying more attention to each shot rather than just firing away and then firing away some more because I haven’t paid enough attention to really know if I gotten what I wanted.

Take time to check your work

At least two or three times during a shoot, if at all possible, I will stop what I am doing and check a few shots on my laptop to make sure that my photos are in focus and the details are looking right.  I’d rather find out problems during the shoot than after the models have gone home!

Slowing down yields more

Take the time to plan your shoot, create a comprehensive shot list, visualize the process of each shot, plan carefully for props and wardrobe, take your time, review your work, and reap the rewards. You will be glad you took the time and whether they know it or not, the small business that needs your work will be glad too.

Why Your Small Business Needs a Website

It has been estimated by the Small Business Administration (http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/) that there are over 17 million small businesses in the United States with over 100,000 started every month. Furthermore, it can be safely assumed that most consumers within most developed countries research most purchases and companies from whom they purchase by using the internet. The exception is granted towards those companies which have been established through many generations, but you will find that even these companies unilaterally always have websites. Therefore, just to be a viable player in small business, your company will absolutely need a website for company representation to your existing and potential clients.

Now we have found that the most difficult part about small businesses obtaining a website is the nickle-and-dime scam that occurs from these full-service design companies. Most web design companies bank (literally) that you do not know the complexities of a website and will charge you for this disadvantage. For instance, one company in particular will set your small business up with a web site for one fee, charge for tiered, limited hosting, charge extra for email, for a photo gallery, etc. The list goes on and on. Then by the time you get the site up and running with one of these web design companies (if it ever happens, some businesses feel so inundated that they never get to this point) two things happen: 1) you’re out of money and 2) you’re out of energy to devote to your main business.

This is why JLA Development provides small businesses with one flat-rate fee for company representation on the web. We know exactly what it takes to put you up on the web. JLA Development has an extremely low overhead and offers its clients a standard flat fee for their websites. We despise the tactics of unethical and otherwise dishonest website development companies who charge their customers every step of the way.

Lastly, another mistake we see businesses make is that they attempt to build the website themselves. This is probably a cheaper option in the short term, but a very expensive option in the long. As more consumers search the web for your products and your services, if they encounter an unprofessional, unattractive website, there is no turning back that first impression. Be wary of branding your company with a poor website as it will reflect poorly on your company and its products.

Our advice to you: never give up. If we can do anything to help your small business get a universal presence on the web, we will do it and do it well.

Best Wishes,
JLA Development
http://jladevelopment.com

Technology, some people fear it, some resist it, and others
embrace it. As a small business owner, it could be the best
thing that ever happened to your company. With the technology
available today, small businesses are increasingly leveling the
playing field between themselves and big companies. With toll
free virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) telephone systems,
small businesses are combining today’s technology with
traditional customer service to take their business to the next
level.

It used to be that only Fortune 500 companies with thousands of
employees and 10- story office buildings could afford and
maintain a traditional PBX telephone system. Now, with toll free
virtual PBX services, anyone with a telephone can reap the
benefits of this powerful communications tool. A virtual PBX has
all the advantages of a traditional PBX and more without the
hassle, hardware, and expense.

A virtual PBX allows small businesses to:

(1) Project a professional, more established company image (2)
Have one unified number for office phone, cell phone, fax, and
pager (3) Make information available to their customers 24/7 (4)
Automate order taking and pre-qualifying processes (5) Have
web-based, real time access to their system

Small and home-based businesses are using all of these features
of their toll free virtual PBX systems to sound and operate like
a Fortune 500 company everyday.

Project a Professional, More Established Company Image Right or
wrong, consumers assume a company with a toll free number is a
more established and secure company. When a toll free number is
attached to a virtual PBX with an automated attendant, that
powerful image is perpetuated. An automated attendant will
answer all incoming calls with the same professional and
courteous message every time, day or night. Professional
greetings can be recorded by the business owner themselves, or
even by a voice talent, and customized for the needs of the
business. It doesn’t matter if the business is operated out of a
home office or the Oval Office. The caller hears a professional
greeting each and every time they call.

Unified Voice and Messaging System With a toll free virtual PBX
system, small businesses only need one telephone number. This
number can be an office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager all in
one. Gone are the days of having to put 3 or 4 different numbers
on business cards. Now the virtual PBX toll free number replaces
them all. When a call comes in to the toll free number, it can
be routed to any local number. It can even be programmed to
route to different numbers at different times of the day or even
different days of the week. A call never has to be missed again.
That kind of flexibility is unheard of with a traditional toll
free number or a hardwired PBX. If the call is not answered, or
is sent to voicemail, the virtual PBX system can even send out a
page to let the user know that there is a message waiting for
them. The toll free number also acts as the fax number. When a
fax is sent, the system recognizes it as a fax and can store it
in the fax mailbox for later retrieval, forward the faxed
document to a local fax machine, or even send the fax to an
email address as an attachment. The unified messaging feature
unchains small business owners from the home or small office and
allows them the flexibility to get out and build their business
while still being available to their customers.

Powerful Automation No matter how efficient a small or
home-based business is, they simply cannot be available to their
customers all the time – unless they have a toll free virtual
PBX system. If a caller has questions they want the answers now.
If they don’t get those answers when they call, chances are
they’ll look some place else. Making sure information is
available, even when a live person isn’t, can be the difference
between someone becoming a customer or moving on to the
competition. A toll free virtual PBX allows the storage of an
unlimited amount of information for callers to retrieve 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. Menus broken down into what kinds of
information a caller might need, make it easy for them to
navigate the system and get what they are looking for. Faxes can
even be attached so the caller can request an automated fax
back. For a business that needs to pre-qualify their callers, or
would just like to get some information about them, can take
advantage of question and answer voice mailboxes. A set of
pre-recorded questions can be asked of the caller and the voice
responses then saved in the system and emailed as a sound file.
These automated processes not only save time, but they also make
sure callers can get the information they need when no one is
available.

Web Based System Access A toll free virtual PBX is just that,
virtual. What that means for a small business owner is that one,
there is no hardware to maintain or software to buy, and two,
that they can access their system from anywhere they can get
online. Online system access is one of the most popular features
of a virtual PBX system. Web-based system access allows users to
check their voice and fax messages over the internet or have the
messages delivered directly to an email address. Of course,
messages can still be checked from any touch-tone phone,
anywhere.

A small business owner has administrative access to check the
call logs of all incoming calls to their toll free number and
use the call capture feature to not only capture the phone
number of the person calling, but also their name and address.
It also allows a user to run reports based on different criteria
chosen. For example, reports could be run to show when the
busiest time of the week is for customer service or if the call
volume increased after a specific ad campaign was released. The
applications are endless.

With all these powerful features, and most times more, it’s
amazing that toll free virtual PBX systems can be found at a
reasonable price. Most systems offered are between $9.95 and
$29.95 depending on the capabilities and size of the system.
Many will offer a varying number of voice mail boxes, features,
and minute plans. A good toll free virtual PBX service provider
can also customize systems if needed.

Technology is ever changing in today’s fast paced world. Small
business owners will either have to embrace it or risk being
left behind

Small business health insurance is one of the benefits that you intend to provide to your small group of employees. Apart from wages many companies provide benefits like paid vacation, maternity benefits, etc to retain the employees in their organization. Small business health insurance is an added assistance to all these benefits.

A small business organization generally comprises of 2 to 50 employees. Each employee is very vital to the organization. If, even a single employee falls ill, the whole organization will become dysfunctional. Therefore ensuring a good health of the employees is one of the most essential responsibilities of the employer who owns a small business organization.

With the advancement of science and technology, the costs of medical benefits are also on a rise. This is a major reason which prevents people from going to a doctor for any health problems. It should be kept in mind that if an illness is not taken care of at the initial stage it may lead to many complications at a later stage. By providing an appropriate health insurance policy for all the employees through group health insurance, an employer can free his employees from all the health related problems.

Most small business owners provide small business health insurance through group plans which use organized medical networks. There are several types of networks: HMOs, PPOs etc. You should know about all of them because each will be having different characteristics that will affect your choices or the types of insurance you want for your small business organization.

In HMO or Health Maintenance Organization, the medical needs of the people who subscribe are provided by a managed system of medical care. On the other hand, physicians, health care providers of all types, hospitals and clinics sign contracts with the PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) system to provide care to its insured people. HMOs often have lower premiums but they must be available in close proximity to your employees and the workplace. PPOs and POSs tend to cost slightly more but are flexible for your employees.

These all things should be made clear before purchasing any small business health insurance. Apart from that through small business health insurance you can also get insurance quotes for yourself and your family members. This can be availed by paying a very cheaper rate of insurance. Tax incentives are also available with the purchase of small business health insurance. In this way you can save a few pounds for yourself.

You should carefully do a study of the quotes as provided by different providers. The pros and cons of almost all the details available need to be addressed. An exhaustive comparison of the different insurance companies and their rates of premiums should also be done by you. This is much easier now with the internet that provides almost all the information that you will need in the process of purchasing a small business health insurance.

A small business organization normally consists of 2 to 50 employees; and it is the endeavor of the whole organization that combines to bring success to the organization. What if an employee falls ill? Yes, your whole organization will be affected and thus might put a negative impact on the output. Here, comes the benefit of purchasing a small business group health insurance policy.

We all will agree that the cost of medical treatments is on a rise and for a simple treatment; you need to shell out hundreds of pounds from your pockets. This might land you up in heavy financial burden. So many people avoid going to doctors and later on these small ailments turn into complications. Same happens in a small business organization. Because of the high cost of medical treatments, the employees of a small business organization might not go to a specialist for routine check-ups. This might prove detrimental to the organization. A small business group health insurance will ensure that the employees in an organization are provided with adequate benefits to take care of their health.

Earlier small business group health insurance was not so common, because the rate of premium of these insurance policies were generally higher. But, these days there are many insurance companies that provide with cheap and affordable small business group health insurance. Otherwise, many a times it is seen that the premium is equally divided between the employer and his employees.

In a small business group health insurance policy, the employees will be provided with a list of doctors and in any case of illness, the employee can consult those doctors. This way you can evade the tension of searching for doctors.

Apart from that many a times the employees’ family is also covered under small business group health insurance. Illness in one’s family can also affect the work of an employer. So with a comprehensive small business group health insurance policy the well being of an employee’s family can also be taken care of. Even an employer can avail the benefits of a small business group health insurance.

Before investing in a small business group health insurance, you need to do some research for yourself. You have to do an extensive research of the insurance market and later you can even compare the policies. After that you can buy the policy that is fitting into your budget. With internet facilities, you can perform this task at an ease. You can collect various quotes from the different companies and later on choose a policy that will suit you the best. So go get a small business group health insurance now!

Can your small business get both affordable professional-class IT service and peace of mind? The secret lies in having a technology services provider handle your technical solutions.

To stay competitive, small businesses must make the most of current technology. But it’s expensive, time consuming, and inefficient to maintain a full-time IT department like larger companies. A true Professional Technology Services Provider offers on-demand talent, depth of experience, deep resources and huge economies of scale. Here are the top 10 benefits you’ll see.

Benefit #1: Stay Focused On Core Business Functions

People are happiest doing what they do best. And they get frustrated by tasks that distract them from it. Researching solutions, implementing new technology and fixing IT-related problems are extremely inefficient for non-IT professionals. Free up internal staff for revenue-generating functions and the business of business.

Benefit #2: Tap Economies Of Scale And Purchasing Power

Due to a single focus on IT, sechnology services providers achieve greater efficiencies and economies of scale. They consolidate purchasing power and have access to deep and broad knowledge bases. Using developed best practices, tasks are completed more efficiently than small businesses can do on their own. The means real cost savings– both in time and money.

Benefit #3: Reduce Cost and Control Operating Expenses

The business value of technology services providers results in very hard dollar savings. In almost all cases, small businesses will spend 25% to 50% less than the cost of even one mid-level IT professional. Then take recruiting, training, vacation, sick days, turnover and other management issues out of the equation to see even more savings. Costs are budgeted, predictable and controlled.

Benefit #4: Access Highly Specialized Talent

Small businesses cannot cost effectively achieve the scale and flexibility to properly support their technology environments. Even a very experienced and dedicated IT employee has limits to skills and avenues for help. Professional technology services providers offer access to teams of IT specialists that deliver the cross-sectional IT knowledge needed to provide both on-going and critical support for small business networks.

Benefit #5: Get Services On-Demand

Many small businesses face the challenges of growth and the burden of scaling back. Both cases present a genuine HR problem when relying on in-house IT resources. Small businesses need the agility of just-in-time resources for emergencies and the flexibility to adjust technology support levels. With a professional technology services provider, sudden changes won’t affect the livelihood or morale of employees.

Benefit #6: Help Employees Innovate and Stay Productive

Communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing allows employees to innovate. These capabilities are delivered through a multitude of technologies including file servers, central databases, broadband connectivity, mobile platforms, email communications, and many others. However, true productivity and business benefit can only be realized when this complex technology is properly planned, implemented and maintained. The best practices and comprehensive experiences around planning, implementing and maintaining such systems allow technology services providers to successfully deliver these productivity improvements.

Benefit #7: Reduce Downtime

Even a few minutes of systems downtime carry enormous business costs. Maximizing uptime must be a high priority. Small businesses can longer afford issues with internet connectivity, email communications, corrupt data or systems failure-the cost of reacting to these events is just too high. Professional technology services providers offer planned, measured approaches to pro-active systems maintenance, security, backup and disaster recovery.

Benefit #8: Get A Technology Edge Over Competitors

Don’t just level the playing field: take advantage of new technologies for a competitive advantage. Technology services providers keep up with the latest solutions through ongoing training and real-world experience. They know how to implement the latest hardware, software, and network applications available. Just as important: they know which technologies are not worth the investment.

Benefit #9: Attract and Retain Employees

Employees want to work in an environment where their computers are up and running. Employees want to be competitive with their rivals and they want the technology tools that really help them deliver. Potential new talent will weigh your company’s technology prowess. Utilizing a professional technology services provider allows small businesses to meet these expectations and increases the ability to attract and retain employees.

Benefit #10: Access Otherwise Unavailable Vendor Support

Access to manufacturers is crucial in effectively supporting complex technology. When available, technology manufacturers traditionally provide basic or unreliable direct end-user support. With a well-established professional technology services provider, small businesses enjoy the benefits of priority access to Microsoft, Cisco and thousands of other technology vendors.

Recently, when doing research for my Internet marketing advice column, I’ve been talking to small business owners about why they originally decided to take the risk of entrepreneurship, and to strike out on their own. Most of them, when they think seriously about why they first started their business, offer no single reason, but instead cite a variety of factors that contributed to their decision.

One big reason I’ve heard from a lot of small business owners is, basically, that they felt directionless and small in the corporate or service worlds, so they decided to take their fate into their own hands. Many large employers treat their workers like nameless and faceless cogs in a vast money-making machine. Certain types of people — like those who become small business owners — just don’t want to be another mindless drone in the hive. These big, uncaring companies are simply no place for the creative, innovative, and adventurous mind.

Other small business owners say that they were excited by the challenge, or that they wanted a chance to work from home, or that they simply saw a gap in a market and jumped on the opportunity to fill it. Some say that all of these factors contributed.

But there is one reason that strikes me as the most important in today’s Internet marketing climate: Many small business owners do what they do because they are passionate about their field. They had something they loved to do, and which they felt they were particularly knowledgeable about, and they decided to turn it into their daily bread. This is the factor that practically every small business owner has in common — knowledge, passion, and expertise. After all, no one ever starts a business in a field they don’t like.

When maneuvering the tricky labyrinths of entrepreneurship, many fledgling small business owners forget about their original passion, and instead come to think that they must bend themselves backward to market their services. I’ve lost count of how many successful small business owners I’ve spoken to who regret the amount of time and effort they used to put into trying to emulate the practices of larger companies. This is a common mistake, but it’s only natural. We see how successful the big corporations are, and we think we have to do everything just like them.

But this is simply not true. Just as large corporations don’t get anywhere by using small business marketing tactics, small businesses won’t get anywhere by trying to market like large corporations. Fortunately, Internet marketing for small businesses can actually be quite easy. What if I were to tell you that there was such a thing as free Internet marketing, and that it is easy and completely legitimate? Well, that’s what I am telling you.

The key is to put your passion and expertise to use. The Internet and its users constantly crave new content, and who better to generate content in your field than you? No doubt, whatever your field is, there are countless Web sites that publish content pertaining to your area of expertise. You probably even read some of these sites. Why not become a contributor?

The process is easy and simple. First, you must write the content. Write 600-700 word articles about some topic in your field that you know a lot about, and which you feel needs to be covered. Then, find an article marketing service on the Web. These services are increasingly popular among small business owners. They will not only help you polish your content, but they will also work to distribute it throughout the Web on your behalf.

The benefits of this marketing technique are incalculable. Through the “About the Author” box attached to each of your articles, readers will discover your Web site, and business will steadily increase. Best of all, though, the more articles you have published, the more links there will be to your Web site, and the higher your site will rise in Google search results. In short, free and easy Internet marketing is not only possible, but it is also the smart thing to do.

The recent torrential rainfall that has plagued parts of the country has had a devastating, potentially fatal effect on thousands of small businesses throughout the UK. In the space of five weeks, severe flooding has impacted on almost 500,000 properties in the north-east, midlands, south-west and south-east of the UK, with many small businesses included in amongst those casualties. With gloomy estimates of around six months or longer to get the affected areas back into full-working order, can these small businesses survive or will many be shutting up shop this year?

Whether traditional bricks and mortar or the new breed of small business that is thriving solely on the web, the floods hit a wide variety of enterprises. Thankfully, help is at hand jointly from the Federation of Small Businesses and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The FSB has recently announced a £500k relief fund offering members interest free loans to help them through the recovery time, and the HMRC is to offer tax assistance to those affected by the recent floods.

Acting as a business finder for the local community, the FSB also protects and promotes the interests of the self-employed and all those who run their own businesses and recently applauded the HMRC decision. The FSB National Chairman John Wright said:

“I warmly welcome the decision by HMRC to offer businesses help with their taxes in the short term as they recover from the floods. All assistance is gratefully received as the flood waters recede and this will go a long way to ensure that more businesses can remain solvent until they can trade again.”

In addition to the HMRC help, the FSB are offering each affected member interest-free loans of up to £5,000 from the relief fund in a move that should help local businesses cope better with the floods aftermath.

However, there is a silver lining for small businesses near the flood areas that have not been directly affected by the disastrous consequences of the floods. There will inevitably be a huge demand for local traders and small businesses to help in the effort to restore homes to their former glory, and to supply white goods, carpets, curtains and furniture ruined by the floods. No doubt flood affected householders will be frantically searching their local business listings to find tradesmen who can help repair and restore their homes and supply replacement goods. Indeed, some of the badly hit small businesses may be helped on the fast track to recovery, and in return may be able to help other flood-hit businesses to remain solvent via their own trade.

Internet-based banks like NetBank are giving traditional banks some fierce competition as more small businesses make the shift to online banking.

“We are extremely pleased with the success of our small-business banking initiative,” said Douglas K. Freeman, chairman and chief executive officer of NetBank Inc. “More and more, small businesses are embracing the Internet and using it to do business better, faster, cheaper.”

Some of the ways in which NetBank makes it easy for small businesses to bank online include providing dedicated relationship managers to each of its clients; a dedicated customer care unit trained to handle the customer’s small-business needs; enhanced account administration features allowing multiple users with different access levels; and a remote deposit system that allows customers to deposit checks into their accounts without leaving the office.

“Small business banking is a natural extension of our services and it represents an excellent growth opportunity for us,” said Bert Davis, director of small business banking for NetBank. “We can provide tremendous value from both a customer service and pricing standpoint, and that’s not something a large number of small-business customers are finding today.”

In addition, NetBank has teamed with Wall Financial Services to provide Web-based accounts receivable lines of credit.

NetBank is also working with MBNA to issue no annual-fee credit cards with a credit line of up to $100,000, while forming a partnership with CompuPay to offer specialized payroll services for small businesses.

Indeed, banking online has streamlined virtually every banking task facing a small-business owner.

“Our own research shows that small-business owners across the country say the Internet is either somewhat important or very important to their business,” Freeman said.

Small businesses face many technological challenges to success. Typically, small businesses do not have the resources of a large publicly traded organization. How can small business compete with these large corporations when they have less labour and capital available?

The answer lies in taking advantage of free software opportunities available to small businesses. Large corporations by their very nature have large R&D budgets as well as teams of in-house technical support. Large corporations don’t face the same challenges when it comes to acquiring business software.

Small businesses can take advantage of their lower cost structure by using existing free software rather then spend vast amounts of money on software development. The small business operator may not have the skills to program custom applications. The small business operator may not have the technical staff necessary to provide support for any in-house applications.

Using free software which comes with free technical support is the easiest way for small businesses to level the playing field with their publicly traded counterparts. For instance, instead of writing an application to handle web forms, a small business owner can simply use existing free software tools such as CreateForms. Should the owner require further tools they may try using free web tools such as CreateSites.com.

By taking advantage of quality free software and support small businesses can substantially reduce their cost structure and offer their products or services at prices below those of large publicly traded corporations. The Internet and technology may have leveled the playing field between large corporations and small businesses.

Running a small business allows you an impressive amount of flexibility. You can move with speed and dexterity if an opportunity arises and a trend proves popular – and profitable. Compared to the stately ocean liners of big business, small businesses are speed boats with good steering, which comes in handy if land is sighted unexpectedly.

One of the main trends of the last few years has been the rise of organic produce. The most obvious examples are the ones sitting on supermarket shelves, labelled as organic and costing more than the equivalent non-organic foodstuff. In this way, small farmers can make a virtue of quality over quantity and not lose out too much because of economies of scale. However, there have been all kinds of niche markets into which have fitted opportunist small businesses. Organic chicken farmers may not have wished to use antibiotics in their poultry farming, but there was a need to find an alternative that would help prevent disease. One such equivalent was duly retailed: Herban is an essential oil based on oregano oil that can be added to the birds’ feed or drinking water.

Although the concept of the Internet revolution is beginning to feel like old hat, the opportunities it offers are still spectacular. The current success stories, like Facebook, are splashed across the media business pages, and occasionally disappear very fast. But behind every major success are thousands of steady small businesses that are doing just fine. CPD (Continuing Professional Development) has been a mainstay of professions like healthcare and law for many years, but some small businesses are realising that they can offer an online CPD service – the technology is there and people’s minds are open to the possibility. Profits are not currently enormous, but certainly decent.

Other opportunities have sprung up from what initially seemed to be ‘amateur’ or ‘socialising’ websites. If you think eBay is only for comic-book collecting geeks then think again. With millions of users worldwide it attracts many small businessmen and women who use it as their main sales channel. Some home-based operators have been able to turn hobbies into viable businesses, selling anything from chairs to bikes to rare Roman coins. Now, third parties are jumping onboard, offering to streamline listings or sell software to optimise listings.

But a word of caution is needed. Although it is great to realise that you have spotted a niche and have the flexibility to go for it, it is always important to look at the bottom line – your business’s finances. This is an area where experience and a steady attitude is invaluable. Small business advice is available from a number of organisations, including government bodies and banks. Banks tend to define a small business as one with a turnover of less than one million.

So if you can combine opportunism, professional advice, and a great deal of perseverance you might yet hit those business pages.

Diclaimer:

This article has been written for information and interest purposes only. The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author only, and should not be construed as advice or used to make financial decisions. Expert financial advice should always be sought and any links contained within this article are included for information purposes only.

Mention the Six Sigma process and what almost immediately comes to mind is a proficiency process for Big Business to implement. But aren’t small businesses also vulnerable to costly errors in time and asset management, customer service and accounting mistakes? So, what’s the problem?

Cost is the biggest obstacle in deciding to implement the Six Sigma process into a small business entity. Unfortunately, most consulting firms try using a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to implementation and its associated costs.

Luckily, there are options available for small businesses to take advantage of the 6 Sigma process and reap the same revenue-increasing benefits.

Small Scale Focus

Small and medium-sized businesses must seek out either consultants or consulting firms with the knowledge and know-how to implement the process in a cost effective manner for the smaller entity. Many small businesses are family-run, and would best benefit from one or two people being trained in the 6 Sigma process and then have them keep their certification level current with ongoing training.

Part of their work load will be implementing the necessary changes discovered during the Six Sigma process and making sure all are being employed and used effectively.

Selective Auditing

Another avenue available is to hire Six Sigma trained and certified consultants to come in on a yearly or bi-annual basis to selectively audit the weaker or less productive areas of the small business. Obviously, the stronger more productive operations are in as much need of the 6 Sigma system, and thus the consultant can focus on the business areas where revenue generation is lacking or nonexistent.

The certified consultant can then explain the needed changes to the company owner and employees in order to ensure an effective transition.

Every company, whether large or small, can greatly benefit and improve their bottom line by adopting and implementing the Six Sigma process. The scope and breadth of the system can be tailored or designed to accommodate any business entity and should not be discarded because of the higher price of across-the-board implementation costs.

The beauty of the Six Sigma system is its adaptability and flexibility; this does carry over in to its actual execution into any company’s business model. The small or medium-sized business owner must be persistent in finding a Six Sigma consulting firm with the vision and insight to employ this application on a small scale.