I’m truly excited to announce the not-so-official launch of Sage Small Business Solutions’ very first hands-on small business class: Create Your Virtual Business Presence. One of the things I tend to evangelize on often is the need for a solid, but not overly complex infrastructure for small business owners. As I’ve mentioned before, I truly believe that infrastructure is the backbone of any business, so I guess you could say I consider a small business’ communications infrastructure to be...

Back in Step 5 of 30 Steps to Build a Better Business, we looked in detail at the steps involved in your production process. But what about all other processes you perform reguarly? Shouldn’t you document those as well? If the way you perform your most common tasks are stored only in your head, it may be difficult for you to repeat them in a consistent, efficient manner. This is especially true if you have employees. By taking the time to document your company’s processes, you’ll...

The practical wisdom and real-life advice offered in the 30 Steps to Build a Better Business blog series is now available in a paperback or instantly downloadable eBook! Here’s what’s inside: The 6 business building blocks every small business must have Strategies and techniques to help you transition from ‘the dayjob’ to being a full-time business owner 20+ innovative marketing and promotion methods for first-time or part-time entrepreneurs Low-cost or free small business productivity...

Can I be honest with you? I hate dealing with administrative tedium. There have been numerous times when I’ve procrastinated and delayed until administrative tasks have gotten entirely out of hand. Then all of a sudden I find myself having to spend a huge amount of time and effort getting everything back into some semblance of order, which just makes me hate administratum even more because it’s always so draining and time consuming for me. After a while of this maddening cycle, I...

In Step 6 of 30 Steps to Build a Better Business, adjusting your product pricing was mentioned as a possible solution for low or negative product margins. Even if you aren’t experiencing low product margins, it’s a good idea to check your pricing regularly (at least once a year), to make sure it’s in line with your particular business strategy and what the market will bear.   Make a List. Make a list of all your products and prices. If you completed Step 4 to Building a Better...

In Step 5  of 30 Steps to Build a Better Business, you documented a step-by-step version of your production process. In this step, you’ll get an idea of how much that production process costs you.  Why is this important? One word. Margins.