In today's day and age, smartphones are more prevalent than they've ever been. One need only take a look at the people around them as they go about their day to see countless Blackberries, iPhones, and one of the many, many Android offerings currently on the market. Tablets too are increasingly popular, with almost every major electronics manufacturer in business today having one on the market. People are connected to the...
For everyone out there operating their own business, the urge is most likely very strong to operate every aspect of your business yourself. After all, as the old saying goes, "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself", right? Wrong. See there's another old saying you should be aware of. I honestly can't remember the exact phrasing or the source, but its message is no less clear....
In a previous article, we discussed how important it is to be honest with yourself. Today, I'll be getting in to more detail on a point I raised back then, which is the importance of being honest with your clients. We all know repeat business is the key to maximizing your Personal Independent Earnings. This is irrefutable cold hard fact. But in order to earn the repeat business you desire,...
You've crunched the numbers. You've fine tuned your product. Every i has been dotted, every t crossed. Every conceivable thing you can think of has been taken care of. You've planned, you've budgeted, you've built your team, your marketing is ready to go. It's time for you to put your business out there in the world for all to see. Nervous? Don't be. This is probably the hardest part of...
Burnout is one of the worst things that can happen to any small business owner. Your focus and motivation all but disappear, your desire to work goes out the window, and the thought of getting down to business can actually become a depressing one, rather than exciting, as it should be. Obviously, this is bad news, and something to be avoided. For the 9-5ers out there, it is somewhat unavoidable....
It's very easy for anyone in any industry to think that competition is a bad thing. After all, there's somebody else out there offering a similar product or service and making money on it. Money that could be going to you. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Competition is actually a very good thing. You see, with a competing service out there, it inspires you to try...
If you're like me (and you must be at least a little, if you're walking the path to PIE), you are a highly motivated, self-starting individual. You have an unending drive for success. You are tenacious. You have a tendency to go-go-go, until you attain your goals. The word stop just isn't in your vocabulary. And that is completely fine. But there's a difference between stopping and slowing down a...
As I previously discussed in my two part post on The Art of Negotiation (Part 1 here, part 2 here), everybody loves a good deal. There isn't a person alive who can resist a sale or special, especially on a product or service they've actually been looking for. Or even on things they haven't. Impulse buys play a big role in pulling in business during a special offer as well....
You hear about it almost every day. Another company faced with a multi-million dollar lawsuit, brought forth by a former customer or employee. Another business owner facing charges for illegal practices (more often knowingly than not). Now fortunately, as a small business, your chances of being waylaid with a gigantic seven figure lawsuit are extremely low, though the possibility of being sued should something along the way be less than...
Let me throw out a hypothetical situation at you, dear readers. You've been in business for yourself for a while. Your business, and consequently your Personal Independent Earnings, have grown to a point where operating from your home office is no longer feasible, you're pulling in enough money to begin heavily reinvesting back into your business, and you're looking to expand by moving to a dedicated office space. First of...