E-mail is a Small Busines Owners Best Friend

Time management is a challenge

One of the most common complaints from my fellow business owners is the lack of enough time in the day to get everything done.  We all strive to find that perfect balance between our work life and our home life and often times this can prove to be quite the challenge in today's world.  However, there are a number of tools available to help boost productivity and time management in maximizing our efforts in our day to day tasks.

Uncover the best communication channel

Take that all important step into the high tech 21st century and begin to test the waters on e-mail as a primary communication channel for your business.  I have built my business on a personal one-on-one relationship with my clients and customers and definitely think it is very important to call or meet with them when business calls for it.  I, like most entrepreneurs, am a people person and enjoy talking and meeting with my contacts face to face.  However, e-mail has proven to be an invaluable tool in boosting my productivity and has even been my primary means of doing business with some clients.  In addition, making e-mail one of the primary means of communicating with me has freed me up to prioritize my day and tasks and helped to maximize my accomplishments on a day to day basis. 

Old School vs. New School

For some businesspeople, there just isn't any other way to do business then over the phone or face to face.    Don't fight the old dog if he doesn't want to learn a new trick.  The good news is, as an e-mail business guru you can catch that ever elusive time factor to meet with those contacts that prefer the more personal route.

I encourage you to try and implement e-mail communication into your business and see the explosion of productivity and efficiency that it can bring.

A Fresh Cup of Coffee Every Time

Is there anything better then that fresh brewed cup of coffee?

I tend to drink 1-2 cups of coffee per day and I'm definitely what you call a coffee fan.  Nothing gets me ready for my day better then a fresh cup of joe.  Last Christmas, after looking at many varieties of coffee/espresso makers, my wife and I finally decided to get a Keurig K-Cup Coffee Machine.  I had seen a few of the businesses around town have them out for their customers and always happily made myself a cup when I had the opportunity. 

The great thing about the Keurig K-cup Coffee System is that you get a fresh cup of coffee every time!  In about 20-60 seconds, Keurig delivers a piping hot cup of pure greatness embodied in liquid form of your favorite flavor and variety.  The system utilizes a super heated temperature of around 192 degrees to unlock that great taste that you will quickly become accustomed to utilizing the Keurig K-cup System.  Sure, you don't quite get as much bang for your buck as brewing a whole pot of coffee at a time, but this blogger feels that what you gain in K-cup perfection is well worth the added cost.

So why am I talking about coffee on a small business blog?

One of the best things we can do as small business owners is blow away our customers' expectations.  Word of mouth has always been one of businesses best friends and you would be surprised at how far the little things go in making a difference for your clients. 

Take a look at your own life and see how your thoughts and feelings change for the businesses that offer you the K-cup experience?  I believe one of the best ways a company can strive to achieve greatness is finding some little way that we can reach out to our customers lives and help to shape a positive experience for them.  Too often in business we all get hung up on our own agendas, and we forget that one of the fundamental principles in winning friends and influencing people is to become genuinely interested in others.

I challenge you to find some small way you can reach out to your clients and make a difference for them.

Google Leads the World of Small Business Software

My brother has been a computer programmer for the past 13 years and we often debate who the "BEST" software company is.  Microsoft had been the clear leader in our debate up until about 4 years ago when the Android operating system was brought to the mainstream of the then budding smart phone industry.  Since the 2007 open source agreement for Android, Google has seen its Android platform dominate in gaining market share and challenge the mighty Apple for supremacy.

So what does all this mean for the small business owner?

The wealth of software Google has for small business is incredible and something the small business owner should not live without. 

• Gmail - has proven to be invaluable in my business keeping my business/personal contacts and calendar synced to my smart phone and business PC seamlessly.  Google has made Gmail completely user friendly and blown the doors wide off the competition. 
• Google Maps - a must have for the small business owner in helping to find local businesses.  The navigation feature in Google Maps is such a great feature and has saved my business time and money over and over with the convince of having the software right on my smart phone.
• Google Voice - how many of us have wished for one phone number that we could immediately port to any service provider?  Enter Google Voice.  Not only does Google Voice forward all calls to any phone number that you tell it to, but it transcribes voice mails directly to text as well.  Talk about bang for your buck!
• Blogger - create your own Blog with Google Blogger.  Custom templates, easy set up and tracking again provide a great resource for small business.

Google offers many other applications to help with productivity and advertising which all work together to create the complete package for the small business owner.  The best part about most of Googles' software is the price...FREE.  Many analysts believe Googles' market capitalization of stock is super inflated, but with the kind of value their services bring, I can't help to think that it just might be justified.

Boeing Promises Bright Future for South Carolina

A recent article in the Charleston Regional Business Journal spotlighted Boeing's VP of supply chain management and operations Ray Conner.  He spoke about his role and the direction Boeing was taking in driving to become a "new" Boeing.  Industry experts view the North Charleston plant as a key part of the future and success of the company.  Production is currently scheduled to begin in July 2011 with the first jets scheduled to roll out of the South Carolina plant in 2012.

The tremendous impact that Boeing brings to the Lowcountry can be felt throughout the entire local business community.  The prospect of the #28 Fortune 500 company bringing such an important part of their future business to North Charleston has bolstered growth in our region and promises to drive future expansion.  Boeing said that the plant could bring as many as 12,000 new jobs to Charleston and the brand and national awareness that Boeing draws will have far reaching impacts.

Governor Sanford didn't do everything right on his watch, but he did bring the biggest single investment in state history to our community.  At a time when the pain of the downturn could be felt throughout the entire nation, Governor Sanford pioneered growth and development in helping to bring Boeing to Charleston.

Small Business Development Center of South Carolina

Who ever said the government doesn't do anything for small business?

"Doing Big Things for Small Business"

What a great resource we have here in the Low Country with the Small Business Development Center.  This is an organization committed to seeing the local small business community thrive and grow offering years of experience and resources in the world of business FREE for those interested. 

I had the pleasure of meeting with the local Area Manager Thomas J. Lauria this past week and was very impressed with what they had to offer.  He has put together a strong team of successful retired businessmen all bringing their own invaluable experience in various sectors including: finance, banking, government and manufacturing.   Their goal is to help local small businesses analyze opportunities, develop business plans, strategies, and create loan packages. 

This blogger found their website to be a wealth of knowledge.  One of the best tools I found, was their Links page that has an incredible number of tools and resources ranging from financial statement templates to SBA frequently asked questions.  I'm sure that any small business owner would find many of these helpful in making their business more successful.

I encourage those of you reading this blog to visit their website or stop in to either of their two offices and take advantage of the great services they offer.  I can't believe I'm about to say this but the Small Business Development Center is definitely something our government has finally done right for business.


Small Business Development Center of South Carolina Homepage
http://www.localsmallbusiness.org/index.cfm