What fabulous operations all have in common.

What constitutes a great small business? We all know what a good small business looks like— it makes a tidy profit, is run efficiently, and grows slowly but surely, right? You might quibble around the edges of that definition, but that is the essence of it.

But a great small business, what is that? Well, great small businesses share many of the same traits. So I submit here nine traits that most great small businesses have in common. Can you claim any of these traits?

1. They are about more than money. The first thing you may notice about this list is that it will have very little to do with money. Is money great? Of course. But the best small businesses view profit as an element of a bigger whole, a part of the sum. The best small businesses are in business for reasons other than profit alone. These businesses want to make a difference, add value. They serve their customers, employees and shareholders. There is an undercurrent, dare I say, of altruism in what they do.

2. They are fun. And so it is that being a great place to work is also critical to being considered a great business. Great small businesses foster a sense of teamwork. They value employees as individuals. There is a sense of fun, joy and creativity at play. People like working there. Are there bad days and tough times? You bet. But the good days and happy people trump them.

3. They are creative. We have all been to the rote business where by the book is de rigueur: “You pay for that, and I give you this. Don’t expect more because I won’t give more.” What a bore. What a waste. What a lost opportunity. Great businesses tap into the creativity of their staff. People are allowed to try out new ideas and be individuals. New programs, policies, ideas and campaigns are tried. Some work, some don’t. They adapt and move on.

4. They are led by a charismatic entrepreneur. Groups need leaders, and any time you see a successful small business, you can bet that there is a driven entrepreneur (or entrepreneurs) at the helm—someone who can enroll people behind a vision, who understands business, someone people like, the rising tide that lifts all boats.

5. They have a great team. That special entrepreneur typically has a knack for surrounding herself with great people. These folks are given the leeway to do what they do best, they buy into the vision, they are committed to the goal, and they are willing to work hard and work together to get there.

6. They experiment and innovate. Recently, my wife asked me to pick up some food for the family on the way home from work. So before I left the office, I went online and looked for the restaurant’s website so I could see their menu. They had no website. Are you kidding me? Aside from being business malpractice, the greater concern is that businesses that are not keeping up with the times are in fact falling behind because of the increased pace of technological change. Today, you simply must tweet, update, learn, grow, change and adapt. The best small businesses do what they do well, but they don’t stop looking for ways to do things better.

7. They risk failure. When I was a boy, I asked my carpet store–owning dad how to describe what he did for a living. He said that he was “an entrepreneur.” “What’s that?” I asked. “Someone willing to take a risk with money to make money.” Entrepreneurs are risk takers. Not crazy risk takers mind you, but prudent, smart risk takers. They are bold.

8. They work hard and play hard. The only way you get be the best at something is by working hard at it. By failing and learning. By putting in the hours. No, it is not easy, but as I tell my daughters, everything is hard before it is easy. Entrepreneurs usually push themselves hard, and push those around them hard, too. But they do so in search of that greater good, that bigger goal. And the staff that gets it and comes along for the ride is rewarded appropriately.

9. They strive to be the best. These businesses are, not surprisingly, not content to be good. As it is said, “good is the enemy of great.” The best small businesses strive to excel. Maybe they want to create the best strudel in town. Maybe they want to offer exceptional value. Whatever the case, greatness is the goal; mediocrity is not tolerated.

Steven D. Strauss is one of the world’s leading small business experts. He is a senior USATODAY.com small business columnist and author of 15 books—his latest being the best-selling Small Business Bible—as well as a lawyer and public speaker. He has been on CNN, CNBC, The O’Reilly Factor, and is a regular guest on MSNBC’s Your Business. You can visit him online at www.MrAllBiz.com or follow him at www.Twitter.com/SteveStrauss.

Reprinted from American Express OPEN Small Business Forum, www.openforum.com.

                   http://www.weather.com

Many of us create our own websites using either FrontPage, Dreamweaver, or Expression Web.  Pat Geary and Tina Clarke, owners of the website www.frontpage-to-expression.com , provide a wealth of information for FrontPage users who want to migrate to Expression Web.  If you have any interest in learning how to use Expression Web to create a website, this site is one that you should visit.

But back to this marketing idea. . . the two ladies have created a giveaway with prizes that any user (or potential user) of Expression Web would love to win.  All you have to do is write about the giveaway on Facebook, a blog, etc. and let them know about it.  Some lucky writers will be the lucky winners of the great prizes. 

This is my entry because I would love to win any of the awards but also because I think they provide outstanding information to anyone interested in the program.  I’ve made it a practice to never recommend something that I wouldn’t use myself and this is not an exception.

Now that I’ve encouraged you to enter that giveaway, let me also suggest how you might use a similar idea to market your own business.  People love FREE.  They love the opportunity to win something.  And they rarely hesitate to enter their name in a contest that is giving away something they want.  But what makes this marketing technique different is that you have to tell others about their product if you want to win it.  In other words, you give to receive. 

Some gift basket companies have a monthly drawing for a free gift basket in order to collect email addresses.  Why not make those entering your contest work a little bit for it?  Enter their names in your drawing if they mention your business on Facebook or write something about you in an ezine or newsletter or blog.  That giveaway gift basket (and you could make it even more enticing by adding a few other simple prizes) then provides a return on your investment.  And isn’t this what marketing is all about?

So go check out their giveaway at Expression Web Giveaway and create your own marketing campaign.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously this week to extend the stay of enforcement for testing and certification of some children’s products until February 10, 2011. These products still must comply with existing applicable rules and bans.

Products covered by the stay include:
- children’s toys and child care articles with banned phthalates
- children’s toys subject to ASTM’s F-963 toy safety standard
- caps and toy guns
- clacker balls
- durable infant products
- electrically-operated toys
- youth all-terrain vehicles
- youth mattresses, children’s bicycles
- carpets and rugs
- vinyl plastic film
- children’s sleepwear

The commission also voted 4-1 to extend the stay on certification and third-party testing for children’s products that are subject to lead limits under CPSIA until February 10, 2011.

Under today’s decision, some children’s products manufactured after February 10, 2010, will be required to have third-party certification beginning on that date. These include bicycle helmets, bunk beds, infant rattles and dive sticks.

Additionally, general certificates of conformity (GCCs) will not be required for children’s products, but some nonchildren’s products manufactured after February 10, 2010 will require GCCs. These products include:

- candles with metal wicks
- contact adhesives
- cigarette lighters
- multi-purpose lighters
- matchbooks

Here are the ten lessons discussed in the article.

1. Passion wins — There are many reasons for starting and growing a business.  But the zeal that comes with passion for what you really love doing can make the difference between a business that grows and one that stagnates.
2. Focus is required -  But passion without focus can lead you astray.  Focus doesn’t mean saying “yes” to the one thing that you consider most important.  Focus is saying no to the 100 other good ideas that you discover along the way.  You have to pick carefully.
3. Vision is required too – “Without vision, even the most focused passion is a battery without a device.”  Google’s vision to make “all the world’s information available and to first and foremost serve users” is what drove their stepping into uncharted territory and eventually led to their success.
4. A team culture is vital – Google has managed to establish a networked management model that functions from the bottom up as well as the top down.  A sense of proprietorship unleashes ideas and effort from employees that overwise would never see the light of day.
5. Treat engineers as kings – Those who produce for you are the most important people in your business.  I’ve heard gift company owners say they would be lost without that employee who ties the beautiful bows or creates the ideas. 
6. Treat customers like a king – This is a mistake that many businesses make.  Advertising produces 97% of Google’s revenue but the customers don’t realize it as they use Google’s service which are free and user friendly.  They feel that the only reason Google created those services is to make their lives better.  Google’s adage for employees is similar to Sam Walton’s:  “If you don’t listen to your customers, someone else will.”
7. Every company is a frenemy – Google operates under the principle that there are no permanent allies, only permanent interests.  The internet blurs the borders between companies creating allies and competition which is oftentimes difficult to tell apart.
8. Don’t ignore the human factor – The deeper you dig into a situation, the more complicated people become.  Many decisions are not made as a result of logic but of emotions based on experiences that you may have never dreamed of and will probably never know or understand.  All of us have had occasions when making decisions about our business future is not about business but about us and who we are.  Remember the same is true of our employees, customers, and even our competition.
9. There are no certitudes -  None of us have any guarantees that our business will be here tomorrow or even that we will be.  Google appears impregnable.  But so did AOL and IBM .  Our business models have to be constantly looked at and changed as needed based on current circumstances, economic factors, and our reason for existing.
10. Life is long but time is short -  These words belong to Eric Schmidt, who explained, “Life is long in the sense that we have long memories.  Time is short in that you have to move very quickly.  But to me the most important thing to know is that life has a way of working things out.  We forget so quickly what the problem was three or four years ago.  So my personal view of life is that every problem is an opportunity.”    Google has taken this to heart as they think and act boldly, take risks, and are not tied down by long memories.

Lessons can be learned from any business.   I’ve read lots of business books and taken lots of business classes.  I even teach a few.  But the most amazing insights that have affected my own business haven’t come from books, magazines, or classes.  Most actually come from people who really aren’t in my industry or sometimes they are not in business at all.

You won’t find me in front of my TV very often, but Tuesday nights I treat myself to my new favorite show, Shark Tank.

Robert Herjavec, another one of the five sharks, brings it to the point: “If you’re emotional and you’re great at something, the money will follow.” Robert, you are just my kind of shark.

Visit Susan at

http://www.popcorngreetings.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanplacek

Here’s how you can flourish during difficult times. It just takes a bit of creativity…

1. Trim the fat. Now’s the time to review your company finances in a calm and collected manner. Be sure to look at what is being paid on time. Then look for waste and how you can save – there are sure to be a few places where this is possible. Eliminate expenses that aren’t essential to your core business.

2. Know your customers. Spend time with your customers and find out more about their needs so you can deliver what they want when they want it. Also consider sending out a customer satisfaction survey to gain additional insights. Continue offering great service and going above and beyond so that every customer feels as if they are getting the VIP treatment.

3. Stay ahead of the competition. Researching your competition is invaluable so you can make sure you’re competitive with their quality and service. Also remember that during a downtown, some of the people who are laid off may start their own businesses. Monitor the market for newcomers, but remember that you have a head start.

4. Enhance your offering. Cutting prices is one way to make your product or service more attractive, but it’s not the only way. Once you lower your prices, it can be hard to raise them again. Think about adding other incentives like reduced delivery times or added bonuses instead.

5. Adapt to the market. If you notice that sales are declining in one area, focus your efforts on areas that are seeing more sales. Don’t waste your time on sectors that are in freefall. If your business is focused on a single product, consider repositioning it and be ready to cater to people’s changing needs.

6. Invest in you. Now is the perfect time to build on your knowledge, skills, and talents by attending conferences, taking a professional development course, or investing in a business coach. It will help position you as an expert in your field and give you a competitive edge!

7. Make more noise. Continue advertising if you can afford it, but look for other inexpensive ways to get the word out. Perhaps start a blog, join web forums in your field, or write a column for a trade publication or local newspaper.

8. Prepare for the good times. Remember that a recession is a periodic event, but it doesn’t last forever. Resist the urge to run for cover. Instead, keep doing business.

Come out fighting and energize your business to ensure that you don’t go the way of the dinosaurs. The good times will come again – this is your chance to make sure you’re a part of them. 

Today’s guest blogger is Ali Brown who  is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com

The designs in the magazines are what those new to the industry see and try to emulate.  When they either fail to achieve the same effect OR have accumulated cases of the many products OR can’t sell the completed designs because they cost too much, they consider themselves a failure.

What they don’t realize is that there is a big difference between many of the baskets designed for the magazines and those that sell to our customers.  The next time you receive a trade magazine, with its many gorgeous designs, take a more careful look at those designs. 

Yes, they are gorgeous.  Yes, they entice you to strive for a higher level of design.  Some of them are even designs that we can emulate and sell.  But there are many that I could never create and sell in my market area.  They are the type of baskets that I would produce as a donation when I want to really impress but could never sell and make a profit.  They were designed to give you ideas and to encourage you to strive for more than just an “everyday” look.  They were designed to sell advertiser’s products.   Many of them are winners or entries in design competitions at the last Convention.  They were designed for the design effect with little thought given to cost or whether the design will sell. 

Ask yourself how these designs will look wrapped in cello–which is essential to keep the products in place.  Can they even be sucessfully wrapped in cello at all?  How will they look when the bows, perching promptly on either side or front of the basket, are suddenly moved to the top of the cello?  How much does the excellent photography techniques used affect the appearance of the basket? 

Look at the products used to create the basket.  Are they primarily high cost products or a mixture of high-end and reasonably priced ones?  How much of the cost of the basket is dedicated to gorgeous enhancements and floral treatments?  Think about how much time was spent designing this particular basket.  Do you have that kind of time to devote to each and every basket that you sell?  If you’re familiar with wholesale prices–and most of you are– sit down and calculate what you would guess the basket would cost to create.  Then use your formula to determine what you would need to sell that basket for. 

Look at the holiday themed issues.  Count the number of holiday specific themed products are used in one basket.  Can your business afford to buy cases of a dozen or more holiday themed products for a holiday such as Halloween?  My business certainly couldn’t.  I’d be eating Halloween candies and cookies for the rest of the year.

Now that you’ve looked at these gorgeous works of art and asked yourself the above questions, look at them as they were intended.  Most, but perhaps not all, were not intended for you to copy and sell off your store’s shelves or website pages.  They were intended to give you ideas and to encourage you to buy advertiser’s products. 

With that in mind, take the bits and pieces of what you like about each design and create your own.  Create designs that you know will sell for you.  Use your imagination and design talents to create something similar, but more practical, with products that you can use in a large number of designs.  Incorporate one or two themed items and even some florals and enhancements (if that is your style) keeping a careful eye on the total cost of products and labor. 

When you are finished, you probably won’t have a gift basket that looks like the ones in the magazines but you’ll have a design that you can sell and make a profit on in your local market.  And isn’t making a profit what being in business is all about?

And, just in case you are wondering, the basket shown above is one of mine that was created specifically for the 2007 Designer of the Year competion.  It won second place as “Best Corporate Design” and, no, it’s not a design created to sell. It was created for a specific purpose and served that purpose well but the cost of the products used and time involved to create it would make it a difficult one to sell for a profit.

Anyone can write…some better than others.  As I said in a previous post “That Myth Called Talent” , it takes more than talent to create results.  It takes techniques.  When I first started writing and taking classes, I wasn’t at all interested in writing fiction.  Nonfiction seemed much easier to write and to sell.  But I quickly learned that using Fiction Techniques to write non-fiction can make a world of difference.  And, isn’t a sales letter just a non-fiction article that you’re sending to a potential customer?

There are lots of fiction techniques that can make you a better copywriter.  Here are just a few to get you started:

1. Be yourself.  Your personality creates your writing style and allows you to create intimacy with your reader.
2. Make the letter conversational.  The reader of your letter should feel that you’re talking directly to them and are not just sending out a letter to lots of people. 
3. Start the letter with something to get their attention.  It could be a story.  A question.  A quote.  Or simply a dynamic statement.  You want to create interest — even excitement.  You want to make them read further.
4. Tell a story — from either your point of view or that of your customer’s.  By telling a short story that relates to the reader’s situation, you create empathy with him/her.  If your letter is a long one, you can draw out your story for added suspense, saving the outcome for the end. 
5. Think like your reader.  What do they want most?  How can you provide it to them?  Their primary question to you is “What’s in it for me?”  What do their own customers want and need from them?  How can you help them answer that need with your products.  If you want to sell to them, you have to forget your own ego and how great your business is and concentrate on theirs.
6. Ask for their business.  And provide yourself an opportunity to follow up. An example is:  “We want your business and we’re willing to work to earn it.  I’ll call you next week to discuss how we can help you…..”

There are many other techniques of course.  But incorporate these and you’ll have a much more effective marketing letter.

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