Business tips

How to keep your email list updated and relevant

If you're focused on building your email list, it's easy to forget that you need to maintain that list. While a big list of subscribers is great, quality can be equally as important as quantity.

Making the most of social media for your business—without a budget

You know who loves to give advice? Everyone. Especially when it comes to marketing. But what do you do when that advice all requires a budget—a budget you don't have? What happens then?

How to pick the right online marketing channels for your business

There's an embarrassment of riches when it comes to online marketing channels for small businesses. That means a ton of opportunity—but also some tough decisions to make. You can't afford to chase them all, so you need to figure out which is right for you.

Moving from a hyper-local to a (hopefully) global business

We waited for a long time before creating a comprehensive digital marketing plan for our specialty coffee roasting business. In fact, strategy and planning wasn't something we even thought about when we first began.

How to research a digital marketing plan for your small business (and why it matters)

Our small coffee roasting business got away with an unplanned, DIY digital marketing strategy for a while. But when it was time to seriously dip our toes into the online marketing world, we knew we were either going to need help or go deep—or both.

Why every small business should own a domain name

Starting a business? You should buy a domain name. A domain name is the address for a website—you're reading this article on zapier.com, for example. Registering a domain name isn't expensive, typically costing around $15 a year.

Can your business run without you?

When I imagined what it would be like to run my own business, never in a million years did I think it would involve feeling trapped. I left my well-paying 9-to-5 job only to be stuck in a 9-to-9 job that had zero benefits and little-to-no pay.

Do sweat the small stuff: Why planning the little things matters for your business

Think about all the times you've sat down with your accountant, a client, or a vendor. At least once, you missed something that was crystal clear in hindsight, right? We all do. That's why some amount of planning is vital, no matter how minor a task is.

Preparing for success: Lessons learned from early mistakes in a small business

If you're anything like me, you've gone through a ton of business ideas and have spent lots of money getting started on them. I went to school for marketing and thought I would be a graphic designer after graduating.

Leading in a new video-centric business environment

As I work in my private coaching practice, which blends leadership development and strategic communications, I find it interesting to hear how so many professionals are being required to have dozens of "camera-on" conversations and appearances every day.

How to know when it's time to hire your first employee

You need to hire to facilitate growth. But you need to grow in order to have the money to hire. So what do you do? Should you gamble by increasing your overheads before you've made enough money to afford it? Or wait until you're certain you can afford it?

How to use local competitors to your advantage

Choosing to start a business in what seems like a crowded market can be daunting. How could your little startup possibly stand out against the businesses who've been around for several years?

How to reliably scale an eCommerce business

The first time I saw consistent sales with my eCommerce business, I was excited and anxious. I finally had proof of product-market fit, and people actually wanted to buy what I was selling. But the anxiety came from knowing it was time to scale.

The importance of real-time financials for scaling companies

Early in their journey, founders might have a good handle on their financial position—either because they're involved in all aspects of the company and/or by closely tracking their bank accounts. But as a company starts to grow, it gets tougher.

How tracking my time helped me increase revenue in my business

I'd never looked at how time spent (on everything!) was affecting revenue for my nail bar. When we reached capacity in terms of the number of clients we could take on but our revenue hadn't increased, I knew it was a major red flag.

Customer reviews: The most important small business marketing strategy

An expertly crafted marketing plan will only take you as far as your online reviews allow. You can say all the right things, on all the right platforms, with all the right keywords, but bad reviews can still tank even the best marketing strategies.

These 5 legal essentials can help protect your growing business

As a small business owner, a lot of hard work goes into developing your business and your brand. Your business becomes your baby and your everything—and you need to protect it.

The secret about paying less taxes that accountants don't want small business owners to know

Some accountants will claim that they know tax-saving secrets, but the reality is that there aren't any. Which is good because it's dangerous for business owners to be in the dark about their own taxes.