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How to Sell My Company In 5 Steps

People ask “how to sell my company” all the time. Selling a business is one of the most complex transactions you are likely ever to be involved in. Unlike a publicly-traded company that is run for the benefit of shareholders, a privately held small business is run entirely for the benefit of its owner. The business is operated to maximize the lifestyle and the perks for its owner. This causes there to be many discretionary expenses that may be considered perks or items that contribute more to the lifestyle of the owner than the need of the business.

 

Critical Steps to Sell My Company

Small business owners make decisions to legally reduce the tax burden by expensing as much as possible through their business. This may come in the form of a luxury car, boat, house, business trip, or having a spouse on the payroll. These are considered “discretionary expenses” that are added back to income because the new owner won’t need these discretionary expenses to operate the business. Discretionary expenses and perks of small business owners make it difficult or nearly impossible to determine the exact cash flow for a new owner. Many deals fall apart because there is no way to make an accurate forecast of future earnings.

 

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” –Chris Grosser

 

Sell My Company in Five Steps

 

1. Making the Decision
Making the decision to sell a business is the most important step in the process. Many owners identity is attached to being a business owner. Friends, family, and the community look at business owners in a certain light which may be difficult to lose after the business is sold. There is also a financial consideration and how the sale of the business will affect future plans.

 

2. Optimize the Value of the Enterprise
Prospective buyers or a new owner would be willing to pay more for a business for these reasons:
a) Generates a lot of income
b) Income is steady every single month
c) Business has systems in place and not dependent on the owner
d) Business has a history of Growth

By improving the above-mentioned items, your business will become more desirable and sell for the most money. Don’t worry if your business is not perfect, no business is. People expect things to be wrong with any business and they come in with the expectation that they will use their ideas to fix it after they buy.

 

3. Decide whether to use legal professionals
There is a cost associated with using professionals but selling a business alone may put you at great of future liability or other complications. At a minimum, you will need an attorney to draft a Purchase and Sale Agreement that properly transfers the business and all of its assets to the new owner and eliminates any and all future liabilities. Additionally, you will want to consult with an accountant to best determine how to structure the financial part of the transaction and any tax liabilities you need to be aware of.

 

4. Determine the Value of the Business
There are countless numbers of valuation models that can be used to calculate the value of a business. The comparable sales method compares similar transactions and uses the data to determine a price. The debt capacity method is based on the amount a bank will loan for the acquisition of the business. The cost to replace method calculates the investment to replace equipment, furniture, and fixture. There are also rules of thumb that take the earnings of the company and multiples by a certain multiple depending on the industry. It’s not uncommon for there to be a wildly different valuation calculated by a buyer and seller. The buyer is usually 20% to 40% less than the sales price the seller estimates. Sellers should set the sales price reasonable or risk scaring buyers off and not even getting an offer.

 

5. Do the Actual Selling On Your Own or Use a Broker
Ensure that you work with reputable business brokers or business intermediaries. Business brokers and business intermediaries are experienced at pricing your business to sell at the maximum price. They also have expertise in confidentially marketing your business to the largest audience. The process of selling a business can be very complicated and time-consuming. While there is a fee associated with using a business broker, it is almost always money well spent. Most businesses never sell because it’s so difficult for a business owner to operate their business and have the time to market professionally and sell their business.

 

Sell My Company Fast

Selling a business is hard work and takes time. Delegate the appropriate tasks to professionals so you give yourself the best chance to have the most profitable transaction. Most deals fall apart a few times before actually getting closed. It is critical to allow your professionals to do their jobs and move the transaction along for your maximum benefit. You can learn more about the process of selling a business by clicking here.

 

 

Sell My Business Free Call

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Profitable Franchises To Buy

THE MOST PROFITABLE FRANCHISE TO BUY

 

PROFITABLE FRANCHISE TO BUY

The most profitable franchise to buy can be found by evaluating the Franchise Disclosure Document, Bankability (SBA Approved Financing), Proven Business Model, Training, and Scalability of the franchise being evaluated.  Rank a franchise among their peers and only consider the best of the best. Conduct interviews with key franchise executives to determine to confirm your research findings. Also, interview franchisees of “going” franchises to get real-world experiences and look for red flags. Use resources like The Business Reference Guide by Tom West of Business Brokerage Press, considered the most authoritative source of industry-specific business information. 

 

 

Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)

The Franchise Disclosure Document is a legal document that is available to the prospective buyer of a franchise in the pre-sale disclosure process. The FDD contains all of the information that state and federal franchise regulators consider relevant to a franchise investment, and it is the holy grail in researching a franchise. Information in the FDD ranges from the franchisor’s history and the business experience of its executives to the fees that the company charges, to the requirements for purchasing inventory, to the form of the franchise agreement, to three years of the franchisor’s financial statements. We pay special attention to Item 19 as it is a critical part of every franchise disclosure document. It provides a clear avenue for delivering performance information and must meet or exceed performance by its peers. Item 20 also gets extra scrutiny in our rankings to get the number of franchises and if they increase or decrease. Item 20 also contains contact information for current franchisees that we use to contact franchisees as part of our research.

 

 

Bankability (SBA Approved Financing)

For a franchise to make our Top 10 Franchise List, the franchise must qualify for the SBA Express Loan Program, which offers streamlined and expedited loan procedures for borrowers. The SBA Express Loan gives small business borrowers an accelerated turnaround time for SBA review; a response to an application will be given within 24 hours.

 

Proven Business Model

We use Item #20 of the Franchise Disclosure Document, The BRG Business Reference Guide, and other sources to validate the business model for growth and sustainability. Growth has to exceed the growth of the economy as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

 

Training

Strong training and support should be included in your consideration. Use franchisees’ input to review systems that support the owners.  Review what the franchises offer in software, computer systems, group coaching, classroom training, mentorships, etc., and determine if they meet your needs.

 

Scalability

Verify that the Business Model has the potential to be scalable. We define scalability as the franchise’s ability to grow in profitability so that the owner can remove themselves from day-to-day operations. After the business has achieved scale, the owner can use the business to support their lifestyle or choose to grow to the next level. 

 

Qualified franchisees can get SBA Express Loans in less than 24 hours.  Investing in a franchise business is one of the safest ways to go if you’re thinking of buying a small business. A franchise has the business model, training, and systems to give you the best chance for success. You should also consider franchise resales because they already have customers and financial history.

 

List Of Best Franchises To Buy Approved By The SBA

Best Franchise to Buy

The Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the best franchises to buy. Not only are they easier to finance, but they have to meet a minimum level of financial performance. Investing in a franchise business is a way to reduce the risk of becoming an entrepreneur. A franchise has a proven business model, training, and systems to give you the best chance for success. We have compiled a list of franchises with a total investment of less than $750,000 while reporting the highest financial success compared to its peers. They must also be approved for financing with an SBA or a traditional bank loan.

best franchise to buy

An SBA Express Loan can get you up to $150,000 in as little as 30 days. These are the best startup business loans available. 10-year terms, NO pre-payment penalty, No pledge of personal assets as collateral, Interest Prime + the prevailing interest rate.

 

Here is a list of franchises with a strong financial history that scored the highest in our review. We scored each franchise for Bankability (SBA Approved Financing), Viable Business Model, Training, Scalability, and Growth to be considered for our list. We then ranked the franchises among their peers and picked the best of the best. While every effort has been made to deliver accurate information, it is the buyer’s responsibility to conduct their due diligence. Bizprofitpro, LLC takes no responsibility for any action you may take regarding any information contained in our review.

 

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
-Proverb

 

 

Best Franchise To Buy Approved by the SBA

 

Above Grade Level in Home Tutoring
Above Grade Level is a hot concept in an incredible growth market – education. We have the most comprehensive teaching materials of any tutoring provider! Twenty-five years in the making, our teaching materials have helped tens of thousands of students achieve academic success.
above_grade

 

Advanta Clean
AdvantaClean Environmental is a dynamic, rapidly expanding concept that services the emerging and ever-growing indoor air quality market. This powerful franchise opportunity is built upon a multi-revenue stream business model, paperless operating platform, National Customer Care Center, and our franchisees’ savvy business skills.

 

advantaclean-logo

 

 

Budget Blinds was founded on providing high-quality window coverings to consumers in a highly convenient way and at prices that fit almost every budget. Today, the Budget Blinds franchise system still strives to provide consumers with superior products through convenient, complimentary in-home consultations that include measuring and professional installation. Every year since 1996, Budget Blinds has been voted the #1 window coverings franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine (Entrepreneur, 2015). 

 

budget-blinds-logo-300

CertaPro is the largest painting company in North America, with system-wide sales approaching $250 million. There are over 360 locations in the US and Canada, and the Pennsylvania-based company plans to have 550 locations by the end of 2016. The painting service industry is large, at over $40 billion annually. CertaPro is unique in the service category because its owners drive revenue from residential (B2C) and commercial (B2B) clients. Business owners scale by adding salespeople for residential and commercial sales, and most owners use subcontractors to produce the work – keeping overhead low.

certa-pro-paint

 

The Closets by Design business model focuses on all aspects of the business. Each franchise designs sells, manufactures, and installs the complete portfolio of products, including closets, offices, garages, pantries, wall units, and beds. It begins with a proven and effective lead generation strategy. This, coupled with a disciplined and client-oriented sales model and metric-driven manufacturing and installation efficiencies, provide the tools for the franchise to manage and grow their business effectively. Each location has a factory and showroom located in a light-manufacturing industrial park. The average annual revenue of a Closets By Design Franchise in 2013 was 2.9 million dollars.

closets-by-design_logo

CMIT is a leading provider of IT services for small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) that employ 5 to 99 employees – large enough to need IT services but not big enough to warrant in-house IT departments. CMIT Solutions operates on a managed services model that offers specialized outsourced IT services at affordable monthly rates, with contracts lasting one to three years. Our subscription model allows small business owners to budget IT expenses effectively and saves them money in the long run. At CMIT, we focus on business results – performance, productivity, and profit for our clients we know that technology is a tool to accomplish those goals, and we ensure that our clients get the most out of their investment in technology.

Services offered to the business market include remote monitoring and repair, Helpdesk support, troubleshooting, networking, data backup, data recovery, website design, internet security and firewalls, software training, updates/upgrades, system administration, database design, and one-on-one mentoring. The new franchisee can secure a protected territory or become an area developer and grow to multiple locations in a larger territory. CMIT Solutions is looking for new franchisees focused on marketing and growing the business instead of working in it. The franchisor trains the franchise to build a sales and service team. Franchisor provides help desk and monitoring service, a low number of employees.

cmit_logo

 

logo-sbaSBA’s Express programs offer streamlined and expedited loan procedures for buying an SBA-approved business. SBA Express gives small business borrowers an accelerated turnaround time for SBA review; a response to an application will be given within 24 hours. The franchises we have listed are approved for an SBA Express Loan. Our franchise list includes the cheapest franchise to own while being the most profitable franchises. Investing in a franchise business is one of the safest ways to go if you’re buying a small business.

Reinventing Yourself After 50 by Mario Puig, MD

 REINVENTING YOURSELF AFTER 50 WITH PURPOSE

reinvent yourself after 50Reinventing yourself after 50 can be overwhelming and challenging. By the time you have reached many milestones and are likely to have a great deal of life experience, you don’t want to go backward. Most people think that life is a linear progression, and it’s not. Life is almost always full of ups and downs, but we would want to think of it as a linear process. Life is unpredictable and full of surprises, which should be embraced for the new possibilities they present.

 

Reinventing yourself is really about change. There is a discipline known as change management, which is typically applied to organizations, but it also holds equally true for individuals. Change Management is the discipline that guides how we prepare, equip, and support the successful adaptation of change for a successful outcome. It is never too late to become the person you were meant to be.

 

“Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.”

— Maya Angelou
Watch this short video and learn how to reinventing yourself today.

by Mario Puig, MD

 

Further Reading

In a compelling personal essay, Stephen Starring Grant, a 50‑year‑old marketing veteran, shares how he was laid off in early March 2020—and just two months later, faced prostate cancer and the loss of his health insurance. With limited options for traditional employment, he took a mail carrier job with the U.S. Postal Service to support his family. His story highlights the emotional upheaval of pivoting from brand strategist to mailman, and how the new routine ultimately brought structure, purpose, and a renewed sense of identity. Click here for more

 

How to Reinvent Yourself After 50


 HOW TO REINVENT YOURSELF AFTER 50

reinvent yourself after 50

People often ask “how to reinvent yourself after 50” and as an over 50 myself I realized how difficult it can be.  I have more friends than I can count that were downsized many years ago out of corporate American and have never found their way back to full employment or comparable compensation. I know people that made more out of college than they are making now. My personal experience and what is being written is depressing. I was just reading a blog and was blown away by what a lady that posted ” I’m 53 and still have an 11 and 12-year-old at home. Have a college education and can’t even get an interview.” This story repeated over and over again across America. One of my neighbors worked for a large insurance company for 18 years before being let go. After 3 years, he was only able to get a temp job that led to 6 months of employment before ending. Now he can be seen most mornings walking the dog and performing yard work during what most consider working hours.  Younger people may be younger and hungrier than you and willing to accept lower pay but they lack the experience that decades of life experience brings. It may be time to create an opportunity that is best suited for your skills and experience. Working for yourself or owning a business is the only guarantee to be the architect of your future. You can join the ranks of entrepreneurs and enjoy the lifestyle and economic benefits that come with it.

 

Starting a business is not easy and can take a very long time before you are profitable. The better safer option is to buy an existing business that can be profitable on day one of ownership. Learn how to buy a profitable business with little or no money down. You just need to know and follow the necessary steps. Reserve a spot at our next Business Buying Workshop where you will get the steps to business ownership. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Take a free Entrepreneur Quiz that asks a few questions that will give you insight on your compatibility for entrepreneurship. We will cover the topics below and much more:

 

 

Fill out my online form

 

REINVENT YOURSELF AFTER 50 BUSINESS BUYER WORKSHOP 

Topics Covered

How to find the right business

Finding the right things wrong in a business

How to quickly know what any business is worth

Understanding the numbers – balance sheet, P&L, and cash flow statement

What you need to know about adjusted cash flow

How to determine value if the financial statements suck or inaccurate

Pros and Cons of an asset sale versus a stock sale

How to bankruptcy proof any business

Maximizing profits in your business

What it takes to be an entrepreneur 

Question & Answer

 

Click Here To Reserve Your Spot

Are You Ready to Own a Business That Works for You?

are you ready to own a business bizprofitpro
Are you ready to own a business that works for you, instead of you working for it? It first starts inside of your head then it will manifest itself in the business. You stop working for your business by aligning your natural skills and passions with what you’re doing in your business.

Things you do that you’re not naturally skilled to do will not get done as well a naturally skilled person in that area. This misalignment with your natural skills reduces the profitability and effectiveness of your business. The founder of IBM said that “my duty is not building the business; it is rather, building the organization. The organization builds the business.” This holds true if you’re a sole proprietor or CEO of a fortune 500 company.

You can align your natural skills with any business. For example, if you own a janitorial company and hate cleaning; you create an organization for recruiting and hiring people to do this function. Your income will grow as the organization that you built grows larger and you focus more and more on your natural skills and passions.

Making your business work for you doesn’t happen overnight. In the book E-Myth by Michael Gerber, he says “once you recognize that the purpose of your life is not to serve your business but that the primary purpose of your business is to serve your life, you can then go to work on your business, rather than in it, with a full understanding of why it is absolutely necessary for you to do so.” Whether you are a seasoned business owner or seeking to buy your first business, don’t work in your business, work on it. Your business should work for you.

Understanding E-2 Visa Requirements

E2 VISA PROGRAM

The E-2 Visa Program is a popular program to gain U.S. Citizenship. The E-2 Investor Visa allows people to work inside of the United States based on an investment in a business. Seller’s need to understand the requirements Of E2 Visa’s as it can affect the structure and value of your deal. An E2 Visa applicant must show they have put capital at risk in a business. They must also have an active role in operating the company.

The Investment Required to Obtain an E2 Visa

The investment to get an E-2 visa is a minimum of $100,000. The type of business also has determines the size of the required investment. The investment required for the E2 Visa includes any business that actively managed to buy the E2 Visa applicant. The investment must be significant which isn’t quantified, however, it suggests an income that would support a family at a minimum. The input by the E2 Visa must be active. The spirit of the program is to increase economic activity with direct investment of capital and management. It is not a ticket to live in the U.S. by creating a shell company with little or no economic output.

The business can be a start-up, acquisition or partnership. The capital investment must be committed as a long-term investment for the enterprise to be considered. You must show that you will develop and manage the business with at least 50 percent ownership or by possessing operational control.

The E2-Visa Program is run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) and can be renewed every two years. There is no limit to how many times it can be renewed as long as the investment in the business is maintained. Learn more about the E-2 classification at the USCIS’s website or contact us and we can explain how the program works. We have qualified businesses that qualify for the E2 Visa Program that are available today. Click the link below to schedule a call if you have any questions about the E2 Visa Program.

E2 Visa Program Assistanceclick here to schedule call

]

E2 VISA PROGRAM

The E-2 Visa Program is a popular program to gain U.S. Citizenship. The E-2 Investor Visa allows people to work inside of the United States based on an investment in a business. Seller’s need to understand the requirements Of E2 Visa’s as it can affect the structure and value of your deal. An E2 Visa applicant must show they have put capital at risk in a business. They must also have an active role in operating the company.

The Investment Required to Obtain an E2 Visa

The investment to get an E-2 visa is a minimum of $100,000. The type of business also has determines the size of the required investment. The investment required for the E2 Visa includes any business that actively managed to buy the E2 Visa applicant. The investment must be significant which isn’t quantified, however, it suggests an income that would support a family at a minimum. The input by the E2 Visa must be active. The spirit of the program is to increase economic activity with direct investment of capital and management. It is not a ticket to live in the U.S. by creating a shell company with little or no economic output.

The business can be a start-up, acquisition or partnership. The capital investment must be committed as a long-term investment for the enterprise to be considered. You must show that you will develop and manage the business with at least 50 percent ownership or by possessing operational control.

The E2-Visa Program is run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) and can be renewed every two years. There is no limit to how many times it can be renewed as long as the investment in the business is maintained. Learn more about the E-2 classification at the USCIS’s website or contact us and we can explain how the program works. We have qualified businesses that qualify for the E2 Visa Program that are available today. Click the link below to schedule a call if you have any questions about the E2 Visa Program.

E2 Visa Program Assistanceclick here to schedule call

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Valuing a Business The Easy Way

 

Valuing a Business for Free

Valuing a Business for FreeValuing a business is essential for every business owner, whether or not they plan to sell in the near future. Understanding the value of your business can provide critical insights for growth, partnership opportunities, financing, or even future exit strategies. But for many, the thought of business valuation feels overwhelming. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve simplified the process to make valuing a business easier than ever, providing clarity and essential information with minimal effort on your part.

 

At its core, a business is valued based on its ability to generate both current and future earnings. Investors, partners, and buyers are most interested in how reliable these earnings are. The more predictable and sustainable the earnings, the higher the business valuation. Factors like strong cash flow, a solid customer base, effective cost management, and growth potential all contribute to a company’s value. However, even if you’re not planning to sell right away, there are countless reasons why understanding the value of your business is priceless. Here are some of the benefits of valuing a business:

 

Growth Planning: Knowing your business value can help you make informed decisions about growing or scaling your operations.

Partnering: Are you bringing on new partners or investors? To negotiate fairly, you’ll need a solid understanding of your business’s worth.

Financing: Many lenders or investors require a valuation to determine how much financing to extend to a business.

Exit Strategy: Whether you plan to retire in a few years or just want to keep your options open, having a baseline valuation allows you to build a more effective exit plan.

Valuing your business helps clarify your company’s strengths and highlights areas for improvement. It also gives you confidence in your business decisions.

 

Simplifying the Business Valuation Process

Traditional business valuations can be time-consuming and expensive, often involving detailed financial analyses and external audits. But we believe in simplifying the process. With our free business appraisal service, we provide you with a clear understanding of your business’s worth in just a few simple steps.

Here’s how it works:

1. Quick Consultation: We start with a short phone call where we gather some basic information about your business. This includes details like your revenue, profits, and industry.

2. Analysis of Comparable Sales: We then compare your business to others in the same industry that have recently sold. By applying specific industry benchmarks and rules of thumb, we get a clear picture of what your business would likely sell for in the current market.

 

3. Preliminary Valuation: Within a short time, we present you with a preliminary valuation that you can use however you wish. Whether you’re making decisions about growth, considering partnerships, or just curious, this free service gives you a quick snapshot of your business’s value.

This straightforward, no-obligation valuation is designed to be hassle-free and efficient. You don’t need to dig through mountains of paperwork or prepare complicated financial statements. Just a few minutes of your time will give you the insight you need to make informed business decisions.

The Importance of a Trusted Valuation Expert

We provide this service not just to help business owners but also to build relationships. Our goal is to be your trusted partner regarding future business transitions. We want to be your first call if you ever decide to sell. Our network of buyers is always looking for quality businesses, and we can present your company to them when the time is right.

 

Additionally, knowing your business’s value helps you set long-term goals even if you’re not ready to sell. You may want to increase your valuation over the next few years. Understanding your current position gives you a more straightforward path toward improving profitability and sustainability.

Take Action Today

There’s no reason to delay valuing your business. Even if selling isn’t in your immediate plans, the information is invaluable for strategic planning, securing financing, or simply having peace of mind. Take advantage of our free, easy valuation service and better understand your company’s worth. It only takes a few minutes to start the process, and the insights you’ll gain could be a game-changer for your business.

Click here to value a business today!

Valuing a business doesn’t have to be complicated. With the proper guidance and tools, you can get a clear picture of what your business is worth—and use that knowledge to make the right decisions about your company’s future.

 

 

Why Buying a Lousy Business Can Be a Profitable Thing to Do?

bad business bizprofitpro

It seems like so many businesses being offered for sale these days really lousy. Often times they have little or no stated income and the owner wants an astronomical price for the business. To make matters worse, there are often systemic problems with the business like low sales; poor profitability and lack of systems just to name a few… Why should anyone ever consider buying a lousy business like this? It’s widely accepted that the safest and easiest way to get into the business is to buy a successful business. But what good is this advice if there aren’t many successful businesses that your able to buy. You may never find a successful business that you are able to acquire. These businesses don’t stay around long when they are available and they tend to be pricey. They also may be far outside of your budget.

 

Many more people should consider buying lousy businesses. These types of businesses being offered for sale should be considered asset sales. The acquisition cost should be a discount on FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment), inventory, etc… The reality is that 80% of these businesses will never sell and simply close the doors. These are true bargains if you can buy the assets and build a successful business around them.

 

“buy a business with the right things wrong”

 

Buying a “lousy business” can be very profitable if “it has the right things wrong”. The right things wrong are the things that you can fix with your resources and skills. The most common problem with businesses is the lack of marketing and or sales. The majority of businesses do an adequate job of delivering goods and services at an acceptable level, but fail to have systems to consistently grow the business. When sales are poor, there is little or no money to address anything but day to day survival and eventual liquidation in some form.

 

Buyers should aggressively look for businesses with the “right things wrong”. If you are a strong operations person, you can buy a business with strong marketing and sales and plug in your operational skills. A company with good products or services with lousy marketing and sales needs an executive that can sell. Using this approach, you can get extreme bargains!

 

On average, businesses sell for 70% of the asking price. The lousy the businesses go for deeper discounts. Don’t count on your low offer be greeted with joy by the seller. You should expect your offer to be initially rejected, but every week that goes by without a sale will make your offer look better and better. This is the market telling the seller that your offer is not that bad after all. Don’t be afraid to make several “aggressive” offers to different businesses and exercise patience. Walk away from anything that isn’t a great deal. There are so many lousy businesses, that you will eventually get the business with the right things wrong. Plug in your skill sets and resources and you will have a very nice business.

5 Things to Do Before Lunch That Will Grow Your Business…

business team running and competing for success bizprofipro

Staying on top of your business and its growth doesn’t have to be such a grind. It may feel satisfying to work more hours than anyone else, it really may not be necessary. Here are five things you can do to grow your business without burning any midnight oil. In fact you may be done by lunch.

1. Stay in touch with your clients – The best way to systematically contact your clients is using some kind of contact management system. Salesforce.com is the leader in contact management software, but there are many great alternatives if you don’t want to go with salesforce.com Infusionsoft.com, SAP.com, NetSuite.com, Zoho.com are alternatives. A CRM system systematically places prospects or leads into your sale funnel and you scheduled events like phone calls, meetings, visits and proposals so you can organize a great many clients at different stages of your sales funnel.

2. Maintain social media presence- Whether you like it or not, social media is a part of every business and you need to be a part of it. Some businesses like retail may be able to sell using social media, but many won’t be able to sell due to complexity of the product or service or the audience may not be decision makers, etc… However, the benefits may come in the form of brand awareness, authority, or trust factor to name a few. Social media is an investment that may take several months or years to directly benefit, but the alternative is to be at a distinct disadvantage to those businesses that made the investment. There are a countless number of social media tools but Hootsuite.com, SocialOomph.com, SocialMention.com are popular tools that many businesses use to manage social media. These tools allow for automation and research to make social media quick and easy.

3. Schedule networking- Social media has its place, but there will never be a substitute for face to face interaction. Schedule yourself for at least 2 local networking events per month or more depending on your industry and your results. These websites make it easy to pick events that will get your business the biggest boost. Meetup.com, Eventbrite.com, Facebook.com, Netparty.com, Twtvite.com, and eventful.com to name a few. Remember “your network equals your net worth”.

4. Find new leads – For any business to thrive it is imperative that you are constantly getting new customers to continue to grow your business. Every business should have a systematic way of getting new leads so that your sales funnels will continue to develop new customers. Finding leads will require different activities depending on the industry that you are in. Retail may rely heavily on advertising while a manufacturer may rely on trades shows. BJ’s Wholesale Club gives free in store samples to push certain products and I have more than once taken the bait and put something in the cart that was a direct result of the free sample. Find what works for your business in systematize it and do it regularly.

5. Stay up to date with technology – Technology is changing at hyper speed. Understanding and applying technology in your business will allow you to spend less time doing critical tasks that are required for a healthy business. Technology like gotomeeting.com or join.me allow remote collaboration with colleagues, customers, and prospects, etc… Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote.com allow you to organize information and share with whoever you like as needed. These are just a few technology offerings that can make your day much shorter while making more profit. The biggest change to growing your business in less time is changing your mindset… Approach your day as you only have 4-6 hours to get everything done. Work has a way of filling up every available moment with mental and physical exhaustion marking the end of the day. This is unproductive and no fun compared to accomplishing planned objectives that are strategic to profits and the lifestyle you want to live. Start this change today by going to your calendar and scheduling less hours until your down to 6 hours or less.

SEO For Small Business

The 6 Essentials of SEO for Small Business

 

1. What is SEO for Small Business, and how does it work?SEO For Small Business

SEO is a remarkably powerful form of marketing. It affects your business’s overall success, including lead generation, brand awareness, credibility, and so much more. SEO is simply an abbreviation for “search engine optimization.” The term is used to describe how search engines (i.e., spiders) view your website and how they can be managed to enhance your online visibility and position you higher in searches. One of the most efficient ways to achieve this is by using a website search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is not only one of the most powerful forms of marketing but also the most effective way for your business to reach customers because it’s based on extremely simple principles.

 

2. What are the benefits of SEO for small businesses?

SEO is one of the most powerful forms of marketing for small businesses. SEO helps you get more customers and generate more leads. SEO also helps you get more traffic and converts more visitors into sales.
The benefits of SEO for small businesses are many:

a.) You can increase your traffic by creating a solid online presence.
b.) You can drive more visitors to your website by offering a unique product or service that will be of interest to them.
c.) You can improve your conversion rate by improving the quality of your content.
d.) You can drive traffic to your website through search engine optimization. This makes it easier for people to find what they are looking for and, ultimately, they will come back again when they need it again.
e.) You can increase awareness, which leads to sales, which makes you a stronger brand with better customer loyalty and, ultimately, greater profits than if you were not using SEO in the first place.

 

3. How can small businesses improve their SEO?

Your website is the most important piece of your online marketing strategy. Without it, you’ll have difficulty getting visitors to take action. The best way to improve your SEO is to find out what search engines are looking for when they type in your terms and make your webpage match their expectations. First, you should learn how your site ranks on major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Semrush.com is one of many tools you can use for keyword research.  In addition, make sure you use descriptive keywords when possibly using industry-specific terms like “online marketing software,” “e-commerce store management software,” or “web hosting services.” 

 

4. What are some of the most common mistakes small businesses make with their SEO?

SEO is one of the most powerful forms of marketing for small businesses. It’s a proven route to success, but it’s easy to make mistakes with SEO. I recently spoke with one of my clients about their SEO strategy. Their list had over 20,000 keywords, and they only used 10% of them on their website. While using all that keyword-rich content was wonderful, they missed out on other opportunities due to poor keyword choice. They’d only been using SEO for a few months and didn’t know that you can significantly improve search rankings by making your content more accessible via the user interface.

 

5. What are the future trends for SEO?

SEO is one of the most powerful forms of marketing for small businesses. SEO is a key element in a company’s overall marketing strategy and can be highly proportionate to (a) the money spent on advertising, (b) the number of clicks that a particular page receives, and (c) how long a page stays on a particular search engine result page.

 

 

Factors Affecting SEO for Small Business

Regarding SEO, many factors determine how well your business will fare. The first and most important factor is where your business is located concerning search engines. If you are placed at the top of Google’s results, you will receive more traffic than you would if you were at the bottom. The second major factor is how long visitors stay on your website. The longer visitors stay on your website, the more time they spend viewing your site and the more time they spend researching products or services that interest them before making their final decision to make a purchase.

 

Reducing Costs With SEO

Therefore, SEO helps reduce costs and increase sales by providing visitors with more valuable content that can be retained for longer periods. The third factor affecting results from SEO is what keywords are used when searching online for specific products or services. For example: “redhead hair extensions” may not rank high for certain searches because only one keyword phrase may be used in such searches, whereas “natural redhead hair extensions” may rank high but not be used in such searches because two keywords phrases may be used instead: “hair color red” and “platinum blonde hair extensions.”

 

Factors Affecting SEO Results

The fourth factor that affects results from SEO is whether or not users have chosen to link back to your site from their websites or blogs. If users have linked to your site from their websites or blogs, their visits will affect which pages rank higher for certain keyword phrases. Lastly, it also affects how much traffic you receive from search engine crawlers. These crawlers collect data about search engine behavior rather than searching queries and are, therefore, less likely to return any false results when resolving queries.

 

6. How can small businesses make the most of their SEO investment?

SEO is one of the most powerful forms of marketing for small businesses. You can improve your search engine ranking through SEO by targeting keywords such as “SEO” and “small business.” SEO is a great tool for increasing traffic to your site, whether it’s from Google, Yahoo, Bing, or another search engine. You can increase your rankings in several ways, such as using meta keywords, optimizing your site for Google and using SEO Tools to increase rankings on Google.

 

Conclusion

Search engine optimization (SEO) is optimizing your website for search engines. You should know how it works because it helps you rank higher on search engines. This allows you to gain more customers and make more money. It also increases the value of your business. Schedule a call today if you would like to learn how to grow your business using SEO.

 

SEO For Small Business

 

 

Keys To Business Growth

Free Business Growth Strategies

Man talking about business growth

The goal of this article is to share business growth strategies that are free. Business owners can get massive growth in their company quickly by taking action on the strategies found here. The strategies are simple and effective and can be started today. Business growth starts with opening your mind to ideas that you may have never considered or may not be in your comfort zone. Change your mindset, and the growth of your business will start to happen immediately.

 

Requirement for Massive Growth

The first requirement for massive growth is a clear vision of where you want to take the business. It can be revenue, profit, or some other metric component of growth. Regardless of where the business is currently, your vision should be bold. Your vision should border on unachievable, but possible with a solid plan.  You need a bigger vision if you share your vision with people who believe you can do it beyond being kind.

 

 

Getting Help

The first strategy is to get advisors to help you create business growth in your company. Advisors can help you plan and execute your vision. I’m sure you have shared your knowledge with others simply because you were asked. Knowledgeable people enjoy sharing their experiences if they are approached the right way. You need advisors because most of us don’t possess all the knowledge and experience to do great things alone.

 

Finding Advisors To Help You

A great way to find advisors is at trade associations. Professionals in your industry, circle of friends, relatives, and colleagues are other places to locate advisors. Use social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and other sites where people with knowledge and thought leaders are.  Be sure to compensate them in some way to show your appreciation. The compensation need not be financial. Saying thank you and showing appreciation goes a long way. Public acknowledgment on social media, networking events, or any place your community is present. Tokens of appreciation like gift certificates, lunch, tickets to a ball game, or any nice gesture goes a long way. Use your imagination and take the time to find out what your advisors like, after all, they will be a key to your success.

Don’t Reinvent The Wheel

The key to this strategy is the avoidance of solving problems that have already been solved. The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, considers Nikola Tesla a personal hero and not a stretch to say an advisor as Nikola Tesla’s work creating induction motor technology made the Tesla Automobile possible. Nikola Tesla died in 1943, but Elon used him as an advisor to build Tesla Motors. Elon Musk didn’t waste time solving the problem of electric propulsion, he used a 100-year-old solution and added innovation to make the Tesla Model S. Motor Trend Car of the year a massive publicly traded company.

 

Virtual Board Members

Your Board of Advisors should be people you can access, but there are instances where you need specialized experience that you can’t access other than through the person’s past work. Any person or body of work that you can draw from can be considered for your board. Nikola’s published works on induction motors were enough to build the Tesla Model S.

 

Meeting With Your Board

Establishing a board of advisors shouldn’t be difficult. It can take on any form that allows regular meetings and benefit from the board’s experience. It can be formal, following protocols and keeping minutes, or informal. Be flexible and make it easy for your board to participate. Consider using technology to meet online, by phone, etc. Remember, they are doing you a huge favor, so it shouldn’t be burdensome on them. 

Mastermind Groups

Ben Franklin established a mastermind group in 1727. A mastermind group is a group organized around mutual improvement. Napolean Hill also used it in his classic book “Think and Grow Rich.” He describes a Mastermind Group as “the coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” Mastermind groups offer mutual accountability, brainstorming, and constructive criticism, and everyone in the group is invested in helping each other.

 

Conferences

Live instruction and immersion into your field are advantageous because you can access instructors and peers from whom you can learn. You may seek board members at the conference or use the event as an advisory session for your board. There are lists of conferences organized by category so you can find dates and times for the conferences in your industry. 10 Times Events is another resource for finding conferences to attend.

Coaching

A consistent, ongoing relationship where the coach helps to implement new skills and assist in achieving your goals. The coach maintains objectivity and uses a formalized system to get you functioning at a higher level. There is the cost usually associated with coaching, but it’s money well spent if you achieve your goals.

 

Mentors

Everyone entrepreneur should have a mentor. It doesn’t have to be formal, and you can have several mentors. Multiple mentors can cover a wide range of expertise that may be required for business growth.  You can have a mentor and never let that person know they are mentoring you. If they are up for a formal relationship, that is great, but if you can have non-formal mentors without titles or structure.

 

Score

The non-profit association Score (Senior Core of Retired Executives) comprises 11,000 volunteers dedicated to helping businesses achieve their goals through education and mentoring. The volunteers have a broad mix of senior executive and small business experience. Score can be a sounding board for ideas, finding solutions, and help avoid costly mistakes. Score is also helpful in expanding your network quickly. It has been widely quoted that your network and net worth are related.

 

Chamber of Commerce

Your local chamber is a great place to network with local business people. Get to know the business people in the chamber and contribute to the organization and its people.  The chamber is a place to help grow your business and could also be a great place to recruit for your board.

 

“When you establish a destination by defining what you want, then take physical action by making choices that move you towards that destination, the possibility for success is limitless, and arrival at the destination is inevitable.” Steve Maraboli.

 

Creating an Advisory Board 

Every business will benefit from an advisory board. It can be formal or informal. The advisory board should have regular meetings in person or virtually. Frequency and agenda can be structured or flexible depending on the goals of the advisory board and the board members. There should be free sharing of information, including financials. You may choose to limit some information you deem sensitive. For example, you may share profit numbers but not sales numbers or vice versa. You may share gross profit numbers but not line items. You may divulge new customer acquisitions, web traffic, or whatever is a meaningful measurement. The board meetings should be planned to share information with board members that have a material impact on the company.  The results can’t be good if the members don’t have good information. You may even want to sign a non-disclosure agreement if you have any concerns about misusing the information you share.

 

Board Meeting Preparation

Formal or informal advisory boards require preparation before every meeting. Everyone’s time is valuable, and you want to be productive in the shortest amount of time, even if it is an unstructured event. Any information should be shared before the meeting so board members can review the information beforehand. Board meetings should have an agenda that includes the biggest challenge in executing your vision. The meeting’s goal is to create actions to overcome obstacles preventing the fulfillment of the vision.

 

 

Bold Vision Have Setbacks

Any bold vision has points where things don’t work or are in jeopardy of failing. Setbacks should be expected and learned from. Setbacks have to be taken for what it is: An event that needs to be analyzed and tried again with a new approach based on lessons learned. Look at setbacks as a bug in a computer program. You may need to re-write the code dozens of times before the program runs as it should. All of the greats have failed a lot more than the average person. Entrepreneurs with vision aren’t average people, so they embrace failure and keep moving to solutions.

 

Accountability to Your Success

The strategies included in this article are meant to help you create and execute your best ideas for business growth. Ideas that seemed brilliant when confined to your thoughts may not survive the journey to the written page. The strategies outlined here are collaborative. You should choose to have people around you that have experiences and skills that you don’t. Your ideas will have the benefit of experience and skills that you lack. 

 

 

Exponential Growth

The process of sharing your ideas with knowledgeable colleagues, mentors, board members, advisors, etc., will be your engine for massive business growth and innovation. Your experience and skills will increase exponentially by involving others with your vision.