business plan for small businesses

The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Winning Business Plan for Small Businesses

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” This saying by Benjamin Franklin couldn’t be more relevant for small business owners. As per the Small Business Administration (SBA), approximately 50% of small businesses do not make it past the five-year milestone. What is one factor that can significantly enhance your chances of success? An expertly prepared business strategy. If you’re a new company seeking financial support or an existing small business hoping to improve your approach, a well-developed business plan guides your path toward expansion. It is more than just a piece of paper – it serves as a mechanism to …

virtual marketing workshop

Boost Your Small Business Success: How a Virtual Marketing Workshop Can Align Your Strategy

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This quote rings especially true for small business owners trying to navigate today’s complex marketing landscape. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 20% of new businesses close within their first two years, 45% within five years, and 65% by the ten-year mark. Shockingly, only 25% manage to survive beyond 15 years. But what causes this high failure rate? Because many dive into marketing without a solid strategy in place. For small businesses and startups, understanding how to reach your audience and communicate your value can …

starting your own business? pull the trigger

Why It’s Time to Pull the Trigger? Starting Your Own Business Might Absolutely Be the Right Move for You

Starting your own business requires lots of planning. This article explains some of the steps you need to take before pulling the trigger. “Pulling The Trigger”.  It’s an expression we use to describe taking an action.  But what if we pull the trigger too early? Recently, I watched a non-profit pull the trigger on assembling a group of volunteers prior to establishing a clear direction and mandate.  As their leader struggled with the direction, the once eager volunteers fell away. I witnessed a tech startup pull the trigger on investing in a rollout team before it had a viable product.  …

Time Saving Tips For Entrepreneurs

Back in 1989, Steven Covey published the seminal work, “The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People”. Working in corporate America at the time, we were all sent to Covey training in order to embrace the 7 habits. Having suffered from being a workaholic my entire career, to be honest, the only thing I remember from that class was the quote, “no one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time in the office”. Well, that just made me feel bad about myself so I blocked out most of the rest of the class. It has taken me a …

The Importance Of Tenacity For An Entrepreneur

Last night I went to Home Depot with my daughter to buy a power drill she could use to work on her robot.  By the way, I’m happy to say that we are breaking gender stereotypes and that is a typical day at casa Moura.  Anyway, I’m not sure if you’ve been to the Home Depot on SW 8th but they must have had shoplifting problems there because they have a locked gate in front of each of the shelves where the tools are.  The lock has a combination that I assume they tell the staff. We were served by …

How to Deliver A Killer Presentation

At some point when selling your services, you will likely be asked to deliver a formal or informal presentation, whether in person or on Zoom.  Perhaps you will be invited to speak at a conference as an expert, or more informally at your local networking group as an introduction.  This naturally raises the question, “should I use visual aids?”.  To which the answer must be “it depends”.  It depends upon your dynamism as a speaker, on the complexity of the topic, on the setting in which you will deliver your talk, whether visual aids will save you words (i.e. showing …

4 Lessons Your Small Business Internet Marketing Can Learn from Online Dating

4 Lessons Your Small Business Internet Marketing Can Learn from Online Dating

Your small business internet marketing strategy can learn a lot from online dating. This article demonstrates how. Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but this year it’s still got me thinking. Thanks to the pandemic, we have all had to keep our distance, which means dating has gone completely digital. Sure, we’ve had online dating and dating apps for a while now, but with the surge in popularity of “Zoom dates”—which are exactly what they sound like, evenings spent in front of a webcam trying to figure out if you’ve met that special someone—it is clear as day just …

Magical Lessons To Grow Your Business From Harry Potter

OK, I’ll admit it. I took the online test, and I’m a Gryffindor. At Hogwarts, Gryffindors value courage, bravery, competitiveness, and nerve, which, when you think about it, are pretty much what it takes to be an entrepreneur these days. And since Halloween just passed, it seems like the right time of year to reflect on the magic it takes to grow a startup or small business, inspired by none other than Harry Potter.  Here are some magical lessons to grow your business. Have a great team around you. Harry’s two best friends, Hermione and Ron, couldn’t have been more …

The Business and Digital Marketing Lessons We Learned in 2020

The Business and Digital Marketing Lessons We Learned in 2020

Every year teaches us a few new digital marketing lessons to help us grow our businesses, and this year did not disappoint. Here’s what we learned in 2020. For future historians, the year 2020 is going to be a treasure trove. Hey, it’s not every year you get to witness political division wrapped inside a historic presidential election wrapped inside a global pandemic—a veritable Frankenstein’s turducken of an era. For the rest of us still trapped inside this absurdist painting come to life, this year can’t end soon enough (please make it stop). In the meantime: we’re here sitting in …