Small Business Tools

Why Public Liability Insurance is a Must

In this day and age where health and safety is paramount, it is important for businesses to consider taking measures and precautions to protect themselves and the people that work for them, through taking out public liability insurance.

Endsleigh offer a number of options for the needs of a one-man operation up to those of a business employing up to 10 people. The terms of the insurance would cover the business if a customer or member of the public were to suffer from injury or loss as a result of the business’ activities for which they can put in a claim for compensation. The insurance will also cover any damage to personal property for which you are legally responsible.

Take for example; you are hired to fit kitchen cabinets and a mistake on your behalf results in faulty cabinets with doors coming unhinged and injuring the owner. O Read more…

Tags: public liability insurance

4 Big Social Media Mistakes SMBs Make

When a small business owner comes to me experiencing frustration with social media, I admit, I’m a little confused. Why? Because I can’t help but think that small business owners are the segment of the business population that is most suited for social media success. I mean, who knows how to talk to their audience better than a small business owner? Who understands customers’ needs better than a small business owner? Who lives and breathes the same everyday struggles? No one.

But then I realize that that’s not where small business owners find themselves in trouble. The trouble spots for SMBs are much different. Often they’re in the implementation of social media.

Below are four social media mistakes common to small business owners and how you can maneuver around them. Because once you do, you’ve got this social media thing down.

1. They don’t build a unified presence.

Social media doesn’t work when it exists as its own island or when it’s fragmented from everything else you’re doing. In order to truly b

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Tags: Media, Social Media

Losing at Restaurant Roulette

“You should feel honored we are here tonight,” said the young woman at the bar. “I do feel honored. Any particular reason?” I asked. “We had reservations at three restaurants and chose this one.” “She’s not kidding,” said her boyfriend. “I’m delighted,” I said. “But I feel bad for the other guys.” “Don’t worry,” she said. “We called and canceled.” “We’re very polite people,” added her beau. “Picky, but polite.” “Just curious,” I said. “When did you call them?” “When was it, honey? Six, six-thirty?” “Yes. Just before we came over to Southfork.”

Restaurant Roulette. It is the unspoken scourge of dining in the Hamptons. The game where people make three or four reservations and cancel all but one. At the last possible moment. And feel good about their manners, for they have gone out of their way to communicate their impending absence. Rare is the no-call-no-show-no-class consumer. In fact, the most pleasant surprise in owning a restaurant in the often churlish Hamptons has been the civility of the guests. Encouraging, appreciative, supportive. It doesn’t hurt that the chef has a Michelin star and a Miró ey Read more…

Tags: Restaurant, Restaurant Roulette

How Much Does Your State Support Green Business?

Where your business is based can impact on how green you are. That’s the takeaway of a recent top 10 ranking of states by Site Selection magazine that ranked U.S. states on how well they engage in environmentally sustainable practices.

The rankings look at attributes such green industry projects, the number of projects certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), financial incentives offered to support green projects, per capita renewable energy generation, funding for brownfields redevelopment and use of alternative-fuel vehicles.

Topping the list, unsurprisingly, is California, followed by Washington, Oregon, Minnesota and Colorado. The rankings also rate metro areas, with San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; Los Angeles; Chicago; and New York City as the top five.  Interestingly, the United States doesn’t make it onto the magazine’s list of top sustainable countries; Canada is No. 1.

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Tags: Business

Managing Staff in a Tough Economy: Who Do You Fire, Who Gets That Raise?

We’re in business, so we don’t get to sit the tough seasons out and come back when it’s all better. Despite the economy, the small business owner still has serious management issues to address.  We can tackle them head on,  grow our businesses and ourselves–or we can ignore them, but that could eventually put us out of business. Success is the goal, and the better the team, the better the business.

Here are three suggestions to help you take care of your team, so that they can take care of your clients.

1. Focus on the little steps and everyday strategies.

Your team is no good if you can’t keep them focused. And you can’t keep them focused if you can’t keep yourself on track. Have you ever tried to build a business with your eyes glued to the television? It doesn’t work. In the same vein, jumping from one task to the next without focus and an ongoing sense of completion is just as unproductive. You’re busy, but 

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Tags: Economy, Economy Fire

When Words Get in the Way of Selling a Business

Transaction

Putting a price on business.

I’ve been in love, some might say obsessed, with the written word for as long as I can remember. That’s why, as an undergraduate, I declared my English major as early as I could. At the time I believed that such decisions should be based entirely on what you love to do. I loved to read and write, so it never occurred to me that I would be anything but an English major.

A handful of people warned me that my English major might not be very marketable. “Marketable,” I remember saying, wrinkling my nose in distaste, “how can you talk about your personal interests in terms of sales jargon? Furthermore, why should I care?” Three years, countless interviews and two crumby jobs after graduation, the reason why I should have cared about the marketability of my degree became clear.

There is a similar disconnect between the language of entrepreneurship and the reality of selling a business. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of happy talk associated with starting your own business. We’re told to p

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Tags: Business

Go Texan Restaurant Round-Up highlights Texas producers, targets hunger

George Gongora

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples (right) mingles with the crowd at Water Street Oyster Bar restaurant Thursday before kicking off the fourth annual “Go Texan Restaurant Round-Up.” The one-week event, which begins Monday, showcases restaurants statewide serving Texas-produced food and wine.

The one-week event, which begins Monday, showcases restaurants statewide serving Texas-produced food and wine.

“We know consumers want to know where their food comes from,” Staples said before a news conference. “This gives them a chance to have their locally grown, locally produced food.”

Kickoff attendees dined on quail from Bandera, oysters from Port Lavaca, Gulf of Mexico shrimp, and Texas beers and spirits. Texas’ wine industry alone has an economic impact of $1.75 billion, making Texas the nation’s fifth-largest wine producer, Staples said.

The Go Texan program also has downloadable iPhone and iPad apps for users to look for participating vendors, Staples said.

Staples said an added goal is to target hunger.

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Tags: Texan Restaurant, Texas