E-Business Seminars Off To A Strong Start!

The first of our E-business series got off to a great start last week!  Creating Your Online Presence – A Website was presented to 16 attendees in the Staples store at 320 North Service Road in Oakville.  Jemma Fong, partner of InSite Creations Web Design and Development, spoke to the group and the feedback from the participants was extremely positive.  Jemma had been a volunteer for our Access to Professionals program for several years and we were so pleased when she agreed to present two of our four e-business seminars.

Attendee, Linda Roan (Transformational Coach and Medical Hypnotherapist) wrote to us to say,  “I can’t say enough about Jemma and the amazing workshop she gave this evening.  For $30.00 this evening was a great investment and you can quote me!!!!”

Among the many tips and advice she offered throughout the evening, Jemma helped her audience to understand that planning a website is a lot like putting together a business plan.  The more time and research you do prior to meeting a web developer, the easier it will be to communicate ideas to help the designer come up with a website that works for your business.  Jemma recommends the following:

• Come up with an Objective for your website, e.g., to generate leads.  If this is your objective, how will you obtain this objective and how will you measure if the site is meeting this goal?

• Determine your target market and what their needs are.  Where do they “hang out” online?

• Research your competition.  Look at at least six direct and six indirect competitors and write down what you like and dislike about their websites.

• Determine your budget.  Your budget should include money for market research, domain registration, hosting, ongoing marketing efforts and ongoing maintenance and updates.

• Interview several web designers and have a list of questions ready to ask including asking for a list of references.

• Make sure you have a contract with your designer that includes who owns what, milestones, project completion dates and any third party support maintenance and technical support.

Thanks Jemma once again for a terrific evening.  We’re looking forward to seeing you again Tuesday, January 24^th as the presenter for Social Media and other Online Marketing Tactics.

On Tuesday, January 31,Sandra de Leeux-Davis of  TwinLion Media Group Inc. presents Selling Goods and Services Online and February 7^th Denise Gervias of WSI Milton will discuss Measuring the Success of Your Website – Web Analytics and SEO.  Please call our office at 905-825-6000 ext. 7900 or visit our website for further information on our seminars.  Follow us on Twitter for the latest news, tips and advice!

Are You Planning Now for Success in 2012?

Last year marked a year of change and a considerable amount of instability for business.  A recent Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll found that Canadians aren’t convinced that we have recovered from the recession.   How does that confidence level affect business?  It can have an impact on spending!

Yet, the year did end on a positive note.  According to Ted Mallett, Vice-President & Chief Economist, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), small business optimism increased: “CFIB’s Business Barometer Index climbed to 65.0, almost a point and a half above its November level. The Index has historically hovered between 65 and 70 when the economy is expanding, so the return to ‘near normal’ is seen as good news for Canada’s economic performance, which had lately been constrained by uncertainties in foreign markets.”

Starting a Small Business? First Understand Your Competition

Can you imagine a world in which your business has no competition? Neither can I, yet I have reviewed more business plans than I care to admit in which entrepreneurs boldly declare those four words:  “I have no competition.”

To get a clearer understanding of your competition, it is helpful to know that there are three types:  Direct, Indirect and Non-consumption.

Season’s Greetings!

The Small Business Centre Team wishes you a Happy Holiday

Season’s Greetings!

It’s hard to believe that another year has ended and we are already planning for 2012.

This has been a busy year at Halton Small Business Centre.  In 2012, we:

Invest in Yourself: Make Time for Education

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Nelson Mandela

Education can change the world, as Nelson Mandela has shown. It can also have an impact on you and your business.

Today we live in an extremely competitive world that is constantly changing.  Consumers are highly educated.  Before making a purchase, they research products and pricing. As an entrepreneur, you need to keep pace with technology, innovation and new trends.

Creating and Sticking to a Budget Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to stick to a diet and lose weight.   It’s also the one that most of us don’t achieve.  I’m no exception.  I can’t even count the number of times I’ve tried a new diet and exercise regime in order to lose weight.  The problem is I find many diets complicated, I get discouraged very easily and quite frankly, I love food and hate to exercise.

Don’t be a Resolutioner: Make 2012 the Year You Keep Your Resolutions

“Keeping a resolution isn’t a 100-yard dash. It’s a marathon.”

John Norcross, University of Scranton

Are you a “resolutioner”? New Year’s Day is only five weeks away. This a time when many of us start to think about our goals, the things in life we wish we did better, the things we want to achieve, the places we want to go. Unfortunately, many of us start out as resolutioners, with incredible enthusiasm in January, only to see that enthusiasm wane by early February.

Market Research: Keep Your Eye on the Target

We all need customers.    They make our business successful.   The important question for both existing and new business is, “how do I find and keep customers?”  You need to research who your target market is.  What is a target market?   It is a group of customers that the business has decided to direct its marketing efforts towards.  It is a customer that you know needs your service or product.  Picture in your mind a bull’s eye.   The centre is very small and hard to hit but if you use the right technique making a bull’s eye will become very possible.  Precision is the key.  Bull’s eyeing your customer will help you to reach them directly.

In the Fog About Moving to the Cloud?

According to the results of IT management software specialist Spiceworks’ “State of SMB IT” global survey, nearly half of small and medium-sized businesses have adopted tablet computers and cloud services.

What are cloud services?

Strategic Discounting: Respecting Yourself by Maintaining Your Value

Your business plan identifies how much your time or your product is worth. You have clearly planned your margins and hopefully know how much you need to sell to reach your breakeven point and profit goals. Imagine the danger of slashing prices without considering the consequences.