Here are this week’s links to a few good stories we found and selected. We feel they might add valuable insights and perspectives for small to midsize businesses.
As we are a company that partners with small businesses (B2B), I found How to Boost Sales by Becoming a Better B2B Seller very interesting. Author Annie Pilon makes two key observations: First, she contends that a good B2B seller will know what customers want. This is a point well made. Before the sales call begins, it makes good sense to figure this out first. Her second statement is just as important—a savvy B2B seller will identify business problems. As my company’s founder, the first question I ask myself when being pursued by a B2B seller is “what pain is this potential vendor going to alleviate for me?”
“If you’re out looking for financing from a bank, from a relative or from some other source, you know that you need a business plan that is compelling.” So says Marcia Barnall in Business plan should be compelling, easy to read. She makes nine very good points, and I would add one more. Business owners should always have a good plan in place, not only when financing is needed. If you haven’t written one in a while, it might be a good idea to ask yourself the “why are we here?” questions. You might surprise yourself.
Finally, as tax time approaches, filing taxes can be a challenge for the small business owner. Barbara Weltman offers some help in 5 Most Commonly Asked Small-Business Tax Questions—read it now.
