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Top Tips
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We Don't Need No Stinking Permits!
by Tim Knox
So far in this series we've talked about finding a location for your retail business, negotiating the lease, and securing a capable contractor to build out the space. Unless you're renting simple office space odds are you will need to make some modifications to the space, be it adding walls, flooring, paint, electrical, plumbing, or any combination thereof. Rarely will a space be perfect from the get go and building out can be expensive; especially if you're an idiot who doesn't do your homework about building codes and permits. But I digress… Read more
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Dealing With Contractors? Get Your Hammer Ready
by Tim Knox
This week continues my series on opening a brick and mortar retail store from scratch. This week we discuss how to find a capable building contractor to build out the location. And as this series has been thus far, this segment is based on my personal experience and offered to you warts and all. As with all of my columns only the names have been changed to protect the innocent, the ignorant, and the overly litigious. Read more
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It's Not All About "Location, Location, Location!"
by Tim Knox
One point that I have yet to cover is that when it comes to finding space for your business, be it retail, office, or warehouse, you should not only consider the location, but a number of other areas, as well. Unfortunately, these are areas that many entrepreneurs don’t even consider until after they’ve signed on the dotted line. Depending on your type of business you should also consider some or all of the following. Read more
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How To Find The Best Location For Your Business
by Tim Knox
I spent a lot of time sitting in parking lots. You can learn a lot just watching cars go by at different times of the day. For example a location may be great in the morning, but lousy in the afternoon. Or maybe the parking lot is full at lunch, but empty the rest of the day. You should also consider which side of the road works best for you. For example a drive thru coffee shop has a much better chance of success if it’s located on the side of the road with the morning rush hour traffic, while a takeout joint has a better chance of success if it’s located on the side of the road with the going home traffic.
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Never Dive Into Business Without A Startup Plan
by Tim Knox
This week begins the tale of my recent foray into the world of brick and mortar and the startup lessons learned there from. The lessons to come over the next few weeks are many and not just for those milling around in the brick and mortar crowd. Whether you're starting a retail business in a strip mall or building a virtual business online, many of the fundamentals are the same and the principles for a successful startup apply. You must begin with what I call a "Startup Plan." Read more
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Be Careful What You Wish For; You Just Might Get It
by Tim Knox
In spite of my professional and personal accomplishments I had always wished for something more. I can't really explain it other than to say a misfiring electron somewhere deep in my brain caused me to always dream of writing a best selling business book and traveling the country to promote it. I wanted to be the southern fried Steven Covey; traveling from town to town spreading the gospel of entrepreneurship for all to hear. It would almost be a religious experience, as I foresaw it in my mind. I envisioned throngs of the entrepreneurial faithful coming from far and wide to hear me speak, to hang on my words, to bask in my wisdom, to pony up $22.95 for the hard cover. Read more
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When It Comes To Starting Your Own Business Never Say It Can’t Be Done
by Tim Knox
I ran across an interesting article in Wired magazine this week that told the tale of Kolo Soro, an elementary school teacher in the tiny village of Tomono in the northern Ivory Coast of Africa. This is an area so remote and void of technology that for generations communication between villages has been done by tying notes to rocks and having passing trucks toss them out the window at pre-described locations. Kolo Soro changed all that when he purchased a cellphone during a visit to a larger city and found that if he held the phone seven feet off the floor in a corner of his bedroom he could get a decent signal. Being an enterprising young man he hung the phone on the wall, hooked up an earbud, and started charging his fellow villagers 80 cents per minute to make calls. He earned $200 the first month. Read more
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Use Email Marketing To Keep Customers Buzzing About Your Business
by Tim Knox
The other day my radio show cohost, Paul Finley, mentioned that he had received an email from his dentist. The point of the email was to let Paul know that his office would be closed for a week and included instructions on what to do in case of a dental emergency. Obviously Paul’s dentist reads my column because I’ve been preaching about using email to keep in touch with customers for years. OK, maybe he doesn’t read my column and is just a brilliant guy in his own right. Either way, the point is clear: using email - no matter what type of business you’re in - is an excellent way to keep the lines of communication buzzing between you and those folks who keep you in business.
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It’s A Baby Booming Time For Business
by Tim Knox
The first wave of Baby Boomers turned 60 this year and as many approach the traditional retirement age of 65 they are finding that (a) they are still vibrant and don’ t want to stop working; and/or (b) their life expectancy has been extended and they will be dead broke long before they are dead and gone. As a result Baby Boomers are not slowing down now that they’re approaching what once would have been considered their “golden years.” If you were a man you expected to retire at 65 and die at 75; and if you were smart you banked enough dough to see you comfortably through that stretch. We figured we’d get at least 10 good leisurely years before the grim reaper shows up without having to worry about money. Turns out, we were wrong.
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How To Create Your Own Roadmap For Success
by Tim Knox
When I was a kid my family often participated in that grand tradition called, "The Sunday Drive." You remember those long Sunday drives in the car with your family to nowhere? Sure, it was better than sitting at home because we only had three TV channels to watch and cartoons were only shown for a few hours on Saturday morning, but when you got back home didn't you always feel that you hadn't really gone anywhere. If you leave your house and don't stop until you reach your house, what's the point? I always hated those Sunday drives. Read more
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The Entrepreneur's Checklist
by Tim Knox
I was asked the other day what personality traits I thought were important to entrepreneurial success. I immediately gave my preprogrammed reply about passion and dedication and hard work. After taking some time later to ponder the question a little deeper (I normally operate in shallow waters), I came up with a more detailed checklist for entrepreneurial success. Read more
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7 Simple Steps To Profit Without Your Own Product
by Clifford Mee
Most people do not succeed on the internet because they are selling products no one desperately wants. If you want to be truly successful sell only things that people really really really want to buy!
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A Sure-Fire, 10-Step Formula To Get Started As A Coach Or Consultant
by Adam Urbanski
“My guess is first I'll need some zippy flyers and a tri-fold brochure” said an email from Matt last week. Sadly, he is not the only one thinking that the first step to building a professional business is printing fliers and brochures. After all, that’s what everyone does, right? And it seems like a logical place to start, doesn’t it? Read more
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Starting An Online Business: Things to Learn and Remember
by Karl Augustine "The Regular Guy"
Since 96% of all online businesses fail, you should be careful, driven, smart, and adventurous when starting an online business. Read more
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10 Brilliant Ideas For Marketing Your Small Business
by Alex Barrington
A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it? Is it the idea that results in the mailman ringing your doorbell, signaling in a caravan of postal workers with mounds of letters (all in response to your latest advertisement)? Is it the idea that brings a 20% response rate on your direct mail campaign? Read more
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