NHSBDC Business Tips

You’ve “networked”; now what

You went to that networking event and handed out some business cards. You chatted with a few people. Now what? Here are some suggestions for follow-up that might turn those furtive connections into lasting relationships:

1) Find the people you met in person over on their social media sites, as soon as possible after the event. Check for them at Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Facebook and drop them a line or request to connect.

2) If you chatted with someone about “getting together some time”, go back to your office and get it on the calendar. Make a note to yourself or actually make the invitation to drinks, coffee or lunch. When sending the invitation or email, mention one or two things you remember from your networking conversation to show a genuine interest.

3) Connect your connections with someone else. If you know an attorney and the person you met last night needs one, introduce the two, via email or whatever, first chance you get.

4) Send a piece of mail. Yes, putting a stamp on something is becoming rare, and that’s what can make it special. Consider sending a hand-written note to someone you met at a networking event. You’ll stand out from the crowd.

5) Find out more. Set up a Google news alert or do Internet searches for that person or her company. Learn as much as you can to be ready for the next meeting or phone conversation.

6) Set up calendar reminders to get in the habit of contacting your business connections. Plan on regular contact with the people who may be beneficial to you and your business somewhere down the line.

Here are some more ways to make an impression on your business contacts.

Starting to think globally?

Exporting is growing among New Hampshire’s businesses. Are you starting to think you might be able to take your products or services to a different country? The NH SBDC has several resources to help you get started, including links to the many and varied organizations in the state that also provide help. 

First, NH SBDC offers three no-cost e-courses on global marketing and these can be taken at any time. They are:

• Basics of Export Documentation
• Basics of Online Global Marketing
• Finding Your Export Markets

To expand your knowledge in any of the areas above, consider these in-depth articles from The SmallBizClub.com

• Why Expand Your Business Internationally?
• Where Will Your Business Succeed Abroad?
• Developing a Global Strategy

Finally, be aware that the NH SBDC has a SBA-certified export counselor on staff, Warren Daniel. If you and your business are serious about becoming ready to export, he can help.  He can be reached via email at warren.daniel@unh.edu or through the Seacoast Regional Office at 603-842-8341.

Review some marketing basics

This article from the Small Biz Club provides a short list to help you review the current state of your marketing tactics and adjust accordingly.

• Whatever marketing tactics you’re using, be consistent in your tone, voice and content. These become your branding and your branding is key to successful marketing. You want the customer to know your company and come to recognize your branding.
• Don’t sell all the time. In your marketing content, skip the sales pitch and just write what your customers want or need to know. Once you lure them in and build trust, then you can sell to them.
• Consider traditional promotions such as branded pens and other freebies. These still have a place in helping your potential customers remember you and, perhaps, become actual or repeat customers.
• Consider adding mobile marketing to your tactics. Have a mobile-optimized website? Make sure you’re able to be found on a mobile phone and that your content there is legible.
• Use social media to interact with your sales leads or existing customers. All indications are that your customers want to interact with you on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. (To get started consider one of our social media e-courses, Social Media for Small Business or Advanced Social Media Tools and Tactics for Small Business)

 

Register today for Feb. 27 ACA webinar

The U.S. Small Business Administration has been sponsoring weekly webinars to help small business owners and the self-employed understand the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what it means to their businesses.  The final webinar before the close of open enrollment in mid-March will be Thursday, February 27 at 2 p.m. EST. 

 

Sole proprietors who may be eligible for the Individual Exchange health insurance plans should pay particular attention to the upcoming March 15 deadline for enrollment. The open enrollment period ends March 31, but to be covered in time for April 1, applications should be complete by March 15.  The webinars will touch on this further, as well as what it means to run a small business under the Affordable Care Act.

 

Topics include:

• Small business tax credits (available to businesses and tax-exempt non-profits)— who’s eligible for them and how to claim them
• Marketplace updates
• Shared responsibility
• Cost containment
• Tools and resources available for small businesses interested in learning more about the law

To register for the Feb. 27 webinar, click here. 

 

Do you delegate? If not, why not?

In this article, the experience of some school administrators is used to discuss the importance of delegation by business leaders.  Numerous articles have pointed out the key reasons many leaders don’t delegate more tasks and it usually boils down to trust. 

However, there are other reasons cited by these school administrators, and perhaps some of them apply to leadership in your company.  They included the fact that the leader just didn’t know how to delegate, didn’t have time to think about what to delegate, or was too controlling. 

Here are some key points to think about as you consider delegating more:

• Decide what to delegate. Start with something small and something that doesn’t have to be done in a very specific way.
• Choose the right people. It may go without saying, but being aware of your employees’ strength and weaknesses is the first step toward choosing the one who can do the job you need done.
• Make sure you’re clear about the expected outcome of the task or project, and communicate the deadlines.
• Authorize your chosen delegate to do the task their way.
• Stand by to lend a hand if and when it is needed.
• Monitor progress on the task, without being intrusive. Monitoring will show you have not abandoned the person entirely.
• Recognize milestones and successes, which can help motivate an employee for the next task.

 Do you delegate enough? If not, why not?