Small businesses in trouble? Take a pill, friend!
Is your small business struggling in this recessionary economy? No problem. Very soon you will be able to take a pill and rewire your brain so that you think like the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. Imagine taking a pill and suddenly having Robert Kiyosaki or Guy Kawasaki in your brain. You will think like a business guru, no joke! Scientists at the University of Cambridge have announced that there could one day be an “entrepreneur pill” that will help people replicate the brain chemistry of the most successful small business owners. Would that be a better deal through chemistry?
In the meantime …
Unfortunately, the Contractor Pill is not available yet. The bad news is that small business owners need it more than ever. Declining profits and declining customer traffic have many small business owners pulling their hair out. Fortunately, they can take steps to gain a new perspective on your business, even if they can’t yet get direct access to the small business guru’s brain chemistry.
If your small business is struggling, here are five ways to get a fresh perspective on your small business.
1. Give your business a makeover
To give your small business a makeover, you need fresh ideas and the help of some experts. While you may not be able to afford expensive makeover consultants at major corporations, you can benefit from their advice without paying a dime. Check out the Small Business Makeover section on the CNNMoney website. There you’ll find case studies of makeovers at all kinds of small businesses, from rug salesmen to bath and body shops. If you are offering your products or services online, you will be delighted with your Website Makeover section.
2. Get answers to your burning questions
If you want a direct answer to the burning questions you have about your small business, you can always submit it to CNNMoney directly through their “Find Business Answers” form. There is no guarantee that your question will be selected to be answered, but there is definitely nothing wrong with trying. As a bonus, it still doesn’t cost you a dime. CNNMoney often puts this form at the bottom of their articles. To locate one of these articles, simply google CNNMoney + “find business answers.”
3. Access SBA Online Training
The Small Business Administration has recently begun offering a series of online courses on “Surviving in a Down Economy.” The new courses include:
– Strategic Marketing: How to Win Customers in a Slowing Economy
– Minimizing Change in a Slowing Economy: Business Planning Guide
– Raise new capital / Refinance existing debt – How to prepare a loan package
– Diversify with Federal Contracts – Business Opportunities: A Guide to Landing Federal Contracts
4. Look for a geographic cure
If you have a brick and mortar business, you may not be located in the right place. To get your business in the right place at the right time, check out Fortune Small Business’s 100 Best Places to Live and Start a Small Business. These include the 7 tax-free business havens (Wyoming, Nevada, Florida, Texas, Washington, New Hampshire, and Tennessee) plus the top six cities where technology thrives (Bellevue, Portland, Boise, Blacksburg, Bethlehem, and Folsom). The list is almost endless and can help you decide if it’s time to move your small business because the grass is greener on the other side of the state line.
5. Big SCORE
SCORE is a nonprofit group of 11,200 retired executives who advise small business owners across the country for free. According to their website, “SCORE offers free and confidential counseling to small businesses: face-to-face counseling, online counseling, online workshops, and more.” You can post your questions on their website and get a response, usually within 48 hours. Best of all, SCORE is an unlimited resource. You can ask as many questions as you want plus access to their huge library of small business resources.
So what’s the bottom line for small business owners? While you may feel hopeless at times, you are definitely not helpless. This list is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the financial resources available to keep your small business afloat. So until the entrepreneurial pill hits the market, go ahead and seek help.
Have you been using other small business resources that have been very successful? I would love to hear from them!