As a small business owner you know that you cant afford to not be ahead or at least on par with the competition right? Well if you’re a small business owner don’t have a small business websites yet, stick around.
So lets take an example, lets say you are a Plumber in the city of Long Beach, CA and someone has a slab leak, that someone is most likely gonna go onto his computer and type in Slab Leak Plumber near Long Beach, CA, right? Well if you don’t have a website then you will not come up and you are invisible to potential clients searching the internet. On the other hand your competition that do have small business websites will come up and you just lost yourself some new business!
Now we both know that you didn’t start up your business to let the competition trample you down now did you!?
You may think that creating a small business website is a complicated, expensive deal? If that is what you think then you are making a big mistake. Today, getting a website up and running is simple, quick and CHEAP!
If it isn’t obvious enough why you need a website for your small business then let me elaborate on a few other good reasons. Besides gaining new business from the internet, people searching for your company online would like to see a nice, professional looking website to make them feel better about purchasing your product or services. When you go to buy a new car would you rather the showroom be old, smelly and not well kept or a nice, new, modern styled and professional showroom? Your website is your image to customers on the internet and you want your small business to have a good image right?
Another great thing about that people don’t think about is that once you have it up and running you can list the website on your promotional materials such as business cards, flyers and even banners! Most people that see a banner will most likely just go on your website to see the list of products or services that you offer before they actually come in to ask about it. This way you are converting more potential clients into money… If you are driving down then road and see a banner for a plumber and a phone number, are you really going to call to see what he offers? No. But if there is a website that is easy to remember you will most likely go online and see what services that plumber offers.
In conclusion I think it is obvious as to why your company needs a small business website. But even if it isn’t, do your research, look up your competition online and see if it makes sense for you!
Hey Gang my name is Dana aka Small Business Resource Queen. For five years now I have been gathering up resources for small business owners and posting them online. I take pride in my work and my main goal is to help small business maximize their potential in this rough economy.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and/or feedback!
Save 20% on all web creation/web hosting products! Use code TWC287 (expires 12/31/10) Small Business Website Design
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From the nonprofit group Independent We Stand: “What do you think it will take to get small business owners to start hiring again?”
As far as the software goes, if I understand your question, Visual Bookkeeper is an all-around good piece of software for small businesses. It tracks inventory, vendors, and whatnot, but also covers your accounting.
Hey Tonyl,
I would strongly recommend that you check out Spiceworks (http://www.spiceworks.com), if you haven't done so already. It's a great product that will help you with license & asset tracking and is perfect for a small business like yours. The software is free, mainly because it is subsidized by targeted ads within the software itself. (e.g. when you're looking at the printers in your environment it will throw up an ad for HP). Hope that this is what you need!
Besides Traffic Geyser, there is a free service called Tube Mogul. It works in much the same way. Additionally there is a software package I found called Tube Mastery (http://www.websitemarketingskills.com/recommends/TubeMastery) which works really well in terms of how to market on YouTube. The same basic information is true on the other sites, as well. Use your profile page to link to your site and use calls to action to get people to respond. I would just buy that program and familiarize yourself with it.
I enlisted with a BA in Math at age 20. I didn't go for an officer program because I didn't know if I wanted to make the commitment (six years for a commission as opposed to four for enlisted). But the degree did allow me to go in as an E-3 rather than an E-1 giving me about a year lead on the guys without the degree. When it came time for me to reenlist for my E-6, somebody dusted off my degree and recommended me for OCS. I took the offer and retired at age 45. When I got out, I got my MA and then switched to business for my doctorate (DBA).
Roughly half your Navy career will be attached to a ship. It depends upon your rating (Navy specialty). Usually your first duty station after "A" School is sea duty. And that's going to be probably three years… maybe your entire first enlistment.
Sea duty is usually about ten-hour work days and maybe some watches. Ships operate 24/7 at sea. Guys rotate taking turns (watches) keeping it doing so while their shipmates sleep.
Ships are underway (not tied up to the pier) about 75% of the time.
But, if you're looking for an education in the Navy, I'm going to suggest you reconsider. I got my BA in three years. Two of those years I managed to letter in swimming and make it to eleventh in the state. At 45 I was able to get my masters and doctorate in another three years. So I don't think I'm quite at the bottom of the academic barrel. And I don't see how it could be done outside of an educational program. You try to mix education and the military and you're not going to get the most out of either. Some contend they've done it. I can't imagine how… unless it was in an extremely easy major.
The Navy has a baccalaureate completion program and the Seaman to Admiral program. These are designed to allow you to stay "in" the Navy and go to school full time. Both programs require a commitment. But, in both cases, I suspect it's tough to get in, and I suspect the conditions under which you're allowed to stay in aren't trivial either.
I did the BA with the help of my parents and working summers as a swim coach while going to school summer quarters. I did the other two degrees on the GI Bill. I'd also managed to save a tad over a third of everything I'd made during my Navy career. And I had my pension. But the GI Bill pretty much paid for everything… including a place to stay. You have to learn to live "frugally." That's what I call it. Some call me "cheap."
However, the Navy's not in business to put you through school. Go to http://www.Navy.mil and find the Navy's Mission Statement. That's what it's in business to do. And it doesn't really make a lot of difference what you want… you're going to be kind of a cog in the Navy machine that's taking care of the Navy's business.
The "civilian sector" isn't all that hot. After I retired and got my doctorate, I got a job managing government contracts for a management consulting firm. I got it because of my government experience (25 years in the Navy and about a quarter of that was at the Pentagon), my management experience (about 20 years as a Navy officer), my recent security clearance and my education (both courtesy of the miliary). A lot of those guys who didn't go in, or who only went in for three or four and got out, went to work in the civilian sector. Some of them climbed their respective corporate ladders into those 500 square foot, glassed in, corner offices way up in those tall office buildings. They'd managed to get themselves into trouble and I got paid very well to get them out. Some of them are still working 50-60 hours a week trying to make ends meet. In their rare free moments they dream about travel and adventure. Some would like to drive a silly little white ball right down the middle of some exotic fairway. The more adventurous consider taking up SCUBA diving… some even sky diving… if they ever have the time and money concurrently.
I did all that stuff when I was young enough to enjoy it. And I got paid quite well for doing it. Now I'm retired. I have my Navy pension, and the retirement plan from my second career. I'm renting my house out, and the income from that more than pays for my stay at the Veterans Home where I live. Just about everything else is practically net spendable. I still swim a couple of miles a day, run six or eight miles a week, alternate weights and cardio. And I keep active with a Kali instructor three days a week. I still SCUBA dive a bit, but, at 70, I don't feel motivated to pay to jump out of a plane anymore. The home has a nine-hole course, and there's a couple of larger courses in the area.
The point is, that if you go in for the benefits, you're likely not going to get much out of the experience. If you go in dedicated on doing a good job to the best of your ability, you may never stop reaping the benefits.
First –
Any HR person reading your Objective will not read past it. The phrase "further my career" means it gets filed in the trash!!!
All this objective says is what can you do for me.
Companies do NOT want to know what they can do for you. They want to know what you can do for them.
Second -
I think you could do well in an advertising agency – you have advertising, management, computer & graphic design skills – all necessary in the advertising world.
Third – making the resume better
Be specific about what computer applications you know – do not just say "variety of computer applications".
Separate out the different types of skills -
database & computer skills,
library skills,
customer service skills,
advertising skills.
Makes it easier to see.
And its not necessary to put ALL your skills into every resume. You have enough here to pick & choose what you put in. You must PERSONALISE each resume for each application.
There is no such thing as a general resume – and this is a very general resume. That means you are not trying hard enough, and tells the company that if you cannot be bothered to do a good job with the resume, then you probably wont do a good job if they hired you.
Let me see if I can rework this resume for you.
Here you go.
EDITED RESUME
I changed this from chronological format – which is what you have – to a functional formet which I prefer. You'll need to redo your objective.
Dont include the university education if you didnt actually graduate. It just tells the employer that you cant finish what you started.
I removed the library skills because they are not really relevant unless you are looking for a library or a legal research job. (And for those you need either an MLS or a paralegal certificate).
QUALIFICATIONS
•10 years management experience running a small business, including sales, customer service, and marketing
CUSTOMER SERVICE & ADMINISTRATION SKILLS
•Handled difficult customers
~Introduced special promotion and incentive programs.
•Strong communication skills used in training employees.
•Ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people including senior management.
•Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills.
•Competent working with a geographically diverse team.
•Administrative responsibilities included data entry, formatting spread sheets, correlating documents, filing, mail service, facsimile and telephone services.
COMPUTER SKILLS
•Proficient computer skills in the Microsoft suite and Adobe applications
•Knowledge CeledyDraw2 and Art Explosion Publisher Pro
•Experience using the Internet/World Wide Web
•Typing 70 WPM, 10-Key at 6,677 ks/h
•Intermediate-Advanced performance in a variety of computer applications (be specific)
MARKETING SKILLS
•Designed business proposals and provided contracted graphic design services.
•Formatted text documents using QuarkXpress, and inserted graphics.
•Typesetting for articles, advertisements and flyers, fixed type font ligatures.
•Fashioned innovative and effective advertising media using various publishing software.
•Increased sales annually through effectively and efficiently marketing services.
MANAGEMENT SKILLS
•Performed Management and business administration in advertising, marketing, estimation, scheduling, bookkeeping, customer service, hiring and training employees.
•Experience in a fast-paced, competitive banking environment, providing daily support to two managers
•Daily review and tracking of possible fraudulent account activity, comparison of customer signatures using check logs. Bank recording, distribution of deposit corrections and check receipts, and regular review of various banking documents for accuracy
WORK HISTORY
2005-2007 Desktop Publisher/ Graphic Designer, ENVOY Consulting
2004 Exceptions Clerk I/CCS, East Coast Bank
1991-2001 CEO/Manager/Administrator, Freedom Housekeeping Services
EDUCATION
2006-07 Western Washington University, Mountainville, Washington Credits completed towards Bachelors degree in Humanities,
2007 Climate Community College, City Center, California
Pre-nursing certification program
If things are going to proceed you'll eventually need software like quickbooks. Check you local college or continuing ed – you can find a quickbooks online class or live class for $100 or less and is worth the investment.
Frequently a software program will export to another application (eg. Excel, Access) or to a simple .txt or other basic data file which can then be translated (imported) to something you can easily read and use. Nearly all data can be manipulated, even when using a program that hides the information.
Looks like you need a shopping cart program. A free one would be something like OSCommerce or Zen Cart.
As for customer management, you need a CRM program.
Some commercial all-in-one packages can integrate shipping, credit cards, CRM, and carts.