Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Managing-Small-Business-Growth-by-Balancing-Big--Small.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Managing-Small-Business-Growth-by-Balancing-Big--Small.html Growth presents a real challenge for many small businesses. As your organization grows, how do you avoid compromising the personality and characteristics that helped build your business in the first place? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/How-Does-Inertia-Suck-the-Life-Out-of-Your-Small-Business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/How-Does-Inertia-Suck-the-Life-Out-of-Your-Small-Business.html Sales are important to every business because revenue is the fuel that drives growth. But in the case of small businesses, there seems to be a greater sense of urgency when it comes to converting every individual sales opportunity. Due to the real or perceived pressure of closing a sale, small businesses sometimes fail to recognize when the grip of inertia has taken hold of a prospect. What is inertia and how does it affect your small business? Are there any strategies to deal with "Prospect Inertia"? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Small-Business-Interview-Series--Website-Design-and-Development.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Small-Business-Interview-Series--Website-Design-and-Development.html Understanding the website development process is important for small business owners - a well designed and programmed website will add value to your bottom line by engaging your target audience and generating leads. In this edition of the small business interview series, I speak with Jordan Klassen, Vancouver Web Designer, about website design and strategy. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/The-New-Marketing.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/The-New-Marketing.html Before the web, companies had to either buy advertising or convince journalists to write about their products or services (many organizations still use this approach). One component of New Marketing focuses on brand journalism - the idea that creating great content will help your small business publish it's way to brand awareness. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Small-Business-Interview-Series--Executive-Coaching-Team-Building-and-Leadership-Development.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Small-Business-Interview-Series--Executive-Coaching-Team-Building-and-Leadership-Development.html Coaching is a great way for small business owners to develop leadership skills, build strong teams and grow their organizations. In this installment of the small business interview series, I speak with leadership and learning specialist Tammy Dewar, Ph.D., Principal at Calliope Learning in Victoria, B.C. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Two-Time-Management-Concepts-That-Will-Help-Grow-Your-Small-Business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Two-Time-Management-Concepts-That-Will-Help-Grow-Your-Small-Business.html Time management is an important tool for small business owners - organizing your time and understanding its value to your small business is a great way to become more focused and successful. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/7-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-Selecting-a-Retail-Location.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/7-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-Selecting-a-Retail-Location.html It's very tempting to jump at a location you fall in love with - but just like in residential real estate, "head over heart" is the best approach when it comes to picking a retail location. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Is-Your-Small-Business-Website-MultiBrowser-Compatible.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Is-Your-Small-Business-Website-MultiBrowser-Compatible.html Most people still use Microsoft Explorer to browse the internet, but the landscape is definitely changing. As more web users switch to other internet browsers such as Firefox, it's important to make sure that your website's functionality and user experience remains intact across multiple browsers. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/25-Ways-to-Improve-Small-Business-Customer-Service.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/25-Ways-to-Improve-Small-Business-Customer-Service.html Great customer service is one of of the pillars that supports a successful small business. Offering great service to your clients, prospects and vendors will help establish your reputation, build trust, create brand equity and fuel growth. What are the customer "pain points" when it comes to service? How can your small business become better at delivering a great service experience? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Word-of-Mouth.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2539/Word-of-Mouth.html Word of mouth (WOM) is an elusive form of marketing that has the ability to either build or erode your small business brand. What are some of the characteristics of WOM as a communication medium that make it such a powerful marketing tool? What can you do to try to develop positive word of mouth for your small business?