Seattle Small Business Blog

If you already have an existing product, how would you go about finding ways to improve it? One way would be to conduct a focus group where you get a group of maybe ten customers or even people that did not purchase your product, and ask questions. What did they like if they purchased, and if they did not purchase, what caused them to hesitate? Is there something that could be done to improve the product in their eyes? Did the copy fully explain what the product does for them and how it will be valuable to their situation? Asking for suggestions and comments will often prove to be invaluable marketing advice and sometimes can come as a surprise.

A meeting can be over a conference line or it can also be a netmeeting online. Whichever feels most comfortable to your participants would be ideal.

The objective of the session is to not become too long, say maybe two hours and have the participants brainstorm the product. It is very desirable that the participants do not know that you are the owner of the product so that they feel free to give ideas and opinions without any retribution.

The moderator should be able to get people to feel uninhibited by asking questions of the group. What hot buttons are there that can be investigated? Questions regarding the product’s method of use or lack of creativity can spur direct comments from the participants that will become very valuable.

The idea is not for the participants to be negative or destructive, but to try to build on or improve the product being presented.

The ideal time to have this brainstorming session is when the product is new and not fully developed. The session might present new ideas that can be incorporated and used which will only help the marketing and sale of the product.

The brainstorming group participants will surely feel their comments and suggestions are welcome and that they have a good feel for what the product is trying to present. Maybe advising them that they will get a free product when the item is finished, will make them want to provide clear and purposeful ideas. Anything that makes the new product more useful and more direct on the subject matter, will be welcomed.

Any ideas from potential users must be considered so that the new product will be totally successful. Have fun with your brainstorming group and do not become discouraged if some comments do not seem to be helpful. Taking the participant’s comments and improving the product or service is the goal.

Accounting is all about numbers. These numbers are collected , summarized and analyzed before creating reports and statements. This is then distributed to management and even stockholders. It takes time to put all these numbers in order which is why an accounting software is often used for this purpose.

The advantage of using an accounting software for starters is that you can reduce the time needed to collate data so you know almost immediately if the business is making money or not.

Another advantage of using an accounting program is that aside from being fast, it is as accurate as the information you put into it. The best part about accounting software is the fact that you only pay once in order to get the whole package. This saves you money as accountants will charge a professional fee each time you require them to do a particular task.

Most accounting programs in the market are easy to use, set up and navigate. This means you don’t have to be a certified accountant to use it. Generally, you are given a step by step guide that will help you throughout the entire process.

There are a few things to look out for when you decide to invest in an accounting software. First, this should be reliable. Some software programs look good in the beginning but then fail to deliver later on.

You can talk with other companies that are in the same industry you are in to find out what software they are using. Since these software programs are sold more openly in the web, you should get in touch with current users to see how well it has performed or read reviews written by various organizations that spend time browsing through the program.

Although accounting uses the basics of mathematics, there is more to it than that especially when various sheets are compiled together. You can ask for a 30 day trial period to see if this is what you need. Should the features and all the numbers come back with the same results, then you know it is worth buying.

If it has a lot of features that you don’t need, you should just look elsewhere and get the kind that suits your needs. There are various ones in the market like those used for payroll or to compute for taxes so you should focus only on what you need.

The last thing to consider is the price. Given that you know what features you are after, you don’t even have to buy the most expensive one in the market. Compare prices. There are cheaper packages that can perform just as well.

Reliability, features and price are the three most important things to look for when you decide to purchase an accounting software for your company or organization.

People have been rediscovering inspirational books, such as Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” and James Allen’s “As A Man Thinketh,” in which wealth is achieved by one’s thinking habit. It is based on the premise that you are what you want to be, you are what you think. It is no wonder that Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” became a bestseller, for the book also believes that wealth comes to those who want it.

We do want to achieve great wealth. But is it enough just to think about wealth and it will automatically come?

Of course, it is not as easy as it may seem. However, achieving wealth really starts with the mind. For example, if you set your mind as an employee, you will start to look for a job and be satisfied to work for someone else. But if you set your mind to attain financial freedom, you are able to see opportunities and means to get wealthy.

This article will suggest ways in which you can set your mind for financial wealth.

1. Be aware of your thinking process.

The poor will say, “I cannot afford….” while the rich will say, “How can I own…?” What is the difference between the two? The poor focuses on the problem while the rich tries to seek for the solution. Now, who do you think will most likely achieve his goal?

2. Work to learn, rather than earn.

It is all right to be an employee, but do not stay one for too long. As an employee, your income may be guaranteed, but it is limited. You will have what is called a “linear income”, in which you need to produce more or put in more time and effort to your job to earn more.

As you work on your job, learn the business in order that you may later become the employer.

Come to think of it, if you work for somebody, then you are surrendering the control of your finances at your employer’s mercy. Your future is shaped by that person and not by you. Therefore, it will be of importance to you to control your future, especially in terms of money matters.

3. Have an objective.

There once was a teacher who asked his students to cross from one end of the room to the other. There were thirty students, and each one crossed the room according to his or her own way. The teacher had shown that once you have an objective, the means of getting that objective will present itself. There is often more than one correct way of achieving one’s goal.

Many inspirational gurus will tell you that if you visualize your goal, put a lot of emotion in it, and believe that you have already have it, you will surely achieve your goal.

4. Make a budget and stick to it.

Companies, to become successful, formulate a budget and stick to that budget. They track their sources of money and determine where their money is going. They do this to control their cash flow.

How many people have ignored making a budget, or not sticking to one, and find out that they have spent more than they have earned? They get mired into debt in which there seems to be no way out.

5. Control your fear.

Most people are afraid of going into business because they fear they might lose their money if the business fails. They say that going into business is risky. But, with the present economic situation, isn’t it riskier to stay being an employee? If the company you are working for goes down, you go down with it. And with no job security, the company can give you the pink slip anytime.

Going back to our example of the teacher, what if one student stayed in his place and did not cross the room? No matter how much energy he applies in visualizing his objective, he will never get across the room.

Ultimately, it is the actions that you take that will determine if you will achieve your financial goals or not. However, without that goal, that “compelling why,” how can you achieve it?

So, you want to be in business for yourself. That decision is a great first step! How do you go about choosing a business to start? What is it that you love? What is your biggest passion? You need Really you need to decide what will get you out of bed every morning excited to work on your business.

Here are 6 things to think about:

1. What is your passion? Is it crafting, health, real estate, children, history, or something else? Within those subjects, what specifically are you enthusiastic about? Is it scrapbooking, exercise, buying foreclosures, kids’ birthday parties, or the Civil War? Make a list of all your interests.

2. How can you use your passion or talent to build a business? How can your enthusiasm for this be helpful to other people? The key here is to think about how your knowledge or skill in this area can help others. If you begin by focusing on how this will benefit you financially, you are almost doomed to failure. The key to success is to find a way to help other people. . .then, the money will follow.

3. How much time and energy do you have to devote to your business? Are you going to do this part time or full time? Online or offline? This will make a difference in the size of your business. For instance, if you want to open an accounting firm with several employees, you will need to devote some full-time effort. However, if you just want to publish some information about exotic pets, then you could probably get away with a small website and some part-time effort. Think realistically about the time and energy you have right now. In the future, you may be able to set aside more time, but do not expect more from yourself than you can reasonably give or you will be frustrated and discouraged.

4. When choosing a business, determine what your strengths and weaknesses are. Do you need a partner or can you go it alone? Do you need someone to keep your books for you, handle sales, create graphics, or design your website? Make a list of what you are best at and what you are not. Decide where your efforts are best spent and delegate the rest. Come together with people who complement your own abilities by contributing what you lack.

5. What resources do you have available? Of course, money is your most fragile resource. Are you starting your business on a shoestring budget? Are you going to take out a home equity loan? Are you going to bring on an investor? Whatever your financial source is, determine what your limits are. Do not leverage everything you own on your business no matter how successful you think it will be! If you plan well, then you will know how and when to spend the money that is available to you. Don’t forget also to take stock of all your non-monetary resources also.

6. Now, you are ready to consider if the idea is financially viable. In order to do that, you will need to do some homework. You MUST put together a business plan (even if it is just a rough, non-detailed version) to determine thoroughly whether or not your idea will actually make some return on your investment. After some analysis, you may have to tweak your initial idea. Whatever you do, do not skip this step… do your research!

When deciding what business to choose, your idea does not have to be original. However, you do need to give it that extra little “something”. You need to provide a more user-friendly solution or improvement that others aren’t offering. If you choose a business that you are familiar with, you will know what things currently frustrate or annoy users of that service or product. Supply a great solution, and people will flock to buy from you!