WESST BLOG
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence every October. Domestic violence is best understood as a pattern of abusive behaviors–including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion–used by one’s intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship. In the United States, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience domestic violence. Financial abuse occurs in 99% of domestic violence cases but remains one of the less commonly understood forms of domestic…
Business Plans Provide Guidance and Help with Financing
Almost anyone who owns a business, or is thinking about starting one, has been told at some point that he or she needs a formal business plan. But what exactly is a formal business plan, and why do you need it for your business?
New Small Businesses Have a Variety of Financing Options
Figuring out how a new venture will be financed is one of the most challenging tasks a new entrepreneur will face. With all of the different options that are available, it can be very complicated for a new small-business owner to figure out the best way to secure funds for a new business. Fortunately, there are many different sources of funding, as well as community resources that can help you with financing your new venture.
Starting a Business Requires Personal Dedication
Are you thinking of starting a business? This time of year, you’re not alone — one of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to improve an employment situation. For many, this means looking for more rewarding work in their field, or perhaps pursuing a new career altogether.
How to Participate in Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is a special day where communities are encouraged to support small businesses during the busy holiday shopping season. A considerable amount of media attention related to holiday shopping is focused on the “door-buster deals” offered by big-box stores for Black Friday – Small Business Saturday is a way to help focus attention on America’s small businesses, and encourage people to “shop local.”
What Happens in a WESST Consulting Appointment?
One service WESST offers to small business owners is one-on-one consulting. Whether you have the beginnings of an idea for a small business start-up, or have been in business for thirty years, we can help you with information and tools to help you create strategies, solve problems, and move your business forward. Here are answers to some common questions about WESST’s consulting services.
When Employees Go Wild: How to Prevent Outrageous Workplace Behavior
Several stories have appeared in the news lately about employee behavior that seems to almost defy belief. You’d think people would know better by now, right? Here’s what many small business owners don’t realize.
Part 4: What Every Successful Business Owner Should Know About Their Business
In this last installment of “The Four Things Every Business Owner Must Know About His Business,” I’ve saved the best for last: paying attention to team tasks and rewarding excellence.
Part 3: What Every Successful Business Owner Should Know About Their Business
Many businesses don’t take careful enough aim with their marketing and advertising. As a consequence, they get the results they do with amazing accuracy. The problem is that the results are often far from ideal. Business owners who carefully define their ideal customer will attract far more of them for lower cost and, arguably, less effort. The trick is simple – know what you’re looking for.
Part 2: What Every Successful Business Owner Should Know About Their Business
After creating the business development plan (outlined in my previous post), the second thing I believe the smart business owner must come to grips with is the daily cash flow break-even sales point. No rocket science here. If a business is to thrive, “cash in must exceed cash out.”
Part 1: What Every Successful Business Owner Should Know About Their Business
A client recently asked me a very good question: What are the most important minimum basics she must keep in mind if she’s going to be building a better business? What a great question!
Here’s my best shot at the answer and it boils down to just four items.
5 Cautionary HR Lessons from “House of Cards”
I recently got drawn into Netflix’s new original series, House of Cards, and watched every episode avidly until the cliffhanger conclusion (and now can hardly wait for the next season to be released!). In addition to providing great entertainment, the show provided a great lesson for managers on how NOT to handle a problem with an insubordinate employee. Watchers of the show will know I’m referencing the way that Claire Underwood, the super-stylish, calculating nonprofit director, handled the insubordination of her pregnant employee, Gillian Cole.
Why a Social Media Strategy is Important
At WESST, when consulting with clients on business and marketing planning, we recommend: strategy first, tools second. What that means is that you have to understand what it is you want your business to accomplish before you go out and start engaging in different tactics (such as advertising, setting up social media channels, etc). It’s important for every business to have an overall strategy/plan, from which the marketing plan would flow from which the social media plan would flow.