Whether you make stuff as a weekend hobby or you’re set on making a business out of selling your wares, it’s never been easier to set up shop and sell things online. These five sites are a great place to start. More »
Google is revamping its Local Business Centre offering, taking up the Place Pages concept it launched last September and renaming the business service Google Places. As part of that deal, it’s offering to take free interior photos of selected businesses for inclusion on Place Pages (and hence Google Maps). More »
We know Lifehacker readers are big fans of e-tax, and we suspect many of our business-minded audience may also use the business-targeted E-Record. So it’s worth reminding the latter than the ATO is dumping support for the latter after this financial year, having decided that commercial providers can better serve the needs of the business sector. More »
The Wise Bread blog suggests that when most of us think “business plan,” we’re thinking of a 50-page, multi-charted, supremely detailed document that has every branch and angle thought out thoroughly. That’s also why some of us never end up launching on worthy business ideas. The basics of any plan, though, can be answered in four questions: What is your product or service? Who are your customers? When will things get done? When are bills due and when do you get paid?
We all know that networking can be vitally important, especially for freelancers and those with a bit of salesmanship to their jobs, but gigantic conferences like SXSW Interactive or O’Reilly Emerging Technology can seem like imposing behemoths, and even smaller gatherings can be frustrating if your crowd-working skills aren’t up to snuff—which certainly holds true for your morning editor. There’s always another chance to book a room and pin on a name tag coming up, though, so I turn to our more networking-savvy readers and ask: How do you set goals or keep focused on getting something worthwhile out of your time at conferences and seminars? What kind of must-have goods do you bring? Do you plan to meet certain people ahead of time, or are big gatherings a chance to play it by ear? Let’s hear your advice, war stories, and suggestions in the comments.
Thinking about taking the plunge into entrepreneurship? The Small Biz Survival Guide offers a collection of checklists for starting your first business.
Whether you’re a freelancer or working for a business, you can improve your networking skills by actively following up after you meet new contacts. Dumping a business card into a pile and then forgetting about it doesn’t help – but a good follow up email could help you turn that contact into a lead for a freelance assignment, some business for your company, or even a new job for you.The Freelance Switch blog advises that a generic ‘nice to meet you’ email won’t cut it – you need to send an email which is personal, follows up on the particular conversation you had with the person, and is asking for (or offering) something useful.
“Follow this simple formula — state what you can do with confidence, list 3 or more things they’ll get and the benefits of each, then close with a testimonial and a way to keep in touch — and your networking efforts will be the foundation for a healthy business that brings you more work and more clients than you ever imagined.”
Got any tips for how to follow up with a new business contact? Please share in comments.
A Simple Follow Up Formula [Freelance Switch] More »
Build your own attractive business cards online with free webapp Deyey. The site’s built-in templates are attractive, simple to use, and easy to customize (just check out their demo to see how easy), and when you’re finished you can save the card at Deyey or download it to your computer to print off there. If you’ve always needed a good business card but didn’t feel like shelling out for professionally designed or printed cards, Deyey’s a nice alternative. For another free business card alternative, check out previously mentioned Businesscardland.
Deyey [via MakeUseOf]In a constantly-changing society, new technologies exist today that haven’t existed yesterday. Blogger Wendy Piersall says that the best way to move forward and prepare our children is to educate them to innovate, think for themselves, and give them the skills necessary to make a living in the future. How is this done? Teach them through games. She proposes fourteen games that will teach children about business and makes clever arguments about why each is a solid choice. For example, the Sims 2 Open For Business expansion pack lets you manage businesses that can either thrive or fail. Lemonade Tycoon 2 is another viable choice, allowing children to understand the value of their money as they sell the drink in NYC. The Stock Rush game teaches children to invest wisely. These games certainly can teach children the value of a dollar, and they’re fun, too!
14 Educational Games to Teach Your Kids about Business [eMoms at Home]
