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24 Nov Our leather supplier increased his price, part of which we need to pass on the customers. Switching suppliers might require a trial and error period if no prior relationship is established. Are there other options besides switching to a new supplier and the potential future quality of my products?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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When you're talking about working with suppliers, you're talking about a relationship with another business owner. That relationship has to be about more than money. I can see that you're concerned about quality, but have you considered service? Delivery? How fast you're taken care of...

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24 Nov Question from a family-owned bakery – a few months ago another bakery opened up only a few blocks away from ours and it seems that our regulars are no longer coming to us as often as they used to. The competitor has similar goods and beverages and prices are very close to ours. We are not used to competition, what should we do to keep our customers?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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If your regular customers are going to the other bakery, there's something that they offer that you don't. It could be that they're simply closer to a large portion of your customer base (walking distance?), but odds are that they are doing something different from...

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24 Nov I own a small paper company. We deal primarily with other small businesses, but we haven’t been able to gain any new clients lately. I know we have a good product. Why can’t we make more sales?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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Keep in mind that in a business like yours, you're not just selling a product; you're selling the prospects on the benefits of doing business with you. Frame your pitch in terms of what's good about working with your company rather than just what's good...

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24 Nov I am the owner of a pet grooming business (located right next to a vet office). I have a regular clientele, but would like to expand my business. The majority of the new business comes via referral from the existing clients and the vet. Any suggestion on how to increase my business?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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Being next to a vet is a great location for you, but just location won't help you expand. There are several marketing strategies you can use, but your best bet would be to try targeting audiences in corresponding businesses. Like you do with the vet's...

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24 Nov I am the owner of an Italian restaurant that is losing its customer base due to economic times. I understand that people are cutting down on their expenses but is there anything I can do to keep my business alive and attract more customers?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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This is a good time to look at your marketing. Repeat business often lulls owners into not searching for new customers, but as you lose regulars, you need to draw in new people. Consider this an opportunity to find new ways to promote your business....

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24 Nov I am a self-employed massage therapist. I have been on my own for 2 years now and did well until about 6 months ago when my steady cliental started to vanish. Even the ones who still use my services do so a lot less often. What can I do to build up my client list?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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The answer to this might be much simpler than you think. If you're losing customers, it might be time for you to reduce your prices a little. Check your surrounding competition and price yourself just under them, start pushing for volume and repeat business. It...

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24 Nov Self-employed artist needs advice about record keeping. Lately my business has been growing and I find myself in need of having more than a pen and paper record /receipt keeping system. Unfortunately, I am not very familiar with different types of software options. Would you suggest a starting point for me?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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There are several options for accounting software that can help you out. QuickBooks is by far the most popular, well-known application for this, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best for your needs. How many different reports do you need? Do you have...

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24 Nov My wife and I have a well-established dry cleaning business. Due to increasing operating costs we are in a real need to raise our prices but are concerned that a lot of people will complain and that potentially we can lose some of our customers. Anything we can do to make this a smoother transition?

Posted at 15:39h in by Emadvisory Corp 0 Comments
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Honestly, you may be worrying too much about this. A common problem that small business owners have is that they underestimate their own product and its worth. A reasonable price increase is unlikely to drive away most of your key customers and might even draw...

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