Building on an idea to help food pantries and other organizations, Michele Liddle started The Perfect Granola. Its products are now on the shelves of several major retailers, including Walmart.
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An effective online sales funnel can help small-business owners turn website traffic into leads and sales, writes Jovana Vujnic, founder of Bumper Leads. She describes the different parts of the funnel and notes the importance of using effective calls to action at each step.
Consider factors such as customer attachment in your industry and what specifically connects buyers to your products when deciding which customers to prioritize during retention efforts, writes Howard Tullman. In addition, ensure your company's actions are encouraging retention by taking steps to improve ease of use, communication or other areas as needed.
If your business has hit a roadblock to growth, it could be that you're the problem, Victor Snyder writes. It's important to delegate tasks effectively and to implement scalable business systems, he adds.
Small businesses have a number of options when they need financing, writes Steve Strauss, author of "The Small Business Bible." In addition to traditional loans, consider entering business plan competitions, pursuing invoice factoring or raising money through crowdfunding.
Obsessing about work problems stresses people unnecessarily unless they shift their focus to solutions, write Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. At this point, realize what is and isn't within your control, assign action to the former and remember every negative thought isn't automatically a truth.
House lawmakers have reintroduced 2018's Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act in an effort to increase workers' savings in retirement plans sponsored by employers. The bill would increase the tax credit for certain small-employer pension plans while providing additional tax credits to companies that offer 401(k) automatic enrollments, among other provisions.
Women account for 40% of new entrepreneurs today, according to a report from American Express, and they start businesses for numerous reasons, including the flexibility to work when they want. Women also can overcome the gender pay gap by charging what they're worth, and they have more control over their future by starting their own companies, Caroline Castrillon writes.
