North Jersey Small Business Forum

Good morning everyone,

As you have probably noticed, not much has been posted on this site lately. Unfortunately, I have just been too busy to keep things fresh. Therefore, I am planning to shut down the http://northjerseysmallbusiness.org site in the near future.

If you wish to continue to follow activities of interest to small businesses in the north Jersey area, perhaps you will follow us on…

“Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain (now officially known as the United Kingdom).” (Source- Wikipedia)

While the 4th of July is a great summer holdiay full of parades and barbequed food, it is…

10 Words People Who Lack Confidence Always Use

This post was originally from Inc. and then shared with Time. Click here to read the full story.

“Want to avoid giving the impression you lack confidence and authority? Avoid these words”

“These words are not always triggers about confidence level, but they are my first signal that something is amiss. They make me think the sender is not that sure about the product or service. And they are dead…

Pricing Pitfalls; Future Entrepreneurs; Connecting with New Customers

A triple play from Carol Roth’s Business Unplugged blog:

Don’t Let Pricing Become a Pitfall

Posted: 03 Jun 2014 04:00 AM PDT

Many small business owners and solopreneurs (especially those in professional services) have trouble figuring out how much to charge their clients. It’s brain – and nerve – wracking, particularly when you’re starting out in business. Pricing mistakes can trip up the most…

Logo Design, Web Design and More

Do you need a logo for your new company, but you’re not an artisitc type? Try 99Designs. This site uses rowd-sourced design projects where you can actually conduct a contest among graphic artists and collect votes on the designs to help you choose the one for you.

My duaghter recently used them for her new business and was very satisfied with the prices and the results.

6 Easy Ways to Turn Customers Into Brand Fanatics (Infographic)

This appeared in a post by Laura Montini on Inc.’s blog. Please click here to see th posting and a full size version of the infographic.

“Growing a fanatical followingisn’t something only Apple can achieve. You’re probably already doing a lot to earn your customers’ love and affection without even thinking about it — for example, incorporating great design into all of your products. But you might…

The Power of Visual Content

Please see below for information about an exciting webinar hosted by DuctTape Marketing.

I know, I know – content is king, you’ve heard it until your sick of hearing it – but the reality is – the right content, in the right context is actually king and distribution of that content is the queen (and she wears the pants!)

People don’t simply need more content, they need content that moves them to…

Do You Look Like A Professional?

The following is from Tina Del Buono’s PPM Blog:

Far too often people in leadership roles do not take the time to examine how they appear to people who they come in contact with. What do I mean by this? If you are a manager, do you take a look at yourself in in the mirror each day before leaving for work? Do you ask yourself “Do I look like the professional that I am?” Do you look like the…

The following is from a post on Inc. written by Kevin Duam. Please see the original article for more information.

“Sometimes you absolutely have to make your point. Here are 7 tips on how to do it effectively with style and grace.”

“While many people don’t like to sell, most find themselves having to persuade someone at some point. Persuasion is not just for salespeople and their prospects. You…

The following is from Nancy Loderick’s Blog. Please click here to read the full article.

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We all need to recharge and relax. Even if you love what you do, you need a break. It’s wonderful to go to a different environment, but sometimes that’s just not possible. Relaxation can be a state of mind too.

I am not able to physically get away much these days, but I’ve managed to create a calm and…

When You Need To Let An Employee Go

This post is reblogged from Tina Del Buono’s PPM Blog. Once again, I’d like to thank Tina for allowing me to use her posts.

Letting an employee go is a very dificult thing for most managers, and for the organization overall- especially when the person is well liked but simply in the wrong position. Larger companies may be able to find a position for the person which is more sutied to their…

Customer Service: ‘No Problem’ May BE Your Problem

The following is from a post fromCarol Roth’s Business Unplugged and was written by Catherine Morgan:

“This has been a pet peeve of mine for a while. It’s a big customer service faux pas. Invariably this happens at fast food or low-price retail establishments, but do you say this to your customers? Customers who may be paying you handsomely for your products or services?

The Scenario

A customer…

Constructing the Perfect Pitch

Today I’d like to refer you to an article in Entrepereneur in which Richard Branson discusses “contructing the perfect pitch”. Excerpts from the article are below, but please read the full article for more information.

“Enthusiasm is contagious. When you pick up the phone to talk about ….., the person at the other end of the line will know almost immediately whether you truly believe in the work…

When It Is Difficult To Smell The Roses

The following is reblogged from Tina Del Buono’s PPM Blog:

It would be wonderful if our lives were always beautiful and serene like a rose garden. However, life is full of difficulties, which cannot help but have some affect on our work life.

Although we are being paid to do our job, at work, there are times when it is very difficult to do ot when we are faced with personal problems.

Can we…

Managers Manage Systems, Not People

Reposted from Tina Del Buomo’s PPM Blog.

Many times business owners will become upset because the “manager” has not been able to manage their people as had been expected.

Far too often the business owner fails to understand the manager does not manage people, they manage processes and systems for doing the tasks that need to be done by the people.

The real problem may be there are no systems in…

5 Essential Elements of a Useful Social Media Plan

Below are excerpts from a good article from Duct Tape Marketing. Please refer to the ful article for details and more information.

“Living inside the bubble of the social media marketing world, it’s easy to forget that many organizations still don’t know how to reconcile social media into their everyday sales and marketing routine… Yes, you eventually must get around to embracing certain tactics…

5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Entrepreneurial Time

The following is from an email I received from Carol Roth’s Business Unplugged blog:

5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Entrepreneurial TimePosted: 23 Apr 2014 04:00 AM PDTEntrepreneurs wear every hat in the closet and are always pressed for time. It’s arguable that no matter how talented the entrepreneur or how brilliant the business model, success or failure boils down to time…