You have a very small window of opportunity to impress me. If you don’t, I probably won’t be back. In fact, there are a lot of competitors out there that hope you won’t make my visit memorable. When we have good experiences at a place of business, we return. When we’ve had an off experience, word gets around, and we move on to another place.

Get a bad haircut, I can guarantee you that you’re looking for a new place to try.

Bad service at a new restaurant in town? Why bother to go back.

Customer service short and frustrating at a retail store? There are tons of others stores to shop at.

Just like the singers on the popular show American Idol, you have a small window of opportunity, what will you do with it to ensure you’ve got my attention? If I like a place, have a good experience, or find what I need easily and think it’s a fair value, I’ll be back. Boring, can’t find enough variety, or poor service, and I’m looking elsewhere.

Where does your business stand? Are you the next “American Business Idol” or are you getting cut?

If you’re looking to start a small business, the first building blog is financing. Here are some small business finance options you may not have thought of. While saving the money for a start-up can be daunting, it’s a great way to save yourself from drowning in debt at a later date. Also consider asking family members or friends to invest in your business. If this path isn’t for you, here are some more common finance resources.

Small Business Loans from the government are one option to check out. There are different levels you can apply at, including a federal level, through your local government, and also through your state, so be sure to check them all.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a great place to start. They offer loans and resources to small businesses who qualify. The SBA works with private financial institutions, and can often times offer you a better interest rate.
Some loans can be found based on your location. For example if you’re going to start a business in a slow, recessed or upcoming area, you may be able to qualify for special loans.

Military veterans may be eligible for a veteran loan. Check with your local veteran’s chapter for more information.

The agricultural industry small businesses will want to check with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Check out their website to find if your business would qualify, and any other information you may need. .

Women and Minorities, there are often times loans that you qualify for based on your gender or if you’re a minority. Some are offered through your state while others are offered through small business corporations, organizations and non-profits. The MBDA is one site you’ll want to look into if you’re a minority. You’ll also find tips and resources to help you get started.

Grants are a unique option all their own. They are a circumstance where you’re given money that doesn’t have to be paid back. There are usually special situations that qualify. I don’t have enough information about grants to offer advice on this topic.

No matter what type of small business finance option looks best to you, there are many choices, and places to look. Research is the first step, so know what is available to you, and apply for the loan that will best suit your circumstances.

Here are some accounting tips for the small business beginner. It’s hard to know what to keep, what to record and what’s important. When starting a small business, one of the main things you need to do is separate your records. Personal records should be separate from your business records. Don’t mix them together, or you may confuse them when doing taxes.

I wasn’t very good at this in the beginning, and it was confusing! Learn from my mistakes.

It’s also important to keep good records. I went from jotting down scrap notes and tossing receipts in different places, to having one organized place to put everything. If you’re naturally organized, this will be easy for you. If you’re like me, then learn to create good habits. Once I had a system, everything fell into place. I not only keep a record, but I put a hand written note on each receipt reminding me exactly what it was for. What a huge difference that’s made in my life! Now I can pull a receipt and know immediately what it was for. No scratching my head trying to piece a puzzle together.

Do you let things pile up before balancing your books? Yikes, that could get messy. Keep a running tally, and do it in small segments. Why turn it into a massive task, when it may only take you a few moments of time?

Sometimes I go back through my records and see how much I’ve been spending. It’s easy to get caught up in current projects and forget what money you may have put out all ready. Scan back over your books and receipts time to time to figure out not only what your spending on, but how much. It’s easy to overspend when you lose sight of what you’ve spent in the past. You may even find you have a little wiggle room and are able to spend on something you’ve been putting off!

If you’re a computer person, get some software like Quick Books to make things easier and faster. If you’re a pen and paper person, don’t leave out the details! Software these days is so user friendly, and often times takes you step by step, making an easy learning curve.
Keep copies! I have an income and expense report on my computer. I made a back-up copy, and have handwritten notes in a special book as the year goes along. It never hurts to have copies! If I lose one, and believe me, I’ve crashed a computer and lost important information in the past, you’ll be really frustrated. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, have back-ups now!

My mom learned about a new rebate should qualified for as a senior, and she happily sent away for it, as well as received a check. Just like in our day to day regular lives, business rules and tax deductions can change. Stay current, and you may end up with your own check! Keep up to date with changes.

If you’re totally lost when it comes to numbers, invest in an accountant. It may cost you money, but the time and headache it can save you will be worth it. Weigh things like time and convenience, along with cost. My husband is a numbers guy, so I have a built in accountant in my marriage. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t hesitate for one moment to contact an accountant. I know this isn’t my strong area, and that’s what they excel in. Why fool around with your taxes and numbers if you aren’t confident in that area?

Just because you’re a new business doesn’t mean that you can’t learn. Taking simple steps and learning the basics of accounting may be all you need to get started on a more organized path to records.

Customer service is an important part of any business, big or small. Excellent customer service may be the very thing that helps you grow your business. Word of mouth travels far!

When looking at customer service, sometimes it comes down to the extra steps someone takes to acknowledge a disgruntled customer. When you have time for individual attention, it will show through. Sometimes with larger companies, when they are busy, people start to feel like a number, rather than an individual. Often times you’re left cold with their standard canned replies, and their lack of attention or concern for your needs.

Let me point something very simple, most people want to be heard. Read that again…most people just want to be heard. Acknowledging a client’s frustration, is sometimes all they want.

The bigger they are - the harder they fall. This rings true with the larger companies and their customer service. Call a big company with a complaint and you’ll rarely get a satisfactory resolution. In fact, you might hang up before you even reach a human because they keep you embroiled on their automated system until you finally feel defeated and chalk it up to a lesson learned. Of course with some companies, you may not get a live person for awhile, and have to deal with an automated “press thins button” response. After enough, many people just hang up.

When you get through, you’re often left with “policies” that must be followed to a tee.

This is where the small business shines, because there’s sometimes more wiggle room to work with an unsatisfied customer. Letting the customer know you care and are able to work something out that benefits you both, will take that once unhappy customer, and turn them into a customer for life.

I was unhappy, they worked with me because they care about my business, so I’ll return. A timely response will keep the customer feeling acknowledged and happy. Exceed your customer’s expectation, and in return, he is going to share that experience, and you may gain new customers.

Sometimes you’re faced with a client who will not be satisfied even if you’ve offered the moon. You did your best, and you probably don’t want that customer to become a regular headache. Do your best, let it go, and move on. We can’t please everyone all of the time. We can be timely in our response, we can be polite and exceed their expectations in many cases. Above all, trust your instinct and do what feels right.

Customers and clients want to feel valued. Value and respect your client’s time and needs, and you’ll have a faithful repeat customer.

When it comes to advertising for the small business, some companies just don’t have the means to use a lot of their budget. That’s okay, you can still advertise when you’re on a shoestring budget.

One of the great things about the internet is that you can create buzz, get the word out, and find clever advertising either inexpensively or free! Let’s focus on the free advertising for those who are on a very tight budget.

One great way to announce your business, changes, or updates to your business is to use a press release. You can choose to release a free version, and for those with a little wiggle room in their budget, you can also upgrade to a promoted press release.

Starting a blog and keeping client’s up to date on the latest news is a great way to be heard. You’ll also be found in search engines, as Google loves relevant and updated information.

Social networking sites allow you to connect with like minded people. You can create networks locally or with other people who share those interests.

Creating a podcast is another way to get your name out there. Create a podcast with useful information that revolves around what you do in business.

Find message boards that revolved around your industry. If you’re a catering business, find message boards revolved around food and recipes. Link to your company’s web page in your signature.

Another clever way is to market articles that are written about your area of expertise. Not only will you get information out there that people can use, but you’ll be able to attach a link to the bottom of the bio box. If you offer good information, people will follow the link to look for more.

It may not be traditional advertising, but it’s a way to be found, seen or heard. Get your name out there, and you’ll feel the gratification of free advertising!

I’ll be honest, my husband is much better with details and records than I am. I’m learning though, because it’s a necessity. Whether you’re a pen and paper person, a computer person or an I’ll get to it later person, records are one place you don’t want to fool around with.

What works for one person, may not work for another. If keeping track of records by date or name work best for you great. Maybe you prefer to keep things filed in categories. Either way, you should be able to find the exact record you need, when you need it.

If you’re not able to find records at the snap of fingers, than you need to re look at your record keeping.

You’ll need to keep all documents pertaining to expenses and income. That means hold onto your credit card records, your receipts, your employee records, your invoices and each and every piece of information that shows income as well as expenses. You basically want a finger print of your business in records. You should be able to look back at something and know exactly what it was for, how it was paid, and who paid for it.
Is it time to look at your records? How organized are you?