The holidays are a great time to gently remind customers and clients about your business. If you send out holiday cards (and you should), drop a coupon in to give your client incentive to drop on by.

If you’re a hair salon, offer a token free bottle of shampoo with highlights. Massage therapists, offer 10% off your standard rates for a limited time. Car mechanics, what about a free tire rotation with an oil change? Florists, add in 2 extra roses to that dozen. Landscapers can offer a discount for early bookings for the upcoming year. Chiropractors, offer one free session after 5 regular priced sessions. Give people incentive, and they’ll not only remember you, but they may just mention you to someone else.

“Hey, guess what I got in the mail….”

Seriously, if you’re not sending out holiday cards to your clients, you’re missing out. People are often surprised they are remembered and thought of, so it’s a nice touch. Also, it’s a chance to get your logo or brand forefront. People are NOT thinking about you on a day to day basis, so a gentle reminder in a friendly way is a great way to boost business.

If you’re a business that sells gift certificates, get those cards out early, and remind people you have gift certificates, and that it will take the pressure off holiday shopping if they pick up a gift certificate. Give them 5-10% off, and you’ve given them that extra push to get to your business and buy one or two, maybe even three.

What are you mailing out this holiday season?

If you’re new to the online world, and you’re looking to make an impact, put your business online. You’ll also want to create a blog, which is something I’ve mentioned in the past. Today I want to share a program that will help you get started, if you’re not sure how to make a strong blog, or how to promote it.

I’ve been an online presence for over 2+ years. Honestly, I’ve been online for about 12 years, but really started to make a mark in the last 3 years or so. I’ve dabbled in blogging, online stores, websites, and even promote my own book online. My ultimate goal has been to work from home, and make an income that’s worth my time. I’ve been doing just that…

During the course of that time, I’ve researched tons of stuff, bought ebooks, signed up under “gurus” to learn and more. One day I was over on the Warrior Forum, reading something from Amy Bass. It was something about Amy that told me I needed to give The Niche Blogger a try. I’m glad I did, because it’s been well worth my time. It’s all about “The Niche Blogger”…

I love being a member of The Niche Blogger, and my income has all ready started to increase.

You see, when you’ve been online for awhile, you get into the habit of taking shortcuts, and skipping steps. You start to overlook tiny details. Let me tell you, it’s in the little details that make the difference. The Niche Blogger is one of the few places I’ve raved about. I don’t generally promote sites on my blogs, but this is one I stand behind. I know quality, and I happily lent my voice and picture for testimony on her site. You won’t find my information and testimony all over the web, because honestly, I just don’t lend it often! In less than 2 months, my income has started to increase.

I’m taking the details I’m learning here, and growing them. Not only have I created new content and sites, but I’ve been able to update some of my other sites to tweak them and see improvements.

This is a program I so believed in based on the quality of information being given, I happily jumped from monthly member to lifetime member, and it was WELL worth it to me. There’s so much information, I’ve got things I can improve on for weeks on end! I have over 50 websites, and I see how I can relate a lot of the information to my other sites. This is a win-win for me…hands down!

I’m all ready seeing results from the work I’ve put in. I’ve grown my web empire, and I’m improving on older sites I have. Within two months, my income started going up. I don’t rave and shout about many programs, but this time…I’m shouting…”The Niche Blogger” is the best thing I invested in this year.

Kindly, Deb

*I have a relationship with this program. I get a referral fee if you choose to buy the program, but it in no way changes the price of the membership for you. This is a true and honest review, and you will find me on the boards here. It’s the best thing I’ve bought in a long time!

Watch CBS Videos Online

Thanks to Laura for showing me a link to this. This is something you’ll want to see.

Does your small business have what it takes to survive? Or will it be another statistic? Did you know that many small businesses fail in their first 3 years? Sometimes it’s simple mistakes a business owner makes that will cause the failure. Avoiding these mistakes may help your business survive past that important threshold.

Have you researched your market? If you’re just jumping in, without doing the research, you may end up in trouble. Sure it sounded like a good idea when you thought of it, but without background information you’re walking into a wall. What type of demand does your service or product have? Is it enough of a demand to warrant a full business around it? Is the market all ready saturated? What are people willing to pay for this product or service, and how far off the mark are you with your pricing?

One of my downfalls is my record keeping. I have to push myself to stay on top of it. Record keeping is vital, and something you don’t want to slack on. Not only will you have records and transaction for things like taxes, but you’ll be able to analyze your data to see what things may or may not be working for your small business.

The other thing many small businesses don’t have in tact is sufficient capital. When you’re starting out there are often expenses you haven’t thought of. Sure you can figure out your main beginning expenses, but what about the day to day operations? What about when things come up? If you don’t have immediate access to funds when you need them, it can be detrimental to your business.

Lastly, many small businesses don’t have a marketing plan. They go about all details of their business and just assume that people will show up. My friend, if you don’t have means to grow your business, and gain new customers, you’ll eventually stagnate and your business will no longer thrive. Marketing is a crucial element in building the success of your business.

Avoid common pitfalls, and your small business will have the chance to survive longer than most!