Articles by John Carroll:
Customer Service Is The Secret To 5-star Reviews
When it’s time to eat and home cooking just won’t do, how do you pick a restaurant? Perhaps you’re looking for great tasting, mind-blowing cuisine. Or maybe you’re in the mood for something on the cheap. But how often do you say to yourself, “I’m looking for a restaurant that has GREAT customer service?” Probably… Read more
3 reasons to set your service area on Yelp
Imagine if the leads reaching out to your business already knew just how far you’re willing to travel. You’d probably save time returning calls and responding to messages. More importantly, you wouldn’t have to master the exquisite art of letting someone down easy. Freeing up time means you have more time to invest in building… Read more
The 5 Best Non-Traditional Funding Tactics for Your Small Business
Restaurants, laundromats, tech startups, and mechanics. Very different businesses—one common thread. They all need capital to survive and grow. Now there are more ways to fund your business than ever—many of which require less time compiling papers or waiting on the bank. And even if you’re applying for more traditional funding sources, non-traditional funding options… Read more
38 free places to turn for small business advice
How to find a mentor, advisor or resource that will drive your startup forward Your first hire doesn’t turn out to be the best fit. You’re growing faster than expected—and your inventory can’t keep up. Something about your books just seems a little off. You’re making steady profits. Where do you go from here? No… Read more
21 Can’t Miss Opportunities for Women Small Business Owners
Grants, loans, programs, and organizations that female entrepreneurs should take advantage of. No matter how often #GirlBoss trends—there’s still a female founding gap to close. Last year, 1,821 new women-owned businesses opened every day in the US. 40% of new businesses are headed by women. But only 2.2% of all VC dollars went to women… Read more
Small business owners: 5 questions you should ask and answer before making your first hires
A quick guide for staffing smart, and picking the right people to move your small business forward. Unless your first hire was in HR—you’re probably looking for a little help, as you start to staff your small business. And that’s a good call. It costs companies $4,000 to recruit a new employee, and 52 days… Read more
Your Definitive, “Out-the-Gate” Small Business Marketing Checklist
Here are a few easy “to-do”s to mark “done” before you launch. If you ask a marketer about a plan-of-attack for your small business, you run the risk of drowning in acronyms. ROI, KPIs, OKRs….it can be a lot to digest. But really, marketing is just about having a conversation with your target customer. It’s… Read more
10 Low-Cost Market Research Tactics For A Small Business Owners On A Budget
Some told him it was a rash idea—but 15 successful retail locations later, Sal was sure he’d proved them wrong. When it comes time to expand their business, some entrepreneurs spend years sussing out the right location. They look at property values, highway access, available lots, taxes, and projected demographic shifts. Sal the Tire King… Read more
The “Walk-Me-Through-It” Guide To Nailing Down Your Small Business Value Proposition
The cynics will say: you can’t just open a coffee shop anymore. There’s already one on every corner. That’s why when someone asks: “What does your company do?”—what they’re really asking is: “What does your company do that’s so dang special?” or “Why should your company exist?” Your value proposition is the answer to that… Read more
Five updates you should make to your Yelp Page
In every neighborhood there’s that one house. I’m sure you know it. The house where the Halloween decorations are up until December, the holiday lights are up until May, and you can still find last year’s Easter eggs all year round. As time goes on, things change (or at least they should). The same goes… Read more