STARTicles

STARTicles offer you tactical information and insights on how to lay the foundation of your business so you can focus on building success.

How Much Control Do You Need Over Your Phone System?

Thursday, January 21, 2021

You’re probably not old enough to remember the times when a business phone system was in the hands of a switchboard operator who manually connected all incoming calls by plugging … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Customer Testimonials Star Business Promotion

Customer Testimonials Add Power to Promotion

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

I try to follow one basic rule when buying products or services: I never send more constructive complaints than compliments. The negative feedback hopefully provides vendors with a list of … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Remote Workers Move Out Of State

Do Your Remote Workers Plan to Move Out of State?

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Between 15-23 *MILLION* U.S. employees plan to move away from the regions where they currently work. For both the employer & employee, there can be unexpected costs to doing so though. Read on to better prepare. Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Small Business Events

4 Easy Steps to Getting a Branded Business Email Address with Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

For a small business just starting out, getting a branded email address is essential to start communicating with business contacts and establish a sense of professionalism.  Google Workspace (formerly known … Continue Reading

Comments (1)
Startup Step: Set Up Business Email Accounts
Rainy Day Business Fund

6 Ways to Save Money For a Rainy Day

Thursday, December 3, 2020

We recently discussed the importance of maintaining an emergency fund to see you through hard times. These savings also make reserves available to take advantage of good buying deals. Unfortunately, … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
VoIP Internet Phone System

VoIP: A Funny Name for a Serious Business Phone System

Friday, November 20, 2020

When I need a chuckle, but funny cat videos won’t help, I turn to videos of young people trying to figure out rotary telephones. Clearly, phone technology has changed drastically … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
boss demonstrating to employees on whiteboard

From Pupils to Einsteins

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

An Individualized Approach to Training Methods Makes a Difference Believe it or not, I just bought my first smart phone. Learning the basics was extra challenging due to social distancing. … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Business Owner Evaluating Need For Growth Space

Grow Your Business Without Stretching Your Physical Limits

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Now that a light seems to be appearing at the end of the shutdown tunnel, it’s time to think beyond business survival, and on to future growth. Still, your company … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
overworked employee

How Many Extra Things Should You Expect From Your Employees?

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Here are some unwritten rules that can help you avoid stepping over the line when asking your employees to temporarily perform different types of work. Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
emergency fund piggy bank floating

Does Your Business Maintain an Emergency Fund?

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Small businesses don’t typically have tons of cash to leave on the sidelines. Still, even without a nation-wide shut down, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that approximately one-third … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Work From Home Cat Roommate

The Data is In: Your Employees Can Often Work Effectively From Home

Monday, August 31, 2020

One silver lining of the shut-down is that you may have learned something that you never expected: employees who worked from home continued to be productive. In fact, some of … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Marketing to Seniors

Have You Forgotten to Market to Senior Customers?

Thursday, August 20, 2020

It’s easy to identify advertising that is directed to younger prospects; it’s trendy and often funny, it commonly has plenty of attitude, and it may take some time to identify … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Delegate at Work versus DIY

Still Trying to Do Everything Yourself?

Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Safe Insurance

How Bullet-Proof Does Your Business Insurance Need to Be?

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Even the most experienced insurance agent could not have predicted a prolonged shut-down of so many U.S. businesses due to a virus. Still, after the SARS virus outbreak that occurred … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Online Fax with Nextiva

Fax Machines? No. Online Faxing? Yes!

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Fax usage remains a necessity for many businesses in the U.S., and even more in other parts of the world. In fact, recent estimates put annual fax rates in a … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
new uses for old products

Identifying New Uses for the Same Old Products

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

If you’re like many businesses, the shut-down may have left you with a surplus of unused inventory. You need to find ways to entice old customers to buy more, while … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Get Emails for marketing

7 Ways to Get More Email Addresses to Spur Future Sales

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

One of the easiest ways to get your business’ message out to likely-buyers continues to involve email, and it remains an extremely effective marketing tool. Recent statistics show that email … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Shorter Work Week

Can a Shorter Work Week Lead to Greater Productivity in Your Small Business?

Thursday, May 28, 2020

You might have heard about Microsoft’s recent 4-day work week experiment in Japan. Without extending the length of those days to make up for the extra day off, the new … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
Business Burn-Out

Fighting Burnout Syndrome

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

As a small business owner with a small team, the chances are that you experience some form of burnout regularly. Perhaps it happens every December, when you have fewer days … Continue Reading

Comments (1)
Startup Step: Management
Pandemic Teamwork Video Call

What the Pandemic Is Teaching About Teamwork

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

If you watch the news as much as I do, you undoubtedly see countless depressing stories about the toll that the pandemic is taking on everyone around the world. However, … Continue Reading

Comments (0)
Startup Step: Management
back to top