From SCORE: "Are You Ready for Some Foot -uh- E-Business?"

SCOREBOARD

from Greater Knoxville

September/October - Volume 5, Issue 5

A business resource providing business owners and managers

with tips, ideas, and news to help your business grow and become more successful.

WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE

Our apologies to Hank Williams Jr. for borrowing his line, but it got your attention, didn't it?

More than a decade ago Bill Gates said "There will be two types of businesses in 2002; those that are on the Internet and those that are out of business." Just a few years ago small businesses thought they were "e-business" savvy if they had a web site that provided information on their products and services. But in a 2010 study by Adology, 46% of small businesses still did not have a web site and many of those who did gave little thought on how to attract, track, analyze, and communicate with viewers, or conduct business with them online. With the advent of technologies like email, social media, blogs, on-line bill payment, and e-commerce, having just a web site is not sufficient anymore.

To assist in this transition, SCORE has developed "e-Business Now," a web site dedicated to helping small businesses define their e-business needs, explore available options, and provide basic instructions on implementing tools to help you grow. "E-Business Now" is a series of five on-line workshops, each with several accompanying "How To" guides that go into more detail. We encourage you to visit this site by clicking here and bookmark it. Then invest some time to learn how you can avoid being the second type of business that Bill Gates described. To emphasize the importance of this business tool, we're using this issue of SCOREBOARD to let you learn how other small businesses are using e-business to grow and succeed. We hope some of these ideas help your business grow and prosper in the age of e-business!

IS YOUR WEB SITE CAUSING YOU TO LOSE CUSTOMERS?

Can your customers make a buying decision by solely using content from your site? Even the most creative and in-depth description of what you do for whom and why you're the best is not enough. Your prospects must be able to evaluate your offering, believe your claims are credible, and understand what you're like to work with-all from within your site. Leaving these key questions unanswered creates a barrier to buying. How To Increase Online Sales By Increasing Website Conversion Rates tells how to incorporate these points into your website.

CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

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Many business owners think social media forums like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are just for personal communication. Yet these platforms are ideal for telling your customers about new products and services, limited time promotions, and upcoming events - in real time. Perhaps even more importantly, the "tweets" you send can be forwarded by your customers to non-customers, leading to increased sales and new customers! Learn more about using Twitter and"tweets" by clicking here.

THINK YOUR BUSINESS ISN'T AN E-BUSINESS CANDIDATE?

If you believe your business is too small or too low-tech for e-Business, think again. DeSantos, an American Italian restaurant, dispels this type of thought. Using IPad tablets throughout the restaurant has resulted in faster customer service, fewer mistakes, happier customers, more sales, and more overall revenue. Read how DeSantos did this in The Birth Of The IRestaurant.

ACCEPTING CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS AWAY FROM THE OFFICE

0.7936507936507936 Many businesses operate away from an office, either most of the time or occasionally (think trade shows). This can make processing credit or debit card payments very cumbersome. There are several payment systems now on the market that allow you to take these payments using your notebook or tablet computer, or even your smartphone. Learn how some businesses are using this technology in Leveraging Smartphone-based Payment Processing Solutions. You can and find out more about these applications by reading How To Accept Credit Card Payments On Your Iphone.

USING E-BUSINESS TO LOCATE FINANCING

0.9565217391304348 You may think this is a far-fetched idea, but it is being done. In our previous issue of SCOREBOARD we included articles on Peer-to-Peer lending, and Knoxville SCORE clients Lyschel and Garran Burket are using Kickstarter to raise funds for a new venture. Click here to see how they're doing this and how Kickstarter works.

Robbie Vitrano and Jeff Leach, owners of Naked Pizza in New Orleans, post humorous notes daily on Twitter. They were surprised when they received more than 8,000 inquires wanting to invest in the firm from forwarded tweets! See how this happened in Finding New Investors in 140 Characters or Less.

NEWS OF LOCAL INTEREST

Roane County has initiated a feasibility study to create a business accelerator (sometimes referred to as a business incubator) to assist the development of new businesses. In announcing this venture, County Executive Ron Woody named several agencies and organizations including SCORE that could provide services and assistance for new businesses. We look forward to watching the progress of this study and providing even more services for the Roane County business community.

SCORE Is Looking For A Few Good Men And Women

The Greater Knoxville SCORE Chapter is recruiting volunteers to assist the small business community in our coverage area. If you're an experienced business owner or have managed a business, and would like to counsel small business owners, we'd like to speak with you. In addition to volunteer counselors, we're also seeking volunteers with experience or talents in making presentations, performing administrative functions, and assisting in fund raising efforts. If you are interested, or know someone who fits these needs, contact SCORE at 865-692-0717 or email us at volunteer@scoreknox.org.

PS - it is not necessary for volunteers to be retired.

Upcoming Workshops

"Should I Go Into Business For Myself?"

This is a two session workshop designed for those considering beginning their own business.

November Dates:

Session 1 - Saturday November 19, 9:00 AM til Noon

Session 2 - Saturday December 3, 9:00 AM til Noon

Sessions will be conducted at the Knoxville Campus of Roane State Community College, 132 Hayfield Road, Knoxville (Off Parkside Drive)

Click here to view content, directions, and to register,

or call the Greater Knoxville SCORE office (865-692-0717)

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"Negotiation Basics"