May 2014 Newsletter
From the Director

For anyone who has never met me or has spent any time with me, I am normally a pretty optimistic guy, always looking for the positive in any given situation, especially when it comes to customer service.  I never complain about a bad customer service experience, even if it is bad, because I always believe that sometimes we just have one of those days when we are not on our "A game". But unfortunately it has become a fairly common occurrence to hear of bad service, bad employee attitude or lack of general customer courtesy in our communities. 

 

Now before everyone jumps up and burns me at the stake for speaking such blasphemy about our great community, know that I also receive amazing customer service at a number of businesses in the area, but in general, we could make great strides in improving how we treat our customers by changing just a few small things.  You might not realize just how great of an impact poor customer service, or great customer service, can have on your bottom line - it's a big one!   

 

This month's newsletter includes some tips and ideas on how to improve customer service in our businesses, and I am sure as you read through them, you will find they are basic, common sense concepts that are fairly simple to implement.  

 

My personal advice?  As a customer, I want to be smiled at, have my presence acknowledged and let me know you are there to take care of me.  We may not always have exactly what the customer wants or be perfect in every aspect of our business, but if the customer know we care about them, they will come back, along with their wallets.

  
Tips to Improve Customer Service
skillsyouneed.com
 

Regardless of the type of contact that you have with customers, whether it is over the phone, face-to-face, in a restaurant or shop, in an office or financial institution, in the entertainment or tourist industries, good customer service skills help everybody.   

 

A happy, satisfied customer is likely to return and/or tell others about the good experiences that they had when dealing with your company - word of mouth recommendations from friends and colleagues are very valuable....read more.

Celebrating National Small Business Week!
  

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners.

 

More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

 

As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories.  Every day, they're working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America's global competitiveness....read more

What a Taste of Summer Means for Small Business Owners
by Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit, FOXBusiness
April 22, 2014
 

Summer months are a boon for many small business owners, particularly retailers, restaurants and certain service businesses.

 

Here are some tips to help small business owners plan for the summer months.

 

Prepare Now; Summer Will Be Here Before You Know It

Local festivals, flea markets and street fairs can generate revenue, help build your brand and introduce your company to potential new customers. Identify the upcoming events that suit your business. The organizers usually help promote the vendors who participate in the events and will likely flood the local marketplace with flyers, print ads and social media outreach. The fees for setting up a booth can be hefty, and it may be impossible financially to participate in every one. Thus, it is important to consider the options and choose the ones with the most potential for success....read more.

Upcoming SBDC Events

Email Marketing 101
Why should you use email marketing for your small business? Because everyone uses email...and it works!
 
Thursday, June 19, 2014
6:00-8:00 pm
Cost: $20 per person
Location: EAC High Tech Center, Room #124


Words, Pics, Vids & More!
Social media best practices using different media types 
for your business.

Thursday, July 10, 2014
6:00-8:00 pm
Cost: $20 per person
Location: EAC High Tech Center, Room #124
Business Lessons from Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran
by Abigail Tracy, Inc.com
April 25, 2014

 

The real estate mogul shared her wisdom in the keynote address at the National Association of Professional Women conference in New York City.

 

On Friday, the sixth-floor ballroom at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York City was filled with the sounds of cheering and laughing women (and select men) during the keynote address by real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran at the National Association of Professional Women conference. The wildly successful and unapologetic businesswoman--well known for her appearances on ABC's Shark Tank--traced her entrepreneurial journey from her entry into the real estate industry in her early 20s to where she is today.


During her speech, Corcoran passed on the most important business lessons she learned along the way. Here are a few highlights:....read more.

Introduction to Franchising
Small Business Adminstration
 

We've refreshed our online training course on franchising! To help you better determine if franchising is right for you, this improved, self-paced course defines franchising, types of franchises, helps you to identify resources to assist you in franchising a business and more....read more.

5 Ways to Stop Sacrificing Too Much for Your Startup
by Erik Sherman, Inc.
April 22, 2014

You have to give up things to start and grow a business, but don't give up the fundamentals that make life worth living.

 

Twitter's CEO and co-founders have said that they won't sell stock when the lock-up ends on May 5. Why? It's not hard to guess. A sudden flood of shares hitting the market could send the stock price tumbling, and the company wants to keep a strong share value for possible acquisitions, adherence to lender demands, employee morale, and other reasons.

 

In short, Dick Costolo, Jack Dorsey, and Evan Williams are doing what entrepreneurs often do: sacrificing for the greater good. The fear of failure runs deep, and for good reasons. It's ridiculously easy for a new company to crash and burn. But there are useful efforts and those that are wastes of time and energy. What you want to do is to work smarter.

 

You can't avoid sacrifice in starting and expanding a company. However, you can be more intelligent about how you do it and avoid unnecessary privations that will actually set you back. Here are five ways to keep some balance and sanity....read more.

We love referrals
We appreciate referrals!
 
Please help us continue to serve Arizona small businesses. We would greatly appreciate it if you share our services with your friends, family and colleagues.

If you would like to write a review or testimonial about your experience with the SBDC, click here to find out how!


Kevin Peck, Director
EAC Small Business Development Center
615 N. Stadium Ave, Thatcher, AZ  85552

Phone: 928.428.8590
Fax: 928.428.2578


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The EAC Small Business Development Center, funded by Eastern Arizona College and the Small Business Administration, is designed to promote the success of small business in Graham, Greenlee and Gila Counties, including the San Carlos Apache Nation.