"Build a Better Business" with David Lewis

When someone asks my six-year-old daughter what "Daddy" does, she sums it up in the eloquent way that only a kindergartener can ... and I quote, "Daddy just sits on his butt all day."

Great, while other Dad's are fire fighters, police officers or do cool stuff like driving trucks, I, in my daughters eyes, do nothing but sit in a comfy chair and stare at a computer all day ... yawn. Unfortunately, she's pretty much nailed a solid description--and it will be a few years before she understands how lucky I am to be able to do this.

I run a global communications empire from my home office. I think in time zones. I work all hours of the day. I report to no one. I am customer service and technical support. I am sales and marketing. I am accounts receivable and accounts payable. I am self-employed.

Coming from the school of thought that excellent service and a fair price is key to success, and with those principles as the foundation, in my column I hope to provide you with some helpful and cost-effective ideas about things you can do to help make your small business better.

Don't worry, it'll be fun! Now, let's get to work!

Current Columns:

Your Biz

Find Your Niche: Setting Yourself Apart from the Other Guys Now that you've hung out your shingle for the world to see, step back for a moment and look at what makes you so special.

To Grow or Not to Grow: Do you need (and want) to expand your business—and how do you do it and still keep it fun? Now you've reached that stage ... do you get bigger or
stay small?

Maximize Your Money: It's your dollar; spend it wisely So, what can you do to make the most of your buck? Well, lots of things. Let's take a look.

Service

Phone & Email Do's: Don't Leave Your Customers Hanging Are you answering your customers calls and email promptly and politely? Why you must—or suffer the consequences.

Customer Service & Value—Not Lip Service Why fair prices and top-notch service are still the way to grow and thrive, even in the digital age.

Customers: Saying Goodbye Why would you not want a customer? Because they can be more trouble than they're worth—they can take a lot of time and generate almost no revenue.

Following up: Just getting paid isn't enough When was the last time a business followed up with you to see how things were going after the sale? I'll give you a minute to think about that one.

About the Author

David Lewis owns and operates an eight-year-old, one-man, electronic publishing company, taybridge.communications that provides a broad range of online services.

Prior to starting his own business, David did several tours in the retail sales sector in areas ranging from food services to sporting goods.