Additionally, in a franchise situation, you don’t have to create or develop your own products or practices. These are already created, and most franchise agreements include language that states that you won’t deviate from the standards set by the franchising company. There’s no need to try to come up with your own advertising slogans or marketing messages. As a franchise owner, you can concentrate on the excellence of your operation.

The standardization that makes franchising so appealing to some aspiring Westchester business owners makes the process frustrating for others. Being obligated to run your business in a certain, specified way can be found restrictive and stifling for the Westchester business owner who is convinced they have another, better idea about how things should be done. As a Westchester business owner, you have to decide how important creativity and the ability to generate and implement your own ideas is to you. If you know you’ll never be happy following someone else’s dictates and orders, run – don’t walk – away from franchising. Life is too short to put yourself in a position where you’re sure to be miserable.

Franchising companies know this. That’s why many companies interview prospective franchisees specifically about this issue. They’ve spent years and lots of money developing the brand equity that makes them attractive to large numbers of customers. For this reason, they’re very wary about selling to Westchester business owners who aren’t psychologically prepared to flourish under the franchise system.

Talk to your SCORE small business coach about your individual situation. It takes a certain degree of self-knowledge to make the right decision, while weighing your options against the local marketplace. Working with an experienced small business coach is a good way to make a smart decision. You’ll also want to attend SCORE’s workshop, Franchises: Are They Right For You? on May 16th.

On May 2, SCORE Westchester hosted a webinar, led by Jennifer Shaheen of Technology Therapy Group, titled, “Setting Up & Leveraging Facebook for Your Business.” This webinar highlighted the ins and outs of creating a Facebook Page for your small or start-up Westchester business. During this hour-long presentation, Jennifer discussed the following topics:

• Creating a Facebook business page
• Choosing the appropriate category for your Westchester business
• Understanding page insights and settings
• The advantages of pages vs. profiles

Here you can find the key takeaways from the webinar:

• When setting up a page choose the local business option if you have a walk-in establishment! This will allow customers to “check-in” with their mobile phones when they visit your site and it will ensure that your location shows up on the map.
• Avoid the Cause or Community section, even if you are a non-profit. The purpose of this option is to generate change, and if it does well Facebook will take over the administration of this type of page as it gains popularity.
• The new Facebook cover and profile images should be added in the following sizes; cover photos at 851 x 315 pixels and profile pictures at 160 X 160 pixels in order to optimize your page’s appearance. Facebook will scale down the images to the size they prefer and uploading slightly larger covers at 1217×450 pixels and profile photos at 180 x 180 gives designers the all-one-image effect they are looking for with their covers.
• Understand that users who have “liked” your page will see all of the information that you post on your page status, events, etc. in their newsfeeds. Therefore, pay special attention to what you post and always double check for errors.
• Think about your fans first. Post information that will interest your customers, and maximize traffic to your page by including eye-catching pictures.
• Take advantage of the unique features provided to businesses by Facebook. One of them is the Insights. These options will allow you to track your reach, the demographics of your followers, levels of engagement, and more!
• If you are a Westchester small business, use the business page feature Facebook is providing you for your small company, rather than a group or personal profile. This will allow you to capitalize on the options mentioned above, which are not available to groups or individual users.

Tell us what else you learned. Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

As a SCORE small business coach, I’ve been privileged to work with over 200 entrepreneurs and Westchester business owners over the past two years. During this time, I’ve found that there are two essential ingredients that separate the dreamers from the do-ers. Businesses that make it are run by people who have a passion for what they do – and realistic expectations about what it takes to make it happen.

Passion
If you love what you do, you’ll always do what you love. And if you’re doing what you love, you’re going to become very good at it. And this is a country that rewards excellence.– Billy Joel

Starting a business is not easy! You need passion and enthusiasm for what you do in order to sustain and motivate you through the hard work of developing a mission statement and business plan. Never forget that enthusiasm is contagious! When you’re passionate and committed to your concept, you will do a better job marketing the business concepts to institutions, suppliers and customers.

Reality
Unless you know where you are going any road will take you there. – Theodore Leavitt

Passion is essential, but it must be balanced by a realistic understanding of business realities, your local market, and financial parameters. This is the bottom line. There are lots of good ideas. However, entrepreneurs need to consider whether they can execute the idea, make enough sales and most important make money.

It’s important to understand the time and planning requirements for success. Are you able to accomplish all the details and logistical elements of a program? Do you have the support, resources and expertise to compete?

One of the most common issues facing entrepreneurs is balancing these two needs. It is the excitement and energy that will drive your Westchester business. However, businesses frequently fail because what appears to be a small issue turns out to be a critical weak link. Being realistic allows you to be flexible. As a small business coach, I’ve seen several clients find success in starting a little slower or smaller than they originally thought, getting the kinks out, developing some working capital and then expanding.

I have also learned there are three key concepts that need to be covered in starting a Westchester business.

• The idea or concept.

The most successful businesses I have been a small business coach for have a clear focus and differentiated approach. Develop an elevator speech that allows you to convey the problem your business solves and the benefits customers will enjoy if they choose you.

• Your financial plans.

The business must have enough capital to survive. The purpose of the financial plan is to show investors the business can make a profit. Make full use of your financial plan as a guide to develop your Westchester business efficiently.

For example, your business plan can be used to evaluate different sales and sourcing strategies, start up and long term costs, and capital requirements. Use your plan to assess potential profitability and risks. The plan to mortgage a home and living without a salary all have benefits, costs and risks that need to be evaluated.

• The marketing plan.

How are you going to attract customers? The marketing plan details how you will attract the business that generates revenues. There are several parts to this process: Describe the idea or concept; Describe the customer; Describe competition; Say how the business is unique; Describe how the product will be marketed to reach consumers.

The best, simplest and most underused advice we can give as a small business coach is to Google everything. Who is the competition? What is the difference in the product? What is the difference in pricing? This is the information you need to be successful.

Starting a Westchester business is an exciting and potentially profitable effort. However it takes time, analysis, capital and commitment. Ignoring the requirements can be fatal while facing them can make the experience exciting and rewarding.

Every business needs a sales strategy. Retailing is far more than putting merchandise on the shelves; restaurateurs have to do more than cook great food. It’s imperative to have a clearly thought out, consistently implemented strategy that outlines how you will attract business, the sales techniques and tactics you’ll use to generate revenue, and the follow up techniques you’ll use to strengthen the customer relationship and grow your small business.

Many new entrepreneurs tell us that while they have a passion for what they do, they don’t like to sell to customers. They feel uncomfortable and awkward. This is something that you have to overcome in order to be a successful business owner. Luckily, there are many proven sales training resources you can use to develop confidence.

Don’t worry if you haven’t developed your sales strategy yet! It is never too late to bring a new level of order and efficiency to your Westchester business. Established companies regularly review and assess what they’re doing to attract new business. They track conversion rates closely, as well as how often they’re seeing their best customers. If they’re not pleased with the numbers they’re seeing, they adjust their sales strategy. You can do the same thing to help grow your small business.

Are you ready to learn more? Plan on attending the SCORE Sales Strategies Workshop on April 25!

SCORE Westchester is pleased to announce that we’ll be hosting a live webinar, “Setting Up & Leveraging Facebook for Your Business” presented by Jennifer Shaheen, the Technology Therapist®. The webinar will be moderated by Score Westchester Counselor Herb Stanger. Perfect for Beginners!

Sign Up Today »

Here’s some great news for Westchester small business owners: social media and search optimization are both powerful, cost-effective tools you can use to grow your small business. The key is to always keep one goal firmly in your sights. The purpose of online marketing is to build a relationship with your customer.

Let’s look at Facebook. It’s simple enough to go in and set up a page for your Westchester business. But what do you post to your page? What type of content will your customers find personally relevant and engaging? For most businesses, it comes down to a mix of material. Customers will be turned off – and turned off fast! – if all you post are sales and promotional materials. Think about what type of information would make your customer’s day better or more enjoyable. Do you have a flower shop? Share tips on how to make fresh flower arrangements last longer. Share a picture of all the daffodils that have just come into the shop. Point to a great home design article that features fresh flowers. A good rule of thumb is 2-3 fun or informative posts for every sales or promotion-oriented post. This way, your customers will come to know and trust you as a reliable source of information, helping you to grow your small business and build a loyal clientele. They know you have a business to run – but they value the extra information that shows that you care about them and their concerns.

Ready to learn more? Attend the Search and Social Media Marketing Workshop with Jennifer Shaheen, the Technology Therapist, on April 18th!

Increase your chances of success by avoiding these common mistakes. These pitfalls include the leading reasons small businesses have difficulty securing financing. Read this list to learn why great ideas and good companies are turned down by potential lenders and investors.

Mistake #1: Failure To Plan

If you want to secure financing from a bank, government program, or investors, you need to be able to assure them that you’ll be able to repay the funds in a timely fashion. The most convincing tool that exists to accomplish this purpose is a comprehensive business plan. This plan, which should include an accurate financial report, including sales projections, allows would-be backers to make an informed judgment about your viability. Without a plan, lenders have no way to judge your prospects for success or failure. In this market, nobody’s just going to take a chance on you. You need verifiable information that proves you’re a good risk!

Mistake #2: Failure To Connect

You must be willing to engage in a broad search for capital. Many Westchester small business owners fail to secure financing because they limit their opportunities for success – they may approach one bank for a loan, or turn to a single venture capital group. If that initial approach doesn’t work, they abandon their dreams as untenable.

You must not be discouraged. Explore multiple routes to securing the capital you need. Your small business coach is there to help you identify opportunities to grow your small business. Be willing to think outside of the box. Micro-loans and other non-traditional financing options are becoming increasingly available. Keep attempting to connect until you find the funding source that’s right for your Westchester business.

Mistake #3: Failure To Flex

In a cautious economic environment, you may find that an investor is more comfortable with some parts of your business than others. The team that might be enthusiastic about your proposed retro-themed drive-in movie theater could hate the idea of an adjoining mini-golf course. Successful entrepreneurship means having to make sometimes difficult judgment calls based on the long-term health of your enterprise. Is it worthwhile to table the mini-golf course to get the drive-in funded?

A certain degree of flexibility is essential for success as a Westchester small business owner. At the same time, you don’t want to be so flexible that you wind up with a business that is wholly unlike your personal vision. Working with your small business coach can help you make these decisions.

To learn more about financing your Westchester business, plan on attending the SCORE Westchester workshop on April 11. This two hour open discussion is your chance to ask questions, get insightful answers and guidance, and learn tips and strategies for approaching lenders successfully.

The question is: does it work, and can it work to help you grow your small business?

“Humor is a powerful resource. Laughter surprises us. It captures our attention.” That’s Karyn Buxman, humorist, author, and former president of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. “Research has shown that when someone makes us laugh – as an individual or an organization – we’re then far more likely to listen to them. Humor has opened the door to further conversation.”

In other words, when we laugh about how far it is to the next McDonald’s we’re starting the discussion about how awesome it would be to have a burger. Getting the word out about your Westchester business is often the first step necessary to grow your small business – a funny message helps your audience remember your name and think of you the next time they’re looking for the product or service your Westchester business offers.

Many times, small business owners shy away from using humor in their advertising for fear of offending or alienating customers. And it’s true – not every joke will make every person laugh. As a Westchester business owner, you need to be conscious of your customer base’s sensibilities, as well as how the joke will be seen by the larger community.

Humor is deeply personal, so you don’t want to poke fun at anyone’s identity. Keep jokes about race, ethnicity, religion, orientation or other defining characteristics off the table – or be ready, willing and able to stand up to the backlash from the community. The Roundeye Noodle Bar in Philadelphia learned this the hard way, after public outcry from the Asian community forced them into changing their name.

“Choose positive, constructive humor,” Buxman advises. “There are so many amazing and amusing ways to make people laugh – and positive humor has no downside. When you make people laugh, they enjoy and remember the experience. That means they’ll be looking for reasons to engage with you again. Increased customer contact is ultimately very beneficial to [grow your small business.]”

Have questions about marketing, promoting, or advertising your Westchester business? Make sure to attend the SCORE Westchester Marketing, Advertising and PR workshop on Wednesday, 4/4!

“The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.” Sun Tzu lived thousands of years ago, but his insights on the importance of planning are as relevant now as they were then.

Most Westchester small business owners know that planning is important, and many have made a concerted effort at creating an effective plan. Those efforts run into trouble when there’s uncertainty about what a business plan involves.

• What type of information do you need when you’re creating a business plan?
• How do you create a plan that will reassure potential lenders or investors that it’s a good idea to do business with you?
• What steps can be taken during the planning process that will streamline your operation, facilitate faster growth and market penetration, and help you avoid common small business mistakes?

A good business plan is a comprehensive document that addresses every aspect of your Westchester business. Ask any small business coach, and you’ll discover that the actual creation of a business plan is one of the wisest exercises a small business owner can ever engage in.

The process of plan creation forces you to think through every aspect of your operation, from the basic logistics – Where will you operate? What hours will you be open? – through marketing and promotion. You’ll look at how you’ll finance your new Westchester business, what growth strategies you’ll use to be successful, and more. It’s an in-depth examination of your future – and what it will take to make the future look good.

Finally, a good business plan is a powerful performance assessment tool. The process of setting goals and identifying benchmarks for success gives you the real time ability to assess actual business performance against projected expectations. If the numbers aren’t measuring up, it’s time to identify what’s gone off track and take corrective measures to successfully grow your small business.

To learn more about Small Business Planning and how you can use this powerful tool to improve your Westchester small business, plan on attending the next session of Score Westchester’s free workshop series, “A Winning Business Plan” Wednesday, 3/28, from 1-3 PM.

“The most important thing any business can do is connect with their customers in a relevant and meaningful way,” Shaheen said. What does this mean for the Westchester business owner who wants to establish an online presence or expand their online presence so it delivers greater results?

You have to know your customer. Developing a deep understanding of who your customers are as people, including what type of information they value and how they prefer to access that information provides the Westchester business owner with a significant competitive advantage.

The internet contains a vast amount of information, but most consumers use online resources to research very specific items. “Let’s say a mother needs to find a prom dress for her daughter,” Shaheen said. “She’s going to search for stores that are close to her geographically. Maybe the daughter has a certain designer in mind – and Mom definitely has a budget! Those factors are going to influence how Mom searches. The best results – the only results that matter – are those that satisfy all of Mom’s criteria. If a store has the right look at the right price, but it’s two thousand miles away, that’s a useless resource. If you’ve got the shop that will meet all of Mom’s needs, you need to make it easy for her to discover that fact!” Knowing what factors are the primary demand drivers for your customers is an essential step in helping you craft your online presence and grow your small business.

Another essential aspect of customer knowledge that will help you craft a more effective online presence is understanding how tech-savvy your customers are. “Your Westchester business needs to be visible on the platforms where your customers are searching for you. Having a website that’s easy to find, navigate, and use is only the first step. If your customers live on their phone – and who doesn’t? – it’s important to have a mobile version of your website that looks great on the iPhone, iPad, or smartphone. Social media has a tremendous impact on effective online marketing. That means exploring whether Facebook, Twitter, or any of the emerging social media platforms like Google+ or Pinterest have a role in your marketing mix.”

The more you know about your customer, the more effective you will be at connecting with them in a meaningful and profitable fashion online and the better advantage you will have to successfully grow your small business.

Interested in learning more? Jennifer will be presenting “Marketing on the Internet” on Wednesday, April 18th as part of SCORE Westchester’s free workshop series!