Friday 5 for the Week of Feb. 17, 2014

We know you’re busy, so we did the heavy lifting for you. Here is what other entrepreneurs are reading, sharing and talking about on GoSmallBiz.com this week.

5 Reasons Your Business Needs to be on Facebook

OK, you’ve done it. You’ve started your small business. You have a great product. You’re making sales. Things are going well. But you can always use more customers, right? How can you continue to grow your reach?

Increasingly, social media, and Facebook in particular, is becoming the answer to this question. The number of businesses that say Facebook is critical or important to their success has increased by 75%. Your business needs to have a presence on Facebook. “Why?” you say. “How?” you say. Just read on, my friend… Read more

Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time

I don’t have any idea what a perfect time is to do something, except to do it right now.

When you boil it down, the reason people wait and put off opportunities is because they are afraid of failure. They are afraid that if they try something right now it might not work—but if they just waited a little longer, kept working on the idea for some more time, it will be guaranteed to succeed! They want to go out and knock it out of the park on the first try, launch the idea and be 100 percent perfect from the first day… Read more

10 Steps to Accountability

Early in my career, my boss gave me what he called “The 10 Commandments” to personal and team success. It was a laminated, front-and-back, wallet-size card with 10 statements on each side. One side was titled “10 Steps to Accountability” and the other side was “10 Steps to Right Person, Right Place, and Right Time.” Years later, and after a little repair work, I still have that card folded up inside my wallet—available for quick inspiration in a time of need… Read more

How to Write Your First Help Wanted Ad

When you’re looking to hire new employees, you want to write ads for the open positions that will draw great candidates to your business. You want candidates who are both strong and fitting for what you’re looking for. An effective help wanted ad will help you successfully achieve these goals… Read more

Essential Steps to Launch a Startup

Launching a new startup business is difficult and nerve-wracking even for those who know exactly what they’re getting into. For those who have never gone into business for themselves, the entire start-up process can be overwhelming. There are so many hurdles to jump through, risks to take, and tasks to complete, that many aspiring entrepreneurs give up before they even get started. However, with enough motivation, commitment, and direction, anyone can launch a new business of their very own… Read more