The Four Different Types of Boards
By - Sandi Webster

The Four Different Types of Boards

When business owners say, “I would like to form a board!” They usually mean an advisory board. I’m not sure if they know that there are four types of boards. So, how are they different?  Johanne Bouchard is a governance and leadership advisor to boards, CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs, as well as an expert in board composition and dynamics. I

By - Sandi Webster

Why Your Business Should Have a Social Media Policy

Social media has moved from an emerging form of communication to the mainstream, and as a result, most small businesses use social media within their marketing strategies. Because this is now the primary communication vehicle for small businesses, owners need to put in policies to guide their employees’ online actions.     A social media policy informs employees on the

By - Sandi Webster

Utilizing LinkedIn To Find Potential Clients

Every year LinkedIn is proving to be a top contender when looking to recruit potential candidates.   In my former company, Consultants 2 Go, not only were we using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool, we found it to be strategically helpful when searching for prospective new clients.  In my current company, Sandi Webster LLC, I use LinkedIn to connect to new

The difference between a mentor and a sponsor
By - Sandi Webster

The Difference Between A Mentor and a Sponsor

  A common misconception small business owners have is the difference between having a sponsor and a mentor.  There will be the make-or-break business decision that calls for the guidance of a mentor and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that calls for a sponsor to recommend you.   As a small business owner, you need more than a mentor;   you also need a

By - Sandi Webster

Small Business Owners Need Mentors

As a small business owner, there are moments when coming to a decision can ultimately make or break your business, and you need to consult others to get guidance.  A mentor can be an invaluable resource.  A great mentor is a guide to help navigate the world of business or life in general. The destination may be happiness, success, or

By - Sandi Webster

Hiring Top Sales People

Your sales team is at the heart of your small business. A great sales team can increase revenues, keep current clients satisfied, and bring in new customers, but your business can stagnate and suffer without the right salespeople. When looking to hire the best sales team for your business, there isn’t much room to improvise on the recruiting process. Hiring

By - Sandi Webster

Nurturing Current Client Relationships

When running a small business, one thing is certain – nurturing your current client relationships is essential to the longevity of your company. While expanding your market by bringing in new clients is also necessary, it is most certainly futile if you don’t retain the clients you’ve won. Per outboundengine.com,   Acquiring a new customer can cost five timesmore than retaining

By - Sandi Webster

The Do’s and Don’ts for an Effective Social Media Strategy

So, you’ve done your mid-year business review and have taken the steps to completely overhaul your strategic business plan and make changes for the rest of the year, but what about your social media marketing strategy? If you have yet to implement social media into your strategy and you’re determined to use it as a weapon in your marketing arsenal,

By - Sandi Webster

Marketing Can and Should Get You Sales

  Successfully promoting your goods or services can result in impressive revenue growth for your business. Whether your business is in the start-up phase or not, marketing can, and should, get you sales! Begin by creating a marketing strategy that will outline how you’ll go about marketing your products or services.   Here are a few tips to include in

By - Sandi Webster

How to Avoid Major Tech Bloopers

While running a successful small business, it’s easy to overlook effective technology practices, but a few tech blunders can cause huge consequences for your business.  Here are a few major tech bloopers to avoid: Forgoing Proper Technical Support Erik Eckel of Tech Republic warns against forgoing sufficient technical support for your organization.  Eckel writes, “Small businesses need knowledgeable, trusted technology