Ideal Business Consultants

If you contact customers by email newsletter or use other forms of email marketing, it is essential to monitor how effective it is. By using the right subject lines, an attractive design and sending messages at the right time, you can increase the number of recipients opening your emails. Follow our tips to improve your open rates

1. Segment your database. Collect customers’ email addresses and monitor their buying habits. Divide your database into groups based on their needs and interests, so that you can target groups with specific characteristics with different content. B

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“Going it alone” in business doesn’t have to be about “going it alone”. During the first few years of being a start-up, perhaps more than any other time in your working life, you actually need someone to turn to for advice, guidance, and support – you need a mentor.

A mentor is someone who has been there before (think Gordon Ramsay, Tabatha Coffey, or even Donald Trump). They are experienced, successful, and can provide advice and guidance – for no real personal gain.

But how do you find a mentor? Here are some t

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This week is Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week when representatives from the public and private sector come together in Washington D.C. to share information and resources for growing and expanding minority businesses domestically and globally.

If you can’t be there, don’t worry, many government agencies are using the month of August to showcase the wealth of resources that they offer to help minorities get started and succeed in business.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the comprehensive resources and mentoring services offered for minority and Hispanic business owners across the “.gov” domain and in your community.

Business.gov Resources for Minority-Owned and Hispanic Businesses

In recognition of MED Week and of the unique needs faced by minority-owned business owners, Business.gov (the official business link to the U.S. government)

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With someone in the UK turning 50 every 40 seconds, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the over-50s are a rapidly expanding socio-economic group. Emma Allen finds out how small firms can sell to older consumers.

Longer life expectancy has resulted in an ageing population and made the so-called “baby boomers” a powerful consumer force. However, according to research from Age Concern, many older people feel patronised by marketing campaigns — or worse, invisible — as businesses often fail to cater to their needs.

But firms cannot afford to overlook this age group. Accordi

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Unsecured loans, also known as signature loans, are loans which require no collateral to be provided by the borrower.  The borrowers signature is all that is required by the lender to complete the transaction.  Typically, one would need a high credit score in order to qualify for an unsecured loan.  The lender assumes greater risk, when holding no collateral, thus the need for greater credit worthiness of the borrower.

Unsecured loans may be anything from a personal loan from a friend, with a written IOU, to a loan from bank or other lending institution.  A credit card transaction is also a common type of unsecured loan.  In

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Hiring the right employee, the first time, is probably one of the hardest parts of running a small business.

And nothing is more costly than getting it wrong.

Sometimes hiring mistakes are unavoidable, but with preparation, a firm understanding of your needs, and a targeted search, you can often find exactly the right candidate for your needs.

A great source of hiring advice can be found in the form of SCORE*. SC

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Even before the 32% California State University (CSU) tuition increase and the 9.3% increase imposed on University of California Students (UC) students: getting the money to pay for college was hard enough to come by. The tuition increase weighing down the majority of college students in California would be more easily tolerated if students did not feel as though they are paying more money for a lower quality education. University budget cuts have led to the cutting of professors’ salaries and hours, which in turn led to class cuts.

With fewer classes being offered most students are unable to take the classes they want or that they need to satisfy their major requirements. T

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The U.S. government offers many resources and programs to help small business owners expand into overseas markets. But, you might be surprised at just how much Uncle Sam has to offer.

For example, did you know the government can help target and facilitate meetings with potential partners and buyers? Or that Uncle Sam provides U.S. exporters with international marketing and promotion opportunities?

Let me introduce you to Export.gov.

Operated by the U.S. De

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