You may have noticed or you may not have noticed, but I have changed the interval in which I post my articles.

Usually and previously, I would post a new article every single day. Well, due to time restrictions (from my other businesses/sites), I have decided to change to a new posting interval.

Basically, I would still be writing one article for every day (unless another hurricane comes through), however, I will be posting multiple articles on one day and having a few days in between with no new posts.

I believe that this works out for everybody because it gives me time to focus on other priorities while still providing the YBO readers with the content promised, and the YBO readers have time to take in the multiple articles and apply them to their businesses before I post new articles. (more…)

Well, I have been meaning to make these but have been very busy. Nevertheless, I had a few minutes of free time and put together these simple banners that can be placed pretty much anywhere.

I wanted to keep them simple and concise. Basically, just the colors of site and the URL along with “visit”. I have created them in three sizes: 125×125, 120×60, and 468×60. With these sizes, I feel they can pretty much fit anywhere.

Feel free to place them on your MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking profile. Also, you can place them on your site as a placeholder or filler until you sell the ad space. If you decide to place any of these ads on your site and your site is related to mine (business), then I will gladly link back to you. Just email me.

Place them anywhere and let everyone know how serious you are about your business. (more…)

GarageEntrepreneurs.com (with an “s”) is becoming one of the greatest social networks available to young business owners as well as investors. What GE has done is bridged the gap between young entrepreneur and investor and has also set everything up to where those new to business can receive the advice they are looking for.

To join GarageEntrepreneurs.com, just go to their website and click “Sign Up”. It’s free. The process takes only a few steps and before you know it, you are set up with your very own profile. From here you can edit information like your name, age, business, interests (business related), etc.

After setting up your profile, you will have a number of options. You can upload your business plan so it will be exposed to investors all over the world or you can go into the discussion forums just to talk business. (more…)

Many people believe that they need  business plan for the sole purpose of gaining capital for their business. Even though this is somewhat true, many neglect to realize that a business plan is just that, a plan.

How far do you think you will go with anything without a plan? Not very far. This pertains especially to your business. Your business needs a plan, you need a plan.

Your business plan should cover every single aspect of your business and cover it from start-up to where you plan to go with it. Once you reach that point, you should reevaluate your business plan and write a new one with new goals. (more…)

A testimonial from a client or customer is a great way to boost your marketing strategy. A testimonial builds trust and the sense of establishment within your potential clients.

While all this sounds great, keep in mind, that all testimonials aren’t as effective as they could be. With this in mind, I have gathered a few points that you may want to consider when requesting a testimonial from a satisfied client or customer.

Tip number 1: Summarize Goals
Whether the goals were for a long term project or just what the customer expected out a project, make sure that the testimonial covers what the goal of your product or service was.

Tip number 2: Reason you were Chosen
Make sure that whoever is providing you with a testimonial is sure to state why they chose you over your competition. (more…)

Allow me to introduce a great concept of generating leads for your sales force. The website, or should I say community, is LeadVine.

LeadVine is a community driven website where your business has the opportunity to gain tons of sales leads. It’s like having the entire nation, or world even, as your salesmen. Imagine the amount of businesses or consumers you can reach.

Getting started with LeadVine is very easy. Simply, go to LeadVine.com and click the red button that says “Get Started”. From there, just follow the steps and you’ll be well on your way to getting leads from the community.

What you do with the leads is entirely up to you, obviously, but with the amount of leads that this site has the potential to generate, even with a relatively low closing ratio, your business has the opportunity to expand greatly. (more…)

Recently, I have come across another valuable resource for getting free business cards. The company is:

BizCard.com

Ely of BizCard.com has contacted me and, I must say, what they are offering is truly awesome. Through BizCard.com, you can receive free 250 free business cards personalized with your business name and contact information for free.

Best thing of all, they don’t put any kind of advertisement on the cards themselves. This way, they are not promoting their business on your cards and you can try them out and see the quality of their products risk free.

Simply go to BizCard.com, click Free Business Cards from the home page, and start customizing your free business cards. (more…)

Recently, I was contacted by the owner of SuiteMatch.com and I am very interested in and excited to share what they have to offer. Soon, you will be able to find their widget on my site.

SuiteMatch.com is a site that provides a connection between businesses and companies who already have an office and those who don’t. By renting out unused space within an existing office, both companies can save money and be more productive.

Imagine the possibilities of how two companies, related in industry, could increase productivity and revenue by sharing the same office space. Take for instance a marketing firm and an advertising firm. Or a web design company with along with a software programming company. The possibilities are endless. (more…)

This is a step by step tutorial on how to make free business card holders. I’ve searched the internet for business card holders and saw a holder (with no tutorial) like this one, but it was pretty much just a cube with one open side. It was also completely filled with cards and not very visually pleasing (in my opinion). I apologize for the poor picture quality. They were taken from the webcam on my laptop and reduced in size for the web.

So, after playing with my own business cards for a while, I have developed my own business card holder that I would like to share with the YBO readers as well as with the entrepreneur community. Let’s get started:

Materials:

• 6 Business cards (your own, obviously)
• Super glue
• Paper plate (so you don’t get glue everywhere)
• A few minutes of your time

Step 1: Get 6 of your business cards ready for the project. They do not have to be double sided. Even though I have double sided cards, I only wanted one side to be viewable, so I created my holder that way. If you have a double sided card, and want both sides to display, just flip a few over and continue making the business card holder. (more…)

I’ve mentioned SCORE briefly in previous articles. SCORE is free business counseling that is funded by the government. Usually, the people you speak with are retired business owners and those that have many years of knowledge regarding entrepreneurship.

They are a national organization with branches all over the US. Setting up an appointment with them is simple. Just go to their website, SCORE.org, and put in your zip code. Once you find the number to your local office, just call them and find out when they have an opening that fits your schedule. That’s it!

Once you’re there, they will usually go over some basic information with you (if it’s your first time), then you can ask questions and cover the topics that you need assistance in. You can talk about business plans, capital, marketing, money management, expanding, and pretty much any other topic regarding business.

Did I mention it was free? Yes, it is free, and you may go back as much as you would like as you come across new situations where you would need some business counseling. (more…)