Small Business: Industry: Technology
Pooyan Toussipour, Melbourne, Australia
Hi, I run a small Web design and video production business called Eagle Eye Productions in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. My target is small businesses looking for Web design, IT backup and more. I also shoot videos for occasions such as weddings and memorials. My brother runs a small business fixing laptops and computers. If I join him, we could do quite well in my mind, but I do not think we can promote the business ourselves because we are not native Australians. Do you think that we need to hire Australian sales people to promote this business? Should we merge these two small businesses to get more jobs?
Broadcast business is booming, thanks to dwindling production costs.
Victor Musco, St. Petersburg, Fla.
My sports production company deals with high schools. Do I need a written agreement?
For a moonlighting techie, a second business necessitates more licenses.
Lacy Taylor, Charlotte, N.C.
I have a business license for PC repair. I have been making small loans to some of my customers and charging interest. Do I need another license for this in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
Michael Stewart, Clinton, Mo.
I am creating an Internet cafe/ISP/IT consulting company called CyberNation USA. I have been trying to find a business partner that I can really trust to help me expand my business. I can't seem to find people with as much drive and determination as I have. I want to start offering stock as capital, but I'm afraid it will grow faster than I can handle. I really do need some advice. Am I way too pushy, or not aggressive enough? What am I doing wrong?
A software inventor checks with Ask FSB's experts for advice on whether a 50/50 split with a sales and marketing partner is a reasonable deal.
Eugene, Santa Monica, Calif.
I have a software product that I developed myself. I found a company that is willing to sell the product, and they would like a 50/50 deal: They’ll be responsible for advertising and selling and I’m responsible for continuing development of the software. Am I giving them too much of the profit? Read more…
Orna Sabbah, Union, N.J.
We operate an authorized Sprint sales & repair center in Union, N.J. Sales have been declining for some time now. Union is not the most happening city commercially, but we are located on the main business street. The repairs bring in traffic, but not new activations or upgrades, which is the meat of the business. Since our address is listed on the Sprint Web site, customers come to us to make payments, but not for new activations. What services can we offer to beef up business?
What do you recommend? Leave a comment with your answer. Read more…
A small business owner wonders where his marketing strategy should go next.
Alex Diaz, Houston, Texas
I run a website design firm, www.toptechexperts.com. We offer a unique, affordable and complete website design package catered to small businesses. We want to grow and get more clients. My question: Should I invest more money in promotion and advertising, or hire some salespeople to reach out to new customers? I’m a great salesperson, but my time is limited, between designing and managing. Any advice? Read more…
Have you recently added partners to your business? Share your advice with Victor.
Andy asked for marketing advice for his new e-store. Have you used an outside agency to market your web site? Give Andy some advice.
Michael asked how to begin building a website for his business. Have you started a website for your business? Did you hire a company to design it for you? Share your experiences here.
