You’ll agree with me that there are so many small businesses which have contributed a lot to the growth of economy. They have created employment opportunities for many families although some remain to be small throughout their operational life.It is obvious that those who are starting new ventures have objectives to achieve. And to mention each business has got its own objectives to achieve such as maximization of profits and sales, minimize costs, maintain a certain level of production and labor force etc.Failing of a business opportunity is what an entrepreneur won’t want to happen. Inasmuch as we agree with the fact that there are firms which have succeeded, we should also accept the fact that a good number of them have failed even before two years lapse after they commence business.If aspiring entrepreneurs addressed the reasons why small businesses fail, then they will not fall to be victims of the same causes of failure. This is because they’ll be in a position to identify these causes and fix them before it’s too late.Now you may be asking yourself as to why some businesses remain to be small throughout their operational life despite some of them making profits or are capable of growing.4 Reasons Why Small Business Remain to be Small1.) The owners of these businesses prefer not to expand their businesses. Some sole proprietors do not want to be bothered with the challenges of managing a big business. They don’t want to employ people to assist them in running their businesses but instead they prefer to be assisted by their family members.2.) The nature of the product/service the business is involved in doesn’t allow expansion. There are people offering products/services which make it difficult for their business to grow.3.) Lack of capital for expansion. There are small businesses which are viable and have the potential of growing but they lack enough capital. Such businesses have the challenge of securing funds from financial institutions. Lack of capital plays a negative role in hindering the growth of small businesses.4.) Very low demand. If the business has a very low demand for its product or service, then at the end of the fiscal financial year/trading period the business won’t realize profits, and if it does, it’s very low, therefore the chances of it expanding are very minimal. Just to mention, realization of inadequate profits as a result of very low demand hinders the growth of small businesses.However, there must be a starting point and as such, every business starts as a small entity and it gradually grows to a medium entity and eventually it becomes a big business entity which is either a private limited company or a public limited company. Note that a partnership business can also grow to become a big business.Reasons Why Small Businesses Fail1.) Wrong Reasons For Commencing Business: People who start a business for wrong reasons haven’t succeeded. Just because another person is making high profits in a certain line of business doesn’t mean that you will also make the same amounts of profits as him/her if you start the same business.2.) Poor Business Management: When there is poor management of the business it becomes difficult for such a business to succeed in its operations. Finance, marketing, purchasing and selling, planning, hiring and managing employees is what most new business owners fail to execute effectively thus making their small businesses to fail.3.) Lack of Commitment: Starting a business requires someone who is committed in ensuring that it succeeds. Neglecting the business will cause the business to fail. Many small businesses have failed because the owners didn’t take their time in monitoring performance and in marketing them. Some business owners leave their businesses to be managed on their behalf by incompetent people who lack book keeping knowledge and the knowledge of managing a business.4.) Lack of Finances: Small businesses have failed because of lack of adequate finances. Some of the owners underestimated the amount of capital required and as a result of this underestimation some ended up running out of operating capital thus ending the operation of their businesses.There are those who have no reserves which has led them not to be able to take care of loses and disasters when they occur thus making them to quit business.5.) Over-Expansion of the Business: This has led to failure of many small businesses. This happens when there is borrowing of too much money beyond what the business requires so as to expand the business. Moving to markets that are not profitable is also over expansion of the small businesses.An ideal expansion is the one that is driven by customers due to their high demand for the products and services which leads to high sales thus the business experiences good cash flow.6.) Location: The place where the business is located is critical in determining its success. Small businesses have failed because of them being located in areas that are not ideal for business. They should be located in areas that are accessible, populated with people and has demand for their products and services.7.) Personal Use of Business Money: This is the biggest challenge facing many small business owners. They withdraw money meant to operate their businesses to meet their personal wants and needs. If they continue to withdraw money from their businesses without returning it, their businesses will eventually run out of finances therefore forcing them to end the operations of their businesses.8.) Lack of Delegation: Small enterprises have failed due to owners not delegating some of the duties to their employees. They think that if they delegate them, then their employees will not perform these duties as they would personally perform them. When such owners fall sick or are away from their businesses, then the operations of some tasks will be paralyzed till they resume to work.9.) Not Diversifying: Small enterprises which have only one product/service to offer are prone to fail easily compared to those that have a variety of products/services.10.) Procrastination and Poor Time Management: Postponements of tasks which the small business owners feel to be unpleasant to perform has made the small businesses to fail. An example of such tasks include following debtors to pay their debts (debt collection).Time management remains to be a challenge for many people who own small businesses. If important tasks like delivering products to customers, purchasing stock etc are not handled in the appropriate time, then the business will lose its customers.The above are not all the reasons why small businesses fail, there are more reasons.

For any business to survive and achieve profitability, it needs customers. To get enough customers, effective and strategic marketing is very important. Let us therefore examine this text entitled “101 Ways to Market Your Business” written by Andrew Griffiths.Griffiths is a professional marketing consultant, as well as a director of an Australian company called The Marketing Professionals. Griffiths is an accomplished trainer and a reputable public speaker. He specialises in trouble-shooting for companies that are in dire need of professional advice on marketing and customer-related issues.According to him, this book will show you how to take the hard work out of marketing your business. He says it will show you how to achieve dramatic improvement in your business without investing a lot of time and money. This trainer assures you that these 101 practical marketing strategies will offer you guide on how to realise the full potential of your business. He reflects that each strategy is based on proven marketing techniques employed by successful businesses the world over.According to this marketing consultant, these 101 ideas are simple, affordable and quick to implement. Griffiths stresses that many of them take less than 30 minutes to implement and will bring results fast. Choose and apply a new idea each week or use this book as a source of inspiration for new ways to market your services, your products and your business, submits Griffiths.He says in this book, there are ideas to help you find new customers, increase the loyalty of the existing customers, create great promotional material and make your business stand out from the competing crowd.This book is segmented into 13 basic sections of 101 strategies. Additionally, there are 20 bonus ideas that constitute a kind of textual appendage to the major 101 strategies. Section one is entitled “Getting started” and constitutes a kind of conceptual preamble of the book.According to Griffiths here, people generally start a small business or buy a small business for different reasons. Sometimes it is because they are good at their chosen profession and feel that they can make a better living working for themselves, sometimes it is a lifestyle change and sometimes it is simply a lifelong dream.This author says running a business requires many skills that take time to develop. Griffiths stresses that though marketing ideas are important for success in your business, he also believes that having the right attitude is essential. “I have been fortunate enough to work with a lot of very successful business operators. They all have similar attitudes and thoughts on doing business and I believe that is what sets them apart from those businesses that always seem to struggle,” submits the author.Section two is interrogatively entitled “Does your business stand out from the crowd?” and contains the first nine strategies of marketing your business. These strategies are how to promote your business from the outside in; how to put your message on the company car; turning your invoice into a sales tool; selling yourself even when you are not there and using the internet in such a way as to be noticed. Griffiths also reflects that a good uniform impresses everyone and tells you how to make the most of packaging in your business. He advises you not underestimate the importance of a business card, asking you if your business has a memorable name.Section three of this marketing text is based on making the most of the customers you already have, and contains six of the strategies, that is, strategies ten to fifteen. This author tells you in this section to send out reminder notices; stay in touch with your customers; remember important dates; ask your customers for referrals; say “thank you” to generate more business; and use a loyalty programme to your advantage.In section four containing four of the strategies, that is, strategies 16 to 19, Griffiths teaches you how to write press releases, stressing that everybody loves a winner. He says you should call the local radio station and ask your customers to tell their friends about you.Section five is interrogatively tagged “Are you willing to try a few unusual ideas?” and covers 15 of the strategies, that is, strategies 20 to 34. In this section, Griffiths tells you to get behind a wacky promotion; enjoy the benefits of brainstorming; use inflatable toys to build your business; remember the good old bumper sticker; use a spruiker to draw in the crowds; offer prizes in competitions; and get your business in the Guinness Book of Records.This author also advises you to use the local pizza company to generate business; take ownership of an event; think differently about marketing your business; use industry publications to collect ideas; start a marketing-idea box; take your message on the road with a mobile billboard; and use a blackboard to get attention.Section six is based on the need to encourage your staff, and contains four of the 101 strategies, that is, strategies 35 to 38. According to Griffiths here, good staff are the backbone of any successful business. “Unfortunately, most of the time all I ever hear are people complaining about problems with their staff, not their good points. From my experience staff are as good as the training and encouragement they receive,” stresses the author.He says one of the greatest tragedies that he witnesses in most businesses he visits is that the people serving do not know how to sell, adding that very few businesses have well-trained sales staff.According to Griffiths in section seven that is based on how to make it easy for people to buy from you, and contains strategies 39 to 42, “I can never understand why some businesses seem to make it hard to buy things from them.”He says freecall numbers (where you pay for the incoming calls) are not expensive, thus suggesting that any business aspiring to expand into a larger geographical region should arrange for this service immediately.The author stresses that once you have your free-call number, you should give it to your customers and have it printed on your business cards. He also discusses the perfect gift for the customers; how to make it easy for people to give you money; and the need to make life easy for parents and cater for their kids.Section eight is based on the need for you to have smart and hard-hitting promotional material, and contains strategies 43 to 50. In this section, Griffiths discusses the concepts of making your first brochure and making up an information booklet to give customers.He says you should always be prepared to hand out a brochure; build credibility with testimonials from happy customers; start your own newsletter; deploy clever promotional materials that cost no more; and always be under your customers.In sections nine to 12, Griffiths X-rays the concepts of how to daily make advertising works for your business; building credibility into your business; going out to chase business; and thinking like a customer. These four sections cover strategies 51 to 97 of the 101 strategies for marketing your business.By way of segmentation, section nine contains 19 strategies (51to 69); section 10, five strategies (70 to 74); section 11, 14 strategies (75 to 88); and section 12, nine strategies (89 to 97).In these four sections, Griffiths advises you to work with other businesses and promote each other; use cheap classified advertisements to generate business; get your suppliers to help you with advertising; tap into large-based organisations; sponsor a courier and be seen all over the town; never underestimate the intelligence of your customers; support a local team and scan the newspapers for goodwill messages.He says you should always try to sell to the decision-maker, not the assistant; always make a follow-up call after the sale; ask your customers how they heard about your business; offer free delivery to have a competitive edge, etc.Section 13, the last section is interrogatively christened “Is your business promoted in as many places as possible?” and contains the remaining four strategies, that is, strategies 98 to 101. Here, Griffiths shows you an easy way for customers to keep your number handy; the power of the local convenience store; the need to put your company flyer or business card in the corner whenever you visit the local shopping centre, etc. In addition to these basic 101 strategies, this trainer also offers you 20 bonus ideas.On style, Griffiths’ efforts are commendable in this book. He presents the ideas in a simple language. By segmenting the 101 strategies into 13 sections, he makes the study of this text easy. However, some strategies are repetitive in the book. It is better to make necessary adjustments and avoid the attendant conceptual redundancy.Do you aspire to grow your business through unique and effective marketing strategies? If your answer is “Yes”, then this text is highly recommended to you.

Are you looking for a good dental office? How to choose a dentist overseas? How to choose a dental care centre which offers good service? Searching for the right dentist? These may be some of the questions on your mind if you’re looking for a well qualified dentist.

There are a few key points one should keep in mind when selecting a good dental office.

The most important is the qualification of the dentist. Ensure that the dentist is licensed in the country where he/she is practicing. Look for the credentials, dental school he graduated from and their experience in this field. It is definitely very important to find the right dentist for your dental needs whom you’re comfortable with. When searching for a good dental clinic, be sure you pick a place in which you will receive the attention that your require. It needs to be open conveniently and offer extended and emergency services to its patients. Low cost, affordable dental treatment and maintenance visits to the dental office are equally important factors.

If you are looking for a best dental clinic to solve your teeth problems, look for one which can provide quality dental services with client satisfaction. A good dental clinic should be well equipped with the latest in technology like Digital X-rays, Intra-oral cameras, microscopes, patient education video and monitors, latest equipment and a good quality dental chair. It is extremely important that they maintain ‘High Sterilization Standards’, list their ‘Clinical Protocols’, use branded and tested ‘Materials and Products’, and have a primary and experienced Dentist with other Dental Specialists in-office. A good and qualified dentist along with his team and other specialists should be able to provide a comprehensive and complete dental care for the individual and the entire family.

Most reputable and good dental offices have their own websites with provision for making appointments. Both Domestic and International Appointments can be made using these forms available on their websites. Some good dental offices will also have the provision for Online Consultation, ‘Live Chat’ and ‘Patient Feedback Forms’. Reading ‘Patient Testimonials’ either available in their websites or on Google is a very useful tool in assessing the quality of dental service and reputation of the dentist. Check for Memberships, Affiliations and other Certifications of the dental office.

To keep your teeth healthy, it is essential that you visit your dentist every six months called as ‘recall’ visits. During this visit the dentist will re-examine your teeth and gums, check for any decay or cavity, clean your teeth, and discuss tips to maintain your oral hygiene and emphasize on preventive dentistry. A good dental examination with proper X-rays is a must for proper diagnosis.

Today dentistry has evolved tremendously and even for those people who have lost their teeth, many affordable treatment options are available to stay healthy and regain their beautiful smile. Missing teeth can be replaced by implants, bridges, dentures or partials. With Teeth-in-an-Hour by Nobel Guide the patient can go home with a new set of teeth immediately after implant placement. You can get a new set of teeth right away and be able to eat immediately after the treatment. The Nobel Guide System means you can now replace your missing teeth with permanent solutions using dental implants – easily, quickly and comfortably.

Some extremely high end and reputable dental offices may also promote Dental Tourism in their city. Dental Tourism is one way whereby people from other countries travel and get their dental treatment done in another country like New Delhi, India. Due to the high cost of the dental treatment in the US and other European countries, some patients opt for combining their travel with low cost, economical dental treatment. Sometimes the combined cost of the travel along with the dental treatment comes out to more economical that getting the treatment done in their respective country. This comes in particularly useful for those people who do not have dental insurance or cannot afford the high cost of dental care in their country. Such dental offices offering dental tourism may also provide additional services to their out stationed patients like ‘Hotel Accommodation’, ‘Travel Agent’, ‘Pick-up/ Drop-off’ facility; and maintain ‘Safety with Private Parking’. ’32 Smile Stone’ Dental Clinic promotes dental tourism in New Delhi and since their dentist in a US graduate from the most reputable dental school in the USA, she pays detailed attention to her work and quality of service.

Dentistry had diversified into various specialties and many treatment options are available for Dental Care. Some treatment options include Implants, Metal Free Crown and Bridges, Veneers, Root Canal Treatment (single sitting) using rotary endodontics, Tooth colored filings, Cosmetic Gum Treatment, Invisible Braces, 1-Hour Zoom Whitening, Children’s Dentistry with prime focus on Preventive Dentistry, Dental Spa etc.

Cosmetic Dentistry also called as ‘Esthetic Dentistry’ is offered by experienced dentists who strive to combine function with esthetics. People with inborn defects can also approach esthetic dentists for restoration of the deformation. Even celebrities and models visit esthetic dentists to make their teeth more beautiful in photo shoots. Esthetic dentistry caters to many people either for necessity or for enhancing their smile.

Teeth and gums are the gateway to one’s oral health. This means that dental care cannot be assumed and requires regular visits to prevent problems arising from cavities or unhealthy gums. Hence it is important to take time out to help prevent future dental problems.