You are already running a business, but are you leading it? Imagine you are on a sports team- obviously you need someone to make the big decisions: schedule your games, get your equipment, decide who to recruit, etc. but what will mean the difference in the game is whether or not your team can get motivated. The team leader rallies the enthusiasm and motivation needed to secure the win. A business is the same way- without the right leader all you will have is the tools to succeed, not the actual success. Below are six characteristics of business leaders, as outlined by Brett Hurt founder of Bazaarblog:

1. Humility
   Knowing that no business is perfect and being willing to hear negative feedback or criticism will help you to make the changes necessary to succeed. If negative feedback is coming from your employees you need to make an effort to not only hear it, but also respond to it- lest you lose credibility or respect from them.
2. Transparency
   Tell your employees what you are doing- be it products you are releasing, markets you are entering, job posts you are opening, etc. Be straightforward and honest with employees and let them respond in the same manner. By opening up communications you can help control the conversation- stopping rumors and misinformation from spreading.
3. Connectedness
   Your employees know people and they will talk about your company. Invest in them to invest both in the future leadership of your company and positive word of mouth about your company. Employees can sometimes be your best evangelists so give them reason to sing your praises.
4. Culture
   Recognize the uniqueness of each employee to better understand the uniqueness of your market. All of the different pieces that your employees can contribute will help you to achieve a broader reach.
5. Total Leadership
   Lead by enabling others to lead as well. Focus on the whole employee. If you invest in the whole person in each of your employees you will better prepare them to take your place someday.
6. Soul
   Businesses seem to have a soul that needs to be preserved- a certain feeling, ideal, belief, etc. that lives in your business. In addition to providing for your employees and fostering their growth, you need to nourish your business’ soul. Make decisions that fit with your business’ nature and allow the living breathing soul of your business brand to evolve and flourish.

Now that you know how to be an effective business leader, partner with Volusion for online success!

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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Environmental sustainability has become increasingly popular among consumers over the last few years- with “green” companies sprouting up all over the nation and already established companies offering green alternatives to their traditional products/services. Consumers have jumped on board, offering to pay higher prices for these green products; and businesses have followed suit by paying more to outfit their operations with more sustainable alternatives. With the current state of the economy, however, it is unclear whether or not consumers will continue to pay more for green products. What is clear though is that businesses are feeling pressure to expand their green efforts.

According to eMarketer only 40% of communications professionals polled believe that consumers will continue to pay more for green products in the current economy. There is little data yet on whether or not consumer spending on green products has actually decreased, leaving speculation over future consumer trends up in the air. It is likely that green alternatives that can prove a direct benefit to the consumer will continue to do very well (ex. products that save on electricity costs, water usage, etc.), while green products that are more of a luxury may decrease in sales. Obviously as an online store owner selling green products you do not want to fall on the latter side of that scenario.
Here are some tips to help you “sell green”:

• Emphasize the Real Benefits to the Consumer
  The more concretely you can spell out the benefits the more likely you are to make the sale (ex. do not say “helps you to save water,” instead say “can save x gallons of water per month”).
• Utilize your About Us Section
  If you are selling green products the chances are your company employs green efforts in their own business practice. Tell the consumer exactly what you do and why it makes you unique.
• Make your Offerings Special
  Sometimes spicing up your offerings is just what you need to make the sale. Do not just sell the products themselves; think of other interesting things you can offer. Plant a tree on the customer’s behalf or donate a percentage to a green charity. Get creative!

Even in these tough economic times businesses are being urged to maintain or expand their sustainability efforts by both their employees and their customers. In fact, more than half of those surveyed felt that sustainability was vital to their company’s reputation/brand. Additionally, 58% planned on increasing their emphasis on corporate sustainability in future months. With so many American companies coming to the table late in terms of sustainable practices, there are a lot of improvements to be made. In the next year you can expect to see companies ramping up their green efforts as consumers put pressure on them and they struggle for a way to gain an edge over the competition.
What can you do to increase your “green-ness”?

• Get involved in your Community
  Chances are that there are great green resources right in your backyard. Find out what other businesses in your area do and who they partner with and see if you can join in as well.
• Get Certified/Qualified/Awarded
  Nationwide there are a vast number of different associations, certifications, and awards that your business can get for things that you are probably already doing. It is great to be green but what is even better is getting recognized for it so you can help others do the same (and maybe attract a few loyal customers along the way).
• Utilize Employee Feedback
  If you are running a business you may not have the time to do a lot of research about how to be green. Ask your employees to keep an ear out for good ideas and listen to their suggestions. If you decide to use an idea that an employee has suggested give him/her some responsibilities over the project- it will help create a sense of ownership.

What has your company done to go green? Leave us a comment to share with our readers!

Start a Green Store

Read More:
Volusion Goes Green
The Volusion Foundation

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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We have all come across “That Guy” at one time or another using social media- you know the one we’re talking about! “That guy” does not use social media to participate in healthy balanced conversations; instead, he/she indulges in narcissism- making sure to be the center of attention or the loudest voice in every discussion. How do you know if you are “That Guy” in your social media efforts? Here are some classic “That Guy” actions when it comes to blogging and/or Twittering:

• Posting comments on blogs just to drop your URL and promote your company/products/etc.
• Twittering almost solely about yourself
• Declaring yourself an “expert” or “guru” in everything you list as an interest on your various online profiles
• Ignoring all conversations that are outside of your professional agenda
• Advertising your sales on other companies’ blogs (especially competitors’ blogs)
• Tweeting the same thing multiple times a day so that you make sure to expose your followers to your message all throughout their day
• Dismissing any content or conversations that may conflict with your own opinions or experiences
• Keyword optimizing your profiles so that they are virtually unreadable by real people (ex. “Ecommerce Online Selling Internet Small Business, Social Media, Marketing”)

If you are “That Guy” there’s no need to worry. Outlined below is the seven step “That Guy” recovery program:

1. Be human- people want to see the quirky real you come out in all of your social media interactions
2. Build relationships before you need them so that when the time comes you’re leaning on a friend not asking for a favor
3. Follow a few key blogs and build a relationship with the authors/brands instead of trying to cover all of the blogs in your industry
4. Stop focusing on numbers of followers, friends, etc. and remember social media is about meaningful interactions
5. Teach yourself how to handle criticism so you can remain level headed in negative situations
6. Promote others- if you are willing to dish out referrals and reviews others will trust you more than if you just promote yourself
7. Listen- you don’t have to insert yourself in every conversation you find about your industry

A special thank you to Shannon Paul for contributing ideas for this post!

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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