Tips and News Archives - Page 3 of 15 - Connor Business Resources

How to Get to Really Know Your Customer: Understand Them

By Ann Connor

Know your Customer

As a business owner, we all know how important it is to know your customer. It’s a phrase that’s used in countless marketing books and across many advice columns. So okay, great, you’ve figured out how old your customer, is where they live, what their incomes are—all that good stuff. But do you really understand them? Can you predict what they need, what moves them, what inspires them? These are the types of questions that really matter when it comes to success, so we’ve gathered five ways to better understand your customer.

The Most Revealing Interview Questions

by Ann Connor

So you just received a stack of resumes for a role you’re trying to fill in your company. Now what? While these resumes will detail the applicants college education, past employers, skills and possibly even interests, the piece of paper doesn’t truly tell you about the interviewees personality and if they will mesh well with your team and organization.

What does Happiness mean to you, and how can you truly create this as your theme of the Season?

by Carol Williams

Is this your scenario?

You know the drill. You are trying to “do it all”- meaning, you need to work to earn your living, your family needs attention, you are supposed to eat right and exercise and go to all your self-care wellness, and you are just barely holding it together. Most of the time, food is in the fridge and you are going where you need to go when you need to get there.

9 Steps to Improve Your Listening

Act on It! by Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman has some great information for tough management challenges. Most Managers truly believe that they are good listeners…but their employees would disagree.

Questions to Ask Before Starting a Business

By Ann Connor

With today’s television filled with entrepreneurial type shows such as The Shark Tank, The Benefactor, The Job and even The Profit, individuals assume its quite easy to leave a regular paycheck behind, and begin working for oneself by building a start-up. And while for some, those few individuals who posses the creativity, the drive, often the connections, and of course business acumen, this is a golden road to career and personal success, others need to ask themselves quite a few questions before starting a business.

Best Hiring Practices

What You Can and Can’t Ask a Job Applicant

In the course of your search for your next employee there are federal and state rules you will want to keep in mind…

According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), 62% of small businesses recently reported hiring or trying to hire employees. Many small businesses are stressed to find qualified job applicants and are scrambling to fill positions. If you are in the market for a new employee, there are many considerations: Does the applicant have the skills to do the job? Will he or she fit into your company culture? Can you afford the cost of a potential new employee? Great questions to ask. But in the course of your search for your next employee, be sure you don’t run into conflict with federal and state rules. If you go about it the wrong way, you not only can lose out on hiring the next best employee but can be exposed to possible legal action against you. Here are federal and state rules to observe so you can hire wisely.