Everyone loves a good Halloween treat.

Why not spice things up at your own place of business by offering special savings to your near and dear customers?

I recently came across a website that had a “hidden” link in one of its pages.

When you clicked on the link, you were brought to a page where a haunted house came alive and told you in a frightening voice how to save 50% on all merchandise.

Now this is creative thinking.

Make your sale fun. Make it holiday-inspired.

There is nothing like boosting up business with a little spooky ingenuity.

This is a day both children and adults alike can take a break from reality.

So, take it with them. Put on your witch’s mask and boast ghoulishly good deals!

Happy Halloween!

Looking for a new way to get your business advertised?

Sometimes the best ways to get ahead are staring you right in the face without you even realizing it.

Enter: YouTube.

Since its start in 2005, YouTube and its ingenious video sharing concept has risen to peak popularity.

The best thing about it? You can take advantage of YouTube and the exposure you are likely to gain from using it…for FREE!

All you have to do is sign up for an account, film a clever ad, upload it, and watch as your new video gets hit.

And hit again.

And hit again.

In one month alone, YouTube had 2.4 billion page views. What better marketing strategy is there?

So you have a million-dollar idea. So what?

Your ideas aren’t anything if you don’t protect yourself.

In 2006, the majority of counterfeit products seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection came from China.

Think you can get by with just brains and brawn? Think again.

If you have a hot ticket idea, you need to insure it. Safeguard it. Patent it. Protect it.

Even before you think about discussing your idea with anyone else, educate yourself on the process of creative protection.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has all the information you need to know about how to protect against intellectual property theft.

In fact, there is a seminar coming up in early November that will be discussing how prevention is the ultimate protection.

It up to every entrepreneur to make this very serious issue a priority.

Nothing turns a person off more than doing something they don’t like.

It could be the simplest task, but if you have no interest in what you are doing, even the smallest jobs feel huge.

That being said, the more you like what you do, the more success you will have.

If you want to become your own boss, think about how you can turn what you already love to do into a business. Be it Mommy Blogging, Card Playing, Cooking, Gardening or whatever!

No matter what your skills, there is bound to be a way to make money at what you already enjoy doing in life.

The trick is figuring out the business end of your favorite hobby and turning your passion into a career.

This is where your research comes in. Start rubbing shoulders with the right people, test your products/ideas on friends and family, join a community of entrepreneurs, read up on business literature.

And in the meantime, continue doing what you love and loving what you do.

One of the most important aspects of starting your own business is thinking of a clever and memorable logo that will brand itself in the minds of your present and future customers.

A smart logo will capture the attention of thousands of potential consumers.

Whether plastered on a billboard or shuffled in the newspaper somewhere, a great logo could do wonders for your business.

Think of an appropriate theme to represent your entrepreneurial venture, but don’t stop there.

If you can put a spin on your design and make it truly original, your public response will be even better.

A logo is more than just a scribble or random image. It is a way for customers to tell you apart from all the rest of the people out there struggling to compete.

The more unique your logo, the more you will be remembered. The more you are remembered, the more customers will return to use your service. The more customers use your service, the more money you make.

See how easy that is?

One of the hardest things for people to do is ask for help.

Even when we find ourselves down in the dumps, feeling blue, struggling with finances or just having a bad hair day.

We know we need assistance, but we hesitate to ask for it.

We don’t want to put others out, make a fuss, cause a stir. We want to lock ourselves away and be silent.

And, as a result, we fail when we should have succeeded.

Meanwhile, those available to us protest incessantly: “Let me help…just say the word!”

They want to lend a hand - or a dollar - but we don’t let them. Out of pride or embarrassment or shame, we instead accept unnecessary struggle.

The best advice I can give you when faced with a tough situation, whether in life or in business, is to ask for help!

Your friends, colleagues and family members would like nothing more than to know they are needed, loved and appreciated. As would you.

In all the hustle and bustle of your new small business, your To-Do list hardly has any more space left.

Just remember, before you add another item, jot down this one at the very top: Back Up!

I’m not talking about taking 3 steps backward. I’m talking about ensuring that your computer’s database and all your files and folders are backed up in case of a system failure or virus.

In one instant, all the information you’ve collected for months - years!- could be lost, never to be seen again.

Always consider that complete recovery might not be an option.

If you’re wise, you’ll get in the habit of backing up regularly. Depending on how much information you log in to your computer each day, most people back up between a few times a week to a few time per month.

Going any longer than that isn’t recommended. And if you really want to make things easier, install an automatic back up system.

If you think of the potential loss you could suffer, taking the time to back up is well worth the effort.

I recently had an unfavorable experience at a retail store and decided to go right ahead and complain about it.

Ever had one of those?

I sat down at my computer and drafted what I considered a thoughtful and concise email to Customer Service.

What I got back was an overly-recited, well-rehearsed stock reply. The worst.

“Here at blah blah blah, we strive to blah blah blah, we look forward to blah blah blah, sincerely blah blah blah.”

A letter that does not address the issues which your customers take to heart is not the kind of letter you want to send out.

You may be overworked as it is, but each and every email must be read and responded to on a personal level. This is one area where it really pays to overdo it!

Exaggerate how sorry you are. Promise to make it better. Thank your customer for his or her letter, no matter how much you disagree with it. Put your pride aside and fix the problem!

If you must, outsource your customer service to a professional who has the qualities necessary to make your customers happy. If you can’t do it, the best thing you can do for yourself, your customers and your company is admit your weaknesses and hire an expert.