During these economic times there are times that you may find that your business is not producing as much income as it did in the past. Here are three ways that could either bring in more income for you or give you a sense of achievement that you may have been missing.

The first idea that you could possibly do if you haven’t already done so is to involve yourself in community projects. Volunteer work is good for your soul and it is a way to get your name and inadvertently your business introduced to new groups of people as in social networking. It is a way to meet people who could possibly be your clients, consumers, peers, or a new referral source as in word of mouth. The key is not to push your business on them because you are there for another purpose, but to make a positive impression so that they want to get to know you and what you do.

The second idea is to educate your potential customers. If you sell musical instruments, then pick a popular instrument and teach people how to play it. There are numerous possibilities such as cooking lessons, knitting lessons, computer lessons, software lessons, etc. What would your target consumer be interested in learning and willing to pay for. If you do not have room at your place of business to conduct the lessons -rent, but don’t be extravagant. Charge enough to cover your expenses and make a little profit. The key is to pick lessons that will compliment what your business is all about because in the end what you  want to accomplish is to transition some of your students into clients or consumers of your business services or products.

The third idea is to implement, if you sell products, lay-away-plans. If you sell services, then consider payment plans. This becomes tricky because if you sell products, then inventory and partial payment leading to the default of the lay-away-plan. The concern for services is the possible default brought on by not paying for the full service after already receiving the service. There is risk involved in implementing payment plans into your business, but if you think it through before implementation you could at least minimize those risks. The reason for doing this is because banks are lowering credit limits for many consumers and people are not able to obtain credit as easily before. Not to mention people are losing their jobs and when they are finding new ones it is highly likely that they are not making as much money as they did before.

I just gave you three suggestions that could possibly revitalize your business. Does anyone have any other ideas or have experience or reservation about the three that I listed?

The last couple of weeks I have found myself watching brothers and sisters @ abc.com late at night because I am having trouble sleeping. However, the story line that deals with the Walker Family business is a little to be desired. I am writing a blog about this because I cannot get my head around the fact that Tommy did something illegal in an attempt take back a business that was started by his family. Even though I think that Holly has the right to be angry I cannot help but think that her having ownership in the business was wrong to begin with. My take on this scenario is surprising to me because I have always tried to be neutral in situations that do not involve me; especially when the situation is not real. Maybe it is because I heard of owners who have lost their business to an outsider (someone who did not start or help build the business) due to circumstance. I got to admit I have found this season interesting. At least Holly has made positive contributions to the business; she seems to be a work-a-holic.