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Self-employed business owners are passionate about what they do. They thrive on unbridled enthusiasm for their work. Maybe you are a fantastic graphic designer, or an innovative IT consultant, or a master plumber. Yet, knowing one’s business is not the same as knowing how to run a business. Being the boss often means you are also head of marketing, sales, accounting, HR and more. And sometimes you could use some help.

Get answers, advice, and tips from our team of professional experts. Ask a question online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With a dozen experts to choose from, we are confident that we can help answer your question and lead you towards a solution for your issue. Read on below about some of our experts and how they can better assist you.

B2B Expert
Raise Awareness, Connect with Consumers and Generate Leads!

Those are all tasks that small business owners want to accomplish. So, where do you start?

First, get your business listed on the NASE member directory. We call it the NextBizThing. It’s free for members and allows consumers and businesses to connect with you.

Second, use social media! Be sure that you have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Google. Upload your logo, write a description, share industry articles, and insert key words, key phrases and headers. Take part in community events and engage with your customer. Most important… don’t let your postings get out-of- date. Update your social media as often as possible. If you need support, do a search for free editorial content.

Third, create video content for your website. Start a YouTube account and begin uploading business related videos. Show off your new products without breaking the bank.

Forth, join networking groups. As a small business owner, it can be difficult to get out of the office. Make time to attend functions where you can trade business cards or promote your product. Face to face interaction is a great way to spread the word and increase
referrals.

Fifth, develop a call to action for your product. Never assume that the customer knows how to shop or order your product. Call to action buttons can be used on your landing pages to guide users towards a purchase. A snappy button that reads “Order Here”
creates a sense of urgency.

If you have additional B2B questions, be sure to access the NASE Ask the Expert benefit.

Business Law Expert
It would seem simple: create a society with private property rights and freedom to contract under the umbrella of a great constitution. We all know it is not so simple. However, I believe our system of laws and dispute resolution, while far from perfect, is the greatest system in history and we are fortunate to live when and where we do.

Why is the Business Law benefit popular? As I say early and often, it is limited in what it can be. You are living under several systems at once: Your country, your state, your city and even your water district. We are probably not licensed in your state and certainly not
familiar with all the laws. Even if we could provide direct advice, the nature of an open discussion group prevents us from entering an attorney-client relationship with its privileges and open communication. So if we cannot and do not give legal advice, of what benefit are we?

Feedback confirms what I think: there are so many foreign concepts and weird words surrounding our existence that just general discussion and broad concepts are helpful to getting an overview and making the system a little less intimidating. Sometimes just
raising a question helps you think through and get a feeling of where to start, or even what to look for or ask your own attorney. Even if we just take the mystery out of some terms in a general sense, we have succeeded in making you more familiar with the legal world so you can comfortably put your skills where they belong: in your business.
While the NASE Legal Expert may not be the final step to your issue, we are certainly one of your best first steps!

Database Management Expert
Database management covers everything from how important your data is to what to store, how to store it, and how best to retrieve it. The last thing you want to do is be caught flat-footed when information you needed was right there in the data you already have and you just needed to draw it out into something you could use. If you have asked yourself one of the following questions, maybe you need to be asking it to the NASE Database Expert…
- Am I getting all I can from my database?
- Should I have a database management system (DBMS)?
- How does my data relate to itself and other data?
- What does my data show me...What should it show me?
- Is a spreadsheet good enough?
- When should I consider going to MySQL, SQL Server, etc.?
- Should I buy software that’s specific to my line of business or is something generic good enough?
- Is machine learning something I need to know about?

IT Expert
 Did you know that as a member of the NASE you have help with not only your business needs but with your Information Technology (IT) needs?

Everyone needs help from time to time. At the NASE, we have IT experts with expertise in a wide range of IT services such as website design, search engine marketing and software development. We also have experts that can help you identify the best telephone, computer and other hardware and software solutions to fit your business and budgetary needs!

Feel free to write us with any questions you may have. As a member, you can ask as often as you like at any time of day or night. Even if you’re not sure your question is IT related, go ahead and ask it anyway. You have nothing to lose!

Social Media Expert
Is Twitter better than Instagram?
Do I really need a Google+ page?
What is the best type of content to post?
Snapchat, I don’t even know what that means.

Social media is always evolving and some trends never seem to be predictable. However, there are some constants and initiatives that will likely always be important for any business owner on any social media platform. Whether you have questions about the oldest of social media platforms like MySpace or Classmates.com to the new kids on the block like Google+ or Kialo, we are here to help.

Real Estate Expert
Hi, my name is Scott Scribner. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Dallas Fort-Worth area and over my 25 year career have been involved in nearly 1000 transactions. In addition to helping homeowners buy and sell, I work with both residential and commercial investors. I am an active real estate investor myself, having personally bought and sold over 70 properties. Most of all, I love real estate and am always thrilled to help our NASE members with their real estate needs.

As a result of my background, I am able to consult with NASE members on a broad range of real estate topics. Common questions received on residential real estate include how to prepare a home for resale, how to maximize net proceeds, tips for finding a great
real estate agent, how to convey mineral rights, and what is title insurance for. For investors, I can help with comparisons on investing in single-family homes versus multi-family properties as well as evaluating strategies such as whether to flip properties to create short-term cash flow or to hold properties for long-term appreciation. While not a licensed attorney I can often provide guidance on clarifying clauses within a real estate contract and associated addendum. I have recently answered questions on how to identify and purchase foreclosure properties as well as how to remove a partner who wants to be bought out of a duplex.

As you can see, I help members on a broad spectrum of topics. Please feel free to reach out with any real estate related questions you have. I look forward to helping out!

Marketing and Advertising Expert
“But no one reads the mail...”

I hear this almost every day. And, I chuckle.

While Direct Mail is certainly more appropriate for some businesses than others, if it didn’t work, there wouldn’t be millions of dollars spent by companies like Walmart and Wayfair using direct mail.

But you don’t have to be a big company to benefit from Direct Mail.

My expertise is in helping small businesses use direct mail successfully.

Is your business a good candidate for direct mail? Here’s how to know.
a. If your business targets a consumer that is age 55 or older, then the answer is likely ‘yes’.
b. If your business is also in the financial services or healthcare sector then definitely, yes!

I’ve helped healthcare related companies produce a 567% return on investment through the mail.

If you have questions about whether direct mail is a good fit for your business, I can send you a FREE Direct Mail Forecast Planning Tool that will help you run the numbers, and determine if Direct Mail is right for your company.

For more than 30 years, I’ve worked with clients as small as a single owner swimming pool maintenance company that created so much business he had to add staff to handle the work -- to an international market research company mailing surveys for a major
auto manufacturer.

I can also advise you on creative, printing and mailing to ensure that your campaign is a success. Just contact me at Ask the Experts. I’d love to help you.

NASE Membership and ShopTalk
NASE members have free unlimited access to ShopTalk consultants with a simple phone call to member services (1-800- 649-6273) and a request to speak with a business consultant or a key stroke or two by submitting their question by email on the NASE website (www.nase.org).

ShopTalk business consultants are professionals who consult with businesses full time and are considered some of the top micro and small business consultants in the country. Over the years ShopTalk has consulted with over 125,000 business owners and NASE
members have saved millions of dollars in professional fees.

Just a few of the more common question topics ShopTalk consultants get include:
- Starting a new business or expanding an existing one.
- Buying or selling a business.
- Choosing the best legal and tax structure for a business.
- How … and when … to develop a business plan.
- Accounting and taxes.
- Financing and capital needs for a business.
- Investing and retirement planning.
- Marketing and advertising plans for growth.
- Creating strong customer satisfaction and relationships.
- Hiring, terminating and managing employees.
- Dealing with government regulations.
- Copyrights, trademarks and patents.
- Legal and liability issues.

No matter what a caller’s question might be … the ShopTalk consultants are available to help NASE members make their business more successful.