All Entries in the "Featured" Category
Earning Social Currency for Your Small Business
In a world where social media marketing gains power by the minute, earning “social currency” for your local business is critical to success. In short, social currency is what your business earns when customers and prospects share information about your business via social media. That might be a simple thought, recommendation, review, blog post, tweet, [...]
Social Media Marketing on Main Street is Skyrocketing
The revolution has officially begun. Local business owners – once skeptical about the business and marketing benefits of social media – are going social in record numbers. “To them it’s the Holy Grail,” says Kip Cassino, Executive VP at Borrell Associates and author of the just-released research report “Main Street Goes Social.” According to Cassino, [...]
10 Small Business Predictions for 2012
Technology shapes how small businesses survive and thrive, and 2012 will see record numbers of small businesses harness the power of technology and especially new online productivity tools to grow their businesses. Jerry Nettuno, founder and CEO of Schedulicity, which is one of those online tools, shares his small business predictions for 2012: 1. Daily [...]
7 Ways to Reinvent your Business for Bigger Profits
For small business owners, there’s a “new normal” out there, and it doesn’t look a whole lot like the old normal. If your business seems to be on a treadmill of too much debt, too many operating expenses and too little growth, it may be time to take “lean and mean” to a new level. [...]
6 Essentials for Negotiating a Good Deal
Success for a small business (and especially those selling business to business) often hinges on striking good agreements and deals – with clients, customers, vendors, employees or others. So just what are the secrets to masterful deal making? Here are six negotiation essentials that apply to any size business or deal, from Arthur Wylie, author [...]
10 Reasons you need Facebook for Business
When it comes to promoting a local business, professional office or other small firm, Facebook is looming larger than ever. The latest salvo was the test launch of Facebook Deals in five cities (Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco) – a challenge to daily deal juggernauts Groupon and LivingSocial. More cities will soon [...]
10 Inside Secrets to Grow a Business in Tough Times
How do some small businesses manage to grow and thrive while others perennially struggle and miss opportunities that come their way? According to Alex Castelli, who heads the Growth Markets Practice of consulting firm Reznick Group, the most successful business owners display some clear patterns and habits. Reznick has built its reputation working with companies [...]
Inside Tips on Using Google +1 for Business
Right now, Google officials are quietly meeting with corporate partners to enlist support for the much-anticipated business version of Google+, their new social media platform. Soon (they hope), local businesses will be competing to be “+1s” from customers (similar to a “Like” on Facebook). Here’s a sneak peak at what Google execs are saying: Circles: [...]
Five Website Landing Page Mistakes and Fixes
If you have a website and expect it to help, not hinder your business, you’ll want to avoid the major mistakes that many small businesses make. Focus on your “landing pages” in particular. A landing page, quite literally, is the page on your site where the incoming visitor “lands” as determined by the link they [...]
How Business Owners can Fight Rising Fraud
“Back office” and other types of financial fraud are rising at U.S. companies, and are hitting small businesses especially hard. Fraud experts point to the lingering effects of recession, cutbacks that have eliminated financial checks and balances at many businesses, and simple complacency as key reasons. According to Joseph Wells, a CPA and founder of [...]
