Small Business Trends

The headline above was once the catch phrase of legendary comic Joan Rivers. But as small business owners we all need the opportunity to talk about our businesses. And sometimes to hear some hard truths as well. In this edition of the Small Business Trends Roundup we look at some things all small business owners need to talk about to make our businesses strong and healthy. It’s time for some wincing honesty. Can we talk?

Marketing

Is your small business a greedy beast? Are you losing money on every sale or every prospect? Is your fundamental business model at fault so that you are forever putting more money in on marketing and other efforts than you will ever get out the other end? Are you thinking that somewhere, somehow there will come a time when you’ll reach enough sales to fix that problem? Are you sure? JonathanFields.com

Does your business need a social media site? No, we’re not talking about just a Facebook fan page, a group on LinkedIn or a Twitter account. We’re talking about a whole social media site branded with your business name and centered around conversations connected to your product. Entrepreneur Ivan Widjaya makes a compelling argument in this post using the American Express Open Forum as an example. Would creating your own social media site based on your brand help your business? Noobpreneur.com

Does your business have a network? Not a set of computers linked together in an office somewhere but a group of people with whom you share thoughts, ideas and ideals? Networks are important for people, too, as Chris explains in the post above, but they can also be really important to your small business, connecting you with customers and partners who may share your passion. Who is in your small business network? Chris Brogan

Operations

A guide to outsourcing online. The Internet has made outsourcing easier than ever but care must still be taken to select the right partners or projects may fall through and mistakes may be made, costing you and your business money. Here are some important tips to make sure your outsourcing efforts don’t cost you more than they’re worth. Abonar’s Blog

Anatomy of a self-fullfilling prophecy. Sure, the economy is tough, but allowing poor sales to rob you of your passion for your small business can take away your ability to recover when the rebound comes or to find new paths to growth and a better business model in the future. This article looks at getting beyond the excuses and trying to figure out what you can do to turn your business around today. You’re The Boss

What can the top women business owners teach you? A survey of 46 of the top 50 women-owned and led businesses as selected by the Women Presidents’ Organization and Open Forum has turned up some interesting tips that may be helpful to small businesses everywhere. Open Forum Innovation

Startups

Finding your entrepreneurial vision. Nora Abousteit, founder of BurdaStyle.com, an online community based around the passion of sewing, talks about finding the vision for her first business and the most important aspects of being an entrepreneur and launching a company. We hope you find the video as inspiring as we did. Fast Company

From business plan to workable business model. What a great thing it would be if the plan we first create for our small business translated perfectly into a workable, profitable and scalable business plan. Unfortunately, as we all know, it ain’t necessarily so. This podcast looks at the process from that initial idea to taking the leap of faith needed to see if a viable business results. Barry Moltz

Innovation

Is big business immune to innovation? Though this post is actually about overcoming the tendency toward status quo in corporations, what does it say about the natural evolutionary advantage small businesses and startups have over their larger competitors when it comes to innovation? Open Forum Innovation

Self-development

Inspiration from 10 most creative women. No matter what your gender or how large or small your business aspirations, we hope you find the stories of these 10 creative women entrepreneurs stirring and that they open your mind to the immense possibilities of starting a business and changing the world, even if it’s only on the smallest level. Fast Company