Small Business Trends

What’s your small business story? And what are the small business stories of other entrepreneurs just like you? Today’s small business news roundup from Small Business Trends looks at the stories successful small business owners can tell each other and what we all can learn in the process. What can your small business story teach others? And what can the stories of other small business owners teach you?

Strategy

How safe is buying a franchise, really? Though it may be safer than starting a whole new business with unknown products, unproven sales potential and little or no support system, starting any business (even a franchise with a track record) is never totally safe. Making sure you’ve chosen the right franchise is a good step in the right direction. The Franchise King

Finding your audience. Finding your customers. Do you know what audience you are targeting with your online Web presence? How do you plan to reach them? And how about customers you are targeting with your new business, online or off? Where do they hang out, how do you get their attention and how do you get them to walk through your doors…or visit your site regularly? Read the above post by Stoney deGeyter about how to get this stuff right from the start. Search Engine Guide

Finishing your business year strong. OK, we all know what they’re saying about the economy. But, believe it or not, there are ways small businesses can finish 2010 strong. It’s all about talking to your customers and taking things to the next level. MarketingProfessor

Trends

Small business on the upswing…sorta. As small business expert Rieva Lesonsky explains “Small businesses are hiring, but it’s more of a drip than a flood.” More importantly for small businesses though, consumer confidence seems to be returning. The only exception is affluent spenders, who are scaling back on what they buy. The takeaway: The business you’re in may determine when you feel things improving in your own venture. AOL Small Business

Small business and the virtue of bootstrapping. Jason Fried of 37 Signals talks about a wide range of issues involving small business and entrepreneurship. Why is bootstrapping better than big funding up front? Why can small businesses have a distinct advantage in the current economy? Why is redesigning the work environment to create the simplest and most efficient collaboration important? Why is slow growth and change better and why is breaking down big ideas into small ideas key to success? HP Input/Output

Does your business need a journalist? John Jantsch argues that the key for your small business success these days isn’t to hire a marketing person. It’s to hire a journalist. If this sounds weird, read John’s entire argument about what trained journalists bring to the table as far as creating excellent content for your blog or Website in precisely the kind of straight forward style that will most suit your modern-day marketing efforts. And best of all, there are currently plenty available for hire. Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing

Are you a copycat marketer? Just as is the case with your products or services, your marketing efforts should be interesting and unique. One way to guarantee they will be neither is to make the mistake of copying off the successful efforts of others. How can copycat marketing possibly grab attention in the midst of all the other stuff just like it in the marketplace? And if your marketing doesn’t distinguish itself, how can your business? M4B Marketing

Be honest and create something of value. If this seems like common sense to you, you may be alone in today’s business environment. But according to Jason Cohen, founder of “A Smart Bear,” in an interview with David Siteman Garland, these ideas are absolutely critical when trying to create a great business or a great blog…or both. Enjoy and be inspired. The Rise to the Top

Tech

Apple targeting small business. The company that brought us the Macintosh and the iPhone is no longer satisfied with the consumer market alone. Apple Inc plans to market its products increasingly to small businesses and is apparently gearing up for the move by adding engineers who will be in charge of setting up Apple-based computer systems for companies just like yours. WSJ

Policy

Tax breaks, yes. Big loan package, no. The Democratic majority is attempting to blame political opposition for trying to block a $30 billion loan package aimed at small businesses ahead of an election. But potentially more valuable tax cuts for small businesses will remain in place. Democrats have failed to make small businesses a priority with a healthcare bill that is opposed by many small business groups. And some business and banking experts now argue that business credit may not be the main obstacle to economic recovery. NYTimes.com