Small Business Trends

Small business ownership is less about climbing the latter of success than about learning lessons from the struggles we face. Sure, success in your small business on your own terms is certainly your ultimate goal. But what you learn while getting there is also important, especially when it comes to continued success and taking the next step on the road to innovation and growth. Today’s small business news wrap-up from Small Business Trends looks at the struggles you’ve faced and, perhaps, the lessons learned, with some important tips and news along the way.

Operations

How is a business relationship like a marriage? Business blogger Yonatan Maisel relates ten ways in which your relationship with a client or customer should mirror your relationship to a spouse, keeping you on the road to happiness and bliss. It’s a light hearted look at the way relationship in the business and personal sphere are similar and looks at what the small business leader or entrepreneur can learn from those similarities. A fun post. Enjoy! The Yonatan Maisel Blog

How can you put the life back into your business? You may or may not be thinking about it right now, but a tough recession has probably taken a toll on both you and your business. If you need to put the wind back into your small business’s sales, there is no better place to start than with this post from Small Business Trends editor Anita Campbell. Open Forum Innovation

What small business has in common with small town living. Check out these six simple lessons from small town living you can and should apply to your small business philosophy whether your business happens to be located in a small town or a big city. These tips translate to better relationships and ultimately better success. Moxie Works

Marketing

Some small business is still local. And that’s the way it’s going to stay, if Thumbtack and similar application have anything to say about it. Here is Chris’s review of the current situation as it stands with online marketing and the importance of local markets. Chris Brogan

Wow! Just what you’ve been waiting for. A training manual for customers. But be ware. You can train customers to be both the best and the worst they can be. Read this short list carefully. (It’s kind of short, as training manuals go.) And make sure you train the kinds of customers or clients you want to do business with. Seth Godin’s Blog

Policy

Think healthcare reform and other small business concerns remain partisan issues? Think again as freshman Democrat Representative Walt Minnick of Idaho, a small business owner himself, takes on Washington about issues that remain harmful to small business owners and entrepreneurship in America. You’re The Boss

Do you have a business dependent upon the Internet? A video contest ending Aug. 15 looks at concerns over free and open access to the Internet and invites small businesses across the nation to upload a video explaining how Internet access has changed what they do. Take a look at the sample video and upload your own, if you are so inclined. You can also check out some of the benefits beyond the obvious exposure granted for your small business. America’s Got Net

Startup

Who needs a job after college? These kids are having their parents set them up in business instead. This interesting article looks at a trend amongst some parents towards pushing their kids towards entrepreneurship instead of a career. Could this be the wave of the future in terms of mom and dad’s expectations and how should colleges traditionally set up to produce employers instead of entrepreneurs accommodate? WSJ

Turn your small business startup into a bootstrap. It’s true that some very labor or capital intensive businesses require an infusion of outside investment to get them up and running. Of course, consultancies and other business built largely on expertise or service or both may require little or no capital to get off the ground. This is the classic bootstrap approach. But could you adjust your own business plan to require less funding growing your business after startup using your initial cash flow. Jeff Cornwall gives a helpful example. The Entrepreneurial Mind

What internships can teach you about business? You may not realize it, but taking advantage of that summer intern program can be super important. And not just for people heading into employment. Check out this open letter to the summer interns of 2010 from Brett Owens. How much of this advice would be helpful to those contemplating their own small business startup? Of course, internships can be a great experience for future entrepreneurs as well. Seeking out internships with an employer whose business you aspire to enter one day can be an important first step in the education process. Ego