Small Business Trends

In the 60′s it was a song of revolution when change was just not as common. Today, it reflects a fact of life, at least for small business owners and entrepreneurs. It’s time to realize that not only are the times changing but so is your business. Ignoring or resisting that change may mean there is no place for you in an evolving market. Will you be changing and, if you stay the same, what will it cost you?

Tech

Six Apart announces new merger for content-based small business. Though some of the natives seem a bit restless, an announcement today by Six Apart Media focusing on their TypePad blogging platform indicates that a merger with advertising platform VideoEgg to form a new company SayMedia with the express purpose of enhancing tools for content entrepreneurs. Read the announcement above. The Official Everything TypePad Blog

iPad soon to have new competitor. Blackberry users unite! If you’re a small business owner who regularly uses mobile technology (and more and more of us are these days) there’s no need to run out and purchase Apple’s iPad just yet. Research In Motion Ltd., the company responsible for the famous iPhone competitor Blackberry is apparently readying another tool to challenge the supremacy of its chief rival. In which camp will you be found? Yahoo! Finance

Operations

Technology can help your small business ready for a disaster. Important steps to address your business technology including phone systems, remote data access, data backup, professional Web and e-mail servers and more are all part of editor and technology evangelist Ramon Ray’s video promoting a free Web seminar tomorrow on how making the right decisions about your small business technology can make all the difference when disaster strikes. SmallBizTechnology.com

A few words about the recession. Not the one that’s always in the news caused by bad loans and credit crunches. No, we’re talking about the recession of an age and a way of thinking. It’s a recession savvy entrepreneurs and small business owners must understand thoroughly, or they will soon have no business at all. Seth Godin’s Blog

Innovation

Innovation is the new norm. Entrepreneurs and small business owners must no longer think of innovation as something for the other guy. Change is not something to be dragged into when your competitors force you or when your customers demand it. It is something to think about every day to make things better for you and your business. Open Forum Innovation

Digital natives will change your business. And this may be both those who work for you and those who may be your customers. As your business moves into the future, remember that change will always be a part of your company’s survival. Think of this as the next adventure. Just be sure that you’re prepared. Small Business Trends

What kind of personal innovation have you embarked upon? Not every change made by the entrepreneur or small business owner is to his/her company. At a time when the very nature of our work is changing, it is probably the innovation of ourselves that must be closest attended to. With the nine to five work day and the five day work week dissolving into a more fluid work period harder than ever to be specific about, it is time for us to define our own boundaries in the working world. Above is one great example of where to start.  Chris Brogan

Marketing

Understanding the digital ad network for your small business. There was a time when advertising was as simple as buying time on your local TV or radio station or ads in your community newspaper. No need to worry about niche markets or targeting a customer base that shares your passions and interests. Your customers were local and so was your product. As a result, marketing locally was a no-brainer. No longer. Here, Matthew Gussin, a senior marketing consultant helps you understand the new advertising model.  Business.com

How your business depends upon your personal brand. Creating a powerful brand was once the province of huge corporations with million to invest in marketing and advertising. Now it can simply be a question of how you interact with your network through social media like Facebook or Twitter, what kind of content you place on your blog or perhaps even what kind of videos you produce for your Website or YouTube channel. In fact, creating a brand is much easier for any small business owner than it probably ever has been. However, creating a personal brand may be the most important.  BizSugar Blog

Cooperation is the new competition. Think helping another small business owner, including one in the same market and targeting some of the same customers, is bad for your company? Think again! Check out the link to the video above about three entrepreneurs, two of them in the same market, who often cooperate with marketing and advice. If you think it’s a crazy idea, listen to these small business owners describe their cooperation ethic and how it helps each of their businesses thrive. Could the same work for you? Open Forum Innovation