Small Business Advice

The Terms of Business: How to Negotiate a Partnership Agreement

By Prasad Thammineni - Jun 21, 2012 - 5 Comments

Finding a partner who wants to play ball with you seems like a difficult task, but when you take a look at the process, it’s negotiating the terms of a partnership agreement that requires true business savvy. Like Ben Hogan’s legendary golf swing, follow-through is the key, consistent element … Read More

As Presidential Race Tightens Small Business Plays Big Role

By Rohit Arora - Jun 17, 2012 - 3 Comments

Mitt Romney recently outlined the important issues facing small business owners during a teleconference hosted by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The Republican nominee for President says what makes him optimistic about the country is the entrepreneurial spirit he sees as he … Read More

4 Ways to Conduct Market Research with Google

By Lisa Barone - May 30, 2012 - 8 Comments

Let’s face it – we’re all on a quest to learn more about our customers’ needs. Consumer surveys, mailers, in-face talks, online customer stalking (what?) – you’ve done it all. And with good reason. The more you know about your customers, the more you’re able to create better user … Read More

What Job Are You Helping Your Customers Do?

By Curt Finch - May 21, 2012 - 6 Comments

Marketing is often described in terms of a product life cycle. The development, the launch, continued support, and finally, discontinuation all have specific marketing efforts associated with them. From social contests to reduced prices and giveaways, the emphasis is nearly always on the product or … Read More

Small Business Loans and Small Loans to Business

By Scott Shane - May 21, 2012 - 7 Comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the decline in "small loans to business" during the Great Recession and economic recovery that followed. Now I am back to tell you that data on "small business loans" paints an even worse picture of the small business credit markets. No, this is not a semantics … Read More

New Bulk Listing Management Tool From Google Places

By Lisa Barone - May 16, 2012 - 5 Comments

Businesses with multiple locations should be breathing a heavy sigh of relief now that Google has introduced a new and improved bulk listing management tool designed to make the whole process easier and faster for business owners. Google revealed several new changes last week which have been … Read More

It’s Funny What a Little Spark of Creativity Can Do

By Jamillah Warner - May 8, 2012 - 2 Comments

Leadership sets the company’s direction and atmosphere, and if you fail to establish an environment that encourages creativity, then you get what you get — the status quo. Even in a hectic and fast pace setting your attitude toward innovation and creativity can still make room for your staff to … Read More

6 Ways Small Business Owners Can Use Slideshare

By Lisa Barone - May 8, 2012 - 6 Comments

Did you hear the big news? It was announced last week that LinkedIn plans to buy SlideShare for a reported $118.8 million. Crazy, right? Eh, maybe not so crazy if you ask LinkedIn’s Chief Executive Jeff Weiner. He did a pretty good job explaining exactly why LinkedIn would be interested in a … Read More

How to Grow A Smart SMB Team

By Lisa Barone - Apr 24, 2012 - 5 Comments

Small business owners have a lot on their plates – it’s become cliché because it’s true! Between marketing, running, and growing their business, there are always more tasks than hours in the day. However, among the most important and difficult of tasks is trying to build your team. It can be … Read More

4 Reasons Customers Prefer Your Mobile Web Site

By Lisa Barone - Apr 11, 2012 - 4 Comments

Sixty-one percent of smartphone owners are using their phones to conduct local searches. Forty percent of them are doing it at least once a week, and nearly half are using local business-related apps. With numbers like that, no one should be ignoring the mobile explosion happening. But is the only … Read More

How to Work Social Media Into Daily Biz

By Lisa Barone - Apr 3, 2012 - 5 Comments

We’d all like to grow more social businesses. After hearing about the positive effects that social media can have on our business, in terms of new customers, better word of mouth and brand perception, we’re sold on the idea. But that doesn’t mean we know what growing a social business truly … Read More

The 3-Step Process For Creating Your Blog Voice

By Lisa Barone - Mar 27, 2012 - 13 Comments

You can admit it; it’s a little terrifying. The idea of starting a small business blog and putting yourself out there for all to hear and critique, why do normal people do this?! Well, they do it because blogging remains one of the most effective ways to find new customers, lower your cost per … Read More