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Small Business Matters
One of the elements in the grand scheme of things is knowing what makes your business different from the competition. What you do with that knowledge can make or break your business. Specifically, are these differentiators clearly defined and part of your sales strategy? Can you explain the following? Why your business is different from the competition? Why your differentiators matter to your customers? People call this the “so what” factor. If you are in the B2B space, how do you help your customers...
Do you have a great e-newsletter program? Looking to build your list of email subscribers while you offer more valuable content to your Facebook fans? Facebook and other social media are great tools for building connections and community for your business and its customers. But Facebook isn’t always the best outlet for communicating your most important updates. Newsfeeds are busy places, and it can be hard to get the attention of fans as easily as a newsletter or email update can. But how can you convert your fans to email subscribers...
Next week is National Small Business Week and for the 49th year, entrepreneurs, SBA and other members of the small business community will gather in Washington, D.C., for the highlight of the week – the National Small Business Week Conference. Aside from the awards and numerous networking opportunities presented by the event (running from May 20-22 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel), the conference also includes a schedule of educational seminars and forums offering a variety of learning opportunities across many topics for...
Are you a veteran or service-disabled veteran? Interested in launching your own business? According to the latest SBA data, of the 27.1 million non-farm businesses in the U.S., 2.4 million are owned by veterans. Moreover, statistics show that the success rate of these veteran-owned businesses is higher than other startups – perhaps a reflection of the discipline, skills and leadership experience acquired in military service. There are a number of resources and programs from a variety of government and non-profit associations that are...
While growth in the travel and tourism business is still in recovery mode, the early warm temperatures across most of the U.S. coupled with an uptick in positivity over the future of the economy could make 2012 a good year for the U.S. tourist industry and the small businesses that support it. Today, Commerce Secretary John Bryson and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the Administration’s National Tourism and Travel Strategy [PDF] – delivering on President Obama’s call in January for a national strategy to promote...
Social media, e-mail marketing, and search engine optimization are all important aspects of any businesses’ online marketing strategy. But what about more traditional marketing activities such as direct mail, trade shows, advertising and events? It may surprise you that many “old school” tactics still have an important role to play in any small business marketing plan and can have a big impact on perception and purchasing decisions. Here’s why they matter and what you can do to dust them off and bring them up to date....
So, you’ve set up a Facebook page and perhaps you are blogging too, but how do you use your online social media presence to actually get customers to frequent your business? Social media engagement is based on a customer’s interest in what you have to offer, and more often than not, your followers will be people who have done business with you in the past. But what can you do to generate repeat customers or even new customers? A lot depends on the trusted “call to action.” Here’s how to make it work for you: 1....
Small businesses around the country can take advantage of free computer security workshops to help strengthen their information security, determine their readiness against security breaches and safeguard their business information from computer attacks. With the growing threat of computer hacking, even against large companies, small businesses should armor themselves. The series of workshops, designed especially for small business owners, is made possible by a partnership between the SBA, Commerce Department’s National Institute of...
Does your small business have a presence on Facebook or Twitter? Are you wondering whether it’s worth investing time and resources in yet another social network? When Google rolled out Google Plus (Google+) last year, many asked the same question. And they’re still asking. There’s no doubt that social media is a great outreach and engagement tool for small businesses with limited marketing budgets. But as more and more social networks come online (Pinterest anyone?) is it really worth the effort to branch out and jump on...
Entrepreneur and founder of The Body Shop Anita Roddick once said: “Nobody talks about entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking.” The first few years of small business ownership are undoubtedly the toughest, a huge test of entrepreneurial character. And data proves that getting it right is as challenging as ever. According to the SBA Office of Advocacy (PDF), the survival rate for new employer firms stacks up as follows: Seven out of 10 new employer firms survive...
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by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, June 7, 2012 - 07:23