Small Business News, Tools and Articles

Get the Word Out!

StartupNation Blog — Get the Word Out! Once you do your research and contact media members with targeted pitches, there are several other things you can do to build buzz about your business. ^

Looming Commercial Real Estate Crisis Threatens Small Businesses

Small Business Trends — Looming Commercial Real Estate Crisis Threatens Small Businesses Recently I blogged about President Obama’s proposal to help community banks lend more money to entrepreneurs. ^

Niche Social Networks

Small Business Labs — The 10 include social networks for mustache lovers, vampires (or fans of vampires) and 8 other niche social networks. ^

02 Media: SMS Marketing Still Superior to Mobile Apps

Mobile Marketing Watch — 02 Media: SMS Marketing Still Superior to Mobile Apps Although mobile apps are clearly all the rage, Shaun Gregory, the managing director of O2 Media, says it’s important not to place apps ahead of sound mobile marketing practices when it comes to utilizing the mobile space most efficiently in the promotional process. Gregory advised firms to avoid the temptation of becoming wholly preoccupied with creating [...]

Sales Tip of the Day: SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

The Selling Sherpa — How do you answer the question, “should I stay or should I go?” I will typically consider three things: Does the subject of the event address a problem my customers are facing? Does the subject of the event address an idea I want to pursue but have not had time to research? Is the speaker or featured presenter someone I want to make a connection with? If the answer to any of these is yes, I’ll go. ^

Black Ops Social Media Marketing

bizSugar / Hot Topics — It pulls me back to my early days in the intelligence community… Okay, maybe not quite the same-I never had to kill quite so many people to accomplish my objectives. ^

2 Ways to Create Influence and Persuade Others for Salespeople

bizSugar / Hot Topics — 2 Ways to Create Influence and Persuade Others for Salespeople Real influence, the real ability to persuade others, is based on the foundational attributes of success. ^

Any Mobile Phone Can Be a Smartphone

Mobile Marketing Watch — Any Mobile Phone Can Be a Smartphone An interesting piece from MakeUseOf.com points to an often overlooked reality than few may have previously considered. ^

Tips on using Google Image Search for your SEO

bizSugar / Hot Topics — Tips on using Google Image Search for your SEO Google Image Search is the version of Google dedicated to images and it is a very effective technique for your search engine marketing strategy and implicitly for your search engine optimisation strategy.19 Vote(s)

5 Benefits of LinkedIn For Bloggers | Online Media Gazette

bizSugar / Hot Topics — Online Media Gazette LinkedIn isn't just a tool for businesses to expand their brand on, but individuals like bloggers can benefit a lot if they spend some time on it. ^

Are You Brave Enough to Work for Social Change?

HBR Editors' Blog — But there was an unofficial, existential thread running through several of the keynote speeches — namely, finding yourself through public service. Philanthropist and businessman Raymond Chambers sat with The Economist's Matthew Bishop in a couple of easy chairs at center stage (inviting, of course, hundreds of their closest entrepreneurial friends) and held an "informal" discussion about the ways Chambers has applied many of the business principles he honed in the world of private equity to cre

Are You Brave Enough to Work for Social Change?

HBR Editors' Blog — But there was an unofficial, existential thread running through several of the keynote speeches — namely, finding yourself through public service. Philanthropist and businessman Raymond Chambers sat with The Economist's Matthew Bishop in a couple of easy chairs at center stage (inviting, of course, hundreds of their closest entrepreneurial friends) and held an "informal" discussion about the ways Chambers has applied many of the business principles he honed in the world of private equity to cre

Starbucks’ video case study: Building Meaningful Customer Engagement

GasPedal — Starbucks’ video case study: Building Meaningful Customer Engagement Come to BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media on April 7 in Cincinnati to hear Dell, Duke Energy, Procter & Gamble, Hilton Worldwide, AT&T, Tyson Foods, Rogers Communications, and General Mills share case studies in corporate social media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal [...]

Pulitzer Prizefighting

Seth's Blog — Pulitzer Prizefighting People are drawn to existing competitions like moths to a flame.It's precisely the wrong way to succeed.Lots of journalists take significant detours in their careers and their writing in order to win a Pulitzer. ^

You Still Calling 'Em Customers?

bizSugar / Hot Topics — You Still Calling 'Em Customers? ^

Pulitzer Prizefighting

Seth's Blog — Pulitzer Prizefighting People are drawn to existing competitions like moths to a flame.It's precisely the wrong way to succeed.Lots of journalists take significant detours in their careers and their writing in order to win a Pulitzer. ^

Weekend Favs March Six

Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing — Weekend Favs March Six Weekend Favs March SixThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Weekend Favs March SixThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I have a weekend routine where I share a handful of favorite things I tripped upon online this week. ^

Superinnovator — (An excerpt from “Advantage: Business Competition in the New Normal”) The Value of Knowledgeable Novices History and experience suggest that the right novice well placed is sometimes the best way to solve a problem. ^

99 Apps Launches $99 iPhone App for Restauranteurs

Mobile Marketing Watch — 99 Apps Launches $99 iPhone App for Restauranteurs When it comes to launching mobile marketing companies, some firms believe it’s best to go after one industry, offering easy and affordable ways for businesses in that industry to get into mobile marketing. ^

Introducing FreelanceFolder’s New Premium Sponsor, IAC-EZ

Freelance Folder — Introducing FreelanceFolder’s New Premium Sponsor, IAC-EZ You may have noticed there’s a new banner ad at the top of the site. ^

Intel Leads July Systems $7M Series C for Cross-Platform Mobile Publishing

Mobile Marketing Watch — Intel Leads July Systems $7M Series C for Cross-Platform Mobile Publishing Mobile media company July Systems announced the week the addition of $7 million in their Series C round of funding led by Intel Capital and existing investors Sequoia Capital and Footprint Ventures. ^

Small Business News for March 5, 2010

Small Business Trends — Small Business News for March 5, 2010 We hope you’re enjoying your daily small business news roundup here at Small Business Trends. ^

Cardagin Scans $1M Series A for Mobile Loyalty Card Program

Mobile Marketing Watch — Cardagin Scans $1M Series A for Mobile Loyalty Card Program Carrying around loyalty cards for different stores can be a pain, so moving loyalty programs to mobile phones makes sense. ^

Small Business Lessons We Can Learn from Watching Movies

Small Business Trends — Small Business Lessons We Can Learn from Watching Movies Movies have a big impact on our everyday life. ^

Losing Andrew Carnegie

Seth's Blog — Losing Andrew Carnegie Carnegie apparently said, "Take away my people, but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floors......Take away my factories, but leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory."Is there a typical large corporation working today that still believes this?Most organizations now have it backwards. ^

7 Great Tips for Marketing Your Business Using a Facebook Fan Page

StartupNation Blog — 7 Great Tips for Marketing Your Business Using a Facebook Fan Page Google recently announced that Facebook results will be integrated into real time search results. ^

Go Ahead, Start That Side Business

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Go Ahead, Start That Side Business 3 entrepreneurs offer tips on how to have a full-time job, sideline business and a great life.

Great Referrals Aren't Accidents

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Great Referrals Aren't Accidents Make networking part of your relationship-building strategy, and you'll see real results.

Spring reading list--big ideas for idea people

Seth's Blog — Spring reading list--big ideas for idea people Readers have told me that they enjoy my off-the-wall book lists. ^

“Rework” by 37signals Founders Reimagines How Business Should Be

Small Business Trends — “Rework” by 37signals Founders Reimagines How Business Should Be “It is time to rework work. ^

Spring reading list--big ideas for idea people

Seth's Blog — Spring reading list--big ideas for idea people Readers have told me that they enjoy my off-the-wall book lists. ^

Losing Andrew Carnegie

Seth's Blog — Losing Andrew Carnegie Carnegie apparently said, "Take away my people, but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floors......Take away my factories, but leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory."Is there a typical large corporation working today that still believes this?Most organizations now have it backwards. ^

Latest Small Business Awards and Contests

Small Business Trends — This list of competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. - * * * * * B2B Social Media Integration Case Study Challenge Enter by March 12, 2010 This is your chance to join an expert panel at the B2B Forum session. ^

Mobile Users: Fans of Personalized Location Based Services

Mobile Marketing Watch — Mobile Users: Fans of Personalized Location Based Services Mobile tech gives developers power to offer a lot of “magic” features for the user experience given the data known about a user based on GPS location, time of day, and other info. ^

On self determination

Seth's Blog — On self determination I posted this eight years ago (!) but a reader asked for an encore. ^

Work-from-Home Doesn't Have to Be a Stigma

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Work-from-Home Doesn't Have to Be a Stigma When your home is your office, it's all about presentation. ^

On self determination

Seth's Blog — On self determination I posted this eight years ago (!) but a reader asked for an encore. ^

Guerrilla Social Media Marketing Attribute #6

bizSugar / Hot Topics — (unedited excerpt from my upcoming November 2010 book published by Entrepreneur Press and co-authored with Jay Levinson): #6) Free and Variable It is important to use free digital give away's that have real value and customer benefits. ^

A Curious Case of Object Permanence

Small Business Trends — I quit my last day job soon after my son was born and I’ve been juggling diaper pins and ink pens ever since. Usually the two roles don’t intersect. ^

Don’t Just Monitor Your Brand, Watch the Niche for Sales

bizSugar / Hot Topics — Don’t Just Monitor Your Brand, Watch the Niche for Sales Monitoring your brand online and in social media has become a no brainer. ^