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. ^

Social Media Marketing - Waste of Time. | Marketing

bizSugar / Hot Topics — Unwilling to take the time to understand how to approach it or to realise it's benefits, it is dismissed as a fad. ^

3 Steps to Free Publicity for Your Business

Small Business Trends — 3 Steps to Free Publicity for Your Business When you’re a small business, positive word-of-mouth is critical to growth. ^

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. ^

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. ^

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. ^

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? ^

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. ^

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. ^

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. ^

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. ^

iPad Release Date Finally Announced

Mobile Marketing Watch — And while the waiting isn’t fully behind us yet, people chomping at the bit to get their hands on the iPad can at least circle a date on their calendars. Apple today announced that the iPad will be released on April 3rd. ^

NFIB Statement on Job Creation by Small Business

The Entrepreneurial Mind — The survey was conducted through February 28 and reflects 799 small business owner respondents: "In February, small business owners reported a seasonally adjusted decline in average employment per firm of negative 0.13 workers during the prior three months, an improvement from the January reading of negative .52 workers per firm.  Ten percent of the owners increased employment by an average of 5.0 workers per firm, but 19 percent reduced employment an average of 3.2 workers per firm (seasonally

Small Business News March 8, 2010

Small Business Trends — Small Business News March 8, 2010 It’s time for another Small Business News roundup.  Here are the news links and blog posts that are shaking up the small business online community for March 8, 2010 hand picked by the team at Small Business Trends. Operations Small Business celebrates the Oscars! ^

Facebook Helps SMB Owners Make Events More Useful

Small Business Trends — Facebook Helps SMB Owners Make Events More Useful Facebook has been getting a heck of a lot of buzz lately as the social networking site continues to add value for brands and small business owners. ^

Give 'Em Something to Crave

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Give 'Em Something to Crave Strategies for capitalizing on the new 'experience economy'

5-Step Late-Business-Meeting Recovery Plan

Planning, Startups, Stories — 5-Step Late-Business-Meeting Recovery Plan It seems so simple: punctuality is a matter of respecting other people’s time. ^

Author of Word of Mouth Marketing Visits Referral Week

Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing — Author of Word of Mouth Marketing Visits Referral Week Author of Word of Mouth Marketing Visits Referral WeekThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Author of Word of Mouth Marketing Visits Referral WeekThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 Marketing podcast [...]

The Referral Multiplier Effect

Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing — The Referral Multiplier Effect The Referral Multiplier EffectThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing The Referral Multiplier EffectThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 After I read an early copy of [...]

Great Quote on Seniors Working Past Traditional Retirement Age

Small Business Labs — Great Quote on Seniors Working Past Traditional Retirement Age The quote comes from an article on outsourcing IT operations to rural U.S. locations instead of overseas. ^

Why I Hate Those Huge Market Numbers

Planning, Startups, Stories — Why I Hate Those Huge Market Numbers It happens way too often: entrepreneurs proud of some huge completely unattainable market numbers. ^

A Simple Way to Increase Referrals 300%

Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing — A Simple Way to Increase Referrals 300% A Simple Way to Increase Referrals 300%This content from: Duct Tape Marketing A Simple Way to Increase Referrals 300%This content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 I’m always amazed at [...]

The factory in the center

Seth's Blog — The goal of marketing was to sell whatever the factory could produce in a given month, for as little as possible. And things like customer service and community relations were expenses, things you did in order to keep the factory out of trouble. So... What happens when the factory goes away? What if the organization has no engine in the center that makes something. ^

Bake a Referral Engine Into Your Business Model

Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing — Bake a Referral Engine Into Your Business Model Bake a Referral Engine Into Your Business ModelThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Bake a Referral Engine Into Your Business ModelThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 Have you ever [...]

Make This Your Most Profitable Year Ever – Profitability Tips

Small Business Trends — Make This Your Most Profitable Year Ever – Profitability Tips If you’re like a lot of small business owners I’ve talked to since we rang in 2010, you probably sympathize with this statement: “Enough with the doom and gloom already. ^

Pique Interests With a Sample

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Pique Interests With a Sample Sampling isn't just for ice cream shops--put the technique to work for your business.

Group, Fan Page or Both?

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Group, Fan Page or Both? Make sure your Facebook strategy is the one that works best for your business.

More Small Biz Awards and Contests

Smallbiztechnology.com — More Small Biz Awards and Contests There are some excellent opportunities for recognition and cash prizes in this weeks' list of contests and awards, which is brought to you every other week 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. ^

Why Isn't My Company Making Money?

Entrepreneur.com: Latest Articles — Why Isn't My Company Making Money? Don't wish for success--plan for it.

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. ^

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. ^

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. ^

Do You Really Want To Franchise Your Business?

The Franchise King — The cheap route usually involves spending about $20,000 with an attorney to do the necessary legal things to enable them to sell franchises.  So, armed with their paperwork, they start advertising their franchise concept. ^

Why Content Is King But Not Just

Smallbiztechnology.com — Why Content Is King But Not Just