10/28/2010
Businesses require two critical ingredients in order to expand and succeed: a clear understanding of what their costs are going to be, and access to capital. The current political and regulatory environment leaves them void of both.When companies, it does not matter if it is a mom-and-pop operation or multi-national corporation, face uncertainty, they all do the same thing: nothing. Or, at least as little as possible when it comes to spending money. It is the reason trillions of dollars are currently sitting in corporate bank accounts; and unless its a bank, that is not what a company should do with its excess cash. Companies are supposed to invest it in the business in order to develop new or better products or services, increase its earnings and hire more employees.
Uncertainty Strangles Small Businesses
10/27/2010
Never doubt the power of social media. In Todays Living, Twitter and Facebook, the new face of business and advertising.A growing number of small business owners are finding word of mouth advertising on the web is allowing them to go global.
It does not get more local than this: a 30-minute photo shop in Irvine, California same storefront since 1990. But this is an international enterprise now.
complete article
10/21/2010
Supporting programs for innovative, technology-driven small businesses under SBAs Federal and State Technology (FAST) partnership program, the U.S. Small Business Administration has granted $100,000 awards to 20 state and local economic development agencies, business development centers, and colleges and universities. Candidates were submitted by the governors of all 50 U.S. states and territories.The FAST Program is designed to stimulate economic development among small, high technology businesses through federally-funded innovation and research and development programs like the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). The project and budget periods are for 12 months, starting Sept. 30, 2010.
10/20/2010
Innovation is what keeps small business thriving and prospering. That was part of the message this week from Rick Briand, an account manager with the Business Development Bank of Canada, who spoke at a kick-off event for Small Business Week.Briand told the Chamber of Commerce luncheon that innovation does not necessarily mean having a Eureka moment and relying on new technology.
Innovation the Key to Business Success
10/19/2010
In the world of high-yield securities, small business loans are safer than junk bonds, and are expected to get even less risky over the next two years, according to PayNet, which provides risk-management tools to the commercial lending industry.complete article
10/14/2010
One of the most cost-effective ways for small business owners to increase sales is by getting plugged in to the world of social media.Social networks such as Facebook or Twitter allow a company of any size to add a whole new weapon to its marketing arsenal. Tech-savvy marketing experts like Tomica Bonner say that, thanks to the rapid growth in the pace of technology, businesses can learn more about what their customers want and see how to increase profits.
complete article
10/13/2010
The National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the recession ended in 2009. The NBER may feel confident about its predictions, but the small business trends website paints a much different picture. The Obama white house has claimed that small businesses are the key to economic recovery.Recession Not Over
10/11/2010
Negotiation really is an art, and can be a challenge to master for even the most astute business professional. And like any art form, it must be refined and crafted. Getting a good deal can result in a feeling of euphoria. So, how does one negotiate a good deal? It can be difficult, especially if the other party appears to be holding all the cards. Follow these tips to help negotiate a great deal...Negotiations
10/08/2010
How can you get more attention with your blog posts while showing the proper respect for the blog owner and his/her audience? How do you create an unforgettable social media experience with tools like Facebook that will really make a difference for your business bottom line? What strategies should you use, what design and tool resources can you employee to ensure your brand rises above the rest and what goals do you - should you have when approaching social media in the first place. We’ve got some answers drawn from across the Web that should build on knowledge and encourage discussion. Social media best practices for your small business are here.Social Media Plan
10/07/2010
The Democratic-controlled Congress on Thursday sent President Barack Obama a long-delayed bill to help struggling small businesses with easier credit and other incentives to expand and hire new workers.The $40 billion-plus bill is the last vestige of the heralded jobs agenda that Obama and Democrats promoted early this year. They ended up delivering only a fraction of what they promised after Senate Republicans blocked most of the agenda with filibusters.
The Senate passed the measure last week. The 237-187 House vote Thursday that sent the bill to the president split along party lines as Democrats praised the measure for creating a $30 billion federal fund to help smaller banks issue loans to small businesses and for cutting taxes by $12 billion over the coming decade.
complete article
10/06/2010
Nearly half, 47%, of small-business owners now plan to never retire until forced to do so for health reasons -- up from about 4 in 10 in 2005 and 2007 -- according to a recent Wells Fargo-Gallup Small Business Index poll. Another 41% plan to cut back on work but stay involved with their business when they retire. Those planning to stop working in their business altogether fell to 1 in 10 during 2010 from nearly twice that level in 2005complete article
10/05/2010
A small business is many things. To define them purely by numbers is to miss their rich diversity and abundance.
You can recognize a small business when you see it. A self-employed plumber or builder, that independent store run by a hard-working couple, or those kids cooking up a new internet service from their garage or bedrooms.
Some small businesses will never grow into anything else, because their owners do not want them to. A self-employed architect or carpenter may well have chosen that path for the independence it offers and they don't aspire to establishing a commercial empire.
The small business is a haven for the specialist who loves what they do and want to remain hands-on, without the pressure of moving into management.
A small business can represent innovation. Many entrepreneurs start with a small business, as they convert their exciting ideas for a new product or service into a saleable commodity. A true entrepreneur doesn't want to stay small, just as they don't want to stay in the same business for too long. For them the excitement is the in start-up phase, turning a concept into a reality and then moving on.
Many small businesses are an escape route from corporate life. Droves of professionals yearn to be self-employed, free of the office cubicle, with its burdens of management expectation, bureaucracy and internal politics. Of course, working for yourself requires adherence to a new set of rules and ways of working, but it has the benefit of feeling much freer.
What is a Small Business
10/04/2010
Imagine if your monthly heating bill jumped to $130 from $100. How would you pay for this? What would you need to do — or not do — to find that extra $30 every month?That is essentially the challenge many of our provinces smallest businesses have faced during the past few years. Only it’s not their heating bill that is increased, it is the amount the province requires them to pay employees earning minimum wage.
complete article
09/28/2010
Fixing the economy and addressing the state budget shortfall are on a lot of people's minds right now, including mine. As a small business owner, dealing with red ink is the kind of thing that will keep you up at night.To create jobs and cut the deficit, we need to jumpstart the economy and support small businesses that are poised to expand and lead the recovery. As a small business owner, and one who works with many other businesses to address their financing needs, I believe addressing the small business credit crunch and reinvesting money from expiring tax cuts to support local economies are two effective ways to move the economy forward.
09/27/2010
President Barack Obama wants to phase out the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, those individuals making more than $200,000 a year, or $250,000 a household. But some small-business owners are worried they could get trapped in that wealthiest Americans net because their business income doubles as personal income.Precisely how many small-business owners will get caught in that situation is hard to say.
Most small businesses -- barber shops and restaurants and small manufacturers -- do not clear $250,000 a year in profits, and of those that do, many pay presidents and owners a salary for tax purposes.
complete article
09/21/2010
Check out a new website need gift idea for finding the perfect business or personal gift.
09/20/2010
The technical search giant, Google, alone is the inspiration and sole cause behind the creation of thousands of new businesses. There are now companies dedicated solely to Pay-Per-Click campaign management. Thousands of individuals and companies now make money through search engine optimization and outsourcing their services to improve website rankings, specifically to see that a website ranks well in Googles organic search results. There are now software applications that can determine what keywords to use in optimizing a website for search engine rankings, and other software programs that assess and evaluate website traffic and popularity. These products and businesses were all brought to fruition as a result of Googles Internet search domination and technical stature.Technology Has Spawned Industries
09/15/2010
When the tax man comes knocking at the door of a small business, the visitor can cause an owner to go dizzy with questions of what to do next, and how best to handle the overall tax audit process. And who better to answer those questions than the Internal Revenue Service, which now offers small businesses a guide to tax audits. The video series entitled, Your Guide to an IRS Audit is a step-by-step guide to a small business audit.
09/13/2010
Trying to fix an organizations content problems by installing a content management system -CMS is like trying to save a marriage by booking a holiday. We know that a successful web project needs a content strategy—but when it comes to the CMS, we stop thinking strategically. Despite all the talk about user-centered design, we rarely consider the user experience of the editorial team—the people who implement the content strategy. We do not design a CMS, we install it.The problems with Content Management Systems
09/09/2010
Many webmasters work very hard on their websites, but they often overlook glaringly-obvious mistakes that may be costing them sales or potential customers. Here are what we consider the Top 7 such mistakes...1. JavaScript Navigation
Many website visitors now have JavaScript turned off or disabled in their web browsers, due to ever-increasing security concerns. If you are using JavaScript in your navigation menus, some potential customers may be unable to navigate your website. More often than not, this means that potential customers will click away and turn to a competitor. In addition to avoiding JavaScript navigation, you should also avoid using JavaScript in the ordering process. Ordering systems that require JavaScript to function may also result in your customers being unable to purchase, and going somewhere else instead!
7 Mistakes that Can Cost You Money
09/07/2010
For small-business owners, creating and implementing effective marketing strategies can be an uphill battle. The question always becomes: What kind of strategies should you employ to grow your business and are they going to work?
So when a Miami Herald reader recently asked BizBytes whether green marketing strategies could help grow their small business, I turned to D. Steven White, professor of marketing at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and interim director of its Sustainability Studies Program.
What is green marketing anyway?
According to American Marketing Association, it is defined as the marketing and promotion of products and services that are environmentally safe. reen marketing for small businesses is really about introducing green products and adopting sustainable practices to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Green Marketing
09/06/2010
More than a dozen programs aimed at spurring hiring among small businesses have been introduced or proposed. They include:-- Under the Recovery Act, the government raised the maximum guarantee for Small Business Administration loans and temporarily suspended fees charged to business owners. Money in that program ran out in the spring and the Obama administration is pressing Congress to approve an extension.
-- As part of the new HIRE Act, business owners get a tax cut on their share of payroll taxes for hiring unemployed people. They get another cut if they keep the employees for a year.
-- The administration is proposing to eliminate all capital gains taxes on small-business investments as well as to extend provisions allowing them to deduct the cost of capital expenditures and write off certain investments.
08/30/2010
Compelling customers to take the final step from browsing to purchasing is not always an easy transition. Marketers and entrepreneurs who have studied purchasing habits have found that the following enticements can help encourage potential customers to take the final step to purchase...Enticing Purchasers - Closing the Sale
08/24/2010
Small businesses are much less important in technology-intensive industries than in the rest of the economy.They account for a slender portion of high tech sales. A recent report by the National Science Foundation indicates that, in 2008, businesses with between 5 and 499 employees accounted for 11 percent of sales of companies that conduct research and development.
08/19/2010
There are generally two different kinds of tools that allow visitors to subscribe to RSS feeds. These tools are known as aggregators, or RSS news readers. As the content of an RSS feed changes, the RSS reader or aggregator will update itself automatically and display the new RSS feed items.How to Subscribe to an RSS Feed
08/18/2010
Owners of new mom-and-pop retail shops and other small businesses could get a boost if Isle of Wight County begins offering incentives to woo small businesses.Isle of Wight County last month overhauled its incentive plans for larger, more lucrative mixed-used developments and may begin offering incentives to grow its small businesses community, said Lisa Perry, the countys economic development director.
complete article
08/16/2010
Almost 70 percent of those earning $200,000 — where the income tax first kicks in — are small business owners. They pay roughly 70 percent of small business wages and generate 67 percent of the profits.complete article
08/10/2010
I wonder if it will be a mirror of Yahoo Answers:Internet search engine Ask.com is planning to go beyond algorithms and ask real human beings to help answer questions.
Ask, which is seeking to expand its less than four percent share of the Web search market in the United States, launched an invitation-only beta, or test, version of the new service on Tuesday.
08/05/2010
There are a number of steps a webmaster can take to encourage visitors to click on a link or graphic located on their website. The following steps will help get the click...10 Steps to Getting the Click
07/27/2010
Webmasters and marketers spend an inordinate amount of time building quality content that relates to their products or services. Yet the vast majority of these marketers fail to fully capitalize on the content they were so careful to create.Webmasters can easily reformat their web content and present it to their customers in a variety of different ways. And different formats can be promoted through different channels. The different formats will often appeal to new and different audiences. For example: a video explanation may resonate with a younger technical customer, while an eBook in PDF format may appeal an older customer.
Present Content Different Ways
07/15/2010
Website design can be elusive to even creative individuals. Sadly some webmasters do not realize their incompetence and they post websites that have grainy graphics and turgid colors. If you are one of these webmasters and have seen the error of your ways, consider this. Your website is a sales tool. A professional layout and design can significantly increase sales and conversion rates, gaining you customers. Businesses can greatly benefit from a professional and unforgettable logo that sets them apart from their competition. Logos are not just fancy graphics that adorn websites or letterhead, logos are a representation of a businesses' philosophy. Logos are a critical component of brand development.Building an Image with a Logo
Find ready made logo designs for businesses.
07/14/2010
Many of the B2B companies that publish corporate blogs have long realized the value of publishing useful content in the form of white papers, case studies, webinars, newsletters and other types of educational content.Business buyers typically seek additional information and resources for information on business products and services. In the growing content marketing field, some companies choose a pure creation strategy and find it to be a challenge.
Content Creation in Business
07/12/2010
Color psychology is a phrase used to describe the effect that color has on human behavior. The psychology of color is certainly not a new concept. In fact, it has been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Colors tend to carry non-verbal and subliminal messages, and the color spectrum evokes different emotions and physiological responses in people. The reactions people have to specific colors may be influenced by many factors, including their culture, location, gender, or even their age.The emotions that are evoked by various colors are not always gender-specific. The same colors may generate one emotion in men, while producing a completely different emotion in women. Colors may also have different psychological impacts in different cultures. In eastern cultures, white might represent death; whereas in western cultures, white can represent life, marriage, or rebirth. Colors may also have a different impact on people in different age groups.
Emotion of Color in Web Design
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