Tips for Small Businesses
Small Business Tips Archive | For current postings, visit the blog
Building Great Customer Experiences
Date: September 19, 2011
Read this 4-part blog series about creating outstanding customer experiences from first contact to after-sale follow-up.
Disaster Recovery Help from the SBA
Date: September 13, 2011
If your region hasn’t been hit by a natural disaster this year, then you’re one of the lucky ones. From earthquakes, to fires, to hurricanes, to torrential rains to droughts it seems like the U.S. is currently bearing the brunt of Mother Nature.
Are You On Vacation?
Date: September 13, 2011
Today is Labor Day, which officially (or maybe unofficially) marks the end of the summer. Are you taking a vacation day today? Have you taken a vacation yet this year…or even a day off? If you’re like many small business owners, the answer…
Creating a Privacy Policy
Date: September 13, 2011
Online privacy is currently a hot topic—especially with social media sites like Facebook collecting large amounts of data about members, and far-reaching web companies like Google bridging the gap between personal services (like Gmail) and advertis…
Social Media Lectures
Date: September 13, 2011
Many small businesses are currently using social media as part of their sales and marketing campaigns. For some it’s nothing more than a Facebook Places page. For others, it’s a comprehensive suite of social media tools including Facebook, your o…
Help For Your Website Product Pages
Date: August 18, 2011
If you use your website to sell products, you know how critical it is that your product pages are not only informative, but also persuasive enough to turn a browser into a buyer. Studies show that only 3% of online shoppers convert to buyers, so you…
A Little Small Business Music
Date: August 18, 2011
With summertime finally here, and heat waves rampant throughout large parts of the U.S., it can be hard to stay motivated and attentive inside an office when you really want to {insert favorite outdoor activity here}. A great way to keep your team, a…
How to Decide Between Flying and Driving for Your Next Business Trip
Date: August 18, 2011
Many small business owners are all too familiar with the hassles (and sometimes joys) of business travel. A key decision these days, especially with both rising gas prices and rising airline ticket costs, are whether to fly or drive to out-of town bu…
Consider This Small Business Network
Date: August 18, 2011
There is no such thing as a free lunch, so sometimes in order to get access to information that can help you manage and grow your business you need to wade through a sales pitch.
Fast, Free File Sharing
Date: August 18, 2011
If you were a satisfied user of drop.io before Facebook bought then shuttered it, or if you’ve never heard of it but would like a fast easy way to share files of any size for free, you’ll love the new free ge.tt sharing service.
Competitive Universe Analysis
Date: August 13, 2011
A Competitive Universe Analysis is a quick visualization of where your business sits in the total consumer marketplace. It uses a bulls-eye diagram, with your company at the center, to identify your first, second, third and fourth level competitors.
Tax Trouble? Tax Questions? Free IRS Workshops Coming To a Town Near You.
Date: July 28, 2011
The IRS runs small business workshops in all 50 states. These workshops are designed to help you understand the Federal Tax system and how it applies to you and your business. Presenters are IRS partners who are Federal Tax specialists. Topics range…
Gmail Tips and Tricks
Date: July 28, 2011
If you’re reading this as a Google Gadget, chances are you’re using Gmail. If you’re not, then here are a few features that may make you want to get a free Gmail account. Unlimited Unique Email Addresses Once you’ve registered for a free Gmai…
Small Business Radio
Date: July 28, 2011
The Small Business Authority Hour is a new radio program (started in February, 2011) on 77 WABC Radio, out of NYC. The show airs at 4PM Eastern Time on the first Saturday of each month.
Small Business Events, Conferences and Webinars this Quarter
Date: July 27, 2011
The Small Business Trends website has posted a great list of conferences, events and webinars taking place this quarter (January-March 2010). Whether you’re thinking about starting a small business, or need help with marketing, managing or growing…
Add Your Business to Online Maps
Date: July 27, 2011
If you want your customers to find you, make sure your business shows up when they are searching online maps. Use the following links to include information about your business--such as your hours, your website, and a brief description of the product…
Do Not Do This: Common Small Business Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Date: July 27, 2011
Everyone makes mistakes, and they are often a valuable learning tool. However, it’s even better to learn from someone else’s mistakes instead of your own. The following resources provide valuable insights from those who have been there.
Small Business Tax Update
Date: July 27, 2011
Filing taxes for your small business is getting more complicated every day. With new rules being implemented all the time, even the most scrupulous business owner can end up making costly mistakes. While there is no substitute for professional tax he…
Small Business Loan Report
Date: July 27, 2011
We’ve all heard that the government is making it a priority to increase small business lending by providing incentives to banks to make small business loans. But, is it working? Some say no.
How Not To Get Sued
Date: July 18, 2011
With all the things small business owners have to juggle, defending themselves in a lawsuit is definitely an unwelcome addition to the mix. The best defense is definitely a good offense—avoiding situations that can spark litigation.
What Is Your Small Business Psychographic Profile?
Date: July 18, 2011
Psychographics attempts to profile a target audience based on attitudes, impressions, goals and lifestyles. Unlike demographic profiling, which classifies a target audience based on tangible attributes such as age, geographic location, gender, ethnic…
Free Small Business Forms, Contracts and Financial Templates
Date: July 18, 2011
Why start from scratch when creating business forms, contracts and financial spreadsheets? The Business Owners Toolkit provides a large selection of templates that you can use for free—when you complete a simple free registration.
Help Other Small Business Owners Learn from Your Mistakes
Date: July 18, 2011
The United States Center for Entrepreneurship, a for-profit education company, is compiling a Lessons Learned list for small businesses. They’re asking small business owners to submit one or two examples of their most memorable mistakes, how they o…
101 Small Business Tips from the Experts
Date: July 18, 2011
The folks at American Express OPEN Forum asked 50 top small business bloggers to provide tips, insights and advice to small business owners.
Free 3-D Modeling Tool
Date: July 18, 2011
Whether you want to model a new product concept, add dimension to your presentations and marketing materials, or simply create a plan to re-arrange your office, the free Google Sketch-up program will fit the bill.
Home Office Tax Deduction Calculator
Date: July 18, 2011
Do you work from home? Whether you have a home-based business or just have a dedicated office in your house, you may be able to take a tax deduction for it.
Create a Video for Your Website For Free!
Date: July 18, 2011
Use the animoto tool to turn still pictures into a cool video. You upload your pictures, choose display order and pictures to emphasize, and then pick a music clip.
Tool for Testing Pricing Scenarios
Date: July 18, 2011
The recently launched Information Week Analytics site provides a wealth of information that can help you make IT and other technology decisions for your business.
Expert IT Advice and Technology Decision Making Tools
Date: July 18, 2011
The recently launched Information Week Analytics site provides a wealth of information that can help you make IT and other technology decisions for your business.
Experts Thoughts on Business Ethics
Date: July 18, 2011
Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for the world’s best business schools, has just launched The Center for Ethical Business Leadership.
A Helpful Guide to Risk Assessment & Management
Date: July 18, 2011
The continued success and survival of your small business depends on many factors, some within your control and some beyond it. How you recognize and manage risk is one key factor you can control, even though the risks themselves contain elements tha…
Do Business with the U.S. Government
Date: July 18, 2011
Due to the tough economic times your traditional customers may be cutting back, but there is one potential customer that is primed for a buying spree—the United States Government.
An Easy Way to Find Free Software that Meets Your Exact Needs
Date: July 18, 2011
Sure free software lists and directories are good places to find useful applications, but finding exactly what you need often entails inexact searches and long browsing.
Find Out How Optimistic Small Business Owners Are About the Future
Date: July 18, 2011
Each month the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) Research Foundation polls its small business members to generate the Small Business Economic Trends report.
Fun with Charts & Graphs
Date: July 18, 2011
With widgenie you can create charts and graphs that can be easily published in your presentations, on your website, your blog, social networking sites, or even as an iGoogle widget.
Get the Small Business 411
Date: July 18, 2011
The NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) Research Foundation routinely surveys small businesses as part of producing their ongoing National Small Business Poll publication.
Best Free Software of 2009
Date: July 18, 2011
If you’re looking for some free software to add to your library, this list from PC Magazine is a good place to start. With software categories ranging from office applications, graphics, finance, audio and video to name just a few, you’re sure to…
