Make the Most of Google My Business
Looking for a free way to boost your small business online? Google My Business is your ticket to driving traffic straight to your (real or virtual) doors! Google My Business is a business listing site...
To Groupon, Or Not to Groupon?
As a small business owner, you want exposure wherever exposure is available. Whether it’s social media, pay-to-play advertisement or even IRL marketing strategies (guerrilla marketing, anyone?), the more visibility you have, the better, right? But...
Small Business Guerrilla Marketing for the Internet Age
Let’s talk about guerrillas. They’re independent, often out-manned fighters who band together against a bigger, more prepared enemy using surprise, ambush, sabotage and hit-and-run tactics to accomplish their goals. Sounds a lot like a small...
Here’s My Card: Should Your Small Business Go Back to Business Cards?
There was a time, not so long ago, when business cards were ubiquitous. You couldn’t go much further than the corner café without someone pressing a 3.5 x 2-inch piece of “very valuable contact information”...
The Pros and Cons of Amazon for Your Small Business
Don’t look now, but Amazon has just taken another giant step in its neverending question to dominate retail. Amazon on Sept. 17 launched Amazon Storefronts, designed for U.S.-based small and mid-size businesses (SMB) that offer...
Should Your Small Business Get Political?
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: “A politician walks into a nondescript farm-to-table restaurant named after a scarlet female fowl …” Oh, so you already know about Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ quick jaunt to Lexington,...
Should You “Kickstart” Your Small Business With Kickstarter?
It’s a common problem for business owners across the globe: You have a big idea and a small budget. You’ve probably spent a ton of time thinking of solutions to this issue, ranging from the...
5 Professional Development Sources for Small Business Owners
Small business owners are a diverse lot. Some of you have a fancy business degree from a fancier university; others haven’t seen the inside of a classroom since shortly after prom. That’s the cool thing...
Is Your Small Business Embracing Technology? (Hint: It Should)
Small business is increasingly going electronic. But is the switch from brick-and-mortar locations to e-commerce cause for concern? According to a recent Gallup poll, 15 percent of small business owners say it’s helping their business, while...
Online Reviews: Your Small Business Needs Them!
Imagine you just moved to a new city. You’d love for someone to recommend the best restaurant, the most dependable babysitter or the most reliable mechanic – but you don’t know a single soul here....
11 Classic Fails in Social Media Marketing
Social media: Done correctly, it’s a fantastic marketing tool for your small business. However, when done the wrong way, you can sully your brand and send customers packing. That’s why it’s important to have a...
Can Customer Referrals Boost Your Bottom Line? Yes!
Pop quiz: Which of the following two options will bring in more customers? A killer marketing campaign A current customer boasting to their friends and family about how awesome your small business is, how well...
Will YouTube Work for Your Small Business Marketing?
YouTube. To some, it’s a video sharing site that your kids use to watch videos of other kids playing games, making slime or “unboxing” their recent Amazon deliveries. But does it have a place in...
How to Become an Award-Winning Small Business
Any small business can hang a framed, cheaply printed certificate from Kinko’s on their wall, proclaiming themselves “Best [whatever] in [wherever].” Fake small business awards might fool some of your customers, but even if no...
Brand Yourself: Designing Your Small Business Website
What does your website say about your small business? We’re not talking about the obvious stuff, such as hours, contact information and locations. (You should include those things; otherwise, what’s the point of your website?)...
5 SEO Myths (And the Truths You Should Know)
Google is a secretive beast. No one is ever quite sure how and why they prioritize one site and shove another to the bottom of the barrel. And because Google’s algorithms are so mysterious, people...