From Enlisted to Entrepreneur: Resources for Veteran Small Business Owners
From Enlisted to Entrepreneur: Resources for Veteran Small Business Owners
You’ve served your country with pride, come back to a hero’s welcome (or hopefully at least a backyard BBQ) and now you’re basking in the glow of civilian life and the lack of someone barking orders in your face 24/7. What’s next? For many American veterans -- 2.5 million as of 2017 -- the answer is to start a small business. But how do you...
Why Your Small Business Should Advertise in Print (But Not Newspapers)
When was the last time you read a newspaper? No, not an online New York Times article your aunt shared on social media, but a real, physical newspaper -- the kind that rustles in your hands and makes you turn to page six to continue reading the front page story. Chances are, it’s been a while. With the decline in newspaper subscriptions, it’s no wonder....
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 like hundreds before it. The difference is, it’s optimized for local search. It helps you connect with people right in your own backyard who are looking for your products and...
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 what if that “exposure” means that you peddle your wares at a significant discount, a la “daily deal” coupon sites like Groupon, LivingSocial or any other “buy this now and...
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 business, right? Guerrilla warfare has long been a way for underdogs to gain a competitive edge, and guerrilla marketing is no different. In the brick-and-mortar world, guerrilla marketing often takes...
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” into your hand. Wallets regularly burst at the seams, unable to contain the hundreds of cards ranging in condition from pristine to unreadable, depending on how often they’d been pulled...
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 products in 27 categories ranging from handmade crafts (think Etsy) to automotive parts, pet supplies, home and business services and more. The site also offers curated collections for things like...
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, Virginia’s Red Hen restaurant? If not, here’s the skinny: In June, the White House press secretary was asked to leave the restaurant because Red Hen co-owner Stephanie Wilkinson didn’t agree...
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 traditional (bank loans, business partners, investors) to the non-traditional (panhandling, bank robbing, begging your friends and family for money until they finally pay you to go away). But what if...
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 about owning a small business -- there are no prerequisite courses to take. Anyone with a great product or service and some startup capital can make a go of it....