With the new year upon us, it's time you take a serious look at your marketing budget -- but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank. According to a recent article on NFIB.com, finding the right mix is important, so make sure you consider these two points before you assign an arbitrary percentage to your marketing budget.

1) There is no free advertising. Committing your business to a social media following takes a great amount of time and attention to detail. If you don't have the time to commit to reaching out through Web platforms, hire someone who does.

2) Look at the big picture. Social media and traditional marketing should work together for your benefit. While social media promotions are becoming necessary, they are not something into which you want to dump all your money and time, but neither is traditional marketing -- you must find the right balance for your business.

For more on balancing your budget, click here.

Posted by Megan Pacella on January 4, 2010 04:44 PM

I'm planning a big trip for February, but I haven't pinpointed where I want to go yet. All I know is it will definitely be somewhere in the U.S. Why would I spend my money overseas when my own country could use the boost? OK, so that's not exactly the best example of buying local, but you get the point.

Consumers are wanting to boost their own economies, and they can offer no greater impact than in their own communities. Want to encourage shoppers to look no further than down the street? Then read this Wall Street Journal article, which offers strategies for showcasing your local roots.

Posted by Lena Anthony on November 2, 2009 09:18 AM

You've probably heard this statement before: Small business owners need to use online social networks. But maybe you've never heard statistics that tell you why. This study by Wetpaint and the Altimeter Group spells it out pretty clearly: The study shows that small business owners who have engaged in social media have boosted their sales significantly.

In fact, the study indicates that businesses that utilize online communities like Facebook and LinkedIn have increased their revenues by 18 percent in the past 12 months. It also finds that social media efforts tends to build on themselves.

What does that mean to you? The more you put your name out there through social networking, the farther your brand will reach.

Posted by Megan Pacella on October 16, 2009 10:37 AM

Forget the old 1-800 number. Twitter is becoming the tool of choice for some small business owners who find themselves in a customer-service or public-relations jam, according to this Wall Street Journal article.

The social media and micro-blogging service—where users send "tweets" to followers who have signed up to receive the messages—proved to be a lifeline for Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc., after its Web site crashed due to a surge in online traffic. "Twitter gave us an up-to-the-minute ability to take what would normally be a crisis situation and make it just another event," said Peter Bianchi, who notified customers via Twitter that the company was working to resolve the problem. Twitter also came in handy when a Bartlesville, Okla.-based business, United Linen & Uniform Services, was hit by an ice storm. Instead of e-mailing customers about the status of their orders, the business notified them through tweets.

But Twitter can only help you communicate with customers if you use (and update) it regularly, author Shel Isreal, of Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods, told the WSJ. Using Twitter only in a crisis will give you no credibility, he noted. The key is using it to "build trust with people who are relevant to your business."

Posted by Emily McMackin on October 1, 2009 03:46 PM

If you've set up a blog for your small business but are having trouble coming up with new, relevant ideas for posts, you're not alone.

"Generating ideas for fresh, original, high-quality content is difficult, especially for those new to blogging," according to this article on OpenForum.com.

To help you brainstorm for ideas, OpenForum suggests five different types of posts to consider writing for your business' blog, including:

• Advice or tips: Share your expertise, whether it is with your peers or your customers.
• Behind-the-scenes: Help strengthen the relationship with your customers or clients by letting them see a side of your business they normally don't. If you're not up to writing a full entry, take some pictures and post them as a peek into a day in the life of one of your employees—or you.
• Interviews or profiles: Talk to one of your employees, an expert in your field, or one of your most loyal customers for a different perspective on issues relating to your business.

For more help on blogging for your business, visit the Business Resources section of NFIB.com.

Posted by Megan Morris on September 30, 2009 05:21 PM

So you finally did it: You started a blog on your company Web site, and you're trying to update it daily, weekly or monthly. Congrats! You've taken the first step. If you're going to spend the time and energy to blog, though, you better make sure it's paying off. To avoid the most common mistakes that first-time company bloggers make, check out this Newsday article. If you want your blog to succeed, the article states, don't be:

1. Inconsistent. Update your blog regularly. You have to keep providing useful information to your audience to keep them interested.
2. Too elusive. People need to see more than just your company logo when they visit your blog. Give them a name and face, along with contact info.
3. Overly self-promotional. It's OK to brag a little in posts, but don't just tout your company. Instead point your audience to helpful links, studies and other relevant information.
4. Focused only on business. Don't be afraid to get personal in your posts. Show your human side. This will help you create conversations and relationships.
5. Reclusive. Ask for and encourage feedback from your audience. Post content that will spark conversation and debate.

The article also makes an important note about readers, friends, followers, ect: It's not how many you have; it's about how much community you build around your brand.

Posted by Emily McMackin on September 10, 2009 11:35 AM

A few weeks ago, a new clothing store opened across the street from my house. The first time I went in, I balked at their high prices and never went back -- until they threw a huge neighborhood party, that is. Conscious that my section of town has been suffering from the down economy, the shop started throwing parties every Thursday night with free refreshments, food and live music for anyone who wants to come. The next thing I knew, I decided their vintage belts weren't as expensive as I had originally thought and left with a full stomach and a new purchase.

Nice gestures like these are great for consumers, but also serve as a great marketing and customer-relations strategy, says this Wall Street Journal article. Donating services to charity groups, churches, schools and other nonprofits can "increase local visibility, deepen local business ties and create opportunity for new business," says Christine Banning, vice president of marketing and communications at SCORE, a Washington-based group that provides free counseling to small businesses.

Need more proof that giving back can boost your sales? Keep reading.

Posted by Megan Pacella on September 1, 2009 04:07 PM

Lately it seems like every time I turn around the weather channel is forecasting another rain shower or thunderstorm. And apparently, that's not just happening in my neck of the woods. According to this Wall Street Journal article, many states in the Northeast and Central U.S. have set rainfall records for the months of May and June. While that might not be as bad for business as last year's country-wide wildfires, rainfall isn't so hot for business either.

The small business owners in this article have seen their numbers fall thanks to the inclement weather, but luckily, they've figured out a few ways to beat the rainy-day blues. Here are there suggestions:

Offer free delivery. New York City-based Tribeca Treats offers free delivery of their baked goods for customers in downtown NYC Monday through Friday. This way, customers don't have to venture into the rain to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Try selling on the Web. Don't depend on foot traffic to garner your sales. If you offer your products online, customers who hate fighting traffic during storms won't be turned off to your company.

Let customers know you're there. FlatRate Moving in New York advertises to its customers that its moving services are available rain or shine. If your business is generally conducted outdoors, potential clients might think you're closed when it rains.

Offer special discounts. If your sales are dismal during rainy months, offer discounted goods and services to get people in the door. Once they're there, you're sure to see a bump in your bottom line.

Posted by Megan Pacella on August 18, 2009 04:37 PM

With online review sites becoming more and more prevalent, the days of only having to worry about local, word-of-mouth criticisms are over. Sites like Yelp and CitySearch make it easy for customers to leave a detailed critique of your small business, and with 84 percent of Americans saying online reviews influence their buying choices, it's time to pay attention to what your customers are saying.

According to this New York Times article, "...managing your online reputation requires a whole new skill set, including monitoring the online conversation and engaging with customers and the tech-savvy to promote yourself in the best channels."

Posted by Megan Morris on August 14, 2009 05:08 PM

Do you know what your customers are saying about you—online, that is? If not, maybe you should find out. Local online review sites like Yelp, CitySearch and Yahoo! Local are reshaping the way customers find small businesses in their area and learn the good, bad or ugly about their service, according to this New York Times article. Of course, there are always a few critics out there, and their disparaging comments can hurt your online reputation—even if most of your customers give you rave reviews. The article explores how to present your business in the best light and address concerns and critiques from customers without tarnishing your image. A few suggestions include:

*Update your Web site or blog on a regular basis. Set up Google alerts to stay on top of the buzz about your business. Look for ways to see your business through the eyes of your customers.

*Cool off before responding to negative reviews online. Come up with the best way to handle the compliant, whether sending a private message to the customer to get more details or posting a public apology. Never ask employees to pose as customers and post positive reviews.

*Consider becoming an advertiser on a review site. You'll get more prominent play and get the option of picking a favorite review to highlight at the top of your profile page.

Posted by Emily McMackin on July 31, 2009 11:50 AM

You've picked a Twitter name and started to tweet about your business, but you're just not seeing the boost in numbers you expected. Sounds familiar? If so, you're not alone. Plenty of small business owners have had a difficult time navigating Twitter -- but that doesn't mean you can't make the social networking platform work for you. If you need some guidance, check out Twitter's special guide for business.

The guide covers everything from what Twitter does for business to Case Studies highlighting companies that have found Twitter success. Every company is different, so reading one guide won't give you instant Twitter prowess, but if you check out the Best Practices guide and read through a few Case Studies you'll be well on your way. Need help getting started? Click here.

Posted by Megan Pacella on July 27, 2009 04:35 PM

You might come up with an awesome marketing message that will reach teens and young adults, but how does that message speak to older generations? One powerful key to persuasion is to make your brand connect with the way customers see themselves. Worried that your brand isn't crossing generation lines? Here are a few tips from this Business Resources story on NFIB.com:

Get to know generations. The Traditionals, or 65-plus population focuses on following the rules. The Baby Boomers include ages 45-64, and consider themselves rebels who initiate positive change. Generation X includes results oriented people ages 30-44, and Generation Y, ages 20-29, is motivated by flexibility and security.

Reach across generations. Develop a brand that isn't focused on one age group. Focus on aspects of your company that will speak to all generations, such as your expertise in your field.

Combine print and Web to get the message out. Use a print ad to drive people to a Web site, and then create several pages on your site that will use print and video to appeal to older and younger generations.

Posted by Megan Pacella on July 21, 2009 11:52 AM

People love free stuff. And these days, people also love Twitter. Just ask any of the small business owners featured in this Wall Street Journal article about small businesses that have boosted their followings by promoting contests and giveaways on the free microblogging site. In the case of Amy Reed, owner of chickdowntown.com, a contest on Twitter helped her add an average of 200 new Twitter followers a day. Today she has 4,100 followers.

You might be thinking, so what? Following a business on Twitter is completely different than being a customer of that business. That's definitely true, but consider this factoid from the WSJ article:

"Twitter followers account for 5% of traffic to (Amy Reed's) site whereas her email blasts, which reach 100,000 people, account for 4% of traffic."

All of this is to say if you're not on Twitter, you probably should be.

Posted by Lena Anthony on July 20, 2009 01:41 PM

The other day, I was telling a relative who owns a small business back home about Twitter and Facebook, and trying to explain why people spend so much time on Tweets, walls and status updates. "That sounds like a total waste of time," he said. "Don't people have real work to do?" I laughed, but the reality is that while "social media" might sound like a silly pastime, it can actually prove to be pretty lucrative for small business owners who take the time to figure it out. Too bad I didn't have this article from Bankrate.com to show my relative; it maps out how owners can use social media to reach customers and promote their business with five key steps, including:

1. Use free sites to broadcast your business. Find out which sites your customers and associates are on—Twitter, Facebook or MySpace are the main ones—and create an account, posting company-related news, specials or events to your page.
2. Shift marketing dollars to social media to get more bang for your buck. Once you open an account, you'll be surprised by how many customers and colleagues are there, too. You can see who has received and read your messages, solicit quick feedback and get your events RSVP'd—all without spending a dime. So why not scale back on those printed brochures and postcards?
3. Use social media tools to learn about your customers—and your competition. All it takes is a quick search to see how business like yours are presenting themselves online. What can you offer that they can't? Also, pay attention to what your customers are sharing on their pages; what are their needs, and how can you serve them better?
4. Start a conversation. Look for ways to interact with your fans and friends through blogs, videos, links and other engaging content. Remember: The more interesting and versatile your information, the easier it will be for new customers to find you via search engines.
5. Mix it up. Don't just pour your marketing energy into one social media outlet. Pick three, and spread your time and efforts out between them to reach the most diverse audience possible.

Posted by Emily McMackin on July 16, 2009 03:43 PM

I've been going to the same coffee shop at least 5 times a week for the last four years. Almost every barista behind the counter knew me by name until the recession hit and the shop started closing two hours early to save on energy costs. I tried to find a new coffee shop hangout, but unfortunately, nothing felt as homey as my old standby. A few months ago I returned to ask the owner to change his hours back. I was joking, but he took me seriously: A week after that, the shop started holding its old hours again.

You can't always count on your customers to come to you with their preference on your hours, products, store layout or anything else that might drive them to your competitors. So how can you get their feedback? All you have to do is ask, says this Wall Street Journal article. The fastest, easiest and least intrusive way to gain customer feedback is through the Internet. Create a blog and ask for comments, ask your followers on Twitter for feedback or post important questions to your Facebook page. Your most loyal customers will respond--and your great customer service might catch the attention of a few new clients as well.

Posted by Megan Pacella on July 14, 2009 03:29 PM

I get my hair cut every six weeks. My cut is super cute -- if I do say so myself -- and I'm not afraid to sing the praises of my stylist whenever I'm asked about my hair.

Much to my surprise as we wrapped up my last haircut, my stylist took $20 off of my total bill. It turns out that someone who had asked me about my hair came to see her for an appointment, and it's her policy to thank customers for referrals with $20 off of their next visit. I was very pleasantly surprised!

As a small business owner, word of mouth is very important, and there are several things you can do to thank those customers and clients who send referrals your way. This "finder's fee" that I received is just one way to reward referrals as mentioned in an article Friday on NFIB.com.

Now, what can I tell you about my hair?

Posted by Summer Huggins on July 10, 2009 10:10 AM

I know that one of my favorite Mexican restaurant's in town was open on Father's Day. And I know that on Tuesdays they have 2 for 1 margaritas. And I haven't even been lately. So how do i know this? I found out on Twitter, of course.

I follow them on Twitter, which gives me the inside scoop on what's happening over there and when. This Boston Globe article includes the stories of other restaurants and how they're using Twitter to market their menus. It's a great tool to get customers in the door, but it also helps restaurants get feedback from their customers on the customers' terms.

If you haven't tried out Twitter for your business yet, open an account today. It's easy and it's free. In other words, you have nothing to lose.

Posted by Lena Anthony on June 30, 2009 02:37 PM

As many businesses tend to slow down during the summer, The Hartford Business Journal offers nine ways owners can ramp up productivity and turn the summer slump around, including:

• Develop a marketing plan. Use the downtime to work on strategy, marketing materials, lining up trade shows and advertising.


• Start social networking. Learn how Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can help you reach new potential customers—and solidify relationships with current ones.


• Build your customer database. Putting all of your customer (and prospective customer) information into a digital format will help you market to these folks effectively.

Get more tips on how to make this summer a productive one at The Hartford Business Journal.

Posted by Megan Morris on June 25, 2009 10:50 AM

If you're looking for new business, a government contract might be the sweetest deal you could land. These contracts are lucrative and can offer a stable source of income in a down economy. The government is required to award 23 percent of its contracts to small businesses—so why shouldn't you get a piece of that pie?

The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. That's where the nonprofit organization, Business Matchmaking, comes in. The organization holds events to educate small business owners and connect them to potential customers via speed-dating style. Small business owners attend events where they circulate around assigned tables, meeting with procurement officers for 20 minutes each in hopes of finding the right "match." "The idea is that we can put the business owner in front of someone interested in his product or service," former SBA administrator Hector Barreto told CNN. "At the end of the day, no one can guarantee a contract, but the buyers can inform the business how to try for it."

Does it work? Based on data from surveys filled out by past attendees, organizers estimate that $7 billion to $8 billion in contracts have been procured in the past three years from connections made at the networking events. To learn more about how to find and land government contracts, check out this MyBusiness article.

Posted by Emily McMackin on June 19, 2009 11:18 AM

Networking has always gone hand in hand with owning a small business, but lately more small business owners are swapping attendance at conferences, trade shows and chamber of commerce meetings for visibility on online social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. As this New York Times article points out, these sites are far-reaching, fast and free—features that are especially appealing in an economic downturn. For the Vermont-based Brighter Planet, a start-up that promotes environmental awareness, blogging, Tweeting and friending on Facebook has been as effective as—and cheaper than—buying ads. The key is knowing how to use these sites as tools rather than toys.

Doubtful it could work for you? Here are some stats to consider:
•Social networking is on the rise. According to the April Index of Discover Small Business Watch, 38 percent of owners were members of an online social networking community, up from 22 percent in October.
•It's getting easier than ever. A study for Sage North America, a supplier of business management software and services, found that 65 percent of small businesses using social networking sites were more comfortable doing so this year than last.
•It works. According to the Sage North America study, 51 percent of owners with a social networking profile said it helped them acquire and retain customers.

So what are you waiting for? Get started creating your own social networking profile, and while you're at it, be sure to check out what NFIB is doing by following us on Facebook and Twitter!

Posted by Emily McMackin on June 4, 2009 09:54 AM

You're probably tired of hearing about the magic marketing power of Twitter, but even social media skeptics can't argue with the customer boost New Orleans-based Naked Pizza has seen from using the microblogging site. After focusing on following Twitter users within a three-mile radius of the pizza joint, the Naked Pizza staff performed a test to see how many of their customers were brought in through Twitter--and they were happy with the results.

This Advertising Age story says that the local restaurant estimates that 15 percent of their sales were spurred through Twitter--proof that investing time into a Twitter account can yield a great return for a small business. If you haven't started Twittering for your small business, what are you waiting for? Take a page from Naked Pizza's book and start getting the word out about your business.

Posted by Megan Pacella on May 19, 2009 12:12 PM

When many small companies start tightening their belts, one of the first expenses to go are usually travel and trade shows. But that's not necessarily the smartest place to start cutting, says this Wall Street Journal article.

"Not only do exhibitions provide critical exposure to potential buyers, they also are essential for learning about unfamiliar markets, building personal relationships and getting an up-close look at the competition," the article says. And as big corporations cut back on their trade show presence this year, it's a perfect opportunity to give your business more exposure.

The article also offers tips on making the most out of your trade show experience and your trade show budget.

Posted by Lena Anthony on May 18, 2009 12:43 PM

I must admit that I'm a Web site snob. Whether I'm looking for a new restaurant to sample on a Friday night or a plumber to come fix my broken washing machine (which happened two weeks ago), if I stumble across a dated Web site, I immediately move on to a different business. That's why the design of your Web site logo is so important--if people like me come across anything glittered or animated or 3-D, they're going to move right along.

The first step to designing your winning Web logo is sketching it out, says this New York Times article. And make sure you focus on creating something timeless--Keep it clean and use no more than two or three colors. Also, the article recommends using a logo that combines text and a graphic, as it will be more easily recognizable. Finally, don't forget the golden rule of logo design: Keep it simple.

Posted by Megan Pacella on May 13, 2009 12:39 PM

Times are tough—no doubt about that—and for your business to survive the economic downturn, you must be flexible. That means being willing to look at everything in your business with fresh eyes: approaching challenges differently, considering opportunities you wouldn't have thought about before and stepping outside your comfort zone to take some risks. What areas of your business could use some bigger-picture thinking? This Entrepreneur article on MSN.com suggests asking yourself these three questions:

•How has your customer changed?
•What aren't you selling?
•What do you like best about your business?

You might find ways to make it easier for cash-strapped customers to do business with you, reevaluate your pricing, product or quantity list to adjust to changes in the marketplace or bolster your business by building upon your strengths. Whatever you do, throw the rulebook out and be willing to think outside the norm. The possibilities are endless!

Posted by Emily McMackin on May 7, 2009 09:47 AM

I just learned about a different kind of speed dating over at SmartMoney.com—the kind that's tailored to small businesses looking for love, er, money, from venture capitalists.

I think it's a great concept. Instead of small businesses wasting countless resources to court a single venture capitalist, they can spend two hours and get the chance to talk to 20 of them. But there's a catch. If you want to impress a potential investor and you're given only two minutes to do it, you must go into that meeting with your elevator pitch perfected.

That 30-second, 150-word pitch on what you do is probably something you haven't thought about since before you started your business, but it's still very relevant today—especially in this sluggish sales environment. So take an hour this week and polish yours up to ensure it's pitch-perfect for the next time you find yourself face-to-face with a potential customer.

Posted by Lena Anthony on May 6, 2009 02:30 PM

The first time I heard that using Twitter could help small business owners attract new customers, I was completely confused. "You post 140-character updates, and that helps your business?," I asked. I just couldn't make the connection between posting short messages and attracting tons of new clientele. But when a new coffee shop opened near my house and followed me on Twitter, it all made perfect sense. Once the cafe started posting updates about their fresh-baked muffins and wide variety of breakfast crepes, I couldn't resist. I dropped by to check out their new location--and brought 4 friends along for the ride. Now I'm a Saturday regular, but chances are, I would have kept frequenting my old coffee-shop hangouts if I hadn't started following these newcomers on Twitter.

Twitter isn't the only social media giant helping small business, says this Chicago Tribune article. A lot of small business owners are having success attracting customers through Facebook, as well. Brad Wilson, owner of BradsDeals.com was skeptical about spending a lot of time on social media sites, says the article. But once he created a fan page for his business on Facebook and it attracted 1.200 followers, he started to consider himself a social media convert.

Are you still skeptical about using Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites to grow your business? Check out the article to learn social media lessons from small business owners who have cracked the code.

Posted by Megan Pacella on April 28, 2009 10:46 AM

With social media pretty much a necessity in the business world now, it's important for small business owners to understand how they can be part of the conversation without crossing the line into wasting time.

This article from The Commercial Appeal cautions that some small businesses jump on the social-media bandwagon mistakenly believing that "connecting online will cause sales dollars to roll in." In reality, they might not be spending their online time efficiently, and can be putting otherwise effective marketing strategies on the backburner to suffer.

The article advises that while small businesses should indeed set up social media profiles (they "may be a craze, but [aren't] a fad"), setting some ground rules is a good idea: "Get a Facebook page and use it, but don't live there. Acquire a Twitter [account] and do some following, but don't get sucked into the time drain."

For more tips on how to use social media app Twitter to benefit your small business, check out this article in the current issue of MyBusiness.

Posted by Megan Morris on April 20, 2009 03:47 PM

If you're like most people, you rarely pick up a newspaper anymore. You get most of your news online. And why wouldn't you? It's much cheaper than paying for a weekly or daily subscription—and you don't have to spend time flipping through dozens of pages to find what you really need to know. But with more and more newspapers folding every day, have you thought about how their decline will affect your small business? This small business blogger for the online version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (which recently went out of print) has. Her concerns include:

•Advertising and marketing. Newspapers used to be the No. 1 medium for advertising products and services. Do you rely on newspaper ads to reach customers? If so, you might need to be branching out into other mediums. Chances are your customers read the paper about as much as you do!

•Staffing. Employers have traditionally listed job openings in newspapers, but with the explosion of online job listing sites (i.e., Craigslist, among others), hiring has moved to the Web. But does this hurt the possible spectrum of candidates for a position? You might be missing out by only finding your candidates online.

•Community association. Anything you can do to support your community through donations, outreach, ect., gives your business a good name—and newspapers are often the channel through which you can find these opportunities and receive positive publicity for them. Without newspapers to publicize your good deeds, will customers know about your reputation? If not, how will you tell them?

Posted by Emily McMackin on March 26, 2009 04:36 PM

In probably every issue of MyBusiness for the last year, we've talked about blogging and how it is an affordable way to market your business online, connect with current customers and find new partnerships.

Setting up a blog is easy (it can be done in 10 minutes), but making it a useful marketing tool takes discipline. It's not just about posting anything, it's about posting relevant material at regular intervals—and avoiding the business blogging bungles referenced in this AllBusiness.com post.

Posted by Lena Anthony on March 23, 2009 02:48 PM

It's not very often that I'm so moved by a product or service that I write a review or comment about it somewhere. I can remember doing this two times: 1) After the first time I popped in what still goes down in history as the greatest workout tape ever (and the review still haunts me when I Google myself) and 2) After a third plumber finally fixed a pesky plumbing problem at a rental property.

For that last one, I actually had to find the plumber's Web site, and randomly e-mail the general e-mail address with my praise. Who knows if it actually got to them? But if it did, I guarantee they shared that with loads of other customers because it could not have been a more glowing review.

Do you collect customer testimonials in your business and then make them part of your marketing strategy? If not, check out this Entrepreneur.com article on how to use customer stories (and thus, stand out from the competition).

Posted by Lena Anthony on March 9, 2009 04:37 PM

If you have a Web site, you have (or should have) a page where visitors can find how to contact your company directly. And if this contact information is hard to find, you risk not only losing a sale but damaging your credibility as well. Check out this recent Tools and Tips column on NFIB.com for hints on making your contact information more accessible on your Web site, including:

• Make your Contact Us page simple to locate. Position the link near the top of your home page, but make sure it doesn't interfere with your design.


• List your telephone number and street address to inspire trust. Some customers may prefer to speak to you over the phone instead of via e-mail, and you'll appear more credible if you include a street address, or at least your city and state.


• Provide e-mail addresses of people who can answer customer questions. One e-mail address that is routed to several departments can create a lot of extra work for employees who have to read each message and reroute them to the appropriate person. Streamline the process by listing e-mail addresses for employees who can answer the most commonly asked questions, and consider creating a Frequently Asked Questions page on your site as well.

Posted by Megan Morris on February 20, 2009 05:05 PM

A recent article on Kiplinger.com reports the number of adult Internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled since 2005--from 8 percent then to 35 percent now.

But as author Amanda Lenhart of the Pew Internet Project points out, using social networks online is still a phenomenon of the young: 75 percent of adults 18-24 use these networks, compared to just 7 percent of adults 65 and older.

The findings also show some other interesting statistics:

• Personal use of social networks is more common than professional use.


• The median age of a Facebook user is 26.


• Nine in 10 say they use social networks to keep in touch with friends.


• MySpace is still the preferred social networking site with 50 percent of adult users having a profile there.

Read the full report from PewInternet.org.

Posted by Megan Morris on January 30, 2009 11:06 AM

In today's digital age, a printed press kit is not good enough—it needs to be readily available for viewing and downloading from your Web site. And once you've got yours uploaded, check out today's Tools and Tips article on NFIB.com for tips on getting the most out of your electronic press kit, including:

• If you offer a product or service that lends itself to a demonstration video, consider adding video to your EPK.
• Make it easy for journalists to find what they need by listing your EPK contents in categories.
• Announce new EPKs to the media.
• Offer your EPK on a flash memory card.

Posted by Megan Morris on January 16, 2009 05:23 PM

Retail stores across the country know the power of placing items in specific areas throughout the store to encourage impulse buys—and you can create the same effect on your Web site. Today's Tools and Tips article offers up five tips to help increase the number of impulse buys made on your site, including:

• Rotate new products on the homepage. One of the best ways to grab your customers' interest in new products is to show them off as soon as shoppers pull up your site.


• Pair related items. Pairing items at a slight discount is a tried and true method of promoting impulse buying, and an easy one to try on your Web site.


• Send e-mails. Don't wait for customers to come to your Web site to entice them to make a purchase.

Posted by Megan Morris on January 9, 2009 07:19 AM

Ever feel like your marketing efforts aren't yielding results? Maybe you need to try a new strategy. That's what Gregory Nemitz, owner of an online beef jerky business in Twin Falls, Idaho, did. Nemitz agreed to participate in a Fortune Small Business experiment and met with experts for ideas on how to boost traffic to his Web site, www.beefjerky.com, as well as revenues for his online sales.

Nemitz started by showing customers what kind of bargain they were getting. As soon as he began to emphasize how his gourmet-quality jerky cost $10 less per pound than products sold in specialty stores, his sales increased by a pound a day. Next, Nemitz reached out to past customers, increasing the frequency of his beefjerky.com newsletter from four to six times a year and moving the newsletter sign-up box to the front page of his Web site—a move that gained him an extra 1,500 e-mail addresses in six months. For good measure, he also started throwing in bumper stickers emblazoned with the beefjerky.com logo in every package he ships. What's been the result? Sales are up.

Posted by Emily McMackin on December 12, 2008 10:09 AM

Now that most small companies have scaled back their marketing budgets, it's more important than ever to use word-of-mouth advertising to promote your business. But if you're not naturally inclined to sing your own praises at a cocktail party, getting the word out about your business is anything but easy. Not sure how to communicate the right message while networking? Need help engaging potential clients? This Entrepreneur.com article offers tips to help you become a walking billboard for your enterprise. Here are a few highlights:

Watch your body language. Be sure to establish eye contact and appear relaxed during conversation. If you look nervous, you'll make the person you're talking to feel nervous as well.

Be a good conversationalist. Once you get past the handshake, simple conversation skills are the key to a successful first meeting, the article says. Make sure not to focus the entire conversation on yourself so you don't appear to have an agenda.

Mind the tone of your voice. If you don't control your tone, you could give off a negative impression to those around you. If you speak too quietly you'll seem uncertain, but if you speak too quickly and loudly, you could come across as anxious. The key? Speak in moderate tones, and use about 145 words per minute.

Click here for more ways to use word-of-mouth advertising without alienating potential new customers.

Posted by Megan Pacella on November 25, 2008 11:47 AM

Sitting back and waiting for the down economy to turn around won't save your business. What will? Boosting your sales--and increasing your Web traffic is a surefire way to make sure that happens. Here are a few of Kiplinger.com's tips for generating more sales leads online:

• Get the word out. Put your Web site's URL in as many places as possible, including your e-mail signature, and all your social and business networking sites.
• Track your visitors. Determine which Web sites are driving the most visitors to your site, then invest money accordingly to augment your Web traffic.
• Don't get nosey. Don't ask your visitors for too much information; simplify your contact information to increase leads. (For more about the right way to ask for contact information, click here.)

For more about boosting your Web traffic--and your sales--check out the rest of the article.

Posted by Megan Pacella on November 18, 2008 11:42 AM

In theory, marketing is something all small business owners should focus on every day; but the reality is, how do you find the time? This is especially true when you consider all of the other responsibilities that demand your attention in an 8 to 10-hour day (You know, little stuff like, oh, meeting with clients, managing employees—not to mention keeping your business running smoothly each day). Is a daily marketing plan—much less a monthly or weekly one—even possible?

Yes, says a recent Entrepreneur article published on U.S. News & World Report's Web site. The article offers practical tips for keeping marketing front and center even as other fires burn in the background. Among a few of the strategies the article explores: an annual marketing calendar, monthly marketing themes, weekly PR action plans and a daily to-do list and scorecard to stay on track with your efforts.

Posted by Emily McMackin on November 10, 2008 03:23 PM

If you're a texter or a user of the social media tool Twitter, you'll know that you can't always just type to your heart's content—there is a limit. But as frustrating as it can be (especially when you're just trying to fit in one more word), being limited by character count is actually a good thing—it's forcing you to be succinct.

The lesson Twitter forcibly teaches us translates well when you're crafting ad or marketing copy, which will have only seconds to grab the attention of your audience.

This Entrepreneur article has some other tips for catching customers' attention with your marketing message.

Posted by Lena Anthony on October 6, 2008 11:20 AM

When was the last time you thought about the price of your products and services? In this volatile economy, where it seems that everyone is feeling the crunch from rising gas prices and the U.S. mortgage fallout, the right price seems like a moving target. Price too low, and you're selling yourself short; too high, and, well, when was the last time a customer came in your store?

Fine tune your pricing strategy with the tips in this SmartMoney.com article.

Posted by Lena Anthony on September 29, 2008 02:52 PM

It's obvious that as a business owner, you need to always be on your toes and thinking of ways to compete with other companies in your niche. But what if you were to think of yourself as a competitor? This recent Tools and Tips article notes that some of the most successful small businesses often treat their own company as their competitor, and analyze it through the same eyes they use to size up their rivals. The article suggests:

• Define your weaknesses: Get together with your staff and pinpoint your business' top three to five weaknesses.


• Better your strengths: If you rest on your laurels, then your competitors will surely find ways to catch up with you.


• Don't fix what isn't broken: If you add a new service or product to your offering, make sure it's something that your customers really want and not just innovation for innovation's sake.


• Be open to criticism: If you're truly going to compete against yourself, you need to start viewing criticism as an opportunity.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on September 26, 2008 06:03 PM

For family business owners like Phil and Michell Wadzinski, who run Pecard Chemical, a company that specializes in leather care products, the thought of entering the global market seems impossible--especially in a down economy. But when the Wadzinski's won a Fortune Small Business Makeover, they realized that unprecedented growth is usually only a few steps away.

Expert business consultants spent a few days analyzing Pecard Chemical and brainstorming new ways to brand the company and help it expand rapidly. Ready to take your business to the next level? Watch this video to see how one small business found a way to grow.

Posted by Megan Pacella on September 24, 2008 12:24 PM

Feel like you don't have time for marketing? You're not alone, according to John Jantsch, writer of the Duct Tape Marketing Blog. He hears this concern from many small business owners. But successful marketing takes intention, and the only way to find time to do it is to plan to do it, Jantsch writes in a recent post. He suggests creating a marketing theme for every month and building daily and weekly activities around it. For instance, he recommends following a plan like this:

•September: Send out press releases and build relationships with journalists in your community.
•October: Bolster your network of strategic partners to improve your referral leads.
•November: Blog to increase your Internet presence.

By focusing on a different area of marketing each month and breaking it down into action steps, the task will seem less daunting and time-consuming—and you'll see greater rewards for the time and effort you invest.

Posted by Emily McMackin on September 4, 2008 10:14 AM

I am a Flickr addict. I can't help it. Ever since I discovered the photo-sharing site, I just can't stop uploading. But Flickr isn't "just for sharing kitten photos with grandma" (My grandma doesn't own a computer, but it's her loss. My cats are cute)—business owners using the service can increase your Web traffic and reach out to potential customers. If you've never used Flickr before, review the three steps in today's Tools and Tips article on NFIB.com:

• Determine how you'll use it. Think about the ways your business uses (or could use) images, and then determine what you want to get out of the site.


• Organize your photos. Assign each photo to one or more sets, and add tags that properly describe it to help others find it in searches.


• Join the community. Connect with current customers who have Flickr accounts, link your business account to your employees' accounts and network with others in your field.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on August 29, 2008 02:34 PM

If your small business excels at standing out among competitors, then smSmallBiz wants to hear from you. And if they agree that you stand out, they'll feature your story on their Web site.

Looking for ways to stand out among competitors? Browse these smSmallBiz profiles of small business owners who have already submitted their ideas. Also, check out the current issue of MyBusiness magazine: The Essential Guide to Preserving Your Originality is full of ideas that can help you stand out in a sea of competitors. Learn the basics on non-disclosure agreements and non-compete clauses, and find out how to prevent competitors from stealing your star employees.

Posted by Lena Anthony on August 13, 2008 04:19 PM

In this tough economy, good is not enough. You have to be great. And that especially applies to customer service. Looking for a way to impress your tried-and-true clients and thank them for their loyalty? Find some out-of-the-box suggestions to help you show your gratitude in this Entrepreneur article on U.S. News & World Report's Web site. Tips range from sending your best clients on an all-expense paid getaway to planning an interactive local excursion for them.

Posted by Emily McMackin on August 7, 2008 02:45 PM

E-mail marketing is one of those things that, if you're not already doing it, you know you should be. For one, it's probably the cheapest ways to communicate with your customers. But just because it's cheap (well, cheaper than, say, designing, printing and mailing a postcard) doesn't mean you should try it all to figure out what sticks.

There are some best practices, and the business owners featured in this Smart Money article knows exactly what they are. Click on over for some tips on what to do and what not to do when it comes to e-mail marketing.

Posted by Lena Anthony on July 16, 2008 04:18 PM

Looking for a way to get your company's name out there? These days it seems like every business owner is turning to e-mail to spread the word about products and services. But with the deluge of information filling customers' inboxes, how do you get your message to stand out? A recent article in U.S. News & World Report details the success stories of three small-business owners who use e-mail marketing as their main avenue for reaching out to customers.

Desiree Scales, founder and CEO of Georgia-based Bella Web Design, keeps customers informed about the latest design technologies and trends through her e-mails, which offer tips and commentary on industry news. Online retailer Lisa Timon of Create My Keepsake, which sells scrapbooking supplies, uses a monthly e-mail newsletter to let customers know about sales, promotions and new products—a tactic that gives her an edge in a competitive market. Josh Molinari and Anthony Green rely on e-mail coupons to draw customers to their Fajita Grill in Syracuse, NY. These owners share their secrets about how to launch a successful e-mail marketing campaign and how to keep the momentum going.

Posted by Emily McMackin on July 11, 2008 09:25 AM

If I've head this statement once, I've heard it 100 times: Blogging is good for your business. But if you've never blogged before, you might be slightly hesitant about linking one to your company Web site and giving potential customers free reign to judge your business based on a few posts written on a whim.

Need a few tips? According to this Wall Street Journal story, "the best entrepreneur blogs--and often the most successful ones--do more than just promote the entrepreneurs or their projects." What does that mean? Instead of just showcasing your entrepreneurial goals, post content that inspires, teaches, offers tools and industry tips, and entertains your audience.

Still not sure if you're ready to blog? Check out the WSJ's list of entrepreneur blogs worth reading to gather ideas, and then blog away!

Posted by Megan Pacella on June 17, 2008 03:28 PM

We all know the good that social media (blogging, social networking sites, wikis, Twitter) has brought small businesses. But have you thought about the bad? Steve Ranjbin, owner of The Rooz Cafe in Oakland, Calif., has and he calls it Yelp.

In this New York Times article, Ranjbin complains that sites like Yelp.com, which allow users to share their experiences at local businesses, are not as business friendly as he—and any business owner—would probably like.

An excerpt from the article explains why:

"Mr. Ranjbin, who said that amateur reviews can hurt his business, said some had misquoted him or called his employees names, but that Yelp had refused to take these comments down. Yelp rarely removes reviews, even when advertisers complain, preferring to let the crowd have its say."

So how do you protect your business against the naysayers out there?

Easy—don't give them anything to complain about. Treat every customer who walks through your door like they're a reviewer from the New York Times. And pass that message along to employees, too.

Posted by Lena Anthony on May 21, 2008 09:30 AM

Earlier this week I received one of those annoying e-mail forwards from an acquaintance—you know, the ones with "FW: FW: omg sooo cute! read this!!" in the subject line. But instead of bombarding me with pictures of puppies in ridiculous costumes like I'd expected, my friend had actually sent me something I found interesting (and not cruel to animals): Company logos that, when turned sideways or upside-down, had rather embarrassing results.

A good logo is essential for any business, and this recent Tools and Tips article walks you through the three steps of creating a great one for your company: Conceptualizing, executing and refining the design. And when you've got your final version, be sure to look at it from all angles before printing it on pens, pill boxes and other tchockies. You don't want it to bring in more strange looks than it does new business.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on May 15, 2008 02:38 PM

Business is easy (and even fun) when you have a product or service that everyone wants. But what happens when what you're selling fades in popularity? How do you market products that are no longer popular? That's the focus of this Knowledge@Wharton article which chronicles the trials of a Hummer dealership as well some real estate investors in down markets.

Even if your product isn't considered unpopular, some business owners must overcome consumers' hesitation to buy a new product when the old one they have still works. If that's the case, offering trade-in discounts are a good idea, according to some of these examples.

Posted by Shannon McRae on May 5, 2008 08:33 AM

Do you have a MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn page for your business? More importantly, should you? That's the question explored by Deborah Brown in a recent Small Business Trends blog post. As more businesses look for ways to build their brand by interacting with customers online, Brown examines the pros and cons of four common social networking sites for businesses: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Squidoo. A few highlights:

•Facebook: Creating a Facebook "fan" page for your business can create a buzz, provided you know how to use it. This means offering relevant information, special updates and useful applications as well as a place where fans can connect with others like them.
•Twitter: This is quickly becoming a source that reporters and industry insiders are turning to for the most up-to-date news of the day.
•LinkedIn: This is a great way to connect with colleagues, and the underused "recommendation" section can shed a positive light on your company and the work you do.
•Squidoo: Turns the spotlight on your company through posting of links, books, recommendations and more.

Whatever social networking site you prefer, the benefits of using one can be boiled down to this, says Jon Rognerud, a technology expert mentioned in the article. It's really just like having a conversation with your neighbor across the backyard fence—only with a technological twist, he explains.

Posted by Emily McMackin on April 18, 2008 10:44 AM

If you don't have a blog for your small business yet, what are you waiting for? In today's Tools and Tips article on NFIB.com, author Steve Strauss battles the notion that blogs are just a fad, and outlines the many ways they can benefit your business. A blog lets you showcase your business in a personal way, Strauss says, creating a bond with customers. Other benefits a blog brings to the table include:

• A sense of community. By sharing your expertise in a blog, you connect with a lot more people.


• A boost in search engine optimization. Blogs incorporate the hallmarks of good SEO: keywords and links. As more people respond to your blog, more keywords show up.


• Valuable feedback. By seeing what customers say about your posts, your blog offers valuable feedback.

Head over to NFIB.com to learn more, including how to make the most of your blog.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on April 3, 2008 04:49 PM

My family loves inside jokes. Spend an hour with more than three of us and you'll likely be left wondering what we're laughing about half of the time. It's not that our jokes are private--they're just those "you had to be there" moments.

This article in a recent WSJ blog says inside jokes like that can be good for business. One company took the concept so far that they've created a fictional character, Bob Archer, who they refer to as the founder of the company. Not wanting to name the business after themselves, the real founders chose the name the Archer Group because it sounded creditable. "Bob Archer" was always thanked for paying the tab for client lunches. He even has own voice on the company's blog.

“When you’re in on a joke, it’s kind of like you’re special,” says Lee Mikles, one of the founders. “When our clients are able to feel like they’re in on this Bob Archer joke, and they can play along with it, you really feel them kind of light up, and that’s kind of neat.”

Though inside jokes are often thought to be exclusive, if you can come up with one inclusive enough for your entire client base, you might find yourself laughing all the way to the bank.

Posted by Shannon McRae on March 17, 2008 01:11 PM

With every nightly newscast leading with a story about the nation's imminent economic doom, it's hard not to be discouraged about the coming months. If your industry has started to feel the pinch, your initial reaction as a business owner may be to scrap all unnecessary spending--starting with marketing and advertising.

But this article from Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge newsletter discourages that approach. Instead, it emphasizes retooling your campaigns with a more recession-friendly strategy. The eight tips offered here cover ideas like how it's more important than ever to research your customer (don't waste money marketing to the wrong person) and the need to emphasize family values (since we all tend to cozy up at home when we feel uncertain about our economic futures).

Posted by Shannon McRae on March 10, 2008 06:39 PM

Never ones to shy away from new media technologies, some of us around the halls of MyBusiness have been experimenting with Twitter, a Web-based service that allows users to publish text-only messages (called "tweets") of up to 140 characters. But Twitter's not simply glorified text messaging. In fact, this article explores 17 ways small-business owners can use the service to boost their business, including finding new hires, directing (Web) traffic, getting feedback, setting up meetings and networking.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on January 17, 2008 03:30 PM

While driving across town a few weeks ago, I saw a billboard displaying a gigantic, vibrant orange fish, advertising a Web site. When I arrived at my destination, I immediately pulled out a notebook to jot down the Web site, which I visited later to find that it was the homepage for a fast food restaurant. Although viewing the restaurant’s Web site didn’t exactly garner my patronage, I couldn’t help but chuckle at how well their advertising method worked.

My point is that eye-catching advertising can really boost your business if you target the correct audience—and if you convey the right message. However, spending company money to advertise your product can be a waste of time and resources if you don’t focus on what your consumers want and need to hear about your small business. Check out this Businessweek.com article for tips on how to convey the right message in your advertising.

Posted by Megan Pacella on January 15, 2008 11:37 AM

I don't know how I survived before caller ID. Call me a screen-aholic, but if I can't see who's calling, I don't pick up. That's why you'll rarely catch me answering my phone before three or four solid rings. Marketing guru Seth Godin thinks that's bad for business, especially if you're in the service industry. In this blog entry he challenges businesses to answer their phones after just one ring. "When you need to answer the phone in one ring, you discover exactly what it means to provide a certain level of service. Either you're succeeding or failing," Godin writes. I love the idea, probably because I hate being put on hold. Take a look at the average experience of a customer calling your business. You might decide the one-ring system would improve your service.

Posted by Shannon McRae on December 9, 2007 07:45 PM

Neil Diamond probably didn't realize it, but there was a message for small-business owners in his song, "Forever in Blue Jeans" (one of my favorites).

"Money talks, but it can't sing and dance and it don't walk..."

Pure poetry—and a good lesson for small-business owners, according to this SmartMoney.com article on marketing.

The article explains that you don't need a big advertising budget to effectively market your business; you just need to get the right people talking. Whether on Facebook, Linked In or just through good old-fashioned networking, reaching the right audience has never been more affordable.

Posted by Lena Anthony on December 3, 2007 01:55 PM

With the ever-increasing costs of insurance premiums, employee salaries, materials, etc., it’s nearly impossible to keep your business successful without raising your prices. Sure, a price increase comes with the risk of losing some longtime customers, but sometimes you have to be willing to take a chance in order to stay out of the red.

According to an article on this week’s CNNMoney Web site, “Many business owners assume that any price increase will drive customers away. But consultants who work with small companies say they often underestimate their pricing power.”

The bottom line: Prices are soaring everywhere, and if you fix the cost of your product, your profit margin will shrink down to nothing.

Check out the article to learn how other small-business owners solved their pricing problems.

Posted by Megan Pacella on October 23, 2007 11:04 AM

When Tony Stafford and Maria Randise made plans to open a specialty foods store, Ferrucci’s Old Tyme Italian Market, they began advertising four months before the scheduled opening. While such a drive to advertise might seem expensive and over-the-top, Stafford and Randise have enjoyed a thriving business because of their marketing approach.

Oftentimes, advertising is the last expenditure on a business owner’s mind, but in order to start a successful business, a marketing strategy is essential. According to business advisers at Central Piedmont Community College, entrepreneurs should budget approximately 5 percent of their sales for advertising.

Learn more about Stafford and Randise’s advertising success and what you can do to advertise your business, in this article on bizjournals.com.

Posted by Megan Pacella on October 9, 2007 11:59 AM

In my mailbox yesterday was evidence of perhaps the most brilliant marketing by a restaurant I've ever seen. Amerigo, a local restaurant, sent me a postcard yesterday explaining that it's their 10th anniversary (yay!), and to help them celebrate, they'd like to give someone a free trip for two to Italy. How do they know who's the winner? The postcard I got has a code on it (as well as a $10 off your next order coupon), and if my code matches the code at the restaurant, I win! Isn't that the best idea you've ever heard?

That's one of the many benefits of being a small business. You can be so creative with your marketing, making people like me excited beyond recognition at a 1-in-12,000 chance to win a trip and a $10 coupon. It's not the discount or the trip that matters, it's just how cool and unique it all is.

Corporate America, including some of the nation's biggest franchises, are catching on to the benefits of small-business ownership, says this Wall Street Journal article. Some restaurant franchises are loosening the reins on its franchisees, letting them make decisions about pricing and menus, among other things, to "give franchisees the flexibility to compete against independent businesses."

Posted by Lena Anthony on September 19, 2007 02:25 PM

Luring in new customers with widespread, mundane advertising mediums like television commercials or mass e-mailing has become a thing of the past. An increasing number of entrepreneurs depend on unique, personalized advertising to increase their client base. Web sites like Youtube.com and other easy-access video technology make clients eager for direct contact with marketers, giving them the ability to watch videos on their laptops or handheld devices at any time. And according to this article, personalizing your advertising is the key to drawing in consumers.

Posted by Megan Pacella on September 18, 2007 11:14 AM

Marketing is a vital part of your business, but that doesn't mean it's always fun—or cheap. In fact, with all of the day-to-day responsibilities on your plate, it can be easy to put it in the back burner or rely only on paid advertising for exposure. But before you throw up your hands or shell out the big bucks to hire a firm to handle your marketing, consider the power of public relations, or PR—something you don't necessarily need a professional to do well. In this Wall Street Journal Online article, business columnist Kelly K. Spors offers a few cost-effective ways to spread the good news about your business, including:

•Get online. The Internet provides many ways grab good publicity for your business through blogs, search-engine marketing and social media sites like MySpace, Facebook and UTube.
•Hire out press releases. Got a story to tell, but no media contacts? Just submit text, and press-release distribution services like PRWeb.com and MyPRGenie will distribute the information to news sites like Yahoo news.
•Package positive information about your company to share with others. Need to raise your business' profile? Give away free press kits to customers and prospects or enter local and national small-business contests.

For more shoestring marketing strategies, visit "PR" in the "Sales and Marketing" section of www.NFIB.com/toolsandtips.

Posted by Emily McMackin on September 7, 2007 10:58 AM

These days, it seems everyone everywhere has a blog. Businesses use them for different reasons: to get customer feedback, to answer commonly asked questions, to describe their company, to boost their search-engine rankings, ect. So, with all the hype about blogs, do you need one? This week's small-business report from the Wall Street Journal explores this question, drawing on the experience of small-business owners who have experimented with blogs and have seen their profits soar.

While a blog can help you establish your credibility and expertise, "it's a fallacy to think you blog, and you sell," says Debbie Weil, a Washington, D.C.-based author and corporate blogging consultant who is quoted in the article. If you do have a blog, the article suggests several ways to make it more profitable, including:
•Update the content on a daily or weekly basis
•Add a creative or humorous twist to posts
•Provide a social networking forum for customers
•Link to other Web sites or blogs or have them link to you
•Use your blog to showcase your work

Want to know more about how to use a blog to boost business? Check out this article in our April/May Small-Business Technology Manual.

Posted by Emily McMackin on August 24, 2007 08:03 AM

Mailing lists can be tricky; how do you make them work for you and use them to expand your client/customer base? When a small-business owner asked Ilana DeBare, a business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle this question, she got a loaded answer. Mailing lists are necessary tools for marketing your business, but they also can be problem-ridden. They often reach the wrong address or the wrong person. And even when they reach the right person, they sometimes get trashed. So how do you make them effective?

Start by asking yourself two questions, DeBare says.
•Are you using the right kind of lists? It may not be specific enough for your industry.
•Are you addressing it to the right person? You may need to do extra research to make sure.

But if your answer is yes and yes, maybe you need to follow up with an e-mail or phone call—or you can check out the mailing list services that DeBare recommends to keep your marketing on track.

Posted by Emily McMackin on August 17, 2007 02:46 PM

Along with having an appealing and functional design, good content is extremely important in getting visitors to return to your business' Web site. This Tools & Tips article on NFIB.com offers some hints on how to make sure the people viewing your Web site get what they are looking for quickly, including:

• Use meaningful headlines, subheads, and menus and other links instead of fancy graphics or animations.


• Keep text brief, and break up long passages into multiple pages.


• Resist the temptation to swipe content you see elsewhere and repurpose it for your site, whether it's text, photos, illustrations, music or video.


• Periodically reevaluate the quality of your content. Make sure the information is still current, accurate and complete. Test links, both internal and external, to ensure they're still working.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on July 27, 2007 08:33 AM

An ice cream flavor called Staten Island Landfill claims to have everything (i.e., fudge, brownie bits and cherries) but the kitchen sink. Just like the Staten Island Landfill! That's funny, right? Well, not to everyone. Which explains why the Staten Island borough president issued a statement attacking the small business that makes the ice cream and asking New Yorkers to boycott the brand.

But owners Kim and Scott Myles, who started 5 Boroughs Ice Cream in 2003, don't mind poking a little fun—because it's increasing awareness of their fledgling product. “It tripled our sales and gave us a lot of momentum,” Scott told the New York Times.

The key, they say, is to not leave anyone out of the line of fire. Contrast the Staten Island Landfill with one of their newest flavors, Upper East Side Rich White Vanilla, and you'll see that nobody's safe from the Myles' generalizations about New Yorkers.

Posted by Lena Anthony on July 24, 2007 12:55 PM

If you're tired of newspapers and magazines overlooking you as a source for an article, you probably need a media kit for your business. If media kits are new to you, today's Tools & Tips article on NFIB.com has five great hints for creating one that will help successfully promote your business, such as:

• Write clearly. As with anything, burying the point of the press release or using jargon that isn't widely known will do nothing more than confuse your reader and lose their interest quickly.


• Keep it relevant. A publication focusing on technology might be interested in your new software for time management; the local newspaper may not care as much. What the local newspaper will care about, however, is an open house demonstration of the new software at your business.


• Be helpful. Members of the press are busy people, too, so whatever you can do to fit your business in a story for them, the less work they'll have to do tracking down more sources.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on July 19, 2007 12:50 PM

Perhaps you, along with millions of other online viewers, have seen this Montgomery, Ala., commercial advertising a mini mall on Youtube.com. While it’s hard to classify the ad as “quality,” its Internet popularity is undeniable. Since its release on Youtube, the video, as well as its star and creator Sammy Stephens, has been featured on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" and "Maury," and the trademark song can be bought as a ringtone for cell phones. Needless to say, Stephens’ Mini Mall revenues have experienced a significant increase.

According to this Wall Street Journal article, low budget Internet ad campaigns can be incredibly successful, so much so that they start generating their own revenue. The “Will it Blend Videos?” promoting Blendtec, a small business in Utah, feature Blendtec employees sticking all kinds of things you shouldn’t in a blender – from iPods to light bulbs. The ‘don’t try this at home’ slogan has hit it big with America’s online community, and as a result Blendtec sales were up 43 percent in 2006.

So if your small business is in need of a boost, look no further than a video camera and a catchy gimmick.

Posted by Grant Thomas on July 10, 2007 11:14 AM

If I had a baby tomorrow, I would name her Apple. But not because I love the fruit that much or think Gwenyth Paltrow is clever—I am a hard-core Apple Computer enthusiast, and tomorrow brings the birth of the iPhone.

Sure, it sounds a little (OK, a lot) crazy to name a child after a company, but according to this article at StartupJournal.com, baby-naming is becoming much more about branding and marketing than family tradition. "We live in a marketing-oriented society," says Bruce Lansky, a former advertising executive and author of several baby name books. "People who understand branding know that when you pick the right name, you're giving your child a head start."

And as "family names and old religious standbys continue to lose favor," the article says, name-consulting businesses are popping up in numbers. Stressed-out parents are seeking the help of services such as software programs, numerologists and "nameologists" to ensure they make the right choice when "branding" their new bundle of joy. And with "baby names" remaining a top Internet search—and celebrities fueling the unique name fire—it doesn't look like the demand for these services will cease any time soon.

Which makes me wonder: How many years of unusual baby names will it take for my pretty conventional name to reach obscurity?

Posted by Megan Goodchild on June 28, 2007 02:13 PM

Technology. You can't live with it; you can't live without it. There's no doubt that it makes life (and business) easier, but making it a seamless part of your day-to-day operations takes some effort, intention—and trust. Often small-business owners are slow to take advantage of technology not because they don't know what's avaliable, but because they are skeptical of it, according to a survey conducted by Warrillow & Co., an advisory services company that works with small-business marketers. Owners may be hesitant to invest in new technology if they believe that implementing it will cost them more time and money than they could save, the report says.

The survey illustrates the "inertia gap" between owners' awareness of online business applications and their adoption of them. A few of the highlights:

•64 percent of small-business owners are aware that they can buy search terms, but only 9 percent actually do so.
•92 percent know that they can access business e-mail remotely, but only 43 percent do.
•59 percent are aware of the ability to use software as a service, but only 17 percent do.
•84 percent know that they can use online applications for customer service, but only 49 percent do.

Learn more about the reasons behind small-business owner's reluctance toward technology in B-to-B magazine. If you can relate, check out our low-stress guide to making technology can work for your business in our April/May Manual.

Posted by Emily McMackin on June 8, 2007 08:31 AM

What's the secret to getting referrals? If you could figure that one out, just think of the time and money you'd save promoting and marketing your business. According to John Jantsch, author of the Duct Tape Marketing Blog, it's not a question of why people make referrals but who they refer. Jantsch suggests that customers make referral decisions the same way they make purchasing decisions: They get hooked emotionally, then back up their feelings with logic. In other words, they're more likely to consider how a product/service will make them look or feel before they check to see if it suits their needs, or if the price is right.

Money incentives don't work, Jantsch says. If you want more referrals, you'll have better luck once you figure how to establish an emotional connection with your customers, he says. Once you do that, a great price and tools that make it easy for customers pass on the good news about you never hurt.

Posted by Emily McMackin on May 30, 2007 02:45 PM

When I was in middle school, my biggest concern alternated between finding a ride to the mall and beating the latest Super Mario Bros. game before my friends could. I thought I was pretty ambitious, but boy was I wrong. Venture Beat has the story of 13-year-old Anshul Samar, founder and CEO of Elementeo, a startup that is focusing on a new role-playing board game designed to help students study chemistry by incorporating elements (no pun intended) of fun. And according to Venture Beat, he'd already booked 450 pre-orders as of last week.

To learn how NFIB helps support and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in students, visit NFIB's Young Entrepreneur Foundation.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on May 24, 2007 03:27 PM

When I go through my mail, I know immediately if I'm going to open an envelope. I can spot a piece of junk mail as soon as I open my mailbox—and it usually goes directly in the trash. If you use direct mail to communicate with your customers, clients and prospects, don't let this happen to you.

According the Duct Tape Marketing Blog, getting people to open your envelope is half the battle. The blog offers two guidelines for making sure this happens:
•When sending a letter to a group of existing clients, hint about what's inside on the envelope.
•When sending an offer to a list of suspects who don't know you, use a little mystery, making the envelope as simple as possible (plain with just a return address), so prospects will be curious about the contests inside. Don't disguise the letter as something official that must be opened. Such trickery will only anger those that you want to impress.

Overall, the blog points out, being trustworthy—even down to your envelope—is the best way to get your mail opened.

Posted by Emily McMackin on May 18, 2007 08:40 AM

A couple of months ago, I decided I wanted to try to sell my computer on eBay. So I looked on eBay and saw that at least 30 other people—all who owned the same computer as I did—had the same idea. In order to sell it, I knew I'd either have some money on it—or make it stand out from the others. I needed a unique selling point. I decided that my computer was better than the other ones because I had never put any extraneous software on it or tinkered with any of the settings. Oh, and I'd provide free shipping. Solid gold, I thought.

Well, I sold it to a coworker's mom before I got to test the prowess of my unique selling point on eBay, but reading this blog post reminded me just how important it is to stand out from your competitors.

The post's author makes some good points about making your small business stand out among a sea of competitors. Go read it, and then fine tune your unique selling point—and then start selling it!

Posted by Lena Anthony on May 9, 2007 12:41 PM

So this horse walks into a bar...

Ok, telling lame jokes probably isn't the way to go, but according to Debbie Weil at BlogWrite for CEOs, injecting a bit of humor in your posts is good for your company's blog. Lightening up the tone of your writing "predisposes the reader to feel positive about the blogger," Weil says. "And that's a great way to start the conversation and strengthen the connection with your audience."

If your business doesn't have a blog yet, check out "Blogging for Business," an article in the latest issue of MyBusiness that offers several helpful tips on how starting one could help boost your business.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on April 19, 2007 02:12 PM

What does it take to create a positive customer experience—the kind that will have people urging their friends, family, colleagues and neighbors to visit your business? The secret might be in how generous you are.

Fast Company business blogger Jory Des Jardins explores examples of two small businesses that have built a loyal following by treating their customers like royalty. What do they do? At one downtown diner, it's as simple as offering customers donut holes while they are waiting to be seated. At a neigborhood ice cream shop, it's as subtle as the generous portions scooped into cones. These little "extras" don't cost much, as Des Jardins points out, but they create a perception of generosity that leaves the customer feeling special—and likely to return.

Posted by Emily McMackin on April 6, 2007 12:50 PM

Getting a celebrity to buy your product is a small-business owner's dream come true. Can you say instant success? But it's not an easy road—or a sure thing. It takes a mixture of persistence and a healthy dose of good luck, says this Smart Money article, which offers five tips for hooking celebs. A few years ago MyBusiness featured four small-business owners who became famous overnight in a story called "The Business Side of Fame." Go find out how they did it—and how they turned their five minutes of fame into lasting success.

Posted by Lena Anthony on March 12, 2007 09:09 AM

Thanks to a rampage I went on a few weeks ago, I know a lot about unsubscribing to e-mail newsletters. One day I opened my inbox and experienced a way-too-full-inbox-induced breakdown. As a result, I unsubscribed to a lot of the e-mail newsletters in there. So why am I still getting them?

Maybe because they're ignoring my unsubscribe requests, which is a surefire way to be mistaken for a spammer, says this article on Forbes.com.

"When a legitimate company is accused of spamming something, a lot of the time they've done something stupid," Richi Jennings of Ferris Research told Forbes. The article details the seven "stupid" ways legitimate businesses are landing themselves in the spam can.

Posted by Lena Anthony on February 27, 2007 10:32 AM

During a recent vacation, our friend and favorite "mommy blogger," BusyMom took note of the names of small businesses and observed, "Some words used in names just bring certain connotations to mind, and, it can be enough to make me not go inside and shop." Today, she has advice for those thinking of starting a new venture. Here are her suggestions for Ten Things NOT to Name Your Business.

Posted by Rex Hammock on February 22, 2007 01:34 PM

An article in today's New York Times is a great follow-up to an "uncommon enterprise" we featured last year in MyBusiness magazine, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical when the idea came up in an editorial planning session: A 70-square-foot house? However -- as the article in today's Times displays -- there's a growing interest in Jay Shafer's plans, books and consultation on building houses from 70 to 500 square feet.

Posted by Rex Hammock on February 16, 2007 12:40 PM

A year or so ago I interviewed Lou Stanasolovich for an article I was working on for MyBusiness. It was feature called "Think Big, Grow Rich: Five ways small businesses can act bigger than they are." The way Lou, a Pittsburgh-based financial adviser, fit into the story was that he was no stranger to the media. Media exposure and good public relations, he said, "builds your reputation tremendously."

He thought enough of PR to hire his own in-house publicist, but according to the Kauffman Foundation's eVenturing site, PR can be as much of a do-it-yourself project as installing new window blinds.

The collection offers many how tos on boosting your company's visibility, including writing press releases, starting a blog and selling your story.

Posted by Lena Anthony on January 9, 2007 02:23 PM

I keep thinking I'm done with my holiday shopping--and then I remember a few more things on my list. My goal is to knock it all out this weekend so that I can relax and actually enjoy the last week before Christmas. When I head out on Saturday morning, I'm going to make sure to shop first at locally owned stores. Not only will I avoid the parking-lot madness and massive crowds that overtake the mall and big-box stores, I'll also be supporting a small-business owner who contributes to my community. Need more convincing? Check out NFIB's five reasons you should shop local businesses this holiday season.

Posted by Shannon McRae on December 14, 2006 04:08 PM

I'm already tired of Christmas music, and that makes me sad. For the past few weeks, I've heard Bing Crosby crooning in most of my local retail shops. Can't we eat the leftover turkey before we pull out the Christmas lights? Guess not.

The music, the decorations and the crowds mean one thing: Holiday shoppers are coming. Each year, retailers set their sights (and sites) on topping their previous year's sales records, and the 2006 holiday shopping season is no exception.

The good news for small business is that online shoppers aren't only drawn to national retailers. In fact, 75 percent of holiday shoppers said they are likely to purchase gifts online this year from small businesses, according to a Yahoo Small Business survey conducted by Harris Interactive (press release link). Topping shoppers' wish lists: secure payment systems, easy customer checkout and free shipping.

If you want to find tips on increasing your ecommerce, visit this section of the NFIB.com's Business Toolbox. Better get started soon before Valentine candy boxes fill stores.

Posted by Shannon McRae on November 20, 2006 02:22 PM

Find out how top entrepreneurs use technology to cut costs, increase profits, and gain market share.

The National Federation of Independent Business is sponsoring PC Magazine's webcast profiling the winners of their first annual SMB 20 Awards hosted by Editor-in-Chief Jim Louderback Oct. 5, 2006, at 2 p.m. Eastern time (11 a.m. Pacific).

PC Magazine's SMB 20 Awards honor the most technologically innovative small- and medium-sized businesses of the year. The 20 recognized companies all have fewer than 300 employees and have been in business for at least a year.

You'll hear from grand prize winner Jets International's CEO Nathan McKelvey, SewWhat, Inc. Founder/President and NFIB Member Megan Duckett, and Gary Swart, CEO of oDesk Corporation. After their presentations you can join an interactive Q&A session with these entrepreneurs to find out how the technologies they used can improve your bottom line, too. This is your chance to learn directly from some of the most successful entrepreneurs around.

Learn more and watch the PC Magazine SMB 20 Awards webcast.

Posted by Jamie Roberts on October 4, 2006 09:10 AM

Finally, something from the federal government that is useful for small-business owners. Business.gov, dubbed as "the official business link to the U.S. government," relaunches today, providing one-stop shopping for business owners looking for information on how to comply with government regulations.

Managed by the Small Business Administration, Business.gov compiles information from 21 federal agencies in an effort to improve the way the federal government serves citizens and businesses.

First launched in 2004, Business.gov originally focused on resources for starting, growing and managing a business. But focus groups revealed that what business owners really wanted was help dealing with the all the paperwork and rules about running a business. The easy-to-navigate site is divided into topics and industries.

Posted by Shannon McRae on October 2, 2006 10:09 AM

Don't have the advertising budget to market your products or services like you want? A couple from Monterey, Calif., were facing the same problem. They wrote the San Francisco Chronicle's business column looking for advice about the cheapest and best way to publicize their business, which decorates hotel rooms for special occasions like wedding proposals and birthdays. Here are some of the tips writer Iiana DeBare offered:
•Set priorities. Decide the best people to market your product or service to and go after that group.
•Influence the influencers. Sell your product or service to people who will sell it for you through word of mouth.
•Pitch your story to the press. Share your story with trade journals or local newspapers and television stations and provide reporters with great anecdotes and sources.
•Look for co-marketing opportunities. Partner with businesses related to yours to offer special deals.

Posted by Emily McMackin on September 22, 2006 09:24 AM

If you have customers, don't miss the guest columnist's post on the Small Business Trends blog. Author Mary Hunt offers 5 Do's and 5 Don'ts when selling to women small-business owners. Most of the advice is common sense but it's always good to be reminded of basic selling tips.

Hunt urges sellers to protect their "cyber karma" since women use word-of-mouth referrals far more than men. "Email and blogs have upped that communication ante. Make sure they leave your office, phone call or website happy--or at least not ticked," she writes.

She also offers a good piece of advice when selling to any customer (male or female): Don't overlook the power of "thank you."

Posted by Shannon McRae on September 6, 2006 08:07 AM

Looking for another way to reach out to new customers? Improve your business' listing in online search engine results.

According to this article in the Startup Journal, a few steps is all you need to take to increase the relevance of your business' Web site to search engines—a practice often referred to as search engine optimization. Start climbing the ranks with these quick tips:

• Add keywords: Identify keywords that searchers use to find sites like yours and add them to your site. Three to five percent of the words on each page should be comprised of keywords.
• Get linked: The more links you have to your site, the more important you look to search engines. Besides directly asking Webmasters to link to your site, you can also get links by visiting and participating in the discussions on popular blogs.
• Be patient: The age of your site, the age of your content and the number of years your domain has been registered are all criteria used by search engines when ranking your site.

Posted by Lena Anthony on August 15, 2006 11:52 AM

Are you still resisting setting up a Web site or marketing your products or services online? You shouldn't be. The Internet can be a beautiful thing for your business—if you know how to tap into it. Establishing an online presence not only provides you with another channel through which to reach customers, it also allows you to customize your messages to them and solicit instant feedback from them.

A SmartBiz.com article explores how online technology has changed small-business marketing and advertising. According to the article, small businesses like yours can use the Internet to:
•Create the perception of being much larger and more prestigious than you actually are
•Establish a multitude of storefronts in different online venues, expanding your base of potential clients
•Reach out to your targeted marketplace for little or no cost through e-mail, blogs, podcasting, online community forums and co-op advertising

If you're new to the world of online marketing, the article offers a primer of sorts with suggestions for how you can use the Web to boost your business. If you already have a Web site, read our August/September Manual article, "Cast a World Wide Web," to find out how to lure new customers and clients to your home page.

Posted by Emily McMackin on August 11, 2006 07:59 AM

Pete Luetkenhaus, owner of Pete's Drive-In in Wentzville, Missouri, knows the secret ingredient for a long-lasting business: It is loyal customers.

This week, Luetkenhaus was featured in the St. Louis Dispatch for celebrating his 40th year in business. His restaurant, which started out as a root-beer stand and is now known for its country-style breakfasts and fried chicken, has become a landmark off of Highway 61 in Wentzville. Thanks to the patronage of repeat customers, it has managed to stay afloat, despite all the fast-food restaurants down the road.

"It's a gathering place," says Luetkenhaus, who still works six days a week and makes time to chat with locals who frequent the Drive-In.

Want to learn more about building a loyal customer base? Discover what another small-business owner, Scott Kremp of Kremp's Florist in the Philadelphia area, is doing to find and keep customers in our "Simply the Best" feature in the August/September Manual.

Posted by Emily McMackin on August 4, 2006 07:41 AM

Having a tough time coming up with a catchy, unique name for your new baby, er, business? At WorkingSolo, consultant Terri Lonier has a few helpful ideas. She advises small-business owners to choose a name that they can grow with (limiting yourself to VCR repair is a bad idea, for instance), try out the name with friends and family, and experiment to see if it works in print. And take it from the Z list: Why not consider a name that comes earlier in the alphabet?

California entrepreneur Jay Saber, who provides companies with rooftop advertising near airports, apparently heeded Lonier's second tip: Make sure the name is easy to understand and pronounce. Learn more about Saber's sky-high business, RoofAds, in MyBusiness' August/September 2006 Uncommon Enterprise.

Posted by Jamie Roberts on August 2, 2006 11:16 AM

Megan Duckett, owner of custom theatrical drape making company Sew What? and winner of this year's Dell/NFIB Small-Business Excellence in Customer Service Experience Award, recently was interviewed by Carson McComas of WorkHappy.net.

Duckett talks about how she got started (14 years ago she didn't even know how to sew) and how she made a name for herself in such a niche market. Also serving as Sew What?'s marketing manager, she shares some marketing efforts that didn't quite work out for her.

Duckett is also featured in the August/September issue of MyBusiness Magazine, where she discusses the special technology she helped create to tackle large-scale projects, such as 60 feet wide by 30 feet high curtains for a Grecian theater house or backdrops for the stages of prominent musical or theater acts. This innovative use of technology, along with her dedication to customer service, ultimately led to Sew What? winning the Dell/NFIB award, from which she will receive $30,000 in Dell technology and services, a lifetime NFIB membership, and the opportunity to spend a day at Dell's headquarters to learn best practices from Michael Dell and other senior executives.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on July 28, 2006 02:58 PM

Dream of having your product mentioned on Oprah? For some small businesses who lived through a mention on Oprah's Favorite Things, the dream becomes a reality--fast. An article on CNNMoney tracks a few to see what their instant success taught them.

Given just five days notice before its product appeared on the show, Pete Seltzer, CEO of Kashwére, anticipated a challenge. But after a Kashwere robe was mentioned on Oprah's Favorite Things, "for six consecutive weeks we could not get a call out, the phones were hammered and we did thousands and thousands of Internet orders."

MyBusiness tackled a similar topic when we found several businesses who'd spent 15 minutes in the spotlight. Read how fame affected their bottomline.

Posted by Shannon McRae on July 26, 2006 12:08 PM

The Internet has become an indespensable marketing force, and it's rare to find a business that doesn't have some sort of Web presence. However, simply having a site for your business isn't enough. Once the customer is at your site, how do you engage them? Does your content captivate them and motivate them to buy? If not, you could be missing out on sales volume and profit.

Today's Tools & Tips article on NFIB.com offers 11 ways to engage those who visit your Web site, such as:

• Make your content accessible. Use the language and terms your visitors know. Summarize key points and offers in easy-to-understand headlines and titles. Put the most important information on your home page and at the top of subsidiary pages.


• Make your content fast. One of the easiest ways to add speed to your site is to keep your text simple and direct, using lots of outline points, charts, and short paragraphs. Unless most of your visitors have high-speed connections, avoid video and multi-media applications on your site; stick to text and simple graphics that load quickly.


• Make your content organized. Build your content around the six to eight subjects your visitors will be most concerned about. Place links to pages containing that subject matter at the top or upper left corner of your home page, and at the base of the home page--and in similar positions on other pages as well. Material of immediate concern to customers, such as new products, special offers, industry news, or key business messages, should appear on a "what's-new" section of the home page. Alternatively, this material can begin there and then "jump" to a secondary page.


• Make your content timely. Every month, check your site for out-of-date statistics, dates and data. More frequently--perhaps every week or even every day, if you have significant Web traffic--place breaking information and news, fresh links, and up-to-date commentary on your site. Fresh content keeps your visitors' attention truly engaged. And even if they don't need the information you're providing right away, timely content ensures that visitors perceive you as an adept and valuable partner.
Posted by Megan Goodchild on July 13, 2006 12:26 PM

The look and feel of your business can be almost as important as the service it provides—think of it as an extension of customer service. You want to make sure your business maintains an atmosphere best suited for its customers, market and services. The wrong atmosphere can be a sales killer, according to today's Tools & Tips article on NFIB.com, which offers the following advice:

• Consider your information. Where precision and thoroughness of facts is mandatory, formality is usually preferred because it portrays professionalism. When opinions are requested and often expected, a friendly informality will often go a long way to promoting your business because it makes the customer feel comfortable and relaxed.


• Consider your market. Do you do business with consumers or with other businesses? Other businesses and professionals may equate informality with immaturity, while the average consumer may find formality stiff and stuffy.


• Consider your services. Will your services be used for work or leisure? If your business promotes the welfare or continuation of customers' work, a formal atmosphere will likely keep them more comfortable. But if you offer things meant for leisure time, informality will promote further relaxation.


• Consider your niche. If a professional suite or a fancier dress is standard among your competitors and customers, consumers will find an informal atmosphere unnerving. Whereas, if informality is standard, a formal atmosphere will similarly discomfit potential customers.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on July 7, 2006 08:58 AM

eBay's CEO Meg Whitman is joining several hundred small-business owners "taking it to the Hill" today, visiting their lawmakers as part of the NFIB Small-Business Summit. What? eBay is a multi-billion dollar international corporation so what's the company's CEO doing hanging out with a bunch of small-business owners? In an early-morning address to the group, Whitman explained that more than 700,000 eBayers are operating either their primary or part-time businesses through eBay. While she admitted that eBay founders and executives were slow to realize it, eBay has become one of the primary e-commerce platforms for small businesses--"It has leveled the playing field of the Internet," she said. Issues like access to affordable health-insurance coverage and tax simplification are concerns that eBay sellers and NFIB members alike are working on in Congress, so Whitman is here representing eBay's small-business sellers, she explained. (See full coverage of Whitman's address at NFIB.com.)

Posted by Rex Hammock on June 20, 2006 07:22 AM

Customer satisfaction is vital to your business' reputation--and most likely its survival. It's not enough just to talk about great customer service; implement a plan that all employees--from entry level to management--will follow.

Today's Tools and Tips column on NFIB.com advises creating a system for customer satisfaction that all of your employees adhere to. Setting up your system involves:

• Picking the right employees. The path to customer satisfaction begins with employee selection. It ideally starts with hiring employees who exhibit a caring attitude. For many entry-level positions that involve considerable customer contact, it makes sense to hire primarily for manner and attitude and refine job skills through orientation and training.


• Implementing training. Orientation and training should strongly address customer satisfaction requirements, with your company's customer satisfaction principles covered face-to-face and provided in a published policy or employee handbook.


• Measuring success. Monitor the behavior of your customer-contact employees and provide immediate coaching for those who demonstrate shortcomings. Include customer satisfaction as a condition of acceptable performance and emphasize this by addressing customer satisfaction in performance evaluations.


• Handling complaints. Give properly trained employees the authority to resolve customer complaints whenever possible. The fewer people a complaint has to go through, the faster and more visibly it can be resolved.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on May 25, 2006 08:39 AM

Saying no to the request of a valued customer can be painful but necessary. Today's Tools and Tips column on NFIB.com offers advice from Darby Checketts, speaker and trainer to government agencies and hundreds of companies such as Gulfstream Aerospace, Intel and BlueCross/BlueShield of Arizona.

Checketts has devised a simple three-step process to avoid disappointing your customers by saying "no," as well as preventing the "occasional over-committment of a too hasty 'yes.' "

To let your customer down gently, Checketts suggests using the A-C-T principle:

• A: Acknowledge the customer’s requests and needs. A brief recap of what they asked for or an indicated appreciation of their point of view can buy you time to collect your thoughts, while reassuring customers that you heard them and understand their position.


• C: Ask questions probing the circumstances of customers’ inquiries or requests. “Before giving a knee-jerk answer, make sure you understand the why of what they're asking,” Checketts says.


• T: Tell them what you can do. Checketts notes that even partial solutions are better than a roadblock. They are a vast improvement over an otherwise negative response and indicate your willingness to work toward a mutually agreeable solution.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on May 22, 2006 09:51 AM

If you make a glaring mistake, your customers will most likely tell you immediately. However, some mistakes, while big, may never be brought to your attention--until it's too late.

Today's Tools and Tips column on NFIB.com discusses nine mistakes or negative aspects about your business that your customers will almost never alert you to. For example:

• You patronize me. I don't like the oversimplistic way you describe your product. I feel as if you're talking down to me. Lesson: Always ask your customer whether he or she wants more or less detail.
• I'd buy more if you asked me. I have so many needs, but you don't seem to recognize them. Maybe you offer products that would make my life easier, but I have no way of knowing. Lesson: Instead of simply describing your products to your customers, ask how you can help satisfy their needs.
• You're inconsistent. 90 percent of the time I know you'll do exactly what you promised. But it's the other 10 percent that I'm never sure about. Lesson: Aim for 100 percent consistency. If you're not going to be able to meet the customers' terms, let them know the minute you realize there might be a problem.
• I'm talking to the competition all the time. Face it: It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. I want to save money and time and get the best deal I can, so it's only natural that I keep looking for other suppliers of goods and services. Lesson: Ask your customers to provide regular feedback to you.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on May 18, 2006 01:53 PM

Two years ago, few people knew what a blog (short for Web log) was, but today they're absolutely everywhere. According to Technorati, almost 40 million blogs are in existence today with 75,000 new blogs being started daily.

Blogs are hot, and experts say they can be a great marketing tool for even the smallest business. A blog can position small-business owners as experts in their fields and provide an online forum for interactivity. But according to Karen Klein, they're not for everyone.

This week on Business Week Online, Klein talks about blogs as marketing tools and weighs the pros and cons of creating one.

Posted by Lena Anthony on May 16, 2006 04:18 AM

Having a well thought out plan can be essential to your business' survival. If you're not ready to look 10 years into the future, don't worry: planning can include thinking about any period of time in the future. On NFIB.com today, Charles R. McConnell describes business planning as encompassing six essential elements:

1. Vision. A vision statement can be a simple statement that serves as a rallying point for all employees.


2. Mission. An effective mission statement must be expressed clearly in a brief paragraph of simple language and cause people to understand why the organization exists and what its work is all about.


3. Goals. Goal statements encompass ends or conclusions.


4. Objectives. Objectives relate to milestones achieved on the way toward reaching a goal.


5. Strategy. Strategy is most simply described as a pattern of moves structured in a particular manner to take advantage of certain circumstances or avoid certain potential obstacles.


6. Action plans. An action plan describes the nuts-and-bolts process of how, step by detailed step, a particular objective is pursued.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on May 11, 2006 08:43 AM

You may not be able to control fluctuations in the economy or the marketplace, but slumps in either sector don't have to control your bottom line. Focusing on innovation will keep your business thriving, no matter what outside obstacle you face, according to a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Survey. Small-business owners surveyed in the study said they stay competitive by adopting new procedures to improve quality assurance, investing in new technology and looking for different ways to market and sell products.

Other highlights of the survey include:
•57 percent of small-business owners allocate time for idea generation and creative exploration.
•59 percent take courses or training to improve their skills and continue to learn.
•55 percent provide additional skills training for employees.

For more tips on using innovation in your business to survive and thrive, check out the "Changing Lanes" feature in our Dec./Jan. issue.

Posted by Emily McMackin on May 5, 2006 09:56 AM

To ensure you are making the most of your resources and utilizing your staff efficiently, it is important to have a good grasp of your business' patterns of demand.

On NFIB.com today, Vicki Gerson explains that it's important for small-business owners to identify their busiest times of day and year in order to better schedule staff or order goods. Gerson also suggests some strategies to help get you through peak periods, including:

• Modify operating hours


• Hire part-time or temporary employees


• Offer a price incentive for using the service during non-peak times


• Allow customers to fax or e-mail in their orders instead of talking to an employee

Posted by Megan Goodchild on April 28, 2006 08:09 AM

Making and keeping contacts is a vital part of growing and maintaining a successful business. In today's Tools & Tips column on NFIB.com, InfoUSA, Inc., offers three main points to remember when calling on your customers:

1. Contact all businesses at least once a quarter. The No. 1 thing people buy is you--a business partner who understands their goals and concerns.


2. Service selling provides relevance. Successful businesses ensure each customer contact positions them as a “resource,” not just a “vendor.”


3. Benefits sell, features tell. As you discuss your solutions with your prospects, avoid telling them all the great things your products and services can do. Instead, sell them on all the great things your products and services can do for them.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on April 24, 2006 09:57 AM

"Negotiation is an art," writes Vicki Gerson on NFIB.com today. It can help your business in many ways, but is not an easy skill to master. Gerson encourages practicing your negotiation techniques with a mentor, business associate or friend first, and offers four negotiation styles commonly found in the business world:

1. Arguing the point:This is someone who focuses on logic, shows no emotions during discussions and sticks to rational arguments.


2. Seeing the outcome. Achievers like to control their own destiny; they like to plan their way to success and are willing to work hard to achieve their goals.


3. Hearing a new idea. A motivator focuses on creativity and encourages imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.


4. Grasping the benefit. In order to be successful in your quest, this individual must see the benefit for the company.

Posted by Megan Goodchild on April 18, 2006 08:41 AM