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