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 Basha 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 Basha 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 Basha 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 Basha 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 Basha 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 Basha 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 Basha 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 Basha 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.