SmallBizResource Blog

26 Considerations Before You Whip Out A Website

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:36:35 -0500

Whether you want a small Website with just a few pages of text or one more complex, you can keep costs down and get your Website up and running quickly if you take the time to define the purpose and scope of the project before you look for a Web developer.

5 Internet Marketing Mistakes That Cripple Profits

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:30:32 -0500

How successful are your online pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns? What about your email marketing efforts? Are you getting traffic to your Website, but not getting as many new orders as you had hoped for? If so, you could be making one of the following five common mistakes.

7 Tax Tips For New Small Businesses

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:20:46 -0500

The sun will come out tomorrow -- but in reference to when the unemployment rate is expected to peak north of 10 percent, just which "tomorrow" we're talking about depends on who you ask.

The 'Exhaustion' Defense: Do You Buy It? -- Wednesday's Woman

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:29:12 -0500

The story of a working mom who permitted two tweens to take three younger children for an afternoon at their local Montana mall has sparked an online outcry I haven't seen since the Mommy Wars.

Intuit Launches 'Love A Local Business' Sweepstakes

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:34:43 -0500

One week after I had my teeth cleaned by a dentist recommended to me by a friend, she received a $25 Starbucks gift card from the office thanking her for the referral. I also received a thank-you note for my patronage, along with an offer for a free dental visit for a family member. That visit, too, was followed with a letter of appreciation.

What's A Referral Really Worth?

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:26:12 -0500

Business owners often look at networking as purely a marketing activity. After all, getting out into the community or taking part in industry events helps build name recognition and contacts that can lead to new business.

Menus4Moms Founder Mary Ann Kelley: Wednesday's Woman

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:41:05 -0500

When Mary Ann Kelley began home-schooling her children 10 years ago, little did she know the education she was about to give herself. An idea for a Web site, and then another, catapulted Kelley into a world of coding, advertising, affiliate programs, e-newsletters, and plenty more -- and what she has learned she generously shares.

How To Say No -- And Live With Yourself: Wednesday's Woman

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:35:14 -0500

The following is an excerpt from the book Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success, by Claire Shipman, senior national correspondent for ABC News' Good Morning America, and Katty Kay, Washington correspondent and anchor for BBC World News America.

Receivables-Based Credit: An Alternative Financing Option

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:20:13 -0500

From increasing interest rates to the need for higher credit scores, many small business owners have felt the strangle known as the credit crunch.

How To Find People To Follow On Twitter

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:37:30 -0500

Of my 271 followers on Twitter, *maybe* 10% are people I actually know. The rest is a group joined together based on common interests -- small businesses, entrepreneurs, tech tools, and the like.

How To Make Your Public-Speaking Engagements Interesting And Unforgettable

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:35:17 -0500

After the waitress poured my coffee in the Washington Hilton Hotel's restaurant, I turned to the lady beside me at the counter and asked, "Will you pass the cream, please?" She answered, "No, I won't."

Shustir.com Co-Founder Shu Kim: Wednesday's Woman

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:40 -0500

Shu Kim's family emigrated from Seoul, South Korea, to New York when she was only three; ironically, a work assignment took her back many years later. In retrospect Kim realized the time she spent in her birthplace helped her tap into her entrepreneurial roots.

How To Protect Your Small Business From Identity Theft

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:28:29 -0500

With friends, family, and co-workers like these�In the spirit of opening your eyes but not inducing paranoia, when small businesses fall victim to identity theft, someone they know is more often than not the guilty party whose tampering has a direct impact on their credit standing.

13 Twitter-Speak Translations

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:56:17 -0500

"What the heck IS this Twitter thing?" The frequency with which small-business owners and entrepreneurs continue to ask me that question -- as recently as two hours ago by one of the dads at an end-of-the-year school function, and last week during two interviews for profile pieces -- signals to me that, a) word is truly getting out beyond those of us who live in this social media cocoon, and, b) people assume way more is involved with Twitter than is actually the case.

New All-On-One Panda Security Solution Targets Small Businesses

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:20:34 -0500

In the same spirit that multifunction printers consolidate four separate space-hogging machines into a single piece of hardware, unified threat management (UTM) solutions combine multiple types of security products into one package that aim to keep customers' networks safe.

9 Ways To Decide What You Should Sell

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:23:15 -0500

Are you thinking about launching a new business? Do you have some new product or service you want to sell? Are you pretty sure the product or service will be a big hit if you can get enough money to get started, or get the time and resources together to add it to your existing offerings?

TwiddleMuff Maker Margaret Light: Wednesday's Woman

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:05:49 -0500

Not everybody is fortunate enough to know their grandparents. Margaret Light was, and not only did they provide her with a sense of stability while she was growing up -- her family moved every few years -- but one also served as the catalyst for a business that's now in its third year.

Craigslist Gets "The Weird Al" Treatment

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:25:55 -0500

If eBay is the spot for small businesses to start selling, Craigslist is where companies go to buy and sell stuff before they're even companies. And now Weird Al Yankovic gives the ubiquitous online marketplace his special breed of love -- in a Doors-themed video with Ray Manzerak on keyboard.

SBA Launches Loans For Vulnerable Small Businesses

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:31:19 -0500

"America's entrepreneurs and small businesses will be the ones to lead us out of the recession if we give them the tools they need to succeed."

SBR Quickie: Wither Twitter?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:35:14 -0500

From the "another-survey-that-validates-what-small-businesses-already-know" department: Social media is emerging as a direct marketing channel, according to email marketer StrongMail Systems.

Know-How For Hire: Top 100 Web Skills

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:19 -0500

While the economic recession continues to roll on, Elance's June jobs report provides an unprescribed dose of optimism -- providing you have the right skill set.

Concerns Among Small Businesses, According To Two Companies That Serve 'Em

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:48:54 -0500

Does it make sense to take out a business loan if you're struggling to attract customers?

6 Ways To Start A Business With Bad Credit

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:27:38 -0500

While the state of the economy should never be a deterrent in starting a small business -- people and businesses still need to consume goods and services -- a downturn does have an effect on your ability to find and obtain capital for their ventures, especially if your personal credit is a bit lacking.

Social Media: Where The Girls Are

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:16:49 -0500

My browser automatically launches five Web sites: two blogs, two social networks, and my Google RSS reader. So feel free to consider me a poster child for a new study that measures the popularity (read: power) of social media among the U.S. female Internet population.

eBay Dangles $120K Contest Carrot In Front Of Existing, Potential Sellers

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:38:10 -0500

I haven't written about eBay in months. Perhaps no news is good news?