The goWholesale Blog
Published September 18th, 2008
DollarDays International has a new poll up on their site to test the political climate of it’s visitors. The goal is to see which candidate small business owners think will be the "best Commander In Chief of Small Business." Simply go to www.dollardays.com and look for the poll on the right hand side of the page. Results are updated every 15 minutes.
The idea for this poll occurred after the SBA queried "How Important is Small Business to the U.S. Economy?" Here’s what they concluded:
• Represents 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
• Employs about half of all private sector employees.
• Pays more than 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
• Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually
over the last decade.
• Creates more than half of nonfarm private gross domestic
product (GDP).
• Supplied 22.8% of the total value of federal prime
contracts in FY 2006.
• Hires 40% of high tech workers (such as scientists,
engineers and computer workers).
• Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
• Made up 97% of all identified exporters and produced
28.6% of the known export value in FY 2004.
Vote for your favorite candidate on DollarDays and don’t forget to vote for real on November 4th!
Tags: Announcements, DollarDays International, polls, presidental election, Rebecca Button, SBA, statistics, voting, www.dollardays.com
No Comments »
Published June 17th, 2008
And then there were two.
From here on out you are going to be the brunt of a barrage of political shenanigans. Hot air and dirt is going to be flying from all directions and it’s going to be tough trying to wade through it all to get to the bottom of where McCain and Obama stand on important issues. You’re even less likely to see through the deluge to the small business issues.
So I thought I’d present (in a nutshell) where the candidates stand on the top 3 most important business matters taken directly from ResourceNation.com :
McCain:
• Healthcare – Sen. McCain is proposing incremental expansions of health insurance coverage accompanied by reduced regulations of insurance companies and a more expanded role for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). He is also proposing an income tax exclusion aimed at providing incentives for individuals to purchase their own insurance; essentially creating a tax credit for anyone purchasing health insurance through an employer.
McCain is also strongly touting a detailed plan based primarily on cost containment and quality of care…performance of the doctors in particular. He has also proposed that small businesses, and those who are self-employed, can purchase medical insurance through qualified associations/organizations.
• Taxes – Similar to most candidates, McCain takes aim at middle income family tax cuts. He is proposing to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which is paid nearly exclusively by 25 million middle class families. McCain also specifically addresses entrepreneurial tax cuts claiming that “entrepreneurs should not be taxed into submission.” McCain believes that lower taxes on income and capital gains promotes saving and channeling investment dollars into innovative, high-value uses as opposed to wasteful financial planning. McCain, similar to his Democrat counterparts, is proposing pro-innovation tax cuts, namely a ban on Internet and new cell phone taxes and a permanent R&D tax credit. Read about McCain’s tax cut plan .
• Economic Factors – McCain believes that the barriers to trade should be lowered, thus creating a more globalized mindset when it comes to trade. He wants to reduce the barriers to trade and level the playing field when it comes to global trading rules. McCain wants to increase the competitiveness of the American worker by increasing educational opportunities for all. McCain highly touts energy independence by eliminating our reliance on foreign oil. McCain has outlined a comprehensive energy security plan, which can be found here .
Obama:
• Healthcare – A similar proposal as that of Sen. Clinton in that he is proposing system-wide changes designed for covering most or all Americans. His system, like that of Clinton’s, would offer a pooling function where small businesses can ban together to get affordable health care insurance. Obama is proposing that he would exempt small businesses under 15 employees from this insurance requirement. See Obama’s full healthcare plan .
• Taxes – Obama offers several proposals targeted at small business growth and development, which include the elimination of capital gains taxes on start-up businesses. Some of his biggest tax proposals are aimed at providing a tax cut for working families; he’s calling this the “Making Work Pay” tax credit, which will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans. Many of those affected by this tax cut are employed by small business, all of whom could see a significant increase in take home pay without affecting the small business bottom line.
• Economic Factors – He is proposing to raise the minimum wage and index it to rise with inflation; this is aimed at ensuring full-time workers can make a livable wage now and ongoing. Obama also has similar plans to those of Clinton’s for increasing innovation and technology jobs. Obama does have some unique proposals including expansions of programs targeting capital to minority and under-served communities and patent reform. He has also called out specific economic help aimed at small businesses in rural areas. Read about Obama’s economic plans .
Whatever you do whether personally or professionally, make sure you make an informed decision.
Tags: campaign 08, issues, presidential race, Rebecca Button, ResourceNation.com, small business
No Comments »
Published June 13th, 2008
As we get into the full swing of summer and you begin to look forward to taking that much needed 2 week vacation to the Bahamas let’s take a step back and put some things in perspective. You probably work a minimum of 9-5, 5 days a week right? If you work less than that, well my friend you are luckier than most. But what about 39 year old Lee from South Korea who can only spend 10-15 minutes a day with his kids because he’s gone from 5:30AM to 11:00PM six days a week. Oh yeah and he only gets 3 days off a year.
Here are the top hardest working countries and the average number of hours worked per year:
1. South Korea - 2,357
2. Greece - 2,052
3. Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland - tied with close numbers in the 1,900-2,000 range
So next time you want to duck out early on a Friday, be thankful you can and make sure you really DO enjoy that nice long vacation!
Tags: average hours worked, foreign workers, Growing Your Business, international business, Rebecca Button, workaholics
No Comments »
Published June 10th, 2008
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s true. The recession-proof shopper is here and she’s here to stay. A new study commissioned and soon to be published by Elle magazine concludes that 8% of U.S. women are still shopping up a storm and show no signs of slowing down. (for full stats check out this article)
So what do you think? Do you think these ladies have what it takes to keep the economy (and businesses) afloat this year? I for one think that it certainly won’t hurt…but it’s not going to come anywhere close to how well those stimulus checks worked-wait….
If nothing else I suppose retail businesses can cater their advertising to focus more heavily on this demographic.
Tags: consumer, economy, Rebecca Button, recession, retail, shopping
No Comments »
Online marketing agency, NETexponent, is tasked with creating a profitable business to business affiliate program for goWholesale
goWholesale , is recognized as a leading vertical search engine. Their goal is to offer wholesale buyers an efficient and quick way to find vendors and suppliers. goWholesale currently allows advertisers to promote their business through pay per click advertising, organic search listings, or via banner ads. In an attempt to further grow their business, goWholesale has partnered with NETexponent to launch and manage their B2B affiliate program. This program will allow websites to partner with goWholesale while receiving commission for every new advertiser who signs up through their site.
“This is a great opportunity to get creative,” said Peter Figueredo, CEO and Co-Founder of NETexponent. “goWholesale isn’t a traditional online retailer, they are a search engine, so our strategy will include utilizing proven best practices as well as seeking unique opportunities that will attract businesses to become a part of goWholesale.”
NETexponent’s knowledge of the affiliate landscape will be instrumental in creating a profitable business to business affiliate program for goWholesale. With seven plus years of affiliate marketing experience, NETexponent will grow, optimize and manage the goWholesale affiliate program by leveraging their database of over 25,000 affiliates to recruit well suited vertical affiliates and top publishers that will drive qualified advertisers to goWholesale.com .
goWholesale has big plans for their affiliate program which made selecting the best outsourced program managers very critical. “NETexponent’s innovative approach to affiliate recruitment was a major factor in choosing them as our affiliate agency”, said Jean Bahnik, Senior Director at goWholesale. “I was instantly impressed by their knowledge and expertise in affiliate marketing. They have the tools and relationships to successfully attract and optimize the best affiliates.”
NETexponent attributes its success to the experience learned over many clients in the online retail, financial, education and subscription marketing sectors. NETexponent’s team of marketing professionals will focus heavily on affiliate recruitment and optimization, publisher support and quality assurance.
NETexponent will launch goWholesale’s affiliate program using the ShareASale affiliate technology platform. Affiliates will have the opportunity to earn 25% of each new advertiser’s initial start up cost. Each new advertiser must deposit a minimum of $100 to begin promoting in the goWholesale system. Commissions will be paid for transactions that take place for up to 60 days after the initial online referral. For more information, or to join the goWholesale affiliate program, contact us here .
About goWholesale
goWholesale’s mission is simple: to help your business to do business. goWholesale started in 2004 as a search engine to help wholesale buyers connect to wholesale suppliers in the quickest and most efficient way possible — via the internet. Since then, we’ve helped change the way wholesale products are sourced, and now we’re leading the way as the premier web portal for sourcing a range of wholesale products, finding providers of business services, reading the latest articles, news, and tips for starting and growing a business, and sharing viewpoints with a community of businessmen and women. For more information visit www.gowholesale.com .
About NETexponent
NETexponent is an online performance based direct marketing agency based in New York that builds custom partnership networks for efficiency driven advertisers. Founded in 2001, the metric-driven firm leverages nearly a decade of management experience in structuring win-win, performance-based deals with online publishers ranging from automated affiliate networks to integrated media partnerships, and focuses on efficiently acquiring the most valuable customers for clients. NETexponent is committed to being the industry’s most efficient and ethical performance marketing agency, continually evolving to address changing market conditions and client needs.
Tags: Announcements, B2B, goWholesale, NETexponent, partner update, Rebecca Button, wholesale
3 Comments »
A recent study released by the National Retail Federation reports that the number of businesses victimized in the past 12 months is up from 79% in 2007 to 85% so far in 2008. More and more businesses are seeing their stolen merchandise popping up for sale in other locations (the internet clearly being one of the most prevalent places).
E-fencing is quickly becoming the primary modus operandi for thieves as they can resell the stolen merchandise anonymously without raising any eyebrows. One of the most important findings is how much "new in box" items are worth to the criminals. These items can render up to 70 cents on the dollar whereas traditional black market methods only render around 30 cents. This means "new in box" products are being stolen at a higher rate than ever. Loss prevention respondents estimate that nearly 40% of current "new in box" items for sale on auction sites is stolen.
The survey’s conclusion sites training and awareness, utilizing exsisting relationships among trade associations and the government and communication/advocacy as solutions to help reduce this trend. To read the full report, click here .
Tags: E-Commerce and E-Business, e-fencing, news, organize retial crime, Rebecca Button, retail theft, stolen merchandise, survey
No Comments »
Eve Tahmincioglu who writes the Your Biz Blog over at MSNBC.com had a great post today where she enlisted the help of business coach Dan Murphy, president and founder of The Growth Coach , to help cast some rays of hope down upon businesses that are suffering recession doldrums. I thought I might help spread the word a bit.
His tips are sure to help you regain a sense of perspective and lead you to taking active steps in maintaining your business. His advice comes in the tried and true form of the acronym: M.A.S.T.E.R. (as in MASTER your business)
M is for Marketing. In good times and bad, marketing should be the highest priority for the owner and the business. Marketing is about attracting, serving and retaining customers. Work smart to keep what you have. Sell more to your current customers. Attract new customers. Marketing is simply on-going education to your customers, prospects and referral sources of why it’s in their best interest to do business with you.
A is for Ask Others for Help. Now is not the time to be the strong, lone-ranger. Be strong and smart enough to ask for help. There is strength in numbers and better ideas. Ask your customers — "How can we better serve your needs. What additional needs could we serve?" Ask your franchisor support team for strategies. Ask your CPA for some expense control strategies. Ask your internal team for ideas on how to grow revenues, decrease costs, better serve customers, etc. Ask other entrepreneurs what they are doing in tough times — adopt and adapt their strategies to your business.
S is for Slow Down & Plan. Stop being busy about nothing. Get strategic. Slow down, face reality, think about your situation and do some planning. They need to create a one-year game plan but break it into 90-day action plans and keep everyone accountable for implementing the plan.
T is for Tough Decisions. Wake up! Now is not the time to be everyone’s friend or to maintain the status quo. You are the head coach and have to make some bold calls and even change up the roster. Your first goal is to survive and be in a position to thrive. Cut expenses and reallocate for marketing — dare to invest in sales and marketing. Cut loose non-performing employees. Redeploy more people to the front lines — sales and marketing. Fire customers that cost you money. Ask others who benefit from your business & success to share in the tough times with you and reduce their costs — CPAs, printers, vendors, suppliers, advertising channels, etc.
E is for End Excuses. Everyone needs to be held accountable for results. As owner and head coach, do not accept excuses, only results. You must provide accountability for everyone, including yourself. Lead by example. Just because the economy is tough, that is no excuse to lay down, to give up, and to allow things to happen. Now is the time to dig deeper, hustle, and out maneuver others. Get more creative. Do not play the role of the victim. Accept the truth that things are a bit rough. So what? The rough economy is not the real problem, your not confronting the problem and taking new actions is the problem.
R is for getting Re-Focused. Like a champion sports team, every one of your team members should have absolute clarity about their role, responsibilities and goals. They should not confuse being busy with accomplishment. Get them focused. Be honest and frank with your team — if sales are down, give them the facts. Everyone, from receptionists to managers, needs to face reality and positively go about improving on that situation.
Tags: economy, Growing Your Business, Rebecca Button, recession
No Comments »
I’m sure you’ve heard all the ruckus surrounding American Airline’s announcment that it will initiate a checked bag fee as well as increase fees for other services on top of jacking up actual ticket prices. All in the name of the weak economy and soaring fuel prices.
There’s the saying that you can’t please everyone. And it’s true, especially if you are in an industry that serves millions of people a year. But what happens when you don’t please the majority of your customers? Sit back and watch in the next few weeks.
The following are some of the major issues that have come to light following the announcement:
Customer Service: First and foremost, whether AA had decent customer service or not, the fact is that it doesn’t have the kind of customer service that separates them from the pack. Therefore, fliers group them in with the rest of their bad experiences thusly creating their first big problem-customer trust and loyalty is compromised. When times get tough, these customers aren’t going to be understanding.
Price Jacking: Everyone knows prices are going up across the board. And they knew airlines would be no different. The problem here is where and how AA raised their prices. Ticket prices are constantly going up and down…had they lumped all their price hiking into the cost of tickets it would not have caused as much of a stir because it is an area people expect the prices to fluctuate. Instead, they tacked on charges for things that were previously "free" (checked baggage) or low cost. This gives people the impression they are being extorted and this, is problem number two.
Timing and the Blame Game: AA hasn’t given anyone enough time to adjust to the new price changes. As of June, it’s go time. What would have happened if they had increased prices slowly over time as gas prices went up? People still wouldn’t like it but they wouldn’t feel taken by surprise. Also, AA (and I’m sure other airlines to follow) is making it out like they are the only ones being affected by the economy and price of oil…well guys, we’re all suffering aren’t we? It surely is a reason, but it’s not one that is going to give customers warm and fuzzies about the situation. Instead of laying blame, find some positives and highlight them. If nothing else it’ll take the sting out of the price hike.
Take heed of this bad example and as you wade through the economic crises, learn from others mistakes. For some guidance on a different approach to price hike strategy, I suggest you read Markup on Cost Versus Gross Profit Margin .
Tags: american airlines, economy, fuel prices, oil prices, prices, Rebecca Button
3 Comments »
The Federal Trade Commission announced in a press release today that it will soon be publishing clarifications to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. The following topics are to be addressed:
(1) an e-mail recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his or her e-mail address and opt-out preferences, or take any steps other than sending a reply e-mail message or visiting a single Internet Web page to opt out of receiving future e-mail from a sender.
(2) the definition of “sender” was modified to make it easier to determine which of multiple parties advertising in a single e-mail message is responsible for complying with the Act’s opt-out requirements.
(3) a “sender” of commercial e-mail can include an accurately-registered post office box or private mailbox established under United States Postal Service regulations to satisfy the Act’s requirement that a commercial e-mail display a “valid physical postal address.”
(4) a definition of the term “person” was added to clarify that CAN-SPAM’s obligations are not limited to natural persons.
Keep your eyes peeled for it. The good news is that if you are already conducting an ethical email marketing campaign, these specifications should not affect you one way or another. If not, you may want to revise your strategy. For some guidance, check out Keeping Your E-Mail Campaigns Legal .
Tags: CAN-SPAM, E-Commerce and E-Business, email marketing, law, legal, legislation, Marketing, Marketing Your Business, news, Rebecca Button
No Comments »
