Small Business Resources
Published April 22nd, 2008
Q: Hey Steve - Have you ever heard of Seatguru.com ? I do a lot of travel for business and have found this to be an indispensable resource. Just passing along a tip.
Jamie
A: No, I had never heard of that site before but appreciate the tip. Like you, I travel plenty - giving speeches and what not - and have had my share of bad airline seats, so I liked this site a lot. Once you know what sort of plane you will be flying on (easily obtained through the site of your airline), Seatguru.com allows you analyze... Read more
Tags: business travel, MrAllBiz.com, seatguru.com, Small Business Resources, Steve Strauss, travel for business
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Published April 2nd, 2008
Have you heard some terms that you do not know what they mean? Do you appear to have the ‘dear in the headlights’ look when someone mentions a term that you should know, but do not? Below is a list of 20 not-so-common retailing terms. If you are just entering into the retail business, these terms will help to indoctrinate your lingo in the retailing industry.
Ad Impressions: Ad impressions are simply the number of times an ad is made available for consumers to view the product or service. These are also known as banner impressions.
Asset Protection: Assets protection... Read more
Tags: Glossary, larry Slusser, retail, retailing terms, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, tools
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Published March 13th, 2008
If you have started your own online eBay business, you may have noticed that the constant circle of listing items, selling them, sending out invoices, receiving payments and relisting items for sale can take quite a bit of time out of your schedule.
If you are listing items one at a time, going page by page through the eBay program, this slowdown in your business life is even worse. While you may love the profitability of eBay, you may also wish for an easier, and less time consuming, way to take care of your online inventory.
Thankfully, there are many... Read more
Tags: E-Commerce and E-Business, ebay, Generating More Sales, Leeia Ladipoh, online auctions, sellers, Small Business Resources, tools
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Published February 28th, 2008
You’re tired of working for someone else, telling you what to do and when. You’re an entrepreneur by heart and want to work for yourself, rather than padding the pockets of your boss. But how do you avoid the scams that are out there, which will only lead you back to padding the pockets of a boss?
Some of these “too good to be true” money-making ideas are plain and simple-scams. One way to verify if this business idea you are interested in is in fact a legitimate business with quality money-making opportunities, is to visit the Better Business Bureau’s... Read more
Tags: advice, larry Slusser, small business administration, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, startup scams, tips
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Published February 28th, 2008
Attention all small businesses (50 employees or less, that is)!!!
Microsoft announced at the beginning of February, they will offer further discounts to small businesses on their software. The original plan, called the Open Value Subscription program offered special services and features to small business owners but the new plan will help cut costs even further with up front discounts and flexible payment systems. The plan will cost about a third of the license-only expense currently available to small businesses.
Along with the new licensing aspect, they are also offering a partner program called "Big Easy " that will give... Read more
Tags: Accounting, Finance, Finance and Accounting, microsoft office, Rebecca Button, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, startups
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Published February 20th, 2008
One of the most important factors in any business’s success is the visibility they have to their potential customers, especially online. Whereas local newspaper and trade magazine advertising is a little easier due to the format only allowing a certain amount of advertising space, online advertising is a different story altogether. With thousands of competitors, your business will disappear unless you have a strong presence.
Once of the ways of doing this is by using Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This is a multi-faceted process where your website is optimized with keywords related to your business, therefore pushing you up... Read more
Tags: E-Commerce and E-Business, Marketing, Marketing Your Business, search engine optimization, SEO tools, Small Business Resources, small business tools
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Published February 13th, 2008
Whether you are a woman who owns a small business or is thinking about starting one, there is a wealth of resources on the web designed specifically for women entrepreneurs. There are hundreds of websites devoted to helping women: create ideas for a home business, get financing, win government grants, learn about franchising, etc. You’ll find associations, informal networking groups, seminars, conferences, as well as plenty of reading information - all to help your business get started and succeed! Following is a condensed list of some of the most useful websites for both women business owners and budding entrepreneurs:
The... Read more
Tags: american business women's association, Carrie Hinkel, digital-women.com, online resources, SBA office of women's business ownership, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, tools, womanowned.com, women entrepreneurs, womenbiz.gov, womensfranchises.com
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Published February 1st, 2008
If you live in a small town, you may appreciate how quiet it is. But for those contemplating starting their own business, this also is a cause for concern.
Does your small town have enough oomph to keep your business afloat? It can if you know how to use your community’s resources.
Let People Know You’re in Town
All towns have newspapers or circulars. It’s usually not too expensive to put an advertisement in these papers, and this is a great way to introduce yourself - and your business’ products and services - to the community.
Get To Know Your... Read more
Tags: advice, brick and mortar, community resources, Leeia Ladipoh, Marketing, Marketing Your Business, promotions, Small Business Resources, tips
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Published January 29th, 2008
Okay…maybe that’s an exaggeration. But it’s certainly one of the best I’ve come across. It’s called SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business." Their About page describes them as follows:
"SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business" is America’s premier source of free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs."
Sounds pretty good to me! And from navigating a bit through the site myself, there are many great links to advice, articles, suggestions and answers to pretty much anything you can think of if you are just starting out.
Oh yeah, and did I mention, it’s FREE ?!
Here’s the link: SCORE... Read more
Tags: Rebecca Button, SCORE, small business advice, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, startups
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Published January 18th, 2008
Okay, so you’ve got your idea, your business plan, your funding, your location and you’ve hired some employees–but wait! You’ve never managed anyone before! Where do you even start!?!
Well if you’ve got enough savvy to start your own business, it’s likely that management will come somewhat naturally to you. But no matter how well versed you are (or think you are) in dealing with people, there are undoubtedly going to be unforeseen issues that arise that you will not be prepared to handle.
Since this will likely be the case, I recommend you book mark a website called ManageSmarter... Read more
Tags: advice, Growing Your Business, hiring and hr, Hiring and Human Resources, HR, industry guides, ManageSmarter, News & Articles, Rebecca Button, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, tips
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