The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is hosting a virtual summit on September 15th from 10am to 6pm (ET). Once inside the exhibit hall, attendees will be able to search for and chat with other small business owners, attend seminars and visit vendor booths. Register for free with the code “gbb366″ Registration Page Read more »
With the potential to reach over 200 million active users, any small business could potentially profit from Facebook. Plus, at the rate that creator Mark Zuckerberg and staff keep releasing new features, the possibilities of promoting your products and services are practically endless. Consider these six ways just a start: Demonstrate what your company does. Post photos of your staff, what they do on a daily basis or the trade shows they attend. Show and tell more about your products. Whether written in a Note or in a message to your business Group, notifying customers about new products is made... Read more »
As this year’s economic downturn spiraled, rising and persevering entrepreneurs had to prove themselves to be more motivated than ever. Many times, they created their own market, their own niche and in turn, their own success. May they continue to inspire in 2009: Vaughn Jereaux , The Vaughn Jereaux Collection Back when he studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, a professor told Jereaux he was more fit to design for another company, rather than his own. Despite such advice, Jereaux used his namesake and a $20,000 cash prize to start his own line of custom-made cocktail, evening, and special... Read more »
Q: Can social networking Web sites be useful for my business? A: No longer focused on just individual users, social networking Web sites have been creating new tools that go beyond what basic feedback additions – a customer service e-mail, a product review feature, a blog – have done to humanize the online business transaction. “Now it’s really about trying to connect emotionally, even in a business-to-business level,” said Brian Easter, CEO of web design and marketing company NeboWeb. Since its launch in August 2006, Twitter has had web experts questioning whether a business would have any use for a... Read more »
I have beef with Twitter. To me, it’s an oddly socially accepted and encouraged form of stalking where the "victims" volunteer themselves. Aside from the creepy factor, from its inception I have never really understood how thousands of people #1 care so much about what other people are doing that they would subscribe to and check instant updates via a personal feed, and #2 that said number of people actually believe that that many OTHER people care enough about their minute happenings so much that they’d consistently update these feeds. Twitter’s usefulness has long been debated and I have clearly... Read more »
One of the best ways to grow your business network is by building relationships with fellow alumni from your undergraduate or graduate school. Having that common bond immediately bridges the gap from stranger to acquaintance and helps open the lines of communication. You may have had the same friends, shared the same dormitory, had the same teacher, loved the same restaurant, etc. You’d be surprised how much in common you have with your fellow classmates, whether or not you even knew them back in your student days. Many startup companies are formed with fellow alumni, and today colleges and universities... Read more »
Each day, there are tens of thousands of videos being posted on sites like YouTube. Some become notorious and are so shocking / hilarious that the links make it on email lists, blogs, Myspace pages and more – racking up a million or more hits. Now that’s viral, baby! Most of these videos may look like they were taken with a phone cam or filmed with a simple camcorder, and while for some that may be the case, for others…they were only made to look that way. Yep, companies like Sony, Frito-Lay, Red Bull, Nike and a slew more are... Read more »
Take a look at your business, and ask yourself why it’s successful. Depending on the size, it could be a myriad of things – the sales team, the service backup, most certainly the customers. Yet if you take all these into consideration, they’ve all got one thing in common – they’re part of your company’s network. From the sales team providing your customer their order to the service team looking after their account once the sale has been made, it’s all one big network working towards your company’s success. To ensure this success continues, you need to be taking that... Read more »
Take a look at your business, and ask yourself why it’s successful. Depending on the size, it could be a myriad of things – the sales team, the service backup, most certainly the customers. Yet if you take all these into consideration, they’ve all got one thing in common – they’re part of your company’s network. From the sales team providing your customer their order to the service team looking after their account once the sale has been made, it’s all one big network working towards your company’s success. To ensure this success continues, you need to be taking that... Read more »
By now, most people have heard of Facebook and the kind of powerful networking and relationship tool it can be for individuals. This month Facebook announced that businesses would now be allowed to add their profiles to the site too. This could mean great opportunities for businesses to gain loyal customers, recruit employees and advertise their products and services. Getting your business on Facebook is easy! All you need to do is go to Facebook.com , click on "Register" and fill out the online registration form. Then, you can add information and a photo or business logo, links to your... Read more »