Posts Tagged ‘free business tools’
5 Free Online Marketing and Research Sources
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Business is always about being ahead of the curve. If you can figure out the next trend, fad or niche before it hits, you have the chance to make unlimited profits.
In order to do this, you need to know where to find the hints to the "next best thing". Here are a few sites that you should regularly visit to get a feel for what’s hot and what’s not:
In the Tech World
CNet is a website dedicated to everything high-tech. From reviewing new computers and electronic products to hitting industry trade shows and taking notes of what companies are working on, CNet talks about all the news that relates to technical products and gadgetry.
There are also forums where users can talk about the articles and reviews on the site. By watching what users buzz about, you can get a good idea of which items will be the next big tech hits.
New Products
http://amazon.com/gp/new-releases
Amazon keeps an updated list of new products that are about to launch on the market. You can regularly check the site to see what is about to hit the market. You will also be able to find some research about new products to understand what makes them important and what will make them popular in today’s world.
In many cases, your gut instinct will let you know what products are potential hits and which ones are misses.
What Are They Talking About?
http://rankings.big-boards.com/?p=all
Big Boards keeps an eye on all the discussion boards out there and ranks the busiest and most popular topics.
The things people are talking about in these forums are going to give you pointers as to which types of items will be popular on the sales market.
Watching High Bids
http://www.ebay.com
While you may think eBay is just a place to sell your old collectible baseball cards, this Internet auction site is also a great place to get a good idea of what will sell in any market.
By looking at eBay sale trends, you will see the most popular items and their sales figures, day by day. You can also search to see what people who frequent the site are looking for, and find out what potential customers are trying to get their hands on.
What Are They Watching?
http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/boxoffice
If you watched the box office returns for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and thought to immediately stock anything with a pirate theme, you would have made a fortune!
What people are watching at the movie theater often dictates the fashions and trends for the next season. Keep an eye on the chart toppers and what the actors in those movies are wearing to get a head start on new trends in clothing, toys and video games.
Use the 5 free marketing resources above to get a jump on the market - and your competition.
Tags: advice, free business tools, Leeia Ladipoh, market research, Marketing Your Business, online marketing, research sources, tips
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How to Find Free Business Seminars
Friday, December 7th, 2007
If you’d like to expand your business knowledge by learning from successful business owners, executives and entrepreneurs, then attending a seminar is a perfect idea - especially when it’s free! Though finding a good free seminar may be tricky, they certainly do exist - both online and in your local community. While many free seminars are just a rouse to get you behind closed doors to tout a certain product or service, there are plenty of other seminars that are given simply to share business knowledge. Here are some terrific places to start your search. Chances are, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for!
Free Online Business Webinars
WebEx.com - This site offers a ton of live and recorded webinars from industry experts like the American Marketing Association and Harvard Business School.
Website: http://www.webex.com/web-seminars/
CareerBuilder.com - They host a variety of business webinars that are full of insightful information. Of course, some are about hiring, but others like “Internet Trends” aren’t.
Website: http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobposter/events/webinar/?channel=ENT
Xerox - The document company has a full listing of in-depth webinars, from firewalls to IT. You’ll be amazed at how much non-copy-related information they have to share - all for free.
Website: http://www.xerox.com/go/xrx/template/Promotions.jsp?Xcntry=USA&Xlang=en_US&active=Active&promoID=Xerox_Webinars&view=MP6
Google search - If you are interested in a particular subject, say marketing, you can do a quick search on Google. Just type in “free marketing webinar” or “free marketing seminar” and see what comes up. Chances are, you’ll find plenty of insightful information.
Website: http://www.google.com/
Free Live Business Seminars
Chamber of Commerce - Start your local search here; many times they offer free seminars from successful local business owners. There might not be as many choices as an online seminar, but it will give you a chance to network with other local business professionals.
Library - The local library is often overlooked, but depending on the location, they can offer a wealth of informative business seminars. What’s great is that it is usually a small group that attends, giving you plenty of opportunities to ask questions and interact with both the speaker and other attendees.
Small Business Association - By contacting the SBA, you can find out if they will be hosting any seminars in your area in the near future. You can also go to their website, www.sba.org and do an online search as well.
Website: http://www.sba.org/
H & R Block - If you are interested in brushing up on your knowledge of taxes, H & R Block offers free seminars throughout the year. Don’t worry, there’s no hard sell at the end. They’re just letting you know that they’re the “tax guys” who are full of tax knowledge.
Website: http://www.hrblock.com/
So, brushing up on some business knowledge can be easy, fun and free - you just need to know where to look! Finding webinars to your liking is certainly easier, but then again, there’s nothing quite like attending a live seminar and hob-nobbing with other professionals. With plenty of options to choose from, you’ll have no trouble finding the seminars that are right for you and your growing business.
Tags: business seminars, careerbuilder.com, Carrie Hinkel, free business tools, HRBlock, online business webinars, SBA, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, webex.com
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10 REAL Freebies For Your Business - No Strings Attached!
Thursday, December 6th, 2007
Check this list out, you’ll be glad you did!
10 REAL Freebies For Your Business - No Strings Attached!
Tags: Accounting, Finance, Finance and Accounting, free business tools, Growing Your Business, small business, Starting a Business, startups
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10 REAL Freebies For Your Business - No Strings Attached!
Thursday, December 6th, 2007
If your business is on a shoestring budget, then having access to a wealth of free products and services will help to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently, without the big price tag! But beware, not all offers that claim to be free are. Some will waste your time, cost money, invade your computer, steal your email address for third party sales, etc. Be very, very careful about just putting "business freebies" into Google and clicking on any and all offers that come up.
Here’s a list of 10 of the best business freebies,
many from well-known companies like Microsoft and Office Depot:
Business advice
The Service Corps of Retired Executives provides free business advice on its Web site. The mentors consist of over 10,000 successful entrepreneurs and executives. You can arrange to meet with them in person, via email or through online discussion forums. Website: http://www.score.org
Accounting software
It’s no secret that small-business owners often have trouble managing the company’s finances. Microsoft offers a complete accounting solution for businesses with Accounting Express 2008. You can track expenses, invoices, employee’s salaries, etc.
Website: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/accountingexpress/FX101729681033.aspx
Shipping materials
Simply by asking, the United States Postal Service will send you free shipping materials. Different-sized boxes, forms and stickers are all available to help you send out shipments and prepare mailings.
Website: http://www.usps.com
Website and email
Yes, believe it or not, you can have a business website with email addresses up and running today - at no cost to you. With Live Basics, Microsoft makes getting your site live - fast and easy. You get a domain name, hosting, 500MB of website storage space, 25 company-branded e-mail accounts, web site design tools and website reports. Not bad!
Website: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officelive/FX101534261033.aspx
Shopping cart
AgoraCart offers websites a free e-commerce shopping cart solution. You can choose from a simple design to a more complex one with a ton of features. AgoraCart truly makes adding a store to your site simple!
Website: http://www.agoracart.com/
Backlink checker
In order to improve your website’s ranking with various search engines, you should first know how many backlinks search engines like Google and Yahoo! have found on your URL. Simply enter your URL on the Site Reference website and you’ll have a detailed report in just a few seconds.
Website: http://www.site-reference.com/webmasterTools/backlinkCheck.php
Business cards
For a while now, VistaPrint has been offering 250 free business cards for free. True, you have to pay $5.45 for the shipping, but that is still dirt cheap. The best part is that overall consumers seem to be very impressed with the cards they receive. A great way to give your business that professional touch, without a lot of money spent.
Website: http://www.vistaprint.com
Business Courses
The Small Business Administration offers links to more than 40 free business courses. With subjects ranging from marketing, finance, advertising, management, etc., you’re sure to find something that will help to improve your company. Many of the courses were designed in cooperation with colleges and universities and offer up-to-date business knowledge. Each course is short, only taking about thirty minutes to complete.
Website: http://www.sba.gov/services/training/onlinecourses/index.html
Content
If you want to bulk your website up with content but don’t have the time or expertise to write the articles and don’t want to pay a writer, then ArticleGeek is for you. With thousands of copyright-free articles on a wide variety of topics, you’re sure to find plenty to keep your website full of informative articles. The articles are constantly updated, so you’ll always have access to plenty of fresh and up-to-date information.
Website: http://www.articlegeek.com
Business forms
Office Depot has a web page filled with hundreds of downloadable business forms: contracts, invoices, purchase orders, non-disclosure agreements, tax forms etc. If you need any type of business form or correspondence, this is the place to look.
Website: http://www.officedepot.com/renderStaticPage.do?context=/content&file=/BusinessTools/forms/default.jsp
If you’re looking for even more business freebies, check out www.searchfreeapps.com - there’s every type of business freebie imaginable on there, many of which have been tested by the site owners.
Tags: accounting software, advice, AgoraCart, Carrie Hinkel, free business tools, Google, Growing Your Business, Microsoft, Office Depot, SBA, SCORE, Small Business Resources, Starting a Business, tips, VistaPrint
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