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 »
Who, what, when, where, why and how. Journalists report those Five Ws (plus one H) of an event, then they end up reporting the full story. Small business owners answer those questions of a new venture, and they get the full story as well. But for months, both are still trying to explore the full potential of Twitter. As of last week, this is how the story has developed so far, from a business perspective: Who… is a Twanker and Twidiot? Both are people who use Twitter for impractical reasons, according to the Influential Marketing Blog – a Twanker, purely... Read more »
Q: Steve, I appreciate all of the low-cost marketing methods you have been sharing lately. For my business, we have found that doing a lot of online social networking makes a big difference. But most of my friends who are self-employed are not doing this. I think it’s a mistake. (Part 2 of 2) Mike A: Last week, I wrote about how critical it is today to have, not just an online presence, but a professional, robust, powerful Internet presence; how you need to embrace social networking, and how your website is as “important today as a business card was... Read more »
Q: Steve, I appreciate all of the low-cost marketing methods you have been sharing lately. For my business, we have found that doing a lot of online social networking makes a big difference. But most of my friends who are self-employed are not doing this. I think it’s a mistake. (Part 1 of 2) Mike A: I couldn’t agree with you more. Did you know that more than half of all small businesses in this country do not even have a website? (Maybe the only thing worse than no website is having a bad one, since instead of leaving no... 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 »
Move over Facebook. Watch out MySpace. There’s a new kid in town. Aside from the less than convenient domain name, Sta.rtUp.Biz appears to be a social network above the rest (as far as small businesses should be concerned). With a slick and stylized presentation this social network seems to have it all. From creating your own profile and connecting with other business owners to an impressive resource offering, this site is bound to give it’s members everything they could possibly want all in one place. Their articles section traverses the top business magazines online including Fortune, BusinessWeek, and Entreprenuer. They’ve... 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 »
There are social networks out there for almost any interest. What you may not realize is that there are large social networking groups specifically focused on business, that you can use to add to your customer base. One such website is LinkedIn . With 14 million subscribers, LinkedIn, is considered the preeminent business networking website available these days. The way LinkedIn works is that you sign up for it, just as you would any other social network. You even create a profile, which is information about you and your interests. As you set up this part of your profile, remember... Read more »
Interesting thing isn’t it? How the internet has completely replaced the need to leave your house to buy things. Shopping malls were once the great meccas of consumerism. What a shame….What’s that you say? They still are? Oh….how is that possible? The internet has EVERYTHING and you don’t even have to get off your duff to get it! Sarcasm aside, in spite of the incredible convenience the internet affords, people are still flocking to malls around the world to find what they are looking for. So why is that? I thought the internet was supposed to make things easier? The... 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 »