News on the economy is still decidedly mixed and continues to lean a little to the negative. Small business owners, too, report a mixed outlook on their economic futures, with some weighing in with (albeit) guarded optimism, others, not so much. Still others report a “wait and see” position, although patience is wearing thin on this front. Overall, we’d have to say that everyone, regardless of business size or sector, just wants to see some ...
Here we concentrate mostly on small business. And one of the cardinal rules of small business is that not everyone wants to—or should—grow into a big business. So while larger businesses certainly have a lot to teach, often small business owners are more apt to learn more directly from other small businesses similar to themselves. But sometimes, a big company is so iconic, so inspiring and so universal in what it teaches, we just have to ...
It was almost exactly two years ago when President Obama, in a speech in Buffalo, referred to small businesses as “…the backbone of America’s economy.” A lot of us, including the news media, have repeated similar thoughts on small business until we are absolutely certain that small businesses are single-handedly lifting us out of our economic doldrums. But then we read convincing evidence that makes a very different argument: that small business’s share of—and influence ...
When you call a business and reach a courteous, seemingly scripted customer service representative, you generally feel like you’re speaking with a bigger company. For good or ill, these are the companies that have the resources to man such an operation. Despite the sometimes negative experience associated with calling customer service, deploying one for your small business can have a positive impact on customer satisfaction and, ultimately, your bottom line. You just have to take ...
Tell the truth: How many hours have you spent watching video clips of clever cats, cute kids or the latest Funny or Die parody? We all do it, and we’re doing it more and more apparently. Would you believe that YouTube alone attracts a monthly global audience of 800 million (and growing) monthly visitors? Baljeet Singh, a group product manager at YouTube, likens putting video content on YouTube to “advertising in the SuperBowl,” and, he ...
The question isn’t as cheesy as What’s your sign?, but the term brand, along with all sorts of discussions about what it means and what it does, gets tossed around almost as much today as questions about one’s astrological leanings did back in the sixties! In fact, you could argue that brand is over used, mis-used and misunderstood more than any other marketing term.
Small businesses often tune out when brand-related discussions arise. After all, we ...
Trying to make sense of an ever-changing world is an ongoing process, and we routinely look to all kinds of resources to help us do that. One of our favorites is Faith Popcorn, a strategic marketing consultant who analyzes shifting social, cultural and business factors and collectively interprets them in the form of trends.
One of her most striking and likely controversial, trends for 2012 is called “She-change.”
Popcorn always has an interesting take on things. As ...
April 22 is Earth Day, so we’re thinking and talking more this week about what it means to be ‘green,’ especially if you’re a small business. There’s a lot we can do, and much we’re doing already. And it doesn’t have to involve expensive retro-fitting or more complicated things that used to be associated with being environmentally conscious.
With small business, it’s more about habits, and adopting certain ones not only benefits Mother Earth but our ...
How healthy is your workspace?
We don’t know about you, but we spend a lot of time in our offices—working, surfing, playing Words with Friends and yes, staring out the window. (We know you do, too.) Whether you go into an office or work from home, you’ve got to be comfortable, physically and psychologically. And with comfort comes health.
It’s been our experience that over-stretched small business owners can tend to overlook comfort and health or think ...
Not very much about St. Patrick’s Day is hidden! What with parades, green beer and the wearing of the green, the Irish and Irish wannabes come out in droves to celebrate. For many, it’s a chance to remember and honor their heritage; for others, it’s an excuse to blow off some steam on an early spring day after a long winter. Regardless, it’s become a tradition— a big, fun event.
Believe it or not, behind all ...
