News : Small Business Blogs

The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Talk to everyone who comes in contact with your business. If they purchase from you, find out why. If they don’t want to purchase from you, you should definitely find out why! 2. Try t...

If your business is a corporation, you’re already aware that March 15th is the most critical tax deadline of the year. But March 15th is an important deadline for another reason…it’s the deadline for electing S Corporation status.

With large companies not stepping up to the plate as “job creators,” small business owners have been under a microscope, with polls and surveys monitoring our hiring actions and intentions as closely as Punxsutawney Phil gets watched on Groundhog Day.

To help him develop a strategy, Mr. Woronka decided to retain a sales consultant who recommended that he hire a full-time sales rep immediately. But he went against the consultant's advice. ...

Let me start by saying I'm a believer in openness and sharing. The concept of owning ideas seems to stifle innovation, and in particular, the emerging re-mix culture we're seeing explode seems like it's on a collision course with owning and controlling IP....

The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Allow customers to purchase from you in the way they want to, rather than just limiting them to one method. For example, if you only accept payment in person at your shop then you are excludi...

By now, You have probably heard that you NEED a blog.  Blogging for business is not only crucial to keep your website fresh, but to show your customers and potential audience who you are, what you do, and what you know BEST. Right now, you may be saying that sounds easier than it really is.  It is actually not that hard once you find your inner groove.

A look at a range of export opportunities, as well as challenges, for companies seeking growth beyond their home borders. ...

The affiliate marketing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry here in the United States and in the U.K.  By “affiliate marketing” we mean when one website (called an “affiliate” – example, Mary Smith’s blog) markets the products or services of another (called a “merchant” – example Amazon.com) in exchange for receiving a commission.  The commission could be based on X$ per completed lead form, X$ per completed  sale, or similar metric.

Jason Falls, CEO of Social Media Explorer, shares tips for business owners looking to find their place on social network. ...

Banks’ heightened concerns about their own exposure for facilitating client activities that could be claimed to constitute money laundering have resulted in what has become a very common new collateral consequence for individuals and small to mid-sized businesses that are touched by white collar c...

Amid strong credit-market conditions and falling senior liabilities, CLO activity is on the rise....

Suppose your employer loans you money, and like a good employee, you repay it. Neither event is taxable. But paying interest has tax effects to you both. What if you agree there’s no interest?...

Today is an exciting day for the On Deck Team! After months of hard work, we have announced the official launch of our On Deck Express product, which provides small businesses with access to up to $25,000 in capital in as fast as 24 hours.

As the most accessible loan on Main Street yet, ODX (as we call it here), addresses what the millions of small businesses we are dedicated to serving require -- fast access to capital when taking advantage of both opportunities and responding to everyday obstacles. 

The Ohio stimulus spending went to supplement public assistance programs for the poor. This is according to data gathered by nonprofit investigative news agency ProPublica.

When customer service goes wrong, I am irate. Here's how to keep angry customers like me from storming out of your real or virtual store, never to return. ...

Getting people to your Web site is one thing. Getting them to do something while they’re there is another. And then, of course, getting them to do what you want them to do is another beast entirely. But, as a marketer, that’s your job; to get someone to your Web site in order to take a desired action. So is there any way to increase your chances at a conversion?

What percentage of employee health insurance premiums does your company pay? ...

Note: This is a guest post by Justin Lee, a licensed commercial real estate broker with 7 years of experience in commercial property leasing and development. More of his bio is below. We invited Lee here to help business owners when searching for that perfect office. When you get a business loan, it’s important you don’t blow that money on the wrong office space …

Home businesses seem to get more popular all the time. Promoting a new home business around your products or services can be a daunting plan.

Would it be feasible to replace a business Web site with a Google+ page? ...

I recently polled a bunch of managers and small business owners on how many resumes they receive for every opening they put out there. The result was staggering – 50 to 200. Whether or not you have a dedicated person managing these incoming resumes, it can be quite daunting and counter-productive not to have some process in place to weed through the pile.

A few years ago, we couldn’t have imagined that there would be actual jobs for people to “play” on Twitter all day. And yet, an entire category of employment has sprung up around Internet Marketing and Social Media. This infographic by Onward Search looks at where social media roles are, as well as what they’re paying.

For business owners and politicians, many of the principles of operating online are the same. ...

Advertising on Twitter isn't without its challenges. Should you pay for promoted tweets? ...

Want to take your social media campaigns to the next level? These tools can help you get there. ...

Good Nite Lite founder and inventor Adam Nelson shares his best advice for startups trying to grow their companies. ...

“Getting good marketing help is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses today,” according to Anita Campbell, CEO of Small Business Trends.  Anita acknowledges that, “marketing is more challenging today than ever” and “business success is all about finding the right outside service providers and using them wisely.”

Are you a small business owner with an American Express card? Well does Twitter have a deal for you! Last week Twitter formally announced a self-serve ad service designed to let small business owners buy and place ads in their Twitter stream using their AmEx card.

Belly's customer loyalty plans are intended to match the culture of individual businesses, creating experiences to build a relationship between merchant and consumer. ...

In US, big banks have not returned to their pre-recession small business lending level. While central Massachusetts banks have increased lending by several hundred million dollars since 2008.

How’s your small business leadership? Quality leadership is even more important during tough times. Here are some considerations for improving the leadership qualities you bring to your small business venture.

If you are like me, your smartphone has become your window to the world, both for your personal life and for your business.  I have had both and Android phone and an iPhone and I have to say I liked them both!  In fact I have to admit I liked my Android phone a little more because of the built in GPS navigation.  In any case, once you have a smart phone, you won’t go back to the regular phone again because the apps are helpful, convenient, and fun!!

On Deck touched base with one of our Customer Success Stories from over the holidays – Nexgen Medical Solutions, the Laredo-Texas based healthcare consulting and IT firm. We’re pleased to report owner Jaime Gonzalez recently decided to renew his loan with On Deck in order to further in...

There are a great many business books out there on everything from marketing and brand building to stories of the life and times of some great business person. For better or for worse, these books often shape the past, present and future generations of entrepreneurs.

For many social media users, we read articles and blog posts first thing in the morning. Most of those we’d like to share with our networks, but we don’t want to bombard our contacts with all the content we’ve read. Companies have come up with tools that help us schedule our tweets and status updates, but many still require us choosing a time and date for a post to go live. There needs to be a simpler solution.

The popular blogger shares advice on how to best use email to reach customers, plus common mistakes business owners should avoid. ...

In today's economy, debt is a four-letter word -- but it can also be essential for growing a business. Here are some options that could help boost your working capital. ...

A steadfast accountability is the best antidote to tempering volatility.  It’s really easy today to get off track, distracted, and behind. The demands of being an outstanding worker, a small business owner, or a top professional couldn’t be more demanding today.

All good things must come to an end. With calorie limits for candy bars in vogue, King Size Snickers are doomed. See Mars kills the King Size Snickers. At least we have a little time to adjust....

Here's a rundown on the management traits four solid-gold brands used to get their startups off the ground, and to keep driving their companies forward, as described in four new books: ...

Micro enterprises are a more important source of jobs in some countries than in others. Data from Entrepreneurship at a Glance, a publication of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD), shows wide variation across nations in the share of employment in micro-businesses. While nearly 60 percent of Greeks work in businesses with one-to-nine employees, only 4.6 percent of Slovaks do.

Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve Chairman, in a statement said that there is sign of strengthening of nation’s community banks amidst a frustrating economic recovery. Bernanke, while attending a conference on community banking organized by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, said that for several quarters, profits scaled higher at smaller banks.

A must-follow checklist for small businesses looking to connect with powerhouse companies like Wal-Mart. ...

How do you calculate pricing for your small business? We’ve put together this roundup of awesome posts we hope will help. Pricing is a hugely important part of your small business strategy. Don’t make haphazard decisions about what you are charging today.

If you’re not sure how to use content marketing to grow your business, you’re in luck.  BizSugar (sister site owned by Small Business Trends) will be hosting a Facebook Q & A chat titled, “Creating Content Gold” to answer your questions about content marketing.  The Facebook chat will take place on Monday, February 27, 2012, from 4:30 to 5.30 pm EST (New York time) on the BizSugar Facebook page.  BizSugar member Ileane Smith, (@Ileane on Twitter) will be there to answer your questions.

Last year Fran Reisner sold her home and took her photography business and her life on the road. Here's how she did it -- and how she's adapting. ...

The passing of Steve Jobs has launched another Apple book, Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired and Secretive Company Really Works by Adam Lashinky (@adamlashinsky).  There seems to be an insatiable appetite for understanding just how Apple does its thing.  I can say that I’m old enough to have experienced Apple’s rise, fall and resurrection and now, with Steve Jobs gone, I’m curious to see what will happen next.

Click below to Play Click here to download the mp3 Click here to subscribe on iTunes. Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes) Click here for the show archive For many business owners, finding and securing business financing is a necessary, yet major, pain. With all the paperwork, terms, det...

This is only a proposed law and only for those owing more than $50,000 to the IRS. Another proposal is to make the Thrift Savings Fund accounts federal employees have--currently exempt from IRS levies--fair game. Both proposals are from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). See Hatch's Memo to Report...

Every two weeks we put together a list of key events for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The following Small Business Events Guide contains worthwhile events for those wanting to grow their businesses:

By now many people have received a Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt, concerning discharge of indebtedness income allegedly realized by them in 2011. If you received a Form 1099-C, don’t assume that you are taxable on the income alleged in it. There is a good chance you aren’t....

Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) of Connecticut has designed a Small Business Express Program (SBEP) to support small businesses, create more jobs and spur economic growth. SBEP is an easy access to loans and facilitates quick access of

There’s a lot of waste in entrepreneurial efforts today. I should know; I wasted a lot. Wasted time. Wasted money. Wasted efforts. Finally, wasted dreams. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses helps business owners see how to eliminate that waste and get to the essence of startups (tech and non-tech): getting a great product in the hands of your customers.

Long have we small business owners been accustomed to figuring things out ourselves, whether we’ve got the skills to do them or not. For me, HTML, photo editing and a dabble of design come to mind. In the past, we didn’t have the tools we needed (nor the tools that big companies and big budgets can buy) to help us on our way to growing our businesses.

While still pricey, these displays can offer an exciting element to your check-out experience. ...

You and your company have a voice and content marketing gives you a chance to use that voice to connect a relevant message/solution to your target audience.

What does it take to lead a small business through this ongoing economic mess? Here's a roundup of the important traits for entrepreneurs in 2012. ...

Stuck on what you should call your new business? Here are five ways to ease the creative process. ...

Lower home prices and mortgage rates are causing many people to consider taking the real estate investment plunge. But as with any big financial investment, what may be a good strategy for some, may be harmful for others. Something to keep in mind: If you are planning on trading cash in ...

Passing on the family fortune can be tricky when it's tied up in a small business. Here's how to find a solution that works for your business and your family. ...

According to Reuters, the video game industry pulled in a mind boggling $65 billion in 2011 and that number is expected to grow to as much as $72.1 billion by 2015. Clearly, the gaming industry has mastered the concept of community engagement. Small businesses can capitalize on this by incorporating gamification into their business processes. Brent Leary sits down for a chat with Ray Wang in this interview about the concept of gamification.

LogLogic's No Log Left Behind (Photo credit: cote) A big company CEO is getting death threats by email. His crack security team can't seem to track down the sender. So he is not sleeping well at night. Fortunately for the CEO, LogLogic came to the rescue. In the course of a few ...

I’m not a horror movie type guy, but I do love The Walking Dead. That show creeps me out in a wonderful wonderful way. So I guess it only makes sense that I’d have zombies on my mind recently, and that whole “braaaaaiiiiinssss” thing is pretty hilarious. But I wanted to chal...

Who offers such a loan? Either an angel or a wiseguy. Who was directing this movie, Capra or Scorsese? ...

Every Friday we list 7 of the best stories we’ve read throughout the week. Most have something to do with small business and getting funding or business loans. Occasionally we’ll add something that’s completely off topic.

Biotest Laboratories is a Brooklyn Park-based med-tech company. It is an example of how SBA guaranteed loans and similar financing can help create jobs. Biotest Laboratories procured financing for $6 million to purchase and renovate 75,000-square-foot facility at Brooklyn Park.

Here are six reasons you might want to try the wildly popular online pinboard. ...

Building a business is easier when you take it in steps. From dreaming up a profitable idea to marketing, hiring and starting to close sales and sign up clients. The order in which you do some of these things is less important. But realize that building your business in incremental steps is more important than big wins that are here today and gone tomorrow. Here’s a look at where to get started.

Next Thursday, February 23, 2012, from 7 to 8 pm New York time, we’ll be holding a Twitter chat.  On hand will be representatives of Symantec, to give tips about data backup — and how to avoid a data disaster.

We’re turning 6! List a loan on our special day and we’ll make your second payment for you.

The Obama administration's 2013 budget includes a proposal to make health-care tax credits available to another 140,000 small businesses. ...

This week’s customer success story comes from Don Pelham of DPA Branding. After finding out about us from our partnership with the National Small Business Association, Don decided to reach out to explore his financing options. As a brand development agency specializing in digital solutions, the lag time between delivering client projects and the billing cycle could often create issues.

The basketball dynamo may have captured the nation's attention, but he's also giving business owners a vital lesson in how to unlock a team's hidden talent. ...

Few business owners expect to get a fat buyout offer while their startup is still on the launch pad. Here's what one business owner did when confronted with an offer. ...

Here's why Facebook's next big move into mobile ads may be a boon -- or a bust -- for your business. ...

Steve Jobs was a man and when he returned to rescue Apple in 1997, he had a clear vision of the problem and a clear a vision for the market.  He understood our shrinking attention spans and the fact that you have seconds to get your audiences attention. He reignited a company around a simple idea — think different. And it worked.  With a lot of hard-work, blood-sweat and man-hours…it worked.

In our piece on hot tech trends, we explained the cloud, crowdsourcing and other tricky terms. Now, we tackle those big concept buzzwords that likely get thrown around your office. ...

Last week I moved my home office.  I am still at home, but just in a new place.  When I first started my business, I took over an alcove on the first floor.  For a little over a year, I called this tiny space home.

So, what do you want for your business? Increased revenue? More Clients? And what do you do to get what you want? You make sure other people/companies are getting what they need. That’s where you focus your energies.

There are many tax excuses, but some don't work. The IRS must be tired of hearing them, for this year some tax forms instruct taxpayers to await penalty notices before offering any excuses....

A good showing at Austin’s South by Southwest Interactive festival can carry you down the path to startup glory. Here's a last-minute checklist. ...

To do so, you'll need to understand the value proposition you're creating. Consider these steps to put your startup idea to the test. ...

Small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and aquaculture based businesses are eligible for capital loans under disaster relief program. The US SBA is providing loans to business entities that were affected due to severe storm and flooding that rocked Vermont during the period of April 23rd, 2011 to May 9th, 2011.

Many small businesses have already switched to energy-efficient lighting but there are still plenty of holdouts.  Some business owners don’t like the look of twisty compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), or they find LEDs and CFLs light too glaringly bright. Higher upfront costs of new lighting technologies scare away others.  However, it’s worth taking a new look at energy-efficient lighting, if you haven’t already.

Most small businesses have little value beyond their balance sheet or profit-and-loss statement and cannot be sold as going, operating businesses. ...

By saving organizations 70% to 80% on the cost of storing their burgeoning volumes of data, Nexenta has grown its revenues 16-fold in the last two years. That's the claim of CEO Evan Powell -- a political economy graduate of what he calls "the West Point of Wall Street" -- Williams Co...

A look at recent small business headlines reveals both opportunities and challenges. From new options in healthcare plans and new sources of credit to a lull in confidence and costs that are curbing needed hiring, small businesses face an ever changing world. What are your small business’s greatest opportunities and challenges? Check our news and resources below then leave a comment to boost the conversation.

The Small Business Administration asked for almost $1.1 billion for fiscal year 2013, but don't get too excited. They also plan to back fewer loans. ...

How to subscribe to a new weekly newsletter on small business. ...

Sometimes, it's not a question of how brilliant your startup idea is, but what an entrepreneur is willing to do to get through the tough times. ...

If you mention venture capital most people immediately think of Silicon Valley in California.  Even now, long after the dot-com bust, Silicon Valley still attracts the most dollars.  The National Venture Capital Association reported that, in the fourth quarter of 2011, Silicon Valley attra...

The On Deck Franchise Team headed down to Orlando this week for the 2012 International Franchise Convention. 
 

How do women entrepreneurs feel about their businesses, their prospects and themselves? The American College recently surveyed some 800 entrepreneurial women, in business for a minimum of three years, about their financial goals, stress levels, and optimism regarding their businesses work/life balance. In other words, what issues kept these entrepreneurs up at night?

Mike Woronka, the chief executive of Action Ambulance, believes the company can lure business from competitors and expand its territory....

Action Ambulance's chief executive is determined to take a more aggressive approach to sales in an industry in which many companies focus on customer service for existing clients, pushing gently and gradually for new business. ...

The first post in any blog is the most challenging.  The inevitable occurs, analysis paralysis with many interlocking factors. What to write about, how to phrase it without offending and finally, the perception, especially in such a privileged environment with other, high calibre contributors....

Yes! You just started your new business, and customers are starting to arrive at your door and visit your Website, but you haven’t heard from the media. Why aren’t they calling you? Well, here are… The Top 3 Reasons Why The Media Is Not Calling You They won’t unless you call them. Have yo...

Seventy-five percent of small-business owners have no real succession plan -- a potential recipe for disaster. This entrepreneur's accidental fate tells a cautionary tale. ...

Jason Falls, CEO of Social Media Explorer, explains how business owners can take a strategic approach to social media marketing. ...

I stopped into Wayne’s World BP Station on the corner of Mooring Line Drive and Tamiami Trail in Naples, Florida because I needed to fill-up with gas, – and because it was next to the PGA Tour shop where my next “errand” took me. I got a lot more than a full tank of gas that day when the station attendant said to me, “Would you like a little donut? They’re delicious.”

Consider this advice to identify and avoid 'spear phishing' email -- cons designed specifically to target you and your business. ...

As their companies expand, business owners aren’t always ready to deal with new management issues. ...

Churches qualify for nifty tax benefits like the "parsonage allowance," a term that makes me think of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. This tax concept dates to the 1920s and means ministers don't have to pay tax on the value of a home provided by their congregation, even as part of th...

Image via CrunchBase Lloyd Carney has come a long way from his native Jamaica. He graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering from Boston's Wentworth Institute and a Masters from Lesley College. Carney joined minicomputer makers Prime Computer and Data General before jumping to networking ...

Sometimes we want advice for the right now of life. We want stuff we can do today and immediately see results from, not have to wait three weeks to see if it’s taking effect. With that in mind, below are ten things you can do on Twitter today to make a difference and help grow your audience and following. Its bite-sized action chunks for your Wednesday.

Pretty much nothing. I was a little worried about the reaction of my employees, but as far as I can tell, no one was upset. ...

Note: This is the second guest post by Adam Hoeksema, founder of ExecutivePlan, which helps entrepreneurs write business plan executive summaries to raise capital. More of his information is at the bottom. We’re excited to have him on the blog:

It may sound like the opposite of conventional wisdom, but as businesses strive to serve their customers better, owners should also think about how the customer is the one supporting your business. It’s an interesting perspective we’d like you to consider while examining the rest of today’s customer service related links.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has recognized ‘Bank of Utah’ for its contribution to the volume of SBA 504 loans made in 2011. Every year SBA recognizes lending institutions for using SBA funds and to extend loans to businesses in the state.

Why managing your business credit score is more important than you may think. ...

Whitney Houston’s meteoric rise as a young star and her long, slow downfall offer life lessons for all of us. Sadly, her battle with addictions, which may have played a role in her death, threaten to overshadow her incredible talent and many accomplishments.

While the Small Business Administration's 2013 appropriation would be substantially bigger than this year's under the Obama administration's budget, in many cases small-business owners would actually get less from the agency. ...

They called the President's budget 'dead on arrival' but new efforts to compromise in Congress may bode well for certain small-business-focused provisions. ...

On Valentine's Day, a young entrepreneur's thoughts may turn to love. Here are seven tips for making room in your busy schedule. ...

Getting married is a good idea if you're an entrepreneur or want to run your own business. The below-market labor and advice are just some of the reasons why. Our columnist explains. ...

Heidi Roizen laughs when I note that she's been around tech for a long time and says its okay to call her a "Silicon Valley veteran."...

It’s hard enough to compete with big-box retailers without paying big-box prices for the things that make your brick-and-mortar run smoothly. But 14the great thing about being a small retail business is that you’re more nimble and able to experiment with more affordable products and services.

Does the owner have to supply all of the answers? ...

Have you ever watched a sporting event and completely ignored the score until it was over?  Do coaches wait until after the game ends to give feedback?  Do baseball players ignore the count (balls and strikes) when they are up to bat? No!

The popular blogger shares tips on how to get started on YouTube and other video platforms for business. ...

While cautious optimism that the Greek-debt talks are gaining traction was not enough to start the week with an active high-grade primary market, spreads for recently placed new issues are trading at either side of issuance levels after traders reported spread pressures on Friday, and with second...

Consider these tips and tools for making improvements to your site that can help attract customers and help you close more sales. ...

Leaving on a jet plane--for good--sounds diva-like, following in the footsteps of Mick Jagger, Phil Collins and David Bowie. As a tax lawyer, I hear a fair number of people talk of leaving the country for good. Most don't end up doing it, but that may be changing. So says Andrew Mitchel who rep...

Wooing investors is a challenge even for entrepreneurs who're enthusiastic about their business. Here are ten tips on how to craft your investor pitch. ...

Obama Administration’s SBLF lending program launched to set in flow of cash to small banks will result in a profit of $80 million though Americans anticipated that it would cost tax-payers $1.3 billion. But then this is not all good news for Congress as the Treasury Department’s Small Business Lending Fund could only help fewer banks than expected.

We’re all hearing a lot of talk right now about content marketing. We’ve already told you why you shouldn’t fear it and even offered up some content marketing ideas to help get you started. However, you still may be asking yourself, what’s the point? What does content marketing mean and why is it so important to your business?

We knew that recovering for the restaurant's lost business in the month of June would be tricky. We had no previous Junes to use as a guide. ...

When you sit down and lock eyeballs with a lender across the desk, there’s one thing that will make sure that gaze is one of love.

In the business of love, nothing is sacred -- not even candy hearts and red roses. ...

Valentine’s Day can be an important time for any small business. Look at your market to see whether there are any ways that you should be positioning your products or services to meet the needs of the holiday consumer. Gifts, cards and candy are all items shoppers will be seeking but there may be ways you can market your products and services to appeal to Valentine’s Day shoppers even if you don’t sell any of these. Check out our roundup for more on why Valentine’s Day remains an awesome opportunity.

Today, entrepreneurs can launch minimum viable product in less time, and for less money. With products to market faster, entrepreneurs have more time to measure response, can more quickly understand customer need, and faster iterate toward a product-market fit that solves a real problem and adds va...

Finally, an op-ed article on tax policy in The New York Times that isn’t horribly flawed!  In a piece last week entitled “The Zuckerberg Tax”, tax attorney David Miller proposes a new tax on the ultra-rich.  He would apply the tax to taxpayers whose income exceeds $2.2 million o...

Dr. Thomas Brady is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI), and oversees the operations of six other PTI companies engaged in specialty manufacturing, advanced product development and technology licensing. Founded in 1985, PTI and its companies employ 200 people wor...

And is negative advertising effective? ...

Strong conditions in leveraged finance have sparked a nascent revival in dividend financing, propelled by such deals as Asurion, Cequel, Focus Brands, and Bragg Communications. In all, issuers launched $5.1 billion of such paper during the first 10 days of February, including $4.1 billion of loans...

Courtney and Carter Reum, founders of liquor company VeeV Acai Spirit, offer tips on creating a green and sustainable brand. ...

I was at a dinner party recently with an entrepreneur friend who had just secured big funding for her business—to the tune of several million dollars. Not surprisingly, she was glowing, abuzz with excitement over her new relationship with the big-name venture capital firm. When the investor who to...

Blogs are now the norm. You’ve probably added a blog to your site – because that’s what you’re supposed to do. If that’s the case, then you may not be getting the interaction you had hoped for and you’re wondering why everyone is so psyched about using blogs to build their business and yours is just sitting there.

At the peak, there were 28,000 custom frame shops in America. Now there are about 8,000. In most cases the better shops survived, which doesn't necessarily mean those that do the best framing. ...

Entrepreneur Magazine's College Entrepreneur of 2011 and co-founder of G3Box shares the challenges of growing the startup. ...

In my last post, “Where Recovery Begins,” I discussed the importance of prioritizing your critical data. Businesses need to determine what data they would need immediately to continue functioning after a disaster or loss of corporate data. Once the business defines the significance of all of their data, they can begin to develop their disaster recovery plan. A properly structured plan is comprised of three components: data, communication, and people.

Facebook advertising can be surprisingly cost effective. Here's advice on getting your money's worth. ...

Three ways entrepreneurs have refocused their companies for success by targeting a different audience -- and you can, too. ...

Consider this advice for testing different strategies to encourage customers to open and respond to email messages. ...

If you are looking for a job working for someone in business for him or herself, focus on the incorporated self-employed. While only a fraction of self-employed people employ anyone else, those whose company is incorporated are much more likely to have employees than those whose business is unincorporated.

Head of U.S. Small Business Administration, Karen Mills said that she is planning to start a “microlending” program for small business owners in Jacksonville. The program will enable business owners to find loans up-to $50,000 in Jacksonville valley.

From tax deadlines here in the U.S. to taxation internationally, small businesses all need to be informed about the rules and regulations involved. Here is an overview of what may be the least enjoyable part of running a small business. We recommend consulting a tax professional before filing your returns.

Congratulations – you just wrote a book.  But if you think all the work is done, think again.  As an author of a business book, you still have work ahead of you.  You have to market your book.  After all, these days it’s up to the author to do most of the marketing.  Publishers provide a limited amount of marketing.

David Mendez, who opened the Grapeful Palate in 2009 in Morristown, N.J., says that he ultimately chose an accountant who “sat down and asked us what the goals for the business were.”...

At first glance, Eventbrite does not appear to be a small business tool. Most small business owners are not planning events, right? Let’s redefine what an event is and then we’ll see if this tool can help you grow your small business and marketing presence. Events are the secret sauce to good marketing and Eventbrite can help you manage and promote your business. This review is for the small business owner or team member that handles marketing tasks.

The Craigslist founder shares his latest projects, plus his picks for browsing, reading and TV watching, too. ...

The great thing about working behind the scenes on the Small Business Book Awards is that you get to discover a lot of amazing books you might not have known about otherwise. Here are just three unique books that were nominated for the Book Awards this year.

Click below to Play Click here to download the mp3 Click here to subscribe on iTunes. Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes) Click here for the show archive Local media coverage is a low-hanging fruit opportunity for many small businesses. We sat down with Pat Parkinson, a veteran newspaper...

This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

A truck dealer, an engineer and a mapmaker left their professions to work with their one true love -- chocolate. ...

Recently, I read 12 Most Simple Ideas To Build Trust With Me As Your Customer, a post by Andy Hanselman on 12most.com. To read this article in its entirety, do visit 12 Most.

“If you’re good at something, never do it for free” – The Joker, as played by Heath Ledger

It’s Girl Scout cookie time and you don’t have to go out of your way to find a group of girls in green uniforms with a table full of colorful cookie boxes and sweet smiling faces asking if you want to buy a box or two or  three.  From the outside, these girls may look like most other non-profit groups that set up outside the local Walmart to sell their wares and raise some funds.  But when it comes to marketing and sales; these girls rock. Small business owners can learn a lot from those little girls in green.

Every Friday we list 7 of the best stories we’ve read throughout the week. Most have something to do with small business and getting funding or business loans. Occasionally we’ll add something that’s completely off topic.

Peter Pham, cofounder of Science, the new Los Angeles-based tech studio, stopped by the FORBES office to talk about his firm. Can startups in Los Angeles be successful? Pham is bullish on L.A., pointing to startups such as BeachMint and ShoeDazzle as examples of those that are doing well. Scien...

The U.S. federal government said the Great Recession was over in June 2009. Unfortunately, it’s at least year three and counting of a very difficult economic climate for many people . It’s not just the protesters at Occupy Wall Street or in your local community; it’s every darn small business owner. Why are they so mad?

Rule No. 1: Entrepreneurs who pursue their own passion can't lose sight of what makes a business successful. Two 'Project Runway All Stars' recently made this key-business flub. ...

Mind Candy's Michael Acton Smith offers his three biggest lessons before striking gold with one of the fastest-growing online children's games. ...

Mobility and collaboration tools are literally, as we speak, changing the way we do business at a lightening fast pace.  Short, quick interactions are where it’s at and consumers are driving businesses farther and farther into this form of communication – and smart companies are jumping on board quickly.  John Hernandez joins Brent Leary to discuss where communication and collaboration in the business world is currently at – and where it’s headed.

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UBS (UBS) on Tuesday became the first investment bank to announce a major "clawback" of bonuses after a rogue trading scandal at the Swiss bank last year led to deep losses....

Is your business feeling like an old jalopy? Here are strategies for getting the money-making engine humming again. ...

Our latest On Deck Success Story comes from Oklahoma. Kaleb Frizzel has just completed 8 years of military service and was ready to start his own business. Drawing on his extensive automotive skills gained during his time in the navy, he decided to strike out on his own and start Kingsun Auto. Havin...

For the purpose of proposing a settlement of rule violations alleged by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and without admitting or denying the findings, prior to a regulatory hearing and without an adjudication of any issue, George Baseluos submitted a Letter of Acceptance, W...

With the stroke of a pen, Congress can lift the cap on credit unions. Doing so would allow for $13 billion of funding becoming available to small businesses. Credit unions have better loan loss performance statistics than other financial institutions and have 92 million members across the United Sta...

Dogs in the workplace are cartoon gold. There are so many possibilities it’s almost criminal. Dogs’ competition? Cats. Dog paperwork? Eaten like homework. Dog VP? He’s your beta dog. See? And that’s without even trying! So it’s a pretty short walk from a dog calling in...

Looking for the best small business opportunity for you can be a challenge. Franchises are one, but certainly not the only, option. Here are some considerations no matter what small business you are considering.

National and Washington offices of SBA’s Small Business Development Centre are offering Small Business owners’ online educational programs and services. The Small Business Development Center is organizing an online session on ways to obtain business loan.

It is very easy to demonize either the right or the left....

As politicians vilify regulations on the campaign trail, consider the results from a recent survey of small-business owners. It seems regulations aren't as onerous as some think. ...

The obvious benefit of using biodegradable plastic is that it has the perceived ability to decompose when it becomes waste. As with many green practices, however, the devil is in the details. ...

“Through clustering, the right brain has the opportunity to generate fresh perceptions and meaningful patterns” ~ Dr. Gabrielle Lusser Rico, Author of Writing the Natural Way

For years, there was no one challenging why I never completed certain tasks. Now, that has changed. ...

If your marketing could use a new twist, consider these new ideas to reach today's customers. ...

As a small business owner, your online reputation matters. More than you might think. In fact, research shows that a negative online reputation can cost you customers. But, other studies have shown that a positive reputation can actually help you gain them. That’s because 49% of local consumers are more likely to use a business after they read a positive review about a business online.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is America's biggest seed-stage investor. And one of NSF's portfolio managers has keen insights on what separates the start-up winners from the pack....

Before you figure out your pricing, figure out your business. ...

Successful Business Ownership Many commentators point to ‘innovation’, ‘nimbleness’ and ‘flexibility’ as advantages entrepreneurs and small business owners have over their BigCo competitors. This is often true but I think more important is a ‘bias for action...

Overwhelmed with SEO Options? There are many choices available when it comes to search engine optimization, or SEO, and you probably have many questions: Should you do your own SEO or hire a firm? Is SEO worth it? Will you be able to get to the top of the search engines? With all of the services, ...

Consider these options for extending the battery life of your mobile devices. ...

Peter Bell was CEO of StorageNetworks -- it provided storage as a service -- and took it public in July 2000 -- yielding a peak first-day valuation of  over $9 billion when its shares jumped from $27 to $102....

As small business owners, we’re all strapped for cash and we hate spending unnecessarily. That being said, not everything should be DIY (do-it-yourself). Sometimes trying to save money and do things yourself costs you more in lost time and lost business than you saved in cash.

Obama is trying to make changes in lending policies and is urging Congress to make changes in regulations so as to enable entrepreneurs find required finances to grow. Credit access still remains the biggest issue confronting entrepreneurs and small business owners.

As Fashion Week kicks off, we sat down with the man behind brands like Tory Burch and Monika Chiang to find out what it takes to make it in the business. ...

How is the venture capital industry doing?  The short answer is not as well as it did 15 to 20 ago.  One measure of industry performance - exits as a share of investments made five years earlier - still have not returned to 1990s levels....

The danger of trying to undercut competitors. How can we add value in different areas? This was a question posed on Twitter last week and my immediate response was: “Don’t compromise & undercut competitors, offer something special/better in areas such as customer service, added extras...

Do you blog for your business? If so, you’re not alone. But how does blogging really benefit your business? Can you make money from your blog, create community, connect with customers and peers? Well, all of the above, in fact. But, if you really want to know what blogging’s all about, read on!

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I’ve found a new addiction on the Internet; it’s Pinterest. And it appears that I’m not the only one that’s addicted to this amazing website.  With close to 12 million active visitors in the US per month Pinterest just happens to be the newest “big thing” in the social media world.

Ernie Doud Jr., co-founder of the consulting firm Doud Hausner & Associates of Glendale, Calif., with his wife, Maggie....

A list of free tools to help small-business owners do their jobs better. ...

President Obama spoke about employment at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday in Washington....

Technology advances in ventilation and soundproofing have made it possible to locate pet stores in apartment buildings. ...

Philip Kaplan...

It’s important to pay close attention to the kind of insurance you buy for your small business; otherwise you could face a shock when you file a claim. ...

The need for health coverage prevents many workers from finding new jobs or starting new companies, which suppresses economic growth. ...

Angela Liu, Crispy Green chief executive....

Cindy White, whose ribbon knitted jackets sell for upward of $800 in fashion boutiques, says she’s reluctant to press nonpayers too hard. “They’re my bread and butter,” she said....

HOOKED ON DESIGNYokoo Gibran, in her Oatmeal Soopascarf, started a business on Etsy....

Tia Thomason, left, and Mahasin Muhammad, with their product, a jumpsuit made of terry cloth for a dry cover after showering....

The Fitbit Tracker is a wearable gadget that monitors daily activity levels. ...

Jeff Williams and his wife, Masayo Fukuda-Williams, with a customer at Tokyo Rebel, their new clothing store in the East Village....

Facebook runs the world's most popular social-networking service, with more than 800 million active users. But the California company isn't nearly as far ahead in locking up intellectual property rights -- and may even trail rivals such as Yahoo in a patents race....

Despite studies showing that meetings are a colossal waste of time, they remain common. Here's how to collaborate while cutting back on meetings. ...

Last Friday, I had the privilege of participating as a panelist at The White House Urban Economic Forum hosted by Barnard University. The event focused on inspiring, funding and providing technical support to women entrepreneurs....

Sure, it's a thrill to get in on the ground floor of a hot new concept. But it's risky to invest in an unproven business model. Here are questions to ask. ...

One of the secrets to getting the most from your employees is understanding the challenges they face, not only in the workplace but in the rest of their lives. A comprehensive new report, Women & the Workplace, by Inforum and Sphere Trending has some insights on a key group of employees: women.

With changes phasing in over 18 months, business owners are just beginning to understand the impact of the America Invents Act. ...

Bryan Pate, co-founder of ElliptiGO in Solana Beach, Calif., sells a bicycle that uses an elliptical motion to propel it....

Turning into his 11th hole during the second round of the McGladrey Classic, a PGA Tour Fall Series event held every October, Ben Martin glances up at an electronic scoreboard looming over the tee box. He has to be pleased. After a dramatic 86-foot eagle putt five holes earlier and a birdie on the l...

With much fanfare, and with more than a little criticism from privacy advocates, Google recently announced the update of its privacy policies and terms of service.  Specifically, Google announced that users who sign in to their Google accounts for email and other services should expect that Goo...

There’s a natural lifecycle for any freelancer’s business. When you’re just starting out, you indiscriminately look to attract as many clients as you can to build your business. But inevitably, some clients won’t be the right fit.

Macon Phillips, the White House's director of New Media, describes how the administration is using social media in unique ways -- and how your business can too. ...

I know you may find this surprising since I am always chatting about connecting on the Internet, but I am a big believer in face-to-face networking.  In fact, if you spend all your time being social on social media, it is my belief that you will get nowhere fast.  The main idea behind using social media for business is to convert your connections into real time engagement as in pipeline, networking, collaboration.

In an effort to not hurt someone's feelings or have to defend the finality of their answer, I have observed and been victim to the ever frustrating tragedy being told "Maybe" when everyone involved in the situation knows the answer is actually "No." Sometimes it's a friend not wanting to commit to t...

You don’t need to spend a lot to win a lot of sales in 2012. ...

Let’s face it: Too many of us spend a lot of time actively ignoring LinkedIn. We don’t intend to, it’s just not as flashy as some of the other social networks. But if you haven’t checked out the business social networking site lately, it’s time to stop ignoring LinkedIn and go back. Because the site has added a host of new features in recent months that have helped transform it from a static resume site to a full-blown business networking site that SMBs will want to take advantage of.

"We hired people to do these jobs, why is it that nobody seems competent enough to do them?" the owners wondered. ...

Social media is a tremendous investment in time but so critical to most small businesses today. There’s no question you need social media for your marketing, branding and PR efforts. But what is the best way to get the most out of social media for your venture?

Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasESchoen...

Even though the anti-piracy bill has been sidelined, other proposed legislation still exist that pose equal threats to online businesses. ...

A new survey reveals the reach of the average Facebook user. ...

Our team consist of product managers, designers, QA and software engineers who value technology as the springboard for creating the innovative software platform behind On Deck. We know that searching for capital can be a frustrating task for business owners, which is why we are laser-focused on creating a seamless, end-to-end user experience for small business owners applying for a loan, or simply evaluating different lending options. 

Ok, I am a Pinterest newbie, arriving on the site because of the enthusiasm of an artist friend, Ann Kelle. As a surface designer, naturally Pinterest is one of her online stomping grounds. However, I’m a writer active in the small business arena so I was slow to respond to her excitement and reminders.

That Google+ may have certain advantages in its feature set matters little to Nick Roulleau if it can't produce bodies. ...

Looking to get more out of networking? Here are four tips to help you make your efforts more productive. ...

Our Entrepreneur of 2011 award winner shares the mistakes she made when growing her company -- and the lessons learned along the way. ...

President Obama is urging Congress to support legislation to expand tax cuts for small businesses and free up capital for startups.

The British billionaire talks about how he makes tough choices. ...

Your business will only succeed if you have a healthy client base. In that respect any business, big or small, faces two continuing tasks. Winning new clients and keeping existing clients. Both are as important as each other and together they will ensure the success of any business. In the current economic climate, winning new business can be extremely difficult, but there are various techniques you can use to your advantage.

Will it have a quantifiable effect in nurturing start-ups and creating jobs? ...

The online 'pinboard' is driving serious traffic and proving to be a powerful online marketing tool for some companies. ...

Small business owners are notoriously busy. You have a business to run, a Web presence to manage, customers to serve, vendors to hunt down, invoices to pay, social media to keep up with, and, oh, sometimes you like to pretend to have a social life. With so many different things on your plate, wouldn’t it be nice if this week left time to get just ONE under control? If perhaps there were just a handful of things you could tackle to wake up in a better place next Monday?

U.S Small Business borrowing has started to climb and reached its highest level in December in four years. In December, Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index jumped 19 percent. This rise is recorded to be a double digit growth on the 17th consecutive basis.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has kept Feb. 24th the deadline for ‘Federal Government Financial Injury Disaster Loans’ meant for Lee and Scott counties in Virginia. Businesses in Lee and Scott counties faced destruction as a result of intense storms, flooding, wind gusts and tornadoes that hit on April 23rd, 2011.

Note: This is a guest post by Brad Farris, a small business advisor at Anchor Advisors in Chicago. We invited him here to talk about how to set a business budget. For many of our clients that secure small business loans, the next step is to make sure they don’t spend it all in one place. That first step might be to set an efficient budget. Let us know what you think of Brad’s advice:

Managing a small business is always a challenge. Here are some tips to help you excel in a tough and competitive market.

The popular blogger shares helpful strategies for small-business owners getting started on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Google+. ...

Entrepreneur Magazine's Emerging Entrepreneur of 2011 shares growth strategies that helped his startup succeed. ...

Buy-local advocates are creating 'cash mobs,' which ask people to patronize local stores at a particular time. Here's how you can get a cash mob to shop your store. ...

Business owners are often natural sales people. They love to talk about their successes – and yes, occasionally glaze over their setbacks, their shortcomings.  It’s human nature, in fact.

When Gary Shouldis moved last year, he typed up a list of items that were packed in each box and created a QR code on a sticker for each one. ...

The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. When preparing for a video call, check your background. Try to broadcast without any distractions or movement in the background as this may affect the quality of the call. 2. It is tempting ...

What makes YOU stop, read and respond to blog articles?   Do you notice a pattern with articles that get re-posted and commented on the most? I do. I started this conversation here in,  The Emergence and Power of Blogs, Blogging and Bloggers and wanted to continue it.

Jeff Clavier started angel investing in 2004 as one of the early investors in the latest wave of such seed stage investors. He's now closed his latest SoftTech VC fund, Fund III, which was oversubscribed at $55 million....

While the popular cloud service can be handy for personal use, it lacks some essential functionality that can be critical for entrepreneurs. ...

As anyone who has been on either side of a venture capital deal knows, a fund raising agreement usually has so many provisions that someone inexperienced needs a glossary to read it.

Five steps to improve your branding power on the social network. ...

There are plenty of myths about small business startup. No, you don’t need to tap your home equity to start your business and small businesses probably have a better chance than ever to export products and services right alongside the big guys. What other myths of business startup and operation do you think need exposing?

A Small Business Administration (SBA) grant of $100,000 has been awarded to Oswego State Small Business Development Center (SBDC). This has been disclosed by senior business adviser, Larry Perras. Oswego County has been affected with bad economy and high unemployment rate for a considerable period of time now. Loan to SBDC is awarded with the aim to help displaced workers get back on their feet and prospective entrepreneurs start a new business.

Click below to Play Click here to download the mp3 Click here to subscribe on iTunes. Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes) Click here for the show archive Today’s interview is with Carol Roth about her New York Times bestselling book, “The Entrepreneur Equation.” Carol&#...

Ever felt like you’d like the 911 status on your business, in one view, one place? All the vitals so you can see, at a glance, what’s going on in the different areas of your company? If you have wanted to combine your web analytics, CRM, project management, sales pipeline, customer support requests, to name just a few, then this review of GeckoBoard is for you.

From 'Top Chef Masters' to food trucks, this restaurateur continues to reinvent herself. ...

There are two types of entrepreneurs: those that jump into a new business headfirst, and those that dip their toes in the water. One’s not better than the other, though the second one is probably more prepared for what lies ahead. In Making the Jump into Small Business Ownership (@MakingtheJump), authors David Nilssen (@DavidNilssen) and Jeff Levy (@JeffLTheESource) guide readers into the water, so to speak. They dissect what it takes to become a business owner into easy-to-digest chapters peppered with real-world examples.

Last weekend I went to a local farmer’s market to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables.  As I visited the different businesses exhibiting at the market, I couldn’t help but put on my marketing hat.  After all that’s what I do!  My biggest observation was that while all of the businesses were there to sell their products to as many people as possible, they were missing out on a huge opportunity for continued sales.

Every two weeks we put together a list of key events for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The following Small Business Events Guide contains worthwhile events for those wanting to grow their businesses:

When well-performing venture capital-backed start-ups raise an additional round of capital, the valuation of the business is usually higher than it was at the previous fund raising round.  The portion of VC-financed start-ups that experiences “up rounds” - as new fund raising at a higher va...

Keep up with the ever changing American workplace with these 10 trends. ...

When I speak to business owners, whether to a group or one on one, about social media and, particularly, blogging, I often get a sense of unease in the room.

Have you noticed that there is a whole new personality and a new way of being to successful entrepreneurship?  Just compare the successful entrepreneurs from one hundred years ago and those of today – there is a subtle difference about how Andrew Carnegie built his business and how Larry Page and Sergey Brin built Google.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) director, Edward P. Brown, of Nevada District, reminds businesses and individuals to apply for disaster loans to overcome damages due to ‘Caughlin Fire’. The fire broke out and stayed aflame throughout November 18 – 21, 2011. Feb 6th is kept the last day to apply for SBA disaster loan now.

The structure is not often used by someone whose income comes from writing books, giving talks and doing consulting work. ...

Jobs.  What’s more important to an economy (and a household for that matter) than for people to be working?  Of course there’s many factors but no matter who you are, employment and jobs are right up there at the top of the list of what is needed for a healthy and vibrant economy.  That’s why I am rejoining at today’s jobs report.

The Seattle coffee chain is holdings auditions to cast “hot young girls as servers” for a new reality show. A recent Tampa casting call, however, came up short. ...

Blogging is increasingly popular, but that doesn't mean it's right for your small business. Here are some reasons you might want to hold off on blogging. ...

That one company mentioned? It happens to be mine. Early on, much wasn’t being spent on marketing simply because the funds weren’t available. Some dabbling was done with the usual suspects: the Yellow Pages, online ads, etc. None seemed to do more to build my brand online. So now, five years later, surprisingly nothing is being invested in marketing yet enough was earned to profit and expand. Intrigued? Read on.

Steven R. Schneider, a partner at Goulston & Storrs, a law firm, said real estate companies were particularly ill-suited for S corporations....

Two years of rules and permits later, the Ice Cream Bar is open....

You might know the script of the popular movie Very Bad Trip. A bunch of pals go out to celebrate before one of them's wedding. They wake up the next morning with a hangover, without remembering what happened as it all went wrong....

I was planning on a different topic for this week, and then I had a change of heart. This week marked the beginning of the 3rd annual StartUpNation Leading Moms in Biz Competition.  Yes, I do realize that you are on the StartUpNation site, but I really want to call your attention to this unique opp...

The Rolling Stones proudly sang, “Time is on my side, yes it is.” These days, time seems to be an adversary that everyone is fighting, especially when it comes to social media and small business. Unlike large corporations, small businesses do not have the ability to hire teams of individuals to monitor and respond to customer service issues on social media sites. So what’s a small business to do? Matt Trifiro joins Brent Leary to offer a solution.

Three ways small businesses can turn stories into ads and digital content without a Super Bowl-size budget. ...

Everyone in the market today knows small businesses are in dire need of capital and loans to finance their historic activity and their growth. It is clear that the biggest drag on the U.S. economy and the small business segment has been the US and global de-levering process. Federal, state, and loca...

You probably don’t plan on writing a sweet love song about taxes. Perhaps not a country tune or hip-hop piece either. Still, writing a song—any song—can have tax implications. Here’s how....

After the Super Bowl and the end of the season, some football stars learn business skills and start their own companies. ...

I like charts, graphs, and diagrams because they make sense. Sure, your can skew them all sorts of ways, and sometimes they can get a bit out of hand, but they make sense. Arrow going up? Great! Series of bars getting shorter? Not so good. Easy. But I have to admit that Venn diagrams don’t do...

One reader thinks social media marketing is a waste of time for most "blue collar" small businesses. Does anyone disagree? ...

Every Friday we list 7 of the best stories we’ve read throughout the week. Most have something to do with small business and getting funding or business loans. Occasionally we’ll add something that’s completely off topic.

The ‘Startup America Program’ completed its one-year anniversary. It is an initiative of White House to celebrate, accelerate and inspire high growth entrepreneurship all over America. The SBA Start up America program has been helping businesses, during this one year span, to grow and create jobs in America. It has stamped the blue-print of an economy that is meant to last. Startup America has launched several mentoring programs so as to help small business owners and entrepreneurs find access to capital.

Understanding the nuts and bolts of small business is really important when it comes to getting things done. You can have great ideas, but putting them into action is what makes a successful venture.

Ready to win some amazing business books? Of course you are!  Now through February 7, 2012, you can enter to win business books like:

Getting turned down by the 'Sharks' was the best thing to happen to one contestant. ...

January is always pretty slow in business research land and this month has been no exception. So, I’m a few days late getting this report to you but that’s a good thing because I managed to wait long enough for the release of the 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). This is their 13th annual survey and the news was good.

Forget football. Sales of America’s favorite food will skyrocket on Super Bowl Sunday. That’s good news for these pizza franchises. ...

The bank will provide most of the capital but the funds will actually be dispersed by a small-business advisory firm. ...

It’s the AngelList centi-sesquicentennial and we want to share some stats with you. After 1.5 years, AngelList has seen…

We post links to the very best startup advice on Twitter at @venturehacks. We read Hacker News, the best blogs, Quora, and everything else startup-related. Then we tweet about the best content we find.

Eric Paley’s Curve of Talent is a brutal must-read. I’ve remixed it a bit to come up with the following definitions; the word’s are Eric’s, I’ve just re-ordered them:

An entrepreneurship organization is running an ad during the Super Bowl. Its goal: To get you to start up. ...

Facebook's IPO filing reveals a great deal about the company. Here's a brief overview. ...

Nothing represents your company and brand more than your business name. It’s the cornerstone of your business and shapes everything that follows – from marketing tone to a customer’s first impressions.

Sales pro Grant Cardone examines the habits of the super-rich, and how to make them your own. ...

When Facebook published its IPO prospectus this week, investors rushed to read a 45-paragraph letter from company founder Mark Zuckerberg. Everyone wanted to see what made the 27-year-old tycoon tick. Now an expert data-miner offers word-by-word insights about Zuckerberg’s aloofness, his need for ...

The world was breathlessly awaiting the filing of Facebook's prospectus Wednesday. But the actual S1 revealed that Facebook's growth is slowing down and unless it can find a way to speed it back up, investors in its shares will not be happy campers....

The tax law distinguishes between passive investments and active businesses. Suppose you have condo you rent out that generates a tax loss every year because the rent you collect doesn't cover your mortgage and real estate taxes. If you depreciate the condo, it will make your tax loss even larger. C...

No matter what industry you're in, having a working knowledge of tech-related concepts can be crucial. Here's a look at some of the most important terms and what they mean. ...

How much time have you wasted going round and round on solutions that just didn’t work? Or what about a mix and match business strategy? Where you do a little bit of this and little bit of that, does it really work out in the end?

Note: This is a guest post by Kevin Duggan, renowned speaker, executive mentor, author of several books, and educator in applying advanced lean techniques to achieve Operational Excellence. More of his information is at the bottom of the page. We’re honored to have him on the blog:

Fed has stated that business loan demand climbed in the fourth quarter as the economy accelerated. This is according to the findings of a ‘Federal Reserve Survey’ of senior loan officers.

Are you brilliant a marketing? We think you can be., We’ve assembled some great links meant to boost your marketing creativity. Check them out and see how “brilliant” you can become.

Bank stock prices fell sharply in the financial crisis, then recovered only to dip down again. The KBW index now sits at 43, down from 120 in early 2007, but up from its low of 19 in early 2009. Understanding what earnings and stock price is reasonable is critical for bank managements and boards of ...

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A master of poker and finance, Roy Thung excels at buying companies with little money down....

The most highly anticipated initial public offering in a decade has just been filed. Read the S-1 filing here. In a nutshell: Facebook aims to raise $5 billion, valuing the company at $100 billion. Sales hit $3.7 billion in 2011, up 88% from 2010 but somewhat less than expected. Ad sales a...

The social networking giant's showing on the public market may land with a thud. ...

After all, it takes time to write a lengthy e-mail, and the recipient may not even read your entire message because it’s too long. By having a quick conversation via phone, you’ll be able to convey your message and get an immediate response.

To kick of the month, we’ve decided to round up the latest and greatest in everything small business. This February, here are some things we thought small business owners would be interested to learn more about:Staples has launched the "Give Your Small Business the Push It Needs" con...

How do your employees feel about their jobs? For a small business owner, the answer to this question is crucial. Employees who are happy at work and passionately engaged with their jobs are more loyal to their employers, more productive and just plain better for your business.

Jeff Ready, chief executive of Scale Computing, uses independent contractors to supplement his company’s presence at trade shows, as well as to help with legal, public relations, finance, accounting, editing and other functions....

If you don't understand the rules, it's easy to get into trouble. ...

The owners of social-buying site Fab.com discuss how they came to the decision to shut down their old venture -- and focus on their new one. Here are their three tips for how to pivot. ...

Contests are emerging as a popular, low-cost way for big companies to connect with their small-business customers. Check out these three business contests. ...

The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. The first step is to work out what the actual problem is. Encourage employees who have issues within your business to speak up about these problems. 2. As the business owner, make sure that ...

Telling people what I do for a living has always been a bit difficult. If I say that I do pay-per-click management they ask me how I could possibly spend all day managing “paper clips.” If I tell them that I am responsible for the ads on their Google search results, I get a groan followed by “You’re that guy.” After explaining in more detail, I usually have a very intelligent conversation and people are fascinated at how interesting PPC advertising is. But I’ve noticed that more and more people are mentioning that they feel “creeped out” by the ads they see; like they’re being followed. But are they?

I was hoping we might see a bill trimming the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) down to size so I could pun its name, but no such luck. The IRS, Treasury Department, and Congress are sticking to their guns about implementing the dreaded law. They appear to have high expectations--Just think...

SBA 504 lending in Illinois is increasing rapidly as attractive interest rates are being offered,  and refinancing opportunities. SBA 504 loan program provides fixed rate and government guaranteed long term loans. This fund is made available with the aim to help small businesses finance purchase, do construction work and renovate commercial real estate. The fund also makes it possible for small business borrowers to acquire machinery and equipments.

If you're serious about building a successful enterprise, you'll need a business plan. But don't let that stop you from starting. ...

So many of us in the small business community rely on Gmail as our default email provider, and with good reason! We use Google because it comes at a price point we love (often free) and it integrates with other applications that we use on a daily basis – like our calendar and To Do list. If you’re a small business using Gmail to manage your email and your customer relations, why not make sure you’re getting the most out of it that you can?

As I entered the last week of 2011, I had more than $300,000 in cash on hand, plenty of work lined up for the coming year, and a dilemma: Who gets the money? ...

A secure credit-card transaction system can encourage shoppers to make purchases and help ensure that you stay in business. ...

Curious how to take advantage of the pre-game buzz? Consider newsjacking or hosting a promotional tie-in. ...

A look at what motivates customers to buy -- and six ways to tailor your sales pitch. ...

Communications are important in any small business. Here’s a crash course in how to become a great communicator you won’t want to miss.

The President issued a new call on Congress to pass an ambitious legislative agenda to help small businesses, but some wonder whether it's just hot air. ...

Facebook will file for its much-anticipated initial public offering as early as next week, according to the Wall Street Journal. A near-term filing isn't much of a surprise, given that the number of private Facebook shareholders apparently rose above 500 by the end of last year. At that point, regul...

Facebook has the potential to raise $10 billion in an IPO. Here's why that's possible. ...

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has closed $1.5 billion for its third fund. The firm has now raised a startling $2.7 billion in its relatively short run since its founding in June 2009....

Retailers face major challenges when it comes to sustainability. They source products made all over the world. They use lots of energy to keep stores well lit and comfortable.  They sells products that could one day end up in landfills.

First there are the referrals that you lose. Then all of the referrals from the referrals. ...

On Deck is excited to be a part of the NYC Turing Fellows Program, which matches university students interested in technology and entrepreneurship with summer internships. Open to both graduate and undergraduate students, the program is focused on students studying computer science, engineering, or ...

Jaime and Mark Van Wye, owners of dog-training franchise Zoom Room, say they're running a more efficient business thanks to tablet technology. Here are their iPad tips. ...

Many of us love engaging with our customers, industry folks and like-minded individuals on Twitter. Some of us also believe that time spent on Twitter translates to more awareness for our brand, and thus more customers. But how do we measure if it’s working? Or how much time is too much time?

Most businesses can benefit from some sort of Facebook advertising, but not every business should make a significant investment in it. Should you? ...

Back in May we told you about Google Business Photos, an effort by Google to pair small business owners up with professional photographers to take high-quality images of their business for their Google Places profile. At the time the program was only available in select cities so we encouraged SMBs not to wait for Google and to take their own photos. Today we tell you that if you didn’t listen to us, you’re in luck because Google just made the whole program self-service. So if you do want a professional photographer to come take photos of your business, here’s your chance.

Should I pay people what they deserve - or just enough so that they don't leave? It's easy to let payroll get out of control and suck up all of the profit in the company. ...

Kiev-native, Max Levchin, is an original thinker who's profited handsomely from his insights. But his passion is data -- and investing in start-ups that have unique ideas about how to convert raw data into valuable information....

Accel Partners -- one of Facebook's largest shareholders -- could come in for some attention if its IPO happens this week. This got me wondering how Accel makes its investments. If my January 27th interview with Accel general partner, Ping Li, is any indication, the answer comes down to two factors:...

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is helping Ohio businesses to expand according to ‘Karen Mills’, the SBA director. Many small business owners received SBA loans. ‘Phoenix Steel’ and ‘Quality Electrodynamics’ are examples of it. Small Business Lending has hit an all time record last year as it approved $30 billion loans to 60,000 small businesses in the country. In Ohio itself, the loan amounted to $760 million for 3,228 businesses.

Naveen Jain shares the insights he gleaned from the Microsoft co-founder, and how he used them when starting his own businesses. ...

The tales of great entrepreneurs are what inspire us. They let us know what is possible and press us toward what seems impossible. Here are some incredible stories of real life smaller and bigger businesses that grew from nothing. Enjoy!

Saving the unbanked will take more than what Suze Orman and Lil Wayne can offer....

In 2011 I wrote a few business book reviews based on a couple of Kindle purchases.  In addition to the business books, I picked up one of those  $.99 Kindle Singles written by John Locke about a savvy CIA assassin named Donovan Creed.  I got hooked on his engaging and entertaining stories and before I knew it, I had read through all nine of them and there were no more! (sniff).  When I check bed a few months later, at the end of the list of nine was How I Sold a Million Books on Amazon in Five Months.”  I picked it up without even thinking about it.

One advantage: it does make it easier to treat different customers differently. ...

I heard this statement from a small business owner several years ago — “run your business lean and mean,” he said.  But the difference between talking about it and doing it, you know, making the tough decisions to remove the fluff, manage the details and strategically market your message – is the difference between staying open and shutting your doors.

Momentum works. Seminal research by Narasimhan Jegadeesh and Sheridan Titman in 1993 first identified momentum as a systematic source of risk for equity investors. Their research—corroborated by numerous subsequent academic studies—revealed that, historically, momentum investing had provided exc...

There are several types of business in the UK – but one thing every business has in common is a starting point.

Greg Butterfield of SageCreek Partners will help Lendio continue to bring more capital to small business owners across America

There are and will always be steps in the sales process. They actually have changed very little since 1865, when Mark Twain created what might be one of the first sales training manuals “The Successful Sales Agent.”  He was not only an author but a very savvy businessman who understood the power and importance of personal sales and training.  He created a sales training program for all of his, “outside sellers”, who sold his books to the public.

If you're starting or running a business, you'll need to know this list of essential business planning words. ...

Have you heard the latest rumor? Facebook could sell shares to the public in an IPO -- valuing the social network from $75 billion to $100 billion -- sometime between April and June. But there are four good reasons why this will be a non-event....

Follow these suggestions to balance branding and searchengine optimization in your marketing efforts. ...

Click below to Play Click here to download the mp3 Click here to download the whitepaper Click here to subscribe on iTunes. Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes) Click here for the show archive Brian Hirsch, a longtime venture capitalist and the Managing Partner at Tribeca Venture Partners,...

Several commentators have recently highlighted the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s finding that the share of U.S adults starting or running a new business increased by 60 percent from 2010 to 2011. While I understand the desire to focus on the positive after so many years of declining entrepreneurial activity in the United States, I’m not sure the GEM results really signal good news about entrepreneurship.

Secondary markets like SharesPost and SecondMarket offer a less costly avenue for raising money from investors than an IPO. ...

When you have something to sell, being stuck in one place isn't always a winning idea. Fortunately, there is an alternative. ...

What can caring do for your business? We’re sure everyone who has ever patronized a business where folks don’t care know the answer to this question. But just in case you need some more help on the subject, here are some thoughts on how you can take things to the next level.

I’ve made many mistakes in business as a business owner the last 20 years.  There was a time in the beginning when I thought that I had all of the time in the world.  But now I feel like I can’t afford the luxury of wasting precious time anymore by making costly mistakes.

...

It's critical to hone your "connector" skills -- that is, your ability to make new friends and acquaintances. Here's how. ...

The highlight of my mailbox a few weeks ago was a review copy of Selling In A Skirt: The Secrets Women Don’t Know They Know Bout Sales (And What Men Should Know, Too) by Judy Hoberman. When I opened the first pages, the highlight to bring me further into the text was a paragraph regarding a significant challenge that saleswomen face.

One of our readers alerted us that RatePoint, the customer review software solution that many eCommerce and other businesses used on their websites, is shutting down.  The RatePoint homepage is still operational as of this writing. But some customers report being unable to access their accounts, or report what they consider poor treatment.

Facebook Inc.’s cash box is about to get a lot heavier. The social-networking company’s planned initial public offering of shares won’t just create a new stock-market heavyweight. The IPO also will infuse Facebook with as much as $10 billion in cash, creating the fascinating challenge of w...

This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

Meet three entrepreneurs who turned their passion for baking into encore careers. ...

Many small business owners work from home, but very few of these same owners would be comfortable inviting a prospective client to see their home office.  The home office often ranges from controlled chaos to a black hole where invoices and client information are never seen from again. Organize Your Home Office for Success – Expert Strategies That Can Work For You was written to help business professionals put into place a workable office space and systems that keep crucial information from falling through the cracks.

In a recent article from Econsultancy: Bad reviews improve conversion by 67%, which referred to a study undertaken by Reevoo (a provider of impartial product reviews, ratings and price comparison) called Bad Reviews are Good for Business, they found that “68% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad scores” and if customers don’t see ‘poor’ reviews “30% suspect censorship or faked reviews”. To add extra power to this, when prospective customers actually read bad reviews they 67% more likely to convert into a real customer than the average prospect.

Facebook will file for its much-anticipated initial public offering as early as next week, according to the Wall Street Journal. A near-term filing isn't much of a surprise, given that the number of private Facebook shareholders apparently rose above 500 by the end of last year. At that point, regul...

Summary:...

How true is this?  In response to an article on how to promote your business without being pushy, David Morgan threw the statement, “If your product or service is really good, it should sell itself” out there. So is it true?

Join me, Anita Campbell, and an impressive list of the CRM industry’s leading experts and solution providers a  free 1-day information packed seminar on February 3, 2012 , in Atlanta, Georgia!

If your small business advertises with the search giant, you may soon find that your placements are even more effective. ...

Praise in the workplace can be a powerful motivator. The Esquire Guy teaches us how to do it right. Hint: No bear hugs. ...

The top 5 tips weekly post is always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Although you often pay a monthly fee for cloud storage, it still usually works out cheaper than buying physical hardware for data storage. 2. The cost of cloud storage covers the outlay of t...

Time is very valuable and this is especially true when it comes to small business. In a small business, time is worth its weight in gold. Using your time wisely on matters that will make a difference and aligning business goals is crucial to a small businesses success. Here, Brent Leary joins Jeanne Hopkins of HubSpot to discuss the concept of inbound marketing and wise time management.

After some three decades lawyering on Wall Street, I ask your pardon if, at times, I come off as overly cynical, hardboiled, and curmudgeonly.  I mean, you know, seriously, if you’ve seen even a tenth of the garbage and nonsense that I have during my career, you would likely have the same gru...

You would expect a tax shelter designed to save General Electric $62 million in taxes to be complicated.  You would be right. The Second Circuit upheld a ruling against General Electric's financing arm that charged the conglomerate with understating its income. See TIFD III-E Inc. v. Unite...

Kodak and Hostess may have landed in bankruptcy court, but you can avoid their fate. Here are four tips. ...

Small Business lending in Winconsin has gone up by 51 percent since 2007 according to the Wisconsin Credit Union League reports. Business lending of Winconsin banks increased 4.4 percent. Credit Union loans to member businesses also got a hike from $1.5 billion to $2.3 billion. Banks increased its business loans from $29.6 billion to $30.9 billion.

Until recently, I didn't have time to micromanage our expenses. Now I'm trying to figure out where to start. ...

Every Friday we list 7 of the best stories we’ve read throughout the week. Most have something to do with small business and getting funding or business loans. Sometimes we add something else that’s completely off topic.

It might be hard to read those little baskets on the desk, but they’re labeled “Frying Pan” and “Fire.” I’d love to take more credit for this, but it’s based on an old co-worker’s desk. She had the traditional “In” and “Out” paper bins, but she also had one labeled “OMG!�...

How 15 minutes of fame can lead to as many problems as opportunities. ...

Could 2012 be the year of the entrepreneur? Some believe it is. Check out these important links for more tips on your entrepreneurial journey.

There are many different types of insurance cover that a business will need to look into, and some that are required by law. You can find a full listing and evaluation of these on online comparison sites like Money Supermarket. But here is a list of some of the main policies that should be considered by businesses and details of what they provide if something goes wrong.

We are proud to announce to our investors that, as part of our commitment to transparency and reliability, Prosper’s performance results have been audited by Ashland Partners LLP, an independent auditor that specializes in GIPS verification and consultation.

Both men and women can benefit from better understanding gender-specific communication styles. Consider these tips to start you on your way to success in networking with the opposite sex for your business. ...

Where you place ads on your website now matters more than ever. ...

Small business owners often shoot from the hip, do what others will not do and sometimes attempt to accomplish monumental tasks in small amounts of time with limited resources.  I respect the ambition. We have things like the telephone, the car, the ipod because of this frontiersman like ambition. But there is a process to everything.

There was one big problem: the business had to be sold in four months -- before the seller was going to pack up and move to Chicago to take a job. ...

This week's upcoming 'Shark Tank' episode spotlights the importance of learning one often-overlooked overlooked skill: When to stop selling and close the deal. ...

The following post was published on http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu on January 18, 2012....

Finding a mentor when you're just starting up, can make all the difference. Here are eight tips for finding one. ...

Failing to keep good financial records is like driving a sports car at top speed with your eyes closed.  It may be ok for a little while, but eventually you will crash and burn.  Perhaps one of your new year’s resolutions is to keep better financial records for your business. You may have pledged to finally tame the paper beast lurking in your office, or at least find your desk under all those receipts.  But there’s one small problem.

President Obama's call for tax reform may have sparked an unpleasant debate about who should pay more and what kind of system we have. Unfortunately, a minimum tax is something we tried in the 1960s. It spread into the out-of-control (and often quite inequitable) AMT. Will Everyone Pay&nbs...

Ofcom’s ban on automatically renewable contracts (ARCs) or ‘rolling’ contracts came into effect on 31st December 2011. This means it is now unlawful for telecom providers to roll customers over onto a new contract without their permission. But what does this mean for small businesses?

In 2012 I'd like to see our output increase to $2.4 million, which would be a little more than 10 percent over 2011. And I'd like to do it without hiring anyone. ...

Dave Whorton has a near-perfect pedigree for Silicon Valley. And his Tugboat Ventures taps that pedigree to help about four start-ups a year to make the transition from an idea into a substantial business....

“Make thousands stuffing envelopes!  Unique work at home business opportunity!” It’s statements like these which often lead to bogus business opportunities that have spurred the U.S. Federal Trade Commission into taking action to protect people who think they’re buying a le...

Follow these suggestions to simplify the interviewing process and help make sure the process turns up the best candidates. ...

Note: This is a guest post by Adam Hoeksema, founder of ExecutivePlan, which helps entrepreneurs write business plan executive summaries to raise capital. More of his information is at the bottom. We’re excited to have him on the blog today:

If you’re in small business, be prepared to communicate. It’s an important part of what small businesses do. The same thing goes for those who lead them. Here are some tips and tools to help you better master communication for your small business.

There’s no denying times are tough for small business. Competition for customers is fierce, overhead costs are rising, and although there is much talk of ‘going global’ the reality is for many small enterprises the costs of breaking in to new markets are often prohibitive.

Some small businesses may need to declare added income on their 2011 returns. Here's what you need to know if do business on eBay or Etsy. ...

Are you an entrepreneur handling every aspect of your new, small business? If so, you are probably writing all of your marketing materials and Website copy.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs were mentioned just six times in Obama's speech. We examine how often past presidents have put them in the spotlight. ...

President Obama in his State of the Union address on Tuesday urged Congress to help “tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow.”...

As small business owners in a recession, we eagerly await any news that consumer confidence is rebounding to normal levels. But looking at consumers as one undifferentiated mass is a big mistake. As the latest BIG Research Consumer Intentions & Actions survey uncovered, consumer optimism may be on the rebound among some groups, while it’s falling among others. Knowing what your customers think is key to successfully marketing to them.

Tim Storm, the founder of FatWallet, in his new corporate headquarters in Beloit, Wis....

If so, is it worth having to collect sales tax from states across the country? ...

This is a guest post by Greg Crabtree, a CPA with Crabtree, Rowe & Berger in Huntsville, AL, which caters to entrepreneurs, and author of the book Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!...

The hamburger chain admits that its new Twitter campaign, designed to promote the farmers who supply its meat, didn't go exactly as planned. ...

As the New Year begins, a lot of us are hoping to do better in our business than last year. And if last year did not meet our expectations, we are looking to improve things. Here are a few thoughts that have emerged as I battle to grow my business:

Most American taxpayers would not consider the IRS to be underfunded, let alone the IRS’s need for more resources to be the most serious problem they face. Given the growing “tax gap” (i.e., the amount of all unpaid tax liabilities), however, a persuasive case can be made that the government s...

It is disturbing to hear the current rhetoric around private equity.  References to “vulture capital” and “destroyers of jobs” are clearly political and completely unfair.  While some private equity or PE firms may have made questionable calls or taken unpleasant actions in past de...

You’re a small business owner. Most of your customers are the people who live within 25 miles of your storefront. Why does it even matter what the Internet has to say about your brand? That has no impact on your bottom line.
Right?

From roaming fees to pricey data plans, follow these tips to avoid getting a mobile bill that's more expensive than your airfare. ...

The local business owners of JOPLIN, Mo struggling to overcome May 22nd tornado now are left with less than three weeks to apply for ‘Economic Injury Disaster Loan’ (EIDL) from the US Small Business Administration.

Increasing our cash balance has lowered my stress level from Code Red to Easy Blue. ...

The investor and 'Shark Tank' star will take your questions in a live interactive discussion. ...

Former college buddies find fast-track growth with a business that makes meals more social. ...

Small business ownership can be a challenge, especially in the beginning. The rewards can be great but you may need a survival guide to get you through the tough parts or just to provide that simple advice that seems so elusive when the pressure is on. We hope the links below will help, and don’t forget to enjoy the journey.

President Obama's State of the Union Address may have suggested Mitt Romney should pay higher taxes--Obama Proposes Doubling Romney's Taxes, With Minimum 30% Rate--but we actually have more systemic problems. Our tax system isn't held in high regard by much of the world. Even Harvard Business School...

As a self-employed public speaker and corporate director, Mr. Romney could have taken a full deduction for his health insurance premiums. Why didn't he? ...

Every business needs a social media use policy, and here's how to create one. ...

Here is a rundown of what small business owners and advocates hope to hear from President Obama as he addresses the nation tonight. ...

Sometimes all a company needs to get over the hump is a little bit more in their marketing budget. When we saw this campaign from Staples, we thought we should share it. We contacted Staples PR team, Tilson PR, and they sent us this article below. If you sign up, let us know how it goes:

For entrepreneurs, believing in yourself and your business is critical to succeeding, no matter what’s going on with the economy. To punctuate that point, Staples 6th annual National Small Business Survey found that seven out of 10 small business owners are optimistic about the future.

This week's Customer Success Story comes from Santee, California. Joes' Old Fashioned BBQ, which features authentic Mississippi-style cuisine, had been in business a little over 2 years, and was ready to take customer visibility to the next level. We spoke with Joe himself, who wanted to invest...

According to one statistic, half of all local searches are performed on a mobile device.  With more people accessing websites using their smartphones, making sure you website is readable on a phone is not something you can ignore. Load times, readability and images often render differently on a smaller screen.  If a website is less functional when viewed on a phone versus a regular PC or laptop, many mobile users will simply leave a site.

Bi-Rite Market redesigned its Web site successfully, but could it be even better? ...

Last summer, I was working with a client and she was bubbling over with excitement about Pinterest.  While 6 months ago, Pinterest was relatively unknown to many people, as of last month it is now a TOP 10 social media network.  That’s right - TOP 10.

We’ve been hearing about increased confidence in small business and, if you’re like me, you want to believe it - but you’re suspicious, too.  How do we really know if things are getting better?  How do we really know if lending is beginning to open up for small businesses?  I don’t think anyone is claiming that small business loans are becoming easy to obtain, but there are good signs that we are headed in the right direction and that the availability of funds are growing for main street.

If you’re looking to take your email and social media activity one step further, you’ll want to check out a new startup called BrandMyMail.com which helps small- and medium-sized businesses integrate their social media presence into the emails they’re sending out to customers.

Which of these learn-to-code start-ups has the right business model? ...

Men and women approach networking from two different directions, but if you want to build relationships and create opportunities, you need to find common ground. ...

Men often go for the transaction immediately, rather than nurturing networking relationships as women do. Solve this chicken-or-egg conundrum before you embark on your networking efforts. ...

A quick guide to Community Development Fund Institutions: How they work and whether they can help you get money to start your business. ...

Social media is a huge area of discussion in small business these days as a way to market, network and engage your clients and customers while boosting your brand. Here are tips on building an effective social media platform you may wish to consider.

Hedge funds had another rocky year in 2011, down 6.4%, as measured by the Dow Jones Credit Suisse All Hedge Index. And yet industry assets under management have climbed back to $2 trillion, having reached $2.1 trillion in 2007 before plummeting in the 2008 market crash. After reading Simon Lack’s ...

VantagePoint Capital Partners has committed more than $1 billion to cleantech. The venture capital firm backed electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors and algal biofuels and bioproducts producer Solazyme, both of which went public. Today, VantagePoint has three cleantech companies – green chemi...

The Zappos.com founder is hoping his bet on Las Vegas will be a win, win for his company and the community. ...

What are corporate sustainability leaders worrying about these days? Are businesses still investing time and money in green initiatives like they did a few years ago?

Hiring a celebrity spokesperson doesn't have to break the bank. Here are three, low-cost ways to involve celebrities in your business. ...

Raising money for my start-up has been one of the most challenging experiences of my entrepreneurial life. Not because there isn't any money out there, and not even because pitching is difficult. The challenge lies in the nuances of hearing what a venture capitalist says—and then translating i...

For all of the different kinds of financing a small company can obtain from the S.B.A., the agency has not had a way to nurture fast-growing start-ups since 2004. ...

To sell its personalized jewelry, Gemvara cultivates close customer relationships. ...

Recruiting startup talent can be a daunting task, especially if you have no idea where to look. You might be on a budget, but you want to make sure you have a qualified pool from which to choose. So where do you start? There are a few members of the YEC community well versed in such matters.

For those interested in catering to Chinese customers, it helps to have ties to America. ...

If nothing else, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich can take credit for asking the American electorate to re-examine the definition of capitalism. His defeat of rival Mitt Romney in South Carolina’s Republican primary is chapter one in this lesson....

Michael Greeley was headed to a career in medicine when he took a detour to Wall Street. Within a few years, he moved to Boston with his wife and shifted focus to helping start-ups grow....

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s ‘Preferred Lender Program’ can approve grants through the agency’s ‘Small Loan Advantage Program’ that is going to begin from Feb 15th. The agency has decided to accept applications from mission-focused lenders that have shown considerable interest in making SBA-guaranteed loans through the new ‘Community Advantage Program.’

To motivate investors to reinvest in additional rounds of financing at start-up companies, venture capital deals often include “pay-to-play” provisions. Under these provisions, investors that don’t reinvest have their preferred stock converted to common stock or otherwise made less preferential, VC Experts explains.

These tools that can help any small business gain control of email clutter and become more organized and productive. ...

Click below to Play Click here to download the mp3 Click here to download the whitepaper Click here to subscribe on iTunes. Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes) Click here for the show archive Kevin Duggan, author of the new book, “Design for Operational Excellence,” and founde...

Every small business is different, so, of course, every entrepreneur will be charting new territory. If there were a simple manual or step by step approach for operating any business, everyone could be a small business owner. Unfortunately, it’s a bit more complicated.

I mentioned this article to someone recently who was surprised at the limited number of debt options for startup companies.  I asked her to do some research and encouraged her to come on and comment on the story if she has some other suggestions.  It’s not that we’re discussing the “only” debt options for startups but, rather, we’re talking about the most common options or the solutions that can be employed by the majority.  The answers to all your prayers may not be here but it’s important to clearly understand your options and the beginning of empowerment is to know what can and can’t be done so that decisive action can be taken.

Handywoman Beth Allen launches a company that's part fix-it business and part tool school to help women with home repairs. ...

We’ve all seen the news lately and heard of lots of large and small businesses closing down. No doubt, you’ve also seen the impact on your high street with both large and smaller, independent retailers shutting up shop. However, it’s important to realise that despite uncertainty ...

Now that we are solidly into 2012, it’s time to stop dreaming and start doing.  One of my business resolutions was to create product and service offerings that are rooted in targeting my ideal customer, what’s important to them when they are buying what I’m selling and then developing an offer that is structured for exactly how they want to buy.

Every two weeks we put together a list of key events for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The following Small Business Events Guide contains worthwhile events for those wanting to grow their businesses:

Because it's hard to stay off Facebook with willpower alone. ...

Mark Dunau followed the candidates around New Hampshire, looking for answers to questions about how the self-employed are taxed. ...

The numerous ways to conduct digital marketing, combined with traditional media, can create an elaborate process to measure results.  To make  the hard work of analysis easier, try Data Driven Marketing: The 15 Metrics Everyone In Marketing Should Know by Mark Jeffery.  Jeffery, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management, has provided the right starting points to discovering the value of a data-driven marketing campaign. The book is also an excellent primer for small businesses establishing a measurement platform.   I picked up a copy from a local bookstore to review.

Biz2Credit has been selected as preferred partner by NAFCU Services Corporation for small business lending solutions. Biz2credit – the online small business platform founded by Rohit Arora started its operation from February 2007. Biz2credit actively involves itself in matching lenders for small business owners on the basis of their profile and preferences.

Justin Liu, Los Angeles lawyer, litigation associate...

The SBA's Small Business Development Centers serve over 500,000 entrepreneurs a year, but they're still on the budget chopping block. ...

There’s good and bad news to share about startup financing for a small business.  Keep in mind, we are only looking at debt options so think of loans and lines of credit that you pay back to a lender.  We are not looking at any equity solutions such as angel investors, venture capital, etc.  The good news is that there are options.  The bad news is that nothing is easy nowadays and if you have damaged credit or you’re looking for several hundred thousand dollars it’s much less likely to happen purely with debt.

Before you even think about asking someone to invest in your business, consider what Sean Broihier of Fine Art America did. ...

Divine Ndhlukula, a Zimbabwean national, is the founder and Managing Director of SECURICO, one of Zimbabwe’s largest security companies. The Harare-based outfit is a market leader in the provision of bespoke guarding services and cutting-edge electronic security solutions....

Votes on anti-piracy bills are placed on hold in the wake of dramatic online and in-person protests. ...

In the 1980s, the idea of protecting your company against a data loss may simply have been a policy of “back that file up on a floppy disk”. Fast-forward a quarter of a century and the reliance on digital systems is so massive it is a safe conclusion to say that the vast majority of companies would be unable to function should their IT systems breakdown. With this in mind, two new business sectors have developed: Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery.

Each year, as the halls of the Capitol open anew, the United States Conference of Mayors hauls in the nation's city executives to convene. And twist arms. Today, the mayors wrap up a trip that included a foreboding report---prepared by IHS Global Insight---a nice news splash, and some potshots at an...

Can you hear me? Can you hear me now? Are you even listening? In today’s technological age, there’s a lot of “noise.” Becoming an effective listener is a skill that needs to be honed and actually being an effective listener is a skill that can be capitalized on in business, especially when it comes to social media. Listening closely to what’s happening around your brand and products in real time can be crucial to the success of your social media strategy.

Franchise ownership isn't for everyone, nor is every opportunity a gold mine. Here's a shortlist of what you need to know. ...

Every small business wants to emulate the success of the FTSE 100 companies‘ online marketing strategies. But as many SMEs have significantly smaller budgets they believe that these strategies are simply too expensive for them. Recent developments in marketing, such as social media and consumer driven marketing stunts, are however within reach for even the smallest companies. Here are a few examples of consumer driven marketing in the corporate world and examples of how you too can stimulate the same conversations with your customers:

There is great benefit just to being in a room of successful business owners who are open about what works and what doesn't at their companies. ...

Every Friday we list 7 of the best stories we’ve read throughout the week. Most have something to do with small business and getting funding or business loans. Sometimes we add something else that’s completely off topic.

I’m not a sports guy. I’m sort of big and pretty tall, so coaches always assumed that I’d be a wonderful addition to whatever team they were assembling. I’d try to warm them, really I would, but they’d always chat me up, put me out there, and then shake their heads in bitter disappointmen...

Bell County is being considered for low-interest disaster loans by U.S. Small Business Administration. The step is being taken to off-set financial losses due to natural disaster in 2011.

Small business leadership requires an incredible range of decisions. Your strategy is key to navigating these successfully. Having a unique strategy separates you from the pack.

A look at the growth spurt of this tech entrepreneur, plus the founder's advice on how you can stay ahead of the curve, too. ...

    Criticizing Romney for paying an average rate of 15% is ridiculous.  Given that his main source of income is venture capital, it would have been surprising if it was anything different.  Most businessmen I know think it is irresponsible to overpay your taxes.  I suspec...

The new year is well underway and several companies (including Objective Analysis) have updated their forecasts for 2012.  What will the year bring?...

I’m excited to announce that the Small Biz Big Things event, produced by Ramon Ray’s highly respected SmallBizTechnology,  is happening in San Francisco on February 7, 2012.  I would like to invite you to attend.

See what's coming up on both shows this season, which kicks off this week. ...

The President's rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline project will have a dampening effect on a number of small businesses. ...

Anyone doing Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising will eventually confront the following question:

Stock options allow companies to create incentives for employees that don't involve cash, but they also create a complicated and costly administrative burden. We went looking for an alternative. ...

Before sinking your money into a hot franchise concept, make sure it’s the real deal – not a dead duck. ...

Many small businesses with limited staff use the open enrollment period as the one and only time they discuss benefits with employees. This activity, though necessary, can prove to be overwhelming for the staff to comprehend large amounts of benefits information all at once. Small businesses seeking more effective ways to support employees should implement a year-round benefits communication and education approach instead of limited, intense periods of information overload or otherwise infrequent communication. Doing so can help businesses provide employees with retainable information and make processes such as open enrollment smoother and more effective.

Martin Luther King made a powerful statement when he said "I have a dream."  His dream was one to be admired by all and we have seen his dream come true. We all have dreams and mine is to be like Betty White. You say how can you compare Martin Luther’s dream of freedom to Betty White?...

New York investors make predictions as to which sectors will receive funding in the coming year. ...

Hi gang, John Lawson is a nationally known e-commerce and social media expert.  You can find him speaking at conventions all over the world and on colderice.com and if his name sounds familiar it’s because he was a winner of Startupnation’s own Home Based 100 contest a few years ago. ...

If you’ve ever received a phone call from an On Deck loan processor, underwriter, customer service rep or loan closer, you’ve probably noticed the New York City area code, 212, but we’re in Virginia! Located just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC, in Arlington, is our Virginia operations center. Every loan that On Deck evaluates comes through our office. We love our jobs and take pride in the fact that we are an essential facet in connecting Main Street businesses with the capital they need to make their business a success.

Today, online marketing tool provider Constant Contact announced its acquisition of mobile loyalty application CardStar. CardStar is the mobile version of the loyalty cards we all carry around in our wallets…only condensed into a single app.