America’s SBDC Blog

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In Search of a Bigger, Better Barcode

October 19, 2023

By Kaitlin Friedmann, Marketing Director, Small Business Growth, GS1 US

Entrepreneurs in the retail industry are likely aware of the increased demand from consumers to know more about the products they buy. Often, the package can’t hold all the information they seek, such as product origin stories, certificates to back up sustainability claims, and more. Throughout the product life cycle, there may also be information that needs to be communicated to the end customer, such as recalls, updates, and disposal recommendations.

The retail industry is on the verge of a major change in packaging to respond to this increased demand for more information. Brands and retailers are beginning to transition UPC barcodes, a 50-year old technology, to more data-rich, robust two-dimensional barcodes (i.e. a QR code).

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SMB Hacks: Five tips for finding the right digital payments solution

March 9, 2023

Want to grow your business? Think outside the cash box.

Freedom, work satisfaction and flexibility are just a few of the many reasons small business owners take the leap to follow a dream. Rachelle Gonzalez, founder of Taco Shelly’s in Bethlehem, PA, had reached a turning point in her restaurant career. Her role in management left her feeling dissatisfied, often frustrated. She missed the camaraderie of the bar and being responsible for her own work ethic vs. that of others.

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12 Social Media Best Practices for Small Business Owners in 2023

February 28, 2023

By Ken So

Even the smallest of businesses and influencers can thrive with strategic social media marketing. You don’t need a stacked team of specialists or a paid partnership with a celebrity to launch your brand successfully. Follow these small business marketing best practices for social media to achieve steady growth — and watch the world discover all the wonderful things your business has to offer.

Even the smallest of businesses and influencers can thrive with strategic social media marketing. You don’t need a stacked team of specialists or a paid partnership with a celebrity to launch your brand successfully. Follow these small business marketing best practices for social media to achieve steady growth — and watch the world discover all the wonderful things your business has to offer.

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5 Useful Data Security Tips for Small Businesses: How to Keep Your Remote Staff Secure

December 29, 2022

It’s no secret that cybersecurity should be a top priority for any business, big or small. But if your business has remote workers or if you have a small staff working from multiple locations, you may be wondering — why does my small business need to worry about data security?

More than half of all cyberattacks are committed against small to midsize businesses. And cyberattacks on remote workers rose 238% during the pandemic. Despite this, 47% do not have a cybersecurity defense plan in place. 

Arm your small business against all-too-common breaches by implementing the following security measures we’re listing below.

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October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and We’re Taking the Cyber out of Cyber Security

October 18, 2022

By Earl Gregorich, Co-Chair America’s SBDC Cybersecurity Task Force

Cybersecurity is a term we hear a lot these days. It brings a wide range of reactions, from fear to eye-rolls to curiosity. For small business owners and those who work in entrepreneurial circles, cybersecurity just seems expensive and too complex to tackle. But what if we removed “cyber” from the word for a moment and just thought of it as security? Security is a lot more approachable and while it still has a cost associated with it, there is a better understanding of why “security” costs are justified. So, let’s take a walk through a small business and consider how we might see a few things differently if we focused more on security and less on cyber when protecting the digital assets within the company.

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