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Separating Myths from Facts: #SocialMedia for Small Business

September 9, 2015

Social-Media-MythsAccording to LinkedIn, 8 out of 10 small businesses use social media to drive growth, which means you already know social media is a crucial tool for your business. Using social media incorrectly can harm your business, so we’ve cleared up a few social media myths for small businesses.

Myth: Social media is just for young people, not my customers.

Fact: The truth is, social media is for everyone; but you have to know where to look and how to talk to your audience. For example, adults over the age of 50 are the fastest-growing demographic online, with one in three seniors using social media on a regular basis. Don’t discount the influence the younger generation has on purchasing decisions, either. According to the Cassandra Report, 74% of parents who have children between the ages of 7 and 17 say their child’s opinion is influential when it comes to their family’s spending and household purchases.

Myth: The more followers I have, the more I know my social media is working.

Fact: You could have thousands of followers on a social network, but the numbers are meaningless if they don’t care about your brand. Five hundred engaged followers who found you by word-of-mouth recommendations are more valuable than 5,000 followers who won’t care about updates from your business. Don’t get bogged down with the numbers; instead focus on the value you provide to your audience.  (more…)

Jude’s Foods Gluten-Free Cookies Fill A Need

September 9, 2015
Judes-FoodsSuccess Story: Oregon

“Working with the SBDC equipped me with everything I needed as a first-time entrepreneur in both my initial startup phase and ongoing business growth.” – Josh Fegles, CEO, Jude’s Foods LLC

Impact of working with the Oregon SBDC: Fegles first talked to his SBDC advisor in 2011, when all he had was a recipe for his cookies and a desire to sell them. In 2015, after 4 years of ongoing advising, Fegles, now contracts with an Oregon manufacturer capable of baking over 100,000 cookies in a day, and he has hired a regional distributor to expand his business throughout the Northwest.

Read the whole story, and learn more about the Portland Community College SBDC, the Oregon SBDC Network and Jude’s Foods LLC.

Helping Your Clients Get Access To Capital

September 8, 2015
By Rick Burgess, CEO, Connect Lending

America is built upon our entrepreneurial spirit. This spirit is what drives our great country to innovate and endure adversity in challenging the ways businesses are managed. Every day, individuals embark on setting up a business to capitalize on the advantages our great country has to offer. With changes to regulations, additional requirements and limited lending practices, traditional bank loans aren’t always available, and may not be accessible for the everyday business.

Connect Lending

Fortunately, there are numerous types of alternative lending solutions in the marketplace. But, finding them by simply walking into your local bank or credit union isn’t going to be fruitful. Connect Lending provides an online platform to match small business owners to the right lender for their business solution. When using our platform, review these key factors with your client to ensure a smooth process for securing a loan:  (more…)

Turning Ideas Into A Business

September 7, 2015
PA-Success-Upper-DeskSuccess Story: Pennsylvania
  • Bucknell University SBDC
  • SBDC Counselor: Dilip K. Shah
  • Client: Upper Desk, Inc. – SBDC client since 2010

“The SBDC is like a one-stop shop providing tools to educate employees, encourage economic growth, develop products and help fulfill professional aspirations.” – Rod and Stephanie Phillips, Upper Desk, Inc.

Impact of working with the SBDC: Seeking to turn his ideas into a successful business, Roderick Phillips and his daughter Stephanie sought help from the specialty Engineering Development Services at the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Staff and students at the SBDC assisted him with patent and market research, product development guidance, and even some engineering design assistance with Upper Desk products still in the pipeline. (more…)

Networking? Yes, It Still Works!

September 4, 2015
By Anissa Starnes, Director, National Organizations for Constant Contact

There is no way to calculate the magnitude of new connections that are made every day on social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, but what about face-to-face chance meetings? Do those still happen? Absolutely!

You never know when your next best client may be standing right next to you in the line at the grocery store or at the local farmer’s market or sporting event.  You should always have your 30-second elevator speech prepared to market yourself and your services, in case someone is a potential client. And let’s face it, most people are potential clients — either themselves or someone they know.

Another trick is to always have business cards with you even if you aren’t officially “on the clock.”  Even with the rise of social media connections, old-school printed business cards still work. They can serve as a reminder to the person that you just met that they need to reach out to you, and sometimes that reminder comes later, when they pull the card out of their purse or pockets when they get home.

Master networkers are always on the lookout to make connections with people and for people and you can do it too.  Here is a blog post with more tips on becoming a master networker:
blogs.constantcontact.com/networking-secrets.