America’s SBDC Blog

A “Forbes 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs”

Free Market Research For Any Business

November 19, 2012

Insights for Search, one of my favorite free market research tools just got a major revamp and is now part of Google Trends so let’s take a look at how a business can use it to make better decisions.

The premise of the tool is that it can help answer important questions about your business using all the searches that people do on Google. For example, by counting how many people in different cities are searching for words related to the flu, like ‘couching’, ‘headaches’ and ‘fever’, Google is able to build a map of regions where there are outbreaks of the flu.

For your business, it can help answer important questions about seasonality, regional preferences and rising trends. (more…)

How to Unplug

November 16, 2012

Recently a colleague asked if I’d been on vacation, since I looked so relaxed (which speaks volumes about my usual demeanor, I guess). Laughing, I told him that it was my daughter who had been on vacation — two weeks at summer camp.

We chatted about how, as parents, we seem to have little time to take it easy and enjoy. I joked that I hoped to maintain at least the look of relaxation when my daughter returned. He just smiled and said, “Press save,” and went on his way.

Press Save.

So what does this phrase have to say to you as a manager, parent or not? Plenty! We’re still in the midst of difficult days and it’s easy to forget the fun times when we hit the office. It’s especially important that you take care of yourself now, so that not only can you survive the long haul, but also help your team do so. (more…)

Internet Marketing for Beginners: Part 2 – Generating Sales

November 14, 2012

This article is the second in a series on Internet Marketing for Beginners. In the first article, I discussed setting a proper online goal. A website should either generate sales, leads, or support for an existing customer base. This article will focus on the first goal: Generating Sales.

Some of you may think ALL websites should generate sales. However, in my opinion, only a few should consider that their goal. When I say, “generate sales,” I define that phrase as allowing someone to put a product in a “shopping cart” and paying for it online. The merchant has only to ship it at that point.

The majority of you don’t need a shopping cart. Basically, those who sell high-priced items or services rarely need a shopping cart. Examples would include realtors, repairmen, consultants, etc. (more…)

Cloud-based business planning platforms in Natural Disasters

November 12, 2012

Cloud-based business planning platforms could facilitate efficient FEMA/SBA small business relief in the case of natural disasters

The Problem

In areas struck by natural disasters, tens of thousands of small businesses have been damaged or destroyed in one event. This causes unprecedented challenges to the public and private mechanisms designed to address small business access to capital and community recovery

Affected business owners are too often left without the necessary documentation or information for FEMA/SBA to process their claims and applications after a disaster. And the longer it takes for a small business person to painstakingly re-construct their documentation, the more likely it is that they will give up and the jobs they supported and their tax revenues will be lost forever. (more…)

Building your business’s Online Brand

November 9, 2012

Studies have shown 97% of consumers research products online before buying local. Given that; one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that it’s critical for business owners to use all available resources, especially FREE ones, to enhance their business’s online brand and make it easier for customers to find it. The easier it is to find your business; the more likely you are to gain customers. In this series of blog posts, I endeavor to explore how you can leverage online resources to help provide a boost to your bottom line.

First step in improving your business’s online brand is to claim its online business listing on business listing services and review sites as well as establishing your business’s presence on social networks. Bing Business Portal, Google+Local, Yelp, and TripAdvisor are examples of business listing services while Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Google+ are examples of social networks. Consider the following benefits and I think you’ll agree with me in that it’s definitely worthwhile. (more…)