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Getting Started with Live Streaming and the .live Domain

June 1, 2016

By Nick Fuller

This is your cue

Engaging with potential and current customers creates a lasting impression. By being open and transparent with your business’s patrons, you will earn their trust. They want to have interactions that help them understand who is behind the business. And one of the more effective and emerging ways to do that is live streaming.

In a recent Brandlive survey, 39 percent of respondents said live streaming will be “important” in their marketing mix. Another 20 percent said it will be “very important.” No matter how small your business, it might be worth your while to explore the possibilities a video marketing trend that’s gaining serious momentum. (more…)

Sports Retailer Rides Rebuilding Wave in Downtown Waterbury, Vermont

May 24, 2016

Success Story: Vermont

‘Serial Entrepreneur’ Relies on VtSBDC Advising for Start-Up Support

Vt-Success-Caleb-Magoon A self- described “serial entrepreneur,” Caleb Magoon, knows a lot about doing business in Vermont. “I am always looking for my next business opportunity,” he said. And when he saw downtown Waterbury businesses rebuilding in the years after the massive flooding of 2011, another opportunity showed itself.

“We knew the community was hungry for a store,” Magoon said. And he delivered, opening Waterbury Sports at 46 South Main Street last summer. “I started this business because the possibility for a sporting goods store in Waterbury was a tremendous opportunity and something I had been looking at for a while,” he said. “Waterbury is a fantastic town riding a wave of momentum following its rebuilding after Hurricane Irene.”

The retail store offers a vast array of sporting goods and recreation products that rotate seasonally. In spring and summer products include bikes and accessories, lacrosse, baseball, soccer and disc golf products, among other things. In winter, the store focuses on alpine and cross country ski products, as well as snowboards, hockey supplies, winter outerwear, snowshoes and more. (more…)

Electric City Coffee

May 17, 2016

Success Story: Montana

After retiring from the Air Force, Thad and Heidi Reiste returned to Great Falls and bought a local coffee shop. They purchased the recipes and equipment, relocated downtown and re-branded, then came to the Great Falls Regional SBDC for help. This is the fourth in a series of videos by the Montana SBDCs, showcasing businesses that worked with their local SBDCs to jumpstart business success!

Email Etiquette: Ask Permission First or Forgiveness Later?

May 10, 2016

By Steve Robinson
Director of National Organizations, Constant Contact

email-marketing-pic Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you not to put your hand on the hot stove? Or when you mistakenly went along with the crowd and your parents said, “If all the other kids were jumping off a bridge, would you do it, too?” What if I told you that email marketing is a lot like the hot stove? And just because lots of small business owners send email to customers without their permission, it doesn’t mean you should, too.

Sure, it’s exciting to see your email list grow. It feels like your efforts are paying off and that you’re actually making some headway. But if you add customers without their permission, you might be undoing all of that hard work. Why? There are lots of reasons why it can be bad for your business, and we’ll dig into those, but let’s first consider things from the customer’s point of view.

Picture this: It’s the first thing in the morning. Your customer grabs their phone or flips open their laptop and a hundred or so emails start to download. The steady flow of messages to their inbox goes on all day and your customer’s well-trained brain can’t help but gravitate to a certain email based on interest and priority. If they’re not expecting your email, they’re likely to ignore it. Or worse, they’ll delete it, block you, or report it as spam. (more…)