America’s SBDC Blog

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Success Story: Alaska

January 26, 2015
SBDC Client Wins State Business Plan Competition

Success Story: CoppaAlaska, Juneau SBDC
Ian Grant, Counselor
Coppa, SBDC client since 2013

“The business planning tools and Ian’s real-world experience were both hugely beneficial to our business planning efforts” – Marc Wheeler, owner of Coppa

Impact of working with an SBDC: Coppa worked with the AKSBDC on the business plan and financials which won first place in the state’s largest business plan competition. Additionally, Wheeler continues to work with Grant who has years of experience running a similar food business in Juneau.

Read the whole story, and learn more about the Alaska SBDC and Coppa.

IP Strategy For Startups

January 20, 2015
By Emily Ely

IP Strategy for StartupsDeveloping a solid intellectual property (IP) strategy is essential for emerging companies preparing for market entrance. Various forms of IP can usually be found in company’s portfolio and identifying these assets based on business goals and assumed future opportunities are at the core of that strategy. The following are a few tips to keep in mind to improve your IP strategy for startups.

Questions to think about when establishing an initial IP strategy:

• Who owns the fundamental technology in your space – i.e. who are the key organizations filing and    buying patents in your market segment and what are they working on?
• Where are the opportunities for strategic growth, investment, or licensing within your field?
• How rapidly is new innovation taking place in your space?
• Where are the new and emerging technologies being developed in your space?
• Which patents are the most valuable for your products?
• Do your customers value IP to demonstrate they are purchasing innovative products?  (more…)

Meet the Google Small Business Community

January 12, 2015

Google Small Business CommunityMore than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and two out of three new jobs in the U.S. each year are created by small businesses*. The Google Small Business Community gives these small business owners and entrepreneurs a place to share what makes their businesses special, connect with other businesses and hear from experts.

Our team is committed to providing the best information about business and the web, including how to get your business online, finding and retaining customers and more.

Get Help from Experts and Each Other

Our ongoing trainings include tips from partners such as Twitter, MasterCard, Intuit, Mailchimp, Squarespace, and HostGator covering a range of topics relevant to small businesses. We even host partners live, giving our members direct access to industry leaders. For example, this past August we hosted Maria Contreras-Sweet, the leader of the U.S. Small Business Administration and voice of small business in President Obama’s Cabinet, who answered questions from our small business owners in real time. (more…)

Give Twitter A Try: How to get started on Twitter even if you don’t really want to

January 8, 2015
By Andrea Rowland

Andrea_RowlandI used to think I was allergic to Twitter. Whenever a friend or colleague asked for my “handle” (and it happened A LOT), I’d break out in a cold sweat and run for the nearest exit. I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I wasn’t on Twitter. I was too busy to learn ANOTHER new technology. I had a job. I had a family. I had a life.

And then I wrote a book.

Where could I connect with other authors to learn how they went about getting their books published? Stay on top of trends and trendsetters? Join conversations about landing a literary agent and writing a proposal and all the other stuff I didn’t yet know about the publishing industry? Twitter.

This time, I didn’t flee. I was reluctant but resolved to give Twitter a try.  (more…)

Five Resolutions to Cultivate and Grow Your Business in 2015

January 6, 2015
By Cindy Bates

Five ResolutionsThe start of a New Year is likely to have many SMB owners recounting the ups and downs of the past year and looking for things they can do better in 2015. For some, that means streamlining budgets. For others, that means getting a better grasp on the elusive work/life balance. In my role, it means looking for ways to increase productivity and helping SMB owners get back a bit more of one of the world’s most precious resources – time.

As I look for ways to improve productivity this year, I’ve shared a few tried and true methods below that will help you start your year off strong.

• Start with you – Taking better care of yourself can go a long way towards helping your business thrive. It can be as simple as getting more rest. Sleep can have a major impact on your performance, with one study finding sleep to be more important than food. The latest wearable devices make it easier than ever to track your habits – when asleep or awake to keep your efforts on track. Best of all, you can share healthy habits with your employees. Scheduling daily walks or offering yoga courses onsite can reduce stress and encourage teambuilding.  (more…)