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Our Favorite Things: Tips from 2014 – A year’s end wrap up from Google’s Get Your Business Online Team

December 10, 2014
By Whitney Lemon

Happy_Holidays_from_GYBO

Can you believe it’s almost 2015? The final blog post for the year recaps our favorite lessons that can help businesses grow and succeed online.

#1: Start with the website

The majority of today’s consumers start their shopping process online, so a company’s website may be the first interaction with the business. For businesses just starting out, review this lesson about choosing a domain name (your website address, or URL) and determining the goals of your website.

When building a website or making improvements to an existing site, pay attention to the header and footer, the top and bottom of the page. These are valuable areas for communicating important information about the business. Check out the blog post here.  (more…)

Success Story: Idaho

December 8, 2014

Success_Story_Idaho_12-8-2014Energy Recruiting Services provides job placement services in the oil and energy industries in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado and Texas. Energy companies can expand into new areas quickly, leaving them little time for finding quality job candidates. Energy Recruiting Services simplifies the process with quality pre-candidate screenings and placement. “We have an exceptional reputation to help fill the need for qualified employees,” co-owner Melissa McElfish said. “A lot of our new companies are referrals from companies that are happy with our services.”

Their success made sense, given the experience of Melissa and her husband, co-owner Tom McElfish. Melissa previously worked in management and client relations, while Tom spent years in construction management, including oil pad construction in North Dakota.  (more…)

5 Tips to Grow Your SMB through Government Contracts

December 3, 2014
By Cindy Bates

On my way home from the office late last week I heard an interesting story on NPR about why women lag in winning government contracts. I paused to turn up the volume because the host was speaking about two of my favorite topics – successful women in business and unique business opportunities. While listening, I found one statistic particularly jarring: In the 20 years since the government set a goal of awarding five percent of federal contracts to women-owned small businesses, it has never met that goal.

I’ve met with countless SMB owners who have earned federal contracts and I know the impact it can give a business – opening doors, building connections and fast-tracking growth. The question is how can we help level the playing field for women who now comprise a third of all U.S. small business owners? Below, I’ve listed five practical tips to offer women a jumpstart on taking their businesses to the next level.

• Start locally – Find the military bases and government agencies in your area and ask what products they’ve purchased before and who does the purchasing. Once you’ve made that determination, PTACs (Procurement Technical Assistance Centers) as well as SBDCs (Small Business Development Centers) are the best resources locally for all of the “How–Tos”.  (more…)

Prioritized Patents: Do They Only Help Companies Like Google?

December 1, 2014
By Mrigank Mishra

If intellectual property (IP) was a rock band, then a patent would definitely be the lead singer. This is not to say they are better than other forms of IP, just the face of it, and an important one if applicable to your IP. An investor is more likely to be impressed with an IP portfolio with patents than without.

But it is a hard application to both file and be granted, requiring in-depth research and sometimes years before the US Patent and Trademark Organization (USPTO) actually reaches a decision. Considering the amount of work that goes into the process, it is not surprising the cost of filing a patent application is also comparatively higher than other forms of IP rights. Presently the cost is about $1,600. Compared to the $35 for a copyright, around $500–$1,000 for a trademark, and nothing at all for trade secrets (they are not registered), you can see the difference.  (more…)

Protecting Your Inventions: Utility vs. Design Patents

November 25, 2014
By Emily Ely

If you’re planning on patenting your idea, you should be careful in choosing which patent you apply for when protecting your inventions. There are many different kinds of patents, but most likely, you’ll be wanting to choose between a utility or design patent.

A design patent lasts for 14 years. This is subject to change, as are most laws. Design patents are mostly used for, well, designs! If you’re an architect and come up with a novel design for a new kind of Titanic that can’t be sunk, with unique features that no other ship currently possesses — then you should apply for a design patent. The design patent makes it illegal for anyone else but yourself to replicate your design, sell it, or use it for the whole fourteen years.

A utility patent lasts for 20 years. This is subject to change, just like the design patent. Utility patents are meant for inventions – so you’re trying to protect the actual mechanism of an invention. Utility patents protect the mechanism of the invention and its function, but it poorly protects its design.  (more…)