Success Story: Idaho
See how the Idaho SBDC helped a group of engineers start a robotics business to help bring manufacturing back to America and give back to the community by creating jobs and sharing knowledge.
America’s SBDC Blog
A “Forbes 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs”
10 Fresh and Free Ways To Grow Your Email List Online
By Steve Robinson
Director of National Organizations
Constant Contact
There’s a certain thrill that comes with seeing your email contact list grow and it’s even more exciting when clients read and share your content. Along with that excitement there can be a temptation to aggressively grow your list by capturing names from your website or client orders. While everybody wants a healthy list of contacts, it’s important to remember the golden rule of successful email marketing – you must first get permission from your clients before adding them to your list.
Though sometimes it can be challenging to reach out to clients on an individual basis to ask for their permission, especially since so many interactions are done online these days. To make the most of your online presence and boost subscribers, here are 10 fresh and free ways to inspire clients, partners, and website visitors to join your email list.
Engage Website Visitors
When clients visit your website or find your business through an online listing, it’s an opportunity to engage them and entice them to want to learn more about your business. Three ways to inspire them to join your mailing list are:
1. Offer exclusive content. Feature content on your website that clients crave such as top secret recipes, little known short cuts, or cost savings tips. By including a synopsis of what’s behind the curtain, you demonstrate your expertise and the value of the content. From there, make it easy for clients to access all of that exclusive content in exchange for joining your mailing list.
2. Convert website visitors into subscribers using MailMunch. This tool allows you to create opt-in subscriber forms that you add to your website or blog without having to write a single line of code. And yes, they also work on mobile devices. (more…)
Expanding Into New Territory
Success Story: Florida
SBDC: Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida
SBDC Consultant: Karen Krymski; SBDC Director: Eileen Rodriguez
Client: Sheri Dougherty, CEO, DAI Solutions of Sarasota County, Longboat Key, Florida
Client since November, 2015 in Florida; and 20 years ago with the SBDC in Alexandria, Virginia
Achievement: Business Expansion
Sheri Dougherty had worked as a federal contractor in the DC metro area for several years. After working for multiple companies, the thought of opening her own firm crossed her mind.
“Being the person who actually found the deals, wrote the proposals, and won the deal, it was difficult to sit back and watch the deal crumble in the hands of colleagues,” Dougherty said. “So I said, ‘If I am doing this for someone else, I might as well do this for myself.’”
Dougherty started her federal contracting business 20 years ago in the DC metro area, and a year ago she expanded to the Sarasota, Tampa, and Orlando areas. DAI Solutions offers businesses the ability to take their product or service to the federal government. They provide an array of services, from marketing to General Service Administration (GSA) schedule proposal development to simply staying up on federal laws. (more…)
32 iPhone Apps to Run Your Small Business
By Peter Somerville
Director of Investor Relations at StreetShares.com
The pace of small business has never been more relentless. The good news is that you have a whole toolbox in your pocket: your iPhone. Here are 32 apps I use every week in my work at StreetShares.
Mail and Calendar
Gmail – If you’re a power Gmail user, this is the way to go.
Outlook – Surprisingly useful, this app may be the best thing to come out of Redmond in 20 years.
Google Calendar – Use the “schedule” view to see your day at a glance.
Week Cal – Full of features, sometimes at the expense of an elegant layout.
Asking For Help Is Good For You and Your Business
By Karen Peacock
SVP and Small Business Segment Leader at Intuit
Running a small business can be lonely. There will be times when you don’t know who to turn to with your questions, and your support system can feel as small as your shop.
My advice: Ask others for help, and broaden your network to get it.
Seeking counsel — from mentors, peers, even your suppliers and vendors — is simply another way of taking charge of your business. Rather than being thought of as a weakness, reaching out can help your chances for success. I always say, “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.” One Intuit study found that 41 percent of small business owners feel lonely in their work life. That same survey found that 70 percent of small business owners say networking with other business owners is important.
In my experience, while it may seem daunting, pushing through your comfort zone can pay big rewards.
Connecting can energize you
Even beyond your immediate need to solve a particular problem, listening to how others approach their business or even their lives can flick on a switch in your own thinking. That can lead to a breakthrough insight into something you weren’t even considering. (more…)