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5 fresh ways to promote your blog

April 19, 2016
By Stacey Hartman

GoDaddy-creative-ways-to-promote-blogWhen you’re running a blog, you get that content is king. And with that amazing content, you’ll understandably want to get your hard work out there. How to go about that without breaking the bank, though, can be scary. That, and trying to stand out in the current marketing environment can be extremely overwhelming, especially when everyone seems to be doing the same things to market their blogs.

Stand out from the crowd with these five alternative (and sometimes overlooked) angles on promoting your blog.

1. Join a blog community

Blogging communities (sometimes known as blogging directories) are a place for bloggers to connect over common themes, share content, and build relationships. You’re also able to share your content on a platform that can aggregate common content themes. (more…)

Experience Leads To Expansion For Home Manufacturer

April 12, 2016
Success Story: Vermont

VT-Success-Vermod-Home-BuilderSteven Davis of Vermont High Performance Manufactured Housing in Wilder is no stranger to the construction business. He has been building homes for more than 30 years, most recently providing affordable net-zero green home construction services to Vermont homeowners and beyond.

But when he recently decided to purchase a permanent home for his own business, he knew it was time to seek some assistance. Davis was seeking funds to purchase a building to house his home manufacturing business. Once he found a location, seeking funds to purchase that location proved challenging, he said.

Davis quickly sought assistance from the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC). GMEDC recommended Davis contact Vermont Small Business Development Center Area Advisor Ross Hart, who shepherded him through the sometimes tedious process of a business property purchase. “Working with Ross [Hart] was great because he was not intimidating,” Davis said. “He helped me understand where I was in my business and what was needed to move forward,” he said.  (more…)

This National Small Business Week, We’re #AllForSmallBiz

April 6, 2016
By Nancy Jeng

National Small Business Week is a time when we recognize the enormous contributions of small businesses and celebrate their successes. This year, Google and partnering organizations are taking it one step further and encouraging everyone—citizens, communities and business owners themselves—to come together and give small businesses the help they need to succeed.

Small businesses account for 99.7% of employer firms in the US (SBA 2014), which means when small businesses succeed, everyone benefits. Stronger businesses build stronger communities and we can all help to make sure those businesses are set up for success. But many small businesses are lagging behind when it comes to their online presence. 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information nearby like store address, business hours, product availability and directions (Google/Ipsos 2014), yet only 37% of businesses have claimed a local business listing on a search engine (Marketing Sherpa 2012).

This Small Business Week, let’s make sure all the businesses in our local communities are primed for online success. Here are three ways in which you can help a fellow small business owner:  (more…)

Hungry? Here’s How Building a Website is Like Making a Sandwich

March 28, 2016 3 Comments
By Mukul Sheopory

website-sandwich-1You’ve been thinking about building a website, but with all the other responsibilities you carry as a small business owner, the thought of taking on another project might be overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be.

I’m going to show you how building a website can be as simple as making a sandwich. You can do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, and your approach will depend on:

— Your comfort level with the technology
— How customized you need your website to be
— Your budget

Get out the mayo and let’s go!  (more…)

Lasting Legacy Assisted Living

March 23, 2016
Success Story: Montana

Chad Green was inspired by the care his grandmother received when she was in an assisted living facility, and he wanted to start his own. Green went to the Billings, Montana Regional SBDC for help. This is the second in a series of videos by the Montana SBDCs, showcasing businesses that worked with their local SBDCs to jumpstart business success!