Economic Uncertainty Continues to Hinder Small Business

via inc.com

A couple of months ago when you were coping with the looming fiscal cliff, you probably at least thought you would have some clarity when it was over. Whatever the outcome, small business owners would know the direction the country was heading and plan accordingly. However, with the fiscal cliff behind you, and March starting tomorrow, you're probably feeling an even greater wave of uncertainty. Almost a tidal wave.

Economic conditions in Europe are unsettling, with Italy's recent struggles and the downgrade of British debt. Meanwhile, constant talk of the sequester and spending cuts here in the U.S. only add to that edge.

No wonder the SurePayroll survey shows that small business owners continue to employ fewer people and growth has slowed.

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6 Cool Tech Tools Small Businesses Just Gotta Have

via openforum.com

Last week’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas does promise consumer right in its name, and the 2013 event was indeed chock-full of gizmos you will want to bring home: bicycle video cameras, space-age baby carriages (complete with a smartphone dock), and Brainwave Cat Ears (I already ordered my own set).

Happily, however, the consumer focus doesn’t keep vendors from showing plenty of business-class equipment. The miles of booths included everything from the latest laptop computers and office printers to small, useful gadgets and tools tuned to small business’s needs. Here are my favorites.

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Asus Claims the Title of World's Smallest Wi-Fi Router

via gizmodo.com

Amongst all of its Windows 8 PCs and tablet announcements at CES, Asus also quietly revealed what it's boasting as the world's smallest Wi-Fi router. And with a form factor only slightly larger than a well-equipped flash drive, the WL-330NUL Pocket Router is the perfect accessory for minimalist road warriors.

Weighing in at just 25 grams, the 802.11b/g/n router includes an ethernet port on one end for sharing a wired connection, and a USB cable on the other for stealing power from a computer. It can also be plugged into an outlet if you want to spare your laptop's battery. For ultra-thin notebooks lacking an ethernet port, the WL-330NUL doubles as a USB ethernet adapter too. As for pricing and availability, that's still to be announced.

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The 7 Technology Trends That Will Matter Most To Small Business in 2013

via readwrite.com

If 2012 was a year of "wait and see," for small business technology, 2013 will be a year to "go for it."

One key reason is that small business optimism is already rising. According to the Fall 2012 Bank of America Small Business Owner Report, more than half of small business owners project sales will grow in the next year, and almost one-third plan to hire. Just 7% expect sales to drop and only 3% plan to lay off employees. And entrepreneurs typically believe they're local economies are doing better than the nation as a whole. (That can't be true for everyone, of course, but it still speaks to increasing optimism.)

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The 6 Technologies That Mattered Most To Small Business In 2012

via readwrite.com

Even though 2012 was a tough year overall for small businesses - the stubbornly slow economy didn't help - technology improvements continued to offer hope of lowering costs, boosting efficiency, increasing sales and opening new markets. To the extent that they could find the cash, investing in technology remained a top priority for savvy smaller companies.

These half-dozen technologies are the ones small businesses were most involved with in 2012...

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7 Holiday Do's And Dont's For Every Small Business Owner

via inc.com

I'm not going to lie: the holiday season isn't much fun for the typical small business owner.

It's not that we don't enjoy the holidays. Or that we don't have that special Christmas spirit. It's just that the holidays are, er, kind of costly. Many of us shut down for a period of time. Shipments don't go out the door. Business gets interrupted. Key people go on vacation. There are holiday parties and other distractions. And of course, the holidays means it's time to dole out year-end bonuses too. It's all good and fun but let's face it: it's expensive.

I started my business in 1994, which means I've survived 22 holiday seasons as a business owner. And I've watched hundreds of my clients do the same. So it should be no surprise that I've learned a few things not to do at this time of year.

As we enter the final two weeks of 2012 year, let me tell you a few holiday dos and don'ts that every small business owner should know.

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Why invest on having a website for your small business?

via designer-daily.com

I know what you’re thinking. “I’m doing fine selling my products and services in my neighborhood, where I have a loyal customer base. Why would I need a fancy-shmancy website?”

Let me tell you first that any business, big or small, needs to have a competitive edge if it doesn’t want to inevitably get swallowed by a bigger and better one. No matter how specialized or concentrated you think your business is, there will always be competitors popping up to have their slice of the profit pie. And with more and more people now shopping online (eMarketer’s research estimates that this year, the number of online shoppers in the US will climb up to 184.3 million), it would be a huge mistake to not take advantage of this growing market (which your competitors will probably do).

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Year End Tax Tips for Small Business Owners

via smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com

With just a few weeks left in 2012, there’s very little time left to implement ideas that will result in tax savings for the year.

But don’t throw in the towel just yet, there are still some steps you can take

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It Happened To Me: My Small Business Was Hacked!

via readwrite.com

Last September, shortly after the attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, a company tweeted me that they were going to make our site, SmallBizDaily.com, their “small business resource of the day.” My joy was short-lived when the next morning they tweeted that my site had been hacked.

I quickly checked (it was still early morning on the West Coast, where we’re located) and sure enough, instead of the usual array of small-business content I was greeted by an unfamiliar image of a Middle Eastern-looking man, Arabic lettering and a video about the glories of Allah. I blinked, gulped more caffeine and reloaded the page. No luck — the image was still there. “We’ve been hacked,” I muttered, still not believing what I was seeing.

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Building a Small Business You Can Sell

via inc.com

Sometimes I encounter entrepreneurs who think that a successful business sale boils down to luck--simply running into the right buyer at the right time. Although identifying the right buyer is definitely an important part of the process, veteran entrepreneurs know that there is nothing random about a profitable small business sale.

In my experience as general manager of one of the world's most heavily trafficked business-for-sale marketplaces, the most successful business sales combine ample amounts of strategy, planning and hard work (and sometimes, even a little luck). In fact, the businesses that sell most quickly and for the highest amounts are the product of a long-term effort by the owner to build up the value of their business, eventually making it much more attractive to potential buyers.

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How To Brand Yourself On A Small Budget

via forbes.com

It is often said you will be judged in the first ten seconds of meeting someone. Businesses know how important this is, and rely on their brand strategy to convey meaning and impact in the shortest time possible, driven to do this by an Internet society short on time and shorter of attention. Information needs to be direct, clear and of value, and well designed brands reveal their power when anyone can recognize and remember a product or company by their chosen font, logo or even a half-heard jingle.

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What Customers Really Want From a Small Business

via openforum.com

I can’t help but think about the movie “What Women Want” when it comes to our restaurant guests. Sure, on the surface, diners want good food, good service and a good experience. But what does that really mean? What do they really want? Not unlike Mel Gibson in the film, sometimes you have to get in the shoes of your customer – literally – to get at the core of their true wants and needs. For me, as a restaurateur, that means taking the time to dine out both at my own restaurant and at other places all over the country. Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve learned when it comes to what customers–at any business–really want.

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10 Things Every Small Business Website Needs

via medianovak.com

The Web is full of horrendous sites, and we’re not just talking about bad design. There are many other elements besides how your website looks that go into making it customer-friendly — not to mention something that inspires them to actually do business with you.

From thorough contact information to customer testimonials, here are the essentials that every small business website should have for it to effectively help you do business.

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Tips for Building Great Startups with a Small Team

via designm.ag

Not all startups will require a large team to get a product online and scale quickly. There are examples of single technical founders or even a team of 2-3 people building the initial frameworks for rapidly advancing Internet startups. You will see this type of startup more commonly in mobile app stores where the barrier to entry and profit margins are very high. But even websites and other startups can thrive in an environment with very few team members.

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10 Excellent Small Business Website Designs

via pixelclouds.com

Instead of finding a wall of websites, I wanted to take a little time to discuss a smaller number of high-quality sites that caught my attention. These are all small businesses that have developed a strong brand. Their websites do a wonderful job of guiding the reader through the primary value the company brings to the table and educating a new customer on how to engage.

So instead of focusing only on the look-and-feel of these sites, I want to also bring attention to other factors like easy of use, quality content, and clear message. Let me know what you think of these choices and take the time to explore these sites a bit. You’re guaranteed to learn something beyond just wonderful design implementation.

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7 Hiring Tips for Growing Small Businesses

via openforum.com

he only way to grow your small business into a real company is to hire employees. While doing this well will be one of your biggest keys to success, it is also the most difficult to achieve. Small-business owners are notorious for being bad at hiring employees who make valuable contributions over a long period of time.

Here are the seven keys to staffing up your company effectively.

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Tips for Building Great Startups with a Small Team

via designm.ag

Not all startups will require a large team to get a product online and scale quickly. There are examples of single technical founders or even a team of 2-3 people building the initial frameworks for rapidly advancing Internet startups. You will see this type of startup more commonly in mobile app stores where the barrier to entry and profit margins are very high. But even websites and other startups can thrive in an environment with very few team members.

Posted via email from Inspiration

Simple Guide To Branding Your Small Business [Infographic]

via bitrebels.com

When starting your own business, you are faced with the mammoth task of trying to brand yourself so new customers can find you in the easiest possible way. Branding has become a super important subject on the Internet lately, and much of that is thanks to social media. It allows us to reach far more customers than what we would have otherwise had access to if we never used the Internet at all. Social media has played a vital role in many business success stories in the last 5-10 years, and it’s not about to stop any time soon. For a new small business, it’s important to embrace this medium and try to optimize its potential. But how do you do that? In an attempt to help you, I have found a simple guide that might send you off in the right direction.

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20 Essential Mobile Apps for Small Businesses

via doublemesh.com

Entrepreneurs and Small business owners can experience conflict in everyday activities that can lead to every concerns. There are relying on these savvy tools to help their businesses grow and run more smoothly. Smartphone and Tablets are being highly preferred by small business entrepreneurs on account of their mobility and functionality. it can help you save time, increase your productivity and even handle your customers’ credit card transactions. Mobile applications for small business can contribute to your company’s success in ways you might not have imagined. These 20 popular and essential small business apps will make you more productive and profitable in your business.

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5 Phobias that are killing your small business (and how to overcome them)

via graphicdesignblender.com

It’s the most common reason many would-be entrepreneurs never venture outside their comfy cubicles.

It’s what keeps many small businesses from reaching their potential.

And it could be killing your small business.

What is it?

Fear.

Posted via email from Inspiration