Why 'Budding' Entrepreneurs Are Forced Into The Shadows
Rabbi Set To Open D.C.'s Second Medical Marijuana Dispensary
27 Million and Counting: Jayant Kulkarni, Quartzy
Meet Jayant Kulkarni, the co-founder and CEO of Quartzy, a New York-based provider of online management tools for life-sciences labs. Continue Reading
Small Business Wire
Get Out in the Field
In today’s busy world it is very easy for small business executives to get bogged down with the day to day tasks it takes to run a business. While those tasks are important, you can’t lose contact with your customers. The field is where the action is, where your company was built. Getting in front of the customer keeps you and your company top of mind. Seeing your clients face-to-face helps them know you are still vested and are aware – and listening – to their needs. Losing contact can be a very costly business mistake. Continue Reading
Get Out to Get Inspired
Inspiration comes in many forms. If you are stuck on a certain problem or hit a brick wall in your creative thinking, find some place other than your office to gain inspiration. Take a walk, go biking in your local park, travel to Italy – oftentimes, your 'next big idea' won’t come while you’re sitting in your office sipping a cup of coffee. Make time to travel to other places outside your comfort zone and see how other people live and interact with each other. Go to museums, art galleries and historical monuments. Even the great thinkers of past generations needed a little help once in a while. Always think outside the box – you’ll be surprised at what simple idea inspires an even bigger one. Continue Reading
Spend Less On Advertising, More on Your Product
Only really poor products need huge ad budgets to sell. Brilliant, well polished products (or services with incredible support and customer service) don't need any. Your customer will sell it for you by telling their friends on Facebook, twitter and blogs. Continue Reading
AP
The Google+ Debate: Do We Really Need Another Social Network?
With 10 million users so far, Google+ has launched to some very positive reviews. But questions remain about whether Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn already take up too much of our time. Continue Reading
Be Where Your Customers Are
With mobile and social commerce two of the fastest growing ways of getting your business in front of potential customers, add these elements into your marketing scheme and overall business model. A decision to not pursue a social media and mobile presence is a decision to not interact with consumers in a way that is becoming part of a shopper’s lifestyle. Continue Reading
Getty
Survey Says: It's Summer. Do You Know Where Your Employees Are?
No, it's not your imagination. Employees are a lot more likely to call in "sick" during nice weather, according to a new survey. Continue Reading
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Google Credit Card Helps Businesses Pay for AdWords
The search engine giant will issue a Google AdWords credit card to select clients, making advertising more affordable for small and medium-sized businesseses. Continue Reading
Listen to Your Customers
Perhaps the best thing we've done at ShortStack is to have a great dialog with our users/customers. Once we launched the product with a basic architecture, we let the users steer a majority of our features. This led to more loyalty and customer evangelism. If they see that they are being heard, they become your best marketing tool. Continue Reading
Make Your Customers' Security Your Top Priority
The lack of financial transaction security can be a major roadblock to growing an e-commerce website, as a customer needs to feel that their purchases are secure and that their credit card information is protected. Having an SSL certificate on the website server, a visible trust mark such as the seal from VeriSign on the site, and making established fair information practices clear in your privacy policy are all necessary. Continue Reading
AP
Only 10 Percent of Americans Trust Their Managers
A study of nearly 2,000 employees revealed that only 14 percent believe their company's management is ethical and honest, and 25 percent have lost their trust just since last year. Continue Reading
Use In-Office Contests for Rewards
Maybe you're not ready or able to give your employees a raise or a large bonus this year, but you do want to reward their hard work. Results driven contests are a great way to get employees motivated, stir up a little friendly competition and reward you're top employees for achieving their goals. Make the contest fun, make it so that everyone has a fair shot at winning and create goals for each person participating. Continue Reading
AOL
Loyal Pennings: Life of the Party
During his two decades in the Los Angeles nightclub business, Loyal Pennings has hosted just about every A-lister in Hollywood. But all that partying can be a lot of hard work. Continue Reading
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Groupon Fail? Site's First Big-Ticket Promotion Attracts Only Four Buyers
In its first push into big retail, Groupon only sold four $199 vouchers for $500 toward the purchase of a car at a Michigan dealership. Continue Reading
Don't Settle on Lease Negotiations
Be ruthless with your lease negotiations. Don't settle for the first (or second, or third) offer when leasing space for your office. Commercial real estate is a buyers market right now in most markets, so make the most of it. Play hardball and if they aren't willing to budge, there are 10 other places that will. Your lease is a major expense (usually second to payroll) so take your time and get a deal. Continue Reading
