How often do you see that proudly displayed on the products, gadgets, and other favorite things collected or used in your home or business? It’s more often you see that something may have been invented in the states, but produced in China, Taiwan, and other countries. We know that’s the case because of the cost difference. Producing in America can sometimes be double or even triple the cost of having something made and shipped from another country. It shouldn’t be a decision between buying American to boost our economy and buying outside the states to cut costs. So what’s being done to change this?  SBA.gov is excited to give us the answer to that very question. “… today we applaud new legislation in the Senate that would help novel manufacturing startups open their first factories in the USA by creating a public-private Manufacturing Scale Up Investment Fund. The Scale-Up Manufacturing Investment Company (SUMIC) Act of 2015 would establish a fund, administered by the Small Business Administration, to offer federal loan guarantees to investors looking to invest in novel manufacturing startups looking to make their products in the United States.” Read more here.

It seems as if a new social media site pops up as often as a new celebrity you’ve never heard of or a weed in your yard that you swore you just pulled up. So which ones have staying power and which ones are right for your particular type of business? We think all three below have potential to boost company awareness if handled correctly.

1. Facebook

If social media sites were part of a mafia, Facebook is the Godfather. It was first and it makes the rules. There are more than a million small to mid sized businesses using this medium for advertising. Large companies are estimated to spend up to a hundred million annually advertising through Facebook.

2. Twitter

Continuing with the mafia analogy, Twitter is the clever one with a slight attention deficit disorder. One minute something is trending and the next it disappears in the oblivion when something shinier pops up. It’s a tricky deal but if you know how to play the game, it can pay off in big ways.

3. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the charmer. It’s the site you never would’ve expected to be part of the mafia because it’s so sweet. It introduces you to friends of friends of friends and connects you to people in a professional web networking setting.

We’ve got our mind on the money, and our money on the mind. Whether we are trying to save it, spend it, or want more of it, money is a part of life that drives a lot of decisions we make – or don’t make. Take a look of the top 10 best paying jobs. If you made the list, just remember, we’re always available for a vacation!

1. Surgeon
2. Psychiatrist
3. General Practice Physician
4. Senior Level Corporate Executive
5. Dentist
6. Petroleum Engineer
7. Orthodontist
8. Data Scientist
9. Air Traffic Controller
10. Pharmacist

According to Business News Daily, the top 10 new business ideas for 2015 aren’t just passing trends. Are they Millenial driven? Should entrepreneurs jump on the band wagon, or is it too late? You tell us! [Read more…]

Making sure that your business is adequately listed online is one of the most important things you can do after getting up and running. If any of you are like me, the first thing I like to do before visiting a new restaurant or business is to check out their website, just to see the menu or check out a little bit about what services and/or products they offer. If the business isn’t at least listed on common sites such as Yelp, Urbanspoon, YP.com, Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. it may make customers skeptical of whether or not the business is still in operation. Getting listed may sound like a daunting task, but there are resources out there to help small businesses with their online listings. Moz Local, formerly GetListed.org, is one of those resources. Their primary offering is an easy-to-use, online tool that makes the process of claiming business listings at Google, Foursquare, Facebook, Yelp, Bing, YP, Yahoo and other prominent local search engines more efficient. [Read more…]

So you’ve done it, you’ve reached that goal that every entrepreneur chases when dreaming up their own big business idea. You have created, opened, and run a successful business. What now? Do you keep it? Maybe if you truly enjoy the work. What if you’re looking for a new challenge or have another idea you think would make a great business? If your business is successful enough, you may want to look into selling it. Selling a business can be technically and emotionally complicated. Since each business is different, it’s likely that different resources will be involved in the sale depending on the industry, size, etc. In an article for Inc.com, bizbuysell.com’s Mike Handelsman looks at some general resources that can help you during the process of selling your business: [Read more…]

Big data is a term that describes the huge amounts of data that are being created every day from people all over the world using technology. According to IBM, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated daily and 90 percent of the total data in existence was created within the last two years. Using data to improve business processes is nothing new. However, using big data is a whole new ball game. In an article on smallbiztrends.com, Curt Finch examines why small businesses should pay attention to big data. [Read more…]

Small businesses owners entering the growth stage are often challenged to develop effective strategies to motivate and encourage innovation among employees. Creating a work environment that allows employees not only to fulfill their required duties, but also to develop strategies that can help a business grow faster through outside-the-box thinking is key to success. How can you develop a culture and atmosphere that encourages and motivates employees? [Read more…]

The internet is constantly changing the way we do things, everything from communicating with friends to shopping for groceries. Of course, we all know how much the internet is changing the way people do business. While the internet can make doing business easier, there are security issues that small business owners and entrepreneurs should be aware of when operating online. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released the Internet Security Essentials for Business guide. The guide emphasizes the following points: [Read more…]

When we were young our parents taught us to work together and share. Later on in life we get out into that big, bad, business world, and all those cooperation skills we learned as children start to fall to the wayside. We’re told that it’s a “dog-eat-dog” world out there, and to some it may be. But it doesn’t have to be that way for everyone. In fact, many young entrepreneurs are finding that cooperation can pay off, and for most, it in fact saves on business costs. [Read more…]