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…]

Everyone knows how much of an effect social media can have on how your customers view your brand, company, employees, etc. We all know how important it is to have a Facebook and LinkedIn page, a Twitter account, a blog, etc. and keep it updated. But, what’s the best way to craft these social media messages? In the article “Secrets to a Perfectly Crafted Social Media Post” on inc.com, Jeff Haden gives some tips and tricks for getting the most out of the content you post on social media. [Read more…]

We never know when a disaster is going to hit. Whether it is a blizzard burying Alaska, a hurricane drowning South Carolina, or a wildfire taking out buildings in California, disaster can strike without any warning. In today’s tech-savvy world, even a power outage or computer crash could leave your business in trouble. Just as it’s important to have a disaster plan for your home and family, it is also important to have a disaster plan for your business to protect all you’ve worked hard to achieve. Help minimize the risk for your business by preparing for the worst. Such websites as the SBA and Ready Business supply ample information on how to best prepare for an unknown threat. Here is the Wall Street Journal’s take on three ways you can best prepare to protect your business, should disaster strike: [Read more…]