RESOURCES

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Jun 24, 2020

The most remarkable aspect of the 21st century's technological revolution is how many of the technologies once considered beyond reach are accessible even to the general public. It would be an understatement to say that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is changing how we did business...

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Apr 21, 2020

As part of Rapid7’s mission to support the community during this difficult AKA surreal and dangerous time, we are drawing attention to new financial resources to help businesses in need. Below is information on a program for small and mid-sized businesses from the Federal Reserve. Please see t...

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Apr 21, 2020

The federal government's stimulus PPP for small businesses, the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which offers forgivable loans to small businesses, ran out of money on last week. Over the weekend, Democrats and Republicans were negotiating a deal that would allocate $310 billion more in...

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Apr 20, 2020

The way businesses and brands connect with their customers has been transformed by social media.Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media networks can provide business owners with a cheap and effective way to talk directly with their customers, build brand awareness and grow their business...

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Apr 20, 2020

Small businesses are the lifeblood of a community, but due to the impact of the coronavirus, they’re shuttering in enormous numbers. While the government launches massive programs to help, it’s a race against the clock for aid to arrive before many businesses run out of cash.Here, two Un...

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Apr 15, 2020

Whether you are the boss of one or many, each employee is important to your small business. Would you rather work on retention, or retraining? According to statistics, more than 3 million people quit their jobs every month, with one-third of those quitting during the first month of employment. Mille...

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Apr 15, 2020

Accounting professionals throughout the Americas are operating in unprecedented times with the impacts of COVID-19. With information changing daily on government stimulus packages, many of our accounting and bookkeeping partners are quickly adapting and helping their clients navigate through these t...

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Apr 13, 2020

Competition is fierce in the business world no matter what your industry and competition can be daunting—especially for small business owners. However, agile entrepreneurs have access to a tool that may give them an advantage over the big players. It’s relatively new to the business worl...

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Apr 13, 2020

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the fastest-growing technologies of our generation. It has all kinds of applications in industries like healthcare, education, and of course, commerce. Small business owners can grow their companies at a faster pace and on a bigger scale on the back of ...

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Apr 10, 2020

As small businesses across the country fight to remain in operation and generating revenue despite the coronavirus pandemic, making payroll has emerged as one of the biggest ongoing dilemmas for business owners. Businesses are now compromised in terms of their ability to pay their employees, due to ...

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Apr 09, 2020

Learn three effective ways small to medium-sized businesses can implement and benefit from corporate social responsibility. As the workforce becomes increasingly competitive, companies that want to attract and retain top talent must invest in valuable strategies that appeal to prospective employees....

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Apr 09, 2020

Spring cleaning isn’t just for the home. If you run a small business, spring is the ideal time to take a fresh look at your website and do some tidying up. Your business website needs an update from time to time to ensure it looks good, functions correctly, and supports your marketing goals. W...

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Apr 08, 2020

Small business apps automate a range of straightforward tasks, leading to fewer wasted resources and a direct boost to revenue and profits. Employees often save dozens of hours every week after a business has transitioned to a new tech stack. Yet many small business owners still rely on outdated and...

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Apr 08, 2020

Every small business owner is thankful for their customers. Without those loyal customers that keep coming to your door, running your business would be a lot harder. When customers give you the love—putting their dollars into your small business—it’s nice to give them some love bac...

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Apr 07, 2020

Securing a small business loan is challenging. However it’s always advisable to head off to your local bank for a loan when the need for cash hits and investor money isn’t available and/or wanted. Well that’s because banks tend to have a few more scruples than higher-risk lenders, ...

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Apr 07, 2020

The main US COVID-19 website outlines the American Government’s response to the coronavirus. Currently, the primary source of business information is US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has a guide to the outbreak. Key sections include:

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Apr 05, 2020

Small business owners who have 500 or fewer employees, including self-employed individuals, may be able to benefit from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was passed last week. One of the most compelling parts of the Act is the “Paycheck Protection Program&rdqu...

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Apr 05, 2020

Many small businesses have a minimal budget when it comes to advertising, and that can hold them back. It’s not impossible, but it takes a lot more consideration as to where and how you spend that money for maximum exposure and benefit. Before the internet, adverts in the phone book or the loc...

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Apr 03, 2020

The spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is developing rapidly, leaving many small business owners uncertain about their future. Those we’ve spoken with expect the coronavirus to have a significant impact on their revenue. Unfortunately, it seems these concerns are justified, but there are som...

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Apr 02, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc across the globe from a public health and economic standpoint, Facebook has stepped up to offer relief to small businesses suffering financial loss. The number of U.S. unemployment claims increased by more than 3 million in just one week, and numerous small busi...

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Apr 02, 2020

With nearly $400 billion on the line between the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that there would be fraudsters targeting small business owners during these already challenging times. Avoiding small business le...

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Apr 01, 2020

As small business owners, we’re prepared for a lot of things, whether it’s a seasonal shift in sales or an unexpected employee absence we have to step in and cover. But we’ve never seen anything like the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving us uncertain about how to cope in these strange tim...

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Apr 01, 2020

Adapting to virtual life is cool in some ways. You get to work in your pajamas and eat a lot (a lot) of snacks. On the other hand, there are a lot of unforeseen challenges that can arise, making a simple task done in the office something that crashes and burns, temporarily inspiring you to throw you...

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Mar 31, 2020

No matter what your business is, you are likely to have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak Covid-19. As a result, your business activities have probably reduced or even been suspended for the time being until the crisis is over. At this difficult time, you should consider it an opportunity to...

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Mar 31, 2020

Successful new businesses start with a great idea. It may be a completely revolutionary new product or service. Or it could be taking an existing service or product to a new level or a new client base. While entrepreneurs are typically masters at coming up with ideas, they sometimes fall short when ...

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Mar 30, 2020

You probably know social media is an important tool for growing your business, but there’s a good chance you might be a bit overwhelmed with the number of different platforms out there. Not to mention the learning curve involved in trying to master them all! There’s no doubt the world of...

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Mar 26, 2020

In times like these, small businesses must quickly and efficiently adapt the ways they sell their goods and services. In a broad effort to protect the public, we have seen so many industries affected by government, city and other civic agencies’ restrictions due to the COVID-19. Here are ways ...

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Mar 24, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges for every business and every individual, creating a new reality. It also provides an opportunity for creative solutions to maximize customer and employee service and value and ways in which each business can individually be of service to others, said ...

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Mar 24, 2020

In the realm of Hollywood films, if you build it they will come. In the real world, they often won't. The high failure rate of small businesses is well-chronicled. However, there are ways to mitigate risks and maximize your chance at entrepreneurial success. Here are a few tips for ensuring your...

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Mar 21, 2020

Support for Small Businesses In a Time of Global CrisisBusinesses around the world, whether bricks and mortar or ecommerce stores on Shopify or other platforms, may be experiencing disruptions resulting from the global outbreak of COVID-19. However, to help ease the burden on businesses, Facebook ha...

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Mar 20, 2020

The spread of the novel coronavirus across Massachusetts has brought big changes to businesses of all sizes and their customers. CDC and Massachusetts DPH guidance urges consumers to avoid getting up-close and personal with each other. Government mandates have forced many types of businesses to clos...

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Mar 20, 2020

As a small or medium-sized business (SMB) owner, it’s a challenge to come up with new marketing concepts, but repurposing existing content is a surefire method for driving ongoing traffic to your site and a simple way to amplify your message without investing a lot more time or effort. That la...

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Mar 20, 2020

There’s rarely any downtime in the world of public relations, but the COVID-19 pandemic is kicking crisis communications into overdrive for small businesses across the country. On Monday, March 16, Vancouver-headquartered Reformation made a big move: on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and its we...

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Mar 18, 2020

When it comes to digital marketing for businesses, as the saying goes: content is king. Content marketing, that is. That's why a whopping 70% of marketers are currently investing in content strategies, and 72% cite having a good content strategy as a major key to their success. For small busines...

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Mar 17, 2020

Like it or not, most entrepreneur journeys include the not-so-pleasant component of fundraising. The reason I say it is not pleasant is because it often takes months, if not longer, and requires resources you may not have as a startup. The age-old chicken-and-egg situation of every startup is you ne...

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Mar 17, 2020

If your enterprise-level eCommerce business is reaching the point of expansion, it’s time to think about how you can scale your processes as effectively as possible. With efficiency and future growth in mind, we have a word of warning: Now is not the time to throw things at the wall to see wha...

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Mar 16, 2020

If you are a small business or startup looking for funding, there are plenty of options out there, but there’s more to choosing the best financing offer for your business than just picking the lowest interest rate. There are many factors you need to consider before accepting a proposal. With t...

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Mar 16, 2020

Small and medium businesses (SMEs) play a significant role in the development and growth of the economy of any country. They are also a vital part of the global economy. To stay afloat in an increasingly interconnected and competitive global market, SMEs also need to adapt to the latest technology. ...

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Mar 11, 2020

As the head of your small business, you probably feel the weight of responsibility on your shoulders. Your business is an investment you need to protect — it’s not only the service or product you provide but the financial livelihood of you and your employees. Small businesses need compre...

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Mar 11, 2020

Branding can be referred to as the marketing and advertising of an individual, business or an organization for recognition and promotion. It can be a term, a logo or any feature that recognizes an individual’s goods or services distinct from others in the competition. The practice of branding ...

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Mar 09, 2020

Most companies go out of business because they run out of cash. One of the biggest factors that can impact a business’ cash flow is how well they manage their accounts receivable. A well-oiled accounts receivable process can save you much pain down the road. But first, let’s take a look ...

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Mar 09, 2020

Small budgets and small businesses tend to go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the tools you need to manage your digital marketing campaigns successfully tend to eat away at that budget. These seven must-have tools from Google each fill a critical need at a low cost, and some are free.

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Mar 06, 2020

Small businesses are putting themselves at a disadvantage if they don't have a website, says Roy Digitrio, founder and CEO of Digitrio Pte Ltd. Digitrio adds that some small business owners think that simply having a website is enough; what they don't realise is that they're missing out ...

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Mar 06, 2020

Small businesses often grow chaotically and organically at the start. When there’s a task that needs to be completed, the owner or manager just picks it up and does it. But as a business grows larger, it becomes necessary to have more substantial business processes. Otherwise it becomes very d...

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Mar 05, 2020

As most industries allocate time, money, and other resources into finding new employees in a labor market where the national unemployment rate is hanging at 3.5% — and substantially lower in some areas — at least one index says that distributors are sitting on the sidelines. According to...

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Mar 05, 2020

Running a business is all about staying on top of the most crucial matters while simultaneously giving every aspect the focus and attention it deserves. It means learning how to take advantage of your company’s strengths while ensuring your business gets the exposure it needs to weather the st...

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Mar 04, 2020

There is a vast amount of people who are realizing that branching out on their own in a business venture is well worth leaving behind being the backbone for someone else’s gain. Working for yourself is definitely not easy and the hours are well beyond the normal nine to five grind of being som...

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Mar 04, 2020

Most small businesses operate on tight budgets. They’ve got razor-thin margins, and with fluctuating markets and the need to reinvest money back into the business so that it can scale, it’s not surprising that most are constantly on the lookout for ways to save money. Unfortunately, too ...

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Mar 03, 2020

Of all the challenges facing small businesses, staffing is among the most difficult. Finding someone with the right skill set who fits into a company culture while sharing in an organization’s mission can be a tough needle to thread for any open position, but it is particularly challenging for...

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Mar 03, 2020

In the 2019 Global SME Pulse, small and medium businesses around the globe said they anticipated slower revenue and profit growth, but 74 percent were still willing to take big risks to ensure their success. No surprise there. For small business owners, their work—and their success—is pe...

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Mar 02, 2020

If you’re new to digital marketing, let us be the first to welcome you to the stage of the short attention span theater—where every performance is just a click away from being panned or ignored entirely. It may sound harsh, but it’s true. Promoting your business online isn’t ...

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Mar 02, 2020

Facebook marketing has both grown and morphed into different forms over the years, but it has remained powerful. Small businesses can take advantage of the same audience that big companies have through Facebook marketing. As of 2020, there are 1.69 billion users on Facebook, and around 1.3 billion u...

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Feb 28, 2020

An understanding of SEO for small business – SEO is short for search engine optimisation – and its benefits for small business is imperative to increase sales and focus your digital marketing. With Google by far the most popular search engine, optimising your website for the search engin...

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Feb 28, 2020

An entrepreneur who opens a coffee shop or launches a FinTech startup isn’t in business to crunch numbers and file taxes. Yet, the burden of financial management, from tedious data entry to compliance challenges, is a nonnegotiable part of starting a small business (SMB). Waseem Daher, CEO of ...

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Feb 27, 2020

The early days of growing your small business play a crucial role in your future success. At this stage, it’s important to make as much progress as possible (without biting off more than your business can chew, of course). That’s why all small business owners should keep the following &l...

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Feb 27, 2020

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE) is part of the government’s spending bill that includes numerous provisions intended to strengthen retirement security across the country. It is designed to open up opportunities to segments of the workforce that was previo...

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Feb 26, 2020

Kudos if you have a website for small your business because many small business owners still don’t have websites for their businesses. According to the latest survey from Visual Objects, about one-third of small businesses (29%) plan to begin using websites for the first time in 2020. Needless...

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Feb 26, 2020

You have a lot of responsibility as a small business owner, whether you’re managing numerous people or are a self-employed army of one. You have to worry about expenses, numerous financial statements, tax season and more, all while trying to build your net worth. One of the biggest obligations...

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Feb 25, 2020

For small businesses, this is cause for alarm. Lacking the time, IT expertise, and deep pockets of major companies, the small businesses that make up the foundation of the economy are sitting ducks — especially considering that 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses specifically. In o...

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Feb 25, 2020

In this exclusive Real Business guide, we look at how SME employers can find the best office space for them and their growing team. The average British worker will spend over 90,000 hours of their life in an office, equating to flying from the UK to Bali 18,056 times. If you are an SME employer task...

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Feb 24, 2020

2019 was an incredible year for marketing professionals, with a wealth of new information and resources for small and medium-sized businesses. And as a marketer, it’s important — now more than ever — to stay up to date with the most impactful and current trends in the industry toda...

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Feb 24, 2020

If you’re a small business owner, then your business accounting is one of the most important things you manage to keep your business running smoothly. That also means that having the right accounting software can go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. Maybe you’ve heard of, if ...

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Feb 20, 2020

Your clients are counting on you to shepherd them through the often-onerous process of filing both their business and personal taxes. This can be particularly tough for small business clients, many of whom may just be starting out and have yet to put into place the best practices to limit their comp...

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Feb 20, 2020

Building a small business is no easy feat, especially if you are a novice. From marketing to financial management, many aspects require your attention. To make things easier, invest in your training. Through a variety of training programs, including those mentioned below, you can improve your knowle...

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Feb 19, 2020

Where are businesses spending their pretty penny these days? Enterprises, SMBs alike have successfully hopped on the current technology bandwagon. As technology keeps advancing forth, it is changing the business ecosystem. When we say infrastructure, it roughly translates to a new technology adopted...

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Feb 19, 2020

If one of your goals includes growing your small business, you need to keep current on the relevant trends in marketing strategies small business tools. Don’t miss an opportunity to grow by using old information. Here are the marketing trends you need to understand today.

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Feb 18, 2020

For small businesses, every dollar counts. That's why it is important to make sure you aren't overspending in areas you can't afford to. Starting up a new business is rarely an easy endeavor and keeping it growing and thriving for years to come will always require work and attention. Ind...

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Feb 18, 2020

Impact of Technology on Small Businesses: It is absolutely undeniable technology has had a massive impact on our daily lives. It is one of the things that has truly transformed the way we work, think, and even spend our free time. Things aren’t slowing down, now, however – there are stil...

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Feb 17, 2020

As we enter a new decade, 58% of small businesses in the UK anticipate a plateau, or for their business to struggle in the year ahead. Only 1 in 4 predict to see growth. A new report, which surveyed 1,000 small business owners and sole traders across the country has been carried out by financial tec...

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Feb 17, 2020

How to Make Money in Business with a Side Hustle Gone are the days of searching print ads for a job to make a living. In today’s environment, the internet is at your fingertips, making it easier than ever for small businesses that make money to start. In fact, setting up two streams of income ...

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Feb 12, 2020

Businesses can’t survive without excellent communication and collaboration. Team members need to stay connected so that they can share knowledge, work together on complex problems, and keep the company running smoothly. Indeed, 98% of executives believe that lack of communication is the cause ...

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Feb 12, 2020

There are many benefits to having a social presence as a small business, from engaging with customers to increasing sales and boosting your reputation. The key to reaping these benefits and becoming successful on social is to create, execute and monitor a social media marketing strategy. Here, we&rs...

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Feb 11, 2020

Accountants working with small businesses often play the role of business advisors, especially when it comes to educating their clients about tax regulations and reducing their tax bill by taking all legitimate factors into account. We’ve gathered four tips that accounting professionals can us...

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Feb 11, 2020

This is the first post in a seven-part-series detailing the biggest entrepreneurial mistakes business owners make. The series will run over the next few weeks so check back to learn more. These are the 7 Biggest Mistakes I have seen entrepreneurs and companies make that can devalue their Intellectua...

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Feb 10, 2020

When filling out the “revenue” portion of a small-business credit card application, you want to make your small business or side hustle look its very best without stretching the truth. But revenue can swing dramatically from year to year, and credit card applications often don’t sp...

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Feb 10, 2020

If you’re a business owner you really have your hands full, every day, with the minutiae of running your business, balancing your books, orders, employees, scheduling, inventory, servicing customers, payroll, taxes well, you get the idea as you’re living it every day. You might read that...

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Feb 07, 2020

The internet has provided business owners with some unique opportunities. In addition to setting up an online store, you can also expand your reach, attracting a broader array of potential customers. To reach those potential customers, you need to employ online marketing strategies. Knowing where to...

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Feb 07, 2020

When it comes to increasing the profits of any business, two things can be done. You can either work on boosting your sales or you can cut your costs to become a more efficient company. If a small business wants to survive in the market, then it needs to focus more on the profits. But profit is some...

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Feb 06, 2020

Every business’s end goal is to connect with their market. Simple as that. Or is it so simple? Missing the mark on your consumers' wants, likes, dislikes and beliefs can determine whether or not they decide to buy in to what you’re selling. The following are five paths to creating a ...

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Feb 06, 2020

As a small business owner or marketing professional, there are many ways to reach your target audience. Social media has come a long way over the past decade, with some platforms picking up more steam than others. While each one is well worth your consideration, Instagram is growing by leaps and bou...

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Feb 05, 2020

If you own a small business, it’s important you know the small business advertising costs before you can get started with your online advertising plans. Growing your business via online advertising is easy, but for newcomers, it can be quite intimidating at the beginning but when used to it, t...

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Feb 05, 2020

When you first get your small business up and running, your attention may be directed to getting customers through the door. To do this, you probably rely on more traditional forms of advertising, such as coupon mailers, print ads, and even large billboards near major highways. While these forms of ...

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Feb 04, 2020

Once upon a time, signages were once the best way to catch the interest of potential customers. Big business or small business, everyone wanted to have signage that was compelling and attention-grabbing. Most companies nowadays have veered away from having quality signages and took their battles to ...

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Feb 04, 2020

In today’s blog, we’ll be dissecting how big brands leverage the Super Bowl to enhance their marketing campaigns and how small businesses can implement these marketing tactics into their strategy in a practical and actionable way. The NFL Super Bowl. One of the biggest TV events in Ameri...

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Feb 03, 2020

Looking to expand your brand’s local reach? Get the full breakdown on local SEO for small business in this guide from Go Florida SEO Appealing to the local audience is a great business strategy. This ensures you get immediate business with people who can come back for more if they like it. Put...

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Feb 03, 2020

It’s tax season, so owners of small cleaning companies are preparing their records in preparation for filing. Although Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits are on the decline, small and midsize businesses are still at risk, with math errors and dubious expense categories among the most common...

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Jan 31, 2020

With over 30 million small businesses in the U.S., it’s tough to stand out from the crowd. Successful small businesses turn first-time customers into repeat business, building momentum and growing sales. How can you achieve this? Marketing. Finding effective, easy-to-execute marketing strategi...

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Jan 31, 2020

If you’ve recently launched a small business, keeping on top of things can be tough. While your number one priority is to make your company a success, the speed at which it grows can be overwhelming and hard to keep track of. To ensure a smooth operation, here are a few tips that you can use t...

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Jan 30, 2020

In highly competitive industries, small businesses are at a disadvantage. The major players have more money and resources, which translates to more opportunities. However, small organizations can still make a big impact. This requires smart marketing tactics to push their products. If you’re l...

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Jan 30, 2020

The headline on your personal LinkedIn profile is the text that sits directly below your name in the top section, or introduction card. If you do nothing to change or optimize this text, LinkedIn will automatically populate your headline with whatever you have added for your most recent job title in...

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Jan 29, 2020

In this digital province where everyone’s information is found online, it’s a no brainer to make cyber security a priority. When protecting your business and its valuable data, it’s never a smart idea to cut corners. To avoid your information from being stolen, follow these six ste...

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Jan 29, 2020

As businesses grow, so do their networks and the challenges that come along with managing them. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), however, tight budgets and fewer resources make it even more challenging for network admins to manually track and monitor all network elements. Without a prop...

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Jan 28, 2020

Despite large companies with considerable marketing budgets, start-ups and small businesses cannot afford costly marketing strategies. Entrepreneurs must be careful about every dollar spent on advertisements as they need an immediate ROI. Social media has facilitated marketing, especially for small ...

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Jan 28, 2020

You’ve finally decided to take the jump and open your own small business. The excitement is overwhelming, but you know you’re ready. The only thing is, you don’t exactly know where to start with funding. The ideal way would be to fund it completely out of pocket, but if that’...

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Jan 27, 2020

Filing a tax return for your business each year is something you must do. But you don’t want to make mistakes that can result in higher taxes than you really owe, draw IRS attention to your return, or cost you interest and penalties. Here are 20 mistakes to avoid:

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Jan 27, 2020

The Harvard business review says that 99 percent of businesses reported they have plans for implementing big data analytics. However, only 30% of them have done it successfully. This shows that many businesses haven’t yet acquired the technical capacity of implementing big data analytics. The ...

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Jan 22, 2020

When you have a small or medium-sized business, it’s essential that you find an effective way of advertising especially if you’re a start-up that’s just entered the industry. Making you stand out from the crowd, if it’s done successfully, it will result in higher revenue and ...

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Jan 22, 2020

Everyone wants to know the secret to be productive. Who wouldn’t want to cross off all the items on their to-do list and have enough time to rest or engage in other activities? However, the need to be productive rings a lot differently for small businesses. This is because a productive and eff...

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Jan 21, 2020

As a small business owner, you’re probably used to going it alone. You feel comfortable wearing multiple hats, juggling various projects and working long hours. But what happens when you wake up one day and realize you need to hire some help? Attracting and retaining talent as a small business...

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Jan 21, 2020

Deductible business expenses help entrepreneurs with many of the costs of running a company. Business owners know that most expenditures can be written off, although there may be limits and timing. Check out the most common tax deductions for small business. Last Spring the IRS released data showing...

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Jan 20, 2020

A Google My Business listing gives your small business – and any type or size of business – its own dedicated and critical presence in Google search. When viewed from desktop, a Google My Business listing takes up the right third of the screen. A listing includes the business name, websi...

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Jan 20, 2020

A customer is one of the most important aspects of a business. If a business is able to delight customers by providing excellent customer service, then it will boost customer retention and business growth. According to the report, “A Survey of Customer Service from Mid-Size Companies” by...

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Jan 17, 2020

Cloud storage is becoming increasingly popular with both users with limited physical hard disk space and users who are concerned about keeping their files safe. It is a trend that is just as valuable for small business owners as it is for personal use. It is bad enough to lose personal photos, but d...

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Jan 17, 2020

Every business needs a website, but finding the right web hosting package isn't always easy. Many plans are targeted primarily at home users, and don't have the power that businesses need.

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Jan 16, 2020

Safety for employees, while they are working, is crucial. Therefore, every company should strive to ensure that their workers always feel safe when operating in the facilities. Companies thus should have a more organized health and safety management system. They should strive to create a workplace e...

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Jan 16, 2020

Having a digital marketing strategy is essential if you want to stay competitive in your industry. But as a small business owner, you have limited time. What can you do to differentiate yourself in your space? You would be surprised at how many business owners don’t include basic information o...

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Jan 15, 2020

If you are looking to achieve successful results for your business, then you have to take some preliminary steps to ensure the right people are working on your website. It is the best way of ensuring you drive qualified leads and come up with a strategic marketing plan. However, with the growing nee...

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Jan 15, 2020

For small business owners, the start of a new year signifies an opportunity to make a fresh start and finally resolve old challenges that have lingered on their balance sheet from the last 12 months. The transition between years is often when our credit officers at Credibly see the highest concentra...

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Jan 14, 2020

Becoming your own business owner is a dream that many people have. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing that the income you’re able to bring in was done all through your own hard work. Creating and running your small business means that you’ll need to procure the right asse...

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Jan 14, 2020

According to research from Fundbox small businesses in the United States, are owed a whopping $825 billion in unpaid invoices. What the study doesn’t make clear however is how many businesses go unpaid due to poor relationship management with their customers. 79% of business owners in another ...

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Jan 13, 2020

Numerous entrepreneurs battle to accomplish the business account and nothing is exceptional. For private ventures, for example, retailers, cafés, carports, getting a business loan isn't as simple as it might appear to a bank. It is not necessarily the case that it is beyond the realm of i...

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Jan 13, 2020

It’s a harsh reality that most start-up businesses fail. Even harsher, the mistakes that cause a business to go bust are often ingrained at the beginning of the journey. Before the founders even make their first sale, they likely already made their first mistake. To help you dodge these costly...

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Jan 10, 2020

Now, small businesses balance their staff with freelancers. A recent study done by UpWork.com and the Freelancers Union found that around 57 million Americans were working as freelancers as of 2019. This makes up about 36 percent of the U.S. workforce and amounts to $1.4 trillion in earnings. The te...

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Jan 10, 2020

A strong economy in 2020 could lift the small-business card market, which is an important source of lending and payments for entrepreneurs and local merchants. Such a trend also raises the level of payment complexity for those merchants, as young businesses struggle with multiple employees having ac...

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Jan 09, 2020

Hindsight is 20/20 — so to kick off the new year, we’re featuring 22 small biz. owners sharing the top lesson they learned in 2019 and what they’re doing differently this year. By far the most common theme we heard from small businesses in 2019 centered on knowing your strengths an...

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Jan 09, 2020

Small business loans can be a danger zone of the financial marketplace. While residential mortgage rates hover in the 3% range, commercial lenders often charge 40% and more, according to the Federal Reserve. The basic answer is that commercial loans “are not subject to most federal consumer pr...

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Jan 08, 2020

A great marketing strategy is what distinguishes a successful business from a failing one, and small businesses are no exception. You don’t need a lot of money to get the word out about your business. As long as you maintain consistent quality and approachable social media presence, and keep a...

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Jan 08, 2020

There are a lot of benefits of using a proxy server for small businesses. This article will give you five ways of how using a proxy server will scale up your business marketing strategies. A proxy server is just the middleman between you and the website you want to access. Every request you send to ...

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Jan 07, 2020

More than 600,000 Britons started their own business in each of the past three years. And January is a key month for entrepreneurs returning from a Christmas break determined to turn their ambitions into reality. But you’ll need funding to do so: enough to cover the costs of launching and to e...

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Jan 07, 2020

There’s a dangerous misconception that cyberattacks only affect large organizations. The majority (66%) of business leaders at small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) don’t believe they will fall victim to a cyberattack, according to Keeper Security’s 2019 SMB Cyberthreat Study. Sm...

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Jan 06, 2020

Small business owners have plenty of changes to deal with as 2020 begins — higher labor costs for many companies, and some owners will discover that they have to comply with new laws that aren’t on the books in their own states. As of Jan. 1, there are higher minimum wages in a quarter o...

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Jan 06, 2020

No matter your area of operation, your business needs to have a strong and consistent brand to stand out. This helps customers identify your business, and helps you and your employees represent the business. Start with something as simple as your logo. Is it displayed correctly wherever it is used? ...

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Jan 03, 2020

The life of a solopreneur can be a bit overwhelming. You have this awesome product that’s going to make people much happier and efficient, but when it comes to sharing this product with the world, it seems you’ve hit a dead end. When you read about marketing, all you see are these great ...

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Jan 03, 2020

If you are starting your business, you surely may have a lot of essential things to focus on, but one of the most important things that are crucial for your business is SEO. Even though there are multiple ways to promote your business on the web, nothing comes close to the power of SEO, as it is kno...

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Jan 02, 2020

For years, if someone wanted to start a business, they’d either have to self-fund or go to a bank. Banks require a lot to get a loan. They need a full business plan and a high credit score. There’s also a ton of paperwork involved that requires a lot of time that can keep you from starti...

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Jan 02, 2020

Traditional bank loans have lower interest rates and longer terms than alternative financing but stricter requirements for approval. Alternative lending options include direct private lending, marketplace lending and even crowdfunding platforms. Alternative loan types include lines of credit, short-...

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Dec 30, 2019

When Amazon entered the retail market, it brought consumers the convenience of online shopping and two-day delivery—and it brought fear to neighborhood stores. Without the same technology to offer similar services, big brands as well as small- and middle-American brands were put on the defense...

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Dec 30, 2019

As I was working on my content audit, I came across a couple of posts on small business marketing trends for the years 2013 and 2014. As I reviewed these, I noticed something very interesting. Every trend that was listed for both 2013 and 2014 are no longer trends. Each trend became a marketing must...

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Dec 27, 2019

If you have a small business, it's essential to keep up with the latest trends in technology, marketing, customer service and other areas that affect your business. Each business is unique, so every trend doesn't necessarily impact you equally. However, all major trends do influence your cus...

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Dec 27, 2019

Trying to establish or grow new business with inadequate funding often ends in failure unless some sort of support is pursued. Usually, such kind of support will come from lending and financing options and perhaps through the formation of a partnership with interested parties. Since the former is re...

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Dec 23, 2019

Some people say bankruptcy isn’t the end of the world, and for most business owners, that’s true. Business owners routinely bounce back from bankruptcy and find ways to reestablish their business without relying on credit. However, if you’re an entrepreneur who relies on credit to ...

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Dec 23, 2019

With so many marketing trends for businesses to track and try, it can be tough for small business owners to figure out which ones are worth focusing on with limited time and resources. Emerging trends bring new marketing opportunities, which can sometimes feel like too much of a good thing: interact...

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Dec 20, 2019

Are you a small business owner? Here are 8 things you should pay attention to in order to prevent legal action being taken against you. Small business owners worry with cause. There’s much for small business owners to fear outside their doors. Every time a small business hangs out its shingle ...

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Dec 20, 2019

Over the years, social media has gone from a tool used purely for socializing to one that helps improve brands and businesses. Social media marketing is a cost-effective way for small businesses to promote their brand and services, as well as increase their customer base. However, with all the pros ...

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Dec 19, 2019

There’s not a small business in the world that doesn’t love to save costs whenever possible, but the only trick is how to implement them! Especially around Christmas, businesses of all shapes and sizes all seem to run out of time and never get around to making cost-cutting changes actual...

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Dec 19, 2019

At a time when the Indian government is trying to boost the sales of MSME-produced goods by leveraging the popularity of e-commerce giants, Amazon is doing its own bit to boost the Indian small and medium industries space in India. According to the US-based e-commerce giant, around 1,200 sellers rec...

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Dec 18, 2019

Maybe you thought that if you could operate a small business, you do not need to find IT support London. How wrong! Big corporations know better. They understand the importance of IT support and so they build a team of professionals who can work together in this one important department. Their busin...

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Dec 18, 2019

Do you have apprentices in your small business? According to the FSB, 24% of small businesses employ apprentices and an extra 24% say they’d consider taking on an apprentice in the future. At Breathe we've recently taken on our very first apprentice in our marketing team, and our experienc...

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Dec 17, 2019

A high-performance team is essential for businesses to operate effectively and create a competitive advantage. But what makes a team high-performance? And how can you develop your own high-performance teams? The foundation of a high-performance team staffed with committed, engaged, and happy employe...

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Dec 17, 2019

As digital technologies enable better ways of working, there are more devices connecting to networks and more employees working outside the corporate office than ever before. One look at the exploding Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) market — expected to reach $366 billion by 2022 — is even ...

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Dec 16, 2019

If you’ve decided to turn your hobby or a skill you are good at into a business, there are several things you need to make sure you have on your checklist beforehand. In today’s gig economy, more and more professionals are deciding to become self-employed or work in some sort of freelanc...

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Dec 16, 2019

Communication can make or break a company, even more so with internal communication. Conference calls are a big staple of business, but many services are expensive or require large networks. Small businesses can fall by the wayside because of this unless they get the tools they need to keep everyone...

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Dec 13, 2019

Small businesses are constantly forming and emerging in a landscape that is ever-evolving. Due to rapid changes in technology and the economy, businesses are regularly having to adapt to brand new marketing channels, invest in (and learn about) new technology, and often compete on a global stage. Fl...

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Dec 13, 2019

While small-business owners are a diverse group, most have a couple of things in common. First, they want their companies to thrive. Second, they rely on their websites to be much like a digital business card, to build their brand and reputation while attracting new customers and driving transaction...

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Dec 12, 2019

When it comes to starting a new business, there is a lot of work that must go into this, in order for it to be a success down the road. For small businesses especially, it can be a common theme to get caught up working on day to day activities. However, time needs to be focused on the best means of ...

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Dec 12, 2019

According to Google, more than a third of small businesses say increasing business growth is their primary goal over the next year. Fortunately for local and independent businesses, ‘near me’ Google searches hit a record high in 2019. There was 14 times more search interest for these sea...

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Dec 11, 2019

Most entrepreneurs dream big in the beginning, envisioning a company that not only meets but exceeds expectations. While the sky is the limit, you’ll only make it there if you prepare yourself ahead of time and have a firm grasp on what it takes to succeed as a modern-day entrepreneur. After f...

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Dec 11, 2019

If you own a business, then you know how important things like privacy and security are. Especially these days, when online threats are more significant than ever. Furthermore, you need to think about the privacy and security of your business, but also your customers, and of course, yourself. Busine...

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Dec 10, 2019

A small business credit history started at the very first day of your its operations. For every business owner, among many goals, an important one is to constantly monitor and develop both personal and business’s credit ratings. A business credit history is a tabula rasa for every startup, and...

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Dec 10, 2019

For businesses to thrive, they need the right technology and tools to help them operate efficiently based on their own unique needs.

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Dec 09, 2019

Tech trends that can benefit small businesses include influencer marketing, digital healthcare and small business cybersecurity. As the owner of a small business, you are always looking for ways to improve your company. Here we’ve highlighted some of the key tech trends in 2020 for exactly tha...

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Dec 09, 2019

As a small business owner, you may have limited resources when it comes to marketing. Small business marketing is all about getting creative – there are countless things you can do to stretch your dollar, especially with the Internet so readily available. In this blog post, we’ve compile...

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Dec 06, 2019

Running a successful small business takes a lot of sacrifice, time, and skill. Small business owners often serve multiple roles. CEO, CFO, and CIO are just a few of the jobs filled by a single person, and that doesn’t even count time spent creating the product or fulfilling the service. Keepin...

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Dec 06, 2019

As a small business, when you think of the cloud, the first thing that you think of is its potential for cost savings. And you’re right, but that’s just one part of it. The cloud is making it possible for small businesses to enjoy benefits never before possible for companies their size. ...

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Dec 05, 2019

B2B platforms bring suppliers and customers together and minimize search and transaction costs. Matthias Spanic, Managing Director of scrappel GmbH provides an overview of how SMEs in particular can benefit from these advantages.

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Dec 05, 2019

How to remain cash positive is one of the many struggles that haunt start-ups from a very early stage. They spend ample amount of time in segregating the budget for paying salaries, office-leasing fees and ongoing operational costs. Amid all the backbreaking work to keep your venture growing, it&rsq...

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Dec 04, 2019

If you are looking to succeed over the long-term, then you need access to finance. There are many different costs that you will need to cover in your business, and these often have a tendency to exceed budgets. For this reason, a startup needs a pool of finance to draw from, and the bigger this pool...

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Dec 04, 2019

Fundera exists to help you make better business decisions. That’s why we make sure our editorial integrity isn’t influenced by our own business. The opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations in this article are those of our editorial team alone.

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Dec 03, 2019

In the new year, resolve to take your small business in new directions. By 2020, intense competition from big boxes, national chains and online retailers will be old news, but your strategy for success can enter a new phase. With these New Year’s resolutions, your business can refine the way i...

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Dec 03, 2019

Virtual Assistants (VA) are independent workers who assist businesses with administrative, business development, social media, marketing or other tasks. As a result, the benefit of a VA is that through taking on recurring tasks, they free up time for businesses to focus on strategic goals. With the ...

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Dec 02, 2019

For retailers, the most wonderful time of the year is also one of the busiest. To ensure your business is making the most of this peak holiday season, there are a few steps you can take to prepare ahead of time. Here are some eBay tips to help you optimize your business this holiday season.

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Dec 02, 2019

While obtaining funding as an entrepreneur is not always easy, there are methods to make it easier. These financing solutions support startups and entrepreneurs, and the companies that provide these solutions understand the challenges that small businesses face when it comes to traditional funding m...

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Nov 29, 2019

Almost two in five small businesses in the UK are run by millennials, a major new study has revealed. The finding forms part of accountancy software Xero’s new research into business ownership and entrepreneurship across the nation. It found that despite “stereotypes of laziness and enti...

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Nov 29, 2019

Business growth is the ultimate goal, yes, but when it happens rapidly and unexpectedly, it can be devastating. Let's explore some reliable tactics you can apply in order to cope with the sudden growth of your business. Let’s admit one thing right off the bat: the main reason most of us go...

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Nov 28, 2019

I love this saying, ‘little acorns become big trees,’ as that’s how I see small businesses…because it says that we all started somewhere, that at one time, the big brands of today, were once small organizations and start-ups. We often think that it’s the big companies ...

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Nov 28, 2019

If you own a small business, it is essential to always stay at the top of your game when it comes to local SEO. It is a crucial element of search engine marketing because it can help users find you. With better local rankings, your page visits and your conversions will increase. Modern consumers exp...

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Nov 27, 2019

With the new year fast approaching it is time to sit down and plan out what 2020 looks like for our businesses and create your small business goals. Today on the blog we will be looking at the 3 main growth goals you should be including in your 2020 vision. There are probably a lot of things you wan...

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Nov 27, 2019

Every business holds on to values such as honesty, loyalty, and respect, but one value that stands as the key to success for any business is gaining and retaining customer trust. The digital revolution is screaming for business transparency and customer trust with the rapid expansion of online revie...

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Nov 26, 2019

Small business grants are perhaps the most coveted of all types of small business funding. Grants don’t have to be repaid and, unlike equity funding, you don’t give up any ownership of your company. (The IRS does want its share, though, so be prepared for a tax bill.)How do you actually ...

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Nov 26, 2019

Small-business owners will soon have a more affordable option to reorganize their companies. In February 2020, the Small Business Reorganization Act (SBRA) will go into effect, providing a new type of relief to small-business debtors. The SBRA creates a new subchapter within Chapter 11 of the U.S. B...

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Nov 25, 2019

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for entrepreneurs as it is the start of the craziest shopping frenzy of the year. As a small business owner, you should know that this is a great opportunity for you to draw more traffic to your company and position it to boost engagement and increase sale...

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Nov 25, 2019

Chatbots. They are an interesting piece of technology. The latest trend in technology says that these chatbots will be made sure that they match the level of human behavior so that they can offer almost human-like services but better versions of them. According to the chatbot trends 2019, the conven...

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Nov 22, 2019

When it comes to small businesses, there are a lot of challenges that face those who run them. The world of business is competitive in every industry. So no matter what type of small business you have, you will find thatyou need to look at ways to contend with your competitors more effectively. Fort...

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Nov 22, 2019

Are your ready to expand your small business and look into bigger, more lucrative opportunities by reaching more people? Franchising might be the way to go, especially with a business that's easy to reproduce. If you're thinking about franchising, here are some tips to help you decide if it&...

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Nov 21, 2019

Video marketing has become one of the most popular tools that help businesses raise brand awareness and engage with their target audience. Video content is extremely popular so it makes sense that it should be part of our marketing outreach to prospects and customers. According to research, includin...

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Nov 21, 2019

The pro AV industry is growing at a rapid pace, partly thanks to an influx of venture capital and equity financing helping to expand the industry into new markets and lead to a flurry of mergers and acquisitions over the last few years. Despite this growth and a handful of companies becoming industr...

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Nov 20, 2019

They say there’s no place like home for the holidays — but the next best place is surely the unique shops, restaurants and venues scattered throughout your neighborhood and community. This holiday season, shopping small — at small businesses, that is — can have a big impact o...

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Nov 20, 2019

Small business digital asset management (DAM) solutions are systems for organizing, storing and sharing the rich media resources of a company. Creative assets such as videos, images, podcasts and media in other formats need to be effectively and efficiently stored and shared by different teams, chan...

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Nov 19, 2019

It’s an unfortunate reality that cyberattacks continue to rise in frequency and complexity. According to Accenture’s Ninth Annual Cost of Cybercrime global study, security breaches increased by 11 percent from 2017 to 2018 and by 67 percent over the last five years. While major data brea...

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Nov 19, 2019

So many investigations, complaints, concerns, and media stories focus on America’s largest online platforms and marketplaces. They revolutionized global commerce, but too often in Washington, the signal is lost in the noise. Big tech is getting all the attention while the quiet stories of smal...

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Nov 18, 2019

Think the only November shopping holiday your business needs to plan for is Black Friday? Think again: Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, has grown incredibly over the past 10 years since its inception. The shopping holiday has helped local small businesses and entrepreneurs g...

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Nov 18, 2019

Small Business Saturday 2019 is a big day for small businesses — and it’s quickly approaching. One of the best ways to learn how to increase sales for your small business is to look back at last year’s results to see what the numbers can tell us. Here’s a quick look back &mda...

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Nov 15, 2019

Over 50 percent of the US population (165 million individuals) have listened to a podcast. You have probably heard friends discuss their favorite podcasts to listen to while driving or exercising at the gym. While many of these shows are regarded as entertainment, podcasts focusing on business-relat...

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Nov 15, 2019

Growing your small business takes more than a great idea and hard work. You will need funding for start-up and operations until your business is self-sustaining. Even then, there will be times when your business needs to purchase equipment or inventory but there isn’t enough cash reserve to ma...

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Nov 14, 2019

When you run a business, sometimes you need to look at things in a new way. You may need to view your marketing efforts through a customer lens or change your thoughts about a particular concept like SEO. To give you some new perspective on ways you can improve your business, here are some insights ...

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Nov 14, 2019

Small business owners manage a lot of responsibility, and when first starting out, you’re just as likely manage the trash pick up as manage the payroll. Of course, finances are a huge consideration and small business credit cards can be a major asset, when used responsibly. Opening a small bus...

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Nov 13, 2019

Is it time to sell your products and services internationally? The Census Bureau reports that the United States’ exports totaled $2.5 trillion in 2018, the highest on record. Ecommerce and other technology tools make it easier to find international customers, sell a product and get that produc...

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Nov 13, 2019

Breaking into the overseas market has always been a dream of mine. Having started my organic skincare business dream in the fields of Provence, Australia always felt like a very small pond. Sure it was a great place to start but I wanted my products and brand to be known the world over. Asia, being ...

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Nov 12, 2019

Pat yourself on the back! You are a small business owner and you are doing AMAZING things! Keep going, even when it’s hard sometimes. Build a Support Network, Find Your Tribe… Whatever you want to call them, find your PEOPLE! The ones who will be there for you in good times and in bad t...

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Nov 12, 2019

As a small business owner, there are many important decisions you’ll have to make—from billing/accounting to marketing to choosing the right types of insurance to protect your business. Most small business owners realize they need basic business insurance, including general liability and...

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Nov 11, 2019

If you just opened a small business you may lack the funds to buy expensive accounting programs or to hire a bookkeeper. You have a great business idea but you don’t have any accounting experience. This can prove to be quite detrimental: according to the Small Business Administration (SBA), mo...

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Nov 11, 2019

If you think that people use Instagram only to share their photos and videos with their followers then you a missing a great opportunity in the world of the internet where you could either establish yourself as a brand or grow your small business on Instagram. People really struggle to get their bus...

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Nov 11, 2019

It’s a well-documented trend that the rise of digital channels such as webchat, apps, FAQs, etc., has led to a change in the way contact centers handle interactions. The routine, “easy” interactions are now handled by self-service channels. Deflecting these low-value interactions h...

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Nov 08, 2019

New companies can spend up to 20% of gross revenue on sales and marketing costs. For small businesses, that’s a huge chunk of cash that you probably don’t have available.But almost all small business owners have access to a tiny little tool that makes marketing affordable and simple: sma...

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Nov 08, 2019

Digital marketing is essential for small businesses. With these 12 tips you can get started the right way without a labor-intensive process."Marketing." The word itself can cause pressure for entrepreneurs. As a small business owner, it can be all too easy to feel this way about marketing....

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Nov 07, 2019

In an age when ecommerce and big box stores dominate the conversation when it comes to shopping, it’s natural to overlook the important role small businesses play in our local economies.Fortunately, most Americans have not overlooked it.In fact, according to our latest infographic sponsored by...

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Nov 07, 2019

There are numerous examples of small businesses that have experienced significant troubles by failing to insure themselves, not buying enough insurance, or getting the wrong type of coverage. But in some instances, neglecting to purchase small business insurance is not just risky: It’s illegal...

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Nov 06, 2019

There is nothing small about small businesses. Growing. Family owned. Entrepreneurs. They take risks and lead with passion. They create jobs and community. They make big bets and care about their customers. They are just like us, working hard every day to make an impact in the world.Small business i...

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Nov 06, 2019

It is easy to start a business these days. With just a click of the button, you can get your dream off the ground running in minutes. But the main challenge is that majority of these new businesses will fail. According to this statistics, 90% of businesses fail because they could not get users for t...

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Nov 05, 2019

If you’re thinking about starting a home-based business, you’re not alone. More and more entrepreneurs are starting their lastest venture from the comfort of their own homes, especially e-commerce businesses, with the trend steadily rising over the years. Approximately 69 percent of busi...

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Nov 05, 2019

As a small business owner, you may find yourself looking for exciting, creative opportunities to sell things. Branching out can help you build a new customer base and increase revenue. One way to do so is through e-commerce. E-commerce has revolutionized the way that businesses sell goods. Whereas b...

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Nov 04, 2019

Today, 70 percent of people globally work remotely at least one day a week. Projections are also showing that 73 percent of all teams will have remote workers by 2028. So, location independent working is here to stay, and it is growing. This arrangement has a variety of prosand some cons—howev...

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Nov 04, 2019

There is a proven sequence of steps you can follow to guarantee your success when you're starting a small business online. I've seen thousands of people start and grow successful businesses by doing the following:Find a need and fill it.Write copy that sells.Design and build an easy-to-use w...

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Oct 31, 2019

Recent research has shown that a vast majority (over 90%) of SME’s are not yet on YouTube which, in case you hadn’t heard, is now the second-largest search engine in the world. Part social media, part resource library and part entertainment, this platform is an enigma, but one that you s...

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Oct 31, 2019

With more than 30 million small businesses throughout the United States, every small company is up against a lot of competition. Because of this, it’s in your best interest to find the best ways to be more efficient. And since most small business owners are always looking for tools that help t...

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Oct 31, 2019

How do you know if your business is safe and secure online? Measuring how effective your cybersecurity is can be tricky for small businesses. Cybersecurity firms make use of complex key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure how effective their security tactics are, but building these systems is g...

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Oct 31, 2019

Owners and marketers of small businesses often tell the same story when asked about SEO; they don’t have the time to write the content they feel is needed to do well at SEO. Thankfully though, churning out masses of copy every month is not the key to climbing small business SEO rankings. Howev...

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Oct 30, 2019

Has a customer ever asked to pay you over the phone? For many consumers, it’s simply easier to read a credit card number than write a check, fill out a form or make a payment online. Having more options makes your customers’ lives easier—and that makes your life as a business owner...

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Oct 29, 2019

Starting and running your own business can be tremendously fulfilling for people who are either tired of working for someone else, or people who just want some sort of control over how they’re living their lives. If you’re sick of the 9 to 5 rat race and you’ve been craving an esca...

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Oct 29, 2019

The relaunch of Wistia Channels comes as small businesses are focusing more on creating their own content.The ability to create video is made possible with affordable tools such as smartphones, digital cameras and editing software. With these tools, owners can create more content and engage with the...

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Oct 29, 2019

When was the last time you paid cash for something? Personally, it’s rare for me to even carry it these days. And with the rise of new mobile and digital payment options like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal and Google Wallet, cash payments are only going to become less common. In fact, accordin...

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Oct 25, 2019

You have enough to worry about as a small business owner. You have to look over your shoulder to know where the competition stands. You have to drive revenue, make payroll, pay taxes, and serve your customers.That’s a lot of responsibility for anyone to handle. It’s just a typical day fo...

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Oct 24, 2019

Running a small business requires entrepreneurs to put on different hats and deal with a variety of business functions. These include, for example, financial management, marketing, sales, personnel management and product development.But you also must keep a watchful eye on trends. They can change th...

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Oct 24, 2019

There’s a lot of noise out there about Google Ads, and it can be overwhelming.With a higher return on investment than other forms of advertising, Google Ads can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to grow their revenue. But technical jargon, endless search results, and cluttered ma...

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Oct 24, 2019

Is your small business one of the 80 million actively using a Facebook page for marketing purposes? With currently 2.7 billion monthly active users, the social media platform has morphed into a massive advertising media channel.Facebook's ability to highly target audiences and build a custom aud...

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Oct 23, 2019

If you’re like me, one of the first things you do when you leave the house in the morning is put on your headset. I may be joining a meeting, calling a friend, getting coffee – sometimes all three – before I even set foot in the office. When I get to work, I’m collaborating w...

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Oct 22, 2019

In the last decennium, humankind has shifted to a digital era from the long-lasted analogue era. Today, one can’t imagine their next hour of the day without the Internet; it feels like it has become a part of the body.Along with the internet, marketing also shifted to digital platforms. Digita...

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Oct 22, 2019

According to the SMB (Small Business Administration) there are over 28 million small businesses are running in the United Sates. The most reason to start a business is, to fulfill the financial needs and independence. We’ve written the simple steps to start a small business anywhere.Starting a...

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Oct 22, 2019

An increasing number of large firms are taking action on big social issues—from education, to gun control, to climate change, even impeachment. This follows, in part, consumers’ growing desire to shop with and support companies that reflect their own values and beliefs. But Corporate Soc...

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Oct 22, 2019

Making sure people searching online can find you should be a top priority for businesses today. Here are several steps you should be taking to make that happen.Every small business owner needs a solid marketing plan. Traditionally, radio ads, billboards, magazine spreads and phone books were the pla...

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Oct 22, 2019

It seems like every photo shown of a business in action these days features a bunch of people in a huddle room, looking productive – just like our own Poly beauty shot below. But the technology that is IN the room really matters most to the people who are joining remotely – the people NO...

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Oct 21, 2019

Averagely, every third citizen craves to establish a business. The reasons for that are low wages, constant detention of payments, and poor working conditions.Unfortunately, only desire won’t suffice. The implementation of any idea involves many costs. Therefore, it is important to know where ...

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Oct 21, 2019

There’s never been a better time to upgrade your business phone system. People can’t remember their landline number anymore.That’s why it’s important to pick the best alternative for your business.The only downside? It can be overwhelming since there are dozens of providers t...

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Oct 18, 2019

Learn how the easy availability of big data can help SMBs compete with big businesses.Data is now easier to collect and cheaper to host, making it accessible to nearly every business.The availability of data helps small businesses compete against big corporations, but they may still struggle to use ...

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Oct 18, 2019

As a sales and marketing manager with experience working with both large corporates and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), I’ve seen and the best and worst of both worlds.While big businesses are often able to weather recessions and withstand market shifts - crucial in this unstable, p...

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Oct 17, 2019

Many small businesses think they don’t have time or resources to support an apprentice, but in fact taking one on can help grow your business, if it’s done in the right way. As a small business owner, I know only too well that there is never enough time.The day-to-day necessities of runn...

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Oct 16, 2019

If your business is like most small businesses, you’re struggling to find a good strategy that will help you reach customers and prospective customers on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.The fact is that most small businesses do a poor job executing str...

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Oct 16, 2019

Facebook recently hosted a global training program designed to help small businesses gear up for the upcoming holiday season.Boost with Facebook Holiday Bootcamp was held October 10. The social media giant also used the event to make a number of announcements about new small business Facebook holida...

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Oct 16, 2019

A local small business owner asked me last week if “it is wise to have a business line of credit.” My answer was, quoting from my friend Warren, “that depends.”Let me explain why as I share some ideas from Brian Smith, a freelance writer and entrepreneur with more than 30 yea...

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Oct 15, 2019

Most hosting plans can be used to run a professional website. If you need one for a small business, your choice likely depends on how much visitor traffic you expect your site will get, how much web storage that it needs, and your budget. Many of the major hosting companies in the U.S. offer plans t...

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Oct 15, 2019

Are you popular on social media or have you been growing your business’ platform over time? While social media can provide great validation, it’s important to remember that you can pay yourself with likes, hearts, and retweets.Make Money with Social Media So what’s the point of get...

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Oct 14, 2019

Although running a business can be challenging at times, but profits doesn't require drastic measures like upping your prices or laying off employees. Business owners who learn to experiment with different strategies to boost revenues become more profitable and even small changes in just a few a...

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Oct 14, 2019

Want to encourage your customers to rave about your small business? Here are some tips on the best ways to ask for customer feedback and what to do with reviews once you get them.Positive customer reviews are a vital part of growing a small business. In a recent Vistaprint survey of 1,000 U.S. small...

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Oct 10, 2019

Great Western Bank is committed to working with businesses of all sizes. We strive to help increase our business clients’ profits and improve their financial stability. The rise of digital marketing and social media has made it easier for small businesses to achieve actual results with a small...

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Oct 10, 2019

Most small businesses have to send files at some point. Maybe you just need to make documents available to your team or you could have to send a big project over to a client. With small files, you can easily just attach them to an email and send them off. But larger files tend to be more complicated...

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Oct 09, 2019

As a small business, knowing how to market and promote your brand successfully is crucial. With so many competitors on the market fighting for the same custom, doing all that you can to stand out from the crowd can be hard. When it comes to marketing strategies, having the right tools in place is im...

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Oct 09, 2019

These days, safety is less about locking physical doors and more about protecting yourself online and ensuring our digital data is essentially locked away. Small businesses can be easy targets for digital thieves and those wanting to cause a nuisance for others. Data breaches can result in fines. Fu...

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Oct 07, 2019

Every small business needs to keep on top of HR but overstretched owners may not have the time and resources to do so. Outsourcing HR can be a flexible and cost-effective solution Like any other business, a small business – whether it’s a microbusiness with less than 10 employees or a fa...

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Oct 07, 2019

When small businesses put their first step in digital marketing, the first question they have is what is SEO, and how does it work. SEO is an abbreviation for search engine optimization. It is beneficial for both small and big businesses. Every company is now investing in SEO as they know it is the ...

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Oct 07, 2019

Cash flow issues can happen to anyone, regardless of the industry you’re in and the size of your business. Unfortunately, small businesses are more susceptible to cash shortages than larger companies. This can be a major problem if you need to pay your suppliers or address immediate expenses. ...

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Oct 04, 2019

The job of a top sales representative can be a daunting in task, but with an amazing CRM tool, today's sales force is faster, stronger and more capable than ever before. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications allow for a more streamlined approach to your sales initiatives.Today'...

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Oct 04, 2019

As small businesses continue to look towards addressing growing customer needs, more small businesses are developing their own applications in-house. Whether mapping customer success stories, managing business processes or building databases, companies are looking for customized solutions.Commercial...

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Oct 03, 2019

Waste has a negative impact on the natural environment. But that is not a secret. Everyone knows that environmental impacts are pervasive worldwide. The world’s top corporations by revenue are the ones that cause the biggest environmental damage. It seems that big businesses and the environmen...

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Oct 03, 2019

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, but they arrive at a disadvantage as compared to the big corporations. Namely, they don’t have massive amounts of capital bolstering their operations. Where a small business can make up the difference, however, is in its ability to leverage mod...

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Oct 01, 2019

Hiring remote programmers might seem like a daunting task for entrepreneurs running small businesses. Whether it’s a early-stage tech startup, or a non-tech company venturing into the digital world, you have limited resources.There’s no HR team, usually a strict budget, and there’s...

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Oct 01, 2019

The average internet user now spends more than 6.5 hours online each day, according to the Digital Report 2019. We can all say that clients are the most important part of any business. Without customers, there is no business. If your potential client is spending this amount of time on the internet, ...

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Sep 30, 2019

How would he find the extra time? What if his employees said things he didn’t want to hear? What if they wanted things he couldn’t give them? Would it cost him financially – would he need to invest in costly technology or an extra HR person? The idea that there is a disparity betwe...

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Sep 30, 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Deep Learning have become mainstream buzzwords. They appear in media stories about self-driving cars, advanced medical diagnosis and military targeting. You’ll also come across stories about companies or organisations using Internet algorithms...

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Sep 27, 2019

Do you host admissions-based events within the City of Columbus? Then your business might need to be paying the new Admissions Tax.The Admissions Tax quietly went into effect on July 1, 2019. Supporting Nationwide Arena and the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Admissions Tax “levies a 5% tax...

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Sep 27, 2019

If you have customers, you need to connect with them. Customers are the lifeblood of every small business, and you think about yours every day. But so do your competitors. To stay ahead, to retain your existing customers and attract new ones, marketing through social media requires a constant effort...

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Sep 26, 2019

Social media is an excellent way to get people to find out about, talk about and become engaged with your small business.As soon as you get your business off the ground, or even in the early stages, be sure to set up social media accounts and tease your audience with things that are happening. For e...

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Sep 25, 2019

If you never change your business marketing strategies, then they will go stale. You may find that your competitors find ways to market themselves better and if you’re not careful you may even find that you lose out on customers as a result. If you want to avoid all of that then here are a few...

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Sep 25, 2019

If there’s one thing managers have to do better than anyone is schedule staff effectively and efficiently, otherwise, no work would ever get done. Creating a fair and proper employee schedule creates order and flow, plus it ensures a smooth-running business and helps minimizes employee complai...

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Sep 25, 2019

Within the past decade, the importance of IT in day-to-day activities has increased considerably. Be it work or gaming or shopping or entertainment, the online world is now an integral part of our lives.Needless to say, many businesses have moved to the internet to capitalize on the ever-growing onl...

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Sep 24, 2019

Your business doesn’t have thousands of employees or millions of dollars to spend on unnecessary extras. Don’t waste money on conferencing software that charges you for features you don’t need and users you don’t have.Instead, check out the best conference services for small ...

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Sep 24, 2019

You can apply for a small business loan today from many different lenders, both traditional and alternative. These can help you expand your business, hire new employees, increase your sales or product research budget, and more. Here, we’ll explore 8 quick tips to help you create a better small...

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Sep 23, 2019

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. But, that doesn’t mean you should do everything yourself—consider outsourcing. By outsourcing some of your daily business tasks to another companies or individual, you can spend more of your time growing your business.Outsourcing m...

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Sep 23, 2019

In today’s highly competitive job market, many industries have more openings than there are qualified employees to fill them. Which means that many workers are finding that they have the luxury of being able to choose amongst a number of potential employers. And in an effort to recruit (and re...

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Sep 20, 2019

There are no shortage of details to consider when you’re a small business owner. Getting the back-office basics of your small business accounting practices in order early on—tracking revenues, expenses, and profits—will keep you out of the weeds of paperwork and cash flow snafus, a...

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Sep 20, 2019

All travel has associated risks, but international traveling is a whole other ballgame. For employees that travel internationally for work, there are many considerations that affect safety and health, and this is particularly relevant to smaller businesses. The National Institute for Occupational Sa...

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Sep 19, 2019

The internet seems to be flooded with coupon codes these days. Whether it’s those giant pop-ups promising US$15 off on Memorial Day or promotional emails offering special birthday discounts– coupons are hard to escape.Hell! It’s hard to watch a YouTube video nowadays without being ...

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Sep 19, 2019

As a small business owner, you want the very best for your company. You want satisfied customers, you want to provide the best value and you want to grow — with as few issues and as much profit as possible. Putting out fires and overcoming hurdles have been in your job description for as long ...

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Sep 18, 2019

The age of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is over. Electric cars are the future. The transition has just begun, but the move from ICE vehicles to Electric will happen sooner and more quickly than most people suspect. What are the factors that lead me to say this with such confidence? However, ...

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Sep 18, 2019

My role here at SAP is IoT Evangelist. It’s my job to go around and speak about how the Internet of Things is changing the way we live, work, and run our businesses. IoT Evangelist is a job title that didn’t exist 5 or 10 years ago – mainly because the Internet of Things wasn&rsquo...

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Sep 17, 2019

Does your personal auto insurance cover work-related driving? Small business car insurance may not be top of mind, until you or an employee hit a patch of ice and crunch. Depending on your policy, you may need extra protection to cover such mishaps. Here’s how you can tell whether you need com...

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Sep 17, 2019

A strategy is everything in a business.Different marketing strategies for a small business need to be learned, applied and implemented in order to keep your business thriving, handle competition and reach success.Huge businesses often discuss and improve on their marketing strategy on a regular basi...

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Sep 17, 2019

According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of U.S. adults are active Facebook users. That’s a lot of potential customers, and the number hasn’t gone unnoticed by businesses both big and small.That’s probably why, according to the co...

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Sep 17, 2019

Holiday sales are expected to grow, so be prepared.If you’re planning to take a vacation or travel to see family at holiday time, it’s a good idea to book now. But even more important, if the holiday season is an important sales period for your business, now is the time to get started. I...

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Sep 17, 2019

Any way you slice it, nurtures are a demand generation staple but are not often seen or shared. It's no wonder marketers say their nurtures aren't performing. Searching for examples of B2B lead nurturing programs is a frustrating and fruitless experience. So we did the heavy lifting for you ...

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Sep 16, 2019

Everyone would love to have a little extra money saved over at the end of the month. Sometimes our poor choices and decisions can keep us from where we want to be.Saying “no” to bad spending habits and costly subscriptions in our lives is a great way to start. Here are 20 small ways you ...

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Sep 16, 2019

What would happen if a disaster struck your business tomorrow? Would you know what to do? A Small Business Continuity Plan is a valuable reference document for the business owner(s) and their team to answer questions and provide information to aid in the business’s recovery.Did you know- that ...

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Sep 15, 2019

When it comes to boosting email engagement, the majority of B2B marketers will likely analyze their email metrics to see where they can improve. Analytics is a cornerstone of B2B email marketing and a factor that cannot be replaced or ignored. However, did you know that you can leverage a different ...

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Sep 13, 2019

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become a popular tool for the success of businesses today. If your business is small, you may think that SEO is not your thing and it’s only meant for large scale enterprises as they have more products to offer and they can afford its cost. But the fact is,...

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Sep 13, 2019

“The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous.” Peter F. Drucker Tweet This! While selling is an art, it solely depends on the fact how much marketing efforts you have put in to make it possible. And when it comes to marketing efforts it will be incomplete unless you leverage mode...

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Sep 13, 2019

Still think your current martech stack doesn't need an upgrade? Think again. 2019 is gradually coming to a close and marketing channels have shown no signs of slowing down. If you’re a marketer who’s part of a technology-dominated industry, you know well that it’s no longer a b...

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Sep 12, 2019

Self Lender, recently rebranded as Self, helps consumers and business owners alike to start building their personal credit from scratch or work on rebuilding their credit after some missteps.A survey by Nav found almost 40% of its small business customer base were considered “credit ghosts,&rd...

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Sep 12, 2019

Good Jobs, Good Business is a free digital toolkit created to provide small businesses owners with tools, resources, and advice. The goal of the toolkit is for owners to be able to create jobs which improve retention, employee performance and productivity. At the same time owners can also achieve re...

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Sep 12, 2019

AI driven HR management will look different in small businesses than in large companies and multinationals. There are different barriers that will have to be navigated, but also different priorities and opportunities that small businesses will have with AI.Smaller budgets create price barriers to im...

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Sep 11, 2019

“Tapping into a consumers’ memories is one of the most effective ways to connect on an emotional level,” she writes. “But, it’s not just about the “feel-good” factor. Research shows consumers are actually willing to spend more when thinking about the past.&r...

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Sep 11, 2019

If you are a startup, you probably are overwhelmed with work and information. Don’t worry. You aren’t alone. Every startup faces this issue at some point. Innovation has made life easier for so many startups by increasing the flow of information and accessibility. But at the same time, i...

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Sep 10, 2019

However, with a regular commute time that consumes a couple of hours each day, I have shifted my focus to podcasts and audiobooks. One of my favorite podcasts is the Inside Sales Enablement series by Scott Santucci and Brian Lambert. In their last episode, they spent time reviewing their thoughts an...

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Sep 10, 2019

The majority of the time I only had access to two TV channels, three on a good weather day, and I vividly remember when I first saw a color television. At this time, products and services were limited, and buyer choices were almost non-existent. Fast-forward to 2019. Not only do I have access to hun...

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Sep 10, 2019

Hacks and data breaches are, unfortunately, part of doing business today. Ten years ago, it was the largest corporations that were most targeted by hackers, but that has changed. As large organizations have improved their cybersecurity, and more and more small businesses go online, hackers have shif...

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Sep 10, 2019

Every business faces a set of challenges, and small businesses are no exception. In fact, the challenges are greater when you’re running a small company, and the most common and concerning problem can sometimes be the lack of leadership skills. Not having multiple hierarchy levels can work aga...

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Sep 10, 2019

Let’s face it. You have thousands of contacts sitting in your database, some of whom are collecting dust. Why? Because without a plan to convert them into customers, they’re no more useful than a desk paperweight. So how do you begin to nurture them through the funnel? Workflows, of cour...

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Sep 09, 2019

Australian small businesses that increase their investment in technology grow their revenue and create jobs faster than other businesses, according to data from Xero Small Business Insights.The new research shows technology investment is directly associated with business growth. However, according t...

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Sep 09, 2019

For most South African small businesses, the difference between shooting the lights out and failing dismally lies in access to the right funding at the right time.We all know about the SME sector’s potential to reduce unemployment, raise South Africa’s GDP, and basically save the economy...

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Sep 06, 2019

When asked whether SME businesses need to protect themselves from cyber attacks, the response is easy: 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses.If you are a small business and aren’t protecting yourself, you need to review this and put suitable protection in place. Mike Ianiri, Redsq...

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Sep 06, 2019

Getting funding for your small business isn’t a matter of “if”; it’s usually a matter of “when.” That’s why, even if you’re not looking to take out a loan now, it’s smart to look ahead to what’s available. Do you know the differences betwee...

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Sep 04, 2019

FreshBooks, originally created in 2003, is a cloud-based accounting program used by millions of small business owners world wide. Many business owners use FreshBooks accounting software to manage invoicing, recurring billing, accounting, and even payroll. The online service is a solid option if you&...

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Sep 04, 2019

Cloud storage is increasingly popular among both users with limited physical hard drive space, and those who are concerned about keeping their files safely backed up. It’s a trend that’s just as valuable for small business owners as it is for personal use. It’s bad enough losing pe...

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Sep 04, 2019

Small business owners are responsible for it all, from making the tea to filing tax returns. So it’s understandable if you’ve let your business’s online presence slip – but here’s why it’s worth bumping it up your priority list.These days, almost everyone will che...

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Sep 04, 2019

For any economy, SMBs are the backbone. The intent to scale and grow faster generally makes business owners to invest money in areas where returns can be multiplied. Unfortunately, cyber security at the moment is not realized as an important element by SMBs. High cost of investment and the mindset &...

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Sep 04, 2019

Small businesses often need to widen their reach on social media. They often get overlooked because ome bigger brands have better social media strategies. However, you can overcome this by using influencer marketing.Influencer marketing is a powerful tool that can be in your hands if you find the ri...

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Sep 03, 2019

Funding a small business can be quite the undertaking, whether you’re starting a new venture for the first time or have decades of experience in your industry.Of course, securing capital is often necessary, but depending on what type of financing you apply to and qualify for, it can also be ex...

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Sep 02, 2019

The potential for litigation is just a fact of operating an enterprise these days. Small business owners can find themselves facing lawsuits from customers, competitors, and even employees. In fact, a study released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform found that 43 per...

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Aug 30, 2019

Social media is our go-to space for recommendations, be it where to eat, how to dress, what to do, or which movie to watch next. In this digital era, it is critical for a customer-facing business to get its social media strategy in place to take on competition and make an indelible impression, keepi...

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Aug 29, 2019

Think direct mail as a form of business marketing and communication is dead and buried? Well, think again.Research shows direct mail campaigns generate five times more purchases than email campaigns.As a result, small businesses, sending direct mail to customers and prospects get results. For exampl...

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Aug 29, 2019

Ebay has called for the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses to have a bigger voice when it comes to future trade negotiations.The online marketplace revealed the initiative two months ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU, while also highlighting the contribution that SMEs have on UK exp...

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Aug 28, 2019

When running a small business, one of the most important aspects is marketing. It’s crucial that you’re able to successfully promote your company’s products or services, which is why you should research the latest marketing trends for small business owners.

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Aug 28, 2019

Consumers and small business owners have similar concerns with the security of mobile banking. The difference, however, is that a business’ bank data relies more on security because of their delicate connections and reputations to uphold.It’s no secret that small businesses are common ta...

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Aug 27, 2019

Whether you’re in the very beginnings of your launch phase, or you’re an established small business that needs a little push to get to the next stage of growth, finding a trustworthy investor can be key to realizing your goals. There’s so much conflicting information out there, how...

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Aug 27, 2019

You function as the event planner for your business. As a result, you probably know about all the event management software out there. And you know it can make your job much easier. But which software should you invest in? That turns out to be tricky at first. And the question gets harder to answer ...

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Aug 26, 2019

In this article, attorney and Rocket Lawyer UK head of legal, Adam Ford, will take a deeper dive into the challenges facing small businesses in the age of GDPR including providing access to information and transferring data — and the legal penalties that can result. He will then examine ways t...

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Aug 26, 2019

Market Study Report, LLC, has added a detailed study on the Small Business Invoicing Software market which provides a brief summary of the growth trends influencing the market. The report also includes significant insights pertaining to the profitability graph, market share, regional proliferation a...

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Aug 26, 2019

Content Syndication – Fortune 500 companies have been using this lesser known marketing / SEO tactic while small business owners like you struggle to get started. If you know the right strategy on how to increase the amount of traffic to your site – this strategy that the large corporati...

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Aug 23, 2019

Small Business Insurance market report presents a comprehensive overview of the market, product size, market size, shares and growth opportunities by product type, applications, major manufacturers and key regions. Key drivers, barriers, inadequacies, prominent trends, forecasts and future projectio...

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Aug 22, 2019

Nearly 9 percent of small businesses experience robberies each year. This leads to loss of money or valuable products and can also create trauma or other serious issues for the employees involved. But there are ways for small businesses to avoid some of these incidents before they begin.Physical sec...

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Aug 22, 2019

Running a business is often about setting goals and putting in the long hours and hard work to achieve them. Regardless of what type of business you run, it’s likely that “selling more” has a frequent, if not long-term, place on your to-do list. It’s a goal that requires stay...

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Aug 21, 2019

Cybercrime costs the small business community billions of pounds a year. Yet despite that alarming statistic, many still seem unaware of the risks, and are failing to take even basic precautions.10,000 cyber-attacks a day The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) published research which revealed the...

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Aug 21, 2019

Small businesses are the engine of North Carolina’s economy, yet they all suffer from one problem: access to affordable health insurance. This message doesn’t change whether you’re in King or Charlotte. This message doesn’t change whether you’re in a coffee shop or a ba...

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Aug 21, 2019

Today’s brands face numerous challenges. They need to create a customized, excellent experience for each and every customer worldwide. To do that, they need to create high-quality, on-target content. They need to create that content quickly, effectively, and for audiences who speak multiple la...

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Aug 20, 2019

Lace-up your sneakers and step up to the starting line: you’re ready to reach countless customers in new markets. You’ve secured your spot in the Global Marketplace (whether by default or design). But before you sprint away, take a good look around you. You are not alone in this race. Yo...

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Aug 20, 2019

Small businesses contribute majorly to the economy of any nation and the United States of America is not an exception. However, small businesses are often faced with the challenge of accessing finance to fund their business. Thankfully, there are a number of ways of how to get your business funded, ...

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Aug 20, 2019

Small businesses are often limited by resources and capital. However, just like there are various government and private grants to give a boost to a business, there are many powerful software and online services that can help you save both time and time. To help you get started, the following are 6 ...

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Aug 14, 2019

What character appears in the most films and television programs? Dracula? God? Santa Claus? All of those make the top ten list, but none is the correct answer. Satan (or The Devil) is a character is more than 840 projects – more than any other character. If you limit the list to mortals, the ...

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Aug 14, 2019

This is the third in a series of articles on creating, maintaining, and optimizing great customer experiences in the context of mounting concerns about privacy and increasingly strict regulations governing data processing. We address topics such as consent strategies, the role of trust, the elements...

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Aug 13, 2019

More than four in ten small companies have been forced to raise prices because of higher rates of basic pay, an employers’ group has claimed. The Federation of Small Businesses warned that its members had reported cutting their profits and holding back on investing as they sought to “abs...

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Aug 12, 2019

It can be confusing to navigate all the available loan products being offered by banks, lenders, and online financial companies these days. The best way to know which loan is best for your business situation, however, is to know about each of them in advance. From long-term financing to a quick cash...

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Aug 12, 2019

Tim Vine offers four ways to protect your small business against late payments if you are affected by clients not paying on time.Poor payment practices continue to be a widespread issue. In 2018, Dun & Bradstreet found that small businesses were owed an average of £80,141, nearly a quarter...

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Aug 08, 2019

Some of the most popular applications are free. Whether it is YouTube, Facebook or Google Maps, this model has made these companies billions of dollars. But a new study from McGuffin asks an interesting question. How much value do consumers assign to these apps, and how much would they be willing to...

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Aug 07, 2019

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency is going to be doing significantly less small business contracts after the National Background Investigations Bureau moves from the Office of Personnel Management to DOD. DCSA formerly the Defense Security Service plans to shrink it's small bus...

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Aug 06, 2019

The ' Ecommerce Tools for Small Businesses market' study Added by Market Study Report, LLC, provides an in-depth analysis pertaining to potential drivers fueling this industry. The study also encompasses valuable insights about profitability prospects, market size, growth dynamics, and reven...

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Aug 05, 2019

We hope you’re enjoying a much needed summer break, to reduce the psychological toll the startup grind can bring in to your life. While you’re relaxing, which is a vital part of the creative process, you might also want to get some reading in to help you reflect, spark some ideas, and re...

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Aug 05, 2019

Small businesses and ambitious enterprises are at the heart of every industry. Not only do they immensely contribute to the overall revenue of a country, but they also have a beneficial effect on the workers themselves. Employees who decide to make the switch and become independent employers feel mo...

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Aug 04, 2019

Star Business Centre, which operates three business centers in Dubai, has launched a summer promotion for start-ups and small businesses, including Serviced Office for Dh9,999, Smart Office for Dh14,999 and Dedicated Office for Dh19,999 per annum that includes rent of office space, utility, telecom ...

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Aug 01, 2019

Sourcing funding is one of the significant challenges cited by entrepreneurs starting or growing a business in South Africa. Many South African entrepreneurs assume that the only source of financing for a business is a loan from a commercial bank or a development agency. Many business ventures don&r...

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Aug 01, 2019

It’s always important for small businesses to come up with new ideas, not only to set themselves ahead of the competition but also to keep up with market trends. In fact, capitalising on your existing business can be the start of your next big project. Back in 2010, we launched PharmaData, a s...

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Aug 01, 2019

Small businesses have enough on their plate two-thirds of small businesses fail within their first ten years of existence when starting their operations. With everything that needs to be done to ensure a solid business plan, who has time to execute a seemingly trivial social media strategy? However,...

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Jul 31, 2019

Amsterdam-born recruitment and HR platform Harver has raised $15 million in Series B financing led by Insight Partners. The recent investment, which brings the startup’s total funding to $35 million, will be used on digital automation of the volume candidate selection process for enterprise or...

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Jul 30, 2019

Over the past few years, I’ve created and implemented a comprehensive health-care strategy with hundreds of clients. My strategy involves using a coordinated attack of maximizing your health-care benefits, reducing costs and getting tax benefits to boot. It consists of seven steps: Whether you...

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Jul 29, 2019

Telstra has expanded it services to small businesses with the offer of account management support for small business customers of all sizes. On top of the "personalised" account management support Telstra also now offers one dedicated service number (132-000) with support seven days from 8...

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Jul 29, 2019

The name that you choose for your business can make a major impact on your brand image. Selecting the perfect name sometimes requires finding a balance between the practical and creative elements. Then once you have the perfect name in mind, you need to make it official and protect your brand. If yo...

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Jul 26, 2019

In a time when any good news is welcome, many are thrilled to know that the UK has a growing number of small businesses active in the current economy. As a matter of fact, the start of 2018 was a time when 99 percent of all private sector enterprises were small businesses. While this is great news, ...

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Jul 23, 2019

The Unlocking Capital for Small Businesses Act of 2019 (H.R. 3768), introduced by Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., would provide a safe harbor for finders and a reasonable regulatory regime for more active private placement brokers. It would have a substantial positive impact on the ability of Main Street ent...

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Jul 23, 2019

Every shopper wants to be treated as an individual. Whether that be in person or online, demonstrating a clear knowledge of preferences and past purchases goes a long way in crafting a best-in-class customer experience (CX). Historically, the ability to deliver such deeply personalized experiences h...

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Jul 23, 2019

Many minorities are starting businesses, have been running one for a while, or are well-established in their industry. Despite their qualifications and eagerness to be part of a growing economy, however, there are some obstacles unique to them. The U.S. Census reveals that minorities, specifically H...

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Jul 23, 2019

Instagram can help you connect with new customers and promote your products and services. In fact, more than 60 percent of people said they use Instagram to find things that they want to purchase or obtain in real life.In some cases, you can do this without even creating a single post. If you’...

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Jul 23, 2019

From eCommerce stores and brick-and-mortar boutiques to finance consulting, art galleries, and craft breweries, small businesses are as varied as they are numerous. With around 534,000 new businesses started every month, it’s obvious that the market is highly competitive, and that living out t...

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Jul 22, 2019

Large firms will craft a strategy and have a well laid out plan for their business for the next 3-5 years.However, it is different for small firms. Most do not even know they need one.The strategy can be developed slowly and become part of the business.It means starting small and documenting the mos...

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Jul 22, 2019

Getting funding for your business is a significant growth milestone. With so many options for lending, however, it can be challenging to know what choice is best. For many business owners, the unsecured route presents the least amount of risk. With no collateral to offer up, you can be assured that ...

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Jul 22, 2019

A government scheme designed to encourage big businesses to pay suppliers on time is due to be overhauled in an attempt to give small companies better protection. The prompt payment code, under which large companies promise to pay 95 per cent of their invoices within 60 days, is expected to be taken...

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Jul 21, 2019

Generating sales and growing revenue is a challenge that nearly all small businesses share. To get it right, you need access to plenty of good leads that you can hopefully convert into sales, but lead generation can be an expensive, hit-and-miss process. The good news is social media can be a powerf...

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Jul 21, 2019

For many small businesses, using artificial intelligence can seem like a far-off goal. According to recent findings by Salesforce, a mere eight percent of SMBs use AI today. That’s not for a lack of interest, though. Nearly 80 percent of SMB leaders have plans to implement it some time in the ...

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Jul 19, 2019

The essential thinginess of capitalism has been one of its most-criticized features. Materialism, and specifically consumerism, are almost always used as pejorative terms. Nostalgic conservatives, egalitarian progressives and environmentalists loudly agree on at least one thing: we are just buying t...

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Jul 18, 2019

If you are a small enterprise owner, then you definitely likely realize how crucial the timely monetary assist to your business is and you are constantly searching out extra money. If you do now not have wealthy pals who are can finance your commercial enterprise, then most likely, as well as maximu...

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Jul 18, 2019

New federal funding has been allocated for emergency food and shelter programs in 11 Missouri countiesNew federal funding has been allocated for emergency food and shelter programs in 11 Missouri counties.The area covers Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Shelb...

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Jul 18, 2019

American Express business cards have been a staple for savvy business owners for a while now. Their SimplyCash program offered flexible earning and spending perks along with the customer confidence that comes with carrying an Amex in your wallet. As of July 18th, 2019, there have been significant ch...

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Jul 17, 2019

Earlier in the year, it got R100 million from the SA SME Fund to bolster its R600 million kitty.Spartan ringfenced half of the funding it got from the SA SME Fund Half for black African owned businesses.Discovery CEO Adrian Gore and former Bidvest Chairperson Brian Joffe founded SA SME Fund.Forty-ei...

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Jul 17, 2019

Outsourcing may add to your balance sheet, but it's not a waste. Every penny you save as a small business owner is another you can spend elsewhere. Small businesses are big-time commitments. As entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk has said, you have to work your butt off to see a payoff and it's imp...

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Jul 16, 2019

The House on July 15 approved two bills that aim to bolster Small Business Administration (SBA) cybersecurity, and help small businesses combat cyberattacks.The legislation the SBA Cyber Awareness Act and Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act were sponsored by Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo...