June 25, 2012 |
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- Business owner finds a way to succeed in the wholesale world
After several years of experience in retail, April MacKinnon's wholesale venture, Anointment Natural Skin Care, wasn't doing very well. She had to scale up her business, so she increased her marketing efforts and became more active on social media. Her focus on marketing got several stores interested in selling her products and her company is now in better shape. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (6/22)
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Marketing | |
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- Keys for increasing sales
Businesses might be able to increase their sales by eliminating obstacles that prevent customers from making purchases, John Jantsch writes. For example, business owners should focus on creating superior pricing models, offering attractive payment options and supplying high-quality products. Duct Tape Marketing (6/21)
- How to use social media to get your current customers to spend more
Social media marketing isn't just good for finding new customers; it can also be used to encourage your current customers to make additional purchases, Monika Jansen writes. You can accomplish this by offering engaging content and by providing special discounts for customers who make a certain number of purchases, she writes. "For example, you could offer a coupon to your Facebook community, providing them with a discount off their fourth purchase," she writes. NetworkSolutions.com/Grow Smart Biz (6/21)
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Management | |
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- How to measure employee engagement
Employee engagement, which is defined as "a person's degree of attachment to their company, role, and co-workers," can have significant implications for the performance of your company, Alexandra Levit writes. Engagement can be measured in a number of ways such as by using a set of questions created by Gallup. Lifehack.org (6/21)
- Strong company culture can help you to hire the best employees
You have to create a strong company culture to attract top talent to work for your company, according to Andrew Winston, who formerly worked for the Boston Consulting Group. "The younger generation wants something more," said Paul Spiegelman of the Beryl Companies. "They're realizing that their work should be something more than just a paycheck." Inc. online (6/22)
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Money | |
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- Special programs can help companies cut their A/C costs
Some electric companies offer special deals for businesses that agree to help them reduce demand for electricity on the most sweltering days. For example, Xcel Energy gives its customers a discount for participating in a program that allows the company to shut off A/C compressors in intervals. You can call your power provider to find out whether it has any such programs. Small Business Trends (6/21)
- What you should know about business grants
There are a number of ways to access grant money that can help you to build your business. For example, you might be able to get grant money if you work with a nonprofit or charitable organization. You might also be able to get money to make your business more environmentally friendly. It's important to remember many grant programs require that you invest some of your own money as well. Bangor Daily News (Maine) (free registration) (6/21)
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Tips & Tools | |
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- Free alternatives for pricey business software
Business software can cost hundreds of dollars, but in many cases, there are free alternatives. For example, by using freeware products such as LibreOffice, Google Calendar and Thunderbird, you gain access to many of the same features offered by Microsoft Office 2010. There are also free alternatives to other common business software packages such as Adobe Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop CS6. PCWorld Business Center (6/21)
- How secure is your blog?
Bloggers need to ensure they have adequate security in place to protect their websites, Allison Midori Reilly writes. Among the tools available for increasing the security of your blog are Vault Press, which is for WordPress users, as well as SiteLock, WebsiteDefender and Verisign. SmallBizTechnology.com (6/22)
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- Follow @SBStartup live from The New York Times Small Business Summit today
SmartBrief's small-business and entrepreneurship editor Brooke Howell will be tweeting live today from The New York Times Small Business Summit. Follow her at @SBStartup to join in on the conversation and get all of the exciting buzz and advice entrepreneurs and business owners are sharing at the summit.
- SmartBrief launches SmartBlog on Education
SmartBrief has launched its fifth blog on the SmartBlogs network, SmartBlog on Education, bringing together expert educators to talk about the education issues that matter most. Find out more, and subscribe to SmartBrief's suite of education newsletters.
| The employers that let their employees pursue their personal vision will have the best chance of attracting talent."
--Paul Spiegelman, founder of the Beryl Companies, in Inc.com
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Recent SmartBrief on Small Business Issues:
- Friday, June 22, 2012
- Thursday, June 21, 2012
- Wednesday, June 20, 2012
- Tuesday, June 19, 2012
- Monday, June 18, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Brooke Howell
Editor at Large: John Jantsch
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