Small Business

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• Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?
  There's almost nothing more frustrating than receiving a business email that says, "Please do not reply to this message as replies to this email address are not read," but offers ...
  Customer Service, Email Campaigns, Small Business
• I'm Rubber, You're Glue
  Imagine you're Alissa Bayer—owner of the upscale milk + honey day spa in Austin, Texas—and a client has directed you to the Church of the Customer Blog, where a post ...
  Public Relations, Small Business
• Make Failure Your Friend
  There is no question that we have entered a period of economic uncertainty. And, especially as individuals and companies begin to tighten their financial belts, fear of failure might make ...
  Economic Crisis, Small Business
• Check You Out
  People used to get embarrassed when they admitted googling their own name—or that of their company—because it seemed vain. Today, though, knowing what shows up on the first page of ...
  Public Relations, Search Engines, Small Business
• Ditch the Spam, Pitch the Content
  If you've ever been on the receiving end of bad pitches, you know the feeling of sheer exasperation when yet another example of terrible PR arrives in your inbox. In ...
  Email Campaigns, Small Business, Spam, Writing
• Find a Fresh Pair of Eyes
  "Let's face it," writes Bill Taylor in a post at Harvard Business Online. "Most companies in most industries have a kind of tunnel vision. They chase the same opportunities that ...
  Creativity, Small Business
• The Power of Free
  If there's one thing your customers can't resist, it's the idea of getting something for free. Those who want some proof need look no further than an article written by ...
  Marketing Tips, Small Business
• Return to Sender
  In a post at the PitchEngine blog, Jason Kintzler argues that paperless PR is more than an exercise in environmental responsibility. The use of online and wireless communication not only ...
  Press Kits, Small Business
• It's Always You, You, You
  In a post at MarketingProfs' Daily Fix blog, Mack Collier started an interesting conversation about a potentially problematic trend in social media—one that seems to manifest most obviously on Twitter. ...
  Small Business, Social Media
• Please Stand By ... Our Agents Are Currently Helping Other Customers
  If you've ever called the 800-number for a telecommunications company, you know the rigmarole. You sit through minute after excruciating minute of easy-listening music, interrupted periodically by a recorded message ...
  Customer Service, Small Business
• Case Study: How a Bed & Breakfast Inn Boosted Its Bookings with One Video AdNettie Hartsock
  As a B&B in the highly competitive historic Pittsburgh area, the Morning Glory Inn needed a way to attract more recreational and business travelers. Its Web site, the Yellow Pages, ...
• Case Study: How a Finance Director Left Her Day Job and Launched an 'Engaging Brand' Online via a Podcast and BlogNettie Hartsock
  A finance director, feeling stifled by the corporate world, launches her own business based in branding and egagement... with only $1,000 to spend. Two years later, she's a blog and ...
• Case Study: How an Online Software Biz Doubled Its Sales Leads, Increased Site Traffic 75%Laurie Lande
  Makana Solutions needed an inexpensive way to reach the elusive small business market. Rather than chase small businesses, it hired an online "inbound marketing system" to help small businesses find ...
• Case Study: How a Consultant's Internet Radio Show Led to New Business, New Sources of RevenueLaurie Lande
  Atlanta management consultant Brent Leary launched a radio show in 2006 to help small and mid-sized businesses understand technology. It proved so popular that he evolved the show into a ...
• 12 Global Small Business Trends to Watch in 2008Laurel Delaney
  Small businesses are the heart and soul of our world entrepreneurial economy. They create, inspire, and fundamentally change people's lives. Here are 12 global small business trends to watch in ...
  International Marketing, Marketing Tips, Small Business
• Email Marketing and Small Businesses: Waste of Time or Worth The Effort?Josh Nason
  For email marketers, dealing with the small business owner can be an ongoing challenge. There are typically three main obstacles to introducing email marketing to a small businesses.
  Email Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Small Business
• MarketingProfs Podcast: Copywriting, Online Calendar Services, and New Year ResolutionsJohn Wall, Christopher S. Penn
  Learn some tips for writing provocative and compelling copy, get some insight into how to best use online calendaring services and how they differ from each other, and make New ...
  Copywriting, Google, Search Engines, Small Business, Social Networking, Writing
• The 10 Biggest Business Blunders (and How You Can Avoid Them)David Finkel, Diane Kennedy
  Here are the 10 biggest business blunders, and advice on how you can avoid them sinking you (and your company).
  Management, Marketing Challenges, Small Business
• Going Global in a Web 2.0 World: A Punch List for Small BusinessLaurel Delaney
  In a world that is now fully connected, people and businesses are putting their opinions, observations, insights, thoughts, and capabilities online, via some very helpful tools. Here's what one fictitious ...
  Economic Crisis, International Marketing, New Media, Online Marketing, Small Business
• Business Aikido: Gaining Strategic Advantage Through LeverageNilofer Merchant
  In Aikido, martial arts students study and practice katas—pre-arranged movements that enable them to deal with an opponent successfully. The centuries-old art teaches practitioners to use the force of an ...
  Customer Engagement, Customer Relationships, Online Marketing, Small Business