We all know that small businesses are the backbone of the US economy. According to the SBA, small businesses employ nearly half the country’s private workforce. We officially entered a recession in February and as of June, have an unemployment rate of 11.1%—and about 15 million fewer jobs than pre-Covid February. Small businesses will lead the …
7 Tips to Make You an Instagram Star
Get out your pink paint. Or your coral, or yellow, or teal. By the time you finish reading this column, you’re going to be painting one wall…
Facebook: A Mixed Bag for Small Business
Many small business owners watched recent revelations about Facebook with mixed emotions. Like most Americans, they were surprised to discover how much information the social media collects on its users. Even more worrisome was learning that 87 million Americans had their data exploited by Cambridge Analytica, a firm with ties to Donald Trump’s campaign, to …
Get Them Eating Out of Your Hand
Americans eat about a billion meals a day. A huge percent of those meals are eaten somewhere other than homes. That’s one of the reasons running a restaurant has been a time-honored, tried-and-true way to own a small business. But is the local, independent restaurant an endangered species? What can they—or you, if you’re a …
Make Sales, Not Tweets
Our new President, Donald Trump, spends a lot of time on Twitter. He’s tweeted almost 35,000 times and often tweets many times a day. But is all that time on social media well spent? Whether you have one of the world’s largest enterprises to run – let’s say one directly affecting 330 million of your …
11 Small Biz Social Media Do’s and Don’ts
Face it, some days you wish social media would just go away so you can get back to running your small business. Sure, you like Facebook for keeping up with family and friends, but what the heck are you supposed to post about your storage unit business? Instagram and Pinterest are great for pretty pictures, …
Facebook Help for Small Business
Has this ever happened to you in your small business? You want to get the word out about a sale or a new product, and you’ve heard Facebook is a good way to reach customers. You create what you think is a good post and then pay to “boost” it. Then, nothing. No sales. No …
Instagram Success for Small Biz
Facebook. Twitter. Pinterest. LinkedIn. Phew. You could spend all day on social media, but you’ve got a small business to run. Nevertheless, social media can be a powerful marketing tool. The key: finding the one or two outlets that reach and engage your target market. If you’re in a very visual industry – food, fashion, …
7 Things to Stop Doing in Your Business
If you’re like me in my small business, you’ve got a long list of things you’ve got to do today, this week, this month. You’re overwhelmed. Well, I’m going to help you find more time and become more productive. How? By sharing the seven things you should stop doing in your small business now. When …