This Week in Small Business: Overlooked marketing opportunities, living RICH, and much more
This weeks tips will steer you toward finding new marketing opportunities, make you a happier person and help you find out exactly what kind of entrepreneur you are.
Dig in!
Marketing and sales
Hyperlocal media planning, digging deeper than sites like Facebook and Yelp, is one of the most often missed opportunities when it comes to local marketing.
Anthony Iannarino explains why you need to take notes in sales meetings. It may seem like a simple thing, but the reasons are really fairly profound.
Carlos Alber is the content marketing guru at 3M. When he talks, people listen. He talks in this article.
Can you apply Amazon and Apple’s marketing strategies in your small business? Some smaller brands are doing it with great success.
Do you know the social media marketing tools Canva, Post Planner and Shortstack? If not, get to know them here.
If you care at all about search engine optimization (SEO) you should be redoubling your content creation efforts. It’s the most effective way to boost your visibility. More on the subject: 10 #SEO Tips For Marketing Your #Startup in 2015. Make a checklist from these items so you can “hit the ground running” with your startup.
In case you don’t already have a social media image size guide on your refrigerator door, here it is again. And for image inspiration, check out this slideshare that illustrates how 10 brands used visuals.
Leadership, management and productivity
You need to communicate effectively and professionally. Here are some simple grammar tips to help keep your written communication looking its best.
Shep Hyken interviews Dina Dwyer-Owens, co-chair of the Dwyer Group. She explains how to “Live R.I.C.H.” – which entails respect, integrity, customer focus and having fun while you’re doing it!
Sujan Patel, VP of marketing at When I Work, gives us 15 ways to be a happier person. (Can we adapt this article for Grumpy Cat?)
Have you ever been haunted by a bad hiring mistake? Not fun. Here are seven missteps you must avoid.
Much has been written about big data. This article is good because it gives real examples of how companies have used big data to improve the customer experience. And while we’re on the topic of customer service, this slideshare by Shep Hyken gives a good introduction to customer service on social media.
Need summer reading? Here’s a list of eight business books that you might enjoy.
An Oct. 1 deadline looms for implementing credit card readers that can handle cards with embedded chips. Are you ready?
The seven quick tips for starting your small business strong are all right on the money. And please don’t ignore number four!
Entrepreneurship, startups and innovation
Silicon Valley giant Intel is setting aside $125 million to grow tech startups that are being fun by women and minorities. If that includes your company, it’s worth checking out.
If you have time to listen to podcasts, here’s a good one on alternative financing.
Do you have to set out to be a “social entrepreneur” to do good? Ray Hennessey says that all entrepreneurship is “social” entrepreneurship.
Scroll through this list of six different kinds of entrepreneurs and see where you fit in.
Politics, government and the economy
Los Angeles recently passed a law to raise the minimum wage there to $15 an hour over the next few years. It looks like the opinion of small business owners on this issue is evenly split.
Forward this article to your elected officials: Why customer service matters in government. It’s a good read that discusses important principles.
The federal budget isn’t a particularly fascinating read. However, economist Raymond J. Keating outlines seven key points every businessperson – and citizen – should be aware of.
It seems that small businesses are driving the drop in unemployment. Wouldn’t it be great if banks were less tight with the loan fund purse strings and made it easier for young companies to borrow?
