Small Business Advice Blog

Check out this great post from Jay Goltz @ the NY Times:

“One of my businesses, Chicago Art Source, calls on design firms, architects and other companies to sell art and framing. We have been in maintenance mode for the last year and a half as projects have been canceled or put on hold and new activity has slowed because companies have been under no-capital-expenditures orders. But I am happy to report that business seems to be picking up in the corporate furnishing world.

Now I have a new problem. A good one, actually. I need to hire one or two more salespeople. While I have years of experience in successful retail management and running a factory, I am less confident that I know the smartest way to find the right people to both acquire and service accounts. There are several things I have learned…”

Read More: How Do You Hire Salespeople?

“Social media is fast becoming an essential part part the marketing mix for brands. Companies are increasingly using social tools to monitor conversations about their products, competitors, and industry, and engaging with their customers to build strong relationships. According Forrester Research’s most recent Interactive Marketing Forecast, social media marketing will grow at an annual rate of 34% -– faster than any other form of online marketing and double the average growth rate of 17% for all online mediums.”

Check out this new post from Pam Dyer @ Pamorama:

“On the Internet, it’s been said, nobody knows you’re a dog. And if you happen to be a dog groomer? You’re lucky if anyone even knows you exist. Fewer than half of all U.S. small businesses have websites or advertise on the Net, Nielsen Online reports, even though most consumers search online for local shops and services before picking up the phone or leaving the house.

Now, dog groomers, car detailers, and other neighborhood businesses have a host of new options for raising their profile online. Hundreds of new services have cropped up, aiming for a piece of the $17.5 billion that consultancy BIA/Kelsey says U.S. small businesses will spend on Net ads this year. By 2014, BIA estimates, that figure will grow to $36.7 billion, a quarter of all local advertising. “There’s an increasing sense of urgency around having an effective online marketing strategy,” says Court Cunningham, CEO of online ad agency Yodle, which caters to small businesses.”

Read More: Local Business Search