Business Feeds

A uniquely named barber shop in Brighton has been named the “punniest” business in the country.

Barber Blacksheep was chosen as the business with the best pun-related name in the UK.

The Kemp Town business beat shoe shop R.Soles and restaurant Jamaican Me Hungry to claim the top spot.

Catharine Wehrle, the owner of Barber Blacksheep, said: “We believe that the salon got its name from the previous owner’s nephew, who was forever singing the nursery rhyme. I had been looking for a quirky business for some time, and with a name like Barber Blacksheep, the salon was perfect.

“People comment on the name all the time and we often get people coming in just because the name has brought a smile to their face.

Read more…

Social media has widely been publicized as a great marketing tool to end-consumers. The ability to share information with customers and create “buzz” can indeed be productive. The viral aspect of social media is also great toward public relations and publicity with the general public. However, how can it benefit a small business who markets to B2B customers?

Use it To Pose Questions

Your B2B customers have certain needs, and they also are full of opinions. Use social media like Facebook or Twitter to pose questions to help your business grow. Ask whether a new product in development is a good idea. Ask for suggestions to improve current products. Ask what your B2B customers think of a certain news story or new industry trend.

Make Instructional Videos

YouTube can be a powerful marketing tool for small businesses who sell B2B. Using proper video techniques, a short video may be produced and uploaded that shows how a product works in a business setting, or how a product is manufactured using “green” technology. Videos may also show customer testimonials and how your product solved their problem.

Indeed, video is powerful tool. Be creative and think of ways it can work for you on social media.

Promote Your Internal Structure

B2B customers, more than end-user consumers, want to know more about a company before they buy from them. For instance, a personal relationship with an owner or salesperson can be a big factor in making a large contract decision.

Utilize social media such as Facebook or LinkedIn to highlight your executives and managers. Give some background on their experience and hobbies. This can be a great way to help a potential B2B customer feel closer to your company.

Retweets

Social sites like Twitter and Facebook allow you to “retweet” or share a certain post from another account member. Use these opportunities to retweet something of value posted by your B2B customers. It will help them know you are thinking of them and value their opinion.

Social networking can certainly help your business grow and provides the ripe ground for B2B interaction.

So, let’s take a look at the seven early warning signs that your business may be headed for credit problems.

< !-Click to continue->

1. Paying Invoices Beyond  Terms                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This is a strong indicator that your company may be experiencing financial difficulty. While paying 7 days past the due date is pretty standard in the industry anything beyond that can have a negative impact on your credit files and scores. Avoid paying your invoices late at all costs and better yet pay them ten days prior to the due date for an even stronger credit rating.
2. Higher Debt to Credit Utilization                                                                     

Read more…

Bank of America has announced it will hire over 1,000 small business bankers by early 2012. This is good news not only for the employees that will be hired, but also for the firms that will secure financing through this initiative.

The bank says it has already extended over $45.4 billion in credit to small and medium-sized companies in the first half of 2010, and “is expected to meet or exceed its pledge to increase lending to those businesses by $5 billion in 2010.”  Bank of America also invests heavily in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) which promote access to capital and local economic growth in urban and rural low-income communities across the nation.

According to the Small Business Administration, small firms accounted for 65 percent (or 9.8 million) of the 15 million net new jobs created between 1993 and 2009. The O

Read more…

People especially students need to know how to create a high quality essay for their final exam because essay is the minimum requirement that students need to pass from the test and graduate from an education program. If you do not know how to find accurate solution in the middle of life, we need to make sure we know how to find interesting service of writing from internet. I think every student should know how to choose the best research paper writing service so anytime they need to make a research paper or essay then he or she can be helped with accurate solution in the middle of life. It is nice to know how easy to find this kind of solution for our life by checking special online essay provider via internet. Read more…

Whether it is boxed, shrink wrapped simply wrapped in plastic, the total appearance of your product packaging carries a great weight to buyer attractiveness. How do you know if it’s time for a packaging renovation?

Length of Time Since Last Packaging Change

You may now have an attractive packaging for your business product(s). However, no matter how attractive your packaging is, it can get stale after a certain length of time. Even major manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and national restaurant chains change their packaging or name logo every few years to keep it fresh in the minds of consumers.

If you are experiencing a lag in sales over the last year or so, take some time to re-think your packaging. Y

Read more…

“Healthcare & Wellness in an ERA of Transformation” is the topic of the sixth annual Educational Symposium presented by the Tri-State Business Group on Health. The symposium will be held at the Southern Indiana Career Technical Center, 1901 Lynch Rd., on Nov. 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The symposium will bring together business leaders and professional speakers to discuss health care reform, incentive strategies for behavior-based rewards and fitness programs.

Jayne Manis considers herself “born, cleaned and well pressed” in the dry cleaning business, as a veteran in the industry.

Now 80, she has spent nearly all her life helping run her family’s Evansville-based Crescent Cleaners, founded in 1925 by her Greek immigrant father, Sam Maglaris.

“I’ve never known anything else,” she said.

But, now, she is preparing to gracefully ease herself into retirement, knowing the business’s customers will be well cared for in future years.

She, with her sister, Dorothy Amos, 97, a resident of Willow Park retirement homes, are merging the business with another long-established local business, Pearl Laundry & Cleaners, founded in 1896 by Daniel Korb.

“I didn’t want to completely retire without turning the business over to someone special,” said Manis.

“The merger allows me to still be here, work with them (staff) and have a hand in the dry cleaning business as I ease out gracefully.”

She is a fixture at Crescent’s store at 2712 Lincoln Ave., at the intersection with Villa Drive, as was her sister for many decades.

“Dorothy (now retired) was ‘Miss Crescent,’” said Manis.

Jayne Manis’ husband, Pat, also 80, Crescent’s industrial manager, plans to retire with the merger.

Jayne Manis and Bernie Michel, Pearl’s chief executive officer, revealed the merger plans Monday.

The announcement came on the heels of another merger announcement by two other long-running local companies: Gem Craft Custom Jewelers and Brinker’s Jewelers.

The jewelry firms announced on Sept.

Read more…

What are some of the features of a business credit card that are ideal for your small business? Is it something that every card can offer?

While typical credit cards provide you an unsecured credit line and may offer special reward programs there are many other unique features that come with a prepaid business credit card that just might make it the best choice for your company.

Read more…