Business Feeds

Branding and brand identity are important aspects of marketing that a business can benefit from immensely. When it comes to small businesses, branding is put on the back burner because of the high marketing costs involved. But small business owners, who want to establish their businesses and carve a niche for themselves, should consider developing their brand identity. Here are 10 simple and low-cost ways to do it.

1. Brand Message

   If there is anything that the major brands have in common, it is a strong message. Your first step, therefore, is to create a branding message that is simple, yet strong enough to make a point about how your company is different from the others in the industry.

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Bankruptcy is one of the worst fears that every small business owner has to deal with. The enthusiasm with which you started your business eventually sobers down, and may even disappear when you find your business crumbling. When sales are dwindling and you are deep down in debt, desperation may push you to make a few not-so-wise decisions. And then, you may be left wondering if you should fight your way back to growth or just give up and close shop.

If giving up is not an option, then there is some good news for you. Reviving your small business and propelling it back to making profits is possible. Here are some steps you should take.

Start With the Problem

Identifying the problems is the first step to finding a solution.

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So you think you can lead a small business? No, this is not a reality TV show – this is reality. Entrepreneurs can get caught up in starting a small business, and as it grows, most are behind the curve when it comes to customer relations and staff management.

Sure, small business leadership takes vision, drive, goal setting, and decisiveness. However, leading people are a different matter. While there is no absolute method of managing a small business, there are some rules you should follow.

Here is a brief course in small business leadership 101:

Dress Your Best

Dressing your best doesn’t necessarily mean wearing suit and tie every day. It means wearing clothes that are fashionable and a step up from what you expect your employees to wear.

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Small business SEO is a vitally important part of successful online marketing. Small businesses do not have the same resources as large corporations to buy online advertising on all the popular websites, nor compete with pay per click on certain top keywords. Thus, a sound small business SEO strategy is necessary.

However, there are small business SEO methods that could work to your disadvantage. Be advised that many website owners have tried sneaky or tricky search engine optimization strategies and have suffered dearly with the resulting fallout.

What are some of the possible results of doing things search engines hate?

• Your site will be poorly ranked – Not the worst outcome, but if you do not employ sound small business SEO strategies, your website could suffer low rankings on certain keyword or search terms.
• Your site won’t be found – One possible outcome is that your small business SEO won’t be successful at all. Your we

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The Internet is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of small business marketing ideas. Although the Internet can reach people worldwide, a new trend focuses on locally with advertisements and promotions. One of the many small business marketing ideas using banner ads with a local accent. Some ways to bring traffic to a small business website is to offer free promotional items or significant discounts. An important way to keep track of your ideas is to ensure that your site has a web presence beyond its own URL. Read more…

Just because you own and operate a small business doesn’t mean you can’t compete with giant corporations for qualified staff. Sure, the right salary is important, but there are several other factors that help a potential employee choose your small business over an internationally recognized brand name. And part of that attraction is in the form of employee benefits and company perks.

In this article, we assume you already offer the list of usual employee benefits such as paid vacation, health/dental, 401(k), etc. What really can solidify a long-term relationship with employees are the additional employee perks not found elsewhere, even in the corporations.

Here is a potential list of employee perks and additional company benefits you could integrate into your total compensation package.

1. Flextime

   Whether employees work a full-time schedule or part time, one very attractive employee perk is the ability to be flexible in scheduling those hours. Fle

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While the news for small businesses hasnt been too good as of late, owners arent taking things too badly, as the Wells Fargo and Gallup Small Business Index shows that business owners are holding steady and not being optimistic or pessimistic.

The score of zero for July of 2011 is much better than July of 2010, when business owners had an overall index score of negative-28.

The Index shows that optimism is currently at zero, as the poll said the current financial situation was not enough to offset lowered expectations for future revenue.

Doug Case, a small business segment manager for Wells Fargo, said that business owners are demonstrating a reluctance to invest and are holding onto their money.

“In recent months, weve seen strong growth in deposit balances as business owners prepare for potential business challenges and save for future opportunities,” Case said.

According to a recent survey from the Alternative Board, 68 percent of business owners in the United States and 61 percent of Canadian business owners are optimistic that the economy will improve this year.

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In 2009, Jay Goltz was decreasing his inventory. Now, the owner of five Chicago businesses, and writer of The New York Times small business blog Youre the Boss, said he is re-investing in his businesses.

This may come as surprising news for small businesses, many of which have been saving money and holding their own. But Goltz said businesses who remain stable should try to push forward.

“[If] you can afford to take some calculated risks, this might be the time to get out of the bunker and try to get ahead of the pack,” Goltz said, adding that he is revamping the business for one of his shops and purchasing a bigger warehouse so he can buy in larger quantities to save money.

Goltz said many businesses need to focus on moving forward, taking some chances and building their company up instead of standing still.

If more business owners take the initiative to invest in their company, there could be a slight improvement in the economy by virtue of more jobs for small businesses.

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Did you know that many small businesses receive a major portion of their start-up costs from small business grants?

I’m sure you may hear grants being referred to as “free money” but it’s not. Grants

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