Articles

by Robert Lerose. Online ads come in different shapes and sizes, but one thing they all strive for is to get the audience member to click on them and be whisked one step further along the sales cycle. To understand the psychology of the click, Robert Lerose spoke with Wendy Montes de Oca, president and managing partner of Precision Marketing and Media, a West Palm Beach, Florida full-service marketing firm, and author of Content Is Cash, an Amazon best-seller. Some edited excerpts from the...

by Erin McDermott. Psst. Is that silent partner you’re seeking really the best move for your small business? When it comes to finding additional funding these days, it’s sometimes a tough road. As a result, people are looking at other avenues of capital, taking on all types of new partnerships, and even tapping into money through crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and AngelList. Traditionally, silent partners have been the go-to investors, often family and sometimes...

by Iris Dorbian. For small businesses with a burgeoning online presence, using online site metrics as a benchmark for performance can be critical to the company’s growth. Not only can such tools as website analytics track the number of visitors (or lack thereof) to a site, but they can also provide data as to what content is working and what isn’t. A big side benefit is its impact on a company’s sales message. Wade Benz, owner of USImprints, an online provider of promotional products,...

by Erin McDermott. “Awful work and unethical business practices! Stay away!” “I will be sure to tell everyone I know how disgusting this place is.” “They will suck the money out of you any way they can and do substandard work. AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!” It’s the Wild West of web commentary out there for small businesses today. Cloaked by online anonymity, customers can and do say anything—including the real examples above, for a dry cleaner, a restaurant, and a portrait studio—often leaving trails...

When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, small business owners often wonder how to show their employees appreciation for a job well done. The good news is that there is no shortage of ways to reward great performances, and none of them need to break the bank. Consider: 1. Money: It is no secret that money motivates employees; we all know that. Holding sales contests, offering bonuses, dangling raises—these are tried-and-true approaches that are effective. But these things also...

by Erin McDermott. Flea markets rang up $30 billion in sales last year, according to the National Flea Market Association. Ki Nassauer (pictured) is executive editor of Flea Market Style magazine and founder of Junk Revolution a popular online forum for devotees of tag sales, vintage markets, and “junkers.” She recently spoke with writer Erin McDermott about what small businesses can learn from the tables and stands of these surprisingly big businesses. EM: We know the old saying: “One...

by Erin McDermott. Nick Loper is a mover and shaker at his home office. Actually, these days, mostly a mover. Back in December, he found a treadmill on Craigslist, and with a little DIY derring-do, he rigged his workspace to it. Now the CEO of ShoeSniper.com is walking 8 to 10 miles a day while he runs the shoe-shopping website from his place near San Francisco. He’s had to learn to steady himself while walking and typing, got a bigger computer monitor that was easier to see at the top...