11/19/2016
Starting a small business in the United States has never been easier and, in fact, small businesses make up the backbone of the American economy. 9 out of every 10 employees works for one of the 28 million small businesses across the country. Each month, a half million new businesses enter the market, of which about 70% will last at least two years and one-third will last longer than 15 years.

But what does it mean to be a small business?

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11/17/2016
Millennial business owners depend on social media for brand promotion more than any other medium.

Shocked, right? OK, probably not. But just how much Millennial business owners are using this relatively new media — or how much they don’t use traditional media — may come as a surprise.

New data (PDF) from Magisto shows that 68 percent of Millennial small business owners and entrepreneurs depend on social media channels for developing awareness of their own brands.

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11/15/2016
If you have a small business, you know you want to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to increase sales. Kim Garst has made her living telling businesses how they should use social media to their advantage.

The one thing all business owners say to her is that they want to use social media to make money. This is possible Garst says, but you have to first build a brand.

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11/13/2016
When you run a business, it’s important to always keep an eye on the future if you want your business to grow and improve. Members of our small business community understand what it takes to keep businesses moving forward. Here are some of their top tips.

Make Sure Your Small Business is Prepared for the Holidays

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11/11/2016
For small and local businesses, it can be hard to stand out against larger nationwide brands. However, content marketing can help your small business attract attention, and for relevant niches in your industry, too.

Content marketing is a marketing approach that involves creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to your prospective audience in the hopes of driving a consumer action, and it has numerous benefits for small businesses. It can give you the opportunity to not only expand your company, but also to build your reputation and establish a place as a trusted leader in the industry.

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11/09/2016
Why Your Business Needs Virtual Assistants

If you are looking to de-clutter your business life so you can focus on serving your clients and customers, then virtual assistants are the perfect solution. They excel at the everyday tasks that keep your business up and running and can also handle the more complex tasks that you’re ready to hand off to someone else.

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11/07/2016
Despite the potential for physical, emotional, and mental stress, you can learn to lead a sustainable and healthy lifestyle as an entrepreneur.

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11/04/2016
Look the part You may be trembling inside, but you want to appear strong and in control. How can you communicate confidence that you may or may not be feeling? Try following these simple tips.

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11/02/2016
Small business owners have a problem with thinking big.

Thinking big doesn't mean getting a big head.

Small business owners mistake successful crowdfunding campaigns with success.

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10/31/2016
You do not have to be an adult to start your own business. In fact, there are many different business opportunities that teens can use to get their entrepreneurial journeys started. Here are 50 business opportunities for teens.

50 Business Ideas for Teens

10/28/2016
It is common knowledge that targeting customers will result in a higher sales conversion than non-targeted, random traffic that just happens upon your website. In order to effectively target your customers, you need to know who and where they are. Customers come in all shapes and sizes, so how do you discern which customers are the best to target?

The following are tips to identify your best customers...

Tips to Identify Your Customers

10/26/2016
Yahoo has confirmed that it was the target of what may be the largest cyberattack of all time. The breach took place back in 2014 and compromised the data of an unprecedented 500 million users.   - See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9435-yahoo-cyberattack.html#sthash.y9TRc8EM.dpuf

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10/24/2016
If you want to start a small business but you do not have large cash flow, there are still many great opportunities available.

These jobs can be side businesses to start, but they may eventually replace your entire income.

A small business on the side was once a novel idea, but it has become more mainstream with the help of the internet and social media.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that freelancers and self-employed individuals may make up 20% of the workforce by 2020. The Small Business Association estimated in February 2015 that there are about 28,443,856 small businesses in America. Nearly 23 million of those businesses are single worker operations.

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10/21/2016
As Federal Reserve officials gathered to issue their monthly assessment of the world's largest economy, a new study lays bare the extent to which many small firms are pressed for cash.

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10/19/2016
As a general rule, true creativity is lauded across the globe. From the iconic Burning Man Festival, which is held annually in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, to ever-diversifying International Women’s Day, there are recurring events that celebrate the innate abilities and the creative potential that exists within us all.

Conversely, creativity is typically viewed as an inherently disruptive force in the world of business and commerce. After all, the boldness and distracting nature of innovative thinking is often considered to be detrimental to the basic mechanics of business management, while the endless pursuit of productivity often forces entrepreneurs to eschew creativity in favour of something more reliable.

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10/17/2016
A business that makes the decision to be environmentally-conscious will often promote goodwill among potential customers, while making the world a better place for future generations. Many businesses hesitate to adopt green practices because they fear it will hurt their bottom line and negatively impact profits. But many eco-conscious businesses discover that they can actually save money and bring in new customers who specifically patronize companies that actively make an effort to be environmentally friendly. Many customers may even be willing to pay a bit more for a product or service from a company that is green.

Businesses Going Green

10/15/2016
Perhaps it is time to embrace some new first principles.

Making a first impression is not easy. People are just so sensitive these days. Sensitive about themselves, that is.

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10/13/2016
One of the most valuable possessions that you have is your reputation -- and it is important to guard it at all costs. Profits can be lost and regained, but rebuilding a damaged reputation -- that is far more difficult.

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10/11/2016
Running a business is complicated, which means there are some factors or tasks that tend to get overlooked. From basic concepts to more involved processes, members of our small business community have plenty of tips for dealing with those sometimes overlooked business tasks. See the full list of tips below.

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10/09/2016
Do you own a small business? If so, you are a favorite target of the Internet bad guys. More and more, they are moving away from well-prepared big businesses and stealing from small businesses, who are often unable to cope with even the most basic cyberattacks. Answer the following questions and then think carefully about what the answers mean for you.

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10/07/2016
Great communication skills are a powerful tool to have in your arsenal. Here are eight proven strategies that will improve yours today.

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10/05/2016
With the ongoing move of smart phones towards near-ubiquity, much of society has come to take these do-all devices for granted. In overcoming the novelty of smart phones, many of us have lost our one-time sense of awe at this technology, and have ceased marveling at the effect it has had on the world around us. However, it is undeniable that smart phones have exerted a huge and multi-faceted impact on society, and continue to do so to this day.

The Advent of Access: How Smart Phones Have Changed the World

10/02/2016
Marketing is a three-syllable word that seems so simple, yet encompasses so much. Marketing is a multi-faceted approach to promoting a product or service. Both traditional and unconventional marketing methods have a place in the small business world. Marketing helps small businesses focus on building their brand and identity.

There are few limitations to marketing options, and the opportunities listed here are just a few that will generally result in a decent ROI (Return On Investment) for most small businesses. That said, do not be afraid to be creative -- no one knows or understands a small business like its owner, so think outside of the box and don't be afraid to experiment.

Innovative Ways to Market

09/25/2016
Business Insiders premium research service, expects that there will be more than 24 billion connected devices on Earth by 2020 — approximately four devices for every human being on the planet.

And as the IoT expands, it will have a particularly profound effect on businesses, especially small businesses. Several IoT business opportunities will be created in the coming years as we head into an increasingly connected world.

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09/23/2016
Tai Lopez was born and raised on the wrong side of the tracks but he made choices early on in his adult life to move to the other side.

Today he lives in a massive Beverly Hills mansion, shares his tips for creating wealth and fulfillment on his super popular social media channels and rubs shoulders with the most successful people in the world.

So how did this all happen?

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09/21/2016
Is your business protected from a data breach? The largest data theft in history:

1.2 billion internet user names and passwords compromised
420,000 websites impacted
Well-known national brands and small companies affected.
Here are ten things you can do to protect your business.

1. Secure sensitive customer, employee or patient data.

Store paper files and removable storage devices (such as thumb drives and CDs) containing sensitive information in a locked drawer, cabinet, safe or other secure container when not in use.
Restrict access to sensitive data to those who have a need to know. Give employees access to only the information they need to do their jobs - whether it's online or in paper form.

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09/19/2016
Small businesses generally face harsher circumstances when it comes to planning and launching a marketing campaign. They have less revenue and capital, which means they’re more limited in the strategies they can pursue. They have fewer resources, which means their teams are smaller and less experienced. And they generally have less data and first-hand experience with which to strategize in the first place.

One of the best marketing strategies for small businesses is content marketing, due to its approachability and affordability, but creating a content marketing strategy can still be an intensive and intimidating process.

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09/17/2016
How to Cope with Brexit
For small businesses owners, especially ecommerce merchants already selling (or thinking about selling) to UK consumers, the anxiety lies with unknown costs: what happens when Brexit takes effect? What new regulations or tariffs will be imposed on trade? How will that affect landed costs (taxes + import tariffs + shipping charges) to UK consumers? Will that change a seller's supply chain, and if so, how?

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09/15/2016
When small business owners think about getting involved in SEO, they often become intimidated (or frustrated). They see massive corporations and large businesses dominating the search engine world, and it is no secret why they are able to. They have access to tens of thousands of dollars (or more) to spend on online marketing, a highly talented full-time staff to oversee campaign management, and perhaps most importantly, they have been around for years, so they have had time to cement their authority in their respective niches.

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09/13/2016
1. Contribute to your community.
For Chiodo, offering his time and resources to the community is not a chore so much as it is part of his commitment to doing the right thing.

Last summer, for example, Chiodo and his team installed four new air conditioning units at a local animal shelter where the cooling system was on its last legs. Instead of handing the shelter a hefty bill, Chiodo worked with his distributor to have the equipment donated. He handled the labor for free.

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09/11/2016
Content marketing is an important part of keeping a small business growing. It can help you to build credibility and authority, win you good positions in search engine results, and develop important relationships with your actual and potential customers.

The main problem for most small businesses is producing content at a consistent rate. There is so much to do when you’re trying to get a new business off the ground or take a semi-established small company to the next level.

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09/09/2016
Global mobile traffic now represents roughly 60 percent of internet traffic, making mobile apps a must-have for businesses. But consumers today increasingly expect an Amazon-like experience online. Small businesses do not just need to build a mobile app, they need to build a great one.

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09/07/2016
These companies are making major strides--and major revenue gains. Check out the fastest growing businesses in the U.S.

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09/05/2016
Of all the elements in starting a new business, location is among the most crucial. But it’s more than just finding a good spot. A prospective startup owner may need to look at different cities in order to take advantage of the potential audience, costs and revenue opportunities.

There is plenty of research out there about what the best cities are for small businesses, and different studies will yield different results, based on their metrics.

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09/02/2016
Brands are often associated with large businesses. However, a brand can be used effectively by small businesses as well to increase their profitability. Branding a new business is just as important as insuring your business and knowing when to hire an employee. Your business will not be maximizing its profitability if you are not building a strong brand.

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