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January, 2010

Back to Basics: Focus on the Fundamentals of Your Business

Submitted by Tracy Eden on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 11:27
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Here’s one thing about a recession or economic downturn that most people don’t think of: It forces most business owners to focus like a laser on the fundamentals of their business. You know, things like making sure you deliver quality products and great customer service.

A Website That Fills A Customer's Wishes

Submitted by Jeff Frutkin on Fri, 01/08/2010 - 06:19
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What Is The Need?

There are numerous successful websites that offer daily deals on various types of products. Sites like woot.com and yugster.com are some of the most popular. However, all these sites use a "push" strategy. That is, they "push" or promote a specific product or type of product to their potential customers, on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. They partner with various manufacturers or importers to offer certain items at a good discount, with no input from their audience.

Accounts Receivable Collections: How to Get Late-Paying Customers To Pay On Time

Submitted by Gene Siciliano on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 12:37
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A year or two ago, your business was probably running pretty smoothly, with sales and profits growing. And then the recession and credit crunch hit—a brutal double-whammy—and everything started slowing down almost overnight, including your accounts receivable collections.

The 9th Idea Cafe's Small Business Grant Now Open For Applications!

Submitted by Jordan on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 15:30
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You, small business owners, are the main engine that drives the economy. And despite the difficulties that you all faced this past year mainly from an economic perspective, we believe the passion and creativity that drive entrepreneurs to success is as strong as ever. This is why we are announcing a new contest, where good business ideas for small business will compete against each other.

Six Tips To Boost Trust and Your Conversion Rate

Submitted by Chris Birk on Wed, 01/13/2010 - 12:46
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If your site doesn’t solve a consumer’s problem, you’ve got a big one of your own. Getting viewers to your website is a win all by itself. But solid traffic won’t necessarily put dollars in your pocket. There’s both an art and a science to converting site visitors into actors, and you’ve only got a few seconds to seal the deal.

Tough times call for tight measures

Submitted by Christian Arno on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 10:53
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The global recession may be coming to an end, but it’s not time to crank open the bubbly quite yet; unless, of course, it’s a bottle of Walmart’s cheap sparkling wine.

You see, if anything is to be gleamed from the past twelve months, it’s that we shouldn’t take anything for granted. Whilst things may be rosy one day, they might not be tomorrow; so by being thrifty when times are good, this will help take care of things when times are tough.

A New Year’s Resolution: Five Small Business Mistakes to Avoid in 2010

Submitted by Gene Siciliano on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 13:03
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The past couple of years have been an especially challenging time for most business owners as they’ve struggled to maintain sales and profitability in the face of one of the worst economic downturns in our nation’s history. As a result, many owners and entrepreneurs have been only too glad to say goodbye to 2009 and welcome in a new year.

Panera's Powerful Message: SBA Loans Can Make a Difference

Submitted by Chris Birk on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 21:50
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Every so often, I'm reminded of the power of SBA loans.

Some of the country's largest companies got off the ground thanks to an injection of small business funding through one of the U.S. Small Business Administration's finance programs. That list includes companies like Apple, Intel and AOL.

Online Marketing Tips for Business Owners

Submitted by Michelle Strassburg on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 12:13

For us small to medium business owners, promoting our websites online which is also known as online marketing needs to meet two conditions. Low investment is the first condition so TV ads are probably out of the question (for now) and for many of us, it needs to work almost as a do-it-yourself marketing task. Here are a selection of online marketing tips which are both budget minded and require very basic previous experience.

Small Business Financing Options—Despite the Credit Crunch

Submitted by Tracy Eden on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 11:24
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There’s no question that the financial crisis and ensuing credit crunch have made it more difficult than ever to secure small business financing and raise capital. This is especially true for fast-growth companies, which tend to consume more resources in order to feed their growth. If they aren’t careful, they can literally grow themselves right out of business.