On Small Business - News, trends and analysis of small businesses.

Posted at 06:15 AM ET, 03/06/2013

Small business advice: Which tasks to handle internally and which to outsource to experts?

By J.D. Harrison

Business owners explain why they have found it more efficient to outsource some tasks to outsiders.

By J.D. Harrison | 06:15 AM ET, 03/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, small business advice

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 01/23/2013

Small business advice: How to capitalize on your competitors’ strengths

By Mark Quinn

Rather than simply criticizing your rivals, try focusing on and learning from the things they do well.

By Mark Quinn | 08:00 AM ET, 01/23/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 12/17/2012

For a cash-strapped small business, holiday gifts get less expensive but more personal

By Mike Mitternight

By Mike Mitternight | 08:00 AM ET, 12/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, small business advice, holidays, economy, entrepreneurs

Posted at 07:15 AM ET, 12/17/2012

Small business savings: Employer giving extra paid vacation instead of holiday bonuses

By Cynthia Kay

One idea: Consider giving them an extra week of paid vacation instead of the traditional holiday bonus.

By Cynthia Kay | 07:15 AM ET, 12/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, small business advice, holidays, economy, entrepreneurs

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 12/17/2012

Four inexpensive ways to show appreciation to your small business employees this holiday season

By Michelle Benjamin

By Michelle Benjamin | 05:30 AM ET, 12/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, small business advice, holidays, economy, entrepreneurs

Posted at 07:30 AM ET, 11/02/2012

Small business owners forced to walk a political tightrope around employees

By Gloria Berthold Larkin

Small business owners should educate their employees but remain neutral about the candidates.

By Gloria Berthold Larkin | 07:30 AM ET, 11/02/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice, politics, election

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 10/22/2012

Entrepreneurship advice: How to decide between coworking spaces, accelerators and incubators

By J.D. Harrison

Then again, there are also coworking spaces. So which one is right for your young company?

By J.D. Harrison | 12:00 PM ET, 10/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 11:35 AM ET, 10/22/2012

Small business advice: How to make office meetings more enjoyable and more effective

By J.D. Harrison

Don’t dread the site of your conference room. Meetings can be both enjoyable and efficient.

By J.D. Harrison | 11:35 AM ET, 10/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 11:18 AM ET, 10/22/2012

How business owners can avoid succumbing to email overload

By J.D. Harrison

Entrepreneurs offer their tips for managing an often overwhelming stream of messages.

By J.D. Harrison | 11:18 AM ET, 10/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 09/24/2012

How small businesses can locate and lure new customers through Foursquare

By J.D. Harrison

The location-based platform can be a valuable tool for business owners, especially ones who are willing to trade deals for check-ins.

By J.D. Harrison | 08:00 AM ET, 09/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 09/24/2012

Entrepreneurs share their promotional ‘swag’ secrets

By J.D. Harrison

Stickers and t-shirts are popular giveaways. But something outside the box might work even better.

By J.D. Harrison | 07:00 AM ET, 09/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 09/24/2012

Business tips: How to get the most out of your online advertising dollars

By J.D. Harrison

Google AdWords, Facebook ads, promoted tweets: Which options work best for small businesses?

By J.D. Harrison | 05:00 AM ET, 09/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 03:15 AM ET, 09/11/2012

Need a hand? How to build and promote an internship program for your business

By J.D. Harrison

Here’s how to build a program benefiting both the intern and your business.

By J.D. Harrison | 03:15 AM ET, 09/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 02:45 AM ET, 09/11/2012

Home sweet home: How to find the perfect first office for your small business

By J.D. Harrison

Your office space should reflect the culture of your business — here’s how to find it.

By J.D. Harrison | 02:45 AM ET, 09/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 02:16 AM ET, 09/11/2012

Entrepreneurs: Start preparing your business right now for the mobile payments movement

By J.D. Harrison

Is now the right time for your business to embrace the technology?

By J.D. Harrison | 02:16 AM ET, 09/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 11:46 AM ET, 09/05/2012

Why simplicity should be at the heart of your small business marketing strategy

By Patrick Spenner

New research shows that simplicity, not engagement, encourages customers to buy from and return to your business.

By Patrick Spenner | 11:46 AM ET, 09/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 05:45 AM ET, 08/23/2012

The small business benefits of focus groups, customer interviews and qualitative research

By Jennifer LoBianco

A little qualitative research can carry your small business a long way — if it’s done correctly.

By Jennifer LoBianco | 05:45 AM ET, 08/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 08/15/2012

Should every entrepreneur learn how to code?

By J.D. Harrison

Learning the language behind the web can prove useful for some business owners but a waste of time for others.

By J.D. Harrison | 08:00 AM ET, 08/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 07:15 AM ET, 08/15/2012

How to attract maximum attention to your small business press releases

By J.D. Harrison

When your company has news, you want to share it with everyone. But what tactics work best when wrangling the media?

By J.D. Harrison | 07:15 AM ET, 08/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 08/14/2012

How to make Yelp work for your small business

By J.D. Harrison

Here’s how to elicit more customer reviews — and more importantly, how to respond once you get the feedback.

By J.D. Harrison | 05:00 AM ET, 08/14/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 08:30 AM ET, 08/08/2012

Contracting games only making matters worse for small businesses

By Ron Perry

Alaskan business owner explains why government services companies are struggling to break even on recent projects.

By Ron Perry | 08:30 AM ET, 08/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 08/08/2012

Despite downturn, don’t cut back on employee training

By Michelle A. Benjamin

Employers often turn here when times are tough, but poorly trained employees will only hit harder at your bottom line.

By Michelle A. Benjamin | 06:00 AM ET, 08/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 08/08/2012

In slow economy, small businesses must create their own revolution

By Faith Smith

For entrepreneurs, a recession can open as many doors as it closes — but you have to actively look for them.

By Faith Smith | 05:00 AM ET, 08/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 04:12 AM ET, 07/30/2012

What to look for when hiring a social media specialist

By J.D. Harrison

Nearly every young job applicant understands the basics of social networking. So how do you identify an expert?

By J.D. Harrison | 04:12 AM ET, 07/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 07/30/2012

Small business advice: How to respond to harsh criticism on your social media pages

By J.D. Harrison

Here are a few helpful hints for handling negative reviews and angry messages on your social media pages.

By J.D. Harrison | 12:01 AM ET, 07/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 08:30 AM ET, 07/25/2012

Small business owners, beware of BYOD

By Eric Yaverbaum

Letting employees use their own devices for work could save time and money. But it could also cost you a great deal of both.

By Eric Yaverbaum | 08:30 AM ET, 07/25/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice, mobile

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 07/16/2012

How to seek out LinkedIn recommendations?

By

By | 12:01 AM ET, 07/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 07/16/2012

Business tips: How to hunt for talented job candidates using social media sites

By J.D. Harrison

Many employers now use the sites to vet applicants. But they can also be used to actively seek out promising candidates.

By J.D. Harrison | 12:01 AM ET, 07/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 07/16/2012

#Fail: The most common Twitter mistakes by business owners

By J.D. Harrison

Entrepreneurs explain which nine common blunders can wreck your tweeting strategy.

By J.D. Harrison | 12:01 AM ET, 07/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 07:30 AM ET, 07/05/2012

Thunderclap: The next invaluable social media tool for small business?

By Eric Yaverbaum

A new web service could help small businesses go viral online. But there’s some controvery surrounding the model.

By Eric Yaverbaum | 07:30 AM ET, 07/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 06/26/2012

Klout: A litmus test for small business marketing and social media strategies

By Eric Yaverbaum

How the site can help entrepreneurs evaluate whether their social networking and Internet marketing efforts are working.

By Eric Yaverbaum | 10:00 AM ET, 06/26/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 06/11/2012

How to leverage user-generate content on social media sites

By Eric Yaverbaum

Here’s how to encourage your customers to create new advertising and branding solutions for your company at no cost to the business.

By Eric Yaverbaum | 05:30 AM ET, 06/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 12:51 PM ET, 06/07/2012

Who you need to know when competing for small business contracts

By Doña Storey

Building relationships with these public figures can go a long way when vying for government work.

By Doña Storey | 12:51 PM ET, 06/07/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 05/30/2012

Small business advice: The five keys to fighting fraud

By Mary Ellen Biery

Fast-growing firms are especially prone to falling victim, but here are five tips to prevent fraud.

By Mary Ellen Biery | 05:30 AM ET, 05/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: small business, advice

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