Like the many successful entrepreneurs who have come before this newest class of innovators, lessons (and failures) had to be learned along the way. Learning from your mistakes is important, but there are also valuable lessons to learn when you examine what worked (or didn't work) for other entrepreneurs. Take for instance serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Bobby … [Read more...]
Your small business may offer the highest quality product or service, but if you’re unable to reach the market for it, you’re unlikely to achieve your business goals. With nearly half of small businesses in the U.S. failing within the first 5 years, according to the Small Business Administration, the pressure mounts on small businesses to find success early or risk becoming … [Read more...]
When I speak to people about authority marketing—strategically establishing yourself as the expert in your field in order to grow your business—one of the tactics I encourage is creating and securing publicity and media. The responses are generally that publicity is too time consuming or too unreliable. They couldn’t be more misdirected. Media is still one of the most … [Read more...]
Time is the ultimate harbinger of change. This is true in all aspects of life - including the pool of potential employees. With the new year well under way we are facing a large pool of Millennials that are ready to join the workforce in any and all capacities you can imagine. In the US alone there are almost 55 million Millennials ready to work hard. This cannot be ignored if … [Read more...]
The future looks bright for small businesses, with consumers increasingly drawn towards shopping small. At Vistaprint, we recently surveyed 1,500 U.S. consumers, and more than three-quarters said that shopping at or using a small business is important to them. The main driver is the impact these businesses have on the local community. In fact, more than double the number of … [Read more...]
For a lot of people, business and community leadership are like water and oil — they just don't mix. This preconception is unfortunate because, in fact, small business owners have the power to become excellent local leaders and effect positive changes in their communities. Running a small business in your neighborhood gives you more than practical knowledge of administration … [Read more...]
“Locavore” is a term that has been around for about a decade now. It refers to those individuals who prefer to consume food that has been grown or raised locally. It’s a trend that has been steadily growing year after year. “Locavore” was even the Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year in 2007. Restaurants and grocery stores catering to locavores have been springing up … [Read more...]
When I first started as a freelance writer, I joined a platform that put me in direct competition with more than 200,000 others offering the same type of service. My first thought was, “How in this world am I ever going to beat all of these other writers and actually get work?” Fortunately, as it turns out, I apparently offer services a lot of my competitors don’t. Between … [Read more...]
Leila, a 9-year-old beautiful black Labrador, is one lucky dog. Her owner, Sarah Hassenger, a 4th-grade schoolteacher in St. Joseph, MI, went in search of the perfect collar and accessories for her four-legged child shortly after she adopted Leila. In particular, Sarah wanted a way to let well-intended strangers know that Leila is a “she,” not the “he” people frequently … [Read more...]
In 2014, over $358 billion was donated to charitable organizations, associations, and causes, $17.8 billion of which was given generously by corporations versus individuals (source: Charity Navigator). This amount represents a 13.7% increase over previous years, which shows that businesses are seemingly giving more now than ever before. As far as the types of causes are they … [Read more...]
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