As a small business owner, you know the value of promoting your services or products in a cost-effective way. One inexpensive choice to attract new clients is utilizing the internet's vast reach through ezines, also known as electronic newsletters. Read more

Many of us are not only solopreneurs with growing or newly established home-based businesses, but also parents, spouses, PTA presidents, and Little League coaches as well. It's easy to become overwhelmed when you're devoting so much time and energy to your business, and as a result, to become "stuck" and unable to make those decisions effectively which are crucial to your business's growth. Read more

You'd love to work from home, but can't imagine taking client phone calls with a crying baby and a barking dog in the background. And how many calls would you miss when you leave the house to run your myriad errands throughout the day? The good news is that there are many work from home opportunities that do not require turning your home into a call center. Read more

Large companies can make small mistakes when it comes to advertising, without damaging their bottom line. Not so for the small business owner. Jamie Herzlich's article on www.newsday.com shares some advertising industry secrets to effectively maximize your small business advertising dollar. Read more

Evidence is mounting that the U.S. economy is in the most difficult type of slowdown for a business to weather. Companies are likely to face inflation–caused by the weakness of the dollar and rising commodity prices–in addition to slowing sales.
In the article, "Guiding Your Business Through the Recession", Ridgely Evers of NetBooks (www.NetBooks.com) offers six tactics to put your firm in the position to navigate hard circumstances and emerge stronger.
1. Focus on your existing customers. Remember, they are under the same pressures you are. Make sure that you are the company they choose to work with when times are difficult.
2. Make sure you keep your best employees.
They will be pressured by inflation and may be tempted to switch to higher-paying positions, if they are available.
3. Invest in systems and technology. While this may seem like a strange time to be making investments, there are two good reasons to do it now. First, in this less-hectic time for your business, you and your staff may be more available to assess options and make changes. Second, improved systems will enable you to provide better service to your clients while at the same time enhancing your employees’ productivity.

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Creating your company's brand is one of the most important things that you'll do as a small business owner. Most people understand the importance of clearly representing their products or services in order to build a relationship with potential customers.

However, having a strong brand is also crucial in raising capital. Banks and investors are looking to fund companies that are professional and are therefore more likely to generate revenue and prove stable and secure over time.

In addition, a strong brand can help you to attract good employees and to negotiate better terms with vendors. People want to work for and do business with a company that appears professional and established.

"PartnerUp" (www.partnerup.com) offers the following nine tips for creating a successful brand.

1. Find the right name for your company. A short one which accurately conveys what you do is best. Try to find a name that allows you to obtain its .com domain name. Also, make sure that the name you want to use isn't already trademarked or in use by another person or company. Read more

With the abundance of information available online, how do you choose what is constructive for your business? There are many people selling to entrepreneurs, so how do you evaluate the marketing product or service before you spend your time and money?

First, look for proof. Is the site offering overnight wealth, or does it give you step-by-step instructions on using their method or product to increase your profits over time? Making money online is a process, and you are looking to further your education.

Also note who endorses this book or course. It should be a reputable expert in the industry whose integrity can be verified, rather than someone who puts his name on everything. Check to see if the book or course has case studies or testimonials by users to back up its claims. Are there links to real businesses whose owners will share their experiences with the product? Read more