2012 Brings New Opportunities and Outlooks for Small Businesses
2011 had its share of ups and downs for small businesses. With every business there is a plan for the success of that business. Goals are developed and measured to determine effectiveness. With a new year comes new opportunities and new ways of looking at things for 2012. Being a part of the small business world requires a new way of thinking and there are some things to keep in mind:
- 2012 is an era of technology. Today more people access the internet via their cellphones and tablets. Be sure that your website, emails and other online marketing efforts are geared towards this mobile movement. There’s nothing worse then someone wanting to look at your site and finding out that it does not have a mobile application and so they can’t view it. So be sure your site is mobile ready.
- Reach out to your local community. People like to… Continue reading
PayPal is One of the Top Ways to Accept Payments Today
When it comes to online payments today a leader in the payment industry is PayPal. Let’s face it, if you have a website and your selling a product or service you nee to have a way to accept online payments. If you’re not a big enough business to set up a merchant account to accept credit cards what are you going to do? This is where PayPal stands out in the crowd.
With PayPal you can accept credit card payments from your clients and customers. What’s even better is you can literally set up your PayPal account in minutes. So you’ll be up and running in no time. Via PayPal you can accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Sure there is a small fee to accept credit card payments but they are no where near what it would cost to get a typical merchant account through a credit… Continue reading
Freshbooks Can Save the Day When It Comes to Billing
When running an online business there is so much to do. Just as with any traditional brick and mortar business you have expenses, clients/customers, vendors and more. Keeping track of all your expenses as well as your invoices and billing can be a daunting task if you don’t have a good system in place.
One program that is worth its weight in gold is Freshbooks. This easy to use, online program can save your countless hours when it comes to your billing and expense tracking. With Freshbooks you can send and manage all your invoices from one easy ti use application. Plus you can accept payments online with Credit cards, e-Checks or PayPal.
Are you tired of sending out payment reminders to your customers? Well, those days are over as Freshbooks has an automated reminder system that handles this task for you. If you’re a small start-up, you can… Continue reading
Share Your Knowledge and Expertise Through Maven
You’re an expert. Did you know that? Think of the times that people ask you for advice based on your profession. You know your stuff. That’s why people come to you. There are plenty of people out there who need your expertise. It’s about making connections and networking.
Now there is a place where experts come together for a common cause; sharing their knowledge with others. That place is called Maven. Mavin is not just a way to network. It’s not just another social platform. At Maven, members not only get a platform to share what they know but it’s another outlet to make money. People are constantly looking for experts to assist them. They are even willing to pay for that expertise. Maven is your outlet to getting what you know in the hands of others.
Maven members come from all professions to include: attorneys, physicians, accountants, social… Continue reading
What You Need to Run a Successful Online Business
Online businesses pop up each and every day. However creating an online business that will be successful and will last is a different story. There is so much competition today when it comes to online business. There is so much to know when you take your business online. Running a traditional brick and mortar business is hard enough but when you put it on the World Wide Web there is a whole new set of rules that need to be followed and a whole new audience that can be reached. Running an online business is not as simple as throwing a website together and posting it live on the Internet.
If you don’t know the right things to do, if you don’t know the most effective approaches then you could be wasting valuable time and money. Now there is a resource that is changing the landscape of those wishing to… Continue reading
G+ Hangouts Now “On Air”
Google has been working to make sure that G+ is the best experience and tool possible. The hangouts are an easy way to communicate live with a group. Now hangouts have gotten even better. As part of the beta test program I have been asked to try out “Google Hangouts on Air”. What is it exactly?
Well if you have a business, product or service this “on air” option will become important for you. Now your hangout sessions can be recorded, aired live and streaming as well as aired later to the world.
Hangouts allow you to video conference with 9 people at one time. With the “on air” option after 9 people have entered the hangout, all other users won’t be able to join in on the live chat but will be able to watch the live stream from YouTube. Now that is a powerful marketing tool in the… Continue reading
Change the Layout of Your Gmail Easily
Google has been enhancing their products and services to make them more enticing to users. Gmail has undergone a makeover and has a new look. Did you know that you can change the layout of Gmail to suit you? It’s true. You can keep the traditional look or go with a vertical or horizontal layout.
Changing your layout will allow you to get the most out of your Gmail account. It will also give you a chance to get a sneak peak at your emails in an easy to view layout.
This video will show you step by step how to do it:
Side note: If you don’t see the tab in the video to change your layout then you simply need to change your settings. Under the settings menu click on labs. This will bring up a menu of all the labs you can choose. You want to… Continue reading
