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Small businesses know that mentors are a major driver of growth. Small Business Trends contacted Innovation and Disruption Keynote Speaker Bonin Bough to get some advice SMBs can use. Bough is a renowned marketing executive also known as host of the CNBC show Cleveland Hustlers. The Value of a Mentor Bough starts by talking about…

The future of customer service could mean the future of your business. 77% of customers are “fed up” with bad customer service, and 91% of consumers only buy from brands they trust. That means poor customer service leads to lost customers and lost revenue. Consumers demand amazing service and will spend more to get it. Companies who don’t…

Ask any other small business owner like yourself and they’ll say they never stop working at their business. Turns out that’s becoming more than just a cliche. This week, we came across new information in the MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index indicating just how much the average small business owner works…

There are many ways you can reward the hard work of your employees. Compensation, benefits, recognition and appreciation address key areas in the employer/employee reward system. While compensation, benefits and recognition are obvious options, there are a lot of ways to say “Job Well Done!”. You can show your appreciation by rewarding your employees with…

Another week brings another conference.  This time around I headed to Boston. (Which is enemy territory for a Rams fan! But I digress.) There I attended Sugar Connection, hosted by SugarCRM.  Sugar launched 15 years ago. But the last two years saw a serious transformation, including private equity firm Accel KKR making a strategic investment…

This article, “Product Differentiation Ain’t What It Used To Be” was first published on Small Business Trends Top Featured Tags: – Business Press Release Distribution Service

One awful day you wake up and realize an employee you trusted has been embezzling from your company. It’s one of the most devastating things to happen to a small business owner. Examples of embezzlement abound and there’s no shortage of ways that employees steal. The goal of this article is to help you spot…

Employee Stock Ownership Plans, or ESOPs, are a terrific type of employee benefit plan.  They are also a way for a small business owner to cash out and exit the business — and save on taxes.  The quiz below will help answer the question “is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan right for my business?” About…

Etsy launched in 2005 as an online marketplace where people could sell handcrafted items, vintage products and craft supplies. Today the site attracts nearly 40 million active buyers, making it an attractive option for people looking to start their own online businesses. In its early years, Etsy remained very strict about items fitting into those…

If you are looking for top-tier video professionals, Vimeo has just launched a new platform which offers a “For Hire” marketplace. With this new platform, you can source the best talent for your project to create videos, scripts, product explainers, VR video, 3D, animation and much, much more. If on the other hand, you are…

If your business is using the Android platform, AirDroid Business will help you control all your company’s devices remotely. The company says the solution it provides gives small and medium-sized businesses an alternative to enterprise-grade solutions. When a small business has to adopt an enterprise-grade solution, the benefits don’t necessarily outweigh the disadvantages. They’re complex,…

Do you own a retail business? Sell lottery tickets to bring in more customers to your location. And increase your revenue. In addition to the commission, you stand to earn on direct sales. Certain states, like Pennsylvania, even offer bonuses or percentages for retailers that sell winning tickets. In Michigan, licensed retailers brought in $5.2…

The concept of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) was first introduced in 1962. And since that time, it has evolved with new innovations. But new research from Vonage reveals 61% of consumers think IVRs make for a poor experience. This poor experience is responsible for more than half (51%) of consumers abandoning a business because of…

Customers are always looking for unique accessories to set their look apart. And Tippy Taste Jewelry gives them that opportunity with one-of-a-kind pieces. The jewelry brand started out as a one-woman operation and still keeps that spirit alive with individualized designs made with quality materials. Read about the company and its founder in this week’s…

Wood burning is the art of decorating, writing or drawing on a wooden object with a heated stick or poker. This allows you to customize various products or create truly unique works of art. There are more than 8,000 wood burned products listed on Etsy alone (which makes that an ideal source of wood burning…

Housecall Pro, is scheduling software for home service businesses. They recently announced the new Housecall Pro’s XL Plan. It offers updated tools in sales and other places. Small Business Trends contacted Ian Heidt, co-founder and CEO of Housecall Pro, to find out how this new plan helps small businesses. Housecall Pro XL Plan He described what…

The idea behind a CRM is pretty simple. You store your leads’ information and track them through the sales funnel. Marketers are responsible for getting more traffic, clicks, and conversions on signup pages. And when a prospect signs up, ding! All that information drops straight into the CRM. Boring, right? For the marketer, the CRM…

Mark Levy is the founder of Levy Innovation LLC, a positioning and branding firm that helps thought leaders grow their personal brand and business. Mark says he typically works with 2 types of clients. The first: those who are already famous before they reached out to Mark, and he helped them differentiate and refine things to…

Are you ready to start a loyalty program for your retail store that goes beyond paper punch cards? Offering loyalty rewards to your customers can deliver plenty of rewards for your business. For instance, 39.4% of customers will spend more at the businesses they’re loyal to even if cheaper options exist, and 60% will recommend…

Small business owners give presentations regularly to meet different goals. For example, presentations can be used to inform, educate, motivate or persuade. As a result, you need to give a great presentation to leave a lasting impression. However, not all small business owners have the same success in their presentations. If you are trying to…

Are you a small business that sells merchandise at events? Maybe even looking at putting together or streamlining your own event planning/organizing business? You should take a look at Billfold’s wireless point-of-sale system. Billfold POS This technology allows customers to buy food, drinks, and other merchandise with a wristband linked to their credit cards. It…

Imagine starting a mobile device company today. The iPhone helped make Apple one of the biggest companies in the world. And entering a space occupied by other tech giants like Google and Samsung? That might sound like a great way for a small startup to get stepped on. Nevertheless, e Foundation plans to do just…