We’re 15 days from 2010. It’s time to give your small business a jump start. That means planning, record keeping, and goal setting. I have four suggestions for you. 1. Draw up a Simplified Business Plan. I know you don’t want to do a big, five pound business plan, like you would do to apply…
Facebook ads may be one of the most underutilized forms of local advertising. No matter how small your town, I’ll bet you have locals present on Facebook. My home town of Alva, Oklahoma, has hundreds of Facebook users. And when you start thinking about how many people in your target area are online, you’ll realize…
“Business intelligence” means gathering the right information that can help you improve your business, or move up to a new level. If you have internet access today, you can gather a ton of amazing research, if you know the right sources to tap. So we’re starting a series on great sources for business intelligence for…
As more rural people join social networks, small town business people are looking to build in person networks with their fellow social media users. Chris Cornell shared his story in the Brag Basket: I own and operate a small business (custom picture framing) in the Village of Pleasantville, NY. I’ve been attempting to build…
Two events surprised me around professional networking site LinkedIn recently. First, a long time friend who shuns all online social interaction, joined LinkedIn and started connecting. He told me that he knew it was important if or when he looked for a new job. I was astounded that LinkedIn had enough potential benefit to draw…
Two new shop local ideas hit me this week. 1. Can you get your city utility on board? The City of Alva added this shop local message to their utility bills: Support your local merchants – Shop Alva for the Holidays Some cities and towns mail out larger bills in envelopes. They might even let…
At the recent Small Business 101 workshop in Alva, Oklahoma, two people with lending experience presented some secrets to getting a small business loan. Maybe these are not really secrets, but they are keys you’ll need to understand to get a small business loan. Laura Girty, REI Laura Girty works with REI, Rural Enterprises of…
In most social networks, you have the chance to add a picture. But what if you are tweeting for your small business? Should you use a photo, or should it be your logo instead? Here is one reason why I think you should use your own photo, and make sure it’s a good likeness. allcore_tech:…
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