Archive for November, 2011

Every day, it seems, there’s a new tool out there that is going to do wonders for you and your business. Sometimes, though, it seems these tools will take an Einstein to learn how to use them. You try to teach yourself and your computer starts smoking. Well…not really, but frustration  sets in and you give up and go back to your old tried and true methods.

But there are resources out there that can help you develop the skills you need to use these new tools. Just don’t let the volume of these resources overwhelm you. Begin by having a clear plan of action, then pick a project, learn the skills and make it happen.

Here are a couple of resources you may want to check out:

Grovo: Their main product is approachable video content. Their site has a broad catalog of video tutorials on a variety of web tools, from Google Analytics to getting started on Facebook. And if you’re already pretty adept at using these particular tools, Grovo can expose you to new ones.

E-Business Now:
This is a particularly accessible site with instructional video workshops available on-demand at no cost. They start with basics like the value of  leveraging technology. Later lessons give an overview on topics like cash flow management. Here again, even if you’re a well-seasoned entrepreneur, these videos might provide a refresher course on the different options out there.

Good luck with that smoking computer. Still need help? We’re here for you.

There’s no doubt the couple of big social networking sites that we hear about the most are powerful tools and have a wide reach. But there are many different social networking sites out there that can help you promote your business. Think local and if your city or area has a social network managed by local entrepreneurs, sign up.

If you’re not that lucky, there’s a site that brings national resources and name recognition to bear in a series of local networks. We’re talking about Yelp (www.yelp.com). This social networking site and mobile app has networks in all 50 states and eight countries. It focuses on local businesses with local directories and services with user-generated reviews. You can engage with Yelp’s active user community and take  dvantage of the specific tools for local businesses with Yelp for Business Owners (biz.yelp.com).

Foursquare (www.foursquare.com) is another site to check out. This useful and fun site lets you earn points and unlock badges for discovering new things.

Biznik (www.biznik.com) helps small business owners, entrepreneurs and ‘companies of one’ create and maintain connections with each other. It’s akin to holding conversations with your professional peers. They recommend not only thinking outside the box, but flattening it and  ecycling it.

For additional local interactions try Meetup (www.meetup.com) or Tribe (www.tribe.net).

Small businesses can take full advantage of these smaller social networking sites. Search the Internet to see if there is a group near you where  you can interact with others in your situation. Just be sure to keep in mind that all these groups and small social networking sites aren’t set up  to be used for sales pitches or self-promotion. They’re for strengthening your business, building relationships and uncovering new opportunities.

You’re a small business and you advertise locally in the newspaper, on the radio, perhaps in the Chamber of Commerce magazine. You’d like to grow, get bigger within your region, maybe even go national someday. Maybe even go international. That would take some mighty big changes. But there’s a way to test the waters. Begin with a website, a blog site, link to Facebook and Twitter and use the multiple ways there are to test responses to your ads. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will get you up there on the search engines and make you easy to find. The World Wide Web is free, but all this will cost you time and we know your time is valuable. So let us take our time at a reasonable cost to you and guide you through this process. You’re ready for the world. See if the world is ready for you. You’ll never know until you try. The choice is yours.