Small Business Tips

Owning a small business often means wearing every possible hat available, from marketer to sales clerk and inventory manager to HR professional. Learn from the experiences of the small business owners who are NFIB members as well as the best experts for each industry. Below you will find small business tips for everything from taxes and regulation to promotion and networking.

5 Ways to Use Text Messaging to Boost Sales

Posted On: May 10, 2011

Text message marketing is a low-cost way to get deals into your customers’ hands to drive sales. Texts are more convenient than email or print coupons, so it’s no surprise that they’re effective. Coupons sent via text message are redeemed eight times more often than those sent via email, says David Wachs, founder and president of Cellit, a mobile marketing...

Small Business Sales: 6 Strategies for Prospecting

Posted On: April 15, 2011

Finding customers for your small business starts with nailing down a good prospect list. After all, your sales and marketing efforts are lost if you try selling to a crowd that doesn’t want or need your services. But how do you find the people (or companies) who are most likely to buy from your small business? Here are six quick tips...

3 Tips for Running a Successful Contest to Promote Your Business

Posted On: April 06, 2011

Small businesses are always looking for new and creative ways to market themselves, and running a contest is a great way to increase brand awareness and increase customer loyalty. Here are three tips to remember for running a contest: Know what demographic you’re aiming for. Tina McCormack Beaty, senior director of C.Fox Communications, based in Silver Spring, Md., frequently runs contests for small...

6 Places to Use Storytelling in Promoting Your Business

Posted On: December 20, 2010

Storytelling—it’s not just for your kids’ bedtime. On the contrary, storytelling can be one of the most effective marketing tactics for your business, when promoted in the right medium. “Storytelling is what people remember. It gets them talking, and can inspire action and affinity,” says Carin Galletta of Ink Foundry, a marketing communications agency in San Francisco that relies on storytelling...

Beyond Excel: Managing Customer Information

Posted On: October 18, 2010

Customer information is the lifeline of small businesses. Lost customer names or contact information can directly translate to lost business and lost revenue. Many small businesses rely on Microsoft Excel as the go-to—or at least starter—tool for managing customer information. It’s affordable and user-friendly. But just as businesses can outgrow office or retail space, they can outgrow customer information management tools. “Excel...

The Pros and Cons of Crowdsourced Logo Design

Posted On: September 23, 2010

Any small business owner on a tight budget is looking for discounts, but as with any bargain, one must balance the benefits and drawbacks. One route small businesses are taking in an effort to save money and time is acquiring their logos from crowdsourced design competitions, such as 99 Designs. How it Works Small business owners submit an online post covering what...

Small Business and the GSA: 5 Things You Should Know

Posted On: September 22, 2010

Each year the federal government aims to award 23% of its contracts and purchases to small businesses. That’s a big chunk of change—U.S. government agencies are the world’s largest buyer of goods and services, spending about $425 billion annually, according to the SBA. They buy anything from office furniture and automobiles to consulting services and temporary staffing. In order to sell...

When It's Time to Incorporate Your Business

Posted On: September 10, 2010

Many entrepreneurs don’t know when to officially establish their business. Is it when they first get their business idea? Once they land a customer? Or the day they leave their 9-to-5 job? “My advice to people is that you should probably begin to incorporate as early in the start-up process as you can,” says Bradley Miller, a business attorney in Columbus,...

6 Creative Ways to Show Customers You Appreciate Them

Posted On: July 21, 2010

Customer satisfaction can make or break a business. Especially with social media avenues allowing customers to share their experiences and feedback instantly—and with their entire networks—it’s more important than ever to make your customers feel valued. “People want to feel like they’re special,” says Mike Mirau, owner of The Growth Coach business coaching franchise in Dallas, Texas. “If you let them...

5 Things Your Business Needs to Do on Facebook

Posted On: June 01, 2010

Facebook’s surging popularity has businesses asking, “How should I be using Facebook for my business?” With comScore’s recent revelation that Facebook is responsible for serving up one-third of online advertising in the U.S., Facebook clearly has caught the attention of large and small businesses alike. If the proposition of becoming a social media marketer has left you wondering where to...

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