Print
Time To Startup!
Inspiration and Information for Starting Your Business

Archive for the ‘Internet Business’ Category

Are You Pushing the Envelope or Pushing Paper?

Posted on August 29th, 2011 by Joey Donovan Guido
Category: Business Inspiration, Goals, Grow a Business, Home Business, Internet Business, Small Business

http://www.bizfilings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Pushingtheenvelope.jpg

Whether you’re a huge company, a small business, or somewhere in-between — you’re either pushing paper or pushing the envelope.

A Quick Word on “Pushing”
In the literal sense, we shouldn’t be pushing anything at all, because pushing equals forcing — which can lead to disaster.

But in this article, pushing has a slightly different meaning. Are we status quo, staying within a tiny little paradigm that gets us a paycheck or a modest profit for our business? Or are we pushing the envelope by creating innovation that makes us a leader, a trend setter or a world changer?

What We Choose to Push Affects Our Entire Life
Beyond the business model, pushing paper is a choice that typically brings us no personal satisfaction or accomplishment. Weren’t we put on this earth for more than just going through the motions?

Sure, pushing the envelope can be scary. And if we don’t do our research, learn from our mistakes or ensure the highest quality, it can be fatal. But the rewards are great for those who are brave enough to go into uncharted territory — both personally and professionally.

A true desire for pushing the envelope is the path of high integrity. But it also involves extreme dedication and hard work. Remember, even Michael Jordan (the greatest basketball player who ever lived) was cut from his high school basketball team. What would have happened if he would have walked away and stopped trying because it was too “hard?”

FACT
We’re at work anyway. Why not be the Michael Jordan of what we do? We have a choice, no matter where we’re at in our lives. We can be our best or we can be mediocre.

There may be hundreds, or even thousands of people, awaiting our decision. What’s your choice?

Related Links:
- Discovering Your Goals
- Clearly Defining Your Goals
- Setting Your Goals
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Do You Have Daily Goals?

Business Blogs
blog

No Comments

Effective Marketing Software that Won’t Break the Bank

Posted on August 3rd, 2011 by Joey Donovan Guido
Category: Home Business, How To Information, Internet Business, Marketing, Small Business, Small Business News, Women-Owned Businesses

http://www.bizfilings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Marketing-iStock_000011853944XSmall.jpg

Drive more traffic.

Convert visitors to customers.

Measure and share results.

These are all goals small business need to accomplish on an ongoing basis. But what’s a small business owner to do when his company is composed of just a few people — or in the case when HE is the entire company? When time is not abundant and the budget is small, creating a relevant online marketing campaign can feel impossible.

Enter Optify, a leading provider of marketing software and services for real time web analytics. Optify is also affordable, with their Basic Edition costing only $99 per month.

What You Get:

  • Keyword Marketing: Research keywords with ease, using Optify’s Keyword Suggestion Tool. You can even include a competitor’s website to find out what they’re targeting.
  • Website Optimization: Optimize your website with step-by-step guidance, while identifying pages with the greatest opportunity. Optify scores each web page so you know what to focus on first.
  • Link Management: Optify gives you the ability to keep track of links you have and find links you want.
  • Lead Scoring: Focus on your hottest leads and close more sales.
  • Visitor Tracking: Turn website visitors into customers.
  • Twitter for Business: Manage campaigns and measure results.
  • Marketing Analytics: Maximize ROI and track your success.
  • Salesforce Integration: Get the most out of your data.
  • Get Your Ducks in a Row: Align your marketing and sales groups and close more deals.

The great thing about each of these tools is that you can track your progress to see what’s working and what needs further improvement.

Visit Optify’s website for more on their services, or to sign up for a FREE TRIAL.

Business Blogs

blog

No Comments

Google Plus and its Effect on Small Business

Posted on August 1st, 2011 by The BizFilings Team
Category: Grow a Business, Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Small Business, Small Business News

Small businesses want to find a way set themselves apart from competitors. One way to stand out is to integrate Google Plus into social media initiatives and become active on the new social media platform.

Konrad Kafarski, CEO of Special K Enterprises, an independent consulting firm, says Google Plus is the best way to gain the attention small businesses need to grow in this economy.

Google Plus’ Circle function gives social media mangers the ability to talk to customers, one-on-one, which allows companies to learn about their customers. The Circle function is also a way for users to interact with others on a personal or private level.

To further inform small businesses on Google Plus, Forbes composed a list of items small businesses must know about Google Plus.

According to the website, Google Plus is Google’ answer to Facebook, but with a much simpler and better privacy management interface. Also akin to Facebook, Google Plus allows users to share links with the +1 button, meaning that the link contains quality information.

Google Plus is poised to impact SEO with the use of the +1 button. Many believe links with more +1 clicks will show up higher in search results.

No Comments

Online Marketing Assistance for Small Businesses

Posted on July 28th, 2011 by The BizFilings Team
Category: Grow a Business, Home Business, Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Small Business, Small Business News, Small Business Technology, Women-Owned Businesses

Search Engine Optimization and social media have become a staple in the marketing schemes of many small businesses. Integrating SEO and social media marketing, Optify — the leading provider of online marketing software and service for the Real Time Web — launched a new Basic Edition designed especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

“We get everything we need for our online marketing campaigns in one single product, no more juggling across different applications,” said Jonathan Saad, president and CEO at BlueCosmo, a sales and rental source for satellite phones, pagers and accessories.

Offering page optimization, link tracking, Twitter for business, and more, the Basic Edition of Optify is able to handle all of the online marketing needs of a small business. Optify also can track 250 keywords and includes one global search engine.

Another great, inexpensive resource is Tom Heatherington’s SEO and Social Media Marketing Guide. Tom is an online marketing consultant, and he’s cut the price the Kindle and online versions of his bookby 75 percent.

Heatherington compares a website that has not been optimized to a business that has an unlisted phone number. The SEO and Social Media Marketing Guide outlines how to utilize SEO and social media marketing in simple terms to help businesses instantly improve its brand.

No Comments

Fantastic Free Cloud Apps, Part 6: Google Docs

Posted on July 22nd, 2011 by Joey Donovan Guido
Category: Home Business, How To Information, Internet Business, Small Business, Small Business Trends

http://www.bizfilings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Cloud-4-iStock_000016854987Small1.jpgWelcome to the Fantastic Free Cloud Apps series, where we look at the very best cloud-based apps and how they can be harnessed to help your small business get organized and grow.

Next up: Google Docs.

Unless you’ve been living under a very heavy rock, you’ve probably used Google’s search engine. But have you ever noticed the black navigation bar toward the top of the page? There’s a “more” button in this navigation bar that leads you to some amazing stuff — including Google Docs.

What exactly is Google Docs?
As the name implies, it’s a word processor app —  much like Microsoft Word. The difference here is that it’s cloud based, making it super-easy to access documents from any computer or a mobile device like an iPhone, Android or Blackberry.

But there’s a whole lot more this app can do. Google Docs lets you:

• Create documents, spreadsheets or presentations from scratch or from one of Google’s templates.

• Upload existing files, including Word docs and many other formats.

• Customize your docs just like you would with a desktop application (bold, indent, bullets, etc).

• Instantly share documents with the people you want to see them. Simply enter their e-mail address and send them an invite.

• Choose whether you want guests to view only, or have the ability to edit a document.

• View and make changes to documents with multiple people in real time, at the same time.

• Safely store all your docs, spreadsheets and presentations — and keep them well organized.

• Save docs and spreadsheets to a computer in multiple formats including DOC, XLS, PDF and HTML.

• Publish your docs as a Web page or post them directly to your blog. You also control of who gains access to these pages.

Click here to get started with Google Docs.

Links to previous Fantastic Free Cloud Apps articles:
DropBox: Simplify your life and your business
Survey Monkey: Create smart, professional surveys with ease
Evernote: Capture anything. Access anywhere. Find things fast
Google Calendar: Never forget another event
HootSuite: The social media dashboard

Business Blogs

blog

No Comments

Michigan Efforts Hope to Spark Small Business Growth

Posted on July 22nd, 2011 by The BizFilings Team
Category: Business Plans, Grow a Business, How To Information, Internet Business, Small Business, Small Business News

Many small business owners have enterprising ideas, but no idea how to incorporate them in their business plan. Aiming to provide guidance and expertise to small business owners, the Small Business Association’s Small Business Outreach Tour will travel to 15 Michigan cities to lecture small business owners on various topics.

“The concept of bringing resource providers to local communities of small business owners is a dynamic way to foster economic development in Michigan,” said Gerald Moore, district director for SBA’s Michigan office.

Beginning August 10th in Mt. Pleasant, small business owners can learn about exporting, financing, government contracting, social media and more. Those small business owners interested in attending can register for free online. The tour will conclude in Detroit on September 30.

Another initiative to spark small business in Michigan is a free training program offered to veterans who are interested in launching a new business venture. Held at Grand Valley State University, the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center will house the training program, according to the Holland Sentinel.

Aspiring veteran entrepreneurs will be trained on the essentials of internet business, running a restaurant, succession planning, the retail survival guide, and how to become a successful contractor, according to the news provider.

No Comments

Fantastic Free Cloud Apps, Part 5: HootSuite

Posted on July 20th, 2011 by Joey Donovan Guido
Category: Grow a Business, Internet Business, Marketing, Small Business, Small Business News

http://www.bizfilings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Cloud-3-iStock_000016923859Small.jpgWe’re getting pretty far along in our Fantastic Free Cloud Apps series. So far, we’ve discussed:

DropBox: Simplify your life and your business
Survey Monkey: Create smart, professional surveys with ease
Evernote: Capture anything. Access anywhere. Find things fast
Google Calendar: Never forget another event

We also defined the “cloud,” and looked at some of the ways it can help your small business get more organized and grow.

Next up in the series: HootSuite.

If you have accounts with social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Wordpress, you’ve probably experienced the repetition of posting the same message multiple times to reach your readers on each platform.

Just say no to unnecessary repetition! And say yes to HootSuite, a free app that lets you say what you want to say once, and disseminate it to as many social media sites as you like from one easy “dashboard.”

HootSuite also gives you the ability to shrink URL links (especially useful with Twitter), and include a preview widget to add a visual dimension to your posts.

What else does a free HootSuite account offer?

  • Custom Analytics: create custom reports you can learn from, as well as share with customers and colleagues
  • Schedule Messages: Send your posts and tweets during optimal audience times for customers in different time zones and different countries
  • Mobile Apps: Use it on your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or your Android. In addition, since it’s a cloud based app, you can access your account from any computer that has an internet connection
  • Automated Reports: Share reports with any HootSuite user, and schedule them in a variety of ways — from daily to monthly
  • RSS Integration: Feed from your blog right to the HootSuite dashboard
  • Custom Dashboard: Fix up your dashboard to suit your own preferences and needs

Go to HootSuite.com for more info and to get started!

Business Blogs

blog

No Comments

Merchant-friendly Daily Deals from Everybodybuys.com

Posted on July 19th, 2011 by The BizFilings Team
Category: Grow a Business, Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Promote My Business, Small Business, Small Business News

Websites like Groupon and Living Social charge small businesses a hefty fee for their daily deals. Everybodybuys.com aims to help merchants by allowing them to keep the full profit on the deal provided.

Instead of charging a fee to small businesses, Everybodybuys.com charges consumers a small fee to purchase a deal. This allows small businesses to keep the full profit when consumers redeem their coupon.

“It’s just not sustainable in a lot of cases to be giving up that much money, which is why we created the ‘Buy Here, Save There’ program,” said Mitch Sibonney, partner of Everybodybuys.com.

Social media plays a huge role for Everybodybuys.com. According to the company’s Web site, they follow a policy similar to Groupon called collective buying. Collective buying means there is a minimum amount of sales Everybodybuys.com must make for a particular deal in order for it to become valid.

Because of collective buying, Everybodybuys.com relies heavily on their consumers to spread the word on social media about a deal they are attempting to purchase. If the minimum amount of sales are not met on a particular deal, no one receives it.

If you’re a small business looking to offer a great deal and spread the word about your company, Everybdybuys.com might be a good fit for your marketing and sales campaign.

No Comments

Fantastic Free Cloud Apps, Part 4: Google Calendar

Posted on July 18th, 2011 by Joey Donovan Guido
Category: Home Business, How To Information, Internet Business, Small Business, Small Business News, Women-Owned Businesses

http://www.bizfilings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Cloud-2-iStock_000016475408Small.jpg
In previous installments of our Fantastic Free Cloud Apps series, we discussed DropBox, Survey Monkey and Evernote. We also defined the “cloud,” and discussed some of the ways it can be harnessed to help your small business.

Next up in the series is Google Calendar.

There was a time, not that long ago, that I used my Moleskine Weekly Planner exclusively. Don’t get me wrong, Moleskine makes some fantastic notebooks and planners, and I still use them regularly. But trying to schedule my work, my wife’s work, as well as the kids’ camp, school and play dates proved difficult.

Enter Google Calendar, the free calendar service that you can access from any computer, as well as many mobile devices. It’s easily accessible, and since you can sync up with the Google Calendars of family, friends and coworkers, you can finally gain a clear picture of everything that’s going on. If you’re a small business owner, syncing up with your team can help you keep your ducks in a row — making it easier for your business to grow. And, since the calendar lives in Google’s cloud, every time you add an event, anyone who has access to your calendar will see the update — whether they’re viewing it prom their iPhone, Blackberry or great grandma’s old desktop.

Here’s an overview of some of the benefits you can expect from this calendar app:

  • Easily share your schedule
  • Receive e-mail and text message reminders to keep you on schedule
  • Send invitations through the app, and receive RSVPs via e-mail or Google Calendar
  • Sync with iCal, Outlook and Mozilla Sunbird
  • Choose different colors for your events and the events of others
  • View and edit your calendar from any computer or mobile device
  • Offline access lets you see your schedule when you don’t have access to the cloud
  • This technology is free!

Visit Google’s About Google Calendar page for more info, or click here to create an account.

Business Blogs

blog

No Comments

Facebook Helping Small Businesses Grow

Posted on July 15th, 2011 by The BizFilings Team
Category: Grow a Business, Internet Business, Marketing, Small Business, Small Business News

Small business owners who believe Facebook is just for kids, or not for them, might want to take a look at the ways Facebook is changing small businesses. The UPS Store is holding a Facebook contest called “The Promotion Promotion,” which is an effort to help small business owners with their marketing initiatives.

The lucky grand prize winner will be awarded an integrated marketing campaign, valued at up to $50,000. To enter the contest, which begins on July 18th, log onto The UPS Store corporate Facebook page. The winner will be determined by a panel of judges who will base their decision on who they believe possesses the most passion for small business.

Another way Facebook can influence small businesses is with their partnership with American Express. The two companies created their own small business division, American Express Open, which will give five companies a Facebook reconstruction, and $20,000 to expand their business.

Facebook and American Express both share an aggressive focus on small businesses. Last fall, American Express Open’s Small Business Saturday, advocated for independently owned businesses, and urged consumers to shop at these types of stores on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Business Blogs

blog

1 Comment
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »