Business & Careers

As a small business owner, it can be difficult to shift your attention away from continually glum U.S. market growth reports. When your business depends on a vibrant marketplace for survival, it's only logical that you'd want to watch vigilantly for changes, for better or worse. However, if you're so focused on one thing, a lot of opportunities to grow in different ways could be passing you by.

Business owners shouldn't throw a big party just yet, but the truth is, they're in better shape now, with a better outlook for the future, than they were just a couple of years ago.

As a small business owner, you know that any moment could be your next business opportunity. Therefore, you would never want to lose an opportunity because you were missing one of the key tools in your marketing arsenal.

Is virtual buzz replacing word of mouth for small businesses looking to reach new customers? While face-to-face recommendations from satisfied customers will always have a place in the business world, generating positive buzz in social media has become an essential marketing tool for small businesses.

So your small business is a success - a small one for now, but you're confident you're ready to take things to the next level and start enjoying major success. What do you do now to continue building on your success?

Another year in operation is cause enough to celebrate if you're a small-business owner, but what can you do to get other people celebrating with you? Special events are a great way to build awareness about your business, and a fun way to interact with your customers.

Most business owners know that developing an online presence is important these days. But not all business owners have made the leap, and many of those who haven't are probably thinking that getting their businesses online is a lot of work that's far beyond their levels of expertise.

How many times have you meant to take advantage of a rebate, but just didn't find the time or make the effort? In your personal life, it might not be a big loss, but as a small business owner, ignoring rebates and rewards programs could be detrimental to you and your business.

While summer signals the end of school and the start of vacation season for many, others are gearing up for a busy time of year. For the folks who run summer businesses, the season moves quickly. However, it's all worth it for business owners who can make a living doing what they love for a few months before taking some time off and gearing up for next year.

Small-business owners are known for their do-it-yourself work ethic. Without that type of attitude, running a small business is next to impossible. But there are also times where getting help from outside can help small-business owners use their time more efficiently.

Smart small business owners know that customers who feel appreciated, valued and well-served are customers who stick around. If you're a small business owner, you probably feel you deserve the same consideration from the companies you do business with - and you're right.

Do you know where your customers are coming from? For small business owners, asking customers where they found out about their business is one way to evaluate and refocus marketing efforts. But if that's all you're doing, more sophisticated tools can help you achieve small business marketing success. And believe it or not, these tools are less expensive and more accessible than you might realize.

How many companies can truly say their brand has defined the marketplace? Even fewer can claim that their brand has practically become a verb. Google is among the few who can make this claim, as the term "Google" has become ubiquitous with the act of conducting an Internet search.

The way you lay out your space makes a big difference. Just ask someone who is selling his house or the owner of a small business. In the case of the latter, a storefront's appearance and interior design are critical to a business' success. From how traffic moves through the store to making sure customers can find the products they are looking for, business owners put hours of thought into coming up with the right design scheme.

Trying to keep your business or home office on a realistic budget this year? Follow these simple tips, and you'll learn how to save money on ink ribbons and cartridges-without sacrificing quality.

Sure, your business website may be on the World Wide Web, but that doesn't mean your site needs to attract a global audience to be effective. The fact is, a well-designed website can help you expand your local market and build customers in your own home town.

Cash is king - or, more accurately, if you're a small business, cash flow is essential to keep your company in business. Managing the flow of cash in and out of your business can literally make or break its future.

Dental assisting is a great career choice for many people. Hours can be flexible, one can enjoy professional working conditions and demand continues to grow for professionals qualified to do the job. Training for a dental assisting career can often be completed in less than a year.

Could the way you or your company sell be as obsolete as the door-to-door salesperson? Are you personalizing your sales efforts, and customizing your sales approach - every time?

(ARA) - So you think you know social media? Maybe your brand has a Facebook page, you use LinkedIn and regularly tweet about sales and specials your small business is offering. But if you're using social media as nothing more than a way to advertise online, you may not be maximizing its marketing power, experts say.

In today's competitive industries, a college education is crucial to success. Faced with challenging schedules and impending deployment, many military personnel are turning to online universities to pursue their degrees.

Whether you're a florist or a graphic artist, there's money to be made in selling your services online. Everyone's doing it and for good reason - in the first half of 2010, consumers spent nearly $67 billion online, according to the Internet marketing research company comScore Inc.

(ARA) - Though some economists are saying that the worldwide recession is over, it certainly doesn't feel that way for those facing a difficult labour market. For those just leaving school or university, or who are facing redundancy, standing out in a crowd of applicants is a daunting challenge.

What makes an effective e-mail message? Weeding through inboxes has become a national pastime these days, so it's no secret that not everything you send to people, whether it be a "forward" to your friends or an e-mail to your customers, will be read.