Money-saving steps for small-business owners

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From: SmartBrief on Small Business <smallbusiness@smartbrief.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 26, 2012 at 10:51 PM
Subject: Money-saving steps for small-business owners
To: profjorge.entrep@gmail.com

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September 26, 2012 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise Problem. Solved.  3 ways to breathe new life into a business Vital Network Systems was hemorrhaging $500,000 a month when John Koehler took charge, but the IT executive soon put the company back in the black. That required a combination of authenticity and ruthlessness, Koehler explains. "You need to find a way to be profitable with the sales you have and then innovate to add incremental business past that," he says. "If you're profitable where you are, then any growth becomes wonderful." Inc. online (free registration) (9/24)       Marketing  The right way to run your Facebook page Setting up a Facebook page isn't enough; you have to stay active on the site, Scott Levy of Fuel Online writes. "[A]llot a certain amount of time each day -- preferably multiple times a day -- to post quality content and engage with current and potential customers." You should also be sure to follow Facebook's rules and to respond to comments on the site, he advises. Entrepreneur online (9/24)       Now is the time to make a holiday marketing plan The holidays aren't yet upon us, but now is a smart time to begin fine-tuning your seasonal marketing messages, Miguel Leiva-Gomez writes. Companies should recognize the growth of mobile shopping and the power of free shipping, he writes. "Retail sales have a tendency to do extraordinarily well when customers are met with free shipping offers." SmallBizTechnology.com (9/24)       Today's customers don't just expect to be able to make a transaction from anywhere—they demand it. Learn how IBM® Connectivity & Integration solutions help to meet this need by enabling you to open more channels, devices and endpoints—fast. They can also help reduce integration costs by up to 80%. Learn more. Management  How to convince people to accept change People might fail to embrace change for a number of reasons; for example, they might fear uncertainty or be caught off guard by a sudden decision, Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School writes. "Leaders should avoid the temptation to craft changes in secret and then announce them all at once," Kanter explains. "It's better to plant seeds -- that is, to sprinkle hints of what might be coming and seek input." Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (9/25)       Slideshow: Vital elements of employee motivation American City Business Journals/Nashville, Tenn. (9/25)       The Essentials of HR in 2012 - Free Kit Download this kit to learn everything you need to know about HR. The Essentials of HR in 2012 Toolkit, brings together the latest in information, coverage of important developments, and expert commentary to help with your HR related decisions. Money  Money-saving steps for small-business owners It's important for business owners to regularly look for opportunities to cut costs, according to Deborah Sweeney of MyCorporation. You might be able to save money in several ways such as by altering your marketing strategy or by looking for opportunities to get more favorable terms on your shipping contracts. Entrepreneur online/The Daily Dose blog (9/25)       Are big banks honoring their promises to small businesses? About a year ago, many large banks made a commitment to boost their small-business lending, Ami Kassar of MultiFunding notes. Karen Mills of the Small Business Administration recently announced the banks had upped lending by $11 billion, but Kassar writes the exact nature of the commitment remains hazy. "We are still hoping the banks will explain what exactly they have committed to do," Kassar writes. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/You're the Boss blog (9/25)       Tips & Tools  It's time to adapt your website for mobile users Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular for browsing the Internet, so it's important for businesses to ensure their content will display properly on these devices, writes John Jantsch. There are a number of ways to make your content more mobile-friendly; for example, you can develop an application or add special plug-ins to WordPress-based sites. Duct Tape Marketing (9/24)       Apps that let you give virtual high-fives Achievers, iAppreciate and GiveAWow are some of the mobile applications that can help recognize and reward your employees for a job well done, Liz Magill writes. For example, GiveAWow bulletin board's point system "enables employees to earn credit toward Billboard digital music downloads," she writes. Intuit Small Business Blog (9/25)       Featured Content  The Biggest Branding Mistake You Can Make Mike Michalowicz Survey Finds Too Much Economic Uncertainty to Expand Courtney Rubin Why You Should Reveal Everyone's Salaries Max Nisen Q&A: Venture-Capital Veteran Gina Bianchini Katie Morell Boost Your Online Presence With a Social Media Club Elaine Pofeldt Just for Fun  Is this the beginning of the "zombee" apocalypse? So-called "zombie bees," which fly in jerky patterns before dying, have been observed in Washington state. The phenomenon is caused by parasitic flies that inject their eggs into the bees. Maggots then hatch out of the eggs. "They basically eat the insides out of the bee," said John Hafernik, a biologist at San Francisco State University. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (9/24)       SmartQuote  Your Facebook fans can be your biggest brand champions -- or your worst enemies if you ignore them." --Scott Levy, CEO of Fuel, writing at Entrepreneur online       SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! Accounting Advertising Automotive Aviation & Aerospace Biotechnology Business Chemicals Construction & Real Estate Consumer Packaged Goods Distribution Education Energy Finance Food Service Health Care Insurance Legal Manufacturing Media & Entertainment Nonprofit Retail Technology Telecommunications Travel & Hospitality This SmartBrief was created for profjorge.entrep@gmail.com John Jantsch, Editor at Large John Jantsch is author of "Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide" and "The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself." John is a marketing and digital technology coach and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small-business marketing system. Subscriber Tools SIGNUP SEND FEEDBACK E-MAIL THIS BRIEF Today's Brief - Permalink | Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Director:  Tom O'Brien (212) 450-1679 Download Media Kit SmartBrief Community: Most Clicked Facebook Twitter Publish your Press Release LinkedIn Get this RSS Feed Search Archive About Download a SmartBrief Mobile app today Recent SmartBrief on Small Business Issues: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 Monday, September 24, 2012 Friday, September 21, 2012 Thursday, September 20, 2012 Wednesday, September 19, 2012 Lead Editor:  Brooke Howell Editor at Large: John Jantsch       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2012 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information