Advertising is an important part of running a business.  “[It] is a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services…” (Wikipedia).  Most small business owners choose tried and true advertising methods, i.e. newspapers, local magazines, radio, television and/or internet.  Still, there are other effective methods of advertising, which are both creative and fun. Sign Spinning Have you ever been driving down the street and on the corner, you see a guy [...]

Simply decorating the store windows for the holidays is a thing of the past.  Lots of small business owners are thinking of creative ways to celebrate Halloween and bring in customers on October 31. Restaurants Restaurants such as T.G.I. Friday, Taco Bell and many other small businesses are getting creative with their menus this Halloween.  “Promotions range from cute, including Papa Murphy’s Jack-O-Lantern pizzas, to downright creepy, such as the ‘Eye Scream’ dessert at 2941 [...]

As the saying goes, two heads are better than one.   Small business owners often need to go outside of their businesses for help and advice.  Whether it’s about finances, hiring or even firing, an extra expert opinion can make all the difference. Below are a few places where small business owners can go for advice as well as resources available to small business owners in search of information and guidance. SCORE “SCORE ‘Counselors to America’s [...]

“Public relations is the practice of managing the communication between an organization and its publics.  Public relations gains an organization or individual exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment,” (Wikipedia). Through public relations, small business owners can raise awareness of their businesses, manage and react to crises and develop their business’s public image.  Small business owners can choose to work with a P.R. company [...]

SBA Loans Easier to Get? The Obama administration has announced new initiatives to help increase lending to small businesses.  The Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department plan to increase the maximum sizes of 7(a) loans, 504 loans and microloans. **Note:  Small business owners who do not qualify for SBA loans may apply for unsecured business cash advances.  Furthermore, merchants who already have bank loans may use business cash advances as additional funds. America’s Top [...]