However, November brings more opportunities to small business in America thanks to Small Business Saturday. Held on the 26th, this event aims to raise awareness for independent business, prompting people to “shop small.” The event has its own Facebook page, where users can show their support for small business and even “pledge to shop small” and share with their friends.
Users can also register on this page and receive $25 back for a purchase of more than $25 from a small business when using their American Express card.

Facebook users can log in and “like” the posted businesses. This gives merchants free and useful exposure, and a platform to advertise any special deals going on during November 26. In addition, the “Small Business Saturday” page offers free promotional materials for merchants, such as e-marketing materials, in-store signage, and even $100 worth of free Facebook ads targeted to your area.

This will be the second year that Small Business Saturday takes place.

It looks like Google has done it again. Their maps have neat features, like business searches with reviews included and street views. Now, the minds behind the web colossus have come up with a new feature that allows users to see the inside of a business.

With a 360 view of the restaurant/retailer/salon/etc, customers can avoid nasty surprises when they visit a new place. Do you prefer eating sitting down? This feature will allow you to check out the seating capability of a place (if there are any seats at all). Looking for a place with a modern look? Look no further. Whatever your preference, the new and improved Street View

This feature joins “Instant Previews,” with which you can preview a webpage on the results list by rolling your pointer over a set of arrows directly to the right. This set of tools make it easier for busy entrepreneurs to find the information that they need, from finding funding sources to scouting out the competition’s businesses.

Images courtesy of Google & sanchom

“My business may be small, but my story isn’t.” So says the tagline to Google’s “My Business Story” contest. It gives small business owners a chance to not only advertise their business, but also to explore their creative side.

Google partnered with American Express to urge entrepreneurs to shoot a video telling the story of how they started their businesses and how they are doing today. Using a digital camera, anyone can upload their clips to My Business Story’s YouTube channel (you might remember that Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006).

Don’t have experience with video, or are technologically challenged? No matter. Google offers straightforward tips as well as free graphic styles and music to help you put a touch of creativity in your video. Google recommends talking about your involvement with the community, customer service, and mention any innovative technique that you have applied to your business.

This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to reach a larger number of people, or get the attention of younger, Internet-savvy audiences. There is also the prize for the winning video that includes an online ad campaign and a feature on YouTube’s home page.

Think of awards/mentions/endorsements/grants as badges of honor. These are worthy of being displayed in a highly visible place, whether that is on a webpage, promotional materials (such as flyers), front window, etc. It should be noted that adding a certification or award (from the Better Business Bureau, for example) is especially helpful for websites. Nowadays, many people turn to the internet for research and shopping. Show potential customers that your site is secure and that your company is legitimate.

A word of advice though, is to always be truthful and not provide any untrue or unsubstantiated claims. An organization called “Grant Connect” was banned from marketing by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for claiming to have the government’s support and the ability to offer grants. They even went so far as to post pictures of President Obama on their website to fool visitors.

Anyone with access to a computer and a connection to the Internet can build a website, so it is important for legitimate business to make sure that they have permission to use badges or pictures of awards received or any affiliations. The safest bet for business owners is to contact representatives of every name you mention, in order to secure written permission (email is best for this purpose).

Someone may challenge your claim at any point in time, much like The Donald did with GOP candidate Mitt Romney. Trump called his rival a “small business guy,” even though Romney owns Domino’s Pizza and helped start the Staples office supply stores.

Image courtesy of perpetualplum.

Get Motivated is a series of lectures taking place in different cities, featuring first-rate speakers like former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, comedian Bill Cosby, General Colin Powell, and famed quarterback Joe Montana, to name a few. Former First Lady Laura Bush will make a special appearance as a speaker at the Staples Center event.

The event is coming to the Los Angeles area on October 31 and will take place at different venues:

• Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.
• Satellite-Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA.
• Satellite-The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA.
• Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA. (Nov 1st)

The seminar costs only $1.95/person to attend, and $9.95 for a whole office. These low prices allow business owners to include their employees in an exercise that not only gives them knowledge, but can also work as a team-building experience.

Topics covered at Get Motivated range from forming successful alliances to telephone skills. The seminar offers a wide spectrum of subjects, all of them covered by top experts in each area. Entrepreneurs and employees can learn about facing challenges, drawing a successful business plan, committing and having passion for your enterprise, or techniques for public speaking.

This seminar offers the chance of a lifetime to hear from people who have the knowledge and experience to help our education.

And when something is successful, it doesn’t take long for copies to pop up all over the place. This was the case with Amazon and Facebook. Both companies have been branching out into different areas: Amazon with Kindle and Facebook with games and corporate pages.

In fact, couponing seems to be a source of profit, since Amazon.com has jumped on the bandwagon. And Amazon rarely misses the mark when it comes to new products and/or services. I recently received an email that looked very similar to those from Groupon (to which I’m subscribed) but was surprised to see it came from “Amazon Local.” I had never heard of that division of Amazon, and the similarity (even in design) to Groupon was pretty obvious.

On the other hand, Facebook Deals seems to be going bigger. According to their official blog, Deals is now available in Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain, France, and the UK. Deals is also combined with another Facebook service called “Places” and shows users local businesses and deals. No word yet on how it has worked for merchants, but the ease with which

So far, Groupon has received the most criticism from merchants. From shoddy customer service to deals that provide very little profit, most business owners prefer to use other sites or none at all. These sites take a portion of the profit made from the special deal, so it could be taken more as clever advertising than actually signing up to make more money from the deal. These coupon sites work as a way to get customers to go to a certain business. Keeping them is up to the merchant.

Image courtesy of Lomo-Cam

Besides being listed on sites like Yelp and Google Maps (which has turned into a major player in the yellow pages game), having a menu online is one of the essential steps in being found and attracting more customers. Posting a menu online provides an edge over the competition. As this article on Neuromarketing.com puts it, “menus are printed marketing pieces, much like catalogs, magazines, ads, etc.”

Many restaurants, whether they are franchises or small independent venues, have chosen to include a menu on their websites. Not having a menu can make your business look out of date, and therefore less competitive. From the point of view of an online-savvy customer, this lack of information is a likely deal breaker. Sybil Yang, a doctoral student at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, goes a step beyond and says that “menus are a way restaurants build trust between them and the guest.”

If your restaurant has a website (which is highly recommended) make sure that you include a menu that is easy to find. And the more detailed the descriptions in the menu, the better. You might include

• Ingredients
• Prices
• Daily Specials
• Combos/Promotions
• Nutritional Information
• Other specifics, i.e. kosher, gluten-free, vegan, etc.

Make sure to include your menu as high up on the page as possible. Readers tend to scan a page in mere seconds, from left to right, and are highly unlikely to scroll down to find more information. So from a marketing point of view, your best bet is to make your online menu readily available and highly visible.

Another benefit of having an online menu is SEO. Menus are chock-full of keywords that will pop up on search engines. It’s easy content to keep up and a possible traffic-driving tool to your website. If you don’t have a website for your restaurant, get one. In the meantime, you can use different online directories that offer restaurant menus, often searchable by area. These are

• Menupages
• The Grub Club
• All Menus
• GrubHub
• Seamless (for ordering online)

A fast and easy way to make your menu digitally available is to make a Facebook page for your restaurant. This is a great option for restauranteurs who are on a tight budget, since it’s free and also doubles as a marketing tool. Facebook Users can “like” your page, peruse the menu, and you can post discounts, special deals, or announce new items to you followers.

Photos courtesy of popofatticus & HikingArtist.com.

The saying goes “don’t fix it if it’s not broken,” and in many cases, CEOs should have considered that before making any changes. The latest in head-scratching moves includes Netflix and Wendy’s.

Netflix was the subject of much controversy and rejection by its customers. Netflix cofounder and CEO Reed Hastings first announced a price increase on all its service packages. Then, he announced the separation of the company’s direct streaming service and their DVD mailing service. The latter will be called “Qwikster,” a name that is so far removed from its predecessor that one has to wonder if customers will transition into it smoothly.

The company has already seen some fallout from this separation, from public repudiation to stock drops. Only time will tell if this new company model will succeed or if it’s heading to a Blockbuster-like demise.

Fast food chain Wendy’s currently has 6,500 restaurants worldwide. It was rated as the number 1 fast food restaurant by Zagat Survey on September 7, 2011 thanks to its quality and value. One of the restaurant’s major successes was the 42 year-old Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy hamburger, named after Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas. As a response to increasing competition from other fast food joints and a declining economy, Wendy’s directors decided to tweak their menu.

But changing a menu item that has proved successful since its inception may be a risky step. Wendy’s already tried its hand at breakfast and failed. Now directors are betting on old favorites, tweaking them to promote them as new. However, that would destroy the “old favorite” tag. Will this new version of Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy burger become a new favorite?

For a few examples of successful rebranding, take a look at this slideshow by Business Insider.

Picture courtesy of wfyurasko

One would think that in order to purchase a business, one would have to jump through several hoops, including finding a broker, gathering capital, have all the required licenses and permits, etc. Not anymore! Entrepreneurs can purchase a business online, too! Much like purchasing a pair of shoes, one only has to click on a button to purchase a “real” business, not just a shopping website.

Thanks to sites like BusinessesForSale, BizBuySell, and BizQuest becoming an entrepreneur can be easier than ever. If you have the funds to purchase said business, of course. The good thing about sites like these is that there is a wide range of choices, from small independent operations like a laundromat to well-known franchises and everything in between. Given the variety, prospective buyers can use the Small Business Administration’s guide to choosing a business.

As with any online transaction, entrepreneurs should proceed with caution and be aware of possible scams. The sites say that all business opportunities are legitimate, but crafty schemers can bypass strict control. The FBI recommends doing your homework before making any kind of investment online to avoid any problems down the line. Research current and past owners, the business’ track record, credit scores, and inquire about insurance. Go to direct sources like the previous owner, and if dealing with a broker, ask to see every document available.

Also, be advised that B2B  (business to business) online transactions have not boomed the way that they were expected to in the late 90′s, according to an article by Stanford Graduate School of Business. Entrepreneurs see online business purchases as a risky venture, and have only gradually moved to this method of purchasing.

Photo courtesy of ivanpw

This date marks the creation of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) by Hilary A. Bufton Jr. in 1949. Do not be fooled by the name: Hilary was a businessman. He founded ABWA with 3 businesswomen upon recognizing the positive impact that women entrepreneurs had on the economy. This realization came after World War II, during which more women entered the workforce in variety of areas that were previously dominated by men.

Today, the organization has 18,000 members worldwide, 5,000 of them being business owners. ABWA “provides business training and networking opportunities for women of diverse occupations and backgrounds.” According to the National Women’s Business Council, the top industries for women-owned businesses include:

• Health Care and Social Assistance (52%  of businesses are owned by women)
• Educational Services (45.9%)
• Administration and Support (37%)
• Waste Management and Remediation Services (37%)
• Retail Trade (34.4%)
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (34%)

Thanks to the Internet, it has become easier than ever to network and find both peers and potential clients. One only has to type keywords on Google to get several pages relating to women business owners. In addition, social networks work as a great platform help business women share tips, information, and experiences.

Other groups can be found on business communities such as Biznik or WomanOwned.com. The latter is more a website presenting resources for women who own their own businesses. It provides information for startups, existing businesses, and those who are looking further their education.

Women business owners are still a minority and as such, the Small Business Administration offers loans and grants exclusively for them, as well as assistance and training via their Women’s Business Centers.

Happy Business Women’s Day and keep up the good work, ladies.

*Photo courtesy of ProfAlliRich