“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 [...]

Has your business received an award or special mention somewhere? Brag about it. It is always beneficial to toot your own horn when it comes to marketing, branding, and reaching new customers. Being recognized by an organization outside of your network shows not only quality, but also gives your business credibility. 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, [...]

It’s no secret that Green in terms of environmentalism can draw green in terms of money. Being labeled as an eco-friendly business brings approval from existing and can help find new ones who want to save the Earth. In a recent newsletter from eBay, a promotion was included for those who shopped used gear from Patagonia. The reward is a $20 certificate for the first 500 sellers of Patagonia items. Their claim is that there [...]

A headline on the National Restaurant Association website reads in big bold letters, “The restaurant industry is fast-paced and ever changing.” Like many other industries, the Internet has affected the way that restaurants operate and advertise. 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. [...]

Owners of big and small business spend a good amount of time branding their products/services. So when a company’s name is synonymous with a certain service, why would anyone change either part of  the equation? Whether someone decides to change a business’ name or to change its staple product, change can be a risky move. Remember when Pepsi was the butt of several jokes because of its convoluted and far-fetched logo redesign? The saying goes [...]