Our previous post listed some unique holidays taking place in September, such as National Cream-Filled Donut Day and International “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (September 19th). But this month offers more than zany observances. Case in point: Business Women’s Day on Thursday 22nd. 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 [...]

It’s hard to imagine leading our everyday lives without a computer, right? We trust these machines for everything from Internet searches to storing business documents. But being so dependent on computers also has its downside, especially when it comes to small business. An article on Reuters says that merchants are having a hard time with online and computer security. The rapid evolution of technology makes it hard for users to defend their systems against new [...]

If you are a small business owner, you know the value of marketing. And in a stagnant economy the less you can spend on marketing, the better. That is why you should use online bookmarking and social networking. These are opportunities to reach out to more customers without spending a dime. Start by joining the most widely used platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can either start an account with your own name or [...]

Today is the beginning of  “Small Business Week.” Many companies, banks, and agencies are offering special deals for small businesses such as discounts and prizes. The Small Business Administration (SBA) says, “every year since 1963, the President of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America.” Did you know that over half of Americans work in a small business? Indeed, as [...]

A lot has happened in the past week, with Osama bin Laden’s death and the controversy surrounding it, storms and flooding in the South, and stocks going up and down (mostly down). Here is a roundup of the most important news from the week for small businesses in the United States. We’ve heard firsthand from small business owners in Alabama how hard their operations were hit by the inclement weather in the last few days. [...]