A few concrete, easy-to-follow steps for making your business discoverable online. When you’re a small business owner, figuring out how to build your SEO can be tricky. If you ask around, you’re sure to get a two types of “expert advice” on small business SEO: It’s simple! Just change some text in your headlines,… Read more
Branding options for every budget It takes consumers 10 seconds to form a first impression of a brand’s logo. Visual appeal can be assessed within about 50 milliseconds. Nearly half of consumers feel a website’s design is the number factor in determining a business’s credibility. Meaning: if you want your business to be trustworthy, and… Read more
*Ring ring* “Hi, I need my sink repaired. I live way out in the boonies. Is that in your service area?” Imagine if the leads reaching out to your business already knew just how far you’re willing to travel. You’d probably save time returning calls and responding to messages. More importantly, you wouldn’t have to… Read more
Restaurants, laundromats, tech startups, and mechanics. Very different businesses—one common thread. They all need capital to survive and grow. Now there are more ways to fund your business than ever—many of which require less time compiling papers or waiting on the bank. And even if you’re applying for more traditional funding sources, non-traditional funding options… Read more
How to find a mentor, advisor or resource that will drive your startup forward Your first hire doesn’t turn out to be the best fit. You’re growing faster than expected—and your inventory can’t keep up. Something about your books just seems a little off. You’re making steady profits. Where do you go from here? No… Read more
Grants, loans, programs, and organizations that female entrepreneurs should take advantage of. No matter how often #GirlBoss trends—there’s still a female founding gap to close. Last year, 1,821 new women-owned businesses opened every day in the US. 40% of new businesses are headed by women. But only 2.2% of all VC dollars went to women… Read more
When consumers are in need of a product or service, the only thing that’s stopping them from potentially choosing your business, beyond discovery, is accurate information. Are you open all night? Is your business cash only? Is your phone number listed accurately? 93% of consumers say they are frustrated by incorrect business information online.* Updating… Read more
You know the feeling you get when you have a steady stream of new customers? Life is good. The opposite can also be true. If you notice your stream of new customers slows to a trickle, anxiety can build quickly. That’s why it’s important to find the right balance of loyal, repeat customers and new… Read more
A quick guide for staffing smart, and picking the right people to move your small business forward. Unless your first hire was in HR—you’re probably looking for a little help, as you start to staff your small business. And that’s a good call. It costs companies $4,000 to recruit a new employee, and 52 days… Read more
You just got a brand new customer from Yelp – congrats! All of the hard work you’ve been putting in both on and offline to grow your business has begun to pay off. Taking a step back, how are you measuring your efforts? How do you know what is working for you and what isn’t?… Read more