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For businesses, Pinterest can be used as a valuable marketing & sales tool, and it’s easy to get started. You probably already have electronic images, brochures, and other collateral on hand. So why not pin it This infographic published by Wasp Barcode will show you how to get started.
The post Pinterest Infographic For Small Business appeared first on Small Business Trends.
Social media management service, Viralheat, just launched a redesigned dashboard with improved analytics and a new user interface to help users manage multiple accounts and gain valuable insights into their social networks.
The new layout includes a “Smart Stream†which Viralheat says is an all-in-one stream for social media monitoring, meaning that social media managers can track social media activity and view their various social networks, mentions and other interactions all from the same dashboard.
The Smart Stream allows for some customization for each user. For example, you could perform a general search of your company name across all platforms, but you could choose to narrow that search by just using a specific product keyword and only look for those mentioning that product on Twitter. You can also choose to save specific streams to go back and check regularly.
The photo above shows some of the filtering options that are available on Viralheat. You can use these options to see the mentions your company receives on particular sites or platforms, whether people are saying positive or negative things about your company, and even filter those mentions that suggest purchase intent.
Though there are no shortage of services available to help businesses manage their social media efforts, Viralheat’s new stream options do offer some useful tools by allowing businesses to save custom filtered searches so that they can easily monitor mentions of specific products or aspects of their business without having to go through the filtering process over and over again.
In addition, the platform can allow social media managers to schedule and send messages, access all accounts, perform searches, view charts and analytics, and other basic social media management functions.
Plans range from $9.99 per month for social media managing, publishing and analytics, to completely custom-built plans for larger companies starting at $499 per month. Free accounts are also offered for personal users.
Viralheat, which was first founded in 2009, has more than 12,000 clients in 72 countries. The company is based in San Mateo, California.
14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips - Tip #6: Create Unique Content That Encourages Shares and Continued FollowingWelcome to 14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips, on the occasion of the upcoming launch of “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing†(Wiley) by Ramon Ray, of Smallbiztechnology.com and Infusionsoft.
Buy Ramon’s latest book on February 19th and get a digital box of goodies as your gift for buying the book, educating yourself and growing your business with Facebook.
In The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing, you will overall learn how to get more customers and keep the ones you have. You’ll also learn how to leverage overall online marketing, how to better use social media and, more specifically, how to use the power of Facebook for YOUR business.
The page is up, you’ve added all your business information, links back to your website and you’re even sporting a cool Cover Photo (take advantage of that marketing space!).  Now what
You need content! If you fail to provide content to your business page, then you might as well forget about even having a Facebook page - it’s worthless.  While the Cover Photo and pictures you add are informative and pretty, without solid content to accompany it, you have nothing to offer. Now, this doesn’t mean that you just start throwing updates out there willy-nilly, that will just cause any followers you currently have to stop following. You need solid content that encourages your followers to click on the ‘share’ button and keep following you because they look forward to the content you are offering. After all, the Facebook algorithm for determining which items appear in each user’s News Feed takes into account the frequency in which followers of a Page participate by clicking on that Page.
Here are some tips on the types of unique content you can offer on your page that will help encourage shares and keep your followers excited about your page:
14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips - Tip #6: Create Unique Content That Encourages Shares and Continued FollowingWelcome to 14 Days of Facebook Marketing Tips, on the occasion of the upcoming launch of “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing†(Wiley) by Ramon Ray, of Smallbiztechnology.com and Infusionsoft.
Buy Ramon’s latest book on February 19th and get a digital box of goodies as your gift for buying the book, educating yourself and growing your business with Facebook.
In The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing, you will overall learn how to get more customers and keep the ones you have. You’ll also learn how to leverage overall online marketing, how to better use social media and, more specifically, how to use the power of Facebook for YOUR business.
The page is up, you’ve added all your business information, links back to your website and you’re even sporting a cool Cover Photo (take advantage of that marketing space!).  Now what
You need content! If you fail to provide content to your business page, then you might as well forget about even having a Facebook page - it’s worthless.  While the Cover Photo and pictures you add are informative and pretty, without solid content to accompany it, you have nothing to offer. Now, this doesn’t mean that you just start throwing updates out there willy-nilly, that will just cause any followers you currently have to stop following. You need solid content that encourages your followers to click on the ‘share’ button and keep following you because they look forward to the content you are offering. After all, the Facebook algorithm for determining which items appear in each user’s News Feed takes into account the frequency in which followers of a Page participate by clicking on that Page.
Here are some tips on the types of unique content you can offer on your page that will help encourage shares and keep your followers excited about your page:
And there’s an even better reason to get involved.
Brother, a manufacturer of printers and related business products, has built a powerful Web tool that let’s you design eye-popping, mind-blowing, attention-grabbing business cards and other printed marketing materials.
You don’t need graphic design experience. Nor do you need to purchase expensive design software. In fact, all you need is a few clicks of your mouse to create unforgettable designs that will define your brand and make your customers remember your name.
Once you’ve created and saved your design, you can print your final creation right at your desktop, on your printer. Sound interesting There’s more.
The people at Brother, who have sponsored this contest, are so amped to get you to try their new CreativeCenter for designing and printing your brand new personalized business cards and other marketing materials, they’re providing a nice incentive for you to get started.
Just for entering the “Back to Business†creativity contest at BizSugar, you’ll have the chance to win a $500 printer prize package provided courtesy of Brother. Here’s how it works:
But hurry.  There’s only a limited time to participate. Here are the details:
Who: Must be a U.S. resident 18 or older to enter (sorry, no kiddies allowed).
What: Brother CreativeCenter “Back to Business†Contest.  Check out what other small business owners have already created.  Example:  Flyer by Mike Adams of Java Medic Coffee, pictured above right.
When: Now through March 4, 2013.
Where: Find the official contest details here.
Winners of the contest will be announced in mid-March.
Now it’s your turn. Get creative today with the Brother “Back to Business†contest.
Last month, PayPal announced that their expansion into this realm has increased significantly; they are now part of 23 major retailers including Home Depot, Guitar Center, Toys “R†Us, Barnes and Noble, and many others, which puts the PayPal brand into well over 18,000 brick and mortar shops across the country.
What relevance does this have for small businesses There’s something of a trickle-down effect to the establishment of new technologies of course, and the start of this in the major retail markets means PayPal has their eye set on retailers of all levels. They’ve established relationships with POS providers Leapset, ShopKeep, Vend, and Erply, whom collectively work with 50,000 “mid-market†retailers offline.
However, PayPal themselves stated in their January announcement that their new deals reach businesses that include “multiple retail locations as well as those that might only have a few store locations but possess more sophisticated payment†and inventory systems. Language like that seems to indicate a lack of support for the smaller-sized retailers out there. If your business has but one shop with a POS system that is adequate but doesn’t blow anything out of the water, how could this be good for you
Certainly, PayPal offers PayPal Here, which can be used with mobile devices, and gives you immediate access to your customer’s PayPal payments. The nice thing about PayPal Here is that they do not charge for the card reader, but they do charge a per-transaction fee of 2.7% with a swiped card and 3.5% plus $0.15 per transaction that is scanned or keyed in manually (instead of swiped), in the United States and Canada. (Charges are different outside of the U.S. and Canada; check out their FAQ for details.) There’s also PayPal Payments, giving your business more options to choose from (and a tiered payment plan of $0, $5, and $30 per month, depending on the service level you want) to help maage your online and offline transactions.
Ultimately, the PayPal penchant for establishing roots in the retail world is going to grow into something bigger, giving your business more options down the road. For the moment, the above solutions are inexpensive and give you quick access to funds paid in from your customers, and that’s really what it is all about - your customers. Making things convenient and simple for them means more opportunities for you to earn their business. For example, Jamba Juice recently made inroads with PayPal so that a customer can access their business through the PayPal app on their phone, allowing them to create a smoothie concoction, set a time to pick it up, and pay via (of course) PayPal through their phone. The customer avoids lines and waiting and has their smoothie waiting for them - a great idea that will certainly appeal to many. Think about how this kind of service could affect your customer’s perceptions of your business, and certainly move forward if your customers (and you) stand to gain.
Last month, PayPal announced that their expansion into this realm has increased significantly; they are now part of 23 major retailers including Home Depot, Guitar Center, Toys “R†Us, Barnes and Noble, and many others, which puts the PayPal brand into well over 18,000 brick and mortar shops across the country.
What relevance does this have for small businesses There’s something of a trickle-down effect to the establishment of new technologies of course, and the start of this in the major retail markets means PayPal has their eye set on retailers of all levels. They’ve established relationships with POS providers Leapset, ShopKeep, Vend, and Erply, whom collectively work with 50,000 “mid-market†retailers offline.
However, PayPal themselves stated in their January announcement that their new deals reach businesses that include “multiple retail locations as well as those that might only have a few store locations but possess more sophisticated payment†and inventory systems. Language like that seems to indicate a lack of support for the smaller-sized retailers out there. If your business has but one shop with a POS system that is adequate but doesn’t blow anything out of the water, how could this be good for you
Certainly, PayPal offers PayPal Here, which can be used with mobile devices, and gives you immediate access to your customer’s PayPal payments. The nice thing about PayPal Here is that they do not charge for the card reader, but they do charge a per-transaction fee of 2.7% with a swiped card and 3.5% plus $0.15 per transaction that is scanned or keyed in manually (instead of swiped), in the United States and Canada. (Charges are different outside of the U.S. and Canada; check out their FAQ for details.) There’s also PayPal Payments, giving your business more options to choose from (and a tiered payment plan of $0, $5, and $30 per month, depending on the service level you want) to help maage your online and offline transactions.
Ultimately, the PayPal penchant for establishing roots in the retail world is going to grow into something bigger, giving your business more options down the road. For the moment, the above solutions are inexpensive and give you quick access to funds paid in from your customers, and that’s really what it is all about - your customers. Making things convenient and simple for them means more opportunities for you to earn their business. For example, Jamba Juice recently made inroads with PayPal so that a customer can access their business through the PayPal app on their phone, allowing them to create a smoothie concoction, set a time to pick it up, and pay via (of course) PayPal through their phone. The customer avoids lines and waiting and has their smoothie waiting for them - a great idea that will certainly appeal to many. Think about how this kind of service could affect your customer’s perceptions of your business, and certainly move forward if your customers (and you) stand to gain.
The social network boasts a visitor-to-lead conversion rate that is 277% more effective than Facebook and Twitter. Capitalize on this high quality traffic by utilizing the following LinkedIn features:
1. LinkedIn Profiles
Make sure your company page is 100% complete. If a prospect is already spending their time on LinkedIn, a completed company page will allow them to find the information they’re looking for, without having to leave to go to your website.
You can approach your LinkedIn company page as an extension of your website. It can be branded with your logo, colors, and messaging. This is your opportunity to highlight your best products and services with video, peer recommendations, and supporting content. An incomplete company page is a missed opportunity to showcase your value proposition.
Don’t make the mistake of ignoring the LinkedIn audience; fill out every part of your page.
In addition to your company page, employee profiles are a powerful resource to garner greater visibility in the social sphere. While you can’t control all employee activity on LinkedIn, you can have guidelines for how your company name and description are represented. Ensure your company description contains your high performing keywords.
When a user performs a keyword search in LinkedIn, you’ll benefit from having your company and employees in the top results.
2. LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups give you access to highly targeted communities. You have the ability to reach the people that most perfectly match your target market. Sponsoring an event Published a new article Find the group that is best aligned with your activity and share. It’s important, however, not to use LinkedIn Groups as a fully self-promotional tool.
You can join groups to learn and add value. Monitor posts and questions to see where you can contribute in a helpful way. You shouldn’t only post information about your own business. You can share networking events, interesting articles, and other tools that you’ve found to be useful.
Once you have established your reputation within various LinkedIn groups as a quality member, you can intermittently include posts that promote your own business or product, when applicable. Self-promotional posts out of nowhere are never welcome. But, if someone needs help and your business offers a solution, this is an excellent forum to share that information.
In addition to building brand awareness, your helpful participation in LinkedIn groups will set your business apart from the competition.
3. Status Updates
Status updates are a powerful way to attract more viewers and build brand visibility. While this is not the case with LinkedIn Groups, it is perfectly acceptable to use LinkedIn status updates for self-promotion. As a professional network, this medium is designed for you to share the latest news, events, and press about your business.
In addition to posting from your company page, you can also ask your employees to share your company’s updates to expand your reach. If you’re lacking in original content, you can contribute interesting articles, interviews, and industry related content.
Use LinkedIn as a knowledge sharing platform. Like with most social networks, you get what you put in. Sharing relevant and interesting news will get you noticed. Don’t forget to comment and like posts from people in your network, as well, in order to show your support.
When you are active on LinkedIn, you’re building a stronger online presence for your business. A filled out company profile and uniform employee profiles will increase your visibility in search results. LinkedIn Groups not only help you to stay on top of industry trends, but also keep you in front of a highly targeted audience.
And lastly, status updates ensure you stay visible. Make it easy for potential buyers to find you by utilizing LinkedIn to its full potential.
LinkedIn Photo via HubSpot
Businesses are rapidly adopting an outsourced, third-party information technology operations model.
According to Trustwave's 2013 global security report, 63 per cent of investigations revealed a third party was responsible for system support, development or maintenance. However it claimed that these introduced security deficiencies that are easily exploited by hackers.
EMEA Trustwave Spiderlabs director John Yeo said that remote access was the most common way for a company to be hacked (47 per cent of findings), saying that this was 'no surprise' when connections were only secured with weak passwords.
Commenting, Mark Daitlich, partner Pinsent Masons, said that in the context of an outsourced arrangement there are two strands: what should organisations do; and what should they do to not to be negligent
He said: “The other is how do you catch the perpetrator and if you catch them, what do you prosecute them for All regulators say 'do your due dilligence on a third-party vendor', then you look at the contract when you put in provisions to limit the damage if an incident comes to pass.â€
Bob Tarzey, analyst at Quocirca, said: “For organisations that have outsourced, 99 per cent had outsourced IT management. This has lots of benefits, but if you outsource you spend even more on IT security.â€
Last year, Jonathan Armstrong, lawyer at Duane Morris LLP, said that the impact of monetary fines from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) should be passed on to those directly responsible for the breaches.
In response, the ICO said that the Data Protection Act states that it is the data controller that must ensure that any processing of personal data for which they are responsible complies with the act and that data controllers remain responsible for ensuring their processing complies with the act, whether they use the data in-house or employ a separate contractor as a data processor.
Businesses are rapidly adopting an outsourced, third-party information technology operations model.
According to Trustwave's 2013 global security report, 63 per cent of investigations revealed a third party was responsible for system support, development or maintenance. However it claimed that these introduced security deficiencies that are easily exploited by hackers.
EMEA Trustwave Spiderlabs director John Yeo said that remote access was the most common way for a company to be hacked (47 per cent of findings), saying that this was 'no surprise' when connections were only secured with weak passwords.
Commenting, Mark Daitlich, partner Pinsent Masons, said that in the context of an outsourced arrangement there are two strands: what should organisations do; and what should they do to not to be negligent
He said: “The other is how do you catch the perpetrator and if you catch them, what do you prosecute them for All regulators say 'do your due dilligence on a third-party vendor', then you look at the contract when you put in provisions to limit the damage if an incident comes to pass.â€
Bob Tarzey, analyst at Quocirca, said: “For organisations that have outsourced, 99 per cent had outsourced IT management. This has lots of benefits, but if you outsource you spend even more on IT security.â€
Last year, Jonathan Armstrong, lawyer at Duane Morris LLP, said that the impact of monetary fines from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) should be passed on to those directly responsible for the breaches.
In response, the ICO said that the Data Protection Act states that it is the data controller that must ensure that any processing of personal data for which they are responsible complies with the act and that data controllers remain responsible for ensuring their processing complies with the act, whether they use the data in-house or employ a separate contractor as a data processor.
Why not register for one or more of these educational conferences, webinars and events Get out of the office, learn something, and make new connections for 2013 and beyond.
If you are organizing a great event that small businesses should know about or just attending one, please let me know about it.
******
February 13, 2013, Teleconference
The recent passing of the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act included a number of beneficial reforms making it a prime year for women-owned businesses that are currently or interested in selling to the government.
To help small business owners understand these extensive changes to contracting policies, WIPP’s Procurement Committee and Give Me 5 will hold a special briefing for small businesses with Emily Murphy, Senior Cunsel on the House Small Business Committee. Murphy, who played a large role in the reform efforts, will discuss the changes and how they will affect small businesses in 2013.
February 19, 3013, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago
WOMMfest is a coast to coast event celebrating the first ever National Word of Mouth Marketing Day. Anchor events will take place in Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle, with smaller local celebrations by Word Of Mouth Marketing Association members nationwide.
February 27, 2013, Philadelphia
Join Gene Marks and Todd Cohen for this half day seminar and learn:
How to plan for and create a sales culture - not just a sales team - to increase sales
How to make relationships work in a more profitable way
How to differentiate yourself in 5 words or less and have more profitable conversations
How to convert your customer relationship system from a “glorified Rolodex†to a productive sales and marketing system
How to determine which emerging sales and marketing technologies you should consider this year
February 27-28, 2013, New York City
Learn how Fortune 500 Corporations are using crowdsourcing to out-innovate, out-process, & out-engage their competition. Companies like GE, Microsoft, Walmart, eBay & many others.
Produced by the leading voices in crowdsourcing, David Bratvold and Daily Crowdsource, Crowdoplis was created to show both corporate leaders and small businesses that crowdsourcing is replacing outsourcing to translate millions of words in mere minutes, invent products that sell out before any costs are incurred, and create national award winning TV commercials for $20.
SMX West
March 11-13, 2013, San Jose, CA
The landscape of search and search engine marketing changes constantly.
To keep up, stay ahead, grow your business, and get more (and better) traffic to your site, you need the right help.
Search Marketing Expo is a conference that offers more than 50 cutting-edge sessions (as well as invaluable networking opportunities) covering the search marketing strategies and tactics you’ll need to thrive in 2013 and beyond.
Whether you are a beginner or a search marketing expert, whether you work at (or with) an agency or manage search marketing in-house, SMX West has programming to fit your needs.
March 8, 2013, Online
This free virtual conference is designed to address the specific digital marketing concerns faced by marketers in today’s consumer-based and retail sales industries. Reserve your spot now and get ready for three actionable sessions, including:
1. Give your Email Programs a Dynamic Boost with Customer Data
2. Believable Business Blogging
3. Engaging Customers Before, During, and After the Sale
Multiple cities & dates, March - July 2013
Led by Tory Johnson, the jam-packed, high-energy two-day event enables you to experience big breakthroughs in your business and yourself. This two day conference arms current and aspiring small business owners with the tools, strategies and support to make more money now.
March 21-22, 2013, Mountain View, CA
BlogHer Entrepreneurs ’13 is BlogHer’s third annual event designed for women who want to start something, whether their goal is to strike out on their own with a brilliant idea, or to bring an entrepreneurial approach to innovation within a company.
London - March 25-27
Minneapolis - June 3-5
Atlanta - November 11-12
As the leading conference of its kind, Confab: The Content Strategy Conference brings together professionals everywhere who realize the value of content. User experience. Marketing. IT. Business management. This is one big party for content-loving folks who value smart thinking, voracious learning, and constant improvement in the workplace and beyond.
March 27-29, 3013, Scottsdale AZ
InfusionCon is a must-attend event for all Infusionsoft customers. There are a variety of sessions geared towards business owners, marketing and sales strategists, developers, administrators and more. Session topics cover a diverse range of topics relevant to small businesses, including Infusionsoft training, marketing strategy, social media, company culture, business management, automation, branding, copywriting, affiliate marketing and more.
Social Media Marketing World
April 7-9, 2013, San Diego, CA
Join 1,000 fellow marketers at the mega-conference designed to inspire and empower you with social media marketing ideasâ€"brought to you by Social Media Examiner.
April 11-12, 2013, New Orleans
Inc. created GROWCO, a three-day conference, for business leaders who want brass tacks advice to achieve the next level of growth. GROWCO speakers include founders and CEOs of fast-growing companies, icons in the business community, and authors of definitive business tomes. Learn how to develop a vision, manage a team, create a brand, get the most for your marketing dollar, connect with customers, close deals, and find capital.
April 29 - May 1, 2013, Washington, DC
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s annual event will allow you to access the experience and perspective of hundreds of small business owners facing the same challenges you face and get the tools, strategies, and best practices to compete successfully in today’s rapidly changing business environment. You will boost your impact with ideas from successful entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, top caliber keynoters, and chamber executives.
May 3-5, 2013, Chicago
SOBCon is a 2-day interactive business “think tank†that moves ideas to action. During the conference, attendees increase their business IQ in an engaging and positive learning environment. They take away an actionable and measurable business plan, along with invaluable business strategies and skills, increased confidence, and a network of connections to drive their companies forward.
This year’s Chicago theme is “The Customer Centered Business†- talking and masterminding about strategies that will engage your customers and grow your business.
Various locations and dates in 2013 including:
Lafayette, LA March 21, 2013
Midland, TX April 11, 2013
Valdosta, GA April 25, 2013 … and more
Web.com will be traveling to cities near you during 2013, in partnership with SCORE, for 2-hour sessions designed to help local small businesses learn how to successfully market their businesses online. Various dates and cities during the year. Sessions are free.
May 16 - New York
June 20 - Dallas
October 17 - Boston
November 7 - Los Angeles
January 16, 2014 - Miami
Small Business Expo is the largest nation-wide B2B tradeshow, conference & networking event for Small Business Owners. Business Owners browse & meet in our huge exhibition hall filled with exhibitors showcasing valuable products & services to help their businesses grow, attend small business workshops, seminars & meet-ups, network with other small business owners & entrepreneurs in the cyber lounge & speed networking areas, & watch exciting product demos.
May 15-18, 2013, Columbus OH
The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo attracts more than 1,200 attendees annually. Entrepreneurs from all over the country come together to take in everything the conference has to offerâ€"from informative sessions, high-powered speakers, networking opportunities, to essential tools for emerging and established entrepreneurs. As the country’s premier business conference and networking event for African American entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and professionals, The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference is the only venue where leaders of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses gather at one place, one time, and with one purpose.
May 20-27, 2013
Since 2008, Internet Week has taken place all over the city, thanks to our many partners hosting diverse events in different locations.The result is a critical mass of web-focused events that raises the profile of NYC’s industry as a whole, as well as the partners who participate.
June 22-24, 2013, San Francisco
During this three day conference within the HOW Design Live Conference, Veteran freelancers and expert consultants will arm you with all the practical information you need to set goals for growthâ€"and give you the confidence and information you need to achieve them.
===
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form. (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing â€" it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.
There was a 500 per cent rise in the number of malicious websites detected in 2012.
According to the Websense Threatseeker Network, the rise by 501 per cent in the EMEA region, showed that attackers are 'not letting up' in their pursuit of targets. Speaking to SC Magazine, Carl Leonard, senior security research manager, EMEA at Websense, said that websites remain easy to compromise and in some instances, they have become 'watering hole' style attack traps, waiting for victims to visit.
He said: “We see that some malicious files, once downloaded by a user, download another executable file within a minute. How can you protect against that It is almost impossible. We are also now seeing almost ten per cent of malware infecting the system registry, while almost 95 per cent of the malware doesn't actually make any changes, it is transparent to the user.â€
Asked why this increase in vulnerable websites was so significant and how it was possible, Leonard said that the worrying issue is that often the fixes are not complicated and especially with so many businesses on the internet with a profile, malware authors want to get that presence.
“Businesses are not evolving as quickly as attackers and this is evident of how many companies do not have security as the front of their mind. It is often an afterthought too late but it often just takes a minute,†he said.
Why not register for one or more of these educational conferences, webinars and events Get out of the office, learn something, and make new connections for 2013 and beyond.
If you are organizing a great event that small businesses should know about or just attending one, please let me know about it.
******
February 13, 2013, Teleconference
The recent passing of the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act included a number of beneficial reforms making it a prime year for women-owned businesses that are currently or interested in selling to the government.
To help small business owners understand these extensive changes to contracting policies, WIPP’s Procurement Committee and Give Me 5 will hold a special briefing for small businesses with Emily Murphy, Senior Cunsel on the House Small Business Committee. Murphy, who played a large role in the reform efforts, will discuss the changes and how they will affect small businesses in 2013.
February 19, 3013, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago
WOMMfest is a coast to coast event celebrating the first ever National Word of Mouth Marketing Day. Anchor events will take place in Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle, with smaller local celebrations by Word Of Mouth Marketing Association members nationwide.
February 27, 2013, Philadelphia
Join Gene Marks and Todd Cohen for this half day seminar and learn:
How to plan for and create a sales culture - not just a sales team - to increase sales
How to make relationships work in a more profitable way
How to differentiate yourself in 5 words or less and have more profitable conversations
How to convert your customer relationship system from a “glorified Rolodex†to a productive sales and marketing system
How to determine which emerging sales and marketing technologies you should consider this year
February 27-28, 2013, New York City
Learn how Fortune 500 Corporations are using crowdsourcing to out-innovate, out-process, & out-engage their competition. Companies like GE, Microsoft, Walmart, eBay & many others.
Produced by the leading voices in crowdsourcing, David Bratvold and Daily Crowdsource, Crowdoplis was created to show both corporate leaders and small businesses that crowdsourcing is replacing outsourcing to translate millions of words in mere minutes, invent products that sell out before any costs are incurred, and create national award winning TV commercials for $20.
SMX West
March 11-13, 2013, San Jose, CA
The landscape of search and search engine marketing changes constantly.
To keep up, stay ahead, grow your business, and get more (and better) traffic to your site, you need the right help.
Search Marketing Expo is a conference that offers more than 50 cutting-edge sessions (as well as invaluable networking opportunities) covering the search marketing strategies and tactics you’ll need to thrive in 2013 and beyond.
Whether you are a beginner or a search marketing expert, whether you work at (or with) an agency or manage search marketing in-house, SMX West has programming to fit your needs.
March 8, 2013, Online
This free virtual conference is designed to address the specific digital marketing concerns faced by marketers in today’s consumer-based and retail sales industries. Reserve your spot now and get ready for three actionable sessions, including:
1. Give your Email Programs a Dynamic Boost with Customer Data
2. Believable Business Blogging
3. Engaging Customers Before, During, and After the Sale
Multiple cities & dates, March - July 2013
Led by Tory Johnson, the jam-packed, high-energy two-day event enables you to experience big breakthroughs in your business and yourself. This two day conference arms current and aspiring small business owners with the tools, strategies and support to make more money now.
March 21-22, 2013, Mountain View, CA
BlogHer Entrepreneurs ’13 is BlogHer’s third annual event designed for women who want to start something, whether their goal is to strike out on their own with a brilliant idea, or to bring an entrepreneurial approach to innovation within a company.
London - March 25-27
Minneapolis - June 3-5
Atlanta - November 11-12
As the leading conference of its kind, Confab: The Content Strategy Conference brings together professionals everywhere who realize the value of content. User experience. Marketing. IT. Business management. This is one big party for content-loving folks who value smart thinking, voracious learning, and constant improvement in the workplace and beyond.
March 27-29, 3013, Scottsdale AZ
InfusionCon is a must-attend event for all Infusionsoft customers. There are a variety of sessions geared towards business owners, marketing and sales strategists, developers, administrators and more. Session topics cover a diverse range of topics relevant to small businesses, including Infusionsoft training, marketing strategy, social media, company culture, business management, automation, branding, copywriting, affiliate marketing and more.
Social Media Marketing World
April 7-9, 2013, San Diego, CA
Join 1,000 fellow marketers at the mega-conference designed to inspire and empower you with social media marketing ideasâ€"brought to you by Social Media Examiner.
April 11-12, 2013, New Orleans
Inc. created GROWCO, a three-day conference, for business leaders who want brass tacks advice to achieve the next level of growth. GROWCO speakers include founders and CEOs of fast-growing companies, icons in the business community, and authors of definitive business tomes. Learn how to develop a vision, manage a team, create a brand, get the most for your marketing dollar, connect with customers, close deals, and find capital.
April 29 - May 1, 2013, Washington, DC
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s annual event will allow you to access the experience and perspective of hundreds of small business owners facing the same challenges you face and get the tools, strategies, and best practices to compete successfully in today’s rapidly changing business environment. You will boost your impact with ideas from successful entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, top caliber keynoters, and chamber executives.
May 3-5, 2013, Chicago
SOBCon is a 2-day interactive business “think tank†that moves ideas to action. During the conference, attendees increase their business IQ in an engaging and positive learning environment. They take away an actionable and measurable business plan, along with invaluable business strategies and skills, increased confidence, and a network of connections to drive their companies forward.
This year’s Chicago theme is “The Customer Centered Business†- talking and masterminding about strategies that will engage your customers and grow your business.
Various locations and dates in 2013 including:
Lafayette, LA March 21, 2013
Midland, TX April 11, 2013
Valdosta, GA April 25, 2013 … and more
Web.com will be traveling to cities near you during 2013, in partnership with SCORE, for 2-hour sessions designed to help local small businesses learn how to successfully market their businesses online. Various dates and cities during the year. Sessions are free.
May 16 - New York
June 20 - Dallas
October 17 - Boston
November 7 - Los Angeles
January 16, 2014 - Miami
Small Business Expo is the largest nation-wide B2B tradeshow, conference & networking event for Small Business Owners. Business Owners browse & meet in our huge exhibition hall filled with exhibitors showcasing valuable products & services to help their businesses grow, attend small business workshops, seminars & meet-ups, network with other small business owners & entrepreneurs in the cyber lounge & speed networking areas, & watch exciting product demos.
May 15-18, 2013, Columbus OH
The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo attracts more than 1,200 attendees annually. Entrepreneurs from all over the country come together to take in everything the conference has to offerâ€"from informative sessions, high-powered speakers, networking opportunities, to essential tools for emerging and established entrepreneurs. As the country’s premier business conference and networking event for African American entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and professionals, The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference is the only venue where leaders of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses gather at one place, one time, and with one purpose.
May 20-27, 2013
Since 2008, Internet Week has taken place all over the city, thanks to our many partners hosting diverse events in different locations.The result is a critical mass of web-focused events that raises the profile of NYC’s industry as a whole, as well as the partners who participate.
June 22-24, 2013, San Francisco
During this three day conference within the HOW Design Live Conference, Veteran freelancers and expert consultants will arm you with all the practical information you need to set goals for growthâ€"and give you the confidence and information you need to achieve them.
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To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form. (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing â€" it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.
