Moto G Offers Another Budget Business Option

New mobile devices like Verizon’s Ellipsis 7 are the latest trend in consumer tech appealing to the budget business user. And Motorola, now under the guidance of new owner Google, may be adding to that trend with its new Moto G.

Unveiled just months after the Moto X, the new phone may be even more of a bargain but still have features useful to frugal small business owners.

In a release on the official Motorola Blog, the company explained:

“People all around the world want to be a part of the mobile Internet so they can access the world’s information, share, and connect with the things that matter to them. But the smartphone industry has relegated hundreds of millions of smartphone buyers to second-class status, preventing them from experiencing the mobile Internet at its best.”

Motorola says that’s because high-priced smartphones give consumers the choice between cheap new smartphones with inferior components and older premium smartphones that are almost obsolete.

Sold at just $179 unlocked and without a contract, Moto G’s 8 GB version should attract attention for its price alone. A 16 GB version will be available for $199.

Among other features that may interest business users are:

• A rear mounted 5 MP camera with LED flash.
• A 3 MP front-facing camera for video chats.
• 50 GB of storage for two years on Google Drive with purchase of the phone.
• A 4.5-inch HD display.
• An upgrade to Android’s newest version 4.4 KitKat January.

Here’s another overview of the phone’s features from TheVerge:

One downside, The Verge notes, is the lack of 4G LTE. This could be a problem for mobile entrepreneurs in need of high speed data transfer from their smartphones.

The phones are designed with a curved back and interchangeable shells in nineteen customizable combinations. The phone is now available only in parts of South America and Europe but should be available in the U.S. by January.

Whether you feel the Moto G is right for your business or not, it serves as a great example of targeting an under-served market.

Image: Motorola

Obamacare’s Impact on Small Business Finance

It should come as little surprise that following the “fumbled” launch of President Obama’s signature health care initiative, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), his ratings have sunk to a new low.  According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, 55 percent of Americans disapprove of the way the President is handling his job.  This represents his lowest ratings ever.  Moreover, 63 percent disapprove of the implementation of Obama’s much ballyhooed health care law.

The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) is more than just a source of political bickering.  Debate over the legislation led to the government shutdown in October, which hurt small businesses significantly.  The law has been the center of political debate since President Obama came into office.  It’s an issue so volatile that it led to the shutdown, which had the unintended consequence of hurting small companies in three ways:

• Hindering small business loans
• Raising cost structures
• Slowing job-creation

The impact on the flow of capital to small business owners was somewhat of an unexpected consequence of the shutdown.  My company’s Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index (additional coverage here) for October 2013 reported a 20 percent drop in small business loan approval rates at big banks.  Meanwhile, smaller banks granted less than half of funding requests.

The popular SBA 7(a) loans and other lending initiatives available through the Small Business Administration were at a standstill for three weeks because the agency was closed.  The delay has caused a backlog of SBA loan approvals that will likely last through the end of the year.  Even non-SBA loans stalled because bank loan officers require income verification from the IRS in order to approve funding requests.  Because the data was not available to lenders, non-SBA loans slowed.

Desperate for capital, many small business owners turned to high interest funding from so-called alternative lenders (cash advance companies, accounts receivable funders, etc.). High interest loans add to the cost of operation of any business and negatively impact the bottom line.

Increased Insurance Costs

Meanwhile, it is apparent that Obamacare is causing an increase in insurance costs.  Millions of Americans have had their insurance policies cancelled because they did not match ACA requirements.  This is in sharp contrast to the President’s famous promise:

“If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”

The replacement costs for the cancelled policies are turning out to be much higher than expected.  Again small business owners are squeezed.

Not only are premiums more expensive, they are also less comprehensive.  Co-pays and the costs of prescription drugs are rising significantly in many cases.  Entrepreneurs are not just business owners; they are individuals with families who are covered by health insurance policies.

Economic Uncertainty

Any economist will tell you that markets dislike uncertainty.  To say there is uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act would be an understatement.  Small business owners, particularly retailers, are already nervous about their 2014 prospects.

Because consumers are unsure how much they will have to pay in the form of increased insurance costs, they may be more cautious in their 2013 holiday spending.

This is bad news for the economy.

Hindered Job Creation

Lastly, the fumbled start of Obamacare is hurting job-creation.  I speak to dozens of small business owners on a weekly basis.  Many of them are refraining from hiring full-time workers. They are also looking at ways to scale back workers’ hours to part-time status and hiring free lancers to fill the voids.  These tactics are being implemented to keep the number of employees below 50.

In this way, the Affordable Care Act is a job-killer.

When people ask me my thoughts about Obamacare’s impact on small business, I point to the three areas:

• Financing
• Cost structures
• Job creation

So far, the launch of the new government health law has negatively impacted small businesses, which drive both the growth and new hiring in the U.S. economy.

Obama Photo via Shutterstock

B2B Deals Galore! Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday

Make Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday count! They are all opportunities to make the most of the holiday season.

We’ve collected some B2B offers and resources below. We will be adding to our list throughout the big weekend, too, so bookmark us and keep checking back.

Black Friday

Dell Offers Pre-Black Friday Business Deals. (Dell)

You don’t need to wait until Black Friday to save on small business tech. Dell is promoting what it calls Pre-Black Friday deals. There are savings on desktops, laptops, tablets and more. The site shows savings of over $200 on some laptops. There are no details about when the sale might be over so scope out the technology you are interested in as soon as possible.

Spend Nothing on Your Next Smartphone (Deal News)

Everyone knows there are big savings on electronics on Black Friday. But you can save on more than just consumer items. For example, Best Buy is offering this Samsung Galaxy S4 for free with a two year plan. Take advantage of this deal starting Thursday Nov. 28 at 6 p.m.

Check Out this Free Checklist (Firefly Store Solutions)

Black Friday can be a huge boon to your small retail business â€" if you’re prepared in advance. Here is a checklist (infographic) you may want to refer to and share with colleagues to make sure you’re ready to go.

Small Business Saturday

Twitter Gives Away Free Advertising Credits (Twitter Blog)

Specifically, the microblogging platform is giving away $1 million in free advertising credits on its platform in support of Small Business Saturday. Only new advertisers based in the U.S. are eligible. And you’d better hurry. It’s first come first serve with the first 10,000 businesses getting $100 in credits each.

Create an Ad on Foursquare and Win (Foursquare for Business)

If Foursquare, the location-based social media network, is more your speed, here’s another offer for online advertising you might want to consider. Create an ad on the site between now and Dec. 31, and you’ll get $50 worth of ad credits. Again though, better hurry. It says while supplies last.

Get a Welcome Mat and 20 Reusable Shopping Bags â€" Free (American Express)

The deadline has passed to guarantee receipt of these bags in time for Small Business Saturday. But you can still order them and promote your small business or someone else’s in your community year-round. Again these mats and reusable bags are free and are in limited supply, so don’t wait.

Cyber Monday

Free Social Media and Email Marketing Resources (Vertical Response)

You don’t need to wait until Cyber Monday to take advantage of these tools â€" many free â€" from VerticalResponse. They include an email subject line generator, guides for online marketing during the holidays, downloadable holiday buttons and more. Clearly these are online marketing tools most useful for reaching customers in preparation for Cyber Monday. But VerticalResponse has announced the site will be available all through the holiday season.

Resource List Provides Hundreds of Offers (Shop.org)

Cyber Monday isn’t just for consumers, as we’ve said. Small businesses can find many deals too. This comprehensive list is one place to start with offers from brands like HP, Office Max, McAfee and more. Though clearly labeled as Cyber Monday offers, many are valid through the end of the year or even the first few days of 2014, but some end sooner. Please check the individual deadline of the offer that interests you to make sure you don’t miss out.

Other B2B Holiday Deals

Get a PRNewsWire Press Release for 30% Off (Small Business Trends)

This is our very own special deal for you. If you’re planning on running a holiday campaign, discount or sales event, or a business event, announce it in a press release and use the code SMBTRENDS30 to get 30% off. This offer expires on November 27, 2013.

Editor’s Note: If you know of more resources or offers that belong on our list, we’ll be updating it daily so be sure to email them to us at sbtips@gmail.com. Include a link and as many details as you can about how the offer/resource benefits small businesses.

Shopping Mall Photo via Shutterstock

Why Is Mobile Responsive Web Design a Must?

Have you ever been in a public place and taken a moment to look up from your mobile device? If you have then you probably noticed that just about everywhere you looked someone was staring at his or her mobile device. Whether it’s a laptop, tablet or phone, there’s no question that the world has gone mobile. Businesses are no different; they have also joined the mobile wave and increasingly they understand the importance of having responsive web design.  While there are a lot of misperceptions about creating respnsive websites, the trends and data support that the time to act is now and it can be done economically.

Mobile Devices by the Numbers

When it comes to the shift in mobile web access, the numbers don’t lie. Here are just a few:

• By August of this year, 17.4 percent of all web traffic had come via a mobile device. That’s a six percent increase since last year when 11.1 percent of mobile traffic was from mobile!

• From July 2012 to July 2013 mobile web access in the United States increased from 9.4 percent to 15.2 percent.

• Nearly a quarter of all website traffic was from a mobile device in the first three months of 2013. That represents a 78 percent increase from the same period last year and a 109 percent jump from 2011.

• According to Nielsen, more than 60 percent of all mobile phone users in America use a smartphone. And Statista says that by the year 2017, five billion people will use a mobile phone.

Is Your Website Responsive?

So what do all those numbers mean? Of course, you could use them to support a number of different theories and ideas regarding web access. However, one of the most important lessons to take from these numbers is that your website needs to be responsive in order to capture some of that massive mobile market. So what does that mean, exactly? Simply put, if your website is able to easily and smoothly fit on a desktop, tablet and smartphone browser, then it has a mobile responsive design.

Why Is Mobile Responsive so Important?

Making your website mobile responsive is important for a lot of reasons and it’s not just about looks. Looks are important, but mostly it’s about business. If you have a web design that lacks a good user experience on a mobile device then you could be missing out on a lot of potential customers.

An example I recently encountered was when I was speaking with someone from Advanced Insurance. The company had noticed they had decent traffic coming to their website from mobile but their conversion rate wasn’t great. They made the necessary changes to their site to make it mobile friendly and they saw conversion rate increase.

Mobile responsive design is also becoming more important in the service industries. People are searching on their phones and want to have quick and easy results. For example a friend of mine was trying to book a limo for her daughter’s homecoming night. She told me about her frustration as she was looking through limo services on her phone until she came across Utahlimorentals.com which had a very mobile friendly site which allowed her to press one button to talk to someone. This site shows what type of site people are looking for on a mobile platform.

The fact is that more and more people are making purchases from their mobile smart phones these days, and the trend will continue.

Small Businesses and Responsive Mobile

Many businesses, large and small, are beginning to take notice. They understand that if they want to compete, their websites have to compete as well. Advertising, including online marketing, is a huge part of any business. So just how are companies using mobile responsive design to leverage their marketing power?

• Arguably, mobile is the closest you can get to consumers. Mobile devices are very personal and pervasive and business are using them to get close to their customers. As companies seek to comprehend how to better reach customers, mobile devices might be the answer.

• One of the greatest contributors to marketing performance is to be an early adopter of new media and to align your media with the consumer’s habits. In other words, by having a mobile responsive site you stand a better chance of reaping the benefits than a company who doesn’t.

The Future Is Mobile

Study after study demonstrates that the world is continually shifting to mobile. Although the majority of website traffic still comes from desktops it’s clear that web traffic from mobile devices will continue to grow. Therefore, if you depend on your website as an important part of your business (which you most likely do), then you have to get on board the mobile responsive web design train to ensure long term success.

Why Is Mobile Responsive Web Design a Must?

Have you ever been in a public place and taken a moment to look up from your mobile device? If you have then you probably noticed that just about everywhere you looked someone was staring at his or her mobile device. Whether it’s a laptop, tablet or phone, there’s no question that the world has gone mobile. Businesses are no different; they have also joined the mobile wave and increasingly they understand the importance of having responsive web design.  While there are a lot of misperceptions about creating respnsive websites, the trends and data support that the time to act is now and it can be done economically.

Mobile Devices by the Numbers

When it comes to the shift in mobile web access, the numbers don’t lie. Here are just a few:

• By August of this year, 17.4 percent of all web traffic had come via a mobile device. That’s a six percent increase since last year when 11.1 percent of mobile traffic was from mobile!

• From July 2012 to July 2013 mobile web access in the United States increased from 9.4 percent to 15.2 percent.

• Nearly a quarter of all website traffic was from a mobile device in the first three months of 2013. That represents a 78 percent increase from the same period last year and a 109 percent jump from 2011.

• According to Nielsen, more than 60 percent of all mobile phone users in America use a smartphone. And Statista says that by the year 2017, five billion people will use a mobile phone.

Is Your Website Responsive?

So what do all those numbers mean? Of course, you could use them to support a number of different theories and ideas regarding web access. However, one of the most important lessons to take from these numbers is that your website needs to be responsive in order to capture some of that massive mobile market. So what does that mean, exactly? Simply put, if your website is able to easily and smoothly fit on a desktop, tablet and smartphone browser, then it has a mobile responsive design.

Why Is Mobile Responsive so Important?

Making your website mobile responsive is important for a lot of reasons and it’s not just about looks. Looks are important, but mostly it’s about business. If you have a web design that lacks a good user experience on a mobile device then you could be missing out on a lot of potential customers.

An example I recently encountered was when I was speaking with someone from Advanced Insurance. The company had noticed they had decent traffic coming to their website from mobile but their conversion rate wasn’t great. They made the necessary changes to their site to make it mobile friendly and they saw conversion rate increase.

Mobile responsive design is also becoming more important in the service industries. People are searching on their phones and want to have quick and easy results. For example a friend of mine was trying to book a limo for her daughter’s homecoming night. She told me about her frustration as she was looking through limo services on her phone until she came across Utahlimorentals.com which had a very mobile friendly site which allowed her to press one button to talk to someone. This site shows what type of site people are looking for on a mobile platform.

The fact is that more and more people are making purchases from their mobile smart phones these days, and the trend will continue.

Small Businesses and Responsive Mobile

Many businesses, large and small, are beginning to take notice. They understand that if they want to compete, their websites have to compete as well. Advertising, including online marketing, is a huge part of any business. So just how are companies using mobile responsive design to leverage their marketing power?

• Arguably, mobile is the closest you can get to consumers. Mobile devices are very personal and pervasive and business are using them to get close to their customers. As companies seek to comprehend how to better reach customers, mobile devices might be the answer.

• One of the greatest contributors to marketing performance is to be an early adopter of new media and to align your media with the consumer’s habits. In other words, by having a mobile responsive site you stand a better chance of reaping the benefits than a company who doesn’t.

The Future Is Mobile

Study after study demonstrates that the world is continually shifting to mobile. Although the majority of website traffic still comes from desktops it’s clear that web traffic from mobile devices will continue to grow. Therefore, if you depend on your website as an important part of your business (which you most likely do), then you have to get on board the mobile responsive web design train to ensure long term success.

Quickbooks Integrates American Express, Square and Others

QuickBooks says it is the business management software now used by half a million small businesses worldwide. Intuit, the company responsible for the software, says an online version has been available since 2000, earlier than many other software services.

But this will be the first year Intuit expects to acquire more customers for its online product than for its more traditional software. That’s according to Terry Hicks who is a VP and General Manager.

With the increased popularity of its online services, Intuit is pushing to make QuickBooks a more open platform. The company is hoping to integrate more online services its customers might need. Said Hicks in a recent phone interview:

“In some ways we’ve always been an open platform.”

Hicks says early online, the company created a developer’s tool book to make it easier for developers interested in building something applications to interact with the software. Today, Intuit has released an API making it possible for developers to integrate their own apps and software into QuickBooks more easily.

Hicks says the company currently has about 60 partners who have tools that work easily with the QuickBooks software.

Most recently the company announced it was working with American Express and Square, the pocket-sized credit card reader, to make it easier to flow data from both services directly into QuickBooks.

In some cases, Intuit has partnered with companies that serve businesses with specific needs in certain regions of the world.

For example, QuickBooks is used by entrepreneurs and small businesses in 125 different countries. But some of those countries have different rules and regulations governing business.

Despite having its own Payroll function, the company partnered with KeyPay in Australia. The company provides software more in tune with the requirements for businesses in that country.

Increased integration means it will continue to be easier to use other important small business tools in conjunction with QuickBooks for running a small business.

Image: Wikipedia

Quickbooks Integrates American Express, Square and Others

QuickBooks says it is the business management software now used by half a million small businesses worldwide. Intuit, the company responsible for the software, says an online version has been available since 2000, earlier than many other software services.

But this will be the first year Intuit expects to acquire more customers for its online product than for its more traditional software. That’s according to Terry Hicks who is a VP and General Manager.

With the increased popularity of its online services, Intuit is pushing to make QuickBooks a more open platform. The company is hoping to integrate more online services its customers might need. Said Hicks in a recent phone interview:

“In some ways we’ve always been an open platform.”

Hicks says early online, the company created a developer’s tool book to make it easier for developers interested in building something applications to interact with the software. Today, Intuit has released an API making it possible for developers to integrate their own apps and software into QuickBooks more easily.

Hicks says the company currently has about 60 partners who have tools that work easily with the QuickBooks software.

Most recently the company announced it was working with American Express and Square, the pocket-sized credit card reader, to make it easier to flow data from both services directly into QuickBooks.

In some cases, Intuit has partnered with companies that serve businesses with specific needs in certain regions of the world.

For example, QuickBooks is used by entrepreneurs and small businesses in 125 different countries. But some of those countries have different rules and regulations governing business.

Despite having its own Payroll function, the company partnered with KeyPay in Australia. The company provides software more in tune with the requirements for businesses in that country.

Increased integration means it will continue to be easier to use other important small business tools in conjunction with QuickBooks for running a small business.

Image: Wikipedia

How Do Your Holiday Retail Marketing Plans Stack Up Against Competition?

With this year’s holiday shopping season significantly shorter than last year’s due to a late Thanksgiving, retailers are ramping up their marketing plans to compete. Manta’s Q3 Small Business Wellness Index surveyed small business owners about their holiday retail marketing plans, and here’s what they found.

Some 85 percent of small business owners in the survey say this holiday season will be just as important, if not more so, than last year’s in their overall sales. However, recent economic issues have small business owners worried. The government shutdown shook small business owners’ confidence. Half of the entrepreneurs in the study predict holiday sales will suffer as a result. Just 13 percent say they are more optimistic about sales this year than they were in 2012.

The Plan to Attract Customers and Boost Sales

Sales Tactics

Half of small business owners plan to maintain their current sales strategies during the holiday season, with a focus on sales and promotions.

Among those planning to change their holidays’ sales strategies, 11 percent will start promoting earlier (which I assume means they’ve already begun), 11 percent plan to leverage social media and 8 percent will increase their email marketing outreach.

What Matters Most

Small business owners believe the three most influential factors for holiday shoppers are:

• Price (35 percent)
• Customer service (24 percent)
• Online reviews (11 percent)

And they plan to focus on these issues for the holidays.

Millennials

The Millennial generation will be a key target market for small businesses this holiday season. Nearly 30 percent of business owners believe Millennials are more likely than other generations to shop using a mobile device, and 15 percent say Millennials are more engaged by video than their other customers.

Going Mobile

Small business owners are paying attention to mobile marketing. Some 20 percent expect to see more mobile transactions this year and 13 percent plan to use mobile to drive in-store shopping by using mobile coupons or discounts.

Small Business Saturday

As for in-store shopping, the Small Business Saturday initiative is expected to make a difference for 21 percent of small business owners, while 36 percent are unsure what effect it will have on sales.

With Black Friday just days away, there’s still time to make some moves that will improve your holiday sales.

Ways to Improve Your Holiday Sales

Bundle it Up

Group products and services into packages at different price points. This helps customize gift offerings so customers feel they’re getting (and giving) something more personal. It can also help you attract both big spenders and bargain hunters.

Keep it Local

Participate in Small Business Saturday to help drive neighborhood shoppers into your store. Visit the Small Business Saturday website to get tools and tips you can use to promote your products.

Reach Out with Email Marketing

Try targeting your emails based on products you know shoppers have shown prior interest in. Test different email offers, discounts and subject lines to see what gets the best results.

Think Mobile

Millennials aren’t the only customer demographic going mobile. Moms are huge mobile users, too.

Make sure your marketing emails are mobile-friendly and that any links in the emails go to a mobile-friendly landing page on your website so shoppers don’t get frustrated.

Try Texting

Ask customers to opt in to receive text messages from you and send them timely discount codes, limited-time promotional offers and more to drive them into your store.

Give Them a Nudge

Remind customers of the short shopping season and use marketing messages that encourage them to start early so they can finish shopping faster and with less stress. Creating a sense of urgency will prompt customers to act.

Retail Shopping Photo via Shutterstock

How Do Your Holiday Retail Marketing Plans Stack Up Against Competition?

With this year’s holiday shopping season significantly shorter than last year’s due to a late Thanksgiving, retailers are ramping up their marketing plans to compete. Manta’s Q3 Small Business Wellness Index surveyed small business owners about their holiday retail marketing plans, and here’s what they found.

Some 85 percent of small business owners in the survey say this holiday season will be just as important, if not more so, than last year’s in their overall sales. However, recent economic issues have small business owners worried. The government shutdown shook small business owners’ confidence. Half of the entrepreneurs in the study predict holiday sales will suffer as a result. Just 13 percent say they are more optimistic about sales this year than they were in 2012.

The Plan to Attract Customers and Boost Sales

Sales Tactics

Half of small business owners plan to maintain their current sales strategies during the holiday season, with a focus on sales and promotions.

Among those planning to change their holidays’ sales strategies, 11 percent will start promoting earlier (which I assume means they’ve already begun), 11 percent plan to leverage social media and 8 percent will increase their email marketing outreach.

What Matters Most

Small business owners believe the three most influential factors for holiday shoppers are:

• Price (35 percent)
• Customer service (24 percent)
• Online reviews (11 percent)

And they plan to focus on these issues for the holidays.

Millennials

The Millennial generation will be a key target market for small businesses this holiday season. Nearly 30 percent of business owners believe Millennials are more likely than other generations to shop using a mobile device, and 15 percent say Millennials are more engaged by video than their other customers.

Going Mobile

Small business owners are paying attention to mobile marketing. Some 20 percent expect to see more mobile transactions this year and 13 percent plan to use mobile to drive in-store shopping by using mobile coupons or discounts.

Small Business Saturday

As for in-store shopping, the Small Business Saturday initiative is expected to make a difference for 21 percent of small business owners, while 36 percent are unsure what effect it will have on sales.

With Black Friday just days away, there’s still time to make some moves that will improve your holiday sales.

Ways to Improve Your Holiday Sales

Bundle it Up

Group products and services into packages at different price points. This helps customize gift offerings so customers feel they’re getting (and giving) something more personal. It can also help you attract both big spenders and bargain hunters.

Keep it Local

Participate in Small Business Saturday to help drive neighborhood shoppers into your store. Visit the Small Business Saturday website to get tools and tips you can use to promote your products.

Reach Out with Email Marketing

Try targeting your emails based on products you know shoppers have shown prior interest in. Test different email offers, discounts and subject lines to see what gets the best results.

Think Mobile

Millennials aren’t the only customer demographic going mobile. Moms are huge mobile users, too.

Make sure your marketing emails are mobile-friendly and that any links in the emails go to a mobile-friendly landing page on your website so shoppers don’t get frustrated.

Try Texting

Ask customers to opt in to receive text messages from you and send them timely discount codes, limited-time promotional offers and more to drive them into your store.

Give Them a Nudge

Remind customers of the short shopping season and use marketing messages that encourage them to start early so they can finish shopping faster and with less stress. Creating a sense of urgency will prompt customers to act.

Retail Shopping Photo via Shutterstock