Some interesting developments filled the news this week with issues touching on entrepreneurship, the tech industry and more. If you didn’t have time to catch it all, don’t worry. The Small Business Trends editorial team has you covered. Here’s our roundup of the big stories.
Entrepreneurship
Digg Founder Kevin Rose Protested for Creating Jobs. It’s No Joke.
We couldn’t make this up. Protesters stormed Kevin’s house in San Francisco this week. What’s their beef? He’s brought too many high paying jobs to the San Francisco area, that’s what. And in compensation, the protestors want Google to give them $3 billion for free housing. Read on and see if it makes sense to you.
Social Media
New Twitter Redesign Features Bigger Photos and New Features
Some may say the new Twitter looks to much like Facebook. There are certainly larger photos and some features that borrow from other social media. Try Pinned Tweets, for example. But take some time to look at the options. (Your new version will be rolling out soon. And listen to what others in the small business community have to say.
The FTC is Flagging This Pinterest Contest and Here’s Why
The Federal Trade Commission has made no secret of its policy to require disclosure when paid to promote on social media. But what about when those promoting your brand aren’t even your employees or contractors? Here’s an interesting case that will probably make you rethink that next Pinterest campaign, if not all your social media marketing.
Say Goodbye to the Products and Services Tab on LinkedIn Company Pages
It’s the end of an era (sort of). LinkedIn says adios to the Products and Services Tab on its Company Pages. If your business has a Company Page, the tab will be history as of April 14, 2014. For now you can edit your existing tab but can no longer add new products to it.
Web
Disqus Will Help Publishers Earn with Sponsored Comments
Yes, you heard right. Disqus is banking on the idea that brands are more interested in showing up where engagement happens, in your sites’ comment section. The company promises the ads won’t be obtrusive, and you can turn them off if you like. But it could be another way to monetize your content.
Want to Attract 20,000 Users to Your Platform in Just 3 Months? Read this
In 2011, Anthony Smith launched Insightly, a CRM platform aimed at the SMB market, because he couldn’t find a customer management product that integrated with Google Apps products to his liking. So he decided to build a product and business to meet that need. Anthony shares how he bootstrapped his vision and turned it into reality with over 400,000 users.
Google’s Product Listing Ads Will Soon be History
Recently, Google announced that PLA campaigns, or Product Listing Ads campaigns, will be replaced by the end of August with Shopping Campaigns. There are new features you’ll find with the Shopping Campaigns that are meant to help you manage your campaigns at scale. According to the announcement, these campaigns have received great feedback so far.
Mobile
Business By Miles Aims to Automate Your Business From Anywhere
It’s called Business by Miles. And its purpose is to automate your business functions. That’s everything from scheduling to human resources, billing, invoicing, project management, payroll and accounting. But where once you might have done this using multiple apps, Business by Miles wants to reduce that to one. And did we mention it’s optimized for mobile?
Video Message Your Colleagues on Vine (Whether They Use the Service or Not)
Vine has expanded beyond looping videos. Vine has introduced a new service where you send video messages directly to your friends. The addition of private messaging comes with the ability to send short video clips to any contact on your mobile device - not just other Vine members. Of course, non-Vine recipients of these messages will be limited to send you text responses back.
A Report Says Apps are the Clear Winners Over Mobile Browsing
When consumers are looking for information on your brand, it is more likely to be on a phone or tablet, instead of a PC. The mobile device is king. At least that’s according to a report released recently by a mobile analytics firm which concluded that mobile device usage is on the rise.
Tech
3D Printing May have Become even easier.
This new crowdfunding effort has already raised sufficient funds to produce the the Micro. The device is being billed as the first true consumer model 3D printer. It’s a 7.3 inch cube, weighing about half a pound and is expected to sell for around $299. Check out the video and more on the Kickstarter campaign here.
Linksys Introduces New Devices to Boost Wireless Access for Small Business.
Devices include the wireless AC Access Point and Smart Switches. Both provide opportunities for small businesses with a need to increase the number of Web enabled devices in your office. Linksys says the devices are part of new push into the small to medium sized business market. So, as your technology needs grow expect to see more innovation on the horizon.
Your Next Pizza Delivery Guy Might Actually be a Flying Drone
Perhaps you caught the story recently on 60 minutes on Drones Over America. Or more likely you’ve heard about the interview with Jeff Bezos of Amazon on their plans to begin using drones to deliver packages to your door. Drones are becoming a very hot, and controversial, topic.
Customer Service
Satanic Latte Art? How Should a Business Respond?
When a Louisiana teacher visited her local Starbucks, she didn’t expect that her coffee drinks would deliver a satanic message. But when she looked down at the two drinks, she allegedly saw just that. One of them depicted a star that appeared to be Lucifer’s pentagram and the other included a 666 made with caramel drizzle.
How Much Can Poor Customer Service Cost Your Business? Read On
Customer service is important. If you run a business, you already know that. But you might not realize just how great an impact poor customer service can have on your company’s bottom line. The data collected by ClickSoftware explains: “Poor customer experiences result in an estimated $83 billion loss by U.S. enterprises each year because of defections and abandoned purchases.
Policy
Newly Sworn SBA Chief Must Deal With Lending Defaults
Newly sworn-in Small Business Administration Chief Maria Contreras-Sweet may want to give small businesses access to more loans. But a bigger challenge may be adding some oversight to the administration’s current troubled loan guarantee program. Critics like the Government Accountability Office (GAO) say the program is already costing taxpayers billions.
An Update on the Greater Opportunities for Small Business Act
Government contracts for small businesses were discussed this week on Capitol Hill. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) asked the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday to include more contracting for small businesses in a defense spending bill for 2015. Graves serves as chairman of the House Committee on Small Business.
So, How Do You Really Feel About the Minimum Wage?
Yes, the President is pressing Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10. Rieva Lesonky mentions some statistics here that suggest there’s a benefit to the increase. For example, some small businesses are already paying more. But, in the end, the question is whether your small business will be able to sustain potentially higher costs.
Reading Photo via Shutterstock
