See New Twitter Business Access, Protect Your Firm on Google

Our latest community news and information roundup looks at the new trends on Twitter and other things being discussed on small business blogs and communities across the Web.

Twitter Has New Business Access (Marketing Land)

Mattt McGee reports on this new Twitter All Access program apparently aimed at bringing in more business advertisers. It offers access to “Twitter ad experts,” up to $100 in free ads and more.

Protect Your Law Firm On Google (OVC)

Google search has been helpful for law firms, and many other small businesses, seeking to draw more attention to their services. But it has made it easier for those who could damage your business’s reputation. The OVC team has some suggestions for protect your online reputation.

Gone Fishin’ — For Customers (SmallBizDaily)

These days it’s not only important to consider your marketing message. You’ve got to figure out how to place your information or marketing message out there so that the right audience or customers will find it. Eric Groves, founder and CEO of local business social network Alignable compares this to going fishing. Here are Groves suggestions.

Experiment With New Marketing Trends  (Firefly Coaching)

While it;s important to avoid “shiny new ball” syndrome while marketing your business, it’s also good to experiment as a way of reaching new customers. Stephanie Ward adds extra insight in the BizSugar community.

Video Even More Popular on Mobile (Mobile on Mainstreet)

Among the new marketing trends out there is mobile video, writes Reggie Brutus founder of Mobile on Mainstreet Inc. In fact, Butus says data shows mobile shoppers are three times more likely to watch a video than desktop shoppers.

Trends to Remember About Online Shoppers (Bongo)

For 75 percent of online shoppers, looking for products and services on the Internet is the norm. And 66 percent say they prefer to shop online. These are just some of the insights marketing researcher Lab 42 reveals in this graphic published by Bongo International.

This Sales Lesson is an Oldie but a Goodie (ButchBellah.com)

Not every business lesson has to do with the latest technology. Sales coach Butch Bellah says he learned the most important of his career 30 years ago at age 19. Read this blog post for a simple concept that could change your business too.

Bootstrapping May Still Be a Great Startup Option (One Million by One Million Blog)

Bootstrapping is another classic business technique that defies the changing trends. Sramana Mitra interviews serial entrepreneur Jeff Leventhal, who bootstrapped his first software business and sold it for $100,000.

Have an idea for information to include in a future community news and information roundup? Email us or share it on the BizSugar community. It’s the site we regularly visit for the freshest and most authentic small business voices on the Web.

Summertime reading list image via shutterstock

The post See New Twitter Business Access, Protect Your Firm on Google appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Go to Source

Are You a Stay at Home Mom in Need of a Voice and Business Outlet?

Entrepreneurship has been a growing trend with moms for decades. Holly Hurd was one of those moms. She started her own financial trading company out of college and eventually developed and sold her own hedge fund. She also had several other entrepreneurial ventures throughout the years, including a line of furniture and books on business related topics.

Now Hurd (pictured below) runs VentureMom, a site for moms who have started – or would like to start – their own businesses.

Hurd's original intent was to write a book about mom-owned businesses, but when she received an overwhelming response to her interview inquiries she decided to start an online newsletter instead.

The format allowed her to start right away instead of waiting for a publisher. It also allowed her to let her new venture evolve and change through the years.

What started out as a newsletter eventually grew into a blog, website, and all-encompassing promotional space for mom entrepreneurs to show off their businesses and learn from other moms.

The site also contains a marketplace where mom’s can sell their products and services to one another and to other members of the community. The marketplace includes products ranging from fashion to art to products for babies, children and even the family dog.

Hurd says she’s been impressed through the years as she's had the opportunity to learn about all the different ventures that moms across the country have started.

She lists some of her favorite creative entrepreneurs she's covered. There was an animal-loving former dental assistant who cleans dogs' teeth on the weekends,  a southern transplant who started a manners class for kids, and a woman who created a phone holder for strollers and exercise equipment.

Though these ideas fall into different categories and industries, Hurd said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends that most of the women she's covered do have one thing in common:

"The mom entrepreneur is creating something to solve a problem in her own life. They think of a product or service that they'd like to see offered but they can't find it. So they just create it themselves. And that means it's often something that appeals to other moms."

She also thinks that some of the qualities moms normally share, like the ability to multitask and compartmentalize, translate well into running a successful business. Hurd said that within minutes of talking to most moms, she can almost always find a talent or idea that they could make into a successful business:

"Every mom has a business inside them. And it's probably something they're already doing on a daily basis."

Images VentureMom

The post Are You a Stay at Home Mom in Need of a Voice and Business Outlet? appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Go to Source

Infosys founder plays down top management exits; focuses on innovation

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Infosys has enough senior managers to run the business even if more executives leave India's second-largest IT services exporter, its founder said on Saturday, after a spate of staff exits triggered concerns about a leadership vacuum.

Go to Source

Learn “How to Write Anything” Pertaining to Life and Business

In the musical "Oliver!" The Artful Dodger sings, "I'd do anything…anything for you" to Nancy. Well in business – scratch that – in life it would be great to have someone who would do anything for you. But to be more realistic about beneficial wishes, we may have to settle for a book that shows us how to write anything.

Writing is essential in finding the proper tone that makes messages meaningful. Business leaders are always setting a tone in every message. If you feel your writing tone needs fresh eyes, read the book How To Write Anything by Laura Brown.

This book is multipurpose and consequently pretty large – 581 pages all in. The opening chapters and sections account for the digital age. Section II is dedicated to it. But many of the pages show examples, complete with what-to-dos and what not to do.

The topics cover the basics of common sense, but they are phrased so that ideas resonate for how to balance heart felt thoughts and appropriate courtesy. Here's an example of the framework shared. The choice of writing an email as a way to hide behind the words:

"Another way we hide behind our writing is through the "e-mail tag" we sometimes engage in at work. Have you ever felt such a rush that you've fired off an email simply to get a particular issue out of your inbox and into someone else's? When you do this, you may look like you're being productive…but are you really moving things closer to resolution? Usually not. If you have an ongoing round of email communication that's getting you no closer to resolving the issue at hand, you might be better off picking up the phone and sorting it all out."

Given that I have a browser in my face everyday, combined with a developer's mindset to iterate quickly on a project, I can appreciate Brown's scenario. I liked the way Brown highlighted a detail that can creep into one's lifestyle and impact how one communicates. That made the next quote connect with me well:

"Ninety nice times out of one hundred, you can successfully make the decision about talking versus writing if you follow these two simple steps: (1) slow down, and (2) think."

The examples in the opening pages cover life events, such as weddings, but the business-specific occasions start on page 379 onward. I can see the value of the earlier pages. Small business owners who have enough wisdom to broaden their personal experiences will benefit from the multipurpose scope of the book.

This approach sets up what can be a terrifically useful resource. Many times I find myself stuck on a word or phrase, using it in separate notes but still feeling as if I am being repetitive. My creative need to be unique gets challenged. The examples like the images below can illustrate where creativity should go:

To keep the tips assessable in a quick business moment, the text presents side notes as well as the do/not do lists with the example. There's always context to show why certain words are chosen.

Other tips and ideas cover the gamut with a capital "C" – because the gamut is a capital "G." The writing subjects include academic paper, invitation to weddings, playdates with family friends, and even the esoteric, like sharing a recipe. There's also tips about writing a complaint. This is helpful for those tasked with customer service concerns.

The business-oriented tips emphasize courtesy, and like the rest of the book, shows how. Questions, business letters, and the eventual business apology are topics explored.

Brown's ideas of inspired framework and hip-pocket lists of suggestions assured me that I will be rescued from writer's block when it happens. I think you'll find this book just as life-saving for your business communication needs.

Just don't be surprised if you find yourself singing to colleagues and partners that "you'll write anything…anything for you!"

The post Learn “How to Write Anything” Pertaining to Life and Business appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Go to Source