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Small Biz Survival
  • Use TalkWalker alerts to keep up online
    social media | tools

    Use TalkWalker alerts to keep up online

    March 31, 2014August 27, 2014

    How do you keep up with the tons of new content created everyday online? How do you know who is mentioning you in blog posts, who is talking about competitors, and what news stories affect your business? You don’t. Instead, you have an assistant perform daily searches, then present you with the most relevant items….

    Read More Use TalkWalker alerts to keep up onlineContinue

  • marketing | rural | success | tools

    Pay Attention to Small Visual Marketing Details

    November 7, 2013August 27, 2014

    Marketing covers a wide range of activities and tools. If you ask a small-business owner about his or her marketing, you probably will get a list of traditional media campaigns and maybe his or her social media efforts. You also may hear about the person’s efforts to target customers and ensure that those customers become…

    Read More Pay Attention to Small Visual Marketing DetailsContinue

  • Mobile hot dog vendor accepts a credit card payment with a Square reader.
    Best of | entrepreneurship | tools

    Alternative ways to take credit cards. Ditch your merchant account!

    October 29, 2013December 16, 2021

      Taking credit cards used to be a big deal for small businesses. It involved setting up a merchant account, passing a credit check, leasing or buying equipment and agreeing to a multi-year commitment. That was just the getting started part. The traditional merchant processing industry standard seemed to be lots of fees, and little…

    Read More Alternative ways to take credit cards. Ditch your merchant account!Continue

  • Unsorted mail, adapted from cogdogblog
    organization | tools

    Using Gmail’s Tabbed Inbox wisely

    August 5, 2013August 27, 2014

    The Best Way to Deal with Email What’s the best way to deal with email? Have it sorted automatically, before you ever see it, into groups based on the frame of mind needed to act on it. Frame of mind might be “reading” for newsletters that are informative, or “read and reply immediately” for work…

    Read More Using Gmail’s Tabbed Inbox wiselyContinue

  • Best of | entrepreneurship | tools

    Boo-yah! No More Fear of Technology

    September 19, 2012January 2, 2018

    Sheila Scarborough has been my friend for over 4 years, which is a long time online. She’s one of the most confident and capable people anywhere. She’s made an impressive transition from an officer in the Navy to freelance writer to entrepreneur and business owner. I’ve learned a lot from her about the world of…

    Read More Boo-yah! No More Fear of TechnologyContinue

  • tools

    Using social media INSIDE your business in the weekly roundup

    July 17, 2011August 27, 2014

    Matt About Business Weekly Link Roundup Each week, I collect the 10 best posts that I’ve read and share them with you here. These posts focus on either choosing, or using, small business solutions online (or both!). Enjoy! Matt Mansfield If you need a website, consider getting a free consult with Matt: Think Outside the…

    Read More Using social media INSIDE your business in the weekly roundupContinue

  • entrepreneurship | tools

    Peek into competition websites with Compete

    July 11, 2011August 27, 2014

    How much do you know about your competitor’s website? Do they get more traffic than your site, or less? What keywords are sending them the most traffic? Compete.com can give you the answers. Put in three website addresses. Compete will give you their traffic chart. For websites with enough traffic, it will also give a…

    Read More Peek into competition websites with CompeteContinue

  • customer service | tools

    Another tool to get to know your customers

    June 13, 2011August 27, 2014

    If you like using online tools to better get to know your customers, Noteleaf is another tool that can help. Here’s some of the explanation from their website: You schedule meetings in Google Calendar, Noteleaf gives you information about who you’re meeting on your phone. Noteleaf sends you a text message right before your meeting with…

    Read More Another tool to get to know your customersContinue

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