| March 28, 2012 |
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- Business gone off course? Get back on track
Small-business owners can cope with current business conditions by making sure they have a solid strategy in place and by focusing on building trust, Roberta Chinsky Matuson writes. Small-business owners sometimes "subscribe to the belief that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. In the end, these micromanagers crash and burn," she writes. Hartford Business Journal (Conn.)
(3/26)      
- The changing nature of B2B buying
Business-to-business buyers like their business-to-consumer cousins are looking for more experiential buying processes, Tony Zambito writes. "What we are witnessing today is a marked shift from funnel-thinking to that of focusing on the total buyer experience that does not fit neatly into stages or step approach thinking," he writes. iMedia Connection
(3/26)
- Common website-design mistakes -- and how to avoid them
Websites are a key tool for small business, so it's important to take your time to create a good one, Ilya Pozin writes. "Instead of focusing on getting your website done as soon as possible, you must first research your target audience in your specific market." Avoid creating a website that is too flashy, and be sure to keep your content up to date, he advises. Forbes
(3/27)
- How decreasing your focus can increase your income
Only a small number of clients and business actions actually create much profit for your company, John Jantsch writes. "Start looking at your business as a vehicle for solving the greatest challenges of your most profitable customers and then figure out how to do that better," he recommends. Duct Tape Marketing
(3/27)
- Budgets' business-boosting power
Budgeting can help a small business to create a financial framework and to plan ahead, write Rich Russakoff and Mary Goodman of Bottom Line Up Enterprises. You can get started with budgeting by calculating recurring expenses and sales, then adding in estimated income and costs. While the recent past can be a good barometer of future success, you shouldn't rely on it too heavily, they explain. CBS MoneyWatch
(3/27)
- Finding the right invoicing app for your small business
There are several options available for small-business owners who want to automate their invoicing, Brien Posey writes. BillingTracker Pro, for example, is especially good at dealing with foreign clients, while kBilling is an easy-to-use option, he writes. Other possible choices include Ezy Invoice, Invoice Expert and Volutive. TechRepublic/Five Apps blog
(3/26)
- How your brain size influences your social circle
Your brain size might be related to how skilled you are at dealing with social situations and how many friends you have, according to Oxford University researchers. In particular, those with a larger orbital prefrontal cortex tended to have more friends. "What this tells us is that the size of your brain determines your social skills, and it is these that allow you have many friends," one researcher said. The Telegraph (London)
(3/27)
 | Remember first impressions are everything. Don’t allow your customer to make assumptions about your business because of a poorly designed website."
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Recent SmartBrief on Small Business Issues:
- Tuesday, March 27, 2012
- Monday, March 26, 2012
- Friday, March 23, 2012
- Thursday, March 22, 2012
- Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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While the Small Business Administration had a strong year for lending, the agency's administrator Karen Mills, notes that "[s]mall-dollar loans to under-served communities are not back." Big banks need to be brought back into the market, and other types of lenders need to get involved as well, she said. In the same interview, Mills also discusses the SBA's mission and the amount of paperwork involved with the agency's loans. 