Small Business Trends: What to Expect from 2018
Many small businesses aimed to take a fresh look at their own business in 2018 and ask themselves: What’s new? Each year sees growing trends in all industries. 2016 saw the rise of male grooming, with ‘beard products’ being one of the most searched for terms that year. Adult games—specifically Cards Against Humanity—were one of…
Read MoreComing in Loud and Cloud: Podcasts
When I was a kid, I loved listening to the old time radio shows that my parents grew up with. The Shadow was my favorite. I loved the storytelling but I also loved the portability — I used to listen when I was mowing the lawn (on my old Walkman, if that doesn’t age me!).…
Read MoreA Lesson from Pringles: How to Promote Your Brand More Creatively
It’s always a smart idea when you can get a practical (and free) marketing lesson from a multi-million-dollar ad agency. Today we thank Pringles for picking up the tab and giving us a great example of brand-based versus product-based messaging. Recently Twitter published the findings of a study that looked at the marketing mix of…
Read MoreHow Would You Like a Great Advisory Board?
Have you ever thought of creating an advisory board? As you can guess, that would be an informal group with no legal responsibilities, but one able to be called upon to act as business, industry and scientific advisors to you and the company. Usually, you would want to create an advisory board to fill in the…
Read MoreWhy Your Website NEEDS an SEO Audit
In our agency we always recommend and perform an SEO audit for all new clients. Without understanding clearly what is technically wrong with the website, no amount of off-site SEO is going to work well. A technical SEO audit will be able to highlight areas where the website is struggling, where it could be improved…
Read MoreWant to Build a World-Class Workforce? Here’s How to Attract Top Talent
When the Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016, the rest of the NBA took a major collective gasp. The strongest team in professional basketball, dominant NBA champions in 2015 and a win away from repeating in 2016, got a lot stronger by adding one of the five best players in…
Read MoreAre You Coachable?
Being coachable, whether you are a top executive, a middle manager, a front line sales manager, or an individual contributor is critical to your success. To grow and develop, to improve our abilities to achieve our goals and results, we have to be constantly learning and developing. Having others providing feedback, coaching, helping us think…
Read More7 Ways to Survive the Retail Customer Shift to Online
In my role as advisor to small businesses, I often hear first-hand the challenges and failures of retail store owners who fear the advantages of online and feel the exodus to eCommerce, led by Amazon and Ebay. Ironically, the most common desire I hear from entrepreneurs selling wholly online, is the need for their entry…
Read More8 Best Coupon Websites and Apps to Use When Shopping Online
Online shopping has become increasingly popular throughout the decades, buying goods on the Internet has become an ongoing trend, it’s like we never have to leave the house again. Most of us barely have any time for ourselves, let alone having to make time to step foot at the mall – with online shopping, it’s…
Read MoreSurprising Expenses You Cannot Deduct
Taking all the tax deductions to which you’re entitled is only smart business, right? But you may be surprised to know that the IRS doesn’t allow deductions for certain expenses that, on the surface at least, seem completely valid. Here are some of the expenses you cannot deduct: Work Clothes. That new business suit or those…
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