NASE Names Keith Hall New President and CEO |  |
- NASE Names Keith Hall New President and CEO
- 5 Essential Social Sharing Buttons for Your Site
- Windows 8.1 $119 for Those Without Windows 8
- 4 Businesses That Use Social Media for Growth
- Alibaba Vows to Battle Counterfeits and Fakes
- The Benefits of Bundling IT Services
| NASE Names Keith Hall New President and CEO Posted: 27 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT
Hall is a 23-year member of the organization who has served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and National Tax Advisor in the past. He has also spent time on the NASE’s Board of Directors. In a prepared statement announcing the new appointment, Hall observed:
Hall replaces Kristie Arslan, who served as President and CEO of NASE and a visible spokesperson for the organization for two years. Arslan, who had also previously served as Executive Director and Director of Government Affairs for the NASE, departed in June. Healthcare and Tax Reform Top PrioritiesIn naming Hall to the new position, NASE board of directors chairman John Wright hinted at issues that will continue to be at the top of the organization’s and Hall’s agenda:
NASE is a national non-profit organization providing benefits and resources for hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the U.S. The organization maintains a NASE Small Business Locator to help identify and connect small businesses based on category. The post NASE Names Keith Hall New President and CEO appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 5 Essential Social Sharing Buttons for Your Site Posted: 26 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT
Today, there's a social network for just about every interest and demographic. People use social media for everything from landing a job to finding old friends, from promoting a business to pure entertainment. For small businesses, social media can be a key driver for online marketing. One of the golden rules is to make it easy for people to help you spread the word about your business—and one-click social sharing buttons are as easy as it gets. So you might think the more buttons, the merrier. If you offer enough social sharing buttons, anyone visiting your website will be able to instantly share your pages, posts and more with their friends, no matter which of the dozens of social networking platforms they use. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Too Many Social Sharing Buttons Can BackfireIf you're displaying a big chunk of social sharing buttons that's longer than some of your posts, you might come across as desperate—which can be a major turnoff for today's online consumers. Beyond that, offering so many choices can actually make the decision to share more complicated for visitors. You want to make things easy—and for people who use more than one social network (which is most of them), fewer is easier. Finally, not all social media networks match your target demographics. If you run a B2B company, having people share your info on Reddit won't do you much good. Which Social Sharing Buttons Should You Use?The best choices for social sharing buttons are those that will get you exposure to the widest possible audience that contains your target demographics. (An infographic from The Search Agents shows which networks are the most popular among what audiences.) In some cases, your small business might benefit from an alternate sharing button, especially if you're in a niche industry. But in general, the important connections to offer your visitors are: The number one social network on the planet with 800 million users, including 2/3 of the population of the United States. Facebook is effective for sharing any and all types of content across a vast map of digital connections. The second most popular site for sharing, Twitter is a must for small business because of the speed at which messages and links can travel. Catch the right audience, and tweets about your business could spread to millions in just a few hours. Google+An up-and-comer in the social networking world, having your content shared on Google+ gives you an advantage with the most used search engine in the world. The Google+ sharing button is especially important if your target demographics lean toward male—since more than twice as many males as females use this social network. The network for business-related activity, LinkedIn is the professional heavy hitter. It's a must for connecting with people in your industry and particularly useful if you're scouting for fresh talent. The original sharing button, including a quick email connection with your content ensures that all your bases are covered—even if you happen to have visitors who don't use social media. The popular image-based social network, is the best choice for small businesses with largely female target demographics. If your business relates to weddings, beauty, food, home, fashion, design, personal interests, or DIY, swap out Google+ for Pinterest in your social sharing button choices. Social Photo via Shutterstock The post 5 Essential Social Sharing Buttons for Your Site appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Windows 8.1 $119 for Those Without Windows 8 Posted: 26 Sep 2013 01:30 PM PDT
For businesses and other users already running Windows 8, an update to the new Microsoft Windows 8.1 coming Oct. 18 will be easy. The new Windows version will be available free as a simple download from the Windows Store. But for users with even older versions, say, Windows 7 or even Windows XP or Windows Vista, installation of the new software is also possible. Microsoft announced pricing for the new software in a recent post on the official Windows Blog. Microsoft Windows 8.1 and 8.1 Pro AvailableMicrosoft will make Windows 8.1 available for sale from the Windows Store and as a retail DVD. The new software will cost $119.99 for users without Windows 8, wrote Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Marketing Communications Manager for Microsoft, in the recent post. Though the software is not recommended or designed for devices running Windows XP or Windows Vista, Microsoft says it can be installed using the DVD version. However, files, settings and programs will need to be backed up and reinstalled after installing Windows 8.1. An enhanced Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro version will also be available for $199.99. Businesses and other users buying a Microsoft Windows 8.1 device later this year will be able to add Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro for $99.99. Microsoft Windows 8.1 will also be available through volume licenses for larger businesses with additional security and other features. What Windows 8.1 OffersFor business and individual users, Windows 8.1 offers:
Read more about Windows 8.1 features from Small Business Trends. Image: Microsoft The post Windows 8.1 $119 for Those Without Windows 8 appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| 4 Businesses That Use Social Media for Growth Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT Social media remains a critical method of spreading the word about your business, no matter what kind of business it may be. In fact, an infograghic compiled by Udemy shows how marketers use social media to get potential customers talking about their products and services. The most popular social channels for marketers in the U.S. have been Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the Udemy infographic indicates. So how can your business use social media to spread the word about what you do? See how five diverse businesses use social media for growth, to effectively spread messages in different ways. Seamless
Seamless is an online service that helps customers order food from local restaurants. The site features 12,000 menus and discounts, deals, and new restaurants are added continuously. The site has created huge social media followings on multiple channels with a simple “Let’s Be Friends” social app on it landing page. The feature has helped Seamless amass more than 338,087 fans on Facebook and 72,611 followers on Twitter, and 1,898 +1s on Google Plus. What’s more, Seamless gives customers a reason for following. The site’s Facebook presence (pictured above) includes an "order now" page, tabs for monthly sweepstakes, a referral program, a hiring page, a dedicated video page, and a download page for the site’s mobile apps. The Mermaid Inn
Of course, you don’t need to be a tech firm to take advantage of the power of social media to market your business. The Mermaid Inn and Mermaid Oyster Bar with three locations in Manhattan, demonstrates how a brick and mortar business can use the power of social media effectively. The restaurant uses embedded YouTube videos by executive chef Lawrence Edleman who offers a “cooking school” showing how to prepare some of The Mermaid Inn’s seafood recipes. The business also actively promotes its brand on Tumblr, Google Plus, Twitter, and, of course, Facebook, where the gallery section is used to display an assortment of restaurant favorites. Hestia Tobacco
A tobacco company may not be the most glamorous brand to market these days. But small independent Hestia Tobacco has use social media to put a new spin on old and sometimes unpopular product. In fact, so unique is the tabacco company’s approach, that it earned a write up from Crain’s Social Media Group a division of Crane Communications, a leading business publishing company. The company’s Facebook fan page is a doorway to its whole social media presence. Not only does the fan page feature a gallery of images including the company’s creative logo. But the page links directly to Hestia’s Twitter and Instagram feeds as well, allowing social media followers to navigate easily through all the various channels finding the content that appeals to them the most. Branch
Branch is a startup business that doesn’t simply use social media to promote a product or service. It uses social media conversations themselves as the products or services. Here’s how. The new social site lets you sign in for an account or simply use your Twitter sign in and then begin a conversation with others on Branch. The site allows groups divided into categories like customers, experts and communities give feedback to larger brands. Users simply take content from anywhere on the Web — be it a YouTube videos, story in the New York Times or a blog post on WordPress and start a conversation a conversation about it on Branch. These conversations can then can be “published” anywhere by providing a link or embedding the conversation or “branch” on another website or blog. Social media can help you grow your business in many ways. Here are four goals to help you boost your social media efforts big time today. The post 4 Businesses That Use Social Media for Growth appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Alibaba Vows to Battle Counterfeits and Fakes Posted: 26 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT
For years eBay has been taking heat from brands for allowing the sale of counterfeit goods via its marketplace. High end brands such as Tiffany and L’Oreal — to name just two — claimed eBay hadn’t done enough to crack down on sales of counterfeit items. Legal tussles ensued. Sometimes eBay won, and other times eBay came up on the losing end in such disputes. In recent years, eBay has taken a number of steps to address the counterfeit issue, including close cooperation with law enforcement, brands and industry associations to police counterfeits. For instance, it partnered with the fashion industry on the “You Can’t Fake Fashion” campaign. And it has policies against counterfeiting and is said to take strong action against merchants when the brand owner reports counterfeits. But counterfeiting isn’t a problem just on eBay. These days, you may be hearing about a different marketplace in connection with counterfeit goods. With its 71% jump in quarterly sales, Alibaba, a China-based eCommerce site, has also seen a rise in the problem of counterfeit goods. The Alibaba.com site is largely a wholesale marketplace. Typical transactions may involve small businesses in the West buying wholesale from suppliers in China, through Alibaba. The small businesses may then turn around and resell the items via Ebay and other retail eCommerce sites to consumers, for a profitable markup. The trouble is that some items, particularly brand-name products like iPads or flash media cards, may not be all they are cracked up to be. Items bearing the name of Apple or other trusted brands may be fake. If you buy those counterfeit items wholesale, and then turn around to resell them, at the very least you could end up with customer complaints, chargebacks and lost money when you have to give refunds. Even worse, your eBay or other eCommerce account could be shut down — and you could find yourself hip deep in legal hot water. (Read more about consequences of selling counterfeit goods.) And then there’s the issue of the nearly 1 million Etsy artisans, who may find their handmade goods copied and sold in bulk on Alibaba. In that case, the small business may be the direct victim of counterfeiting on Alibaba. Alibaba Intensifies Anti-Counterfeit CampaignAlibaba has vowed to crack down on fakes. Alibaba’s management is partnering with government officials to tackle the counterfeiting issue, The Wall Street Journal reports. It comes in advance of an anticipated IPO that Alibaba has been planning for either late 2013 or 2014. Running a marketplace credible with consumers is crucial. Company officials are meeting with brands, industry groups and government officials in the U.S. to discuss ongoing problems including violation of intellectual property rights. Alibaba also has created a section on its site with information about safe buying. And Alibaba appears to be cooperating more with brand owners. However, fighting counterfeit products is a never-ending effort. It’s a complex problem. And it cannot be stamped out in one step. Counterfeiting is not just an issue for large brands, either. Small businesses have to be proactive. If you are an Etsy artisan or a brand owner, be sure to scan marketplaces regularly to spot fakes and infringement of your intellectual property. Even if you sell a small number of items in your spare time, you are not immune to being the victim of counterfeiting. Document it and report it to the marketplace. You may even be able to work with US Customs to seize counterfeit goods that violate your intellectual property rights. When you are sourcing wholesale goods, go into it with eyes open to potential fakes. The consequences of buying and then reselling counterfeit goods could be severe. To see just how you could get “taken” as a buyer, view the video below showing a counterfeit iPad purchased through Alibaba.
Counterfeit Photo via Shutterstock The post Alibaba Vows to Battle Counterfeits and Fakes appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| The Benefits of Bundling IT Services Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT Sponsored Post
Juggling three or more business services from several companies can add up to one unnecessary headache to manage. The solution to this problem may be as easy as getting all your services from the same company where possible. Bundling IT services is an option offered by some service providers that will allow you to combine different services into one bill. It frequently includes Internet, TV and phone services. Some offer additional complementary services such as online security software, a basic web hosting package and even email addresses. Beyond that, you get into networking service, dedicated Ethernet and more. Will I Currently and in the Future Have the Right Levels of Each Service?The first thing you need to consider is what you need — not only right now, but in the future as you grow. Can your service provider deliver the essential services you need now, affordably? What about growth? Will you able to grow with the service provider? As your company grows from, say, a small business with a couple of employees, to one with 25, 50, 100 or more – will your service provider be able to provide enterprise-grade services that scale seamlessly, yet at prices a smaller organization can afford? For phone service, consider what you need, especially if you have such special needs as a call center or remote workers that need to be tied in with the central phone system. For television, consider both your business and client needs for the service. Does the package you have provide you the latest financial updates, weather reports and news? Does it provide for the right type of lobby entertainment whether there are small children or an adult audience? These small considerations can make a large impact on clients who may be in a waiting room setting. For high speed Internet access, pricing usually varies by download speed. But your speed, really your bandwidth, is one of the most crucial tools in any office or business environment. Where time is money and your ability to get work done is dependent on the size of the internet pipe versus the number of users sharing it, finding a bundle with that extra speed is not just a desire, it becomes a necessity. Consider These Benefits of a Single Provider, Single BillService providers who can provide multiple services, can bring considerable benefits. Good reasons to buy a package of services from one provider include: Simplified AdministrationYes, it's possible to cobble together a number of services from different providers. But then you miss out on the benefits of a single provider — one of them being fewer administrative headaches. When your business is growing, every hour you spend on administration is an hour you don't have for other activities that lead directly to business growth. In small businesses, in particular, where you don't have a deep management team — but rather have a few people wearing multiple hats — there's quantifiable benefit to keeping your administrative activities as streamlined as possible. It's more efficient when you have one company to deal with. Typically you achieve a lower learning curve, easier to manage billing, and less complexity overall. Rather than hassle with multiple phone calls, multiple services and multiple bills to manage every month, enjoy a relationship with one company. Faster to Set UpSlow speed of implementation is one of those bottlenecks that can negatively affect growing businesses. The more time spent investigating and scoping out services from a multitude of providers, and making sure any services that need to interact together do so seamlessly, the longer it takes to implement a system. With one provider, everything is simpler. You often gain speed to put in place new services. Ability to ScaleIt's not just the initial implementation you want to consider. Your growth plans need to be taken into account. At various points, as your business grows, you may be looking to update, expand capacity or add on new services. The more different service providers you are dealing with, the more complex it can be to upgrade and expand. You want the ability to scale growth – not put unnecessary obstacles in your path. So as you review service providers, look at their ability to provide the kind of services that will help you grow fast, as you need them. The right service provider can not only help you scale with high quality Internet services, but also connect multiple locations together seamlessly, and assure the performance you need without prohibitive equipment and labor expenses. That way you don't have to keep investigating new providers, but can make one phone call to get the ball rolling to meet future needs. Save MoneyService providers may offer discounts if you buy several services from them. Service providers have an incentive to want to get one customer to buy more from them, and will offer discounts to make sure that happens. Just like with your own business, acquiring new customers costs money. So, maximizing the number of services provided to a single customer helps keep their internal costs in line. That means, you have your service provider right where you want them: Offering you the best deals. Bundling IT services gives you more price leverage with your service provider. Buying one service here, and one service with another provider, may simply not get you to the same overall price benefit. One Final Piece of AdviceIf you are interested in bundling IT services, take extra time to research your business needs. Pay close attention to your calling habits, the amount of bandwidth you need, etc. Bundling IT services can save you a ton of money and time – but only if you are careful to seek out the exact package that best fits your individual needs. Be sure to compare total costs, including hardware and any activation fees. Ask others what they’re paying, check ads and websites, and call. Calculate your costs — and this can be a great way to simplify your work life and deliver better results for your company. The lesson: Do your homework! It can pay off. Bundle Photo via Shutterstock The post The Benefits of Bundling IT Services appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
The organization representing the nation’s smallest businesses has a new president and CEO. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) named Texas CPA and longtime active member 
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